One Good Turn Deserves Another.

starbelgrade

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Biggins

Nice one.

We have become so isolated as a generation out of fear, rumours about one another and/or stories over blown by media that just sometimes we would be better taking a step back and re-appraising what was good about the past communities yet again.
For we are clearly losing out in some ways and we are passing that growing losing tradition down to our kids.
...And that would be a shame.

Degag

Culchie OBV.

Professional Griefer

I found someones medical card today.
Dropped it in to the HSE office in town.
But nothing.

You got lucky.

Pique

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

landsleaving

I helped my friend's sister out with a computer program last week. Was over at his house last night and she'd left a box of sweets for me.

They were as appreciated and enjoyed as they were unexpected.

It's nice to be nice.

crosstownk

So Irish and immeasurable.

Brilliant.

WindSock

Pique wrote: »

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

Super-Rush

You can't bate a fried duck egg.

NoHornJan

WindSock wrote: »

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

Not often.

Biggins

Whats that now famous line from the "Ferris Beuler" film?

Something along the lines of "Life moves in the fast lane, sometimes however you got to stop to experience it" or words to that effect.

So true.

WindSock

NoHornJan wrote: »

Not often.

It can happen everyday if you are willing and open, but it is not every day you will come across someone whom you feel an iffinity or natural kinship of sorts for those moments that are fleeting and beautiful.

Biggins

WindSock wrote: »

...for those moments that are fleeting and beautiful.

Hear, hear.

Gamer2010

Biggins wrote: »

Whats that now famous line from the "Ferris Beuler" film?

Something along the lines of "Life moves in the fast lane, sometimes however you got to stop to experience it" or words to that effect.

So true.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it

Biggins

Gamer2010 wrote: »

Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it

Thats the one. Cheers.

hullaballoo

Great story, OP.

I once asked an old lady if she needed a hand crossing the road. This is in Greystones, which is a hybrid between quiet country town and bulging metropolis. She said, "you ****ing touch me and the Gards will be here in 20 seconds".


She was right. :pac:

Gary ITR

He gave you spuds fresh from the ground and you chipped them? What a waste, he'd probably bate you with his shovel if he knew you did that

CorsetIsTight

super-rush wrote: »

You can't bate a fried duck egg.

Yes you can - if you want them scrambled.

starbelgrade

Onkle wrote: »

He gave you spuds fresh from the ground and you chipped them? What a waste, he'd probably bate you with his shovel if he knew you did that

A top quality chip needs a top quality spud just as much as a top quality mash needs them.

Today I just felt like chips.

Don't worry though - there's still most of the bucket left & they'll be used over the next while for mash, roasties, rosties, tortilla and as ingredients in risotto, omelletes & curries.

And more chips. Nyom, nyom.

hullaballoo

starbelgrade wrote: »

A top quality chip needs a top quality spud just as much as a top quality mash needs them.

Today I just felt like chips.

Don't worry though - there's still most of the bucket left & they'll be used over the next while for mash, roasties, rosties, tortilla and as ingredients in risotto, omelletes & curries.

And more chips. Nyom, nyom.

A good chip has to be fried twice. Once, to cook it, and twice to crispen it. Let me tell you that all the best chippers know that. I think Marco-Pierre White advertises that his chips are thrice fried. I could be wrong on that, but I probably am not.

In any case, there's nothing wrong with frying a potato once you use good oil.

starbelgrade

hullaballoo wrote: »

A good chip has to be fried twice. Once, to cook it, and twice to crispen it.

As a general rule, yes.

However, when you get into the specifics, it depends on a number of factors, ranging from the type of potato used & the thickness of the chip to the freshness of the spud.

And the variants of all these factors means that a general rule is not always the answer to a specific set of factors.

hullaballoo

Well, there's probably just one thing you have to remember when frying spuds and that is that spuds, like humans, are mostly water. Once you can get rid of the water from them, they become very malleable. I would suggest either placing them in an oven at 100C or just squeezing them in a towel. Whatver works for you but to get the crispy chips, you need to get rid of the water.

Makes sense, no?

starbelgrade

I've never squeezed or pre/par-baked spuds to make chips, though I've squeezed them to make boxty or bread.

For large chips, I usually fry them at a lower temperature than the second fry. I have found that par-boiling for a very short time before frying on a top temperature works just as well for new potatoes.

And for "fries" style chips, I just fry them once, but this only works well with really fresh & very floury potato varities.

hullaballoo

Ok, well I suppose that just says that I dislike you're spud-cooking styleee. At the same time though, would you not consider straining your spuds all over her face like? Then you can fry em like there's no tomorrow.

I'll give you a recipe for potato rosti that you'll never look back on. Salt, pepper, potatos and pure cooking skill.

starbelgrade

We need a spud cooking forum.

hullaballoo

That's true because there are soo many spud straining forums, and not a single spud cooking one? What is the world coming to?

I reckon there should even be a forum for different style of spud cooking. That's just me though.

Terry

hullaballoo wrote: »

Well, there's probably just one thing you have to remember when frying spuds and that is that spuds, like humans, are mostly water. Once you can get rid of the water from them, they become very malleable. I would suggest either placing them in an oven at 100C or just squeezing them in a towel. Whatver works for you but to get the crispy chips, you need to get rid of the water.

Makes sense, no?

This is true.
If you mung someone before frying them, then their skin comes out crispier than if you had not munged them.*





*Windsock told me this.

Cheap Thrills!

Duck eggs are gorgeous boiled.....ahhhhh droool !!!! Lucky you NYOM !! :P

mcdoogle

WindSock wrote: »

Nope, happens in Dublin too. There are enough people in the world who will take the chance and happliy take in strangers into their lives, on a mutual agreement that it is a short term arrangement to observe and absorb each others lives for a few hours in exchange for a brief enjoyment in each ones company.

It's called pulling in Coppers. Nice to see there are people out there who appreciate the short term joy of it (before the crushing hangover) as much as I do!

Dudess

Yeah, I think there's WAY too much cynicism - that everyone's out to get you and nobody will do you a good turn etc, based on... possibly the movies sometimes. Just because there are some rude bastards out there doesn't mean there aren't plenty of nice kind folks too.

discus

Dudess wrote: »

Yeah, I think there's WAY too much cynicism - that everyone's out to get you and nobody will do you a good turn etc, based on... possibly the movies sometimes. Just because there are some rude bastards out there doesn't mean there aren't plenty of nice kind folks too.

Amen. Although one time I gave a hitchhiker a lift and he robbed some things from the passenger side door pocket! Went out looking for him afterwards, couldn't find the bastard!!

Sanjuro

All the while I was reading that, I was expecting a) for it to go horribly wrong or b) some sort of twisted joke. Shame that society has driven my brain to think this way. That's right- society. Bastards.

Jaxxy

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

MarkGrisham

starbelgrade wrote: »

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Good man. Glad to hear there's some decent people around.

longshanks

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

the world needs more people like you

mickydoomsux

I'm waiting for some young one to post a thread later on today titled:-

"OMG! Was just horrifically raped by an auld lad who smelled of spuds and duck ****e!'"

Jaxxy

longshanks wrote: »

the world needs more people like you

Honestly doing the opposite did cross my mind for a split second, can't lie, but I know it would have come between me and my sleep had I kept it. Just couldn't do it! Besides, giving it back and hearing what it had been meant for gave me the Christmas warm and fuzzies so maybe it wasn't as selfless an act as it appears to be.

starbelgrade

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Honestly doing the opposite did cross my mind for a split second, can't lie, but I know it would have come between me and my sleep had I kept it. Just couldn't do it! Besides, giving it back and hearing what it had been meant for gave me the Christmas warm and fuzzies so maybe it wasn't as selfless an act as it appears to be.

It was totally normal for the thought to cross your mind, but your actions show more about your character than your thoughts!

Biggins

starbelgrade wrote: »

It was totally normal for the thought to cross your mind, but your actions show more about your character than your thoughts!

Well put and I agree.

Zombienosh

JaxxYChicK wrote: »

Just before Christmas last year I found a bulging purse in a shopping center car park. Inside was over €2,000 in cash as well as the usual cards, receipts etc. Whipped out the phone, rang the bank that had issued the laser card and asked them to get in touch with the customer in question on my behalf.

Got a phone call the next day from a very teary, almost hysterical lady telling me the money in the purse had been a credit union loan for her kids' Santy presents and she'd thought it had been stolen and Christmas had been ruined. She arrived up with her husband to my house armed with wine, flowers and a gift voucher for the shopping center. Wasn't expecting that but was delighted all the same, and we had a great chat over a few festive drinkies. Lovely couple and I'm happy to say we've had many more chats over many drinks since.

Good turns don't always work out, you don't always get anything in return and I wouldn't expect anyone else to return that kind of money to me necessarily, but knowing I did the right thing and Santy came to that house that year would have been more than enough for me.

Great thread!

Beautiful stuff, this thread is great, i need these kinds of posts to restore faith in humanity.

I'd do the same myself and of course you'd have a split second of thought where u imagine what u could do with the money, only to realise the best thing you could do with the money is the right thing.

starbelgrade

I lost a wallet many years ago in Dublin city centre - there was about £600 in it along with my bank card. I presumed that I'd never see it again and put it down to bad luck, but around 6 months later, I got a call from my bank to say that someone had dropped the wallet into the branch & they had it there for me to collect.

I couldn't believe that the money was still in it! The person who left it in had not left any contact details, so I never found out who it was.

So, if you're reading this now, thanks - I spent the money wisely on booze & fags.

Jaxxy

Zombienosh wrote: »

I'd do the same myself and of course you'd have a split second of thought where u imagine what u could do with the money, only to realise the best thing you could do with the money is the right thing.

starbelgrade wrote: »

I couldn't believe that the money was still in it! The person who left it in had not left any contact details, so I never found out who it was.

This is great stuff. And chances are if you've been on the receiving end of a returned wallet/purse you'd do the same and try to get it back to the person it belongs to, because you'd know exactly how it would feel to be in that situation. Sort of like you're paying it forward. It's a nice thought have to say.

Dudess

Ooh this thread is making me feel all happy - wonderful stuff JaxxYChick!

John_Rambo

Pique wrote: »

Only in the sticks....gotta love it !!!

Not really. Saw a dude desperately trying to flag a taxi in Fairview (Dublin) told him to hop in, turns out he was a French chef in a restaurant on the coast, free dinner for me!! I and others have given numerous backpackers lifts.

starbelgrade

John_Rambo wrote: »

Not really. Saw a dude desperately trying to flag a taxi in Fairview (Dublin) told him to hop in, turns out he was a French chef in a restaurant on the coast, free dinner for me!! I and others have given numerous backpackers lifts.

Whenever I can, I give people thumbing it a lift. Got picked up a few times when I was stuck - once after a tyre blow-out on the car, quite a few times when I was younger & travelling around the country & another time when I got stuck out in Wicklow and there was no buses.

The guy who gave me a lift that time told me his name was David Bailey. Hadn't a clue who he was at the time!

So I like to return the favour when I can.

bonerjams03

Found a brand new phone once, just rang the Dad contact and it was collected the next day.

Got a tenner for my troubles, but knowing I did what I would want another to do for me was enough.*


(Had I not got the tenner, maybe I would not have been so philosophical:pac:)

John_Rambo

starbelgrade wrote: »

The guy who gave me a lift that time told me his name was David Bailey.

The photographer?

starbelgrade

John_Rambo wrote: »

The photographer?

Yep - the very one. He said he was a photographer, but I'd never heard of him. I told my brother - who was studying film at the time - when I got home & he went mental!

Donkey Oaty

starbelgrade wrote: »

Yep - the very one. He said he was a photographer, but I'd never heard of him. I told my brother - who was studying film at the time - when I got home & he went mental!

I know how your brother feels. I don't like David Bailey's stuff much either.

Stockings

It works with small stuff too. I've been known to barge through crowds in town in a bad mood and fed up with all the smelly ugly idiots annoying me and getting in my way. Then, I move out of the way of a girl with a buggy or an older person and they give me a big smile to say thanks and all of a sudden the world is much happier!

Dempsey

starbelgrade wrote: »

I was driving home today & passed a man thumbing a lift, so I pulled over & asked him where he was off to. "Just up the road" was the reply, followed by a load of questions like "where do ya live?", "are you married?" and "do you like spuds?"

He also spotted a bucket that I'd just bought, sitting on the back seat & said, "you'll be needing that". (?!?!)

The man - in his late 50's, was a few sheets to the wind, but was a nice old chap. When I drove up to his house, he insisted that I take some potatoes from his garden & proceeded to dig them up - telling me all the while, stories of how his grandad taught him how to grow them, how he made his own compost from nettles, how best to store & cook the spuds and also insisted that I took a few of his duck's eggs home with me too.

So, around half an hour later, I left his house, with a bucket full of spuds, a dozen duck eggs & sorted for the dinner. And I tell ya - the spuds made the nicest chips I've ever had. Absolutely stand-out.

And all that for dropping someone up the road. Not every time you do something nice, you get something in return, but today it happened to me & it gave the evening a nice diversion, a lovely dinner & a nice feeling to be reminded that there are some decent people around every corner of life. Sometimes you just gotta stop to see them.

Biggins wrote: »

Nice one.

We have become so isolated as a generation out of fear, rumours about one another and/or stories over blown by media that just sometimes we would be better taking a step back and re-appraising what was good about the past communities yet again.
For we are clearly losing out in some ways and we are passing that growing losing tradition down to our kids.
...And that would be a shame.

True but hearing all those questions would make me suspicious and reluctant.

I've thumbed lifts (fairly long distance) on several occasions but for some reason now, I'd be reluctant to give one despite being extremely grateful to those who picked me up. I was a student at the time so I suppose I seemed normal to a degree but a quirky 50 year old? hmmm

Cant beat a good spud! :pac: