Menogrinchikul???

The trouble with purchasing a lot of stuff together is that it all ages in much the same period. I have mentioned earlier about Voovoo's bits becoming dead - DVD drive, Bluetooth, internal speakers (intermittent), and latterly, the wifi adaptor, necessitating driving internet connection via the also ageing YAMroid tablet, which takes fits now and again at being so blatantly shackled into slavery (it's not a shackle, I tells ya, it's a simple USB connection lead). This means it is permanently reading 100% charge. I think it is drunk on the power. Every now and then, it goes on wifi strike, and the only way to get it back online is to use up some of that power and then reboot. You have to throw a bone every now and then. Further on the tech front, the well-pounded Logitech keyboard (I regularly do upwards of 5000 words a day) is beginning to really bug me. Frequently keys don't register so I get missing letters all over the place. Often on comments and I don't spot it till published. The shift key is one of the worst - leaving me with no capitals at times. (We'll not talk about the ageing fingers that, after a lifetime of touch typing, have decided they can turn dyslexic...)

In the kitchen, the toaster has done a couple of weird things and yesterday started moaning. I kid you not. I am afeared to stick any bread in it today. I just had a roll for breakfast instead. The refrigerator has taken to creaking and sighing, too. Mind you, since I packed the freezer to the very gunnels in prep for festivities, it hasn't done that. Maybe it was just protesting at lack of attention?

Then there is the peculiar thing with the Fudge (Fuji DSLcamera). Despite setting date, functions, silent mode, it keeps defaulting to factory settings each time I switch it on. Plus the picture quality is starting to reduce quite a bit.

It is all just going to have to keep ticking along for a good few months yet. 

To add to teeth-clenching triggers, Google keeps updating with fancy little tweaks that have nothing to do with actual function but can sometimes interfere with actual function. The one last week was to correct an error that glared from the one before that, which left a message annoyingly hanging on the search engine front page. In doing that correction, something else got upset. On Blogger, I have again been finding some blogs don't reach my reader until as much as two days after they were published, and those on which I regularly comment (which is most of them, let's be honest) might think I have gone on holiday. Dream on. Occasionally, a post or two don't get onto the reader at all. 

A similar thing has started happening on the tubular as well. Some vids are not arriving on my alerts until a full day after publishing. And on a couple, I have only found new vids by searching for them (because I'm keen, y'see). Sigh...

But look, it's Christmas week. There must be some joyful stuff going on in the Hutch, surely? Well, I had a practice run at my planned menu for the big day (did I mention a stuffed freezer?) When Mac1 visited recently, I had requested she bring some items I cannot obtain in Dunoon. A Dutch company called Vivera produce the ultimate vege mince. They also produce "chicken goujons," the most delicious pea-protein 'breasts in crumbs' which one can bake or fry. It is these I tried out, with potatoes, parsnips, carrots, gravy and cranberry sauce. I shall be adding some Brussels sprouts and broccoli to that mix... and might even film it for another "YAM in the Kitchen" vid. 

There have been a few requests for things to be covered in the kitchen - for which each of you, "Thanks" (you know who you are). In 2022, then, look out for more live action from the Hutch!

To try and raise the festive mood a bit, I watched a couple of carol services and Susan Calman's Christmas Cruise. Then there is Celebrity Festive Masterchef and I note the Sewing Bee is getting in on the holiday train. I have even searched and bookmarked a couple of those twee Hallmark movies. Whether I ever get around to watching them is a matter of debate. They are a departure from the norm in these parts. But I am trying, I really am.

That's enough ramble for this Thursday before Christmas. It only remains to place my 'card' here - just in case anyone reading here wasn't for any reason on my send out list last week.