OneGuyFromBarlick

Bearing in mind my deep mistrust of government promises to 'keep the lights on' (A weasel phrase in itself because it doesn't signal that most people will also lose their heating, cooking and even the ability to boil the kettle) I have been reviewing the situation. One thing is certain, as soon as we get a power cut there won't be a candle or a pack of paraffin available anywhere in the town. I've had a check and I shall get another two packs of candles and a 5ltr container of paraffin. Not a lot to pay for relative peace of mind.... I am of course fine for cooking and heat, I have my stove and the coal in the yard. These things lead to peace of mind.....

Stocked up with candles and got 5ltr paraffin. Always surprised by the price of paraffin... £7.50!!
If you have a shed, always a good plan to retain an old fashioned paraffin blow-lamp and a supply of meths for pre-heating. I use the meths for the Tilley lamps as well and have spare mantles for them. Meths is good stuff for cleaning the stems and bowls of aluminium Falcon pipes as well.... I still keep my meths in old brown glass poison bottles, one from Elmer's Chemists and the other even older from Stockport Co-op!

When you have a cast iron stove installed you are almost always given a can of spray paint to touch it up when you get the inevitable scratches and wear. A much better option is to get some 'Zebo' black lead designed specifically for this purpose. If you brush it in well, allow it to dry and then polish with a dry brush you'll get a far better finish than either the original finish or the free spray paint. It is totally heat resistant. We used black lead in industrial quantities on the exposed fronts of Lancashire boilers. When it became difficult to get bulk black lead we made our own from graphite and old diesel engine oil. The latter is black because it is designed to capture the carbon deposits in the engine and when you applied it liberally with a soft sweeping brush to the boiler front it dried to a very good finish almost equal to the black lead.... You can still buy Zebo, LINK.

When your local supermarket marks the price of Mangoes and Avocados down because they are nearing their sell by date that's the time to buy. They are just coming up to maximum ripeness!

I had a trip down memory lane last night. I got two Avocados and had one halved with prawn cocktail in it. When Vera and I had reached the stage where we thought we had cracked it we got adventurous and often had it for a starter with Blue Nun. We were riding high on the hog! If that isn't nostalgic I don't know what is! (I didn't have any wine..... Just about TT these days....)

If you spend much of your daily routine sat down, either at work or in the home, arrange things so that you frequently get up and do something active. It doesn't need to be strenuous, making a cup of tea or doing a small task is plenty. This has a beneficial effect on your metabolism as long periods of inactivity inhibit the production of vital trace chemicals which dictate where fat is deposited and how well you can use oxygen.

I've often though that we need a study to compare the health of people living in single-storey houses (or with lifts) and those who have to go up and down stairs.

One of the front page headlines this morning is that a 30-minute walk five days a week is better for losing weight than going to the gym - it's definitely a lot cheaper!

Walking is better for you than jogging or running. For calorie burn, cycling is one of the best as you maintain a higher cardio vascular rate (especially if you put a few hills in the way). Swimming is good and has the least stress on the body but still burns loads of calories.

We use Endomondo sport tracker to monitor our exercise regime and MyFitnessPal to track calories in versus calories earned, its easy to see what's doing you good with both exercise and nutrition.

I take the view that it's easier to cut down on calorie intake than work like hell burning them off. In the days when I was working hard there was no problem of course, my work load would have killed a horse, I ate accordingly and my weight never changed, 168lb. I have been an advocate of walking for years and that's why I have always said that a dog is the best personal trainer you can have, and also has side benefits as a companion and bed warmer!
Today's tip. Many of us know that boiling water in a microwave is a good way of preparing the interior for a good clean. The less water you use the better because this means that the water boils before the interior has warmed up and you get a better condensation rate. A drop of lemon juice helps as well....

Stanley wrote:I take the view that it's easier to cut down on calorie intake than work like hell burning them off.

Indeed, and our regime isn't a case of working like hell to burn them off.

MyFitnessPal works by looking at your current stats and allowing you to set a target weight, it then calculates a daily calorie goal. If you are looking to lose weight this will always be a deficit, i.e. eat less. It does exactly what you are doing but without the guesswork. A normal adult male requires in the region of 2200 calories a day my daily target is currently set at 1660. Any physical exercise you do above normal activity will gain you extra calories and add to your daily allowance. It's not rocket science just simple mathematical calculation of fuel in versus energy out.

I have lost 19lb on the regime so far with a target of a further 7lbs. My breakfast today of a yogurt drink, 40g porridge made with half a pint of milk and a mug of tea had a total calorific value of 370 calories which currently leaves me 1290 for the rest of the day. If I go for a walk I will earn more calories. Sally has done an hours swimming at the pool this morning which has gained her 685 calories. It's roughly the same as you get for a 5 mile hike or two hours walking around Weets, more fresh air on the moor though.

One thing to bear in mind Ian is that as you get older increasing physical activity isn't always an option. That's why so many older people put weight on.
Funny tip for you this morning. I grabbed hold of the contents of my knicker drawer the other day and turned the lot over. Amazing how I have since had to ditch two pairs because of perished elastic and excess wear. If I live much longer I may have to buy some new ones! Shock, Horror.....

Haha. Weigh up your investment Stanley, if you do buy some new knickers you'll probably find that they aren't very well made and won't last very long anyway.

Don't worry Cathy I'll go for the M&S cotton boxer briefs, they've been doing them for years and they are OK.....

If you can afford it stock up with good clothes while you are earning. When old age and poverty hits it can be a very good investment.... Apart from underwear and socks which don't last as well I'm doing OK at the moment. Mind you, you have to make sure you keep your weight down so that they still fit!

I've inherited my Dad's shirts; he was a bit of a dandy and had lots of clothes. His cloth cap hangs behind the door, too.

I'll bet he bought good stuff..... I have a lot of shirts that came from thrift shops in America. I always remember a lady in North Carolina who congratulated me on my shirt but when she heard I had bought it for 50cents in a Masonic Thrift shop in NY she was appalled. She even said that she could never move into a 'used house'. I've never heard that phrase before or since. I think she may have had problems!
So today's tip is every now and again go into a charity shop and see what they have on offer..... You can get some real bargains!

Talking about real bargains.... Have a word with your butcher. If he sells chicken joints and fillets he is throwing away chicken carcasses each week which is a shame. He'll probably give you a carrier bag full if you ask and it's a simple matter to render them down into excellent stock. The same applies to bones. When things were bad in the early days I used to get bones and after Vera had boiled them for stock we gave them to Fly, the dog. Waste not want not is a noble pursuit!

If you want to attract women, eat Garlic! At least that's what the boffins say in some research published today.....

Marilyn Alert!!

Good luck with THAT theory....I have walked out of shops/banks/Cafes because of the smell of Garlic so I am hardly likely to cosy up to a man reeking of it!

Funny.... I seem to remember getting a hug from you.....

Yes but...No but...Yes but.... I didn't inhale!

I'm glad.... not forgotten Dearie!

It's surprising how effective a squirt of something like WD40 is round the house. Yale type locks like a bit in the keyhole, makes them work much better. Things like door and window hinges benefit as well. If you put a bit on a cloth and wipe over freshly polished metal it stays bright much longer. Mind you there are some instances when a coat of oil is the wrong treatment.
I remember my bookseller at Littleborough, George Kelsall, telling me about going to look at a large private library owned by a reclusive man. There were some very valuable books in the large, mostly leather-bound, collection but George smelled something peculiar and soon found that the man was in the habit of painting the spines of the books with paraffin to keep them 'clean and shiny'. It did that all right but also made them unsaleable!

Fly spray works well as a lubricant too, in locks, hinges and old clock workings....