Posted by Jerry on August 11th, 2005 — Posted in Journal, Recipes
In all the jeans controversy, one small comment by Chloe stood out: “any chance of the chocolate muffin recipe?” Well, I’ll let you into a secret – while I DO have a nice quick and easy muffin recipe, I cheated on this occasion and used “White Wings Shaker Muffins: Double Choc” in which you add one and one third cups of milk to the container, tap upside down (with the lid on) shake vigorously for about 30 seconds and squish out the mix into 6 muffin pans and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for 20 minutes. And here is the result:
Cheers
Jerry
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Posted by Jerry on August 9th, 2005 — Posted in Journal
You know, it’s the strangest thing. I went to brave the cold recesses of my woodwork shed yesterday – so naturally I would dress appropriately – old tee-shirt, fleecy sweatshirt and old jeans. Now I could have sworn I had washed and dried my jeans and that they were hanging up in my cupboard.
This is not the first time strange things have happened – perhaps they were taken by aliens, along with the odd single sock…
Meanwhile I think Sharon is getting creative again – she has started humming around the house, and has moved the ironing board out of her studio – so I guess she has some project on the go and that stuff is everywhere. This is not uncommon – Sharon works that way – spreads everything out and does a careful visual appraisal. At this point I know not to disturb things because everything is placed with a purpose when she is designing.
I’m guessing she has something like a stitch challenge going, because the last couple of nights she has disappeared from the computer and headed off to the studio – reappearing only for a quick coffee and a few muttered words like “progress” and “they’ll love this”… At which point I nod appreciatively and bake muffins.
As for the shed, well the daggy trackie pants had to make do – even though they’re not the same as those comfy old jeans.
At least I get some computer time for the blog 🙂
Cheers
Jerry
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Posted by Jerry on August 6th, 2005 — Posted in Journal, Motorcycling
This afternoon I managed to get my historic Motobecane moped running again after a hiatus of some months. The 1970 40V moped is the same make as that used in the movie Amelie – so I have christened my moped Amelie 🙂
The two challenges that remain to make the bike roadworthy again are to install some kind of flasher unit – the indicators work, but don’t flash and finding six volt flasher units is not easy these days; and I need to get a low power horn as the original item – which never gave more than a half-hearted ‘quack’ anyhow – has long since ceased to function. Nonetheless it felt good to hear it running again after I cleaned the points and greased the variator. And once it was warmed up, I found the bike started easily – so that’s a good sign. On the bitumen I was able to wind it up to about 45 kph, so the running gear still seems sound.
I’m told that if I join a vintage motorcycle club I can get historic vehicle registration and ride it twice a month 50kms each – and it would only need to meet 1970 registration standards.
In response to Nigel’s comment – front and rear tyres are 2″ x 17″. I am told it is possible to get two and a quarter inch by 17 inch tyres here in Australia, and it is very likely these would fit.
For anyone looking for manuals, I found Motobecane moped manuals on the Moped Riders Association site at:
http://www.mopedriders.org/article_view.php?faq=2&fldAuto=18
cheers
Jerry
13 Comments »
Posted by Jerry on April 15th, 2005 — Posted in Journal, Writing
… so over dinner we were discussing how to spend tomorrow together, and Sharon suggested she might like to spend her voucher at the bead shop. Interesting concept: a ‘voucher’. I wondered if it might be Norman French perhaps derived from the morphemes: vous and cher – you and dear (in both senses of ‘valued friend’ and ‘your expense’. I wondered if perhaps, like computer the word originally meant a person – in this case who vouchsafed for something, provided a third party guarantee – and indeed it seems I was not far wrong. It does derive from the Old French, including versions of voch, vouchier etc which meant to claim or to invoke – ultimately from the latin Vocare, to speak or to call (hence giving one’s word). But the term is first recorded around 1325 – somewhat after the Norman invasion of England, but perhaps it took a while for the word to be absorbed into the language and customs of the time.
According to the Oxford Dictionary the voucher was indeed a person, who did the vouching and the vouchee was the one vouched for. This seems to have predated the widespread use of a written guarantee.
By 1531 the word ‘voucher’ was being used in terms of a piece of paper that provided a guarantee as solid as the thing itself – in that case the reference was to the revovery of a voucher which would stand as good as if the land it represented were recovered in payment.
So tomorrow, Sharon will present her voucher which will stand in place of the money previously paid as guarantee that the payment was made before any goods were exchanged, and receive in equal value the beads that were virtually purchased before she even entered the store, enacting a tradition of trade that predates the widespread literacy of the modern era.
Cheers
Jerry
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Posted by Jerry on April 13th, 2005 — Posted in Journal, Technology
I’ve been using a Macally single button mouse with the iMac ever since we got the iMac about five years ago. Yes the mac is still going strong, and so is the mouse. But when my daughter discovered that the mouse worked really well in her Apple iBook laptop that she picked up second hand, there has been a bit of a bottleneck for use of the mouse.
So today we headed out at lunchtime, marched into the Apple store and took advantage of the curious salesperson who strayed too close to us and inquired whether we were just browsing… “No.” I said. That flumoxed him for a moment and he turned to leave us to browse. “I’m after a rodent” I declared. He regarded me curiously as though I might perhaps be looking for a pet shop before I rejoined “a simple mouse – USB please”. “well,” he started, “we have the apple white mouse at AU$50…” “Sounds fine to me” I said before he could tell me it had no visible button and there are various scrolling multi-button mice just over… “I’ll take one thanks”.
I don’t think he was used to people behaving decisively, but he managed to rescue his composure long enough to dig out a small box. The transaction was done in five minutes flat and we then had time to find a good eating spot.
The mouse is unusual – great looking as is all Apple stuff. The ergonomics are okay – once you get used to putting your hand’s weight on the back end. So much better than the infamous puck mouse served up with the original iMacs!
And now no more bottleneck!
cheers
Jerry
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