more randomness

[lagilman]

Last night I had mussels for the first time.

I did not run away in disgust; nor was I overwhelmed. Clearly this calls for further investigation, when the moment comes around again.

I also stopped by the local Irish pub (seriously) where they had a decent selection of Irish whiskey. I now remember that mixing wine, whisky and lack of sleep is among my more stupid occasional stupidities. Thankfully I have only dehydration to worry about, not a hangover.

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Being in France is making all of my clotheshorse tendencies come zooming back to the fore (not that they ever recede that far back); OMG so many pretty things. And the boots!

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I have decided I want to design a keyboard that is QWERTY but has a lot of the useful characteristics of a French keyboard, like certain symbols actually in plain sight insteqd of hidden behind a menu or shift key. I sense macros in my future. But for now, I see blue sky hinting behind the clouds, huzzah! I am almost afraid to move, for fear of chasing it away...
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And a non-trip thing: many years ago, the very first book I had slip from my greedy editorial fingers (I've yet to forgive the agent for taking it elsewhere) was by a writer names Kathi Kimbriel. Loved her work - loooved it. So I am quite pleased that she's bringing back some of her older books into e-print, starting with Fires of Nuala. Go on, check it out....

Comments

[bellinghman.livejournal.com]

The first time mussels as a dish, or the first time mussels eaten at all?

I will quite often cook with mussels - they're a common cheap ingredient, being the most sensible shellfish over here. Oysters and scallops are lovely, but too expensive for everyday use, cockles and the like too small and fiddly. Clams are rare and exotic. So for a paella, or a pizza, the common mussel is the bivalve of choice.

[lagilman]

First time ever. I didn't eat shellfish when I was a kid, and my ex abhored all food from the sea, so it wasn't an option much of my previous adult life...am slowly trying new things. So far the only unqualified success has been crab.

[mtlawson.livejournal.com]

Good to see there wasn't an allergic reaction, either. The surprise ones are often the worst.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

When we were in Paris, I visited Irish, English and Scottish pubs, along with a Canadian pub that had the hockey on.

I'd had mussels before -- I love them -- but sitting down to a pound of them, on the bay where they were caught, was amazing.

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

We have mussels in Maine. You could explore the substance further here . . .

[rarelylynne.livejournal.com]

Give in to the boots. Seriously.

I splurged on a pair when I was an exchange student there in the mid-90s, and I still have them, and they remain fabulous and utterly comfortable despite having 3-inch heels, which normally make me say "ow".

[lagilman]

Beleive me, I have a closet filled with boots at home. I just don't have them here, because I was packing Practical.

[icedrake.livejournal.com]

On the topic of useful keyboards:
One solution is to get a Logitech G15. While it's marketed as a gaming keyboard, it's quite useful in other respects. Thus far, the only macros I have set up are G1 opening calculator, and G2 opening OneNote. I'm gonna get my gamer member card revoked at this rate :)

[stakebait.livejournal.com]

I have found Montreal to be a good moment for mussels, if you should be up that way.