Dumb
In an attempt to "try something new," I picked up a new flavour of squash - Dandelion & Burdock flavour. I don't even know what burdock is, but one thing I do know is that it's going to be one of those things that's going to hang around our kitchen untouched for the next 4 years.

Another good reason:
They fall apart when you try to fry them so all you're left with are bits and pieces of fried bean burger all over your kitchen that you have to clean up the next morning.

One good reason NOT to cook black-eye bean burgers:

Laying Low
Things are pretty much back to normal over here and I won't be doing any substantial blogging for the next little while but will be on Elisabeth's case to keep it up.

The colour of Rose
It is the final few hours of mon vacation. I am doing my best not to get sloshed, because I do care about my comportment at work. In fact, I was telling Stephen not too long ago that I am actually looking forward to returning to work tomorrow as some kind of structure will return to life. I have very much enjoyed erasing my inner clock, and sleeping in until 10am. My biggest challenge this week though, will be keeping up the jogging, as I have been running at least every other day for over a week. Hopefully the benefits will keep my motivation up.

Today was a lovely last day of vacation though. Stephen and I got dressed and jumped on a train to Clapham Junction...where contrary to popular believe, we did not pick up any STDs (or STIs as they're called in England). We walked down to Battersea Park where we experienced our first taste of London without tourists. It was lovely: large green spaces, trees, a pond with paddle boats and boats with real paddles, there was a tiny art gallery called the Pump House Gallery which housed an unimpressive exhibit, and there was a large Thai Festival underway with scores of people queued up for some dancing and delicious food. We will definetly visit there again (and maybe take pictures: stay tuned!).

Once we'd seen what we wanted to, we headed to the local pub, The Latchmere, which was very beautiful with old wooden tables, and a mahogany mirrored bar unit.

After devouring deep-fried brie and cranberry wraps, with chips and beer, we read the Independent on Sunday and chilled out in the very informal and welcoming atmostphere.

We peeled our refreshed and sweaty bodies off the heavy wooden chairs and walked up to Lavender Road to the Battersea Arts Centre, and saw Attemps on her Life by Martin Crimp. An absurdist/postmodern drama/comedy/musical (how can it be all these things, Stephen's professors might wonder - the small minded idiots). It was most enjoyable and we headed home.

Now we have eaten our leftovers and are sipping (or gulping in my case) some cheap Rose. Mmmmmmmm

--E--

Stephen just going blah, blah, blah
Quiet days over here at 31 Dorchester Court. We got our damage deposit back from Englefield Green the other day and will be able to pay back Elisabeth's work the money that we had to borrow from them to move so Yay!

We've been trying to check out the local music scene here in Woking but it looks like the clubs aren't interested in any sound other than ones that have bass lines that go um-tisk, um-tisk over and over again so Boo!

That said, we did find a nice pub last night off the beaten track, away from the clubbing part of town with its police who constantly patrol the sidewalks and skinny, shaved-head dumb-asses barfing left, right and center.

Over here, right this instant, Elisabeth's coffee has just CURDLED! Will the madness ever end??? I've been trying to convince her to do some blogging as well but she's following in Nancy Regans foot steps and Just Says No.

So here we go: How to live on 2 pounds a day: Recipe 1: Chili con Quorn

1) Make 4 cups of vegetable stock.
2) In a large pot with heated oil add:
-6 finely chopped cloves of garlic
-2 large onions, chopped
-2 red peppers, chopped
-Top the rest of the pot up with chopped mushrooms.
3) Fry over a high heat 'till the volume reduces & the onions are soft.
4) Add:
-1 HEAPING TBSP of chili powder
-1 HEAPING TSP of cumin
-A significant dash of pepper
Fry for another minute.
5) Add:
-The stock
-3 cans of kindney beans (Keep in mind, in the UK cans are smaller so in Canada you're probably alright with 2 cans)
-A package of veggie-meat (Preferably Quorn)
6)Bring to a boil and leave uncovered at a high heat for 10 minutes so the level reduces and a nice mess is left on your oven-top.
7) Add:
-1 TBSP of sugar
Cover and reduce heat for 50 minutes.
8) When it's ready, boil 1 cup of basmati rice and once it's done, mix it in with the chili.
9) Serve with Tabasco on the side as well as cubed Red Leicester cheese.
Yum!
The total cost is about 4 pounds & makes 6-8 servings which means each serving costs in the area of 50 pence!
Yay!

A new look for a new metrosexuality
Since 'butterscotch' wasn't metrosexual enough for some people, the colour format of this blog is now 'tangerine nip.'

I've also had feelings of regret about bumping off my wife so I've exhumed her and sent Elsabeth back to Poland. Unfortunately Elisabeth tried return the favour last night when I made the critical error of going jogging with her. I lasted about two thirds of the way but her final push pushed me over the edge and I was left to sheepishly walk home while an old man going for a stroll nearly overtook me.

Metrosexual my ass.

We're cleaning the place today; engaging in that hearty protestant work ethic of punishing yourself because you slept in 'till 10AM because you watched four hours of Sopranos last night.

S.

Stephen: The Metrosexual?
I don't know, A hair cut, new clothes, kinda-designer jeans (Well, not Levi's, anyway), sissy socks (Though I'm getting Elisabeth to actually buy them for me). I mean they're all cheap and we're using all the end of year sales but I don't know what's come over me. Probably has something to do with how Barclay's raised the limit on Elisabeth's credit card...

...and I'm not the only culprit, here. She's still at the mall shopping.

Besides, we'll be in last year's fashions. One year out of date isn't bad, mind you. It's not retro, it's vintage. Or so I'm trying to convince myself.

Message from >E<
I'm writing to brag about my going jogging this morning. That's right, I'm still exercising...call all bets off. I was running so long and fast (uphill too) today that my lungs hurt. I've exercised 4 of 6 days so far, and am feeling very good for it. Yay.

So we tried out karaoke Mondays in Woking, and well, hmmm, it just isn't like back home.

There were not very many people there, and it was oh so serious. The selection was all modern and terrible, and the song book itself was full of moulding beer (oh the smell). The DJ stood in a booth dircetly behind the singer, and none of the video screens were working (except for the singer's prompt). Stephen sang Ring of Fire (Johnny Cash) and I sang Bohemion Rhapsody. We both murdered (or got murdered as in my case) our songs, and nobody was amused.

Today I checked out a CD from the library called "Hairbrush Diva", which I am gobbling up so that I can win Woking over next week, or perhaps the week after.

We also got from the library Season 4 of the Sopranos. Definitly staying in tonight.

For dinner I am trying a new receipe of chickpeas and ginger, in a tomato sauce on spaghetti. We bought rosee, which is chilling in the fridge. I am also attempting to make a lemon meringue pie, but it sounds tricky. If it turns out, I'll be sure to write about it.

Hope everyone is enjoying similarly hot and hazy weather.

E- :-p

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