I’ve been fighting a flu for the past two weeks, and since then haven’t touched caffeine because of how it makes my throat all raw and choke-y.
Today is the first day I feel relatively fine, I didn’t oversleep (I work nights) and rose up with the glorious winter sun. Normally I’d be stumbling about, reaching for a heavy brew of the brown stuff staring into my phone, and stressing about the day to come.
This time it’s different. I have energy, but not from the caffeine. I’m happy even, just drinking in the morning winter sun.
We’ll see how long I last this time without caffeine, but for now I’m enjoying it
I wish I could snap my fingers and delete caffeine from my brain, because every time I’ve quit I start feeling that way. Yet I always go back sooner or later. This week I switched to half caf in my daily moka pot of espresso, and I’m definitely in withdrawal. Hope I can stick with it and get to where you’re at.
Well, the only other Americans we know here came over for Thanksgiving on Thursday. Then they stayed in town until Saturday evening. Feels like I’ve done nothing but cook since Wednesday night! Giving myself a break with some take & bake… At least they paid for the groceries. Pretty happy overall.
Other good news is that my wife has an interview! If she gets it we’ll have to move halfway across England, so we’re visiting next month to see if it’s a good fit. If you know anything about Leominster I’m all ears.
I spent a lot of my childhood visiting my maternal grandmother in Leominster. It’s a nice, small, quiet town, as far as I remember. The chippy is fantastic! Near enough to Hereford too, which is handy. There’s a sunflower field somewhere between Leominster and Worcester, which is beautiful. And it’s not too far from the Brecon Beacons!
That’s the impression I got poking around online. And thanks for the tip about the sunflower field, that sounds magical!
Oh! Christmas, and maybe Halloween - there’s an estate up towards the top of Leominster, with a road in it called Pump Piece. We used to visit that road every Christmas and walk around the estate, the houses around there go all out with their Christmas decorations and they’re remarkable and unique. Probably quite tacky, but not in the same way that most other majorly decorated houses I’ve seen - the decorations are different, and cool. I remember one house that seemed to have a projector showing slides of old Christmas art out the front. It’s very cute. Awh man I miss Leominster… Or maybe I just miss being a kid 😂
That’s actually super good intel, since we’re visiting the weekend before Xmas! Thanks. And yeah, it’s easy to lose the wonder of youth, but easily rekindled in the right company 😛
Awh no way haha. Enjoy! I hope Leominster treats you well 🙏
I knew one weird German guy who celebrated Thanksgiving, and for some reason he invited me over every year to watch football (go Bazooka Sharks?) and sample his delicious Turkey. We had nothing in common (I don’t do sportsball and his politics makes me stare into the horizon and sip beer), but gosh his turkey and pumpkin soup was great
I even think it’s strange when Americans are into that sort of thing. It’s downright spooky when others do it.
I’m happy to make turkey and pumpkin soup, and if you’re over I promise I’ll at least talk about actual weird shit - the tragedy of the Batavia, Crowley, that sort of thing.
the tragedy of the Batavia, Crowley,
a man after my own heart, I see!
Hell yeah. Been a while since I made cream of pumpkin soup though, I usually do a curry with pumpkin.
Just give me an Earl Grey, and I’ll talk your ear off about the Earl Grey’s reforms of the 1830s
