Where did you get the fun from?
Often stupid fun.

We are here running a state of the art, precision machine capable of circumnavigation and you think it is fun. And you'll be wanting a Christmas dinner.
Let me tell you my antipodean friend that a Christmas BBQ on the beach in Carrickfergus will be more pleasant than one in sweaty old Bondi. Roo steaks me bollix, you'll have O'Kanes turkey like the rest of us, and enjoy it.

Since BB negligently entered the DD I'll be taking the weight over the holidays and scurvy shipmates will turn-to as required without bellyaching. (Goodwill).

Just thought I'd mention that at 15:59 UTC it is the Winter Solstice and the Earth starts to tilt back the right way again, unless you are antipodean.
Yes, The actual reason behind all the fuss and palaver and the stocking up for siege conditions.
Apparently I will be expected to cook some sort of special Sunday lunch on Saturday this week. I suppose we have to use up those extra provisions somehow.
I don't get all this sloppy sentiment regarding friends and stuff, I haven't got any so it doesn't affect me.

Anyway to you lot: Stay Safe, stay healthy, while doing your damnedest to over-indulge and look forward to surviving till spring at least.

Sorry to interrupt, I''ll go back to my cabin now.

having just got rid of a typhoon, we are bracing for the next, Friday, Saturday and Sunday the experts reckon so it going to be a wet and windy Christmas.

I am going ashore to a hotel for a break. I'll leave ES in charge. Have a good 2022 lads.

First news I had listened to properly apart from the plague bulletins gave the bad news about your woodneck. Stay safe. We will all get the wind but I hope mine will be from the sprouts.

Sound decision BB.

"The working class
can kiss my ass,
I've got the Captain's
job at last"


Harbour Generator taking the load (Smokeroom Fridge), visitors expected later. May Mac and Orange Lil are coming down with some of the Gals from duBarry's for Tea and Tab Nabs and the survivors will be treated to Bandari's left-over Turkey Vindaloo.

And no Tmax, NO. No you can't bring your family aboard until we get clearance from Port Health. As the Gals stumble down the gangway we will give the Smokeroom a rub down with Dettox and Jeyes Fluid. We will then do something meaningful with the Yellow Fleg.

All settled and bearing an even strain only one question remains, what is Santy bringing to the ever eenthuastic Varley. Could it be OO Gauge?

Grand night in O Flannigans last night, The craic was good. Time for a shower before breakfast.
Father Malacci was in great voice, and him with a coleen on each knee too!
an Moikle O Rafferty thumping away on the piano.

BB are you in Tel Aviv?

I am ashore on the Emerald Isle enjoying the hospitality and A good breakfast with white sausage pudding and a complimentary bottle of Poteen.

Sound man, you're now fit to face the day.

Just been under the ship. Bottoms nice and clean. soon as its dry on goes the anti radar paint. Been in touch with the agent and he thinks there may be a job for us after Christmas.
in the mean time....gulp gulp burrrp!

Oh how lovely to be by the shores of loch rae, on a beautiful mid summers morning.....burrrrrrrp!
Longford, west meath and roscommon....HIC!

Awwww for feck sake, 1st day home in years and I wind up all night in A+E with a Kidney stone. If I see that oul bar steward Santa I'll shove his "present" up his stern gland. :really_mad::really_mad::really_mad:

What bastard.

If that is the luck of the Irish then my take on it matches yours as translated into festive gifting and mythical sleigh-riding fatmen.

When Pa was told he had to take seven pints a day he feared fro the worse when asking the BP doctor "I assume yon mean water, Doctor". Aghast the medic replied "Oh no, my dear chap, beer is just fine".

So you have the prescription. All you need is the good luck to find something that matches it in that heathen and rebellious neck of HM's realm.

If you can't be merry at least avoid biting the nurses.

KIdney stone has to be the most painful experience of my life Tom. So sorry for you mate. I was lucky with mine. Loads of pain killers and drugs to expand the pipe about half the water in the Philippines down my neck and it popped out on its own.

I am With you in spirit Tom. (if only folk would drink a load of "Scrumpy Cider"once a week there would be no stones).
Best of luck Tmac, Our thoughts are with you mate.

T, your tale brings tears to my eyes and caused me to cross my legs. I'm told it is damnedeably painful. I'll come up to the City Hospital tomorrow with the leg of a turkey, a slice of fruit loaf and a drop of Bush and keep you entertained for half an hour. Season of goodwill etc.

Sorry to hear of your predicament Tmac.
Why do these things always occur at Christmas or Easter?
There is an engineering solution, however. A pair of small pliers on a tube thingy is inserted into the 'drain tube' and, after searching around, hopefully finds the stone and either grabs it and pulls it out or crushes it. I am sure that ES could knock up a suitable instrument from the scrap bin.
Isn't anesthetic wonderful?

Capital idea YM and no need for miniaturisation.
Happy Christmas, although it was yesterday in sunny Mundrabilla. You're now speeding towards New Year.
New Years Resolution; Learn Mandarin.

I'll help you with that ES....
聖誕快樂，新年快樂 ES

BB Akala ko ikaw ay stick sa tagalog.

your not the only one good at lingo's. I heard Mr Varley chuntering away this morning after touching a live wire. Not sure but I think he speaks electoshokeese

Three days on my feet to prepare and clear feats (also generate potion bucket for Christmas curry) has left me to believe only in Ibulieven (there's some doggerel to be had in that I guess).

If I wasn't so down to earth I would be that live wire. Aas it is I find Calvados and Grappa good for making the heart race and treat electricity carried mostly in infrastructure installed in 1939 with the sort of caution reserved normally for water balls.

胖电工

Jeez Mr V the wedding feast at Cana didn't take 3 days. Were you roasting a bullock?

Are your guests so sensitive they could tell an Aldi turkey crown from a Norfolk Bronze?

My advice, really sound advice, is to ignore Gordon, Jamie, Nigella and Rick and their Ilk and let Marks & Spencer supply all your needs. Their fortified wines are particularly pleasing. Get a Life my friend, be a Host rather than a cook and skivvy.

Now that Christmas is long gone ............ Vegemite Hot Cross Easter Buns are already available here in Oz Supermarkets. :mad:

Vegemite Hot Shamrock Green Buns for St Patricks Day.

And a Get Out of Town bun for St Georges Day.

Bad news from the antipodes indeed. I don't really care what goes on an early Easter bun but trust they would only put Marmite on crumpets.

Much as I know I should cast off the Protestant ethic of no pain no gain M&S would be a severe cheat. 24-y Make white loaf for bread sauce. 24-x cook ham (uncovid years also have small table for those not Christmas dining for hot). 24-2 pick up salmon from smokers. 24th de-leg, de-salmonella and dress the turkey (cook legs for cats). Peel veg. Par-boil roots and potatoes. Lay table. Watch Carols from Kings (why not 1630z this year?). 25th apply galley range to above comestibles in appropriate order plus make and apply bread sauce potion. Adding pudding at dinner 1800z. Make brandy cream. 2000z Serve salmon. 2015z thrust main event before guests. 2045 apply culinary napalm to pudding (extinguish blaze in galley before ceremonial presentation). Follow with cheese. Retire to lounge for port. 26th Commence washing up. Make curry sauce. 27th Continue much the same until no more loads for washing-up machine. Cut-up all remains of feast and steep in curry potion.

When M'Lady insisted on feeding family and waifs&strays I was happy enough to just provide the bread sauce but she has re-sized and now only has a kitchen diner. Whilst this is quite large enough to feed 12 it is, when all is said and done, eating in the kitchen like staff. And I will not be treated like a servant, even if dining with the gentry.

Couple of us always wore orange shirts on St Patrick's Day.

It was always good for a good hearted laugh and it didn't exclude us from the large drop of Jamieson's dispensed by the boss in our early morning coffee. He was from some obscure city called Belfast over the edge of the map from here.

Nowadays hi-viz orange is both cheap (provided) and compulsory of course. :wave:

moving out of dock January one. Refuelling, then move to another berth for stores and provisions. and stay there till the crew gets back of Crimbo leave. Lets hope they can press gang a few to join us.

qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq

cook turkey legs for cats. Better fed than i am.[/color][/color]

watch carols from kings Justin or Vincent could have a recruit in '22.

Make curry sauce. Euphemism for opening a jar of patak's.

All rec-roots are welcome aboard here ES
Back in the day we had a lot of fun and laughs when we had a full crew.

Miss Jim Barnes and his revolting doors, Dom with his white gloss and John Briggs with his Hog cape.

I blame UMS, GP Crew, ECDIS, TM Radar, Gloss Paint and Microwave Meals. And DF Black Bush. It could be argued that the Wizard of Douglas is the only guy needed onboard.
Red 19 titillates us occasionally from the quay wall in NSW but the Microwave Oven has done for her, especially since Tmax hung his signed photograph of Stephanie McLean beside it. A poor deal says the E-S.

No Pateks used here! If you want to bored with the recipe let me know. This year's has been distributed to two passing waifs in empty milk cartons (actually wives or formerly wives, not mine of course) with one very positive appreciation given.

Please never argue that. Wizard of Douglas knows his limitations which is why his approvals attracted the luddite critiques. Fat Leckie likes the easy life (but who would not have a SharpEye or an optical North-seeker). Anyway I would then have no one to buy me a drink.

and of course our Anchovy chef is also missed like our "Silver Spandex suited Engineering supervisor" bless her she is a very busy lady ashore right now.
well we will see what next year brings us in the way of crew.

I bought you a drink last year, don't tell me you want another one :shock:

Well by my reckoning that's two years ago. I take it that that shifter of yours has never been used to loosen anything.

(By the by, that is now two positive reports on the Christmas curry).

speaking of which, following meals with sprouts, Chicken Curry and Spaghetti. I have reseived complaint from her indoors that whilst flat out and snoring I was releasing bowel gas at an alarming rate polluting the cabin. This I learned from a note passed to me this morning at Breakfast. Hey ho....LOL

Possibly we have both gone too far on the curry train.

Me: Because I finished off the curry sauce by cooking frozen sprouts (in in case shortage of the real thing) and formerly unused chipolatas. My helping hand maiden told me this was not just 'wrong' but 'very wrong' (but then she does not like sprouts in any form).

You: To play a note from bowel gas is something of a rare talent. I take it was an E flatus major.

Rather delicate this morning and talk of sprouts and noxious emissions is making me quite nauseous.
Scrambled eggs for lunch, full Ulster Fry parked in the fridge until about Monday when all my old arrogance will have returned.

Aww lad have I taught you nothing :cloud: what you need to counteract the sprouts is as follows:-

3 pints of Guinness
6 hard boiled eggs
2 tins (family size) baked beans
1 large curry pizza
2 finely chopped onions

The above to be taken daily unless attending court where you run the risk of being charged with chemical warfare :thumb:

For those with that ability to hold a note that would sustain their nether-vocals for at least one aria if not an opera.

(Many moons ago Pa 'did' scrambled eggs for New year's day breakfast. I am sure forensics could still detect some fossilised remnant on the stairs up which I attempted to make my bathroom after the first couple of mouthfulls).

I love scrambled eggs, done with butter and milk salt and pepper. Love it on toast.

Christmas is different out here. I dont have to eat cold turkey or Turkey pate sarnies for a week...LOL