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…

Yeah, I tried caviar once, and just once was enough.

I'm not a caviar person. Not really a champagne person either. I think my taste buds know something about me.

I am a bit champagne but absolutely anti caviar. My peasant taste buds could only detect the olive oil capsules that my well meaning mother put into a school lunchbox. It rolled into a ham sandwich and that was an unforgettable lunch.

DeanElderberry · Today 12:00

It is windier here than in most of the UK - as the wind blows I'm only about 60k from the Atlantic, even though I'm in an inland location. I suspect Scotland's going to be hammered by this, and I'm sure bint is doing some hatch-battening.

Yes, it looks like Scotland and NE England are going to get it, more so that the SE. The weather reports a couple of days ago suggested that the South would be hard hit, but now, it's less so. I think I ought to empty the clinker pan and get some wood indoors!

Fingers crossed for you.

This baby's reaction to kiwi fruit shows how my feelings about caviar.

https://twitter.com/Yoda4ever/status/1748692282604433674

Damn, wrong link. Will try and find the baby one.

Found it.

https://twitter.com/TansuYegen/status/1687031201804988417

That's pretty much my reaction to kiwi fruit too, in addition to burning mouth and fingers.

Kiwi fruit is a weird one. I used to like it when I was in my teens/20s/30s, but now I can't stand it. I vaguely wondered whether they had changed the variety they sell here, but didn't give it much thought as the solution (not eating it) is perfectly simple.

My reaction to kiwi fruit is basically "meh". It's not awful but I wouldn't choose it.

The warnings are getting scarier.

https://us.v-cdn.net/6034073/uploads/S18MDXMHLLBA/img-2464.jpeg

Oh crikey @DeanElderberry. It's starting to get a bit blowy here (SE). Like you, if our electricity goes so does our water. Crossing my fingers for you.

That does look worrying. Hope it all holds together, Elderberry, and anyone else who's copping it.

Hatches battened here, and the wind is definitely growing.

I don't mind kiwi fruit, but certainly wouldn't go out of my way for it. The golden kiwi I had in New Zealand were nicer than the green sort, but I've only seen them over here once.

This story of how Alan Alda met and bonded with his wife is everything.

https://twitter.com/alanalda/status/1428396778471165963?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1428396778471165963%7Ctwgr%5E830f4d8fd8f95ea712e850e08d7c4f4a36fa841c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-7859595663960659614.ampproject.net%2F2312191621000%2Fframe.html

Hope everyone in the path of the storm is safely indoors and has adequate supplies to keep it that way. The weather is bad here but not properly awful.

I hadn’t had kiwi fruit for years (probably decades) until they pitched up in a mixed fruit and veg box from Abel and Cole at the start of the pandemic when online shopping slots were scarce and Abel and Cole switched to set boxes with no substitutions. They were unexpectedly nice. Can’t say I’ve gone out of my way to source more though.

Hmmm. I think it may be windier here than I’d thought. It sounds like the wheelie bins may be contemplating picking a fight with the car. I may have to intervene (bring the bins round the back). Hardly the same level of preparation as Elderberry though so I can’t complain!

So far I've been very lucky and the electricity is still on. Some of the forecasting maps were indicating that the hills southwest of me might deflect the wind enough that we'd have a 'shadow' that shielded us from the worst, so maybe that's what has happened. Nationally there are thousands of households without power and trees down all over the place. We'll learn more in the morning.

I ate my dinner early, grabbing the chance to cook while I had power, and I put my lovely lovely hot water bottle in my bed at 7 and have now joined it. If the power goes out I can go to sleep - meanwhile I have the laptop and an NCIS LA DVD so all good.

Yeah, it's starting to pick up here as well. Am going to seek out the battery lamps and torches, just in case.

Gosh the wind is really strong here and I'm in SE, so I understand your preparations. Hope it's not too bad for you all.

I do love salmon roe, on blinis at Christmas so will give cod a try. Caviar is OK but no nicer than salmon roe and a depressing colour in comparison.

We get kiwis in our veg box occasionally, and they are usually ripe: a nice combination of sweet & tangy, and tasty, so I like them. When I had them from elsewhere, years ago, they were sour and tasteless. M&S sell the golden ones so I may try them.

Guttering creaking, alarming squeaks coming from the solar panels, and some gusts are making the house shake. No rain, though.

The house shaking doesn’t sound ideal! It’s rainy here and very windy but not horribly so. There are at least two wheelie bins making their way out into the world but mine are now safely tucked away and can’t get out.

Just reading one of those Isha threads, it doesn't sound good, especially in NI; hope you guys are all OK.

I hope everyone is staying safe! I think Isha is the worst storm so far this winter?

No storm here but our furnace has gone on the blink and it's going to be -13C tonight. The house isn't too bad so far but we've left the oven on in the kitchen with the door ajar and left the kitchen tap running slightly and put an extra blanket on top of the duvet. Furnace man is supposed to be coming at 7:30 am tomorrow.

It's windy here, but doesn't seem that bad. We went out for dinner last night and a fixed litter bin was blown over and all the rubbish was flying through the air. I walked my girl to school and it was blustery, the worst seems to have passed.