Slowlycatchymonkey

Is pic number 4 the Siegfried & Roy of Butlins?

deleted due to duplication

[mention]MarkW[/mention] I’d urge you to take up politics, you’re that convincing, I just can’t because there’s no guarantee you’ll turn back from the dark side

Well I hinted at it earlier, I'd just as well go the whole hog. We lost our daughter unexpectedly at 11 weeks old. A normal day became a very abnormal one. Just like that. As crap as you can probably imagine. To me she died that day and that was that, the atoms that made her have been recycled. Matter can only become other matter in physics. Don't ask me where that matter came from in the first place, I really don't know. I know that to me suddenly introducing the idea that "well a divine being created it of course" doesn't actually solve that dilemma, because that in turn doesn't explain where the blazes said creator came from themselves * But I get more wonder and amazement out of the fact that a lot of the atoms within us were formed within stars, in billions of years one or some of the atoms that made up our daughter may once again be part of a star. No idea of heaven works for me. When ever anyone said she was with the angels, or now in heaven... well... that hurt. For all the reasons you said. And especially when coupled with "I know you don't believe in heaven but I believe that she...." like I mentioned earlier. Never, ever say that to a grieving person. On the flip side (and I'm not saying you would, in fact you've said so already) never ever say to someone who believes in heaven "I know you believe your loved one is in heaven, but I believe that...." Similar to all this, my brother-in-law died in a work accident 11 years ago. No-one expects to go to work and not come home that day. He left two daughters. He wasn't religious at all, but his mum was a methodist and organised a religious funeral. My sister went along with it. I was sat at the funeral looking at my two nieces as the minister was saying how God had a bigger plan for my brother-in-law. And I was just thinking "what, God who has being around since forever couldn't wait a few more years?" But that and people acknowledging my lack of religion and then lecturing me i's about as angry as I've ever been, dwelling on it won't get me anywhere. *But hey, if that still works for you, groovy. Maybe it's a faith thing I don't have, and as I said earlier today I'm not out any more to change anyone's mind That’s more pain than I have the ability to imagine.

I had the best squid ink risotto Ive ever eaten at that Rick stein place in padstow. I was half way through it when I remembered I’d forgotten to pack my toothbrush, my mouth and teeth were a gory black that made me look like an extra from pirates of the carribean. Mind you I had consumed enough wine not notice any pretentiousness.

Depends where n when. Gave up eating there a couple of years ago. You can’t run an Italian and keep serving up over cooked pasta. I understand his chain is failing and he’s having to prop it up with money from his own pocket. I have a feeling they don’t know where the moneys gone and someones been helping themselves to their funds.

Southernhay house in Exeter, Michael Caines place, ultra pretentious and over priced but the worse one I’ve ever been to was Heston Blumethals Fat Duck evening tasting menu. Some of it was awful, the fermented congealed pigeon blood (called blood pudding) was the nastiest most metallic tasting thing I’ve ever eaten and the pigeon meat was so old it tasted really rancid. My husband got up and left saying he didn’t feel well and went to the pub down the road, the landlord said they have a lot of people in complaining. The restaurant was silent like some library where everyone was pretending it was great but no-one was smiling, the silence was due to it being godawful. My friend dared to say when the waiter enquired that one of the courses was not to his taste to which the haughty waiter replied his palate wasn’t developed enough to appreciate it..... Like you [mention]rennie[/mention] I didn’t want to spoil their 10th wedding anniversary so sat there seething that this jumped up turd made my friend feel inferior, the whole kings clothes experience everyone was buying into for hundreds of pounds left me feeling conned. When my husband finally rocks back up they present him with the plate he had left earlier to which he said in his a booming I’m not amused type voice “urgh good god no it’s disgusting take it away. I saw a quite a few equally unimpressed diners sniggering into their mock turtle soup. Some of it was brilliant though, the gold pocket watch that dissolved when you poured the water from the teapot, the grass that looked like real grass but tasted amazing, the sand and the icecream made of mustard. Very clever and very very over priced.

Don't know exactly where in Somerset you are but the Queen's Arms near Sherborne and the Swan at Wedmore used to be decent gastro pubs. Haven't been there since we moved up to Gloucestershire so may have gone to seed since. The Swans not bad, had Sunday lunch there a few weeks ago, sometimes it can be a bit hit n miss though. I’ve never tried the Queens Arms nr sherbourne, maybe on the next day the sun appears I’ll ride over. Gloucestershire is fantastic for pubs that do good food, you must have loads near you.

Hmm have read some not so great things about DK motorcycles. Wondering is there any tell tale signs that a bikes mileage is not genuine? Test ride sorted for Friday morning when there might be a break in the rain!

So am I. It must be marvellous to have an invisible friend who helps you out. Still prefer Santa though he’s less prone to warring, delivers the goods and reminds you why you need to avoid most of your relatives. Top bloke.

I like good food and I don’t mind paying for it. It’s this mentality that seems to have crept back into restaurants recently that winds me up- ">

People who interact with their pet as though it was human and claim that it understands them better than a person could are not only socially maladjusted but also deluded. It's no different to people who claim to have a meaningful relationship with God when all they are doing is talking to themselves. Yep that is deluded but fairly harmless- the animal part that is not religion.

It even looks like it was dropped and has been scooped up off the floor!

Or a chopping board Or those slanted bowls that the food can fall out of (they had those yesterday)

[mention]onesea[/mention] I had no idea the New Forest was so popular. It is just a Forest isn’t it? Round here there isn’t anywhere good to eat. It’s all very poor quality so you have to drive to Bristol or Bath. The southwest is relatively poor area and nearby Weston Super Mud is racked out with elderly care homes and drug rehab folk. The tourists that come this way are after an icecream or candy floss on the pier, maybe some fish n chips so there’s lots of sticky vinyl seat cafes selling whatever Booker has on offer cos it’s past it’s sell by date. [mention]S-Westerly[/mention] It’s gone onto my avoid list. It did taste good, they know how to cook but they’ve moved from thinking they’re superior to demonstrating by giving you no choice but to choose from cabbage, cauliflower or carrots as a main course. I’ve just looked at the menu and yesterday there was no quail on offer it was a small ramekin of strings of beef or the dot of cod. Today I have stomach ache, unsurprising given eating large quantities of cauliflower isn’t my thing

I dunno I have a friend (tbh she’s a bit like a nodding dog, very popular and quite mute, great sounding board but utterly useless if you want some advice) who has an amazing knack (soz dont know how to spell that at don’t care enough to look it up) of choosing great wine. She can look at an overpriced menu and get out some magic stick like a devining road, plant it down and land four square on the best thing you’ve tasted. She’s a bit like a dog but with the the annoying side effects of being human

I have haemorrhoids. I couldve guessed it would be something anal

Pipe? What’s that? Is a McCartney song? I may have a weeny hangover effecting my judgement but then again your excuse is?!

We’ve all been there. The over priced menu, the superior staff, poor wine masquerading as something ’oh so special’ worth that ‘oh so special price tag ‘ without the ‘oh so special taste’ and I say let’s shame them. Today I went to the Ethicurean (the walled garden to many) and they were always a bit sniffy on the superior front but today they outdid themselves. Closed for refurb over Jan and back in operation Feb they now ‘feature sharing vegetables’ as their main dish. You can order a ‘side of meat’ Two choices a mini ramekin of 12hr slow cooked beef (something I often do in volume when I’m busy) or a piece of cod, less than one inch on width and two inches wide) a mere dot of flesh. I wouldn’t mind so much if the vegan stuff they were serving up was “oh so specialle” but really being served a 1/4 of a cauliflower or a cabbage as a main course for over £12 per head for the main dish ( and the dot of meat or fish is an extra £7 and any filling veg like potatoes is the same again) is galling. It’s somewhere I’d take a twee vegetarian relatives who’s money is dribbling out of their orrifices but couldn’t expect the average person not to feel the pee was being taken. Let’s hear it. I have some corkers!

Hmmm??? Fury Bike.PNG Your new bike, Southbound M5 near Gordano Services, February 2021 So long as that’s not human skin I want it. Where do I buy such a vehicle?

[mention]MarkW[/mention] The pet does provide it, the fact they choose it over human interaction shows this. Your still clinging to the notion human interaction is superior. An animal lover would never turn the gun on themselves they’d be too worried about what would happen to dearest Tiddles. Here’s the proof, hmmm https://www.murdermiletours.com/blog/serial-killers-murderers-who-loved-their-pets-dogscats Seen them? Worked with them. Awful but essentially harmless, sometimes a bit lonely and socially inadequate, like a lot of humans. Are you telling me this guy doesn’t look normal? I mean come on, if it’s good enough for Jesus. No-one deserves to die? Some people should just shuffle off, we’d all be a lot happier. Hate? No I’d say more like contempt or distain. Do you have a tolerance or sympathy button? If so how do we press it? Religious loons bothering you? Try my (truthful) line- My Mother’s family are catholic, my father is Jewish, I went to a C of E school but was raised by a zen Buddhist, I send my children to a Quaker school, it’s very noisy at our dinner table where would you like to start? They run away pretty quickly. Also thankyou very much it was Mr Slowlys birthday yesterday and since he stopped wanting to spend his birthday with other people Im the entertainment which is knackering, driving back from the bike shop yesterday (where he managed to amass an enormous basket of goodies) he was looking a little bored so as we wobbled our way down the road (he’s the first to admit he’s a terrible driver) I regaled him with your animal posts. He was laughing heartily and said he hoped you were one of the people we were meeting up with shortly. I had to disappoint him and say “no these are nice people.”

Is that snake what I think it is? , I’m guessing you know how big they get, bet he/she will be a handful when they’re older!. What is it?

So you’re saying I need a trail bike... one that runs on methane Which, somewhat creepily, swings right back to my avatar....... Hmmm???

....sorry for the slight hijack but at last........someone who actually looks at where they want to go and then decides whether or not to go there......instead of thinking "I should be in position 5" and then going there only to be dismayed by what they find....bit too late, then Anyway, back on topic, if things keep going the way they are at the moment, we will be relaxing with a mug of acorn "coffee" remembering the days of road dressing with a wistful smile, as we watch the ox-carts trundle slowly up the ruts in the muddy quagmire that used to be the M1....... So you’re saying I need a trail bike... one that runs on methane

[mention]S-Westerly[/mention] yep completely agree the roads in Somerset Bristol and Bath are appalling. A lot of the local councils have no money, they put it out to tender, the cheapest contractor gets the work and they either don’t know what they’re doing or are using poor quality materials so it doesn’t last. They filled a load of potholes last year (they were more like craters) and they turned them into humps! I thought there’s no way they are going to get away with that but they did, they carried on going around the area creating humps instead of holes! I watched a Nottingham rider vid the other day about road positioning and he kept saying “people say the centre position is no good becasue it’s full of gravel and debris but look it’s not” Obviously depends where you are because down here it most certainly is!