Absolutely Anything Else

I am serious exercise has been a life saver for me.
I dislocated one knee 3 times, first time I was only 12 years ld .
Had cracking and swelling in my right knee s had that surgery 8 years ago here in Budapest.
I was told I had osteoarthritis, I knew that without a professional telling me so.
I had a tumor , non cancerous when I was 40 in my female parts. They gave me a shot of very strong hormone that brought on early stage menopause. I didn't even notice any changes and I will clack that up to being super active and doing hours of yoga and exercises 6 to 7 days a week in the gym.
I was back in the workout room less then 2 weeks post surgery, most people are laid up for months .
The hormne shot was suppose to have early on set osteoarthtitis as a side effect.
Now I've had a hard core treatment here in HU for another health issue and for sure one of the many side effects is osteoarthritis.
Some people just get all the luck!
Just have to take calcuim, vitamin D and keep active.
I've learned the hard way to not push myself on days when my joints are screaming. It's a ,"pain" to have your life revolve around exercise  but I know even professional dancers are usually done by age 40 because their joints wear out.
I'm a good 27 years ahead of them so why complain?
I know too much sugar in the diet is horrid for the body, it causes inflamation.
Actaully my knees haven't been bothering me much at all for a very long time, not sure why but not going to ask too many questions.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

.... Are the medics suggesting new knee joints?   Maybe the popping is bubbles of gas.  Like cracking knuckles.

LOL - my 2 in-house medics are at the sucking of teeth and shaking their head stage of their prognosis.

Probably not a good time to add another condition to my list of ailments; there is no magic restoration cure apart from surgery and there are others with greater need than me at the moment.

Comparing ailments is what people over say, 55 do.   

That and talk to strangers at bus stops.

And have one of those wheelie shopping trolley things when they go to the shops.  My Mrs used to say how annoying they were but now she's over 55, she's saying they are quite a good idea.

That's one thing I really dislike doing, telling people all of my woes.
I really am grateful I've had very god helath most of my life.
I had to spend months in the childrens orthopedic clinic at UCLA medical center.
My son needed some surgery on his arm for a rare bne condition.
Believe me, I actually was embarrassed that it was only his arm and he wasn't even close to the suffering that some children and their families were going through.
It's much worst when then young fall ill and they don't understand what's going on.
I remember the day my son was going in for a bone graft on his arm.
They were placing some of his hip bone plus donor bone into his humors bone near his growth plate in the shoulder area. Very delicate operation with children since damage to the growth place can cause the bone to stop growing.
Well, he was put in a room with a 21 year old young man. My son was 12 at the time.
This young man asked my son why he was crying, my son was not in pain, he just wanted to get out of the hospital and was crying because he was mad that he was admitted.
Well, this young man told me in the moring they were going to amutate his leg because of bone cancer.
He was laughing and waiting for his GF to visit him, very upbeat and happy person who didn't worry about tomorrow.
I was glad my son was placed in a room with such a positive person.He was more concerned about my son then himself. Hardly ever run into such people in our everyday lives.
A few aches and pains in our older age is not bit deal in the long run.
We all know we aren't getting outta here alive.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

.... Are the medics suggesting new knee joints?   Maybe the popping is bubbles of gas.  Like cracking knuckles.

LOL - my 2 in-house medics are at the sucking of teeth and shaking their head stage of their prognosis.

Probably not a good time to add another condition to my list of ailments; there is no magic restoration cure apart from surgery and there are others with greater need than me at the moment.

Comparing ailments is what people over say, 55 do.   

That and talk to strangers at bus stops.

And have one of those wheelie shopping trolley things when they go to the shops.  My Mrs used to say how annoying they were but now she's over 55, she's saying they are quite a good idea.

Ah - a Biddie basket, that's what those wheeled shopping trollies are called around here.  They've been largely replaced by those mobility scooters that seem to be quite a common place thing these days.

Cynic wrote:

....
Ah - a Biddie basket, that's what those wheeled shopping trollies are called around here.  They've been largely replaced by those mobility scooters that seem to be quite a common place thing these days.

I didn't know they were called that. 

Mobility scooters are getting cheaper.  Here, they even sell mobility aids in Aldi.   I suggested we get some things for Mrs F's mother but she (my MIL) isn't accepting anything is wrong with her.  Part of her confusion perhaps. 

My Dad (in the UK) said he thought his cataract/eye surgeon had been on the booze during lunchtime and the nurse did all the work.  Oddly my MIL (here in HU) said the same thing - the eye doctor had been on the ale before lunch and had done it wrong and nothing worked since.  Might be an older person's thing  - thinking everyone has been drinking.  But more likely my MIL's general decline in cognitive skills.

My Dad has a mobility scooter.  Problem is lifting it in and out of the car.   It goes quite fast though.

Biddie basket as in "Old Biddie"?
My sister had ankle surgery a couple years back after she crashed her motorbike.
Had to have some donor bone put in her ankle.
She was laid up while healing.
She to0k care of herself 100%.
Even purchased specail mats for her dogs to use in the house since she was unable to walk them while healing up.
She drove herself to the store but used a mobility scooter which the stire had for customers to use.
She said people acted like she was faking and wouldn't even give her room to move the stupid thing through the store.
She said peple,"suck".
My old friend in Vegas is limited to using a wheelchair in public, she can use a walker in her home but in public it's just too far and too much.
She said people are often really rude and act like they will catch whatever she has if they even look at her.
I had a similar experience when I was in my 30's.
My knee decided to act up to the point where i needed to use crutches for a week or so.
I'm sort of used to having my knee act up every once in a blue moon.
When it was normal, I was running, jumping and dancing, just one of those things were it would swell up for no reason and needed rest.
Well, I decided to go to the mall and was waiting for the lift to come. I was the one waiting first.
A younger man and 2 young women came to use the lift.
Instead of letting me go in first which would of been the kind and logical thing to do, since i was there first and it was obvious I was in bad shape,well the guy pushes forwrd and holds the doors for the 2 women and lets them just about close on me as I was the last to enter.
I had a hard time not saying anything to self centered mindless fools.I wonder if he even got their numbers?
I have to agree, sometimes people do suck.
When I was a games dealer in Vegas we had to take a lift to the emplyee breakroom during our breaks. We were not allowed to hang out in the casino floor during breaks. Well, the lift went down to the break room but also up to the bingo room.
We sent the lift down but it went up and there were 2 old women both in moblitiy scooters. They both wanted to get in at the same time.
They were hitting each others scooters and yelling at each other.  They were going at it like bumper cars.The was no room for even one scooter in the lift with the 4 of us delaers already inside.
We told them they both had to wait for the next ride.
The look on their faces was priceless, the evil eye is what they gave us.
It was rather disgusting to see how rude to each other they both were but united against the 4 of us in the end.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Biddie basket as in "Old Biddie"?
....

Yes, I think like picture below.  My grandmother had one but instead of the wooden handle it was aluminium.   I remember playing around with it. 

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I am serious exercise has been a life saver for me.
I dislocated one knee 3 times, first time I was only 12 years ld .
Had cracking and swelling in my right knee s had that surgery 8 years ago here in Budapest.
I was told I had osteoarthritis, I knew that without a professional telling me so.
I had a tumor , non cancerous when I was 40 in my female parts. They gave me a shot of very strong hormone that brought on early stage menopause. I didn't even notice any changes and I will clack that up to being super active and doing hours of yoga and exercises 6 to 7 days a week in the gym.
I was back in the workout room less then 2 weeks post surgery, most people are laid up for months .
The hormone shot was suppose to have early on set osteoarthrtitis as a side effect.
Now I've had a hard core treatment here in HU for another health issue and for sure one of the many side effects is osteoarthritis.
Some people just get all the luck!
Just have to take calcium, vitamin D and keep active.
I've learned the hard way to not push myself on days when my joints are screaming. It's a ,"pain" to have your life revolve around exercise  but I know even professional dancers are usually done by age 40 because their joints wear out.
I'm a good 27 years ahead of them so why complain?
I know too much sugar in the diet is horrid for the body, it causes inflammation.
Actually my knees haven't been bothering me much at all for a very long time, not sure why but not going to ask too many questions.

You've been in the wars there Marilyn.   

I used to go skiing and that really does your knees in.   All that bouncing up and down. Good  fun though.  Haven't been for years unfortunately.  Past it now I think. 

Tennis is also not that great on knees and hips.  All those sudden changes in direction is just asking for trouble.    Hip problems seem to be more in the news and it seems almost ageless. 

The famous British tennis player Andy Murray has had his hip joint resurfaced and he's only 34. 

The good news is that he's still playing competitive tennis.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Well, he was put in a room with a 21 year old young man. My son was 12 at the time.
This young man asked my son why he was crying, my son was not in pain, he just wanted to get out of the hospital and was crying because he was mad that he was admitted.
Well, this young man told me in the morning they were going to amputate his leg because of bone cancer.
He was laughing and waiting for his GF to visit him, very upbeat and happy person who didn't worry about tomorrow.
I was glad my son was placed in a room with such a positive person.He was more concerned about my son then himself. Hardly ever run into such people in our everyday lives.
A few aches and pains in our older age is not bit deal in the long run.
We all know we aren't getting outta here alive.

There's a theory about that but I wish I could remember what it was called.

I remember an example was people in a tornado.  Some houses were demolished and others were left standing but badly damaged.  People would view their still standing houses meant they were in a better position than those whose houses were completely destroyed.    Kind of relative psychology of comparative disaster.   Someone with one leg might view themselves as so much better off than those with no legs. 

People rationalise anyway.  Biden is probably musing right now.  Well it could be worse - Putin might have planned to invade the whole of Ukraine.

All sports have ist faults I guess swimming is easy on the bones?

SimCityAT wrote:

All sports have ist faults I guess swimming is easy on the bones?

Swimming is easier on the jints but most swimmers also have to do weight training because they don't get a nice hard body from just swimming.
Most swimmers have a srt of fat layer to them unless they train with ohter methods as well.
My boy was on a swim team after school when he was 9 years old.
He learned to swim very well befre he was 3 years old.
It was ,"my thing" to teach him early.
He was in the pool and going underwater at 2 months old.
Nice thing about being born in Hawaii, swimming is all year long.
I was 19 before i earned to swim so I wanted my boy to have no fear of water.
Well, after a long day of school then 3 hours 5 days per wekk of swimming it got to be too much for him at that young age.
He was very good at home though, far too exhusted to even raise his voice.
Our hopes were he would lve swimming so much that he would stay in the sport and meet other young people with goals.
He was bult for swimming to, his body frame is perfect for a swimmer.
Too bad, he never loved it as much as I do.
Can you imagine, when he was 17 we moved back to Hawaii and he never wanted to see the beach.
I loved tennis and volleyball as a young person.
Too bad I dislocated my knee while playing tennis at 12.
It would swell up after that anytime I practiced. Just gave it up.
I'm glad I can still do yoga, of course I'm not trying to twist myself into a scorpion pose or stand on my head, my poor neck would probably snap.
I can get the same benefit by hanging from my ankles rather then risk a trip to the doctors office.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Biddie basket as in "Old Biddie"?
....

Yes, I think like picture below.  My grandmother had one but instead of the wooden handle it was aluminium.   I remember playing around with it. 

[img align=C]https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Charleston/55/586455/H19683-L93093346.jpg[/url]

That's it, although today they come in various materials.  An old fella in our village has had all the German volksmarch badges moved from his walking stick, onto the handle of his wife's biddie basket.

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

Biddie basket as in "Old Biddie"?
....

Yes, I think like picture below.  My grandmother had one but instead of the wooden handle it was aluminium.   I remember playing around with it. 

[img align=C]https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Charleston/55/586455/H19683-L93093346.jpg[/url]

That's it, although today they come in various materials.  An old fella in our village has had all the German volksmarch badges moved from his walking stick, onto the handle of his wife's biddie basket.

I suppose if you have it, flaunt it! 

Turbo stripes and furry dice might do well.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Yes, I think like picture below.  My grandmother had one but instead of the wooden handle it was aluminium.   I remember playing around with it. 

[img align=C]https://image.invaluable.com/housePhotos/Charleston/55/586455/H19683-L93093346.jpg[/url]

That's it, although today they come in various materials.  An old fella in our village has had all the German volksmarch badges moved from his walking stick, onto the handle of his wife's biddie basket.

I suppose if you have it, flaunt it! 

Turbo stripes and furry dice might do well.

LOL - that's more for a GT350; the old fella brings his biddie basket empty to the pub, parks it by the fire place, then after a few beers use it to carry the take-away home for him and his wife.

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

That's it, although today they come in various materials.  An old fella in our village has had all the German volksmarch badges moved from his walking stick, onto the handle of his wife's biddie basket.

I suppose if you have it, flaunt it! 

Turbo stripes and furry dice might do well.

LOL - that's more for a GT350; the old fella brings his biddie basket empty to the pub, parks it by the fire place, then after a few beers use it to carry the take-away home for him and his wife.

So, that's a Ford Shelby GT350 biddie basket then? Gran Tourismo - BB version.  I suppose Ferrari licenses it's logo on things like laptops, biddie baskets are but a short trundle away.   

Anyhoo, it sounds like the old codger has got life sorted.  Few bevvies and away down the chippy for her indoors. Nothing like a bit of the vernacular. 

Now I've said that, I'm thinking about where to get some proper fish and chips for my trip to the UK next week.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

I suppose if you have it, flaunt it! 

Turbo stripes and furry dice might do well.

LOL - that's more for a GT350; the old fella brings his biddie basket empty to the pub, parks it by the fire place, then after a few beers use it to carry the take-away home for him and his wife.

So, that's a Ford Shelby GT350 biddie basket then? Gran Tourismo - BB version.  I suppose Ferrari licenses it's logo on things like laptops, biddie baskets are but a short trundle away.   

Anyhoo, it sounds like the old codger has got life sorted.  Few bevvies and away down the chippy for her indoors. Nothing like a bit of the vernacular. 

Now I've said that, I'm thinking about where to get some proper fish and chips for my trip to the UK next week.

Fish and chips, now that's something I can go in for.
There was a English pub/ resturant in the shopping center where we once lived in Las Vegas. The Crown and Anchor. Never ate or drank there but now I wish we had checked the place out.
H. Salt Fish and Chips is about as close to the real deal in the US that we ever had.
Of course I'd never know the real deal since I've never even left the airport in England.
Not bad excpet they didn't serve ale.
Can't have fish and chips without a nice beer.
Just like sushi and sake go hand in hand.
Or in Poland, smoked fish and vodka.
I had simple potatoe perogies in Poland, nothing tastes better the having ethnic food in the country of origin.
My son had sushi in Budapest years back in a fine restaurant.
He said it was terrible. He gets better quality sushi in Japan now at the 7/11 store.
Just like in Mexico, Taco Bell as nothing of a Mexican food truck.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Fish and chips, now that's something I can go in for.
There was a English pub/ resturant in the shopping center where we once lived in Las Vegas. The Crown and Anchor. Never ate or drank there but now I wish we had checked the place out.
H. Salt Fish and Chips is about as close to the real deal in the US that we ever had.
Of course I'd never know the real deal since I've never even left the airport in England.
Not bad excpet they didn't serve ale.
Can't have fish and chips without a nice beer.
Just like sushi and sake go hand in hand.
Or in Poland, smoked fish and vodka.
I had simple potatoe perogies in Poland, nothing tastes better the having ethnic food in the country of origin.
My son had sushi in Budapest years back in a fine restaurant.
He said it was terrible. He gets better quality sushi in Japan now at the 7/11 store.
Just like in Mexico, Taco Bell as nothing of a Mexican food truck.

Sushi is just so overrated.  Who wants to eat cold uncooked fish? Just asking for food poisoning. 

Japan has funny food habits. I stayed overnight in a hotel next to Haneda Airport.   I looked at the restaurant listings and I had no idea what I would be getting.   Lots of pictures of stuff with some kind of noodles or crispy seaweed.  It was just weird in the local shop in the hotel I was looking at as an alternative.  It was all very processed looking and wouldn't feed a sparrow.  Sake, meh, nothing special.

Smoked fish and vodka sounds quite good.  I really like smoked fish.  I used to eat "rollmops" in Holland - kind of pickled fish.  Nice to have up at the beach.

Salt fish is not fish and chips.  Usually fish is battered and deep fried.   The traditional fish is Cod but it's harder to get now as it's been over fished in the past.  White fish that just falls into flakes when cooked. The chips should be chunky and hand cut (not like McDs extruded chips). 

The oil is a problem - beef fat was used but it's like a death sentence (really bad health wise).  I suppose most are fried now in sunflower oil.   Optional malt vinegar sprinkled over it with some salt.  Serve like that or with some sauces on the side - HP sauce or tomato sauce.  There's also a tradition of having a pickled onion. Or if really hardcore,  having a pickled egg with it. 

In the North of England the fish and chip heresy is completed by dolloping chemical tasting mushy peas on top.  Other UK fish and chip sacrileges includes using curry sauce.   

I do not include foreign versions as a F&C crime.   "Frites met (mayo)" in Belgium and Holland.   Fantastic choice of fresh double fried fries with a dollop of mayonnaise.   Wonderful.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Fish and chips, now that's something I can go in for.
There was a English pub/ resturant in the shopping center where we once lived in Las Vegas. The Crown and Anchor. Never ate or drank there but now I wish we had checked the place out.
H. Salt Fish and Chips is about as close to the real deal in the US that we ever had.
Of course I'd never know the real deal since I've never even left the airport in England.
Not bad excpet they didn't serve ale.
Can't have fish and chips without a nice beer.
Just like sushi and sake go hand in hand.
Or in Poland, smoked fish and vodka.
I had simple potatoe perogies in Poland, nothing tastes better the having ethnic food in the country of origin.
My son had sushi in Budapest years back in a fine restaurant.
He said it was terrible. He gets better quality sushi in Japan now at the 7/11 store.
Just like in Mexico, Taco Bell as nothing of a Mexican food truck.

Sushi is just so overrated.  Who wants to eat cold uncooked fish? Just asking for food poisoning. 

Japan has funny food habits. I stayed overnight in a hotel next to Haneda Airport.   I looked at the restaurant listings and I had no idea what I would be getting.   Lots of pictures of stuff with some kind of noodles or crispy seaweed.  It was just weird in the local shop in the hotel I was looking at as an alternative.  It was all very processed looking and wouldn't feed a sparrow.  Sake, meh, nothing special.

Smoked fish and vodka sounds quite good.  I really like smoked fish.  I used to eat "rollmops" in Holland - kind of pickled fish.  Nice to have up at the beach.

Salt fish is not fish and chips.  Usually fish is battered and deep fried.   The traditional fish is Cod but it's harder to get now as it's been over fished in the past.  White fish that just falls into flakes when cooked. The chips should be chunky and hand cut (not like McDs extruded chips). 

The oil is a problem - beef fat was used but it's like a death sentence (really bad health wise).  I suppose most are fried now in sunflower oil.   Optional malt vinegar sprinkled over it with some salt.  Serve like that or with some sauces on the side - HP sauce or tomato sauce.  There's also a tradition of having a pickled onion. Or if really hardcore,  having a pickled egg with it. 

In the North of England the fish and chip heresy is completed by dolloping chemical tasting mushy peas on top.  Other UK fish and chip sacrileges includes using curry sauce.   

I do not include foreign versions as a F&C crime.   "Frites met (mayo)" in Belgium and Holland.   Fantastic choice of fresh double fried fries with a dollop of mayonnaise.   Wonderful.

Fish and chips in the North of England are indeed fried in beef fat.  Cod is a rarety in as much that if you ask for fish and chips, you'll get Haddock; they sell Cod, but it's really expensive and being Yorkshire folk, they're not prepared to pay for it.  As for mushy peas and curry sauce - ugh.  If I eat fish and chips up here, I can only manage the child portion, so in the rare event that we get a takeaway, it's Chinese food for me.

Cynic wrote:

...
Fish and chips in the North of England are indeed fried in beef fat.  Cod is a rarety in as much that if you ask for fish and chips, you'll get Haddock; they sell Cod, but it's really expensive and being Yorkshire folk, they're not prepared to pay for it.  As for mushy peas and curry sauce - ugh.  If I eat fish and chips up here, I can only manage the child portion, so in the rare event that we get a takeaway, it's Chinese food for me.

I don't think you'd get haddock, you'd get something else.  One of those unknown fish like that found in "bycatch", certainly not cod.  Haddock seems to be quite rare as well.   Might be monkfish people get nowadays. Ugly blighters.

I thought everyone up North liked mushy peas.   It's not "up North" but I heard a portion in South Wales costs £8.50.    That's a lot of money for F&C.  No change for a family out of £40 with accoutrements like drinks when eating in the car overlooking a grey and windswept beach.

I tend to agree though, child portions sounds about right.  At one point  we'd pull up at McDs and get four Happy Meals for the four of us.   But that's a problem with kids, you shove food in them and they get bigger and want more.

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

....
Fish and chips, now that's something I can go in for.
There was a English pub/ resturant in the shopping center where we once lived in Las Vegas. The Crown and Anchor. Never ate or drank there but now I wish we had checked the place out.
H. Salt Fish and Chips is about as close to the real deal in the US that we ever had.
Of course I'd never know the real deal since I've never even left the airport in England.
Not bad excpet they didn't serve ale.
Can't have fish and chips without a nice beer.
Just like sushi and sake go hand in hand.
Or in Poland, smoked fish and vodka.
I had simple potatoe perogies in Poland, nothing tastes better the having ethnic food in the country of origin.
My son had sushi in Budapest years back in a fine restaurant.
He said it was terrible. He gets better quality sushi in Japan now at the 7/11 store.
Just like in Mexico, Taco Bell as nothing of a Mexican food truck.

Sushi is just so overrated.  Who wants to eat cold uncooked fish? Just asking for food poisoning. 

Japan has funny food habits. I stayed overnight in a hotel next to Haneda Airport.   I looked at the restaurant listings and I had no idea what I would be getting.   Lots of pictures of stuff with some kind of noodles or crispy seaweed.  It was just weird in the local shop in the hotel I was looking at as an alternative.  It was all very processed looking and wouldn't feed a sparrow.  Sake, meh, nothing special.

Smoked fish and vodka sounds quite good.  I really like smoked fish.  I used to eat "rollmops" in Holland - kind of pickled fish.  Nice to have up at the beach.

Salt fish is not fish and chips.  Usually fish is battered and deep fried.   The traditional fish is Cod but it's harder to get now as it's been over fished in the past.  White fish that just falls into flakes when cooked. The chips should be chunky and hand cut (not like McDs extruded chips). 

The oil is a problem - beef fat was used but it's like a death sentence (really bad health wise).  I suppose most are fried now in sunflower oil.   Optional malt vinegar sprinkled over it with some salt.  Serve like that or with some sauces on the side - HP sauce or tomato sauce.  There's also a tradition of having a pickled onion. Or if really hardcore,  having a pickled egg with it. 

In the North of England the fish and chip heresy is completed by dolloping chemical tasting mushy peas on top.  Other UK fish and chip sacrileges includes using curry sauce.   

I do not include foreign versions as a F&C crime.   "Frites met (mayo)" in Belgium and Holland.   Fantastic choice of fresh double fried fries with a dollop of mayonnaise.   Wonderful.

Fish and chips in the North of England are indeed fried in beef fat.  Cod is a rarety in as much that if you ask for fish and chips, you'll get Haddock; they sell Cod, but it's really expensive and being Yorkshire folk, they're not prepared to pay for it.  As for mushy peas and curry sauce - ugh.  If I eat fish and chips up here, I can only manage the child portion, so in the rare event that we get a takeaway, it's Chinese food for me.

H. Salt Fish and Chips in the US was deep fried Cod served with malted vinegar with a side of coleslaw and chips sort of wedge cut.
It was alright, we used to go for it on a Sat. afternoon after shopping.
That used to be our thing, shop all day for groceries and other itmes , have a trucnk/boot full of food and go out to eat instead of cooking what we just purchased.
Our son was a picky eater, still is but he would eat fish and chips.
My mother used to make Cod all the time and also haddock.
Funny thing, my Japanese DIL can not stand to eat sushi.
My sister turned me on to sushi in the 80's.
There was a nice little Japanese place near where we lived on Ventura Blvd.
Not a fast food place but a tiny sushi shop where back then they would charge an arm and leg for every piece. We used to go once in awhie, try some different sushi out and share a few bottle of sake in the afternoons.
We also used to double date allot, my husband and I and my sister with her man of the week, month if he was lucky...
I nice restaurant also on Ventura Blvd. in the valley called ,"The Rickshaw".
We loved it there,The wait staff wore Kimono's and all loked like Geisha.
We always order the big boat, a huge wooden plate that looked like a boat that had all sorts of sushi.
Then we would go for a nice plate of food.
Always several rounds of sake between us.
Not sure now if it was the food or the sake that I enjoyed so much, maybe it was the company?
We sure didn't enjoy the bill!
My neice is the facility manager of a fortune 500 compnay.
She runs their SF, Las Vegas and Chicago offices.
They sent her to Japan before C-19 but that has put a cramp in her overseas travels.
Well everytime I visited to US she would get to Vegas and hang with me while also checking the Vegas office.
She always took me out to sushi in honor of her mother and our old fun times.
Last time she tok me to sme rave review sushi place inside the Bellagio. Yellowtail was the name.
I actaully didn't like it at all.
Either my tastes have changed or it was totally over rated.
She spent over $400 on just 2 plates and I was hungry when we left.
If not over rated it was defo over priced.
I personally would never spend that much on a snack plate but it was her treat and how could I say no?
I once tried the packaged sushi sold here at Lidel, don't waste your money.

fluffy2560 wrote:

.... I don't think you'd get haddock, you'd get something else.  One of those unknown fish like that found in "bycatch", certainly not cod.  Haddock seems to be quite rare as well.   Might be monkfish people get nowadays. Ugly blighters.

I thought everyone up North liked mushy peas.   It's not "up North" but I heard a portion in South Wales costs £8.50.    That's a lot of money for F&C.  No change for a family out of £40 with accoutrements like drinks when eating in the car overlooking a grey and windswept beach.

I tend to agree though, child portions sounds about right.  At one point  we'd pull up at McDs and get four Happy Meals for the four of us.   But that's a problem with kids, you shove food in them and they get bigger and want more.

It's still Haddock in the Fish and Chip shops around here.  Monkfish is in the shop freezers, but we're not big fish eaters.  Child portions of fish and chips are £6 (link).  Still, a lot of money when you consider I could make it myself for half the price, but we believe in supporting local business and we can afford it, so why not.

It's the "puddings" that eat the mushy peas etc; us southerners stick to the funny tasting fish and chips.

I was surprised to see I can now get Burgerking on the Uber fast-food delivery thingy (phone-app), we could always get it, but the nearest outlet was 20 minutes drive in a car, longer on the back of a scooter, so was never hot when we got it; so, when my son got a hot one, I was even more surprised to find out it's cooked in a local warehouse - apparently the food outlets are now occupying industrial units to produce for home delivery - one of the consequences of Covid I guess.

Cynic wrote:

.....
It's still Haddock in the Fish and Chip shops around here.  Monkfish is in the shop freezers, but we're not big fish eaters.  Child portions of fish and chips are £6 (link).  Still, a lot of money when you consider I could make it myself for half the price, but we believe in supporting local business and we can afford it, so why not.

It's the "puddings" that eat the mushy peas etc; us southerners stick to the funny tasting fish and chips.

I was surprised to see I can now get Burgerking on the Uber fast-food delivery thingy (phone-app), we could always get it, but the nearest outlet was 20 minutes drive in a car, longer on the back of a scooter, so was never hot when we got it; so, when my son got a hot one, I was even more surprised to find out it's cooked in a local warehouse - apparently the food outlets are now occupying industrial units to produce for home delivery - one of the consequences of Covid I guess.

I've heard about the local warehouse kitchens. I believe they do these for Indian restaurant supply as well then distribute it out for finishing. Like base dishes for serving more locally.

We've got a KFC near the motorway to Vienna and they have little red cars they deliver directly from the "restaurant". Unfortunately we live outside of the catchment area (200m past the Budapest boundary) so they won't deliver to us as we don't have a Budapest postcode./district.   Only thing we can get delivered is pizza.  We can get takeaway, we just have to collect it.   It was a bit rubbish last time as Mrs F and I want Thai, No. 1 Fluffyette wants Italian and No. 2 Fluffyette wants KFC.  Takes 2h.

It's definitely cheaper to make your own stuff of course.  We seemed to have fizzled out on eating out. COVID just about killed it off and when you look at the cost plus the quality, it just doesn't seem worth it.   Might as well make your own - delivered in nicer surrounding by known chefs (me and Mrs F and sometimes guest starring No. 1 Fluffyette).   

We're all for supporting local businesses but we don't know what is really local here.  We're on the edge of a big city and we have chain stores everywhere and they are all run by faceless tycoons.  We did go to the local tyre place though but that's because we didn't have a choice with our flat tyre.

We have a really old school hardware shop.  Asking for "four candles" wouldn't work here.   You can get a handle for your spade or some chains for your sprockets.  I thought those kinds of places  were palaces of wonder when I was a kid. All those little drawers filled with magical things like sink plugs and picture hooks.  Marvellous.  Shame the local bloke in there is such a surly old git.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
H. Salt Fish and Chips in the US was deep fried Cod served with malted vinegar with a side of coleslaw and chips sort of wedge cut.
It was alright, we used to go for it on a Sat. afternoon after shopping.
That used to be our thing, shop all day for groceries and other itmes , have a trucnk/boot full of food and go out to eat instead of cooking what we just purchased.
Our son was a picky eater, still is but he would eat fish and chips.
My mother used to make Cod all the time and also haddock.
Funny thing, my Japanese DIL can not stand to eat sushi.
My sister turned me on to sushi in the 80's.
There was a nice little Japanese place near where we lived on Ventura Blvd.
Not a fast food place but a tiny sushi shop where back then they would charge an arm and leg for every piece. We used to go once in awhie, try some different sushi out and share a few bottle of sake in the afternoons.
We also used to double date allot, my husband and I and my sister with her man of the week, month if he was lucky...
I nice restaurant also on Ventura Blvd. in the valley called ,"The Rickshaw".
We loved it there,The wait staff wore Kimono's and all loked like Geisha.
We always order the big boat, a huge wooden plate that looked like a boat that had all sorts of sushi.
Then we would go for a nice plate of food.
Always several rounds of sake between us.
Not sure now if it was the food or the sake that I enjoyed so much, maybe it was the company?
We sure didn't enjoy the bill!
My neice is the facility manager of a fortune 500 compnay.
She runs their SF, Las Vegas and Chicago offices.
They sent her to Japan before C-19 but that has put a cramp in her overseas travels.
Well everytime I visited to US she would get to Vegas and hang with me while also checking the Vegas office.
She always took me out to sushi in honor of her mother and our old fun times.
Last time she tok me to sme rave review sushi place inside the Bellagio. Yellowtail was the name.
I actaully didn't like it at all.
Either my tastes have changed or it was totally over rated.
She spent over $400 on just 2 plates and I was hungry when we left.
If not over rated it was defo over priced.
I personally would never spend that much on a snack plate but it was her treat and how could I say no?
I once tried the packaged sushi sold here at Lidel, don't waste your money.

Your Japanese DIL sounds throughly sensible to me.  Points to her!

I thought Geishas were considered very un-PC now by the "woke" brigade.  I like the Kimono costumes but they do look very difficult to spend any time wearing.  And their poor feet must be killing them.  All that shuffling around.  Maybe I've got the wrong idea and I'm out of date.

Paying $400 for sushi is just showing off.   

We once went to a fancy dinner in Vienna where we had nouvelle cuisine.  It was tiny portions - snack sizes.  Mrs F and I were do hungry afterwards, we had to stop at Burger King on the way back.  What a waste of time and money.  Luckily, we weren't paying!

I used to like these buffet style places where you can stuff your face and drink yourself blind.  But these days I cannot see the point in going.  It's nonsense  going there if one is trying to avoid overdoing it and keep down the weight and remain standing.   I suppose it would be possible to graze rather than scoff.

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

.... I don't think you'd get haddock, you'd get something else.  One of those unknown fish like that found in "bycatch", certainly not cod.  Haddock seems to be quite rare as well.   Might be monkfish people get nowadays. Ugly blighters.

I thought everyone up North liked mushy peas.   It's not "up North" but I heard a portion in South Wales costs £8.50.    That's a lot of money for F&C.  No change for a family out of £40 with accoutrements like drinks when eating in the car overlooking a grey and windswept beach.

I tend to agree though, child portions sounds about right.  At one point  we'd pull up at McDs and get four Happy Meals for the four of us.   But that's a problem with kids, you shove food in them and they get bigger and want more.

It's still Haddock in the Fish and Chip shops around here.  Monkfish is in the shop freezers, but we're not big fish eaters.  Child portions of fish and chips are £6 (link).  Still, a lot of money when you consider I could make it myself for half the price, but we believe in supporting local business and we can afford it, so why not.

It's the "puddings" that eat the mushy peas etc; us southerners stick to the funny tasting fish and chips.

I was surprised to see I can now get Burgerking on the Uber fast-food delivery thingy (phone-app), we could always get it, but the nearest outlet was 20 minutes drive in a car, longer on the back of a scooter, so was never hot when we got it; so, when my son got a hot one, I was even more surprised to find out it's cooked in a local warehouse - apparently the food outlets are now occupying industrial units to produce for home delivery - one of the consequences of Covid I guess.

I wish I could provide the link but I'm a spaz when it comes to the computer.
I saw a show on U tube ages ago about how they source food from underground outlets.
They get the recipe from world known restaurants and out source the food.
Copy cats.
These well known restaunts sell their ,"formula".
It could have the name on the packaging of a high end place but was actually cooked by -Joe Smo in a basement .
In the mid 1970's  when things were not so very in your face materialist, my husband worked with several other HU ,"Hippe" dudes at  the Hilton on Maui on the night crew,
They had free range, could  smoke a doobie and raid the frigde as long as the grills were cleaned by the time the morning shift came in.
They had their fill of fresh sushi and whatever was the catch of the day.
I know from their experience that mst of the menu was dosed with the stock on hand.
The cooks would toss into a huge vat all the left over bits and pieces that they had on hand. Tops of veggies, the odd bits of meat, whatever , nothing went to waste.
Every so often the vats would be cleaned...
Once in a while these HU guys on the cleaning crew, half stone out of their minds would clean the vats, God know how many weeks came and went between cleanings.(I'm being kind,I know these dudes and wouldn't trust them with my life)
I said the Hilton, God help the eveyday man who eats off the daily menu card  at some no name place.
To be honest we do not really enjoy eating out because we have both been workers behind the curtain.
Even so, I am willing once in awhile to put my digeastive system at risk and eat out.
Being too lazy to cook at home is common.
I can not belive how many ,"Panda" or,"Wolt" delivery people are out there.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
H. Salt Fish and Chips in the US was deep fried Cod served with malted vinegar with a side of coleslaw and chips sort of wedge cut.
It was alright, we used to go for it on a Sat. afternoon after shopping.
That used to be our thing, shop all day for groceries and other itmes , have a trucnk/boot full of food and go out to eat instead of cooking what we just purchased.
Our son was a picky eater, still is but he would eat fish and chips.
My mother used to make Cod all the time and also haddock.
Funny thing, my Japanese DIL can not stand to eat sushi.
My sister turned me on to sushi in the 80's.
There was a nice little Japanese place near where we lived on Ventura Blvd.
Not a fast food place but a tiny sushi shop where back then they would charge an arm and leg for every piece. We used to go once in awhie, try some different sushi out and share a few bottle of sake in the afternoons.
We also used to double date allot, my husband and I and my sister with her man of the week, month if he was lucky...
I nice restaurant also on Ventura Blvd. in the valley called ,"The Rickshaw".
We loved it there,The wait staff wore Kimono's and all loked like Geisha.
We always order the big boat, a huge wooden plate that looked like a boat that had all sorts of sushi.
Then we would go for a nice plate of food.
Always several rounds of sake between us.
Not sure now if it was the food or the sake that I enjoyed so much, maybe it was the company?
We sure didn't enjoy the bill!
My neice is the facility manager of a fortune 500 compnay.
She runs their SF, Las Vegas and Chicago offices.
They sent her to Japan before C-19 but that has put a cramp in her overseas travels.
Well everytime I visited to US she would get to Vegas and hang with me while also checking the Vegas office.
She always took me out to sushi in honor of her mother and our old fun times.
Last time she tok me to sme rave review sushi place inside the Bellagio. Yellowtail was the name.
I actaully didn't like it at all.
Either my tastes have changed or it was totally over rated.
She spent over $400 on just 2 plates and I was hungry when we left.
If not over rated it was defo over priced.
I personally would never spend that much on a snack plate but it was her treat and how could I say no?
I once tried the packaged sushi sold here at Lidel, don't waste your money.

Your Japanese DIL sounds throughly sensible to me.  Points to her!

I thought Geishas were considered very un-PC now by the "woke" brigade.  I like the Kimono costumes but they do look very difficult to spend any time wearing.  And their poor feet must be killing them.  All that shuffling around.  Maybe I've got the wrong idea and I'm out of date.

Paying $400 for sushi is just showing off.   

We once went to a fancy dinner in Vienna where we had nouvelle cuisine.  It was tiny portions - snack sizes.  Mrs F and I were do hungry afterwards, we had to stop at Burger King on the way back.  What a waste of time and money.  Luckily, we weren't paying!

I used to like these buffet style places where you can stuff your face and drink yourself blind.  But these days I cannot see the point in going.  It's nonsense  going there if one is trying to avoid overdoing it and keep down the weight and remain standing.   I suppose it would be possible to graze rather than scoff.

I think along the same lines, I'd rather  speand the cash on some funky outfit or a holiday theneating out one time.
My niece was fraised in a ,"rich" family and money is not bject.
She would drive a new BMW to HS in N.Ca. like it was an everday event.
No big deal.
Even s, she is down to eart and loves to trat her,"Old auntie" when she can.
Warms my heart  really.
I used to psuh her around the sts. of Hollywood when I was 17 and she was just a toddler.
For a spell I was more her mother then my sister was to her.
Nice to have someone who cares aboout you and treats you like a Queen, even if it's every few years or so.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

.....
I think along the same lines, I'd rather  spend the cash on some funky outfit or a holiday than eating out one time.
My niece was raised in a ,"rich" family and money is no object.
She would drive a new BMW to HS in N.Ca. like it was an everyday event.
No big deal.
Even so, she is down to earth and loves to treat her,"Old auntie" when she can.
Warms my heart  really.
I used to push her around the streets of Hollywood when I was 17 and she was just a toddler.
For a spell I was more her mother then my sister was to her.
Nice to have someone who cares about you and treats you like a Queen, even if it's every few years or so.

People are funny though.  Mrs F has a niece who we visited regularly and used to come around.  About the same age as my eldest daughter.  But now the niece is almost 40 and she's hardly in contact.  Once in a blue moon we get an update.   She's busy of course with her own life and she's very successful.

BTW, Mrs F was looking at home much it costs to go to Trofea - the buffet place.  Now it's HUF 8500 a pop, there are no free birthday cakes. For four people, that's quite a lot.  I think COVID has burst a lot of bubbles in the restaurant trade.   

BTW, I heard a chef on the radio saying he was able to make up healthy food packages for single people in the UK for £22 and it could last a week.  Now, it costs £40+ for one person.  Almost doubled in a year. 

More than concerning how things have risen so much.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Cynic wrote:

fluffy2560 wrote:

.... Are the medics suggesting new knee joints?   Maybe the popping is bubbles of gas.  Like cracking knuckles.

LOL - my 2 in-house medics are at the sucking of teeth and shaking their head stage of their prognosis.

Probably not a good time to add another condition to my list of ailments; there is no magic restoration cure apart from surgery and there are others with greater need than me at the moment.

Comparing ailments is what people over say, 55 do.   

That and talk to strangers at bus stops.

And have one of those wheelie shopping trolley things when they go to the shops.  My Mrs used to say how annoying they were but now she's over 55, she's saying they are quite a good idea.

I had wished to purchase one of those 'Old lady trollies" for lugging home groceries on the days we don't use our car to shop.
My husband, aged 74 refused to do that.
He carries everything in a backpack.
Yesterday, I thought it pull something but he was fine.
He had a 6 kilo frozen goose, a bottle of wine, veggies, a few cans ,milk, tonic water bottles and more, must of weighed 40 lbs.
In his younger days that was nothing but these days walking with 40 odd lbs on your back and going upstairs seems a bit much.
I call him my pack mule.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...
I had wished to purchase one of those 'Old lady trollies" for lugging home groceries on the days we don't use our car to shop.
My husband, aged 74 refused to do that.
He carries everything in a backpack.
Yesterday, I thought it pull something but he was fine.
He had a 6 kilo frozen goose, a bottle of wine, veggies, a few cans ,milk, tonic water bottles and more, must of weighed 40 lbs.
In his younger days that was nothing but these days walking with 40 odd lbs on your back and going upstairs seems a bit much.
I call him my pack mule.

I used to do that sort of thing because it was easy to carry stuff in a backpack so you could keep your hands free when negotiating buses or the metro etc.     That was in the days before I had a bad back.  Mrs F does a lot of the heavy lifting now or we do it together.   I keep saying to her, don't be a donkey.

And when the kids were smaller I used to carry all their junk with me. Back in the day I was Donkey Dad.

I like to walk everywhere when i go shopping so I use a shopping trolly. Two bulging carry bags are too much for me these days.
Even my partner uses one if he has a lot to buy at obi.
I have an old basket trolly out at my Tanya. When my grandson was small he used to ride in it to the local park.

fluffy2560 wrote:

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

...
I had wished to purchase one of those 'Old lady trollies" for lugging home groceries on the days we don't use our car to shop.
My husband, aged 74 refused to do that.
He carries everything in a backpack.
Yesterday, I thought it pull something but he was fine.
He had a 6 kilo frozen goose, a bottle of wine, veggies, a few cans ,milk, tonic water bottles and more, must of weighed 40 lbs.
In his younger days that was nothing but these days walking with 40 odd lbs on your back and going upstairs seems a bit much.
I call him my pack mule.

I used to do that sort of thing because it was easy to carry stuff in a backpack so you could keep your hands free when negotiating buses or the metro etc.     That was in the days before I had a bad back.  Mrs F does a lot of the heavy lifting now or we do it together.   I keep saying to her, don't be a donkey.

And when the kids were smaller I used to carry all their junk with me. Back in the day I was Donkey Dad.

Donkey Dad is funny or as my husband would probably say about himself," Daddy the Jack A@@".
He always says funny things and plays with words.
Sometimes to be funny and sometimes it just comes out as funny,
I know I used to pick up 40 lbs of dog food from y car and carry it indoors like it was nothing.
My sister says she used to be able to bench press her own weight, about 135 -140lbs. at the time.
What happened?

I just read that the US embassy in Ukraine has asked all their diplomats to leave the country.
Not exactly the best news.
I wonder if war is about to errupt soon?
Not too overly concerned ourselves but if a virus is panicing people then what will a real threat make them do?
I would think if anything was to happen it would be over really quickly, like in a blink of an eye.
I doubt we or the generations below us has the wits and courage to live through a ground war like our parents and grand-parents and even great-grandparents did.
How many people would just freak out if their Panda order wasn't delivered and they had to survive on flour soup? Not to mention the wifi going down...
People are too soft and would crumble within hours from fear.
Well, I for one hope this is just another scare tactic  of those in power.
God, I'd hate to even think of hidding underground with some of my neighbors...40 would go in and only 10 would come out, they all would be at each others throats.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I just read that the US embassy in Ukraine has asked all their diplomats to leave the country.
Not exactly the best news.
I wonder if war is about to errupt soon?
Not too overly concerned ourselves but if a virus is panicing people then what will a real threat make them do?
I would think if anything was to happen it would be over really quickly, like in a blink of an eye.
I doubt we or the generations below us has the wits and courage to live through a ground war like our parents and grand-parents and even great-grandparents did.
How many people would just freak out if their Panda order wasn't delivered and they had to survive on flour soup? Not to mention the wifi going down...
People are too soft and would crumble within hours from fear.
Well, I for one hope this is just another scare tactic  of those in power.
God, I'd hate to even think of hidding underground with some of my neighbors...40 would go in and only 10 would come out, they all would be at each others throats.

https://news.sky.com/story/us-orders-fa … n-12524067

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I just read that the US embassy in Ukraine has asked all their diplomats to leave the country.
Not exactly the best news.
I wonder if war is about to errupt soon?

The UK has also withdrawn non-essentials back to the UK.

I'm not sure war is about to break out, if it was then everyone would be told to leave the country.

SimCityAT wrote:

I'm not sure war is about to break out, if it was then everyone would be told to leave the country.

No, they wouldn't; the very last thing you want in an outbreak of hostilities is millions of refugees clogging the roads, ports and airports - the opposite would happen, you would be told to stay where you are and listen to the radio for further announcements.  The Embassy's as a matter of course clear out the families and non-essentials so that the diplomats can work without worrying about them - those are the guys trying to stop the war while acting as the eyes and ears of their national government.

The fact that life seems to be going on as normal is kind of re-assuring until I read the Russian Navy are sniffing around the Irish coast where the data cables across the Atlantic run.  I was surprised to learn that 70% of European data traffic is based on servers in Ireland and then across the Pond via these data cables for satellite uploading etc; if the Internet goes, you'll know why.  Something else that came up in the same news story was the Irish military has no role in the security of the data, it is all the responsibility of the Garda, who have never done anything to enact this, they have no Police resources devoted to it.

As they used to say during the Vietman war,"Priase the Lord and pass the ammunition".

SimCityAT wrote:

I'm not sure war is about to break out, if it was then everyone would be told to leave the country.

One of my contacts told me that the reason for delaying the war is to get all the US personnel and US  associates out.    They've learnt a lesson about Afghanistan to get people out of there before there's a loss of control.

Ukraine is basically  surrounded now -  Putin's Belarus based troops to the North, Russians to the  East, the South covered by Crimea and Transnistria Russians in Moldova.  They're surrounded on four sides.

Putin has been probably flying in troops to Tiraspol (Transnistria)  and will take Odessa by landing troops there. Then they've cut off Ukraine from the Black Sea and established an ice free port presence.

I really hope this new nightmare doesn't go down but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.
Hope Korea and Iran don't decide to join the party.
We read that 1,000 Hungarians have signed up to act as mercenaries for an Arab country.
They pay is between $3,000 to $5,000 per month and could go as high as $10,000 per month for special skills...Sharp shooter?
They are guns for hire with no loyalty to anyone.
I'm kidding about them needing sharp shoters, it won't come to that, they have thermal weapons that only kill flesh and leave the infrastructure intact.
Why rebuild, just remove.
We als read that Biden has made an agreement with Russia to not stop them taking Ukraine.
That I really don't know about,seems a bit weak but that's Biden.
I watch several U tubers and this has been building up for a long while now.
My husband said many citizens in the Ukraine are actually Russian anyways and that the Ukraines are anti- Hungarian.
It's hard to know what is really true or not.
We will not be running home no matter what.
I'm sure many people have seen this coming an dhave already left for what they think is greener pastures.There will be no safe havens.
No where to run to, no where to hide.
Again, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
I always wanted to learn Russian.

Marilyn Tassy wrote:

I really hope this new nightmare doesn't go down but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.
Hope Korea and Iran don't decide to join the party.
We read that 1,000 Hungarians have signed up to act as mercenaries for an Arab country.
They pay is between $3,000 to $5,000 per month and could go as high as $10,000 per month for special skills...Sharp shooter?
They are guns for hire with no loyalty to anyone.
I'm kidding about them needing sharp shoters, it won't come to that, they have thermal weapons that only kill flesh and leave the infrastructure intact.
Why rebuild, just remove.
We als read that Biden has made an agreement with Russia to not stop them taking Ukraine.
That I really don't know about,seems a bit weak but that's Biden.
I watch several U tubers and this has been building up for a long while now.
My husband said many citizens in the Ukraine are actually Russian anyways and that the Ukraines are anti- Hungarian.
It's hard to know what is really true or not.
We will not be running home no matter what.
I'm sure many people have seen this coming and have already left for what they think is greener pastures.There will be no safe havens.
No where to run to, no where to hide.
Again, praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.
I always wanted to learn Russian.

As we all know Ukraine and Hungary share a border and there's a small group of Hungarians across the border. 

One of my neighbours is a Hungarian-Ukranian and seems very friendly.   Mrs F says he has an accent but not more than others like the Hungarian-Romanians (also my neighbours). 

I've been in Ukraine a few times and I've never found them to be anything but normal.  It is a bit Russia-like (been there too) but not unusually.  It''s not like say, Central Asia, like Azerbaijan or Tajikistan (been there multiple times). It's obvious in Russian influenced Central Asia where you are, whereas in Ukraine, it's not that easy to recognise it as different from most of Europe.

There's an interesting angle developing in news discussions related to the Balkans and Russian alignment there. Serbia is aligned with the Russians.  Maybe Kosovo will be invaded but seems unlikely  that would happen.  I cannot see Serbia being so stupid as to join in with Russia in that way - unlikely as they want to join the EU. Might as well say the same as Russian alignment with Bulgaria and that's a NATO member.

For a mercenary job, $10K a month doesn't seem enough. I hear that it was $20K a month for foot soldiers in private military companies in Iraq.   Apparently a road trip to Baghdad airport from downtown green zone, with full protection, cost a minimum of $250K one way.   I understood that most people went by helicopter as fast and much safer.

$250,000 to get outta town?
If I were stuck there I suppose I'd have to learn the language and change my way of dressing and acting. cause I couldn't afford the $500,000 for 2 people to leave.
I know some people say why on earth would anyone move over to that place to begin with but then again, my relations think we are weird to live in Hungary.
How many times have I heard the phrase, "come home" over the years.
Of course we were also guilty of telling my sister to,"come home" when she lived in the UK.
How on earth could anyone sign up to be a mercenary at any price?
In 1970 when my husband was a Hungarian refugee living in Paris, he worked with several older Hungarian men as a building painter.
All these old guys had been in the French Foriegn Legion.
They were mercenaries, all a lot of drunks who spent all their free time in bars.
Guilt makes people do odd things like never go home or become depentant on a vice like over drinking.
My step-father was was a 2 time US POW was a huge drinker.
For several years my mother was able to control his drinking and made him get a job so he had no time to dwell in the past or drink.
God knows how she put up with him at all.
Nice guy but mentally gone,too much war baggage in his life.
My mother always had a soft spot for strays...