Marty

Your narcissistic nature might be the more correct term...

Something I forgot to mention when we were on page 1.994.... 1994 was the year I bought my first Windows based computer. A second-hand 486, with a processor speed of 100 MHz (if I remember correctly), Windows 3, a 170 MB hard drive, and a whopping whole 4 megabytes of RAM! It also has a 3 1/2 inch floppy drive, but no optical drive or soundcard.

And the same to you, bro! And many of them!

Same to you, Drew! And many of them (as we tend to say here in Ireland)! I'll be spending Christmas day itself dropping off some presents and goodies to a few friends, and then will be having Christmas dinner at the home of one of my social bubbles. Later Christmas evening I shall be video chatting with some of my family in England (on a normal Christmas, I would be in England). What plans do you have in store for the holiday?

Greetings, young Albert! Here's hoping you have a great Christmas.

Happy Christmas, ma Sherey!

It's now Christmas Eve here in Ireland. So don't forget the real meaning of this time the year...

Aw shucks! You're just too kind, young Albert! Is it just my imagination, or has he really torn the front of his trousers?

As Gary and Val both said, unload as much as you need to. ❤️ Not sure if I can say anything that can really help. Maybe, as Gary says, maybe you need to talk to your dad. But if/when you do, try to stay calm and listen to what he has to say. I don't know all the details, and I know it must seem too soon to you, but try to listen to his point of view. He's quite possibly worrying about the prospect of growing old all alone. I'll shut up now, because what I have already said may not even be helping.

You have one really twisted mind, bro! Here's what the photographer himself said about the two penguins: “These two fairy penguins poised upon a rock overlooking the Melbourne skyline were standing there for hours, flipper in flipper,” Baumgaertner wrote on Instagram. “A volunteer approached me and told me that the white one was an elderly lady who had lost her partner, and apparently so did the younger male to the left. Since then they meet regularly, comforting each other and standing together for hours, watching the dancing lights of the nearby city." Oh! Apparently they are fairy penguins! Wonder if they're @clochette's cousins...

Hey, @Valkyrie! Here's a Christmas present just for you... __________________________________________________ Image of penguins 'hugging' wins photography prize Tobias Baumgaertner won the Ocean Photography Awards’ community choice prize for the image of the birds in Melbourne. Source: https://www.thejournal.ie/photo-penguins-hugging-wins-prize-5310129-Dec2020/ 🎄 🌟

Snuggles, bro!

I had a shower this morning, as I was meeting a friend I've not seen since the beginning of October for lunch.

Greetings, Drew! How's things?

Hi there, Val! (I still have some frozen peas from my garden, if you are really serious about eating a vegetable. )

Greetings, young Albert!

The traditional "mincemeat" for mince pies over here doesn't really contain meat - except for shredded suet, which is the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys of beef or mutton. It is basically a sweet mixture of grated apple, raisins, currants, mixed citrus peel, dark brown sugar, suet, lemon juice, nutmeg and brandy. Recipe: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/traditional-mincemeat I have made my own in the past, but nowadays tend to just buy it ready made. The jar I am using at present has vegetable suet in it rather than animal suet. That wasn't a conscious decision on my part - indeed I have only just spotted it is using vegetable suet when I just looked at the ingredients on the label. To be honest, I can't taste any difference between the two - at least not when it is mixed with all the other ingredients.

First batch of mince pies taken out of the oven.

Sorry. Was my attempt at a fishy pun nothing but a pile of carp?

You okay there, ma fée?

And no red herrings, either, please.

Preferably freshly caught. But I don't mind if it's been frozen.

Let's just say that, being a total atheist, I don't have a god to pray to...

Cod protect me from my friends! Also just kidding, bro.