Thursday, July 25, 2019

The Egg Slicer


Today is going to be a scorcher. Here's a screen grab of the Weather Channel's web site, so you can see for yourself:


Ugh! And this is in a country where no one has air conditioning. Including us.

I'm dreading it, though I hope it will only be bad for a few hours in the afternoon, and maybe if I go sit in the shade with a book I can survive. Tomorrow, bizarrely, the high temps are supposed to be back down in the 70's.

Meanwhile, to get our minds off the heat, how about some more recent random photos from my iPhone?

First, a shot I took a few weeks ago (top) of Olga posing with some roses on one of our walks.


My essential blogging tools, pictured in some bright morning sunlight at my stepmother's house in Florida.


An impressive stand of echinacea at the Hampstead Cemetery. Our echinacea barely came up this year -- just a few sad little sprigs. I'm not sure why. It's in a pot to protect it from the slugs, and maybe it's become potbound.


Self-portrait in a broken mirror on an early morning walk with Olga. (I was making her stand still, which is why she has that "What did I do? Am I in trouble?" look on her face.)


An interesting matchbox. Are there other animals in the series, I wonder?


Remember the Croatian sausage poster in the shop window? Well, someone has broken the glass, and now the poster -- which has become sadly faded -- appears to be the only thing keeping out the weather.


Every charity shop in our neighborhood has a sign on the door asking people NOT to leave bags of donated clothes outside when the shop is closed. And yet people do, and the bags invariably get torn open and the contents strewn all over the sidewalk. That's what happened to these clothes, which I found discarded in the bottom of a phone booth on the high street -- someone had clearly gone through the bag there and left behind what they didn't want. (The only thing no one does in a British phone booth is make a phone call.) So I brought them home, washed them, dried them, and took them back to the shop when it was open.


Dave and I went out with our co-worker Colin last night to a new neighborhood bar. Against my better judgment, I tried one of their specialty cocktails -- mainly because it was called a Floradora, which was the name of a nightclub that figures prominently in Frank Sinatra's 1967 movie "Tony Rome," filmed in Miami. It contained gin, pomegranate juice, lime and ginger ale, and in my opinion it was too sweet and needed more gin.


Finally, here's another example of an innocuous everyday item that I almost unwittingly have owned for decades -- an Ekco egg slicer. I got it when I worked at Scotty's hardware in Florida, almost 35 years ago, when we had a clearance sale for items that were being discontinued. I think I bought it for 50 cents. It's actually a handy little gadget, and I got to use it again Tuesday when I made egg salad sandwiches. I've moved 14 times since I bought this silly thing, and it's come with me every time!

19 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Some people might say that you are mad - washing discarded charity shop clothes before re-donating them - but I am clapping. Far too many tons of unwanted clothing end up in landfill. Hurrah for "Stevereed"!

Vivian Swift said...

"Needs more gin" is what I usually think about everything, everywhere, all the time.

e said...

That was a good thing you did with those clothes and I love Olga next to the roses. Have a great day!

Ms. Moon said...

Vivian made me smile. She's right! That drink does look pretty though. And you are one in a million Steve- who else would wash those clothes and take them back? Mr. P. is correct- Hurray for SteveReed!
I can't believe it's hotter in London than it is in Lloyd. That's just wrong.
My mother had one of those egg slicers. I cannot remember her ever using it once. I think I probably did, just to see if it worked. My brother worked at Scottie's for awhile, I believe.

The Padre said...

That Face!! Love It!! Also, Fabulous Photo Of The Glasses. Stay As Cool As Possible And Enjoy The Upcoming Weekend.

Cheers

Red said...

You know, I have one of those egg slicers, but I have no idea where it is.

Anonymous said...

Great photos! I love your random iPhone pics. So incredibly kind and thoughtful of you to take that pile of clothes home, wash and dry them and bring them back. You are a mensch!

ellen abbott said...

they should have a donation box outside or something though people just don't care what signs say. where I drop off my recycling there is a container for cardboard and one for everything else. people can't be bothered to dump the everything else into one container and then put the cardboard box they brought it in in the other even though they are right next to each other because you have to collapse the box. I'm constantly amazed by the laziness of humans or the idea that they just don't care. so good for you for dealing with the clothes. good shot of your glasses too. and I have found any drink at a bar could use more of whatever kind of alcohol.

Linda Sue said...

I , too, love your random shots- nice slice of Steve life. The drink is pretty but sweet drinks are too much like cough syrup- to my palate. I had one that was supposed to be lavender and lemon, sounded refreshing but was not- way too sweet, medicinal sweet. Olga is such a good sport!

Alphie Soup said...

Something for everyone today.
The egg slicer. We had a red one and it sliced eggs for summer salads for years.
The blogging tools photo is my choice today.
I agree with Ellen and recycling. I can never decide whether people are stupid or just bone lazy.
Alphie

Sharon said...

I think my egg slicer has yours beat on the age thing. I've had mine around 40 years and I got it from my mother. Lord knows how long she had it but, it looks very similar to this one.
That is so good of you to take those clothes home and wash them and return them to the store. Try to stay cool!

Catalyst said...

Much hotter in West Hampstead than in my part of Arizona today! What is this world coming to? I love the photos which include Olga. She is such a patient girl. And that picture of your glasses is phenomenal. Finally, a gold star on your chart for taking care of the thrift store clothing. Yay, Stevereed!

Stillwaterrunsdeep said...

My mother still has her egg slicer like that, a white base, and it has been in regular servitude all of my life, and I’m 63. I wish things were made as well these days so they would last! I love the photo of your glasses, and the looks that Olga gives you while you’re taking pictures of her by things. She’s so cute! Kudos on the taking care of the clothing discards. You are fabulous for doing that! I hope you’re staying cool over there.

Allison said...

A good egg slicer is a joy. The new ones don't go through the egg cleanly. Kudos to you for washing the discarded clothing. People so often suck these days. Here, there are donation boxes everywhere for clothing. I read somewhere that the bulk of it goes to Africa where it is sold by the pound, and subsequently kills the textile industries of the countries receiving the US largesse.

jenny_o said...

Some kitchen gadgets are worth their weight (or more) in gold. If you have a lot of eggs to do, and have a potato masher, that works also. Love the expression on Olga's face in all these shots! To me it looks like she's thinking "I don't know about this, but if you're SURE . . ."

Kudos on saving the clothing. We have the same problem here with people ignoring the thrift stores pleading signs. People can be such obnoxious critters.

I hope you get through the heat all right. Not many people here have built-in air conditioning but it's becoming more and more common to see window units, and there is a thriving industry in installing heat pumps, which, contrary to the name, provide cooling in summer as well as heat in the winter. Our summers have been warming up, as have everyone's, and it's just not enough anymore to rely on a fan or a breeze.

Sue said...

Hope you are getting through that heat okay. Sounds more like Florida weather! We've become so used to our air conditioners I don't know what we'd do without them. Are public buildings and restaurants air conditioned there? So, so kind of you to wash the clothes and return them. You certainly are one in a million!

Fresca said...

Bless you from a thrift-store employee for washing those clothes.
It's unbelievable what people donate--half-empty Vicks Vapo-Rub?

(Dear Donor: Condolences on the loss of you loved one, or even your not-very-loved one,
but could you please NOT just sweep the contents of their bedside table––including their ""emesis basin"–– into a garbage bag you drop on us?)

My old egg slicer is missing one wire, but I still use it. I suppose I could get a new one.... and donate my old one? Ha! :)

Beth Reed said...

Awesome photos of random things. I love the pics of Olga of course and the one of the broken mirror is really awesome. Sad about the mirror tho.
But I think that my favorite is the egg slicer. I use to have one just like it except mine was silverfish.. like those long ago metal ice trays with the lever that we pulled back to break up the ice. Do you remember those?
I love egg salad sandwiches. I could have one every day. Mine has everything in it except the kitchen sink lol.
I'm off to read another post. Have a fantastic Sunday.

Oh Steve I meant to thank you for stopping by my blog. I have just recently noticed that I cannot reply on my comments. I don't know what I need to do to fix it. But thank you for stopping in. I think I have a total of 4 followers lol.. Yeah I am kinda boring I guess lol. Beth Reed

Beth Reed said...

Silverish lol not Silverfish....