I finally made a loaf of sourdough bread that looks and tastes like sourdough bread.


Most of my efforts recently have failed and ended up more like bricks than loaves of bread. But this one is almost perfect. It’s quite satisfying after many many failures to have one turn out more or less normal.
The kids have been using an app called Discord to communicate with their friends at school. Daniel is managing a server with around 50 – 60 students on it. It’s mostly pupils from the online school but there are also some friends from outside.
I’m impressed with Discord. It’s very similar to an app we use for communication at work called Slack. You can create channels, message people directly or in groups, and have video and audio chats with people. It’s all free too. It has predominantly been used by the gaming community but its reach is spreading and I discovered recently that Daniel’s guitar teacher uses it to communicate with musicians.
I decided to create a family server to communicate with the kids and I called it “The Martins”. Daniel’s first message to the group was this:

Our new electric Renault Zoe has been serving us very well so far. We’ve had it for just over a week now and have used it several times. The mileage estimate on the dashboard is based on how the car is used and is quite variable. I noticed this in the electric cars we booked through the car club.
After our first charge of the new car the mileage estimate at 100% was 141 miles. After the second charge it was 159 miles. Now after the third it is 187 miles. I think this is due to a combination of factors. If you’re a speedster with a heavy footer you’re going to drain the battery faster than slow lane Sally. I’m definitely a bit of a granny driver which means I get more distance with each charge. It has also got warmer recently and you’ll get further on a full charge in summer compared to winter. I also drive with it in eco mode which also conserves the battery. I’m curious to see how high it’ll go over the coming weeks.
I shall follow your electric car chronicles with interest 🙂
I will be sure to post updates!
I think sourdough sounds difficult, it’s taken me years to work out how to make pizza with yeast consistently, yours looks delicious.
Some people seem to find it easy but I have definitely found it challenging. Maybe it gets easier with time. We’ll see.
Copy cat! We bought a Renault Zoe ZE50 as our first electric car and got a couple of holidays in before COVID kaiboshef everything. Then I developed a mysterious delimitating illness which proved difficult to diagnose, but now after lots of invasive tests id known to be Sarcoidosis, which is a form of Rheumatoid Arthritis mimicking other deseases, including Cancer. Theree is a drug to stop it in its tracks and push it back to when it started (about March), based on the transplant drug Mycophenolate which I just started course of today. Another miracle. My eyesight was deteriorating with hexagonal shaped becoming prevalent at many times of the day and night making it very difficult to watch TV, read etc. Just prior to Last Eye surgery to correct it, today they took some more photos – GONE! I have been s bit sobby, as I can now gave a longer future with my children and wonderful grandchildren and soon get home to my wonderful Christine.
Just thought I’d share with not do old friend.
Oh you poor thing, Colin. It sounds like you’ve had an especially rough run this past year. But at the same time it sounds like you’ve got it mostly under control now? It’s always good to get a diagnosis, especially a non-cancer one, because it means you can get treatment. I’m glad you’re on the mend.
How did you find the Renault Zoe? Do you still have it?
Really relateble I just started my own travel blog and then covid hit and I could not travel anymore from my country. No travel planning for me at all 😦
Such a bummer! You’ll have to find local travel spots instead. It won’t be like this forever but I think the next couple of years at least will see some level of restricted travel.