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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/04/2021 in all areas
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This was a free event that took place in a Municipal Park on the outskirts of Dewsbury West Yorkshire. Very bright strong directional sunlight this morning and a lot of shadows from the trees to contend with.
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Avocado pesto pasta, this time I have added some fried bacon. So delicious.
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I next crossed the Mackinac Bridge that connected Upper and Lower Michigan, and where Lakes Michigan and Huron meet. I made a beeline for the greater Detroit area and a visit with my Aunt and Uncle I hadn't seen in over twenty years. He's 75 now and doesn't get around very well anymore, thanks to disk damage in his lower back from an accident years ago. My aunt basically is his caregiver and not wanting to overstay my welcome, after about a 3 and a half hour visit that included a terrific dinner she made, I said goodbye and spent the night in Pontiac, Mich outside of Detroit. My travels would then bring me south into Toledo, Ohio, then up to Cleveland and along the shores of Lake Erie toward Buffalo, NY. It was a bit disheartening to see so many "Help Wanted" signs in businesses all over the place. Restaurants, hotels, bars, even factories, were all advertising that they were hiring. From small handmade notices up to billboards on the side of the highway, jobs were out there and plentiful and had I been in the market for a job, I'm convinced that after a 5 minute talk with an owner or manager of a business and a handshake, I could have been hired right then and there at any of a hundred different employers. When I asked why there was a staffing shortage, the person would tell me that between what the state and federal government benefits added up to, employers couldn't match it, so a hotel manager might shut down a third of their rooms since they didn't have the staffing to accommodate them all. I had a chance to visit an old friend who I hadn't seen in nearly 10 years when we were going from bar to bar in the Dominican Republic and flirting with the chicas, drinking plenty of Presidente beer, and passing the day on Sosua Beach. These days, Ron was enjoying life in Rochester, NY with a home right where his backyard backed on the the beach of Lake Ontario. It was great visiting again and catching up and he promised he would jump on a plane and head down the next time I'd be in the DR. He surprised me with a 12 pack bottle of Presidente from his garage, as that beer is imported to several eastern states. In Albany, the capital of New York, a Hooters was located a 5 minute walk away from my hotel and knew where my destination was for the night. The bartender, a gorgeous blonde, took very good care of me (no...not THAT way...) never going too long without filling my mug up with a fresh pint. I ordered the wings and an appetizer of buffalo shrimp. But mostly I kept an eye on the bartender as she ran the place with a professional demeanor but also with a nearly constant and engaging smile when talking to a customer. My bill came to about $40 USD and I included a $20 for a tip. Fantastic service and "scenery"! What followed the next day was a drive through some of the most beautiful and scenic country I have ever seen. Upstate New York through the Hudson River Valley going east of Albany and toward the corner where Massachusetts and Vermont meet up was absolutely gorgeous. I saw more motorcyclists enjoying the twisting roads through the wooded and mountainous terrain in this region of the country than anywhere else besides Sturgis. I stopped at a small roadside market just inside Vermont that carried only stock made and manufactured in Vermont. I left with a gift package of maple flavored rum, one bottle light and one dark rum. I also loaded up on gift sized jugs of genuine Vermont maple syrup to give to family and friends when I returned home. I bought a bigger one for my own use and since getting back home, all I can say is that I'll never buy that fake Log Cabin or Mrs Buttersworth crap ever again! The Vermont stuff is the best I've ever had. I always knew I made tasty pancakes at home but now with the real thing to pour over them, they are even better on a Sunday morning.
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Ordered these 40th anniversary CD's the other week and they arrived today. All are 2 CD'S with a 20 page booklet, with the 2nd CD being a live show. Gonna give them a blast later.
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5 points
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Trying to get back into some healthy eating. Fillet steak with veg.
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5 points
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After three days in Sturgis, the time came to head out and into the vast midwest plains. South Dakota and northeast into North Dakota, a man can really lose himself among the farm fields, ranch lands and endless prairie. When a road sign says "No services next 60 miles", you better hope you don't break down, but with my still very new ride, I wasn't worried. I just cranked my Sirius XM and jammed to some 70's, 80's and classic rock tunes to pass the time behind the wheel. Out here, the traffic is few and far between. I thought to myself that if the FBI had wanted to place someone into their witness protection progrm, then anyone of a hundred of these small towns spread out among the plains would do just fine. Once past North Dakota and into Minnesota, the country turned green with pine trees thick as thieves as the highway looked to be a clear cut through the North Country wilderness. And though I had no place to stop and take a photo along the highway, I drove over the Mississippi River where it was no more wide than the distance from home plate to the pitchers mound. The headwaters were to the south of where I was going but I was determined to reach the Duluth area before sundown and to see where the Mighty Mississippi began would have meant a 60 miles drive out of the way. It turned out to be a wise move as the rain came within 20 miles of Duluth and it wound up being after 9 pm before finding a room at the third place I tried. The following day, I entered the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and drove through the most intense rain storm I ever witnessed. My wiper blades were on high speed for nearly 100 miles, with only an occasional, and very brief, respite, but talk about a sportsmans paradise for hunting, fishing, skiing, snowmobiling, camping and hiking. I would eventually make my way to Manistique, small town of maybe 2000 people, along the shores of Lake Michigan and found a motel a block away from a bar and grill that the manager had recommended to me. A very tasty fried walleye dinner and several pints of a locally brewed hefeweizen beer later, I was back in my room, worn out from the drive but quite satisfied. The skies opened up again and the rhythm of the rain pounding the rooftop of the motel had me asleep in no time.
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california women enjoying a warm autumn day no masks no problems...
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Joined a couple of friends for a hike on this week's NOSH Trail. Not much humidity in the air so had a great view of Pattaya in the distance and Wat Tham Prathun in the foreground. The trail is in Khao Mai Keao park, and the overlook from where the pic was taken is 20km from the coast.
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Oh yeah we do......this one right? How dare her try to play the "master" Yessongs back in the day huh? LOL! Well......she was "tighter" then Charlie Watts Snare Drum....so I was ok with her 😛 Besides, I only paid her 400 baht long time. Hee Hee Hee Hee.
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My next stop was in Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual Motorcycle Rally. My best friend and his wife live in SD, and had reserved a campsite at the Glencoe campground just north of Sturgis. When I got there, they were all set up and their toy hauler RV would be my home for the next three nights. It was very livable inside, a large bathroom and shower, a sofa that unfolded into a bed where I slept, and there was a bedroom up front with a queen sized bed. There was a nice kitchen so his wife could whip up some tasty meals but we grilled on the bbq in the evening as the weather was perfect. There were thousands of campers, and bikes trailered in, three large bars, one of which was open 24/7. The actual town of Sturgis has a population of just under 7,000, but for the 13 days of the rally, in talking to several of the people working in the bars and restaurants as servers, they were estimating between 800,000 and 1.1 million people would show up. Covid had tempered the celebration in 2020 but this year, it was no holds barred. Though some people wore masks, the overwhelming majority, like 98-99%, showed their faces, no matter how ugly! Being among this massive crowd I fully realized that I wasn't in California anymore and people were living life and having a great time. That last photo, from up on a bluff at the campsite, was just a perfect moment. Sunset over the Black Hills with the echoes of Harley thunder off in the distance. It was one of those times where you wished to be no place else than where you were at that moment.
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So the month of August rolled around and after so many days, weeks and months, thinking about it, I finally hit the road for a long awaited cross country trip from California to the Atlantic Ocean up on the coastline of Maine. It was 4 weeks and just over 8,000 miles into the heart of America. I was determined to make this trip on two lane and secondary highways, through small towns and open country, as much as I could. And I pretty much stuck to the script with the exception of the Northeast and those lousy toll roads. While I was gone, I was blessedly ignorant of the daily news and repeated failures of mankind to live in peace and being kind to your neighbor. The rest of the world has a real disadvantage to what they get shown of America, as the overwhelming view that gets exported to everyone beyond our shores is one of hatred, name calling, violence, entitlement, inhumanity and an overall inability to get along with one another. Almost like the political threads of a message board! I was determined to head out and see America as something different. A place where people were friendly and did get along. Where the vast social problems that burden the coastal population centers, and from which so much of that negative outlook the rest of the world gets from us, gets eagerly reported on, is as far removed from the Midwest prairie in North Dakota as it is from an Irish fishing village on the shores of the Atlantic. The road led me to Yellowstone Park, the Black Hills, the Great Lakes, the rocky coast of Maine, the Norman Rockwell-esque towns of Upstate New York, the Amish country of Eastern Ohio, the flat landscape of Kansas, the Rockies, the canyon country of Utah and in a final push for home, along the loneliest highway in America, US 50 across the middle of Nevada. My trusty horse for this ride was my brand new 2021 Dodge Ram Classic 1500, a retirement present to myself in order to make such a journey. It performed magnificently and looked good in doing so. It was a drive back through the history of our country. Towns that were established in the Old West during the railroad expansion in the mid to late 1800's, gave way to those in the Great Lakes region that began in the early 1800's, then to those from the 1700's in the Appalachians, and finally the coastal areas of our original 13 colonies where the towns beginnings harkened back to America's earliest days in the 1600's. Through it all, I was able to again come to truly see what a big, amazing, country we are and despite our foibles, arguments and disappointments, the goodness that fills our heart is still there, still genuine despite what the media portrays us to be. It was refreshing to not be told who to love or hate. Who shouldn't get along with whoever. What one should believe and not believe. That we still have a love of country and the people, despite whatever differences among us get the headlines, it's those things that we have in common that still matter most. It was a beautiful trip. The Dodge Ram brought me up into Idaho and crossing the gorgeous Snake River Canyon in Twin Falls. Over 45 years ago, somewhere up river, Evil Knievel tried jumping the canyon and it was a spectacular failure. I was cool with just admiring the view.
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Facebook down at the moment, feeling really bad for all the people trying to do their own research .... thoughts and prayers2 points
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Not direct , but Etihad Sale Prices to Bangkok look good for Business
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That should keep you busy for while huh?2 points
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Nice follow up buddy, always wanted to see lake Huron, big lake huh? You are a fine man for liking that Hooters bartender.😆2 points
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But it has got us 2 promotions into the Prem & 6 seasons there. From what I gather(& nobody knows for sure except those on the inside)the head coach is given a squad of players & has to get on with it. Personally I think if they were going to keep Xisco once we got promotion then he needed a mentor in place who had Prem experience.Much as Graham Taylor hired Bertie Mee all those years ago. The only problem with that these days is that all these guys have their own teams that they want with them.2 points
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And trophys on his CV. I think that's a fantastic appointment for them.2 points
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The original tinkerman 😉2 points
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Seems like we have Claudio Ranieri as our new head coach. At least someone with loads of EPL experience he is reputed to be a friend of our owners....the big question is will he still be in six months time😂.2 points
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morning light in golden gate park...
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Monday October 4th
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Drinking is my problem... I like to go out, wang a few beers down my neck, and go for a shag.... Wait! That's my next transfer target..That Wolves striker ..What's is name ....? That's it.. Wang Chang Bang !!2 points
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Another nice update Smooth......Sturgis looks to be a blast for sure. But I have to admonish you a bit here...please. please you are from California, do not continue to dress like "Larry The Cable Guy" And you're wearing " Crocs" too?? Good Lord LOL!2 points
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I'm in London for a few days and found out this morning that the Marathon is passing the bottom of my street. I was just in time to see the elite men passing.2 points
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Been out for a 2 mile walk and spotted my local has Old Peculiar on draft. Would have been rude not to reacquaint myself with some proper beer.2 points
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https://www.thailand-247.com/topic/4803-the-yorkshire-thoroughbred-car-club-classic-car-show/?tab=comments#comment-199832 This was a free event organised by The Yorkshire Thoroughbred Car Club, that took place in a Municipal Park on the outskirts of Dewsbury West Yorkshire. Very bright strong directional sunlight this morning and a lot of shadows from the trees to contend with. There is a link above for the full set of photographs from the event.
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Friday is always "fish" day in our house, so I made the following: Tilapia Escabeche (traditional filipino dish) which is a grilled tilapia and then the sauce is poured over it, very much a delicate sweet and sour. Followed by Mussels in a sauce made up of butter, small amount of cream and white wine with onions and garlic. Last dish was Broccoli stems , Prawns, sesame seeds, roasted pine nuts and sugar snap peas with a splash of Sesame oil. No other additons, the flavours come out nicely but needed to be careful to not overcook the prawns, so I cheated a bit and pre cooked them, then added when the dish was hot in the pan but the heat was low.
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Wow, some stunning scenery there and most impressive. A few years ago we did a family Road trip to the USA, took in Boston, Springfield, NY, Washington, Arlington and visited Gettysburg, then we looped back via Harrisburg and took the very scenic route back to Hartford over the period of 2-3 weeks. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking, the hospitality was incredible and Arlington Cemetery was one of the most moving experiences I've had.2 points
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Waterfall pork.
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Driving deeper into the park, I came upon the Yellowstone River, an absolute beauty that had me wishing I had a fishing pole with me to go after some of the lunker trout that were certain to be sitting in the deeper pools. The water was so clear, a gorgeous blue/green color that I couldn't take my eyes off of. If only for those smoky skies, the scenery could not have been better.
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After a night in West Yellowstone, Montana, I drove the road through the West entrance and as beautiful as the park is, the smoky skies muted much of it due to the wildfires from Northern California and Oregon. The atmospheric winds blew the smoke eastward across the Rockies and over the Great Plains which left the sky with a bluish brown hue that would not dissipate until I would reach the eastern half of Minnesota toward Duluth, on the shores of Lake Superior. The Madison River accompanied my journey through the first part of the park. As it was summer, bumper to bumper traffic of RV's, camper vans, SUV's and pickups hauling 5th wheelers slowed progress as I got closer to Old Faithful and the many geysers in the surrounding area. I didn't have the patience to wait in the middle of the maddening crowd.
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While I could afford to buy one I think the repair, service and maintenance costs on a 9 year old Fazza would soon break the bank!1 point
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It has to be a British male playing. Ian Fleming's iconic MI5 agent otherwise you might end up with somebody like that totally miscast "Jack Reacher" character. My daughter has booked us all VIP seats for next Saturday as my birthday treat.1 point
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Bacon & eggs -
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I usually buy brown sheets, they seem to last longer1 point
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1 point
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So, a month since the schools reopened in the rest of the UK, office workers mainly back, big increase in the use of public transport, nevermind the rest of the previous restrictions being lifted. Covid hospitalisations and deaths are actually falling, not increasing, infection numbers are pretty steady, they had been falling. Some of the modelling from the usual Lefty doom and gloom panty wetting 'experts' had us at about 7000 daily hospitalisations by now, whilst in reality it's about 700, 10 times less. Deaths are averaging about 150 a day over a 7 day average, actually down a bit. I've said for a while i don't there will ever be another full lockdown, and as time goes on i'm now more confident in that. I know some on here criticise or don't believe in the vaccines, but they really have been the game changer and been very successful in stopping deaths and hospitalisations. As it stands, i don't see any justification at all for more restrictions being imposed, far less vaccine passports. I also think Boris, Javid, Sanuk have no appetite for that, they can't wait to get through this and back to 'normal' politics and start preparing for a forthcoming election. People need to stop living in fear and start living again, whether that be scared to near enough go out due to Covid, or in fear of some mad conspiracy where we'll have to be 'slaves' of some totalitarian one world government and universal income, communist or otherwise. Two different extremes, one as nuts as the other IMO. Take personal responsibility, do what you feel comfortable with, you want to wear a mask then do, you don't want to go on packed public transport then don't, but we are going to learn to live with this as it becomes endemic. That's clearly the direction the UK Government are going, thankfully. Everyone has their own 'risk level' for everything, exercise it. The end is in sight IMO, due to primarily the vaccines, but we're getting more knowledge and treatments for Covid all the time. I've recently been to packed football grounds, packed theatres, bars, restaurants etc, we're off to Turkey in 2 weeks for a well needed holiday. Only time i'v ever wore a mask was the flight to Glasgow. Life's pretty much back to normal for me, and has been for a while. Once we get through this Winter, next year will really see normality returned. Sure numbers will still go up this winter, but nothing that can't be handled. I'm away to pack my speedos, thong and rubber ring for me holiday. Actually i'll be doing a wreck dive at about 40metres and trying to avoid getting stung by Lion Fish. Cannot fucking wait!!!!!!!!1 point
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I've had the same temperature scanner check at work, literaly just takes a skin temp reading, so if you're pushing 40 degrees then they'll probably suggest you get checked. Incidentally, if anyone has ever had a 40 degree body temp, the last place on Earth you feel like going is anywhere outside of your bedroom. BTW, "theatre" isn't a euphemism for " Hampstead Heath Gentlemen's toilets" is it?.1 point
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Air fryer Pizza tomatoes onions mushrooms bell peppers mozzarella and cheddar cheese on a 7-inch Pizza blank that was purchased for Lazada I don't think of anything you can't get from Lazada
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I imagine Gewürztraminer might be a bit too sophisticated for the local liquor stores, but of course I could order it through them or on the Net. More difficult in my current situation with a pretty young lady, unless relatives count. That part will have to wait until I get back to Thailand. Here's another dish that would pair well with Gewürztraminer: pork chop baked with plums in a lime-orange juice sauce balanced with diced onion and a touch of honey.
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Good post but just to add that although you're correct about the 56hrs driving in a week the next week he can only do 34hrs as it's a maximum of 90hrs driving in any 2 week period. Last week I did 5 days and worked just over 55hrs. 5 hrs of that was spent waiting for an empty trailer and the next day was 3 hrs sitting around waiting for a tyre fitter to come out to me after I had a blow out on the A34. 8 hrs pay for doing sweet FA will do me.
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This kit car pulled up behind me at the ferry port last week. They had been to Santander and all over the mountains.
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