The Happy Place Café and Tilly's dog wash is still open.

[sashh]

Morning and welcome.

To anyone new this is the Happy Place Café, all food and drink served here is calorie free. Everyone is welcome.

There are some people who have been here for literally years and others are newer.

The staff are me, obviously, Florence a French pastry chef who is married to Fernando the cocktail waiter (no one knows where Fernando is from so we suspect the marriage was about visas).

In a previous incarnation one of the regulars was Tilly (RIP) who brought a sparkling light in to the café along with a lemur named Leo.

Leo runs a dog wash (Tilly had a golden retriever and her family agreed to the dog wash as a tribute) but as there are rarely and dogs around he will wash anything, his other interests are goats and eggs. He spends every morning cooking eggs.

Outside the café is seating and a water feature, the water feature becomes a swimming pool in summer and an ice rink in winter. There is also a petting zoo.

Other residents are the kittenbees who are kittens the size of a bee with wings, they are very gentle but like to nibble anything sweet. Please do not give them alcohol.

Outside is where their larger cousins the bumblecats live, they are about the size of a fist and a lot more feisty than the kittenbees.

There is normally a daily special for breakfast and sometimes there is a pack up / bait / packed lunch.

Now to breakfast.

I thought a little trip to Germany would fit this morning so Florence is making bread rolls, soft and crusty, Leo is baking / frying / boiling eggs and Fernando is serving Apfelkorn.

I put out a selection of cooked meats, cheeses, jam, nutella, marmalade and if you want that abomination that people wither love or hate, it is in a locked box in the garden, far from the café, that is where it is to be consumed.

Actually I watched a vid from 'Atomic Shrimp' the other day that featured the brown paste added to warm milk.

@ScottBakula yes it is a clinic for people with vague symptoms. I'm not looking forward to the endoscopy, I have had one before and it wasn't pleasant.

Hopefully the staff will not have finished the tea I brought them last time (it's the same place as the colonoscopy was).

I'm also booked in for a chest X-ray, a pelvic ultrasound (another one I am not looking forward to because part of it will be internal) and I'm waiting for an appointment for a CT scan.

So by the time I am done there will have been a camera of some sort in every orifice.

Part of me thinks, "bloody find something" and part of me thinks "I hope they don't find anything".

@sashh , I guess there must be lots of people that have vague symptoms, or ones that are not standard for whatever is wrong with them , so I can see the point of the clinic, it's just a odd ( but appropriate) name.

I am sure a box of Yorkshire tea and hobnobs will go down as well this time as it did last time.

Is there any part of you that hasn't been photographed in one way or another .?

My DB is thinking the same as you , he has a heart valve issue but no matter how many test he has they can't nail the problem down and he just wants a answer, good or bad so that he knows what the next steps are .
It could just be anything from daily meds to open heart surgery.
It's the not knowing that causes so much stress which obviously isn't good for him .

Morning all

It’s getting nippy isn’t it? I’ll get the blankets out so we can sit outside.

Morning.

Well they are not getting tea and biscuits this time, and last time they were Twining's. Twining's do a glass jar with individually wrapped teabags / including herbal and fruit flavours. I'll get some more delivered.

It sounds like your brother is going through the wars a bit too. We might moan about the NHS at times but I glad they are here.

Now to breakfast. I think I will keep things simple, Florence is making soft rolls and I'll make sausages and bacon, Leo will of course supply an egg to the bap whether you want one or not.

Fernando is making gluhwein.

Oh, a bacon roll sounds lovely @sashh . Leo can keep away with his pesky eggs. I have a slight egg allergy.

Morning.

Well for anyone interested I had a 'generous' amount of sedation yesterday, so I don't remember doing this but I tried to pull the endoscope out.

So I'm feeling a bit stupid this morning. I'm going to sit in the corner with a pot of tea and let everyone get on with making their own breakfast.

I agree @sashh , it's easy to call the NHS but there is no way my brother could afford all of the test and treatments he has had.

I have only been sedated a few times, on one occasion apparently I insisted on checking the wheels on the bed I was in were all facing the right way ! God knows what I was thinking about ! But it became a long running joke in the family if we're were not sure about something.

Morning.

Well they have sent me another appointment so I'm investigating hypnotherapy.

I think this morning is going to be fairly simple, I'm making kippers obviously Leo will be poaching eggs to go on the side.

Florence is making croissants and Fernando has rum punch.

They are going to start charging you rent soon !
I hope you mean hypnotherapy to help cope with anxiety before the treatment or to help you relax during the treatment and not instead of it.

I love kippers , please can I have a pair with 2 slices of toast and a couple of poached eggs .
And a packet of extra strong mints !

Kippers on the way.

Yes to help with the treatment.

I did tell my GP I was going to just bring a sleeping bag and stay there.

Morning

Kippers for me too please. No mints needed- the joy of WFH.

I’d bring Tabasco to meet you but judging by the way she’s currently killing her toy, the kitten bees would not be safe.

Kippers on the way.

@MinnieMountain , it's probably best that Tabasco and Oreo stay away ( my cat is a thug ) as I believe the bumble cats are quite protective of their little cousin's.

I see floŕance has been baking some farmhouse loaves so i think things on toast would be a good idea for breakfast.
Leo is on his starting blocks at his egg station, we also have beans , cheese , fried mushrooms , bacon, sausage , meat paste, bovril , that that shall not be mentioned , honey, marmalade, jam , peanut butter , almond butter and Toast Toppers ( i wish they bring them back )

I’d forgotten about the bumble cats @ScottBakula .

I’ll make myself a thick slice of farmhouse bread with butter and honey. Yum.

Are you sure B&M don’t sell toast toppers? They seem to sell all other foods of that ilk.

Morning.

Ooo breakfast looks good.

How can anyone forget the Bumblecats?

@MinnieMountain , hmm uour right B&m may still sell them , I don't go in there very often but next time I'm near one I will go and investigate.

Mind the kitten bees don't sneek off with some of your honey!

@sashh , I think it's because they are a bit reclusive that people forget that they are there guarding the other animals ,

Hello everyone. I was awake lots in the night but felt sick so wasn’t looking at my phone of any thread left can I have a piece of toast if I wake up before the rest of you ?

@tattoonewbie , I hope you are feeling better now.
Of course you can, by the magic of The Happy Place Cafe your toast will be still warm and freshly cooked help yourself to as many toppings as you want 🍞.

Crept down at 5 and toast was lovely thanks. Just about to go to work. May as well get in and have an early start. Hope you’re all ok

Morning.

Inspired by another thread, would anyone be interested in a virtual advent calendar? Actually would anyone like to do that?

It's getting cold so we need something warming. So crisp streaky bacon cooked with tomatoes and hot water to make a sort of 'breakfast soup'.

Florence is making bagels and Fernando is serving hot chocolate.

Morning

A bacon bagel and a hot chocolate would really hit the spot. I’m going on a long walk today.

Bagel and chocolate on its way. Where are you walking? I hope it is somewhere nice.

@sashh I like the idea of a virtual calander but haven't a clue how it would work , perhaps the person that inspired the idea come over to the café and show us ?

The breakfast soup sounds just what is need right now , please can I have a bowl full and a round of toast.

@ScottBakula the other thread was novelty IRL calendars. For a virtual one you would just need to say what we had virtually got that day.

Ely to Cambridge @sashh . It’s 18 miles through the Fens. Lovely at this time of year.