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Hello, Elle!
It is a beautiful day here. No wind, blue sky.
Only down side is there are patches of black ice on the roads.
But, I'll take that over incessant wind and rain.
Your weather, temp etc sounds the same as ours.
No trip with La Bamba so far.
Has not been the weather for it, and I have been involved with joiners, painters, and blinds fitters.
Every morning I text her the weather conditions and if there are any problems on the roads. I don't like the sound of your Americano!
I had a great pal of mine who was a priest and his housekeeper (not Mrs Doyle !) had a machine in the kitchen and there was always hot coffee from it.
It would have a name but I have no idea what it was called.
I have a Times Jumbo Cryptic Crossword Book which I bought a few years ago. I have not started on it yet. And, guess?
There are around ten different setters in it, one of whom is Richard Rogan! Only thing is, I don't know which ones he set!
"At the drop of a hat". Where did that come from?!!

Hi, Rusty!
Now, regarding our coffee machine.......it isn't one where the coffee is always brewing..... you put a fresh single sachet in to the top of the machine each time you want a cup, and it is then pierced and the coffee made fresh each time.
I would never have said in advance that I would welcome such an appliance, but, in reality, I love it!
I know the expression "at the drop of a hat" and its origin! I can't remember the circumstances but I had occasion to look this up fairly recently ......since I had my "new" Brewers, in fact.
The expression refers to the US frontier practice of dropping a hat as a signal for a fight to begin.
And these days, races are often started by the downward sweep of a hat!
There, my titbit of information for today!
Maybe you will be able to tell RR's contribution to your Crossword book by his "Londonisms"?!
Our lovely weather is fast deteriorating....very cloudy , looks like rain - and oh, so cold!

Good evening, Rusty!
Is Helena Stahl , a young Swedish jockey , someone whom you have come across when watching horse racing?
I have just been reading, to my astonishment and horror, that she ate her horse after having had him put down following an accident.
She cooked her beloved animal Iffy Mant and served him to friends and family as horse steaks, horse mince and even as a horse roast.
She said that "it felt right" and that she had never tasted such delicious meat.
Is this "sick" or what? To me, it is barbaric!

Hello, Elle!
I do not know of her, but she does not participate in horse racing as I know it, but sits in a wee carriage sort of thing called a sulky.
She certainly sounds a bit of a twonk for doing that.
I know for a fact that the stables in Britain and Ireland are full of girls (lasses) who absolutely adore their horses and are broken hearted when their treasured horse has to retire and leave the stables.
She would not be welcome in my house, that's for sure!
Dreadful creature!

Hi, Rusty!
We ended up with a wet and miserable afternoon! and the weekend looks set to follow suit.
And there was I thinking we had turned the corner and could expect some better weather! but looking at the forecast, it appears most unlikely!
We have nothing specific planned for tomorrow.........though hoping of course to get in a good walk at some stage.
One of my favourite programmes returns tomorrow - "The Voice UK".
But there have been significant changes this time in the choice of judges, and I fear it will not be as good as previously.
That is just from my personal point of view - others may like it, of course.
It was the rapport between the previous judges that attracted me to the programme.
What is that saying now......why break something that doesn't need mending? (something like that!)
What do you have planned for tomorrow?

Hello, Elle!
No plans, really.
Will get my paper earlyish and be home in time for the ladies downhill skiing. Hard to see past Lindsey Vonn but she is very short odds, so may choose Lara Gut or one of the other girls.
The Voice is not something I have watched.
BGT is my show. I am like an old horse, very set in my ways.
Is it pop-py type music? I am presuming it is a talent show?
Who is judging?
We had no rain today.
Still flooding affecting parts of the city but trains are running again to Aberdeen.
I like Saturdays!

Hi, Rusty!
Yes, The Voice UK is a talent show, but a rather unusual one in that the four judges sit in revolving chairs, but with their backs initially to the contestants.
Each individual contestant is thus judged entirely by the SOUND of his /her "voice" and NOT by appearance.
The genre of singing can vary from pop to classical - anything welcome providing the talent is sufficiently high.
If a judge likes the sound of the contestant's voice, he /she presses a buzzer and the chair revolves so that the judge then faces the contestant.
Sir Tom Jones, Ricky Wilson, Will.i.am, and Rita Ora were the judges last time - but the first three have been in most of the shows.
There has been excellent rapport between them.
But this time Tom Jones has been "axed" - and Rita Ora left.
Paloma Faith and Boy George replace them as judges.
Somehow I cannot see the show being the same........
But enough said! I'm getting carried away......
Yes, I know you like BGT! When does it come back?

Hello, Elle,
I think it is in May.
They have been doing auditions for some time.
I have heard of Tom Jones (saw him on the California Ballroom at Dunstable a million years ago!) and Boy George.
Not the others, though.
I am sure they will be fine.
At one time I had no idea who Alesha Dixon or David Walliams were, until they came on BGT.
Previous winners Ashleigh and Pudsey have made a film in America and David Walliams does Pudsey's voice.
Pudsey is a dog.

Good morning, Rusty!
A dreich day and milder again. I much prefer it to be cold and crisp - and seasonal!
I do not like these mild, muggy wet morning walks!
Did you get out early to get your paper?
What time does the skiing start?
I have heard of Lindsey Vonn - you have mentioned her before - but I do not know Lara Gut?
Are you thinking of having a small bet?
The Great Edinburgh Cross Country from Holyrood Park should be on now...I must put on the recorder....I had forgotten....

Good frosty morning, Elle!
Not a bad day here and the frost is melting.
I was out, yes, for my paper.
Skiing is over. until tomorrow.
Lara Gut is a great skier but did not figure today.
I had a wee bet on Tina Weirather to be in the first three but she went off course.
Today it was all about Lindsey Vonn!
She is astonishingly fast in the downhill.
She won again, and in doing so, equalled the record of the great Annemarie Moser-Proll, who raced in the Seventies (she took a year out to care for her dying father, or her record would have been greater than it was).
Annemarie was there today, on the slopes. A skiing legend!
Good to see her, and she was all smiles!
Is Jo Pavey or Laura Muir running in Edinburgh?
I like them.