Ok, We Relented...... Well, It Would Have Been Rude Not Too

Let's just say with Eric popping in and out of Lidl for us after the school run, it's been pretty hard to keep him from perusing the seasonal comestible aisle ......

...... and although, as I said last week, Darrell already has plans for Valentines Day, it would have been a bit rude not to avail ourselves of one or two extra bits and pieces to further enhance and elevate the day wouldn't it, especially when it's only one such day out of 365!

So, we bowed to the inevitable pester power and told the little fella he could go a little wild in the aisles, especially as we have our beloved niece and nephew over for the half term holidays, a perfect time to spread the love even further! 

So after much musing and consideration, Valentine pasta, heart shaped pretzels, pizza, cupcakes and marshmallows were duly purchased........ 

.......... along with a chocolate rose to put away for the ever fragrant one ......

......  and for a review at a later date, well, it just had to be a box of the rose ice cream cones, although we are a tad dubious they appear to have a green cone, of which we aren't too sure! 

But, what are we like ........

........  if not truly loving and immediately drawn to anything of a heart shape type nature and romantic undertones ........!!!

A Dose of The Pareidolias

Darrell was just having a quick flick round with his Black and Decker hand vac when he stopped dead (metaphorically speaking of course)!

It's usually Eric who has the propensity to see faces in every day things (a dose of the pareidolias as we like to call it), as he just goes about his ordinary business, but this time, it was obviously Darrell's turn ........

Can you see it?

It's just toooooooo uncanny for words, as it's unmistakably Zippy from Rainbow on the wooden floor in our kitchen area. 

And ......... now we've seen it, we can never unsee it!  What are we like? 

One Step Closer To A One Stop Shop?

After goodness only knows how long since young Eric first noticed and reported  the poster proclaiming the change of usage from an abandoned Bathroom Showroom (Bertie's most favourite place in the world when he was tiny, where he'd while away many an hour, get given a pack of crayons on every visit and choose to spend his pocket money on pipe fittings, before it then became an unfortunate casualty of Covid) to a Tesco One Stop ....... 

..... things, at last, appear to be moving ......

...... with traffic lights and much barriar-age and scaffolding .......

...... leaving Eric a little bit worried about the upheaval for the poor people living right next to the building with all the general kerfuffle .......

..... but also excited at the prospect of another shop on the school route with the potential for considered purchases or just a good mooch to break up his journey!

As and when there are any further developments, rest assured, you will be the first to know, well, apart from the aforesaid poor neighbours of this new venture! 

Untold Delights From Lidl

I very much appreciate it when Eric brings back the latest seasonal flyer from Lidl when he is passing and this weeks copy encompasses all that is Valentines Day, being as we are now in the month of February.

They are doing a special Valentine's meal deal, starter, main, side and dessert from only £12.95 and very tempting it looks too .........

......... but I think Darrell already has plans of his own, although I think Eric might be sent for a heart shaped pizza and a bag of similarly shaped pretzels as a special treat for our beloved niece and nephew to celebrate the day when it comes.

However, what particularly caught my eye, is something I don't think Darrell, despite his undisputed culinary skills can replicate, to wit the rose ice cream cones, in flavours that can only be described as truly romantic sounding, blueberry and cheesecake, vanilla and choco hazelnut and strawberries and cream. 

I think It would be rude not to make a select, considered purchase on this occasion, to avail ourselves of, as a treat, perhaps, during our Valentines Day seasonal viewing and then a chocolate rose for the ever fragrant one????? 

Hark at me, spending money like its water, but after that I think we can leave the other profferings,  like cushions, throws and fragrances (no matter how erotic exotic the name) to others ........

...... and I may hide the heart shaped pancake pan from Darrell, just in case he has festive aspirations!!!  What am I like?

Late Tales Of Dunedin Some Things Best Left A Mystery?

As you know, a cheeky supermarket sweep always plays a huge part in any of our holidays in foreign climes, perusing at all the exotic stuff we've never seen before and, forgive us, guffawing over some of the funny names we see ,on what appears to be, just simple every day products, what are we like?

And, dans the US of A it was no different for Eric and the ever fragrant Alice......

..... however, sometimes the scale of some of the stores they visited, coupled with the mahooooooosive choice was a little overwhelming at times and occasionally they had to admit defeat at the end of a long day by the sheer length of the aisles ........

....... which, as a result, left some glaring questions unanswered, to wit, the summer sausage, left to remaining a complete mystery to our intrepid pair, probably forever. In the UK a sausage is generally a meaty comestible for all seasons and it is now with much regret, that If they hadn't been quite soooooooo tired, they would probably have made a considered purchase for curiosity's sake ...... but for now, I guess we'll never know!!

GO55 - NEVER say NEVER!

You may remember, way back sometime last year, Eric pondering whether he ought dare mention to Darrell that they'd finally turned our much lamented Aldi (left vacant due to a leaky roof) to open up a storage facility ........

...... not wishing, in any way, to encourage Darrell's propensity to fill every single crevice, nook and cranny of the bijoux Towers with all manner of decorative items of a seasonal type nature, causing even our beloved Mr D in torrid and exotic Mexico to remark that we must be living in a real live Tardis ......

Well, it was only a matter of time  ....... and you can never say never!!!!!!!

Soooooo, Welcome to Unit G055!  Our all singing, all dancing, very generously proportioned, telephone box sized lock up,  To be honest, we feel like characters from Only Fools and Horses with this new development, we'll leave you to decide who is who. 

It's a long and complicated tale with, unfortunately, a sad story, that we decided to keep under wraps our beloved followers. Too long and complicated to go into detail here, but, let's just say, it's only a temporary measure while we try to sort through a mahoooosive collection of Lego (I know ????), that we inherited from a family member, which we decided, after a full and frank family debate (none of which got heated) to sell, as we don't really "do" Lego.

However, I think you can imagine Eric's excitement at "possessing" such a property, especially when it's all managed solely by app ........

......... there's absolutely no one on site, you just open said app on your phone and it's like "open sesame", from the main gate outside, to the sliding front door and even the lock to our unit! 

It's quite something to behold and let's just say, that the little fella needs no excuse to go up there to wander up and down all it's endless, long, faceless yellow corridors, not really good idea if you're feeling a little off colour yourself and help collect the latest set of boxes.

Our only worry is that he might well wear out the mechanics before we actually vacate the building!  What on earth is he like? 

Eric Finds Sunny D En Angleterre

You may remember a little while back, when Eric and Alice were wholeheartedly embracing Dunedin in Sunny Florida just before Christmas, when the little fella was quite taken when he found Sunny D alive and well and selling in Dollar Tree ......

..... well, look what he stumbled upon in our very own Iceland up town ........

..... only flipping the aforesaid Sunny D.  However, on this occasion no considered purchase was made, he's really more of a Tropicana with bits sort of a guy to be honest .........

...... and though no stranger to trying something "different", he says he's really not sure about either of their colours, to wit the Blue Raspberry and the Sour Apple flavours. They are, as you can probably see, quite disturbing, in most peculiar hues of blue and deep turquoise green (?). He said they reminded him of painting with his beloved niece and nephew and the odd colours they would make in the brush cleaning water ......... what is he like? But I think I have to say that I agree with him? No nom nom!