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

That I never make New Year resolutions but this year I made one to have whisk(e)y in the house at all times...

So far so good, despite me drinking honourable quantities

Cool old Guy calculating checking
"Should be no problem as far as I know it is saturday evening for you "

Indeed, although I'm still on the at the moment. The will be poured later on.

Cool old Guy wondering
"Do you keep a list of your name poetry?

I kind of liked the previous but can not remember more the something like: 'Gosho, where no beer has gone before' but I bet that is completely wrong. well indeed only the no lemons left."

As a matter of fact I do, so as to avoid repetition (except in the case of certain anniversaries) A2611603

Cool old Guy shifting down
" impressive list, many I vaguely remember.

Could have searched for Gosho, gives a 100% hit

Either my keys are a bit loose or my fingers miss too often, bet the latter Well, it is my twelve year HooToo birthday. as "

Happy Hootooversary

Traveller in Time stuck in Pliny
" Wish there had been more for the 16th anniversary of the site.
Still it is nut number tht count it is beeing there.

FUP I nee dmy glasses to read this. Still can not read it."

Cool old Guy not blaming Pastey
"Though I would have preferred some more readable contrast setting."

I'm happy to say that I have (so far) kept this resolution . Whiskies have included Knob Creek Rye, Highland Park, Dickel Rye, Bulleit Rye, Weller Bourbon, Aberlour, Glenmorangie, the bottle of Talisker I bought myself for Christmas earlier this year because it was on sale at $20 off the usual price, and some others I can't remember.

Bearing in mind that there are only 17 days of 2015 left, and that besides the Talisker I have a bottle and half each of both Knob Creek Rye and Aberlour in the pantry, it's hard to see how I'm going to be able to break it before January 1st

So, for next year... gin*?

*I may well have already managed this in 2015 too

One word.

Rum.

Can't do rum. I was never keen on the flavour as a kid - rum and raisin toffee, that sort of thing. Then, at my first full-on teenage-party-avec-booze... the beer ran out so we got stuck into the gin; the gin ran out so we started on the rum, even though I knew I didn't care for it, but I was so drunk by then it didn't matter. Then I was very, very sick. In several places around that house (not all over the coats on the bed, thankfully). And I had walk home. Covered in puke. And I had one of the top three hangovers of my whole life.

Ditto tequila, but under different circumstances.

I've never cared for rum, except perhaps Bacardi, but your story reminds me of my father's yarn about his 21st birthday. It was in the war (1940), he was serving in the Navy (If I went upstairs to have a look, I could tell you which ship he was on) in the tropics.

For your 21st, apparently, it was customary for the rest of the crew to give you a tot from their rum ration, so they all stood in a circle with their rum and he had a mugful of the stuff and had to drink it in one go. So down the hatch it went, and he just continued keeling over backwards and was out for the count. I can't remember if he told us what happened after that. Maybe he didn't remember himself, or it was too horrible a tale to tell with his two darling daughters in earshot.

Not exactly a resolution(s), but before this time next year I would like to get:

An electric whisk
A slow cooker
A fast cooker (pressure, that is)
My teeth fixed
My eyes tested and proper glasses for them
A digital scale that doesn't just make up whatever numbers come into its head
A proper bread bin
A cake tin
A straight razor
Many more types of single malt Scotch than I did this year
My bedroom tidied up
Rid of that aquarium (or some fish in it)
A jackpot-winning lottery ticket

Traveller in Time cooking with his eyes and nose
"Is it not a kind of magic when the scale gives only random counts ?

I most often just add a little bit more or less then an exact figure. As with cooking time, there is my nose telling me to remove something from the heat.

I do hope for you to find a lottery ticket with a jackpot in it. (imagining a piece of paper with a slot machine wrapped inside) "

If you do follow the slowcooker resolution, may I suggest http://www.ayearofslowcooking.com/ ? Her books are good, too (at least the 365 Suppers and 5 Ingredient ones, those being the 2 I got for Christmas, though I'd be surprised if her others weren't good, as well).

Finding a good new straight razor can be a chore. I have a couple of antique straight razors that aren't usable due to chips in the edge. I picked them up cheap at a junk store and a Farmer's Market. I also bought a new one from Duluth Trading, but I think the blade is just to thick to get a proper edge on it. It seems more like a knife than a razor. I've priced some proper straight razors and the ones I found were in the hundreds of dollars.

That all said, I think you can find a good antique one for a decent price if you keep your eye out. eBay is one place to check of course, but I think I saw some at one of those nifty shops on S. Congress. I didn't see a price on the one I saw in a display case but the blade looked like it was in great shape.

I'll probably try to hone my Duluth one again before I search again for a proper, thin bladed one.


Oh, I also bought a novelty Johnny Depp version at the Ren Fest a few years ago. I think I paid all of $15 for it. Then this year me and a friend went to the same shop and he knew one of the guys working there and he just handed my friend the same one. Apparently they are basically worthless junk.

I think someone mentioned that site (and books) to me last time I spoke about slow cookers, Amy. Maybe it was you Obviously I haven't got around to buying one yet This year though, I think I shall, and a simple, straightforward one. None of those programmable ones - the leccy goes off too often around here (although not as often as the water ). If there's a power cut I want one with a simple off/low/high switch that will simply come back on when the power does.

I looked at Duluth, BG, and it seemed that a lot of people weren't happy with their purchases. I've since done a deal more research and found some specialist places that look good, and are free and easy with advice too. As a jumping-off point: http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/10/06/how-to-straight-razor-shave/ (by the way, I'm always sceptical and wary of anything that calls itself 'ultimate', because it never is).

Probably was--I love how she's honest about what recipes work and don't work--and which of the "fails" were really just failures for the tastes of her family. (Go look at the hard boiled egg recipe, or any of the flops)