COLD DARK ROOM

[Kristoff]

The new love of my life goes in this morning to have some teeth removed. I don’t know how many yet.
I love this dog so much and he’s only been with us a month.
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Huge eyes. Don’t worry, Uzi, you’ll feel better soon! [emoji173]️

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Hello and welcome to CDR. I'm Linda and I live in Kent in the South East of England Whereabouts in England did you live?

We are an international bunch of supportive friends in here subject to outbreaks of nonsense and puns.

Pull up an armadillo and make yourself comfortable. The one-legged pirate will pop by shortly and take an order for your beverage of choice. He's sobered up a bit since Adam, aka @Tidgy'sDad, shut the leprechaun in a jellyfish tank. If it gets too dark, polish the jellyfish a little and they will glow better. Watch out for the hedgehogs, they're prickly if you stub your toe on one in the gloom

Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm Anne, and I lived in England for about three years. The first year, I lived about 10 miles south of Blackpool. The latter two years we lived in the Leeds area. In fact, those are the only three years I've lived more than 30 miles away from Florida's capital city.

 

[JoesMum]

Thanks for the warm welcome! I'm Anne, and I lived in England for about three years. The first year, I lived about 10 miles south of Blackpool. The latter two years we lived in the Leeds area. In fact, those are the only three years I've lived more than 30 miles away from Florida's capital city.

I am not unfamiliar with either of those areas having gone to university in Lancaster (which is not far north of Blackpool for those not familiar with UK geography) and spent my teenage years in Harrogate just down the road from Leeds

 

[JoesMum]

Also Mark aka @Maro2Bear who now lives in Maryland spent a while in Harrogate too... well more accurately in the middle of Blubberhouses Moor (isn't that a brilliant name?) where there's a US government base

 

[EllieMay]

I love this dog so much and he’s only been with us a month.
]

I know he loves you too!!

 

[EllieMay]

y.

Welcome Anne!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Let me take this opportunity to officially welcome you both to the CDR. We’re a bunch of international friends coming together to goof around, chat, and support each other. We were also famously described as “nut jobs”, but let’s omit that and get cracking with the introduction.

You’re very welcome! Grab an armadillo to sit on. One-Legged Pirate should be over shortly with a beverage of your choice. Unless he’s working overtime in our bar, The Drunken Penguin. Speaking of penguins, we have two — Silly and Willy. Be nice to them, because @Bee62 can be very protective of them. Don’t worry if you run into the Snow Leopard — she only eats carrots. The only scary thing around here is the Wool Spider (if she exists). But do try not to step on a hedgehog in the dark and prod the jellyfish if you need more light.

If you’d like some coffee, I can send our giant armadillo coffee table, Montgomery, your way. Oh, by the way, I’m Lena, currently living in Denmark.

Lena, thank you for the warm welcome! The welcome sounds (and feels) a bit like poetry... I like it!

Please tell me The Drunken Penguin has Strongbow on tap... and not any of that "Wait, it comes in FLAVORS??" nonsense...

I'll drink hot tea or coffee, depending on location and what's available. On this side of the pond, I will occasionally drink iced tea and coffee as well. I'd probably take afternoon tea here on a regular basis, except there's no such thing as a proper scone in the U.S.

 

[JoesMum]

Lena, thank you for the warm welcome! The welcome sounds (and feels) a bit like poetry... I like it!

Please tell me The Drunken Penguin has Strongbow on tap... and not any of that "Wait, it comes in FLAVORS??" nonsense...

I'll drink hot tea or coffee, depending on location and what's available. On this side of the pond, I will occasionally drink iced tea and coffee as well. I'd probably take afternoon tea here on a regular basis, except there's no such thing as a proper scone in the U.S.

Ah, now you need to consult Bea aka @Moozillion about that. She has an English tea room near her in Louisiana which seems pretty good! Probably a bit far for you to travel though

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I am not unfamiliar with either of those areas having gone to university in Lancaster (which is not far north of Blackpool for those not familiar with UK geography) and spent my teenage years in Harrogate just down the road from Leeds

I enjoyed visiting Harrogate. I spent a good bit of time wandering the gardens at Harewood House. I got a year's membership because it was a great place to take the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and I adore the gardens over there.

I also spent many hours and days at the Royal Armouries Museum (main branch) in Leeds. Florida has only had a significant population since the invention of air conditioning (early 1900s). We don't have anything comparable to the suits of armour in there.

 

[JoesMum]

I enjoyed visiting Harrogate. I spent a good bit of time wandering the gardens at Harewood House. I got a year's membership because it was a great place to take the Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, and I adore the gardens over there.

I also spent many hours and days at the Royal Armouries Museum (main branch) in Leeds. Florida has only had a significant population since the invention of air conditioning (early 1900s). We don't have anything comparable to the suits of armour in there.

This CDR post might bring back a few memories then
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/cold-dark-room.123941/page-1861#post-1334843

 

[JoesMum]

And this one
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/cold-dark-room.123941/page-1860#post-1334741

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Been there.
Hated feeling like I was “out of the game,” and felt like I still had something to offer- that I could still be useful.
After 18 months of retirement I got a part time job. What a relief!
You’re in a tough spot, Ed. I think many people don’t appreciate what a tremendous change we have to navigate with retirement.
Here’s hoping things work out in the best possible way for you! [emoji2][emoji173]️

Thanks, Bea.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Maybe. [emoji23] You’re a workaholic, aren’t you, Ed?

No.
Just used to going to work.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Oh no, she was supposed to be hugging you ever since... Sorry that backfired! [emoji23]

It's sad.
She said she didn't deserve it.
I need to be better with the "I love you" part.
It's a shame she felt that way.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Oops I misunderstood. Still not nice for your brother though.

And what is wrong with the Yaris. It looks like a nice car to me.

The Yaris has been a great car. All of our vehicles are great. But Kelly has never actually gotten a vehicle that she actually chose. It's always been one I chose for her. Cars and motorcycles. Always a vehicle I thought she'd like. Not one she picked out.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You sure do know the way into your woman's heart. Big Brownie points from all of us woman.

She does much more for me than I've done for her.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Also Mark aka @Maro2Bear who now lives in Maryland spent a while in Harrogate too... well more accurately in the middle of Blubberhouses Moor (isn't that a brilliant name?) where there's a US government base

....but lived in between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge - home of The Black Bull Inn.

 

[JoesMum]

....but lived in between Knaresborough and Boroughbridge - home of The Black Bull Inn.

Very good at the Black Bull back then We were regulars!

Did most people up on the base come from MD or PA? All our next door neighbours (the house was rented to people from the base) and their friends, who my sister and I also babysat for, seemed to. We are still in touch regularly with the last family I knew before I moved away. He was education officer on the base and they return to Yorkshire pretty much every summer.

 

[Moozillion]

Ah, now you need to consult Bea aka @Moozillion about that. She has an English tea room near her in Louisiana which seems pretty good! Probably a bit far for you to travel though

Never having been to England, I couldn’t say how they compare. But I worked in New Zealand for nearly 3 years and went to a number of tea rooms there. I think the scones here are really not that great: they’re very hard. The ones in NZ were bigger and not nearly as hard. So if English scones are like the Antipodean scones, then the ones at our tea room are not up to par!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Never having been to England, I couldn’t say how they compare. But I worked in New Zealand for nearly 3 years and went to a number of tea rooms there. I think the scones here are really not that great: they’re very hard. The ones in NZ were bigger and not nearly as hard. So if English scones are like the Antipodean scones, then the ones at our tea room are not up to par!

Not quite scones.... Betty’s of Harrogate “Fat Rascals”

https://www.bettys.co.uk/yorkshire-fat-rascal-scones-box-of-4