Thread 11 - TalkLair: “The candle flame gutters. Its little pool of light trembles.”

[Kucinghitam]

Whoops, missed the filling up of the previous thread! (thread 10).

Although the nights are gradually drawing in, the new lair of JTT escapees is all cosy and homey inside. The hearth is glowing, the walls covered in dubious artwork, books by non-approved authors line the shelves, rugs are down on the floors (and assorted pets curled up on them).

We just won’t mention the gnawed bones of our prey over there in the corner of the cave…

I'm obviously a bit all over the place and so, bless him, is Francis, but I did have some lovely food earlier and my stomach was so happy. Scrambled egg, Jarlsberg cheese grated in and some tinned tomato. It was, I guess, a bit of a scrambled omelette. It was lovely and I'm going to have more in a little while.

I've also discovered that a cuppa soup - my snacks throughout the day - taste really good with extra salt and a splash of soy sauce. And I'm loving custard so much.

"And I'm loving custard so much"

I had patients in my last hospital who were totally peg fed and hadn't eaten anything for over a year. When they were at the stage where they could be reintroduced to food, it always started with a couple of teaspoons of custard. The pure joy on their faces, just being able to eat something. I'm sorry for all this health related stuff you're dealing with @MouseMinge and hope it gets better soon.

That's excellent, Pike. I hope you, Mrs Pike and the cats will find the arrangement as perfect as it sounds.

We only seem to get post once a week at the moment, so I hope there's a stack of cards on the way, @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast

And a very happy belated birthday!

Why is Jarlsberg so good? See also, though to a lesser extent, Leerdammer. I'm not a great fan of cheese but those are two that I love. It's not that I don't like "cheese-y cheese" because Wensleydale is the food of the gods and Pecorino Romano beats Parmesan every time.

I do love me some Jarlsberg and I have no idea why it's so good. I only bought it because it was the cheese of the week at the Waitrose Deli. They had tiny bits on cocktail sticks so I had one which nearly turned out to be a very bad idea indeed because I spent about the next ten minutes desperately trying not to regurgitate it. Managed. Phew! Cheese is just great. I love a mad strong cheddar or a barely there brie or an anything in between.

I had a Kit-Kat last night as well. Two fingers. Very nice.

And happy belated birthday @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast I'm sorry that there weren't many cards but your husband is a total darling. Enjoy the flowers and have a really lovely weekend!

Yes, happy belated birthday @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast !!

Oh that's lovely Pike, and what a splendid arrangement.

We're so excited about her moving in across the road, mostly because it's never been feasible for either of us to have a dog but living so close means we can!

Oh, it just gets better and better! 😀

A belated happy birthday @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast - hope lots of cards arrive soon.

And excellent news about MrsPike’s move. Close but separate does sound ideal.

Happy belated birthday @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast, dare I ask how many years?

@Kucinghitam - 62! Me and my twin had a Zoom catch up on the day and sat there saying '62!' at each other. We do this nonsense every year and he always asks me what it feels like and if, for example, 50 is a more significant age than 60. Daft sod, but it's nice to have someone to share the day with.

I have a good friend who is 8 days older than me. With a week of experience, she always lets me know whether our new age is okay or not. It’s handy to be forewarned.

I meant to ask you @BinturongsSmellOfPopcorn - what is this SLS stuff in toothpaste that is problematic for you?

and belated happy birthday @Vegemiteandhoneyontoast .

Happy Birthday, Vegemite !

Funny! Glad to hear it's not just us. Has she warned you about anything in particular?

She generally thinks things are okay but in fairness a week isn’t really long enough to see the downsides so she’s not that reliable a witness. It’s reassuring but nonsense!

@Britinme Bint will have a more scientifically accurate answer but SLS is sodium laureth sulfate. It’s a detergent in lots of shampoos, body washes and toothpastes (among other things, presumably). I was aware that it messed with my skin generally and my scalp in particular but it took me ages to figure out it was also arguing with my gums.

It’s reassuring but nonsense!

Yeah, that's how me and my twin see it, daft but fun.

Some b'day cards finally showed up today!

Re sodium laureth sulfate, this has me wondering about the eczema I get, mainly on my arms and legs. I'll try using soap/shampoo without SLS and see if it helps.

That pretty much covered it. There are 2 forms - lauryl and laureth. The latter is supposed to be a bit milder, so some people only react to 1 version, but I find both set me off.

Ah. And that may explain the current state of my hands - they've flared up recently and I haven't been able to work out why, but have just remembered we've got a different brand of soap in the bathroom.

<goes to check label>

I spotted it as an ingredient and realised that my toothbrush hadn't been touching the soap.

I've always wondered, on toothpastes tubes, why 'sulfate' and not 'sulphate'?