The AH Coffee Shop and Reading Room 02: A Comma (is a Restful Pause)

[Handley_Page]

The French have the bureaucracy from Hell, not Purgatory.

President Macron is trying to change it. He's like Sisyphus rolling a rock uphill only to see it slip backwards again and again. People dealing with French officials feel like they are trying to appease a capricious and vengeful God, not trying to comply with regulations.

I blame Napoleon for all that.

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organised by the Swiss. Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lovers Swiss, the police German and it's all organised by the Italians.

I think that things have changed a bit since that was written. We have some damned good chefs here in the UK these days; even the French seem to agree (albeit reluctantly). We even win medals for some wine or other.

"I speak French to my ambassadors, English to my accountant, Italian to my mistress, Latin to my God and German to my horse. "
That seems to sum it up rather well.

When hiking the High Sierras, watch for piles of marmot poop. Marmots love to shit from scenic vistas. Marmot loos are all Kodak moments.

Here at 4000ft / 1200m on the western slope, we lack groundhogs, marmots, badgers (AFAIK), prairie dogs, moles. We DO have gophers, or did till a neighbor's aggressive cat proved her worth. But "gopher day" doesn't really have a nice ring, does it?

_____

I slurped a thick quadruple espresso at dawn, took my meds with peanut butter, ran to the post office and grocer, and sipped my partner's mocha over oatcake brunch. Too late for more now, and too early for tawny port. Compromise: I still have Sierra Nevada (brewery) "No Middle Ground" coffee IPAs. Those qualify, right?

Meanwhile, yesterday's cardiologist was encouraging and I *am* doing better, with a bit more stamina, which means I may qualify for surgical work before too long. Oh goody. More eye surgery in a few days, so I may once again be able to see what I'm keyboarding.

Is coffee IPA a weak speedball?

Good Luck with that !
Are there any 'ground rules' for connecting a 'manual' lens to a Digital camera ?

 

[oggbashan]

...
Are there any 'ground rules' for connecting a 'manual' lens to a Digital camera ?

Buy an adaptor on eBay?

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I think that things have changed a bit since that was written. We have some damned good chefs here in the UK these days; even the French seem to agree (albeit reluctantly). We even win medals for some wine or other.

"I speak French to my ambassadors, English to my accountant, Italian to my mistress, Latin to my God and German to my horse. "
That seems to sum it up rather well.

It sums it up quite nicely - if you want your accountant to cook for you.

No offense, HP - I've had some good meals in Britain. (None of them in military messes, mind. What you feed your squaddies should be illegal under at least three Conventions.) And I'm sure that somebody somewhere south of Hadrian's wall can make a sausage now that doesn't taste like a loaf of bread what's been stuffed through a keyhole with the butcher's elbow. I remember the odd fine ploughman's lunch now and then - worth flying a long way for all by themselves. And I have heard that Britain's back in the wine business. I look forward to trying some my next time in England. I'll go so far as to admit that, if beer and lager counted as 'cuisine', you folks would have the medal.

Regretably, good sir, it still grieves me to say that, despite those shining culinary examples and despite being a world leader in so many other things, England is still better-known for stodge, not haute cuisine.

Bottom line? Every nation's got its strengths. You can be quite proud of your cops.

 

[TxRad]

Evening all,

It has been one of those days. Dull, overcast, cloudy, with rain mixed in here and there. Mostly here. The cat is snoring in her box. I spent most of the day snoring in the bedroom. Housemate said she enjoyed the peace and quiet but then again, she is a little strange at times. Proof: she puts up with me and seems to like it.

Fresh coffee since I've been lazy all day and an evening kettle.

The house smells great. A friend dropped off a couple of pounds of fresh Gulf shrimp. It takes longer to get the crab boil right than it does to cook the shrimp but the smell is awesome. The shrimp were delivered headed and deveined so all the work was already done.

Now I'm stuffed and lazier than ever.

 

[Hypoxia]

Buy an adaptor on eBay?

That's about it. I can't speak of mounting lenses on Nikon (the universal donor) or Canon (the universal receptor) digicams because I just don't know their exposure systems. But it's pretty straightforward on my Pentax K20D with onboard shake stabilization and flexible controls.

I mount a manual lens, set its aperture as desired, set the cam to aperture priority, focus, and shoot. The Pentax has trap-focus so with a prepared lens (*) I can aim at a subject, hold the shutter, move in and out, and the shutter snaps when it's sharp -- cheap autofocus.

(*) Prepared lens: a little metal tape on the lens base to short-out two mount contacts does the trick.

I've physically adapted proprietary mounts of Nikon, Olympus, Petri, Argus-Enna, Exakta, and Yashica-Contax lenses to Pentax, sometimes helped with a Dremel. All those types and a few other can be strapped to a Canon EOS . Again, Canon user forums can help here.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Bottom line? Every nation's got its strengths. You can be quite proud of your cops.

And the SAS.

Tonight I had my first Dungeness crab of the season. The damned demotic algae lasted a bit late this year and put off the commercial season until yesterday. Mixed green salad with pickled egg, cold crab with aioli and a bottle of pinot gris from the local vineyards. Fabulous. And I'll probably weigh even less in the morning. This multiple small meal post-surgery dining is alright!

 

[Handley_Page]

And the SAS.

Tonight I had my first Dungeness crab of the season. The damned demotic algae lasted a bit late this year and put off the commercial season until yesterday. Mixed green salad with pickled egg, cold crab with aioli and a bottle of pinot gris from the local vineyards. Fabulous. And I'll probably weigh even less in the morning. This multiple small meal post-surgery dining is alright!

May your progress ever continue, Bear.

It's spookily early round here. I need a cup of coffee.

 

[Tio_Narratore]

May your progress ever continue, Bear.

It's spookily early round here. I need a cup of coffee.

There's still a cup left in my bedtime pot. Hope you like Costa Rican.

 

[TxRad]

Okay, I'm still up and moving, at least the fingers on the keyboard so I'll make a fresh pot.

Finished one old story and started the sequel. Actually, it's part four but whose counting.

 

[Handley_Page]

That drink was very, very welcome, for which many thanks.
We got sunshine at present.
And another cup of coffee. . .

 

[oggbashan]

That drink was very, very welcome, for which many thanks.
We got sunshine at present.
And another cup of coffee. . .

We've got a strong NE wind and hail.

And coffee, of course.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

Large black, please, Tex.

Good morning, gentlemen.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Coffeeeee...

Morning, folks.

We've got snow flurries and a packed schedule today. Trying to figure out how to fit it all in. Need coffee first.

 

[NotWise]

We've got a strong NE wind and hail.

And coffee, of course.

We have searing sunshine and not a breath of wind. Things are expected to continue like this all day, but I'll buck up and coffee on.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Spring seems to be creeping in. Leaf buds are forming and there hasn't been bitter cold for a week. And today's coffee is brought to you by Bialetti Moka. Enjoy.

 

[Hypoxia]

We're in a mostly sunny stretch of false spring after last week's single day of winter. Greenery grows, blossoms bloom, buck a-varteth, etc. Will we yet be drenched with inundations like last year or will the Sierra snowpack stay perilously low?

Washed down the morning meds with peanut butter and went to brew yet another quad espresso but hey, my partner's leftover pot of java is still good. Easy-peasy. Now I must whip myself into a guilt frenzy and answer some neglected messages. Om...

I was going to mention the orphica vs the tubon but that can wait. More coffee!

 

[_Lynn_]

I made it! Surgeon said the knee was really bad but surgery went well. I came home on Thursday as he predicted. A friend stayed with me until this morning. Now I'm on my own (with the surgeon's approval). Enjoy your day!

 

[TxRad]

It was dense fog this morning, which still seems to be hovering just over head. Cloudy and dull but no rain. I had plans for the yard and shop but... Housemate and Houseguest had other ideas. The perfect day to stay in bed and cuddle among other things.

Fresh coffee for the afternooners.

I wonder what I will have for lunch. The same I had for breakfast most likely.

 

[NotWise]

I made it! Surgeon said the knee was really bad but surgery went well. I came home on Thursday as he predicted. A friend stayed with me until this morning. Now I'm on my own (with the surgeon's approval). Enjoy your day!

Sounds great. Now you're going to have to fight the compulsion to clean and organize!

 

[MagicaPractica]

I made it! Surgeon said the knee was really bad but surgery went well. I came home on Thursday as he predicted. A friend stayed with me until this morning. Now I'm on my own (with the surgeon's approval). Enjoy your day!

Awesome.

 

[TarnishedPenny]

I made it! Surgeon said the knee was really bad but surgery went well. I came home on Thursday as he predicted. A friend stayed with me until this morning. Now I'm on my own (with the surgeon's approval). Enjoy your day!

(Sorry, but meanie computer says I can't send a dozen roses, 10 max.)

 

[Handley_Page]

Now I'm on my own (with the surgeon's approval). Enjoy your day!

Enjoy the gap between now and the onset of your next clean-up !

It was dense fog this morning, which still seems to be hovering just over head. Cloudy and dull but no rain. I had plans for the yard and shop but... Housemate and Houseguest had other ideas. The perfect day to stay in bed and cuddle among other things.

Fresh coffee for the afternooners.

I wonder what I will have for lunch. The same I had for breakfast most likely.

The coffee is Most Welcome.
Thank you

 

[MagicaPractica]

Ah, third cup of coffee to get me through the day, this one with a shot of alkie-hol.

 

[Handley_Page]

Ah, third cup of coffee to get me through the day, this one with a shot of alkie-hol.

Now why didn't I think of that ?

But for now, a cup of tea, I think.

 

[MagicaPractica]

Now why didn't I think of that ?

But for now, a cup of tea, I think.

Tea will be after dinner. After dessert actually. Just threw an almond sponge cake in to pair with some blueberries and whipped cream.