I really dislike helicopters. Some of my least pleasant life experiences.
26.6 is a big number. Based on my reading 10 is about when you can start breathing again.
I sold tools to the Texas National Guard for their AH64 attack helicopters. The test pilot said he hated flying because he was always looking for a place to crash land.
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Not when, only a few weeks back, it was well over 300. You and I appear to have very different readings of the Covid situation. Maybe that’s because of differing local situations. Maybe because of different views about risk. Certainly I am more confident now, having had both my Astra Zeneca jabs, than I was in the autumn when I was completely unprotected. If the jabs do not give folk confidence to start life again, then I really think we’ve lost it.
By the by, we’re just back from the garden centre and, on the way home, popped into the supermarket for a couple of things that the home delivery order was out of stock of. This is only the third time I’ve been in one since pre-Covid times. The last occasions were in September when infection numbers were about the same as now. It was very quiet and aisles had been widened. We felt perfectly safe - although we’ll be sticking with online orders for a few weeks more, just to allow more time for younger people to have had their vaccinations. We’re going away for a week in June and I’m hoping things will feel very much like normal by then.
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I had what was an “innocent” yet very poignant “first step back to normality” over the weekend. Now only did I “indoor” dine for the first time for dinner, I have dined in a couple “tents” recently so the novelty of being fully inside was nice. However I Sunday we did something that I hadn’t, and I also hadn’t realized just how much I missed it, we ate breakfast out.
Doing a “Sunday” family breakfast was something we always did when the kids were younger and we (Ok I) still went to Church. So we went from doing every Sunday to still doing it once a month, but like everything else that stopped. I can’t count the number of breakfasts I’ve made from home during the pandemic, but this was the first I had back out in a diner eating a good ole’ Jersey Diner breakfast, and boy did I miss. it.
Let’s try to keep the focus of this discussion on our individual steps back to normalcy and not allow it to dissolve into a discussion about our belief’s in the trends etc. Spring is here, he majority of locations are lifting restrictions let’s all try to enjoy our hard fought pieces returning to normal.
I now I did, and I also just realized this thread is on the UK / Ireland board and I certainly didn’t have my breakfast there, sorry for the misplaced post.
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But, if you had and you’d been my guest, this is the place we’d have gone (assuming your well known good taste demanded better than the local greasy spoon).
The Lounge is a national group of 60 or so locations - open for food, just coffee or just booze all day. This one is a few minutes from us. I’ve been talking to Mrs Harters about looking forward to going for Michelin starred dinners. She’s been talking back about looking forward to a coffee and toast with Marmite at the Brezo.
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Exactly, sometimes is the small things you miss and you don’t even realize it.
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“We’re going to have to auto-rotate.” Words you never want to hear.
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Yes, but much preferable to losing a rotor, or having an engine explode. Not a lot of margin for mechanical failure or pilot error in helicoptering.
To be OT, taking a few baby steps to a friend’s house this afternoon, for social time in the good weather. All vaxxed! Yay!
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@Harters I’ve been planning my future trip to the UK, maybe 2022 or 2023. On Instagram, I’m following all sorts of restaurants, pubs, hotels, destinations, and bakeries in parts of England, Scotland and Wales I haven’t visited yet.
I probably won’t focus on Michelin stars. I miss the pubs, tea rooms, chippies, historic hotels, fry ups, cafes and department store food halls!
I’ll also plan to revisit Rules and maybe J Sheekey, 2 places you recommended to me on eGullet, iirc.
I’m overdue for a visit to Scotland. I haven’t visited in 16 or 17 years.
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Hope your visit went well, Lambchop.
We risked a family gathering yesterday for a birthday. In a family member’s back garden. We managed to be reasonably socially distanced and had a nice time for about an hour and half. I haven’t been in so much company since Christmas 2019. At seven of us, we were actually one person above what is legally permitted. It wasnt the plan but someone who wasn’t expected did turn up.
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You’ll possibly remember that I said Rules is my favourite London restaurant. Usually we travel to the capital for high end restaurants - it’s a two hour train journey each way and, for dinner, also involves an overnight stay. So, destination restaurants it is. That said, Mrs H and I have agreed that our next trip will be to Rules. But we’ll go for lunch so there and back in the day. I plan that for autumn when they are heavily in to the game season for the menu.
A couple of local bakeries to add to your collection. First the Barbakan in Chorlton. Chorlton is very much Foody Central in these parts. Just opposite the bakery/deli is the vegetarian Unicorn Grocery. And you’re only a couple of minutes walk to one of the best fishmongers in the metro area and, aslo a very decent butchers.
And, in the middle of Chinatown, there’s Ho’s Bakery. Which I cannot walk past without going in to buy their honey buns
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My last visit to Rules was in Sept 2018, when I had my 2nd order of grouse, and 1st order of bread sauce!
My first taste of grouse was in Exeter.
My first visit to Rules was in May 2016, when I tried Jersey Royals and Wye Valley asparagus for the first time. Excellent saddle of lamb and Dover sole. Then more Wye Valley asparagus at the restaurant on the mezzanine at Fortnum’s, and more lamb in Cardiff.
I think we mentioned Marks & Spencer’s the other day. Well, that was the supermarket I mentioned earlier that we popped into. Managed to get our first Wye Valley asparagus of this year. Still too early for Jersey Royals but we’ll try again with the online supermarket order for next week. Marks & Spencer have teamed up with Ocado (which is only online) so thi si sprobably now the easiest option for higher end products.
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Conversely I also sold to the Texas Air Guard and their F4 Phantom II’s of the 111 Fighter Interceptor Squadron. Most of the pilots flew for airlines which was a job but they described fighters as pure fun. Can you say Mach II over the Gulf of Mexico?
I also sold to NASA mainly the pool where the astronauts practice training in zero gravity. Plus a bazillion chemical plants and refineries.
My wife and I ate at J Sheekey about 10 years ago. We quite enjoyed it.
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I enjoyed Bonnie Gull the last time I was in London.
I’m glad you’re starting to enjoy some spring produce. I picked some rhubarb 10 days ago, and again 3 days ago.
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I don’t have space to grow rhubarb, although I often think I should make space. Anything edible I do grow has to look good, as I grow them in amongst the decorative plants - and rhubarb does look good. We bought some local rhubarb yesterday from a greengrocers and I think that’s going to end up in a crumble.
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Hooray! No more bruising. I bought new makeup last Thursday (threw out anything lingering months) and went out in public. Today I voted in public! Even ate in a restaurant . . . It was so nice to eat out, be served, try a new beer.
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