I've just been to the vet with our unwell dog to find out he's very sick. He's 13 and will probably be euthanised today or tomorrow.

We're having a run of bad news and I hope it stops there.

Oh your poor dog!


I'm not familiar with Australian topography, I hope you're not near NSW with the flooding...

Quote: Originally posted by polydigm

Julie's dad has been in care for a while and has just taken a turn for the worse, so he probably hasn't got very long. It's very difficult to get clear cut information at this distance. We had a surprise visit from our eldest son this weekend, which was lovely. I've just entered a composition competition - music appropriate for dance. The winning entry is then used in a choreographer competition. The winning composer and choreographer then team up to produce a work for a performance by the Royal Academy Of Dance in 2022.

Sorry about Julie's Dad. You don't think there's any possibility of improvement?

This music and dance competition is a cool concept.

Quote: Originally posted by polydigm

I've just been to the vet with our unwell dog to find out he's very sick. He's 13 and will probably be euthanised today or tomorrow. We're having a run of bad news and I hope it stops there.

Ho man, it sucks. :umm:

W've been delighted by a squirrel in the back yard for the last few days. He's discovered our squirrel feeder and has been eating from it every day!

That's awesome! I really like squirrels, watching them run up and down tree trunks, their vivacity, their colour. They're so cute!

Yes!

That is, almost adorable. I did once find out what sound they make - crazy hissing!

Here's what people in the middle ages, before printing was invented, did to prevent books from being stolen in the library:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hereford-cathedral-chain...

Julie's dad is 89 and he has an untreated form of leukaemia, he could go any day now. Our dog Darwin is gone and it's now very quiet here during the day, during the week, working on my own. Yes it sucks, but I'm over having the responsibility of looking after a pet and Julie's dad has had a pretty good life, we did think he had a few more good years, but he had a pretty bad fall a few years back. Once he recovered from that initially, it didn't seem to hold him back too much, but I think that is what ultimately turned the tide on his health.

Haha fun to hear the Zappa influence

Very nice, thanks for sharing!

Went out shoping something that wasn't food, which was for the first time since the Corona regulations were tightened on 19 Dec. Now shops are allowed to open but they're only allowed guests by appointment, so you have to make an appointment first before you are allowed in. And there has to be 4 hours between making an appointment.

I made 4 appointments, one for the second-hand store, one for the household articles store and two for textile discounters. Ended with satisfying birthday presents for DED (16 apr) and a large stack of booklets on the Japanese language. Got my fix!

Was a great sunny day for it too. Feels great to get out of the house.

Sorry to hear about Julie's dad, my sincere condolances...

Appreciate the condolences, guys.

Thanks for the boost, Aqua.

You're welcome, Poly. Hope the rest of the year will be better for you and your family.

Last day of being 37 today... up to a better new year! At least this year I can bake a cake!

Happy birthday, Bonny. Hope it's gonna be a excellent one and everything is fine for you. I'm sure the cake will be great.

Haha it was my 4th attempt at the Sachertorte. Since I'm from the 4th of the 4th (apparently a bad luck day in Asia) 4 is my lucky number and with me it's usually 4 times a charm rather than 3.

Sachertorte is not an easy cake but it involves my 3 favourite things in the kitchen - sieved flour, molten chocolate and stiff egg-whites.
I began by greasing the tin and gathering the ingredients. For the dough I melted the chocolate au bain marie, beat the butter with some of the sugar, added sieved flour and then chocolate to the mix, and beat it thoroughly. Then came the tough part of the mix - the egg whites. I made sure my bowl and the beaters were clean and grease free, split 6 eggs (which took 7 eggs, I baked the 7th) and then beat the whites stiff, and added sugar. They went stiff beautifully and all sparkly.
The difficulty is in Sachertorte that the rise comes from the egg-whites, there is no other rising agent. So you have to mix the whites stiff, then fold them in with the dough carefully - if you're too rough, you'll break all the air bubbles in the egg and you get a very dense and chocolate-y pancake. I was ever so careful - using the tip to first mix in a third of the egg whites firmly to get the mix loose, then slowly fold in the rest of the egg.

And as I was one, I looked to my right - and saw the six egg yolks in their little bowl. That had to be added at a much earlier state and needed to be beaten in vigorously.

Drat. I added the yolks and some baking powder.

The rest of the cake was moderatey successful in that I got a rise, I asked Dad to cut it through the middle so I could put the apricot jelly into it, and the glazing went well for a first time.

Result was sweet and the coffee taste of the glaze is really powerful, but it wasn't too bad.