I am a retired quantity surveyor living in the SE of England. I enjoy reading, walking (even with these knees!) and cooking. Since Covid, my sense of spicy heat has been “modified” so I prefer food with a somewhat heightened level of spice. Think moving from Dansak to Vindaloo and not noticing the difference. Yeah, that.

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PHYSICAL

• OXO Good Grips Handheld Mandoline Slicer – probably the most lethal cooking implement in my kitchen. You HAVE to treat these with respect otherwise they will eat your fingertips. Ask me how I know.
• MyHalos 100% Blackout Sleep Mask – I finally bought one of these when my sleep kept being interrupted by cars going past my house at night. The difference is day and night. Sorry. I’ll get my coat.
• SWEETFULL Small USB Desk Fan – a small, cheap, USB powered fan. It plugs into my Anker USB hub and gives a pretty impressive performance for such a small device.

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DIGITAL

• I’m in the UK but subscribe to the New York Times digitally. Their cookery pages are outstanding. Obviously, the whole “cups” and “Fahrenheit” thing is a bit daft but the recipes are great. I bought a set of cups to help the conversion process.
• This one is a bit UK-centric but it’s very useful for us. Petrol and diesel prices are through the roof at the moment and any way to save a few quid is welcome. This website tracks prices at the pump so you can find cheaper fuel.

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INVISIBLE

A song which I recently found has a great lyric which resonates well with me. It’s called “A River Runs” by Oysterband.

you are my mate, my long-lost friend
you are my hope, my resonance
you are the edge, my hidden blade
you carry all the plans we made

you are the path, my hidden trail
you are the end, my holy grail
you are my mood, my sudden rage
you are my wit, my final page

there are no certainties
we could fall, we could break apart
you pick me up, you smile
then the whole world starts

a river runs through you and me
never reaches the ocean, never reaches the sea

a river runs through you and me
never reaches the ocean, never reaches the sea

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09/2/26