Dear Almost Christmas Season Fans,
How are y’all doing?
I say ‘almost Christmas season’ but we all know it’s Christmas season already. I’ve put the Christmas music on and we had our first stollen a few weeks ago! This is my own little protest at Halloween. If you ignore Halloween, you can start Christmas earlier!
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes! The newsletter!
In this week’s oven-ready edition:
A new kitchen
Splits appear
Breaking legal news
…and more!
So, let’s crack on! There’s Black Friday to prepare for!
Take care!
James x
Three Weeks Later…
Orange fixed this…
…which their colleagues at Sosh insisted was not broken.
Finally, I have the internet! It’s quite good, isn’t it?
Banksy Shredding
I stumbled across this video earlier in the week. I had not seen it before. It not only shows the button being pressed in the Sotheby’s auction (which suggests that there were two members of the team in the room) but it also shows how it should have gone!
Still fantastic.
Kitchen
About 16 years ago, we moved into a new (old) house, in south Devon. It needed a new kitchen. I promised my wife we’d get a new kitchen.
About 9 years ago, we emigrated, having sold the house that needed a new kitchen. We had not done the kitchen. Our new (old) house was in Brittany. It needed a new kitchen. I promised my wife we’d get a new kitchen.
About 4 years ago, we moved to a new (old) house quite close to the previous one. It needed a new kitchen. I promised my wife we’d get a new kitchen.
This house needed work. Quite a bit of work.
The kitchen was a bit…
But we cleaned it up and lived with it while other things got done…
But this week, we are getting the kitchen done! That has all been ripped out and there’s stuff everywhere. It’s been a week that can only be described as ‘sandwiches’.
But it’s still being done as I type - so no photo yet!
This year, we will be able to cook our Christmas dinner for four on more than one single ring and an oven. And, yes, it is possible - it’s just a bit awkward!
FC Kaiserslautern
For various reasons, I was looking at German football teams this week. I have a relative who played for one of them relatively recently.
Anyway, as I was looking around, I found out that there is a club whose official name is 1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern.
And I would like to tip my cap to whoever worked up their excellent club badge!
Fun fact (to me anyway) : as a supporter/sufferer of Tottenham Hotspur since I was a tiny kid (apart from one week - another story for another day), my first match at the Lane was against FC Kaiserslautern. I was on my own. Thanks to the trains and buses, I arrived late, just as the half time whistle blew. We were, on paper, much better. I took my seat and asked my neighbour how it was going. “Shit”. It was 0-0. A few seconds after kick off, we scored. Everyone goes wild. A few minutes later, we scored again. Everyone goes wild again. Bloke next to me turns and hugs me and shouts “I wish you’d f*cking turned up earlier!”.
Meanwhile, in Brittany…
…the grave of the celebrated 19th century French author, François-René de Chateaubriand is at risk of falling into the sea.
His idyllic final resting place, on the uninhabited l’île de Grand-Bé, off St Malo, has been under attack from the sea for over a century and it now looks like drastic action will need to be taken to preserve it.
France Info has an interesting report on the grave and efforts to preserve it here.
And, in case you were wondering, yes - the Chateaubriand steak is thought to be named after him.
Split
I’m currently going through this year’s photos. It has been a difficult year to put it mildly. From the car crash that started the year, through to the hurricane a few weeks ago - and it’s still trying (and failing) to push me over the edge, to be honest!
In the middle of that, I went to Split in Croatia. On the face of it, that’s lovely but, because it’s 2023, it was as a result of a medical emergency.
However, I still had a few hours each day to see the town - and it is stunning.
If you get the chance to go, I would definitely recommend it (obviously I would - it’s in Croatia!) but, obviously, try to go without the need for a medical emergency if you can!
Oh, and if you do go, I can recommend the lavender ice-cream from Ela’s at Domaldova Ul. 1a. You can ignore the other place in town with the massive queue - Ela’s is better.
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News You May Have Missed
In this week’s News You May Have Missed, the High Court has ruled that it is reasonable to call Iain Duncan Smith ‘Tory scum’.
So that’s settled.
Not a political statement. Just a court judgment.
Nothing to see here. Please move along.
Fortnite News?
Do you play Fornite? Do you own a little person who does? Could this be a clue to a future season?
Who knows?!
…and another night of sandwiches beckons! I am really hopeful that we will have a working kitchen by Saturday because we are now out of microwaveable things! And, also, I want my front room back! Who knew we had so many mismatched glasses?!
Anyway, the nights are drawing in and the next edition will, undoubtedly, contain more night photography - because it’s that time of year.
By the way, if you are still trying to get off Twitter and into Bluesky, give me a shout and I will try to hook you up with an invitation code.
Right, I’m off! Thanks for reading!
See you next week. Take care,
James x
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