h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I once ate a fascinating dish of partridge stewed with cucumber. It was very nearly really nice, but the big lumps of boiled cucumber had gone grey and had a distressingly slug-like texture. I have issues with legless invertebrates.

My favourite thing to do with cucumber is paper-thin slices in G&T, instead of lime or lemon. Not just any old gin, though. It has to be Hendricks, and it has to be Fever-Tree tonic. Doesn't work with more aggressive gins at all. Not that that's a healthy way to get through a cucumber glut (ahem). My mother also used to make cucumber soup by the gallon. When we moved house, the chest freezer had a decade-old layer of bags of cucumber soup in it.

V has left for ABQ, after doing numerous chores. She completely housecleaned the one part of my living room that I can't get to, where there were loads of insect carcasses lying on the carpet behind the sofa and end table, and it gladdens my heart to see that area so gleamingly clean.

It's interesting to hear these different reports about the efficacy or recommendation of the different kinds of thyroid supplements.

A neighbor has just stopped by with a wee gift -- a bundle of fresh asparagus, all with nice narrow stems. I'm eating leftover Chinese tonight (thank you again, V), but I'll certainly do something with the asparagus tomorrow.

Has anyone had one of those lemon cucumbers yet? They're relatively new in these parts.

http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/blogs/editor/2008/08/the-lemon-cucum.html

All they need--well, this is going to seem like a grocery shopping list, but it's my gold standard--is olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper and crumbled feta.

168 posts of backlog on sleep-deprived brain (good sleep deprivation, but still), no notes, so we'll see what I remember to reply to...

Marv

Welcome... er... GT's wife... I'm not usually *quite* so bad with names

Happy early birthday, Marv!

Oo, lemon cucumbers are yummy! At least one of the local farms here grows them, and sells them at the farmer's market.

>> Has anyone had one of those lemon cucumbers yet? They're relatively new in these parts.

We've had those here for years, I love em.


We discovered today that our upstairs bathtub has leak at the overflow. My father-in-laws believes he has fixed it but it is only a temporary fix. With in a year we will have to replace the tub. This will not be easy as we will have to redo pretty much all of the tile and possibly move the toilet if we cannot find a tub that is the same size as the current one. We are not looking forward to this.

Good night all.

I have to admit I've not seen a lemon cucumber. Must try.

Tha tub trouble sounds like a big problem

Marv, Happy Birthday
Sorry for your loss on the passing of your sister. Best wishes to you and your family at this difficult time!

I had a lovely visit with Lil and she graciously allowed me to help out a bit. We had beautiful weather, good food, and great fun! Thanks!

Oh, cucumbers can be sliced and put into Pimm's too

Lemon cucumbers sound lovely, will hunt for seeds for next year. They are great a a vegetable in a thai curry if you put them in quite late in the process so they don't just turn to mush.

T'Other slept from 7.30pm to 2.30am and then 3am until 5.30am last night - that is the best night we've had from him for six months! Will try to use te extra energy today to do something useful.

Mornin All

Welcome to the new week. Dry but rain forecast.

Happy birthday Marv and condolences for your loss.

Happy birthday Marv. May your Jesus year absolutely, categorically NOT be one of roaming deserts and self-sacrifice and people getting nailed to things. I have knitted you a hip-flask holster. I know it's knitted, but it looks like something innocuous like an iPod holder, for situations where you need a restorative but want to be discreet.

Hopefully you'll get a good year Marv. You have been through the mill a bit recently with too much time in hospitals.

I should lose some weight but I'd certainly not go for a diet system that would send me into ketosis. That could bring all sorts of problems.
Not sure when my thyroid function was last tested but it was fine. The battery of blood tests I have to take every few months seems like an awful lot but the doctors do use them to make sure I'm generally well so I submit to the with good grace. Actually given how many times I go and see her you do get to know the people doing that job and most of the time they're nice people wanting to help.

We might be moving towards a small glut of sweetcorn. Having a look round the plot yesterday with MC we decided that we should harvest the sweetcorn and process it. The bed can then be cleared and get more stuff in (there are broad beans, onions and garlic waiting to be planted).

[mini - Off to my first lecture!]

[]

I seem to have lost a little bit of weight without trying too hard - probably due to all the work getting the new library ready.

Speaking of the new library, we're open today and it's great! Unfortunately we lack signs on the end of the shelves telling you which numbers are on which shelf... Argh! They're on their way apparently.

Happy birthday, Marv!

Happy Birthday Marv.

I'm up in Scotland today, having left my wireless network at home in a state of non-workingness. *sigh* This means I can't pick up emails or read blog posts, because my only access to the interwebs is via work.

All in all, rather at the moment.

B

::waits anxiously for the cake::

Happy Birthday Marv

*Matina brings in a cake made from brownies layered in a sort of torte with black cherry filling and a mocha icing with dark chocolate shavings, for Marv's birthday*