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The beaver is a proud and noble animal

The beaver is a proud and noble animal

Notes from a bemused canuck

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Author: admin

So a funny thing happened to my after breakfast yesterday…

Posted on September 15, 2021 By admin

It didn’t agree with me and a bad allergic reaction sent me to the ER. First time since 2019, but still not long enough for my peace of mind… It can be one of two things: sunflower seed butter (a peanut butter alternative I wanted to try) or French vanilla Nescafe instant coffee (which apparently now contains Chicory, which it didn’t used to before and can cause reactions to people allergic to ragweed, like myself).

So yeah. I was on my way to see my therapist. I felt fine enough, but then things went south rather quickly and happily a friend who lived nearby to the doctor’s office could drive me up to the ER. There, it was the usual rigmarole but things settled down quickly enough – I just had to spend 6h under observation to make sure there wasn’t a rebound flare-up again, even with the drugs.

While I was there, some time in the afternoon, something happened to break up the boredom. Here’s a chat extract between myself, Katy, and the guys at work:

Nurses in a bit of a tizzy, apparently someone did a runner and “escaped” through a window
And now there’s mention of calling the cops
It gets better!
It’s a lady
Who is tearing into cars and pedestrians with her cane
She’s just wearing a hospital gown
While on her rampage
Hospital staff are tailing her but won’t get too close
Doctors are scrounging for fast acting good drugs
Cops are in sight as well but no one wants to get near
There is lots of discussion on best to grab, sedate, restrain and get her back here
     She has a weapon. Maybe a tazer or a trank gun.
Drama! They caught her.
They brought her back to the ER. I can hear her yell that she’s a terrorist… Except she sounds like a disturbed older white lady.
Who is now yelling that she is Satan the devil’s son, she needs her drugs and wants to go to jail
     And you thought the afternoon would be dull.
She’s right outside my cubicle.
     They have her in restraints I’m assuming?
I can hear handcuffs rattling.
Next hour is going to be different…
She says she’s a junkie and wants more drugs. That’s where she was going – to buy some.
     Sounds like she was on a hell of a combo.
Whatever she’s on, it’s not the good shit.
She’s in a different ward and I can still hear her yell her head off
     They need to give her something ending in -pam
     Maybe she just needs a nice hot cup of tea?
She’s not in her happy place
Just yelling herself hoarse screaming I WANT MY DRUGS
I hope the restraints on her bed are solid. That kind of crazy can be dangerous…
     I guess she just need someone to talk with
     you should go and talk to her
I’m still plugged into the matrix
And besides, something tells me she’s not in the mood got chit chat.
     I’ll go talk to her if she’ll share her drugs.
I don’t think you want what she had
These don’t seem the I love you man everything is beautiful sort of drugs
More like the THERE ARE SPIDERS ALL OVER MY BRAIN sort
I’d avoid those.
They don’t taste nice.

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[recipe] super-moist vanilla cake

Posted on September 12, 2021September 13, 2021 By admin

300 g plain / all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 large eggs (50–55g each, incl shell), at room temp
300 g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
250 ml milk , full fat
3 tsp vanilla extract
3 tsp vegetable or canola oil

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter. Place shelf in the middle of the oven.

Grease 2 x 20cm / 8” cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. The batter is quite loose, best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.

Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.

With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.

Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.

While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Don’t do this ahead and let the milk cool (this affects rise).

When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds.

Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 – 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can’t see flour, stop straight away.

Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don’t need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth – you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy. This tempers the milk and will prevent batter from splitting.

Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.

Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds – batter should now be smooth and pourable.

Pour batter into pans.

Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.

Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down – slight dome will flatten perfectly.

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Need to manage myself

Posted on September 8, 2021 By admin

Our family therapist commented that everything in our life seems to revolve around Ben. Everything we do is to try and manage, accommodate or react to him. Katy is burnt out, I’m heading that way. An insidious example of this is sleep. No matter how tired I am, my body wakes me up at 5am, to make sure Ben doesn’t sleep through his alarm. I can’t make myself not do this. And I hate that it happens.

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Step away for 5 minutes…

Posted on September 2, 2021September 13, 2021 By admin

Tolstoy is helping. In his own inimitable style. That, or he’s warming his ass on my keyboard.

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Not-my-dog goes home today

Posted on August 30, 2021 By admin

We’ve had her since the start of August, but she’s going home today. She’s a good puppers. My therapist says that she’s been good for my mental health. I can’t really disagree.

I love how she’ll just come up to you and boop you with her nose to get your attention… then generally belch in your face. I love how she rolls around the grass like a nutter, but I’m less thrilled at her stubborn flomp when she doesn’t want to go back home. I love her attempts to “rescue” anyone who’s fallen down (less so when she’s just licked her own backside).

I’m going to miss her – I always do – but like all dogs, she can be a bit of work.

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Butt-dialing

Posted on August 17, 2021 By admin

It happens more frequently than I’d like it to. I felt my phone being unusually warm in my back pocket on the walk home. I had my hands full of shopping bags, so I didn’t really want to stop and check. I probably should have.

When I finally had a chance to properly look, even though I would have sworn my phone was locked when I put it away when getting off the train, my ass had managed to navigate deep into my SIM network settings, open two YouTube videos, seven help/info tabs from my password manager app, turned on my WiFi and turned my location settings off, and had a Guardian story on voice-read. I’m kinda impressed and scared, at the same time.

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No more countdowns

Posted on August 9, 2021 By admin

I retired the countdown to my burthday/countdown to christmas widget on the blog’s full (non-mobile) theme. The main reason is that it’s been a couple of years since I’ve felt festive for either occasion :( Sad, but true.

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BBQ assistant

Posted on August 6, 2021August 9, 2021 By admin

Ready to swoop in at a moment’s notice to rescue any stray bits that might fall on the floor!

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[recipe] Catalina dressing

Posted on August 6, 2021August 9, 2021 By admin

3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 tbsp honey
3 tbsp tomato paste
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp celeri salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon water plus more if needed to reach desired consistency

Add all the ingredients to the jar of a blender.

Blend until smooth. Adding more water, a teaspoon at a time, if needed until desired consistency is reached.

Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate. Keep in the refrigerator up to 2 months.

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Apero on the water

Posted on August 5, 2021 By admin

Delphine, the head of the wine club, is leaving Nestlé for new adventures so we had a little apero on her boat to celebrate her departure. We were initially supposed to go out on the water but we stayed in the marina because the lake was a bit too windy and choppy. Was really nice to be sociable again!

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