11 January 2015

I'm not the man they think I am at home.

Well, we lose Mycroft today, off back to school after a lovely long time at home. So tonight the place will be empty of dogs, large teenagers, stuff, things and the fridge will remain full for slightly longer... although to be fair, he's been bringing us lots of treats home from work, when he was there.

Here's the first lot of florentines Sherlock and I made. We have somewhat refined our recipe since, and added in some pre-toasting of nuts. But still, they tasted good, even without any of the right ingredients.


I think we're going to make some more in a bit, so Mycroft can take them back to school with him.



As I said in a comment yesterday, it's very depressing that we've had so many murders already this year. But...we do. And in the context of what's happening in the rest of the world - whole towns being destroyed in Nigeria, Syria, Paris...it doesn't seem so bad. But it's so...preventable. It's kids with knives. Kids with knives and fragile egos and no sense of self worth outside their small communities/gangs.

There will doubtless be a meeting about it soon, just in case we hadn't realised we should be trying to stop it. Because a few hours of being told what to do is always helpful to experienced detectives, especially when they don't have enough time to do what they're doing already.


Anyway, enough of that. I hope the new year is treating you all well. It has been for me so far - but I'm on nights next weekend, so not so happy about that! But someone's got to do it.

Trying to decide if we should try to get away at Easter. Even if just up to see John's folks in Scotland or something. Be nice to escape London!

And here's a couple of pictures Mycroft showed us, of his observing last term:





He apologises for the poor quality - he just took them on his phone, no fancy equipment! I still think they're amazing.

122 comments:

Small Hobbit said...

It must be extremely hard, being told what you already know re knife crimes and being aware that there is nothing you can do, because it's a problem with society and the individual is just reflecting what they see. Which to many will include a distrust of "the establishment" which you inevitably are seen as representing.

Greg Lestrade said...

And with the budget cuts etc. going through, too, it's just...you know one report says the police spends 17% of the time dealing with crimes. That's all. Everything else is security, safety, attending suicidal people, searching for missing people, protecting people, all that.

REReader said...

Those florentines look as delicious as Sherlock said they tasted--and I'm sure a batch will be most welcome by Mycroft and his friends.

And those photos are quite amazing, I agree, all the more because taken by phone, Mycroft.

I can only imagine how frustrating it is being kept from doing your job by meetings telling you how to do your job, L. I suppose it's done because it gives the higher-ups a way to say they're focusing on the problem, however counterproductive the "focusing" is.

Greg Lestrade said...

I've no idea why it's done. But there we go.

In better news, Arsenal had a nice convincing win, and i hope Debuchy's dislocated shoulder heals fast!

John H. D. Watson said...

There's somewhere in Scotland we were going to go, wasn't there? But I can't remember where now, of course.

Greg Lestrade said...

That's because Sherlock extracts your brain during the day, and Maf eats it at night.

We were going to walk Hadrian's wall - or part of it. We could make a start on a bit of it? Although maybe not camping...

John H. D. Watson said...

She doesn't eat it, she just licks it. If I go bald, it will be because of her licking my head at night.

That was it! I knew you'd remember. That'd be nice, yeah.

Greg Lestrade said...

Oh, and Man U have lost to Southampton! The day gets better!

What happened at Charlton on Saturday is a disgrace though, if true - which it seems to be.

Greg Lestrade said...

Danger - maybe you should learn to lick yourself all over, then she wouldn't feel the need to help. Although I still would ;)

Anon Without A Name said...

We're studiously ignoring Match Of The Day right now :-p

Those florentines look rather good.

Mycroft - I hope you have an enjoyable term; and those photos look amazing.

Greg Lestrade said...

We've had to at least double the recipe though, Nameless - you can imagine how fast they went around here! (Even those nay-sayers who claimed we were 'making them wrong' managed to eat a few.)

Joolz said...

Isn't it funny how the doubt of the method can be overcome by the delight of the result. ;) Hope it makes a good start to your term, Mycroft & a great addition to tomorrow's snacking for the rest of you. ;)

Hadrian's wall sounds like a great idea for your next trip away together, & I'm sure there are stop off points you could use if it's a bit chilly for camping. :)

Anonymous said...

Those are pretty impressive photos to me, Mycroft, but then I'm not up on what the current technology allows.

I hope you get some satisfying results at work soon, L. Even though you have to then immediately move on to the next problem. I'm going through a phase of not believing there are any solutions. Most of the people I know are doing the best they can and often going above and beyond in order to help others and to be generous. The sheer awful waste of human life, energy and creativity that goes on everywhere is something I'm tired of thinking about, all I can look at right now is a very narrow 'each one reach one' view. I'll get over it, and have a bit more energy again. I've been here before.

I was positive that everyone would appreciate the florentines, however improvisational & they look quite good. This next batch will go fast at Mycroft's school I imagine.

fA

REReader said...

(I really want a florentine. Now! )

Greg Lestrade said...

fA - it's all a mix, even our satisfying results are born from tragedy. We just have to pick ourselves up and keep going. Support each other.

REReader said...

Everyone's been so quiet today! I hope it's because there was a lot of normal busy-ness going on, being Monday and all.

Anonymous said...

L.- yeah. Keeping on is worth it. Just not always easy to feel it in the moment, sometimes.

RR-that's the case here, anyhow. Playing a bit of catch up as the last of the stragglers return from time off. The gears seem to be kind of groaning & creaking as everyone truly puts the holidays behind them and settles into it.

fA

Joolz said...

I've done two Holmes, a Watson and even a Dimmock today, but sadly no Lestrade though, Greg, you're obviously a rarer bird. ;)

Hope everyone has had/is having a great day. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

...I'm alarmed at what you might've done to them!

I have had a reasonable day, punctuated by Sherlock phoning me to tell me John just said he'd made the loudest noise in the world (John had said Sherlock had made the noise...John hadn't just announced that he himself had...) and proceeded to made it down the phone to me, to get my opinion. Luckily the speaker cut out. Or my ear drum exploded. I haven't spoken to anyone since to find out if I can still hear at all.

REReader said...

Something for Sherlock to do as his "talent" at parties! ;D

Greg Lestrade said...

...I've never been to a party requiring talents! But he's not short of them if he needs one...preferably one that doesn't deafen people. He is now banned from making his noise in built up areas.

REReader said...

David Letterman used to call them "Stupid Human Tricks," if you prefer that to party tricks...But yes, I'm sure he can come up with something else, if needed. :)

Joolz said...

Well now I wish I'd done something more exciting. ;) Very boringly it was just typing x-ray reports for people with those surnames. I've never found a Lestrade though. (I typed 'come across' then but thought I'd better rephrase) ;)

You realise you're setting yourself up for a very noisy walk on Hadrian's wall when you can't call it a built up area. :)

Anonymous said...

Did he make this noise only with his own body, or were there . . . aids? And did Maf approve?

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

ha - as long as no one calls in the air ambulance, on Hadrian's wall thinking someone's been murdered! Which I fear is a risk if he keeps making a blood curdling noise here.

And us Lestrade's are dead special, we're not just everywhere you know! ;)

The noise is a sort of screamy yelp. He 'invented' it in the park. It's not nice.

Anonymous said...

Joolz, I can see you are familiar with the loophole-finding abilities of children!

fA

Joolz said...

Good luck with that then, Greg, I'm sure we'll get the full report on how many 999 calls are received whilst you're on your travels. ;)

I'm sure you're right about the Lestrades but I'll keep my eyes open just the same. ;)

fA - I have indeed been caught out many times & I'm certain that John & Greg would attest that if anyone could find a loophole it would be Sherlock. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

I don't mind if he makes noise in the countryside - provided he's not ruining anyone else's quiet walk. Which I hope he has the manners not to. Hence the 'built up areas' rather than just saying 'in the house'. Although it's double-banned inside anywhere.

Small Hobbit said...

And you can always say that the wall has been built up.

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm fairly sure the house we raided today was better kitted out than the British army.

Lancs. Anon said...

And mighty strange must it be to feel that comfortable around weaponry.

REReader said...

Eep! O_O. I hope no one was hurt.

Greg Lestrade said...

No, no one hurt. Just a bit of an adrenalin boost. I think we have two machetes, a bunch of knives, a hatchet a samurai sword.

REReader said...

...whoa. That's a lot of edged steel, that is. (Hopefully not a real samurai sword! Those things are handmade and extremely valuable.)

Anonymous said...

I think it's the fact that there were grounds for a police raid on a house with that much weaponry that's disconcerting.

But then I'm possibly desensitized because I'm related to a guy who collects antique and hand-built (if that's the term?) knives and know one who uses machetes for yard work.(He learned his yard skills in a country where a lot of agriculture was sugar cane & machetes were farm tools.)

Takeaway: Why I appreciate our police forces even if they aren't always well trained or perfect.

fA

Anonymous said...

SH: I detect practical parenting skills!

fA

Sherlock said...

I made us a place to put pictures and here's one Lestrade showed me of the knives and some of them are big and bad people definitely shouldn't have them.

https://flic.kr/p/qNB1xM

Greg Lestrade said...

fA - we had a machete when I was a kid, to smash up brambles with. But there's really little need for one in a high rise flat in London.

REReader said...

No argument there, Sherlock--definitely they should not! (And nice job on the flickr page.)

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, thanks kiddo.

Hope the rest of the UK is battened down well, given how windy it is here!

Anonymous said...

Nice job, Sherlock.

Yeah, I'm happy I have a life where I don't see a need for any of those except maybe the ones that look like a kitchen knife & a chisel(?).

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

yeah, a chisel. That was all in the hallway/sitting room. The bedrooms revealed far more lovely gifts intended for people like us.

Anonymous said...

Better in an evidence locker than where you found it, for sure.

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

Yeah, honestly, there's little we can do to stop most knife crime, given the ready availability of knives in kitchen drawers, but it's nice to get these big weapons off the street.

Some uniform searched a 13 yr old the other day, found two carving knives down his trousers!

REReader said...

I don't think that kid had really thought through his hiding place...

I regularly carry two large swords on the subways here--but they're not edged. I suppose I could bop someone on the head with the broadsword, but otherwise they're not significantly weapon-y. I do have a little speech thought out for the police if I'm ever stopped asked to open my carry bag, though!

Joolz said...

Morning all. Another frosty one today but still not enough snow to stick and have fun, let's hope this weekend brings some. :)

Hope everyone is well & has a great day at school/work/home wherever you may be. :)

Greg Lestrade said...

Mmm lovely lie in. Nice day off with the husband ;)

pandabob said...

That sounds lovely :-)

Kestrel337 said...

I've been advised to always carry my ritual blade in it's sheath, and in the trunk (boot, I think is the corresponding term). This in a country where gun crime is the really visible problem, and in a city known to be more pagan friendly than many.

Anonymous said...

There are upsides as well as downsides to a rotating shift schedule.

Work will flash by today, busy leading into the 3 day weekend. All good.

fA

Sherlock said...

Lestrade's gone to work but he said it MIGHT SNOW this weekend and John told him he could have picked a better time to tell me but I just want it to snow and I don't care when he told me and he said it might not still and maybe it would just be rain but still it MIGHT and the BBC said so.

REReader said...

You know, Sherlock, I saw that forecast for London a little while ago, and I was thinking it would be nice if you got the snow instead of the rain--you never know with weather. Here's hoping!

Piplover said...

I'm with you, Sherlock. It's snowed once, where I live, and it melted the very next day. I just want it to snow, and all it wants to do is rain. I obviously live in the wrong location!

Greg Lestrade said...

he only said it was the wrong time because I was heading out to work and leaving you to be very excited at him, Sherlock. I hope it does snow for you. I just hope I'm not out in it.

Anon Without A Name said...

Hope the night shift isn't too bad, Lestrade (but not too slow, either).

Hope that your evening becomes a little less excitable, John ;-p

Sherlock - ooh, snow! We've got a forecast that we might get a little bit overnight, and it's cold enough that it might stick. We had a little bit of snow overnight a few days ago, but not enough to be fun - just enough to freeze onto my car windscreen, and a dusting on the road. I'm hoping we get more than that tonight. Right now it's very cold, and very clear - all the stars are out :-)

Sherlock said...

Lestrade texted to say the football in Scotland had been ABANDONED because of snow we should go to scotland rIGHT NOW

Greg Lestrade said...

well..I hope you haven't gone to Scotland. I'll be lonely when I get home.

Greg Lestrade said...

...and if anyone can explain to me how our 'threat level' system works, I'd be grateful, because I'm currently baffled by it.

Rider said...

John Cleese explains it here Lestrade

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/926647-alerts-to-threats-in-europe-by-john-cleese

Greg Lestrade said...

sadly it doesn't answer my current confusion...if the country has been on 'severe' threat level fr months now...how come the police only moved to 'severe' today... I wasn' aware that my job meant I was resident of a whole different country. But I will now declare myself minister for coffee and apply for my new passport from the United Kingdom of NSY.

Small Hobbit said...

My thoughts on this are probably not suitable for a general blog. Can I apply for the position of minister for tea? I am willing to jobshare with Nameless, since this is clearly a very important appointment.

Greg Lestrade said...

You're welcome to be minister for tea. Although we'll definitely need a minister for alcohol too!

Anon Without A Name said...

Gosh, I have unexpectedly become Co-Minister for Tea, what a wonderful way to start a weekend :-)

Although given how I spent Friday evening, I could probably manage a bit of Minister for Alcohol too - but we would obviously need several Co-Ministers to cover the post properly.

Have you had any snow yet?

Greg Lestrade said...

no, no snow. I think it's a bit too warm and not nearly cloudy enough!

Small Hobbit said...

I'm willing to also take on the onerous responsibility as Co-Minister for Alcohol. Maybe we should form a committee. We might not get much done, but we'd enjoy doing it ;)

John H. D. Watson said...

I think I'd like to be on that committee.

Greg Lestrade said...

well I hope the ministry for alcohol is entirely receptive to working hand-in-hand with the ministry for coffee. Because I'd like to propose working together...

John H. D. Watson said...

We'll form a joint committee.

Sherlock said...

i want SNOW I'll be minister for snow and we'd have snow ALL THE TIME and go everywhere on skis and with dogs and sleds and everything.

pandabob said...

We have snow Sherlock, mini put her feet in it for the first time and I suspect she would agree with you about having snow all the time :-)

Joolz said...

I'm surprised you're willing to relinquish control of the Ministry of Tea, John, I thought you'd want sole rights to all decisions on that front. ;) A joint committee of these Ministries seems like a fine idea, I'll be happy to take the minutes if all three beverages will be provided for refreshments. :)

The Ministry of Snow sounds like the most fun though, Sherlock, I'd definitely like to join that one. The snow hasn't got down this far yet either unfortunately. Glad your girls are enjoying it though, Anonybob, do you have enough for snowman building. ;)

Small Hobbit said...

Do not worry Joolz, I'm sure the Ministry of Tea will be quite safe in the hands of Nameless and myself. As far as I'm concerned you are welcome to take minutes, although you may find you have your hands full with snowballs if you are in the Ministry of Snow.

pandabob said...

You mean do they want to build a snowman Joolz? Sadly everything's frozen now ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work I go... although I noticed John sneaking Mini Eggs into my bag earlier...I mean, if Christmas is over it's basically Easter, in the world of chocolate, right? Who's minister for chocolate?

Anon Without A Name said...

I think that would be all of us...

Sherlock said...

Lestrade can we make this John said we can as long as you say yes too and we do it carefully.

http://www.iflscience.com/physics/become-rocket-scientist-household-materials

Anonymous said...

I like that mini rocket project. I see it in my future.

I enjoy the enthusiasm for the various ministries of beverages and chocolate. This is a group with very good priorities!

fA

Becca said...

Surely between Christmas and Easter there is Valentine's candy. Unless you don't do that in the UK?

Greg Lestrade said...

We don't do it much. I mean, there's always boxes of chocolates with unnecessary amounts of pink on them. That sort of stuff, but it's not too bad. All the easter stuff is already on the shelves, Valentine's isn't.

fA - we wouldn't need law and order if the food and drink ministries get it all right ;)

REReader said...

Sherlock, if you do that mini-ticket project please let us know how it goes, it looks like it would be very fun!

I definitely would like to be in on the chocolate committee--also crisps! (I think that's what they're called in the UK, what we call chips--but not French fries...this is getting complisticated! ;))

Anonymous said...

Hey Becca, how are you feeling? Is the vertigo any better? Thinking of you.

fA

Anonymous said...

RR - I'm thinking that there should be an independent Ministry of Testing and Quality Control. Just to help out those in charge of booze, coffee, chocolate, and other comestibles. I could help with that!

fA

REReader said...

fA--perhaps that could be a Committee of the Whole...

Anonymous said...

Good thinking, RR!

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

i might buy a house. Is that a crazy idea? Is it sleep deprivation talking?

pandabob said...

It's a great idea if you need or want one but a pretty rubbish idea if you don't ;-)

Greg Lestrade said...

...that is an excellent point.

It's just...savings rates are so bad. And property still seems a reasonable bet. And we could do a lot of the work ourselves, if we got a bit of a wreck. Then rent it out. Or live in it, one day.

pandabob said...

It would be a good project for and it would give you a home you two 'built' together as well :-)

John H. D. Watson said...

Where would you get it?

Becca said...

Hey fA, The vertigo is a little better, but I'm scheduled for a bunch of tests. The MRI got pushed back because my ridiculous insurance hasn't approved it yet.

The house sounds like a charming idea, but I suspect the reality will be a little different. Doesn't mean you shouldn't do it though.

Greg Lestrade said...

Danger - I don't know. Somewhere we both liked? Probably London, for the investment, with a view to selling it if we did want somewhere in the countryside later in life. I sort of harbour a dream of moving to the countryside, owning a few goats and alpaca...but it would be so much easier to be old in a city with great public transport...

Also should be somewhere close enough we can work on it now, I suppose.

John H. D. Watson said...

Sounds reasonable.

I like goats, despite previous experiences.

Greg Lestrade said...

well, I was naturally assuming you would...procure us..some goats and the odd camel...

John H. D. Watson said...

Oh yeah. Maybe some black market chickens too. Not sure about the alpaca though.

Lancs. Anon said...

Black Market Chickens is totally a band name!

Greg Lestrade said...

bantams? I'd love to have bantams.

Sherlock said...

and an elephant

John H. D. Watson said...

Not an elephant.

Which ones lay the blue eggs?

Greg Lestrade said...

i don't think any elephants lay eggs...

Rider said...

i don't think any elephants lay eggs

I read that as "I don't think eggplants lay eggs" and thought "of course not, that's cos eggplant is just a nickname".

The concept "of course not they are plants" did not occur until the second gulp of the morning tea.

I think the heat is doing my head in.

REReader said...

i don't think any elephants lay eggs...

And my mind went straight to Horton. :)

REReader said...

And property still seems a reasonable bet.

I'd say that in the London area, certainly--as they say about Manhattan, they aren't making more land, and people will always want to live there. If you're talking about a long-term investment, it's probably a good bet. (Real estate for money you might need on short notice, that's never a great plan, obviously, but that's not what you're talking about.)

Anonymous said...

What RR said. My houses (which I have lived in, not rented out) are the only really profitable investments I've made. Mostly because they have been fairly close-in, not out in a suburb.

I, too, hope to be old in a city with decent public transportation. In the States, though, that kind of limits you to cities I can't afford to live in. Even the one I'm in now, which has mediocre public transport, is good-enough but only if you live close enough in that it's pricey.

(It's okay to have chickens in town here, as long as you have a bit of yard. Alpacas you might need to move out for.)

fA

Anonymous said...

p.s. A friend of mine had goats. I don't like goats. They're smart enough to be really annoying.

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

John will be in charge of goats. They can't be worse than Sherlock!

Anonymous said...

Becca, glad to hear about any improvement. Good luck with the tests. I'll be hoping they find out something soon that is helpful.

fA

Anonymous said...

Goats are certainly less intelligent & creative than Sherlock! But they have an ill-natured determination to do what they want to do in the face of all sense that Sherlock lacks. He seems neither ill-natured nor unwilling to be diverted, given a sufficiently interesting incentive.

But hey, maybe John has goat-whisperer powers.

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

Well, John copes with me and my determination to do what I I want in the face of all sense, too, so I'm even more certain he's perfect for goat-rearing.

Anonymous said...

I'll take your word for it. Doctor, soldier, marksman, nanny, husband, future marathoner through godawful terrain and goat herder. That's . . . kinda stunning.

(I'll bet he'd dispute that you're ill-natured, though. )

fA

John H. D. Watson said...

I'll take the goats on my run through the Sahara with me. They'll love it.

Greg is seldom ill tempered, but often stubborn...like everyone else in this building. It's astonishing we're all still speaking to each other.

Greg Lestrade said...

untrue. I just try to make sure my ill temper is aimed at those who deserve it.

Greg Lestrade said...

(fA, he is stunning. In every sense of the word.)

Anonymous said...

When it happens, there must be photos of marathon goats. Particularly if they get their own timing chips. :-)

fA

Greg Lestrade said...

Mmm, beautiful sunny day (although cold), beautiful sunny husband (warm) makes it almost worth doing nights (not).

Becca said...

Oh, you're on nights again? Enjoy your day with John.

Sherlock, how are your degus doing?

I had the first part of my vestibular (balance) function test. The good news is that the tech said there is something definitely wrong. So the next step is to do some further testing, hopefully next week. I'm glad it's not nothing, because then I'm left with random vertigo.

REReader said...

I hope they find out that whatever the problem is, it's something with an easy fix. (But yeah, better that there's a cause--I've had bouts of benign positional vertigo, and all they tell you to do is not put your head in that position, which is not usually very doable!)

I hope everyone is having a good Monday (a holiday Monday in the States)! How many more nights, L?

REReader said...

(Ooops! Comment re: vertigo meant for Becca. :))

If you come by, happy birthday, piplover!

Greg Lestrade said...

I'm off nights now - did them at the weekend. Now enjoying a few days off with t'hubby.

I do hope they can find a solution for you, Becca! And soon.

REReader said...

Now enjoying a few days off with t'hubby.

That part is lovely!

Piplover said...

Thanks, RR! Having a great day, despite having to work. I keep telling myself I have a cupcake for after, and a giant chocolate peanut butter heart my friend gave me. That makes the world all good!

REReader said...

Cupcakes and chocolate peanut butter anything are excellent! Enjoy. :)

Unknown said...

I'm finally home from my trip and able to follow the links in earlier comments. wow, the matchstick rocket is cute! John Cleese is always a hoot. pile o' knives, yikes. :( glad they got rounded up.
Owning a house is a time consuming (and potentially expensive) hobby, especially if it's an old one that needs work. But, if you really feel like you need a new hobby.... ;) And it's nice to look forward to a time when you can retire to the country, although a large yard is also a time consuming (and potentially expensive) hobby. Possibly better with sheep or goats to do the mowing for you, something I often think about.
I like these ideas of Ministry of Tea, Chocolate, Snow, etc. I'd be happy to be on the testing committee too, or the deputy undersecretary of something. Lately I suppose that would be knitting, I did a great deal of that on my trip.
S

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