No diggity and improving the bodgeness… November 26, 2007

A busy weekend was had, with some good action in the allotment (c/o of the big sofa company providing resources – thanks v v v much R and T).  Now the plot is expanded and a new path created, ready for the frost to break up the soil a bit for me.  I’m hoping to get a load of mushroom compost procured too to mulch on top over winter as well.  Unfortunatly it was dark when we finished so I’ll need to get a picture some other time – for now a distance shot of the workers!

Then the other major success of the weekend was a master-class in non-bodge woodwork.  Including the output of an excellent toy oven for baby’s bday or christmas present (TBD), and a shelf/cupboard to complete the kitchen storage antics.  Thanks to R for his tools, his calmn doggedness and guiding me through fine planed edges.

A pic of the work in progress:

 

We’ll get it painted and take another pic of the completed model maybe when she gets in in December.

Cakeynigeybodge November 19, 2007

The bodgeness spreads now to cakeness.

In trying to support a charity NCT nearly-new-sale I did really well at making some cakes.  These are my current usual ‘loaf style’ things like coconut or granny-tea-loaf (v nice).

Dear wife suggested a lemon drizzle sponge cake (round type) which would have been my 2nd ever cake of this style (previous one was okish with the help of the 10yr old d daughter).  As photos below testify, all did not go to plan especially with the proportions hopefully visable with the fork in place.  Apparently my inability to notice pencil amendments to the quantities in the recipie book, caused I might add by doing this at 11pm the night before, meant that my cake in tin an inch too wide in diameter didn’t rise to the job. 

 

Quick nigeybodge meant that cutting it in two, and making it a double layer cake with lemon curd inside instead rescued the situation.  To console myself further I made two more stonking banana, walnut & date loafs!!!

tired thoughts November 11, 2007

 

I’m hot.   really quite hot.  generally but then also temperature wise.  But I’m comfy.  Tired but comfy.  I have my fire on in my cottage and it’s really rather nice.  I’ve done lots of jobs today – mainly manly and dad-like stuff like drilling and rolling down hills/tickling.  Then I lit a fire and burnt lots of stuff.  And cooked and ate meat.  real meat with blood n stuff. yum yum.

We went to a bonfire night last night which was good and it reminded me how much I like fire.  lots of people go through a pyro phase which I defintly did.  For those who know him – Wardi – and I used to burn massive massive piles of branches in the local woods where they had been logging.  Then we started burning other stuff including accidentally setting light to a hay barn (not full).  Sorry if you just saw that mum.  It was all ok.

The sky this afternoon was very nice.  Blues, oranges, white and grey clouds, bright and cold etc.  Then I could see smoke coming from our chimney from afar.  Have been sat next to the fire for most of the time since.  baby daughter liked it although she’s still convinced it’s fireworks although I explained – many “flames” in the “fire”. like a “bonfire” that we saw at the “fireworks”.  complex.

Just the way something keeps itself burning with this oxygen ingrediant as it dissappears, very strange really.  bit like our cells I suppose (the ones that get used up to transform into somehting else or die or somat.)  Like thoughts that are running through your head and are whipping up into something but ultimatly disappear to leave their ash in minimal quantities.

I think particularly with today being rememberence sunday with me having looked at the first world war a lot over the last 6 months.  To be poignant in it’s context is good and to think about death and trauma and humilty and humanity and sacrifice and loss and bravery and nature.  We will remember them I think is a good statement and I hope to ensure my kids do so (they didn’t much today but they did like Blackadder series 4 so that counts)

woodwork miniprojects update November 11, 2007

I’ve been a busy nigey-bodging boy!!  I think I’m learning, although reading ‘Zen and the art of motorcycle maintainence’ hasn’t turned me around into a time-taking-perfectionist and I remain a woodcraft-aphobe-bodger.

See example 1 – Raising the shoe rack.

Now a couple of friends and my lady laughed at me on moving-in-day when I set about a hurried task to narrow-en (?) a wooden argos shoe rack to fit the little doorway slot near our back door.  It has increasingly annoyed me with all of my bigbrother housemate girls how wellys and general quantity of shoes clutter the area.  So I wanted to raise it.  But I wanted a near front, and I wanted to do it within 20 minutes as I had a roast to do, baby to occupy, woman to appease and 100 other jobs to do (source of my bodgeness methinks??!!).

So the end result is functional and looks ok at first glance.

But if you look under the hood, the bodgeness is evident.  one of my best!!! :>    

Example 2 – curtain pole

We needed a curtain pole to keep out the draft.  And it was a long one so needed a mid-way support bracket too.  Was a little concerned about drilling into plaster ceiling for this, so thought I would screw in directly just to see the affect.  After about a half-dozen apparently successful turns, I felt a little resistance…… then the lights tripped out.  Figured that the electric cabling under the floorboards in the room about was round the edge, so tested again then moved slightly to the right and tried again with same effect (this time wore rubber soled shoes too).

So this seemed out, but my lady had got the wind up me about just how heavy thick warm curtains really could be.  So instead I came up with a bodgeplan - lopping off the bracket and drilling a hole to attach to the handy beam that was perfectly placed but thought too low hanging for the whole bracket.  job done, and not too bodgey!!

PS Check for the holes to the right of the beam!!

cookingnnnnninge November 11, 2007

Shout out to The Big Sofa for the idea for baby beef wellingtons.  Very nice and highly recommended.  I used Sherry rather than maderia, and beef medallions meat which was may a bit chewy but I was being cheap.  It all came out lovely (mine rare and hers – preggers – well done) and really filling.  yum yum.

And my first expedition with puff pastry too.

 

They were a bit massive and full – I think because I ended up having q large bits of steak, so I cut them in half and had 2-layers-of-meat wellingtons like a double-cheeseburger!! But real ones have a huge joint of beef in them so it must be ok!!

mini update on gardennninge and sexy dirt November 11, 2007

I think that we’re into winter pretty much.  well ok still the end of autumn, but the allotment has all but been exhausted for the main crop.  a few parsnips hanging in there, and we’re still keeping the failure leeks in just for laughs.

 Nope, now we’ll be leaving the allotment posts for a while and just having occasional updates on some winter onions and califlowers that will be braving the frost,snow and general winterness.  We are still continuing to expand the plot as we can ready for next year.

 

One funny thing was that whilst digging over the general area I had a repeat thought of how lovely the earth was, what excellent condition it was and how almost sexually lush it was in that regard…… strange I know, but I can’t deny it.  Not not deny that….. I didn’t do anything to kiss it or anything – just enjoyed picking it up etc.  Come round and try it!

The blog will move other to others areas now methinks….