I'm such a kid.
I've been saving points from Anchor butter packs. So far I have 20 cows in my herd. They are all named after people I know. Today's new cows were named Whitaker, Perry and Kim. I already have Jon, Michelle, Vinny, Jodi, Mark, Suzy, Izzy, Jock, Millsey, Cleggy, Andy, Ian, Auer, Kizilok etc etc.
When I get to 25 cows I'll be able to send off for my FREE cow kite.
I'm tempted to cash in 15 right now and get a fuzzy felt cow farm, but I kind of want the kite more.
Maybe I'll get the fuzzy felt next time. I loved fuzzy felt when I was a kid. Must have had a dozen of them.
If you use Anchor butter and don't have a herd - why not? It's fun. If not, send the code printed on the pack to ME and I'll adopt a cow for you.
Thursday, 27 August 2009
Sunday, 23 August 2009
Cook-tastic mate
I optimistically over-stocked on fruit this week and rather just eat the stuff (that's boring - right?) I'm currently making apple & blueberry crunch AND a banana & blueberry cake. I still think that cake mixture, off the spoon is one of the best pleasures in life. If you fancy giving either a go, here's the recipes.
Apple Crunch
I got this recipe from my friend Jodi in San Diego. It ROCKS! This recipe is really flexible. You can play around with the quantities of syrup and sugar and add other ingedients too if you like. Hence my apple & blueberry crunch. You can also double up the quantities of the crunchy topping if you like lots of it.
For the apple filling
4 large cooking apples or 8 medium eating apples (Cooking apples work best, as you get that tart edge to counteract the sugar.)
1/2 cup of maple syrup, golden syrup or honey (I usually do a mixture of all three.)
1/2 pack of blueberries (optional)
For the crunchy topping
1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1/2 cup plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (or less if preferred)
1/4 cup cold butter
Peel the apples and cut into smallish chunks. Put them in an ovenproof dish, (along with the blueberries if you're using them) and drizzle with the syrup.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the cold butter and cut it with a knife until it reaches a crumbly texture. Spread over the apples.
Bake uncovered at 190c (375f) for 30 - 40 minutes.
Banana cake
I found this on the internet when I was looking for a recipe that didn't need eggs. I rarely have eggs in the house. I've adapted it a little here and there. This is my version.
5 or 6 ripe bananas
1/2 pack of blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp whisky
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Mash the bananas and sugar together.
Add the vanilla, whisky and maple syrup and stir in.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Add the blueberries and stir in.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper (or grease well) and pour the mixture in and level off.
Bake for 1 hour at 175c (350f).
Apple Crunch
I got this recipe from my friend Jodi in San Diego. It ROCKS! This recipe is really flexible. You can play around with the quantities of syrup and sugar and add other ingedients too if you like. Hence my apple & blueberry crunch. You can also double up the quantities of the crunchy topping if you like lots of it.
For the apple filling
4 large cooking apples or 8 medium eating apples (Cooking apples work best, as you get that tart edge to counteract the sugar.)
1/2 cup of maple syrup, golden syrup or honey (I usually do a mixture of all three.)
1/2 pack of blueberries (optional)
For the crunchy topping
1/4 - 1/2 tsp nutmeg (to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1/2 cup plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar (or less if preferred)
1/4 cup cold butter
Peel the apples and cut into smallish chunks. Put them in an ovenproof dish, (along with the blueberries if you're using them) and drizzle with the syrup.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the cold butter and cut it with a knife until it reaches a crumbly texture. Spread over the apples.
Bake uncovered at 190c (375f) for 30 - 40 minutes.
Banana cake
I found this on the internet when I was looking for a recipe that didn't need eggs. I rarely have eggs in the house. I've adapted it a little here and there. This is my version.
5 or 6 ripe bananas
1/2 pack of blueberries
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp whisky
1 tbsp maple syrup
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Mash the bananas and sugar together.
Add the vanilla, whisky and maple syrup and stir in.
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda together.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Add the blueberries and stir in.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper (or grease well) and pour the mixture in and level off.
Bake for 1 hour at 175c (350f).
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Mac-o-rama
We recently bought an iMac for the studio. It's VERY cool and just 'works'. You know, you plug it in and it does stuff, without crashing, getting viruses and freaking out on you just when you least expect it.It's quite a steep learning curve for both of us. I used to work on Macs a long time ago. The last time I touched one was a beige G3 with OS9 on it. Mark has never used one before. So to be confronted with OSX Leopard and a whole new way of doing stuff is a little daunting, but we're getting there.
The Mac is predominantly for use in the studio. We're not going to clog it up with unnecessary programmes or use it for email or anything like that. It'll run Logic Studio and that's what it'll do.
I'll also be using it for video work, as the Windows Movie Maker on my laptop just refuses to work any more. It crashes as soon as I add a file to a project. I never get as far as saving anything. I've spent too many hours getting frustrated and getting nowhere.
So for the past couple of days I've been playing around with iMovie and the result is something I've been wanting to do for months, which is a video for the Kizilok track, Torben Byl. I was hit with a sudden flash of inspiration one day, ages ago. I rushed out and bought a clockwork robot, just like I'd seen in my mind's-eye, took a bunch of video clips of it, and then couldn't do anything with them. Very frustrating.
But now I;ve finally been able to make my Torben Byl video, and I'm pleased with it. It makes me smile. Here it is.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kgWwNBLE6U
Friday, 21 August 2009
Ramadan a ding dong
Did you know that Ramadan starts tomorrow?
Nor did I, till I spoke to our friendly local purveyor of damn-fine curry this evening.
Couldn't do it myself. No eating during daylight hours. I wouldn't last a day.
Apparently they have a huge selection of great Asian food on offer in Tesco in Cardington Road, Bedford this week. They even have Islamic 'advent' calendars with chocolates inside!
If Indian people are doing their own festival shopping there, that's a pretty good recommendation.
Gotta go and check that out.
Nor did I, till I spoke to our friendly local purveyor of damn-fine curry this evening.
Couldn't do it myself. No eating during daylight hours. I wouldn't last a day.
Apparently they have a huge selection of great Asian food on offer in Tesco in Cardington Road, Bedford this week. They even have Islamic 'advent' calendars with chocolates inside!
If Indian people are doing their own festival shopping there, that's a pretty good recommendation.
Gotta go and check that out.
Cashback and old Mrs Cynical
You know me, quite cynical in general and not willing to trust things/people I don't know....
Well, a few months ago a went on a training course on affiliate marketing. For the uninitiated, affiliate marketing is the advertising banners that you see on websites, enticing you to click through and buy stuff.
Basically the way it works is, you click on the banner and end up buying something, the host website gets a commission for displaying the advert and generating the click through, the shop gets a sale, but takes a hit on the commission cost off their profit. Simple really. Everybody does it.
But did you know it can also work for you as a customer?
The guy running the training course highly recommended a site called Quidco.com to me. All you have to do is sign up, then remember to use Quidco, rather than going direct to the sites you're going to buy stuff from. I ain't bull-shitting you, this actually works. It's all done with cookies. Let's face it, if you were going to buy the stuff anyway, you're onto a winner if you can get a little something back.
Every time you click through from the site and buy something YOU get money back. I'm smitten.
Oh man, this really sounds like one of those get rich quick scams, doesn't it?
Just send me your bank account details and I'll do a runner. Haha....
So I've been using it for a few months now. Every Ebay purchase I make goes through there, and I get 40% of Ebay's cut. No shit! I got £20 for buying my car insurance through it. The list goes on. I only wish I'd been using it when I booked the flights for our USA trip. Dammit.
I'm trying to train Mark to remember to use it too, seeing as he's the Ebay FIEND in the house.
It takes a little while before you remember to automatically check to see if the shop you're going to buy from is on there. I was gutted that I forgot to use it to go through to the Apple Store when I bought the iMac. Coud have got £30 for my trouble, but got lost in the excitement and forgot. What a numpty.
All you have to do to use this site is pay an annual fee of £5, which they take out of your earnings, so you don't even have to pay that upfront. It takes a little while for the payments to come through. Ebay is pretty fast, some take a couple of months.
I going to shut up now. I sound like a total loon. Even I don't trust me.
Well, a few months ago a went on a training course on affiliate marketing. For the uninitiated, affiliate marketing is the advertising banners that you see on websites, enticing you to click through and buy stuff.
Basically the way it works is, you click on the banner and end up buying something, the host website gets a commission for displaying the advert and generating the click through, the shop gets a sale, but takes a hit on the commission cost off their profit. Simple really. Everybody does it.
But did you know it can also work for you as a customer?
The guy running the training course highly recommended a site called Quidco.com to me. All you have to do is sign up, then remember to use Quidco, rather than going direct to the sites you're going to buy stuff from. I ain't bull-shitting you, this actually works. It's all done with cookies. Let's face it, if you were going to buy the stuff anyway, you're onto a winner if you can get a little something back.
Every time you click through from the site and buy something YOU get money back. I'm smitten.
Oh man, this really sounds like one of those get rich quick scams, doesn't it?
Just send me your bank account details and I'll do a runner. Haha....
So I've been using it for a few months now. Every Ebay purchase I make goes through there, and I get 40% of Ebay's cut. No shit! I got £20 for buying my car insurance through it. The list goes on. I only wish I'd been using it when I booked the flights for our USA trip. Dammit.
I'm trying to train Mark to remember to use it too, seeing as he's the Ebay FIEND in the house.
It takes a little while before you remember to automatically check to see if the shop you're going to buy from is on there. I was gutted that I forgot to use it to go through to the Apple Store when I bought the iMac. Coud have got £30 for my trouble, but got lost in the excitement and forgot. What a numpty.
All you have to do to use this site is pay an annual fee of £5, which they take out of your earnings, so you don't even have to pay that upfront. It takes a little while for the payments to come through. Ebay is pretty fast, some take a couple of months.
I going to shut up now. I sound like a total loon. Even I don't trust me.
Sometimes the past is just the past...
Last night we went to a really disappointing Dinosaur Jnr. gig. I'll admit that I've never been a BIG fan, but we thought it'd be a fun 'blast from the past' night.
So I squeezed myself into my vintage original Posies t-shirt and off we went to The Junction in Cambridge.
There were a LOT of flannel shirts and beards on display. Fleet Foxes have a lot to answer for.
I wasn't feeling all that enthusiastic about being somewhere hot and crowded, seeing as I'd only just got over a serious stomach bug illness. I even tried to give my ticket away to a friend during the afternoon, but he couldn't make it, so I was determined to get back on the horse and make the most of it.
We arrived in time to catch most of the support band's set. They are called Dead Confederate. You can find them on Myspace if you're interested.
They're pretty good! Nice voice, nice tunes. They wooshed between power pop and indie rock quite nicely, with some great wig-outs and swirly guitars thrown in. It was like being transported back to 1993 (in a good way).
They're playing at Bumbershoot in Seattle while we're there, and we both said we'd go and see them again if we get the opportunity.
Good start....
So - Dinosaur Jnr.
Ummm, I initially thought it was me, just not being into being there because I still wasn't feeling well, but sadly that was not the case.
They sidled onto the stage in a half-hearted fashion, picked up their instruments without saying a word and proceeded to UNLEASH on the audience the most ridiculous volume level I've experienced since My Bloody Valentine!
There are certain things that have to happen for me to enjoy live music.
The sound was loud (did I mention that?) and very, very harsh. The mix was crap - you could barely hear the vocals over the wall of sound coming from the 3 (count em) enormous Marshall stacks. Probably not entirely the sound guy's fault, as there's only so much you can do when competing with that kind of level on stage.
After about 4 songs I'd had enough, so I went to get some fresh air and a drink.
Mark only lasted 2 more songs than me before he'd had enough too.
We left early, avoided the queue to get out of the car park and got some chips on the way home.
Not a 'bad' night, but not the best by a long shot.
Give me The Posies over Dinosaur Jnr. ANY DAY. Gorgeous voices, sweet, sweet harmonies, intricate guitars, songs that grab you by the heart and squeeze, songs that grab you by the throat and squeeze, songs that make you want to jump around, songs that make you cry, songs that make you smile - plus some of the nicest people you'll meet. One of the most criminally over-looked bands EVER.
So I squeezed myself into my vintage original Posies t-shirt and off we went to The Junction in Cambridge.
There were a LOT of flannel shirts and beards on display. Fleet Foxes have a lot to answer for.
I wasn't feeling all that enthusiastic about being somewhere hot and crowded, seeing as I'd only just got over a serious stomach bug illness. I even tried to give my ticket away to a friend during the afternoon, but he couldn't make it, so I was determined to get back on the horse and make the most of it.
We arrived in time to catch most of the support band's set. They are called Dead Confederate. You can find them on Myspace if you're interested.
They're pretty good! Nice voice, nice tunes. They wooshed between power pop and indie rock quite nicely, with some great wig-outs and swirly guitars thrown in. It was like being transported back to 1993 (in a good way).
They're playing at Bumbershoot in Seattle while we're there, and we both said we'd go and see them again if we get the opportunity.
Good start....
So - Dinosaur Jnr.
Ummm, I initially thought it was me, just not being into being there because I still wasn't feeling well, but sadly that was not the case.
They sidled onto the stage in a half-hearted fashion, picked up their instruments without saying a word and proceeded to UNLEASH on the audience the most ridiculous volume level I've experienced since My Bloody Valentine!
There are certain things that have to happen for me to enjoy live music.
- The band have to look like they actually want to be there, rather than look like they'd rather be anywhere else.
- They have to play like they mean it, not like they're just going through the motions.
- Communicate with the audience. Look at them once in a while. Say something, anything between songs.
- Play loud by all means. (There's nothing worse than the volume being so low that you can hear all the inconsiderate tossers in the audience who refuse to keep quiet during gigs.) BUT don't play so stupidly loud that even earplugs jammed in as far as they'll go aren't enough to stem the sonic barrage. There were people who didn't have earplugs LEAVING! That is officially TOO LOUD.
The sound was loud (did I mention that?) and very, very harsh. The mix was crap - you could barely hear the vocals over the wall of sound coming from the 3 (count em) enormous Marshall stacks. Probably not entirely the sound guy's fault, as there's only so much you can do when competing with that kind of level on stage.
After about 4 songs I'd had enough, so I went to get some fresh air and a drink.
Mark only lasted 2 more songs than me before he'd had enough too.
We left early, avoided the queue to get out of the car park and got some chips on the way home.
Not a 'bad' night, but not the best by a long shot.
Give me The Posies over Dinosaur Jnr. ANY DAY. Gorgeous voices, sweet, sweet harmonies, intricate guitars, songs that grab you by the heart and squeeze, songs that grab you by the throat and squeeze, songs that make you want to jump around, songs that make you cry, songs that make you smile - plus some of the nicest people you'll meet. One of the most criminally over-looked bands EVER.
Ebay gomper
We sold a couple of things on Ebay recently. One of the items went smoothly, the other - not so much.
When the auction ended I sent an invoice to the buyer - no response, no payment.
After a couple of days I sent them a reminder email via Ebay - no response, no payment.
After a couple more days I did the same again - no joy.
Today, I sent a snotty text to the buyer, telling them if they didn't contact me within 24 hours I'd have to report them to Ebay.
Finally I got a call from the guy, who is a complete TIT. He was bidding from his iphone, using his wife's account. It didn't occur to either him or his wife to actually log into Ebay and check to see if they'd won the item. Duuuurrrrr.
What a gomper.
So he says he's going to pay us tomorrow. I'll believe it when I see it.
I won't be in too much of a hurry to post the thing.
When the auction ended I sent an invoice to the buyer - no response, no payment.
After a couple of days I sent them a reminder email via Ebay - no response, no payment.
After a couple more days I did the same again - no joy.
Today, I sent a snotty text to the buyer, telling them if they didn't contact me within 24 hours I'd have to report them to Ebay.
Finally I got a call from the guy, who is a complete TIT. He was bidding from his iphone, using his wife's account. It didn't occur to either him or his wife to actually log into Ebay and check to see if they'd won the item. Duuuurrrrr.
What a gomper.
So he says he's going to pay us tomorrow. I'll believe it when I see it.
I won't be in too much of a hurry to post the thing.
Blogging again
I used to blog religiously about anything and everything. Then I got side-tracked by Myspace, Facebook, Twitter etc etc and stopped.
I kind of miss having an online diary in a central place. I blog to remind myself of stuff I've done more than for anyone elses entertainment. Of course, if other people enjoy reading it, that's great too.
So I'm going to try to make an effort and write stuff on here about what I've been up to and where my head is at.
I kind of miss having an online diary in a central place. I blog to remind myself of stuff I've done more than for anyone elses entertainment. Of course, if other people enjoy reading it, that's great too.
So I'm going to try to make an effort and write stuff on here about what I've been up to and where my head is at.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
