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

It probably doesn't work out cheaper than decent-ish bakery bread either; I do* like both; the bakery bread can have an even consistancy to it, that is just hard or impossible to recreate at home, but, well, some of the breads I make, are some of the tastiest food I've ever eaten, and I've certainly never seen anyone selling anyting remotely as tasty as my onion bread It just can't be made like that, and sold commercially... asides anything, not including the time it takes me to make the onion bread, I think just the inggredients, plus cooking/power costs for the cooker, would probalby make it four or five quid or more a loaf... then add onto that profet, plus labor costs, I somehow don't think it'd make a viable comercial thing, for anyone to make; and, yeh, changing it to an automated or semiautomated mechanical process, rather than all by hand... it wouldn't be the same bread...

Having said which, the two slices of white bread, from my local bakery, I just took out of the freezer, toasted, and had with some cheese and ham and butter, for supper, were just the ticket for a quick supper

Been shopping.

Depite trying to stick to the items only on my list, it is VERY hard to break the habit of checking the reduced shelves. So I did come away with some bits and bobs off there.

I remembered I had some creme fraiche in the fridge, so I'm using the steak pieces, mushrooms and red onion to make a sort of boeuf bourgignon. To be served with one of those out of date packs of supernoodles, minus its flavour sachet.

I crashed and burned today. You know how many bookshops there are within a five-minute walk of my work, right?

I had a lovely conversation on the phone with the vicar of a local church that runs "The Larder" (beside Glentoran football ground, I drive past it every day)

He sounded so sweet and grateful for my offered bag of...er...goodies. I'm calling in tomorrow morning - actually I bought an additional item today specifically to add to my bag. I'm getting ready to be shocked at the learning about the level of food poverty on my doorstep.

I've not bought anything today not even a pack of sticky plasters (which I could do with for the cut on my hand, but I can't be bothered to go out for them...)...

Actually, in reverse, I may 'make' some money today, as I finally* sorted out the massive pile of loose change, and put it into the 'coppres' and 'silver' boxes, and If I can't find anything more productive to do, I might bag up the silver.... twenty to thirty quid there I think ooo... yeh.. which I'll then cash on Saturday and immediately go spend on new jeans probably

The beef and noodles were OKish - meat was too chewy for me. Note to self - dont be buying steak pieces again.

Tonight I've defrosted the single chicken breast, and I'll adapt a Jamie's 15 minute meal to do a sort of blackened chicken with quinoa salad. Tomorrow I'll try his green tea smoked salmon. Should've got some limes in the supermarket yesterday.

£50 on post redirection, £10 deposit for Xmas dinner, and I havent bough the limes yet!

Just bought cigarettes today... In town tomorrow, may buy the new jeans, was looking on the web earlier, and how much?!: struth, jeans are meant to be work clothes, yet, looking online, even Levis seem to be the best part of £80 a pair... Sure I can find some cheap own brand ones, nearer £20 or less though which should work just as well Need to get more ham and cheese too (Polish supermarket, very cheap), may go to teh butchers, but not sure yet.. probalby need to buy more coffee beans, and nothing else I can think of at the moment; have salad bits to use up in the fridge, though probably need more mushrooms, and I've still got fruit left so won't need fruit or salad bits until Monday

Just make your own jeans 2legs. How hard can it be? They are just two tubes of denim joined together by a bum compartment. If you make your own you could give them a custom made pocket for baguettes...

Filled the car with petrol - £35.

My mother has invited me to Sunday lunch to celebrate their anniversary. I always keep a stash of greetings cards, so I found a suitably pretty hand-made one and wrote a little verse inside. I'll bring some lavender sprigs from my garden, tied with a pink ribbon, and I'll also give them the bag I got at the World Police and Fire Games - my Mum loves that sort of memorabilia, and my Dad's always looking for handy draw-string bags for swimming gear (he's still a keen swimmer, even at the age of 74).

I almost caved and bought a dress for a fiver in a charity shop - it was a plae blue/grey, looked like silk but really was polyester cotton, slight A-shape, double layer, with a stunning coral chrysanthemum applique thing on the chest.

BUT

Dry cleaning recommended - and even if I hand washed it, t'would be a begger to iron
Very deep sleeve holes - would have to be worn over something. Which would make it too warm for holidays in sunny climes
A bit too fancy for work - so where would I wear it?

This is, indeed a very tempting idea; I wouldn't even need to start from scratch: I've 2 pairs of 36 inch waist, and 2 pairs of 34 inch waist, which are not very worn, plus the 32 inch I'm wearing, which are now too loose, and only a month or so old... I could adapt them... make em smaller, and the right* size to fit me... maybe get some extra matterial, to make bigger and/or more pockets in em for carrying cheese, and bread in...

Well. went into two differnt clothes shops, to try on jeans...

And discogered, that, apparently 'the inch' is not a uniform measure seriously....

In M&S, tried on 30 inch waist, fitted me, nice and tight (but not overly tight), but a little* tight fitting on the legs; so OK, I'll try the 32 inch; I am wearing 32 inch, which go up and down, without need to unbutton or unzip; yet, the 32 inch in the shop, are way* tighter than the 32 inch I'm wearing, and won't* fall down; actually, they're barely any looser than the 30 inch ones

Went to second shop (where current jeans came from), tried on 30 inch... they're looser than the M&&S 30 inch, but tighter than the 32", and a fair bit tighter than the 32 I'm wearing... tigh on the leg again; so tried the 'loose' fit version of teh same; same waist size; only the waist size isn't the same... Utterly utterly confused and unable to determine any logic to it... so I didn't buy any

Major differnce in pockets though; the M&S pockets are far superior, (despite the jeans being cheaper), side pockets deep enough to hold my Sii mini phone in its case; back pocket properly* deep so the wallet sits deep into it

No one though, apparently makes jeans with 7 belt loops, rhater than five; which is annoying as seven belt loops makes jeans stay up correctly, where as five makes them constantly uncomfy fitting round the waist (and prone to ride up/down)

bought a loaf of bread (bakery I've not used before), sausages and bacon (butcher I use, but his other shop as the nearer shop has closed, so he can conentrate on the one and save the rent/rates), went to a garden party thing (charity thing), had a coffee and cake (£3 for both William's and mine), then went to Poland and bought ham and cheese oh, and got garlic and mushrooms but no jeans

£37 on a room at Yohotel Gatwick.

I went into town today to pick up our Vegas tickets - parked on the edge of town and walked to save on car parking charges.

I knew we had a nasty turnover time on the way home -arrive at Gatwick 10.30, flight to Dublin not till 17.30. So I wanted to book a room in their on site hotel, that can be rented by the hour. Very basic - bed, shower, wifi, free tea and coffee. In fact all you need when you've got 7 hours to kill on the return leg Eastward from the US, and still have a 2 hour drive home after landing.

Salmon last night - rip open some green tea bags and scatter over the fillets, before frying.

I served it with a pack of Thai red rice, heated in some light coconut milk, and some grilled asparagus.

Yay, zero spend today!

Parents loved the little presents, and Mum gave me some mint to pot on in my garden.

so you spent nothing and made a mint!

I didn't spend anything either... really... well cept to buy a couple packs of cigs, and a jar of emergency instant coffee... so about seventeen quid in fact

Hairdressers £70.

But our lottery syndicate got 4 numbers at the weekend, so we paid out £10 each (that recoups the Xmas dinner deposit)

£1.50 entrance fee for the dog show.

is that a lot for a hairdressers?! seems a lot to me... but the last time I had my hair cut was so* long ago, I think it probably cost me less than five quid (sometime in the very early 90s I think the last time I visited a hairdressers)

Well ladies tend to be dearer. And this was a colour as well as a cut- I was expecting that to be the price, so no surprises.

Got given a at of fresh broad beans, so I'm currently researching re pies to use those.

As I say, a long while ago since I last stepped into an hairdressers... and I never had anything more complicated than 'a trim' back then anyhow now a pair of good sissors, or garden secatures, and my standing over the bin in the kithcen, gets me my once year or so trim off the bottom three or four inchs of pony tail cut