This lead in screams for the line to not end with “…on these streets there are no exits… but with “Only Dead Ends!“

A few days ago, I was re-watching an episode of Endeavor (S4 E4 – “Harvest“), the prequel to Morse.  In this episode, a man goes missing near a nuclear power plant.  I decided to look for the nuclear facility on Google Maps, and found that the actual facility was the Fawley Power Station, a decommissioned (2013) “oil-fired” power plant located near Portsmouth & Southampton, UK.  See below for closeup of Fawley Control Building (round like a space ship). 

I love Google StreetView and how I can walk/ride the streets, not just in Los Angeles or America, but in Germany, Poland, Greece, and the World, online, and come away with a sense of actually having been to a place before ever going there.  And most of the places, I will never actually visit.

So I used StreetView to look around the Fawley Station area.  The next day, I revisited this StreetView and there was a new option.  Someone had actually walked along the lower fence.  The aerial view had revealed that there were many large wind turbine blades stored on the premises (MHI Vestas).

There was also a man-made channel and a barge moored here.  I figured that the wind-turbine blades had been hauled on the water.  I later found a image that answered two questions:  the blades were quite a bit longer than the length of the barge,  and, there was a low hanging foot bridge crossing the channel which would have hindered a tall barge from entering.

For the short of it visit Fawley Waterside.  You can see the demolition of the power plant facility and the dreams for a new water side community.

I zoomed out of the area to get an idea of where the Fawley area was located.  Relatively nearby was the Isle of Wight.  Now when I saw the name, I knew the name, but I knew nothing about the Isle of Wight.  So, I looked for a town and found Newport basically in the center of the island.  MHI Vestas Offshore facility on the Isle of Wight.

I zoomed in on Newport and switched to StreetView and began to ride down a few of the streets in the old part of town.  I say, “old  part” of town because I soon found myself going past what appeared to be a small mall and detached at one end was a Kentucky Fried Chicken.  I drove past and there were some people sitting in a booth and one was waving at the Google camera car.

Not sure why, but I decided to view the mini-mall (Coppins Bridge Retail & Leisure Park) more intensely.

I zoomed in on the “Back to School” add on the window and wondered if the Pukka Pad was some new electronic toy.

Office Outlet (Staples) and googling found, “Nine Redundancies As Isle Of Wight Office Outlet Announces Closure“.  So, Office Outlet had been gone for about a year.  What might have filled the space?  The Gym and Burger King.

Suggested Burger King Layout

Cineworld Cinema

Maplin | the Electronics Specialists

So, this morning, I catch a glimpse of “the Isle of Wight” and “CORONA Virus… What a small world.

UK to test contact tracing app on Isle of Wight – Coronavirus Daily Update UK

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Most, if not all of the Fawley Power Station has been demolished. There is a neat video of them imploding and bringing down the tall smoke stack, and the generator building just in front of it (two separate events).

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And, finally it dawned on me to actually look closer at Southampton, UK. The Port of Southampton wasn’t important when I first started looking at the Fawley Power Plant (Endeavor episode). Isle of Wight became important because a wind power generation company located on the Isle of Wight was storing some of their wind mill blades at the Fawley Power Plant location.

But now, Southampton is one of the ports in a circuit made by the cargo ships of the Independent Container Line. But why focus on ICL? Well, I happened to see the “Independent Future” while she was on the Cape Fear River (Port of Wilmington, NC). At first, I didn’t know that the “Independent” part of her name was actually the name of the company that owned her. See the link above for pictures of the cargo vessels owned by ICL, and aerial views of the ports that are included in the circuit… Wilmington, NC — Antwerp, BE — Southampton, UK — Cork, IR — Chester, PA — Wilmington, NC…

I was using the maritime app to look at vessels near Southampton, and happened to see a vessel in the Fawley Power Station channel. Sure enough, it was the barge used to ferry wind turbine blades from the Isle of Wight (where they are manufactured) and storage at the Fawley location. I don’t recall if I noted the name of the barge, long ago, but seeing it on the maritime app, “Mtb Blade Runner Two” made me check the photo I had of the barge with one wind turbine blade. Sure enough, if you zoom in on that picture, the name is written on the bow of the barge.

Free tracking option from Google Maps:

If you have Google Timeline turned on, your phone can track your movements.  You can view “raw data” (export as kml formatted file) which will show the coordinates and time each time your phone is polled for its location.  I have noted that Timeline will actually show the locations which I visit, such as grocery stores and my pharmacy.

I could see that if you test positive for the COVID virus, you could generate the data so that it could be used to show the exact time and locations you were in prior days. Someone could feed this data, from multiple people, into a database to track hotspots.

This is a free tracking option from Google Maps, that anyone can turn on, and if they keep their smartphone with them, it continues to track. It works if you are in a car, or if you are walking around in a store or mall.

I want to protect others, and myself.  If you purchase avocadoes regularly, you know you have to touch them to see how ripe they are.  You wouldn’t just pick one up without testing.  It might be too ripe already and when you cut into it, it would be more brown than green.  I was thinking that I would have to bring a plastic glove with me… but, this morning, while in Wal-Mart, the idea came to me.

I had just pulled a plastic bag from the roll and then it dawned on me that the plastic was thin, and if I put my hand inside of the bag, I could sample, by touch all the fruits and veggies, without actually touching them.  Find the avocado I wanted, and then grab it and pull it inside the bag, as the bag turned inside out.  The avocado would then be inside the bag, and I had never touched it or the others.

 

I had physical therapy scheduled for this morning, and tomorrow I am supposed to see the doctor regarding my leg.  I’ve only seen him once so far, and this morning the PT told me I didn’t have to wear the leg brace so I carried it out to my car in my hand and cancelled next week’s PT session.

This has been quite an experience since I passed out coming from getting the CPAP device, July 2, 2019 and fell creating a hairline fracture of my right knee.  The same leg where I had major surgery about 26 years ago after blowing out ligaments while playing tennis.  But, neither the pacemaker or my leg have caused me any real pain.  A little soreness for a few days after the pacemaker was put in, then some itching, where I think the hair was beginning to grow back on my chest (shaved for the surgery).  And, a few twinges of minor pain, for a few days, when I turned my leg the wrong way but no real pain while it has healed.

Still, the event has been equivalent to hitting the wall during an auto race at a great rate of speed.  I have fought depression and still do some, but the few friends and relatives I have, stepped in to help me when I was helpless, and fortunately, I was able to learn to drive with my leg brace on once I was shown that I could, if I moved my driver’s seat way back, get my leg while wearing my brace into the car and in reach of both the accelerator and the brake pedal.

I used the online grocery order service via WalMart and they offered home delivery for $8.  I only used this once, before I was able to drive again, and then one of my first WalMart walk-abouts was to return a couple of items that I had mistakenly ordered (16 oz. Olive Oil, and small bag of a Splenda/Sugar mix).  The olive oil was too small an amount, and I don’t know why I ordered something that actually had sugar in it.  Still I placed my order online on Wednesday, and scheduled it for 7 – 8 pm that Friday.  The WalMart delivery person knocked on my door at 7 pm and offered to put my groceries up, but I just said to put them on and by the dining table.  I don’t recall how much I tipped.

Things to remember:  Rollator from Amazon.com for $55.  A couple of plastic urinals.  A couple of extension grabbers.

I’m coming back from lunch today and realize that I don’t have my cellphone with me.  I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t hooked up to the charger cable in my office when I left, and when I get back, no… it’s not there or in my pocket… or in the car, under the seat???

I think, that I must have left it at the Rainbow Restaurant at breakfast so I stop by there.  No they haven’t got a lost phone.

I go home.  It’s not hooked up to the charger by my chair.

I return to the office and login to Consumer Cellular to see if they have instructions for finding a lost phone.  They do.  Google Android Device Manager, which I had installed some time ago.

I go to Google Find My Device and it pulls up a map showing my phone appears to be in the parking lot next to the Hibachi Grill Supreme Buffet, where I ate lunch today.  *Later I realize that the icon for my phone isn’t showing in the parking lot, but in the exact location, in the building where the cash register is located… and that is where I picked it up later.  It must have fallen out of my pocket as I was reaching for my wallet to pay the bill.

I called and the girl that answered asked if it was a Samsung phone.  I said yes.  I asked if it had a green case and she said yes.  I told her I would stop by in about an hour and a half… I have a conference call at 2pm.

Boy!  That is really, really, really… great that it worked!

North Carolina Weekend on PBS and Bob Garner was visiting.  He made the place seem much bigger than it actually was… but since, they have expanded and more than doubled the seating capacity.

I like their Pulled Chicken.

They were giving some of this away about a year ago, and this picture seems to have been posted a few days ago, so I hope they are selling this now.  It was great!!!  Very “earthy” in flavor.  It is turnips, although you couldn’t tell what meat they had used to season it with last year.  I thought the seasoning might have been hog jowl.

ADDENDUM [01/31/22]: I stopped in on the way up to Raleigh on Monday. As I was ordering, I asked if they had any turnips. The female clerk said they had some a couple of months ago, but had none now. Brian went back to check and there was no plan to have any more this year. The past couple of years, they had turnips in February. I had come to think that they made them when they had a “hog killing,” but that doesn’t sound like the case now. I said, “then I guess I’m going to have to bring my own and let you cook them. — I have been enjoying cooking various country side dishes in the past several months. If you have the right seasoning meat, the finished product can be quite enjoyable. I have fixed some good butter beans, blackeyed peas, and green beans & potatoes. I learned from, not by asking, but by tasting, how to cook good steamed cabbage. Seaboard Station Restaurant doesn’t season their cabbage with meat, or at least I think not. They don’t season their blackeyed peas with meat either… and that doesn’t make for really good peas. The cabbage has to have just a slight amount of sweetness added. Too much sugar, and it makes the cabbage too sweet.

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About two weeks ago, I decided to go to K&W Cafeteria for lunch.  I had not been in a long time.  As I neared the location, the parking lot was abandoned and the grass had begun to grow high.  I felt a sense of melancholy and said to myself, “Well, they were like Sears…”  I regrouped and drove on to JKs Restaurant and while there googled and found that K&W had not gone out of business, but only moved across the street to a new location.

Day before yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the new K&W.  I will write more of this when I have the time, but here are some pics.  A really nice change!

Corrugated tin ceiling tiles.  The same food choices as previously.  Very modern seating areas with large flat-screen TVs.

There is a separate Cafe section (below):

I originally created this info as a page and not a post. It is several years old now.

I had breakfast at Famous Toastery in Southern Pines this past Saturday morning.  Afterwards I rode around Pinehurst and then decided to do some grocery shopping before heading back home to Fayetteville.

I stopped in to the Fresh Market and bought some Carolina Shrimp, Andouille Sausage, some olives and pickled cauliflower, Peppadews, a bag of potatoes, some Ale Nuts, Wasabi Peas, a loaf of whole seed, Rye bread, and some seeded crackers.

As I was coming up on Lowe’s Foods, I decided to stop in (I had not been to this location before.) and get some corn on the cob.  I did not wander about the store, but almost immediately found a Tomato Bar and saw some little yellow grape tomatoes.  If you were at a farmers market, it would be standard practice to try one before buying it.  I looked down and saw a sign that said just that… try it, get a container and fill the container.

I also started to take a few pictures of the tomato bar and a nearby Produce Manager asked if there was something wrong.  I said, “Oh, no.  On the contrary, there is something right.  These little yellow tomatoes are delicious.”  We had an extended conversation.  He suggesting that I try the larger red (local – greenhouse) tomatoes.  I bought one and had it in a tomato and bacon, with mayo, on whole seed Rye bread sandwich for lunch once I returned home.  *It was a good flavored tomato.

I walked over and bought a couple of ears of corn on the cob, in the husk, and later realized it was a white, sweet corn.  The husks looked withered, but the corn was fine for my Frogmore Stew for dinner.

I didn’t roam about the store, but went to the checkout and stood briefly behind a man and his young daughter (a baby, but sitting up in the cart).  He started to move the cart around to the side of the checkout and caught the cart a couple of times on the edge of the checkout.  I almost said something like, “Well, he hasn’t even started drinking and he’s running into things.”  Not sure why I started to say that, unless I had subconsciously  picked up on the gist of his purchases.  *I stopped myself, and looked down at his purchases.  Not all, but most of the items were various beers.

I had purchased a mix-n-match six-pack of assorted beers at the Fresh Market.  *I don’t like the flavor of beer, but every once in a while, I think about giving it another try.  Here was my chance to try several beverages without having to waste my money on a six-pack of each.  I bought an Angry Orchard “Rose” that I had seen recently advertised.  One of the Stella Artois, another cider and a dark lager.

I tried the lager for lunch and yep, hated it, but I decided to use the rest in the Frogmore Stew.  I had the Angry Orchard Rose for dinner, and with a little “sweetner,” that became palatable, pleasant.  The Carolina Shrimp were large (21-25).  The Andouille Sausage was a little chewy.  The potatoes were good, and I added a chopped onion and the two ears of corn cut so that there were six smaller sections.  Added the Old Bay Seasoning, some chicken broth (beef would have been okay, if I had it).

Forgot that I left the corn on the cob in the husk and microwaved them for a little less time than I normally do, and then cut them up and added them to the stew for that last little bit of cooking and flavoring.

I used one of my mid-sized, glass bowls and put all the Frogmore Stew in it with just a little liquid.  I remembered from the previous time that I shouldn’t have a large bowl of liquid to slosh around, while I’m watching TV from, my easy chair;-)

 

• Pataks Hot Curry Paste

  

•  S&B Hot Mustard (Chinese, for egg-rolls)
• Salsa Ranchera
• Tiger Sauce  
• Chicken Wing Sauce