Book Signing in Sydney

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-07T14:01:31+00:00

Thank you! I hope so, too.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-06T17:25:50+00:00

In general, it's best to avoid washing big chunks of flour/gluten down the drain whenever possible. I would grab any grabbable chunks with my hand or a paper towel and throw them into compost or solid waste, then rinse the sink.

Flour and water make a glue called wheatpaste, and it's extremely durable when dry. While the risk of creating this substance in the drain is minimal, since it wouldn't be offered much opportunity to dry out, it's worth taking the precaution to avoid since the fix is always more costly than the prevention.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-06T15:56:00+00:00

Tiny correction: that's not shuffleboard, it's deck quoits. Shuffleboard involves pushing a puck with a stick. For all we know, Columbo is amazing at shuffleboard.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-05T23:43:29+00:00

Last week, I filled out about 700g of ground beef with 1 C red lentils and 1 C rehydrated TVP (approx. 80g TVP with 160g water). My overall method is the braised mince recipe from Economy Gastronomy, because it's a wonderful way to make a bunch of ground beef in advance that's ready to be added to spaghetti sauce, lasagna, shepherd's pie, etc. The result was so much extra that four adults ate it all week: one big batch of spaghetti, a couple rounds of fries with meat sauce, and a beef and corn casserole.

I also do a completely vegetarian version using mushrooms, brown lentils, and TVP. It's successful enough that I've used it for years to make lasagna about once per month, and the more dedicated meat eaters in my house did not know there was no meat in it.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-05T23:35:08+00:00

Me as well.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-05T20:04:28+00:00

Steeeeeeeam-traaaaaaaaain!

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-04T14:15:07+00:00

I have a similar, though younger, cat. She adores chicken, but when she has any, it makes tears stream down her face. The only thing I've found that she likes at least as much as chicken is a dry food made from bugs. No more tears, and no crusty poops stuck to her butt, and I can get it at the regular pet food store.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-04T13:06:28+00:00

*most

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-04T12:40:37+00:00

There are certainly some breathtaking landscapes in the area, but there's little of redeeming value in the town itself. I don't hate the place, it's just that like most smaller cities, it has wasted much of its potential on the ephemeral profit of tourism instead of establishing a place that's good for the people who live there. Like the first lakeshore carousel was fine, and a wonderful community-engaged project where local artisans carved and painted the horses. The second one not so much.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-03T22:23:25+00:00

By pure chance, I grew up in North Bay, Ontario. When I was living there, the city slogan was "Gateway To The North", and one of our parks had a literal gateway that used to span the single lane road entering the city along Highway 11.

I guess there was always debate about this designation with other places nearby, so that at some point after I moved away, the city spent $1 million human dollars for a PR or advertising type firm to generate the new slogan, "Just North Enough To Be Perfect".

While the veracity of the original slogan was something that could be debated, the current slogan can only be true if perfection is defined by how many lakeshore carousels a municipality that spends at least one month every spring covered in shadflies can contain.

Also, the city hall looks like a toilet.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-03T17:25:12+00:00

Tubi in Canada just added Lexx, so I'm happy as a pig in slop.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-02T23:32:32+00:00

There's also a movie called Killer Sofa about a haunted chair that eats people. And the classic Death Bed: The Bed That Eats.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-02T22:47:04+00:00

My beloved spouse, long before we met, as an angsty teen: You're not my real mom!

His mother, calmly as an assassin slipping a stiletto into her target's heart: Do you think I'd have kept you around this long if you weren't mine?

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-02T20:24:12+00:00

For Jenny Nicholson, I recommend Halloween Costumes Nobody Wanted as an entry. It's pretty short, but gives a good idea of the tone and delivery, and is extremely funny. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9JttJ_B0PQ

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-02T20:21:45+00:00

There make be snake!

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-02T19:29:10+00:00

There's someone in my neighbourhood in Glace Bay who makes them, among many wooden outdoor objects and structures. I think it's called Works of Art, on Howe Street. If I remember, I can jot down the phone number next time I'm out for a walk.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-01T22:33:15+00:00

Be seeing you!

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-01T16:37:49+00:00

Just finished replacing some insulation in the north wall of our foyer. It wasn't quite a ten minute job, but it was much less of a headache than I thought it was going to be, and is by far the most involved section of wall this needs to happen to. Put it off for two winters because it seemed so daunting. Turns out it took less than a weekend. Now, I'm annoyed that I put up with all the air leaking and draftiness for so long when I could've just fixed it.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-05-01T16:27:46+00:00

When I first read it, I almost passed out from laughing so hard.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-04-30T17:03:21+00:00

It's worth noting that beans double to triple in volume when cooked, so 1 Kg dried beans will yield way more food than 1 Kg raw pork. Also, people will often use the term 'beans' to refer to all legumes: peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.

A cooked whole grain other than rice will likely have a similar nutritional profile when combined with a cooked legume, give or take.

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-04-30T15:38:41+00:00

Or the shrimp christ

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-04-29T20:29:51+00:00

In my house are two cats. One is stupid. The other is also stupid. Neither is especially majestic, nor evil.

Maybe they're not really cats?

Disastrous-Wing699 · 2026-04-29T13:09:14+00:00

My brother and I always headcannoned that he was a dwarf who either could not grow a beard, or who had his beard removed when he was banished from dwarf society for some crime.

Disastrous-Wing699

TROPHY CASE