News

Whoosh

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Faster than a speeding bullet (well not exactly since a bullet travels at around 700mph), a man has broken the land speed record in an electric car at 204mph at Elvington Airfield. Hurrah

In a statement this was touted as proof and viability that there is a future in electric powered cars and no longer a reliance on fossils fuels! One question then McNumpty, when you plug your sooper dooper fast car into the mains to charge it for 24 hours so that you can travel really fast for 3 miles, where do you think the electricity comes from?

Maybe I missed the point!

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Ah the joys of summer. The new garden is looking great with all the plants and weeds flowering nicely.

Scented old country roses are climbing the fence and I think we have honeysuckle and clematis coming out too. The scent from the roses is fabulous- shame the previous occupants seem to have planted small things behind very large things so some flowers you can only smell rather than see.

We’ve also got a resident frog or toad living under some green things. He seems happy jumping around, as do the hundreds of birds gorging themselves on the seed we put out. So far – blackbirds, green finches, goldfinches, sparrows, robins, great tits, blue tits, song thrushes, starlings, a rook and a cacophony of other songbirds.

Better than that though we have Strawberries forming on the two fab plants that Mr Caddie cultivated for us. We even managed to net them to stop all the birdies helping themselves.

So, once I’ve figured out which are the weeds and have sufficient balance on two feet to deal with them I’ll get right on top of the gardening. In the meantime Im afraid I’ve consulted the Folks who are master gardeners. Capable of identifying a plant at more than 50 yards they’ll be swooping in to consult and advise and no doubt get me on track with the weeding, snipping, trimming and tying. Thank goodness, because it’s “all weeds” to Mr Fogg and his strimming tendencies!

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Oh By The Light

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I can almost stumble into song on this one and I am reminded of Stan Laurel singing.

Sat here with Mrs Club Foot at 11.40 in the pm watching the moon on the longest day after peg leg has been for a womble up the lane and we bumped into Mr Magoo out walking his dog.

So lets think for a second here is a woman ON CRUTCHES and a dog bounding all over the place, what does Magoo do, err bugga all! Happily telling his life story, let’s see “second partner, 2 kids by a previous relationship, not married, 1 daughter, not working, right handed, Irish descent, never lived outside a town or heard bird song, doesn’t know about broadband speeds” not bad for 30 seconds, Jen you would proud!

Foot Diaries (the return)

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Good news from the foot specialist is that things appear to be settling down well and I may achieve normal again in approx 24 weeks (how long????). While that seems a long way off I am assured that now I can stand on the bad foot time will fly and I’ll be running around in no time (like I ever run anywhere!)

One foot is still very bruised and much bigger than the other (just call me Frodo) but its looking more like a foot again at least.

So, Dr Foot took my old trusty crutches off me, after having enquired exactly how on earth I managed to bend the things designed to take a weight of over 300lbs and has given me new ones to play with.

Darn things are hard to use, I had to demonstrate going upstairs and downstairs before she’d let me loose. I did explain that going up and down stairs on ones bottom was equally productive but the Dr was having none of it. Cue, making me showed her I could do it in front of the whole waiting room, much to their amusement.

So, another several weeks of assisted walking with my new sticks, physio and a revisit to the foot specialist to see if I have progressed.

And the sun is shining. A great start to the weekend me thinks!

Off to buy Nora Batty shoes tomorrow so I have something suitable to walk around in.

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Perseids Theme

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Ok so it’s the annual Perseids Meteor BBQ and we are giving you the chance to choose the theme for this one from:

1. Pirates and Long John Silver (in honour of Mrs Peg Leg)
2. Your Fave Superhero
3. Cartoon Characters

Let us know your thoughts, a prize for the best outfit, quizzes on the theme, games, falling down water and oodles of dead animal (good grief hope there’s no veggies this time).

Olivia Neutron Bomb

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Well she did sing I want mussels and blow me did she get some! I decided to try the restaurants at their own game, procured some live mussels, checked, prepp’d and scrubbed em, then cooked em in half a bottle of Pinot Grigio, butter, garlic, thyme and rosemary.

The proof is now in Mrs Fogg’s belly. Scrumptious.

Next time you are over we will do you some Foggy Moulles.

P.S, Anyone up for the Pleides BBQ 9/10/11 August?

Glorious Sunset

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It’s early evening in Joliet. We are fed and watered and resting back in our room ready for an early start.

Despite threats of more storms the view from our window is of a wonderful sunset. Looking forward to tomorrow.

Chicago to Joliet

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A bit of a false start, up at 7am for a mile hike to get a healthy breakfast. All packed and sat waiting for the transfer who got the wrong hotel then sat asking us for directions cos he couldn’t get his GPS to work while driving at 50mph. At least we made it to Eagle Riders and that was fairly painless to hire the bike, which wouldn’t start because “we left the ignition on!”, ok you go test it and sure enough they found the alternator was faulty, so profuse apologies as they wheeled out a brand new Electra Glide with 250miles on the clock, and free Route66 caps and tshirts for the inconvenience.

And they’re off on a new bike that neutral is a little fiddle to find, still I only managed to drop it once when Mrs Fogg was off it fortunately and it took two of us to right it.

Made it to Joliet and the Hampton Inn, with a pool and we have done a few little stretches of Route66 so far.

First trek on Route66 from here.

Run Forrest Run

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Oh Yes!

Bubba Gumps at the Old Navy Pier Chicago and the mother of all drinks a CoronaRita, a half bottle of Corona upside downing Margarita, Pickled liver anyone?

Two of these and I’m anyone’s, so to sober up a little we are still walking all round Chicago and enjoying a tea and coffee outside the Tribune Tower (which has rocks and stones in it from Edinburgh Castle, Houses of Parliament and many more). A slow womble back then to the hotel to rest at 2am UK time.

A good start to the holiday.

Forrest Ran from here.