Originally posted by Primrose6789
Similar: kotsen = kotzen. Okay, both, Dutch and German are Germanic languages.
Dutch and German really are very similar. I once took a very enjoyable house-boating trip in the Netherlands, in the area of Sneek in Friesland. I was surprised that almost everyone there seemed to be able speak in German with us, even the staff in Chinese restaurants. This may have something to do with the region we were in, though.Still, the languages are similar enough that whenever I'm reading a Dutch text, I can usually get the gist of it. Like this Wikipedia article about the Sneekermeer where I went boating, which is currently not available in English or German.
Originally posted by Primrose6789
The Piquillo (a sweet pepper) has germinated!The brave little pepper decided to be first!
Awesome gardening news!
Veggie Suprise Menu
When it´s -4°C outside I get a little warm and summer feeling by eating African food. At least the African sun and the heat are in my bowl. As I wanted to make something with legumes anyway today, I found that red cabbage in the fridge - which was a big MUSSGO! So, then: Let´s make a nice, warm, hot, African peanut stew:
Even though I don´t have all the veggies anymore which are required for that stew (Hey, it´s January folks!), it tasted yummy! Made it with chickpeas, beans, corn, red cabbage, tomatoes (own grown ones as sauce, which was frozen down), some canned tomatoes, peanutbutter and different herbs. Really gave me a little summer feeling. 
Originally posted by Primrose6789
When it´s -4°C outside I get a little warm and summer feeling by eating African food. At least the African sun and the heat are in my bowl.
The current weather makes me long for spring too... 
Temperatures below 0°C, and still clear blue skies. All the drawbacks of winter without the charm, and my beat-up car is in almost permanent "Crazy Vaclav" mode in this cold weather, limping uphill at 60 km/h.
Nice looking stew, though I would have preferred it without the sweetcorn, or at least with a lower amount of it.
My own Surprise menu will be following shortly...
Here's the deal: I noticed a craving for Subway-style sandwiches the other day, so I got myself some of those sandwich rolls at the store, intending to make a nice, meaty sandwich with a bunch of different cold cuts.
Then we rolled "Veggie" in our Surprise Menu spin later that day, and since the bread easily makes for two servings, I thought that I might as well make another vegetarian version to take care of our spin.
I may have told the story already about me going to a tiny Subway store in my first semester at university, and noticing the so-called "Veggie Delite" on their menu, with a price that was lower than any other sandwich there. Being on a tight budget like all students, I decided to go for it, expecting a nice veggie patty or so... and then it turned out that "Veggie Delite" simply means "nothing" - except for the salad and veggies that you would get anyway with any kind of sandwich you order. I figured that "Veggie Delite" must have been one of the fanciest words for "nothing" ever since the invention of the decimal system, and it has become somewhat of a running gag among Prim and me.
Let's make a version of it at home, then. We just prepare those rolls, and fill them with some typical sandwich veggies. Lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions, olives, and then add some salt and pepper and a little mayonnaise later on.
That's it, we got our own "Veggie Delite" sandwiches at home. Filled with a bunch of veggies and a whole lot of nothing else.
Actually, I think the term "veggie delite" became a running gag when we were playing "Overcooked" and one of us forgot to put the meat into the burger or something like this, or the sausage in the hot dog? I don´t know, but I remember us joking "that was a veggie delite".
Sports Update
First of all, the pushups are still going nicely, I think it might have been a wise decision after all to go for the lower column, especially because the final set on each day is open-ended anyway, so I can do as many of them as I still can at that point.
But what about the big badges hunt? Here are the updates from the last few days:
Silver Lifeguard Badge (International Lifesaver)
The next course after the scheduled date in February would be in November, so it would make sense to go for it right away, even though it won't give me a lot of time to practice. I will have to take an additional first aid course, but I am allowed to hand it in up to three months after passing my exam, so it shouldn't be an issue.
Also, the person in charge told me that it should be no problem to get me a physical Bronze badge on my first day if I pay for the cost of material - very nice! 
This alone is a reason to join.
Snorkeling Badge
I finally found a place where I should be able to take it, about a 30 minutes drive away from me. Currently, they don't offer any courses, but they plan to do one some time this year. I guess I will just keep checking back every month or so.
Lele Pahu ("Cannonball!") Badge
This one seems to be an innovation by that shop, making it another unofficial badge - but I still think it would be cool to go for it. 
Where I can take it is still anyone's guess, but I have been encouraged to have a phone call about it, maybe I can find out what I need to know.
I already asked Prim if she would be willing to do it together with me. She gave me a hard pass.
The Secret Badge?
There is another swimming badge that I haven't mentioned before, also not in that big list I posted the other day. It's an official one, but not part of the DLRG lineup.
Again, I'm not sure who to contact about this, but I will phone around and hopefully know a little more about it soon.
As you can see, the Trolls are as determined as ever, and once again, the only thing that can stop us is bureaucracy.
We´re getting HOT!!!
Look! This time it didn´t disapoint me:
Carolina Reaper
Last year, the hottest chili in the world, the Carolina Reaper, was unfortunately a fail. First, the seed didn´t germinate and I had to order new ones. Those germinated very late. The plant grew nicely anyway, but eventually, there was no fruit. Only flowers, flowers, flowers .... and ...nothing! More luck this year?
...and here come the spicy ones...
Lila Luzi
This one is a very tasty chili: sweet and quite hot!! The fruits have a very nice purple color. Our nice landlady gave me some of them and after I tried them, I decided to collect the seeds and include the Lila Luzi in my gardening-plan.
Dragon´s Back
The seeds were a Birthday gift from Harrier. It´s a spicy one.
Thai Dragon
This one is also a spicy one and a was a nice Birthday gift from Harrier as well.
Sweet Pepper
Decided to plant more sweet pepper this year. Those will be transferred to my big garden outdoors, when they´re big and strong enough (in May).
Oh, Prim's chili plants are seeing the light of day already. Good stuff. I'm especially curious about the Reaper, of course.
I would have liked to play some more poker this week, but I was just really tired on most days, to be honest. 
I guess that's just January.
Normally, Primrose and I would have met up once during this time, possibly a week ago. We like to call those "anti-January-blues" meetups, and we had a habit of doing one of them during the first one or two weeks of January in most previous years. This time, it wasn't possible due to work. I probably could have arranged something with my employer, but Primrose is self-employed, so it is not that easy for her - if there is work to be done, then that's just the way it is.
We keep moving on through those cold and dark winter days, and we stay busy, as best as we can. In fact, Primrose is looking sharp on the tennis court right now as we speak. Meanwhile, I have been able to clear up some stuff, and I am happy to announce that last year's Trollwatch series can now be back for its sequel, because I have officially signed up for the next lifeguard course starting in mid-February, shooting for the Silver badge.
It should be a lot more fast-paced this time, with only two meetups scheduled, which instead are supposed to last pretty much all day. Conveniently, they will take place within walking distance of my home, in the pool that I like to visit on Saturdays too:
An additional part of the practical exam will have to take place at a later date in another nearby town, at the place where I did my Gold swimming badge together with Prim last year. My hometown's standard pool is not suitable for some of the things we will have to do, mostly because it is not deep enough or doesn't have any diving boards, so we have to do some stuff at that other place.
It won't be easy, especially with only two big lessons to prepare. Taking a fail here is definitely a possibility. But let's give it our best, as always. I can practice tomorrow already. My first lesson is scheduled to start on February 17th.
Here is the full list of requirements once again:
Theoretical part
- Passing a nationally standardized quiz about the following subjects: Respiration and blood circulation, hazards in and around water, assistance in case of bathing-, boating-, and ice-related accidents, avoiding strangleholds, rights and duties when providing emergency assistance, using life-saving equipment and the tasks and activities of the DLRG.
- Having passed an officially recognized first aid course within the last two years.
Practical part
- Swimming 400 meters in less than 15 minutes, including 50 meters of front crawling, 150 meters of breaststroke swimming and 200 meters of leg whip kick back swimming without using the arms
- Swimming 300 meters in full clothing in less than 12 minutes, with subsequent unclothing inside the water
- Performing a jump from a height of 3 meters
- 25 meters of distance diving
- 50 meters of transport swimming - pushing or pulling, in less than 1:30 minutes
- Diving from the surface of the water three times - once feet first and twice heads first - retrieving three 5 kg diving rings from the bottom of a 3-5 meters deep pool within 3 minutes
- Displaying abilities to avoid strangleholds and escaping neck chokeholds from behind
- 50 meters of transport swimming with an embracing technique (for people who may try to resist the rescuing) in less than four minutes, using two different techniques and switching halfway through, both participants being in full clothing
- Demonstrating the ability to use life-saving equipment
- A combined exercise involving the following steps without any breaks in this order: A 20 meter swimming approach, diving to retrieve a 5 kg diving ring halfway through at a depth of 3-5 meters, then dropping the ring and escaping a stranglehold, followed by carrying a partner for 25 meters, bringing them safely ashore and performing CPR for 3 minutes
Also starting in season like prim. First with only with 2 plates. Means 112 chilli and paprika. Have 10 of this plates and during the year some are use 3-5 times.
Prim´s sports plans for 2024
Well, yesterday, Homer and I had our Friday-evening-tennis training and we practiced singles. Wanted to compete in women´s singles next Saturday, but unfortunately, I can still feel a mild pain in my leg. I´m ready to play singles just for fun but I don´t think my leg will make it through 2 singles competitions. Therefore, my this years sports plan will be the following:
February 2024: Competing only in doubles! (indoor)
March 2024: Competing in doubles, maybe trying one singles competition? (indoor)
April 2024: Should be ready for singles competitions. (indoor and outdoor)
Mai 2024: Competing in singles and doubles (outdoor)
June - August 2024: no competitions - focus on swimming, avoiding the (midday-)sun, tennis trainings in the evening.
September 2024: Last competitions (singles/doubles, outdoor)
October 2024- December 2024: off-season. Focusing on Crossfit and endurance sports.
I have a new mascot for Primrose. His name is Roberto and he is born in Germany. He is living at the moment near of our house (10km away). He has problem with his radar. He was flying to Denmark instead of Tunisia. Now he is living here with a colony of crows. First birds of his family since 200 years in Germany.
Originally posted by DonWolfo
His name is Roberto and he is born in Germany. He is living at the moment near of our house (10km away). He has problem with his radar. He was flying to Denmark instead of Tunisia.
He could indeed be one of us. I have discovered before, during various of our trips, that Primrose and I have an about equally bad sense of direction.
The difference is that I tend to be more likely to admit defeat and consult maps or ask locals for directions, often both. Prim instead often likes to decide on instinct which way in the correct one and then continue along that path filled with optimism... even if it turns out to be the opposite direction of where we wanted to go. Once we finally realize that, Prim typically likes to say "Hey, but we were almost correct!". 
Without any hint of irony, by the way.
I imagine if we were trying to take a trip to Tunisia ourselves, we would somehow end up in Vorpal's attic. And Primrose would still be like "No, I think I know that window. Keep going! I'm sure we're almost there."
Like I said, I'm just as bad, but less optimistic. Honestly, though, would our trips be as fun as they are if we always knew where we were going, Prim?
Originally posted by Primrose6789
Wanted to compete in women´s singles next Saturday, but unfortunately, I can still feel a mild pain in my leg.
Definitely a good decision to sit that one out. I know you are eager to compete, but let's be reasonable, you know how easily an old injury can start to act up once again if it hasn't fully healed yet, and then it can continue to cause trouble all year long, much like last year.
Much better to take a rest until you have completely recovered, and then go on to kick butt for the rest of the year.
Originally posted by Primrose6789
February 2024: Competing only in doubles! (indoor)
March 2024: Competing in doubles, maybe trying one singles competition? (indoor)
April 2024: Should be ready for singles competitions. (indoor and outdoor)
Mai 2024: Competing in singles and doubles (outdoor)
June - August 2024: no competitions - focus on swimming, avoiding the (midday-)sun, tennis trainings in the evening.
September 2024: Last competitions (singles/doubles, outdoor)
October 2024- December 2024: off-season.
Pretty cool plan. I hope I can also add a few proper competitions of sorts into my schedule. My plans for 2024 are crammed with sporting challenges, but most of them are only on an individual level, just trying to pass certain tests or exams, or something like that. It would be nice to also add any tournaments of some kind, in whatever sport.
We will all be rooting for Primrose, of course.
Originally posted by DonWolfo
I have a new mascot for Primrose. His name is Roberto and he is born in Germany. He is living at the moment near of our house (10km away). He has problem with his radar. He was flying to Denmark instead of Tunisia. Now he is living here with a colony of crows. First birds of his family since 200 years in Germany.
Hello Roberto! Nice to meet you! He´s adorable!
We want to take a trip to Spain, we get lost and land somewhere in Sweden. Well, almost correct! :mdr::f_ugly::f_ugly:
Yes, this one is with humor .. :f_biggrin::f_ugly:
Much less traffic at the local pool today, thankfully. I also arrived maybe an hour earlier than last week, maybe that's just a better time.
As a result, I had no obstacles when I went for my distance diving, and managed to turn around at the opposite end of the pool once again. I continued diving in the other direction for maybe five additional meters this time? Diving a distance of 30 meters would even be enough for the Gold badge - if I also manage to pick up at least eight out of ten diving rings scattered along the way, which would make things a lot more difficult.
I noticed a smell of blood right after surfacing, however, just like last week. I ignored it that time, but noticed one of my nostrils feeling a little numb all week long afterwards. Maybe those underwater turns while being low on oxygen put a little too much strain on... possibly some kind of vein? Perhaps it has something to do with the pressure under water? I have no idea, Primrose is the scientist here, I always sucked badly at biology.
Anyway, I figured that from now on, maybe it's best to just dive my standard 25 meter lanes to make sure I can consistently do them, that's all I need to do for Silver. Anything longer than that would best be done in a larger pool.
My front crawling is still atrocious. I can't believe I still get puffed out after 100 meters. Sure, it's better than one year ago, when I couldn't do it at all, but those are not the standards I should have.
With that much space at the pool, I also decided to practice my leg whip kick back swimming, without using the arms, just like I need to do for the Silver exam. I swam for 150 meters because I erroneously thought this is how much I need to swim in the test - turns out it's 200 meters, 150 is for the breaststroke, I thought it was the other way around.
This kind of swimming technique is essential to learn for lifeguards, because it's what you use when you rescue unconscious or resisting people. You need to do back swimming to make sure that their head is always above the water while you carry them, and you can't use your arms to swim because you are already using them to restrain and carry the other person.
Doing it for such a long distance now - and it wasn't even the full 200 meters yet that I will have to do - I noticed that this kind of swimming is surprisingly tiring, with nothing but your legs doing all the work. My time limit in the exam will be 15 minutes for 400 meters in total (50m front crawling, 150m breaststroke, 200m back swimming without the arms). That would be 56.25 seconds for each 25 meter lane - generous, but not trivial. And apart from that test, I will also have to carry another person this way, for 50 meters, in full clothing, also under a time limit. It will be part of the big combined exercise at the end too.
My front crawl may suck, but it won't become relevant until this summer or so, when I take part in the Trollympics again, and possibly go for another badge. I would be well-advised to mostly keep practicing that back swimming for now. There's only a little over a month left until my course starts - let's get serious!
It´s Party(-Poker) time!!
Yes, finally. Prim hit the tables and played MTTs on Partypoker. As I´m playing just for fun at the moment, I decided to play a Free to Play around the Clock freeroll, a 0,33 $ 7-max turbo Holdem and picking up four cards by playing a 0,22 $ PLO8 tourney. Haven´t played poker for a while, so let´s take it just slow and easy and have some fun! Felt like playing those cool MTTs on Partypoker and still have around 32 € left for fun-play. I indeed had fun and those are the results:
Free to play around the Clock: busto - jammend AQo (11 BB) into KK
0,22 $ PLO8: Card-dead and busto with strong draw: flushdraw, nut low draw, gutshot str8 draw - but nothing came.
0,33 $ 7-max No Limit Holdem: FINAL TABLE - and 3rd place!! 
busto with A9s vs 33 (lost the flip)
So, a happy nice first session in 2024! Saturdays and/or Sundays are the best days for poker - unless I´m competing.
Jingle bells,
Hold'em smells,
Primrose poops her pants.
MTTs
make FTs
and the donks get crushed like ants.
Hey, jingle bells...
Great to see you back at the tables! 
We considered doing another versus challenge already, but we will have to figure something out first. It's not easy now that we are scattered around different rooms, and new regulations require us to wait for a few hours after our session until we can play at another room.
Maybe we will see some poker from me too this weekend. At least we have both made a token effort by now. Let's see how long it will take until things truly get rolling again.
And may I remind our readers of my original Final Table cocktail again?
40 ml of coffee liqueur, 30 ml of brown crème de cacao, 20 ml of Frangelico, shaken with ice and strained.
