Another lockdown… another commute

[baldrick]

I thought that said fully waxed

should bendy mendy try waxxing ? he might get more action from the wife

what was it that gets said about hairy northern monkeys ?

[Mendip]

There's been a lot of untoward insinuations made on this thread... but I ain't from up north. That's a step too far.

[Saint Willy]

FFS... are you in the bath?

This is a family thread!

FFS you spent way too long looking at that pic to figure it out.

[Stumpy]

Better pack up and hurry home Mendy. The Omicron Covid strain is on its way.

[Mendip]

^ You're not wrong Stumpy, but I can't leave until my 15 days after vaccination is up. This new Omicron is a real worry... if things close down again over the next week I have no idea when I'll get home. Fingers crossed.

To be honest I've had enough now and want to get moving. It's great of course to see my mum and at 85 there's obvious worries every time I leave, but my home is in Thailand now.

I'm remembering why I first left the UK all those years ago... my work always finished around this time of year and who wants to spend the winter off in the UK? Today it's been windy and cold all day long. The crows loved it.



Also I can feel the weight I lost slowly coming back on. I can't understand it because I'm eating healthy but the weather is limiting exercise I guess.

A little snack for my tea!



I've also noticed that I'm farting like a trooper since I came back to the UK. They're real wiffy too... it must be all the boiled veg my mum's feeding me on. Bella doesn't know if she's coming or going... my mum keeps sticking her out in the garden, poor thing.

Another thing... I don't really get the opportunity to wear my new Charlie Harper bowling shirt in a wintry Somerset. Roll on my Bangkok quarantine!



I've had a strange request from my mum... since my Grandad died in 1989 she's been keeping his favourite line of plants going by taking cuttings every few years. Now she wants me to continue the line, and wants me to take a few cuttings back to Thailand. No problem I guess... but will these grow in the tropics?



Oh well... one week to go... one more week of watching abysmal TV every night and sneaking slugs of whisky in my tea. I won't miss the UK I must admit.

[Joe 90]

They're money plants Mendip, they grow like fook anywhere.

The Thais view them as good.luck, so give one to your wife for Xmas.
Preferably wearing your new boxers, winner winner Fray Bentos dinner

[malmomike77]

A little snack for my tea!

JHC Galio wine... you mate are a bloody lost cause...cheap American shite. Go to Lidl and fish out something that is 89 or higher on their ratings for c£8

[Saint Willy]

or higher on their ratings for c£8

Que the next Mendy rant that he never pays more the £6 for a bottle of wine and preferably £4.99 or less

[naptownmike]

My mother had a big plant just like that when we we're kids.

For some reason one day I pulled off a leaf and broke it in half and touched it on my tongue it burned like crazy but I had keep quiet to avoid getting smacked in the head.

Just a friendly warning should the desire come to anyone else

[katie23]

Is it allowed to bring plant material like cuttings into TH? (In PH, it isn't allowed unless you have a special permit).

@mendip - glad you're enjoying your UK time with your mum & Bella. Hope you'll be able to travel back to TH stress-free (what with the new threat of the omicron variant).

[nidhogg]

^ you are correct. Import of plants to Thailand is regulated.

[Saint Willy]

Import of plants to Thailand is regulated.

Pretty much the case in every country in the world.

[russellsimpson]

That looks like a jade plant and I've always understood that they prefer dry climates. I don't remember seeing those in Thailand, not down south anyway.

[OhOh]

Pretty much the case in every country in the world.

Mendip, Pop a question over at 'arrys thread:

Thailand quarantine and entry conditions

He will let you know the vaccination, quarantine and scientific studies to bone up on. Probably has an importer or a Thai official's name he has utilised.

[David48atTD]

They're money plants Mendip, they grow like fook anywhere.

The Thais view them as good.luck, so give one to your wife for Xmas.
Preferably wearing your new boxers, winner winner Fray Bentos dinner

Confirming they grow in the Tropics ... but also illegal ... but embrace the Thai in you and don't give a fuck

[Mendip]

^ The last thing I want to do is break any bio-security regulations.

I still feel a bit guilty after hiding that toad in my pocket when I visited Australia a few years ago. I must admit I was hoping a couple of sprigs of my Grandad's jade/money plant would be OK, so long as I avoided wiping any on my tongue!

JHC Galio wine... you mate are a bloody lost cause...cheap American shite. Go to Lidl and fish out something that is 89 or higher on their ratings for c£8

It wasn't great Mr Malmo... but I've had a lot worse and sort of enjoyed drinking it. I don't seem to have a very well-developed pallet when it comes to wine. I found it at the bottom of my mum's larder and I now know why it had been left there for so long.


I must admit I'm watching the European spread of this Omicron with some concern... particularly the ineptitude at Schiphol. I have to transit through AMS a week on Monday and hope no restrictions are put in place beforehand.

As anyone unfortunate to be a frequent flyer these days knows, luggage is all important. While I've been in the UK I've been doing a lot of online shopping and treated meself to new carry-on to replace my old, knackered, falling apart one. On advice from several colleagues I went for Wenger and it looks the bollocks. I just spent the morning transferring all the crap I seem to carry around from my old bag and I can just tell this one will be good. 56 quid on Amazon.

It's got pockets and compartments everywhere... ideal for hiding a small sprig broken off a house plant!

[happynz]

particularly the ineptitude at Schiphol.

I just transferred through Schiphol this past Friday. No dramas.

Top tip - pick up a 180gr bar of Tony's Chocolonely Salted Caramel. I'm sure it will be hit at home. Only 3.30 Euro.

[malmomike77]

It's got pockets and compartments everywhere...

I find less is more on carry-ons. You'll cunningly place an important document or something in a pocket where you'll think its safe, and it will be because when you are trying to find it later on the plane you'll end up hunting through the whole backpack 3 or 4 times. Good luck with it though.

[Mendip]

^^ I noticed all that 'Tony's' stuff at Schiphol 10 days ago when I passed through... never seen it before. Due to my new regime I didn't partake, but I guess a small bar of 'Chocolonely Salted Caramel' at Chrismas will be ok! Thanks for the tip!

^ MM, I know what you mean, and the bigger your carry on is, it just encourages you to carry more crap. I'm pretty organised these days though... a separate compartment for my document wallet, a small bag for all my cables and chargers, etc, and still space to hide an extra bottle of duty free underneath everything.

[malmomike77]

I went for Wenger

Good brand, Victorinox and SwissGear

[Mendip]

I'd have said miniature Schnauser/ shitzu.

I saw my sister today and discovered that Bella's mother was a Shih Tzu and her father a Yorky/Maltese cross. So no green owed for you.

My dogs in Korat are more pure bred than this thing.

[Reg Dingle]

Bella's mother was a Shih Tzu and her father a Yorky/Maltese

Oh yeah. From that angle you can definitely see she's full Maltshityo.

This new Omicron is a real worry

I'd also be worried about some cold and bitter posters on here stuck in Blighty amidst this bastard Siberian Winter, tipping customs and immigration off about some burly West Country Charlie Sheen lookalike with a dry cough, sporting a pair of Jesus creepers with creosote stained half grown toenails a big shiny inconspicuous new kettle and Arsene Wenger bag full of a new strain of kratom

[Saint Willy]

I'd also be worried about some cold and bitter posters on here stuck in Blighty amidst this bastard Siberian Winter, tipping customs and immigration off about some burly West Country Charlie Sheen lookalike with a dry cough, sporting a pair of Jesus creepers with creosote stained half grown toenails a big shiny inconspicuous new kettle and Arsene Wenger bag full of a new strain of kratom

[Mendip]

... some burly West Country Charlie Sheen lookalike with Jesus and Arsene Wenger ...

Well, it would be an interesting conversation on that flight!

But enough of the compliments, today for lunch my mum cooked what the packet said was gammon, but what we've always called boiling bacon. It was certainly boiled in a saucepan (for a very long time) and my question is, can you get this in Thailand? I love it. The only gammon I've found in Thailand are these processed gammon steaks at Makro but I'd love to find a proper joint of 'boiling bacon' in Korat, if it was possible.



Tonight was my habitual cheese and pickle snack with what even I can tell is some pretty awful wine. My mum is tea-total and I've taken it on myself to clear out her larder of these old bottles of wine to free up some space. It's not often I wish I had a glass of Mont Claire... Don't worry MM... tomorrow I'm off to Lidl!

[Saint Willy]

Not all wines improve with age. Half that lot migh the vinegar, best to dump it.