I bought a slow cooker
and I've cut up a load of meat and veg and stuck it in with stock and everything else I could think of. I've got the afternoon off so I can check it then. Unexplored territory for me!

That's my make up your own main question.

altQ: I guess the gym changing room doesn't count. So no, except in those really horrible dreams.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:36, 3 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I thought you had to start the cooking in a normal pot and then transfer it to the slow cooker.
I have a feeling you are going to be eating warm botulism this evening.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:38, Reply)

Surely that defeats the object of a slow cooker?
As I understood it, you bung everything in there in the morning, go to work, come home to delicious tea.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:41, Reply)

The heating element is only about 100W, and in some cases is a lightbulb.
You get it boiling and then sling it in the slow cooker. The tiny heat keeps it just simmering.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:43, Reply)

fair enough
I don't actually know anything about them.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:49, Reply)

That's not true
You get it proper boiling, but it takes time, and you shouldn't open the lid often. Usually it has two settings, the strong one at the beginning if you're in a rush, and once it starts boiling, you can put it down.

I use it all the time, it does boil. And I'm not dead.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:15, Reply)

Thanks, slow cookers have improved since I had one then.

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:18, Reply)

I love mine
and food tastes soooooo good.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:35, Reply)

Depends on how hot the slow cooker gets
If it's 70° or above, then it should kill most bugs, I think. And I can't really see it being much less than 90°C.

But I'm willing to be corrected.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:41, Reply)

I know you are smart K2k6, but the problem is getting it up to that temperature.
The heat energy is barely enough to maintain temperature against the heat losses.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:47, Reply)

Oh I see
I've never used a slow cooker, so didn't know the mechanics of it.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:48, Reply)

I guess if TLIC is posting tomorrow, he can tell us if he is shitting his ring or not.
He's gone very quiet, even now.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:50, Reply)

Botulism kills quickly...

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:51, Reply)

Should we start a collection for some flowers or something?

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:53, Reply)

*buys wreath*

( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:56, Reply)

*forgets to chip in*

( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:13, Reply)

I was travelling to work
Most things said just to bung it all in. Certainly not to have it boiling first.

I'm worried now.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:18, Reply)

Aberracion will take responsibility for your death so get cooking
Perhaps try something without meat first.
( Bartleby A dead man on vacation, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:22, Reply)

Just give it plenty of time
Don't expect it to be ready in less than 4-5h. Mine usually starts boiling after 2h, although I use boiling water some times, if I'm on a rush. If you can, let it cook overnight, while you sleep. Lunch will be so nice.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:51, Reply)

Too late!
But I'm going to freeze most of it so I'll just have a small portion and see how I feel.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:54, Reply)

I hate gym changing rooms
it always seems to be really fat hairy women who like to spend as much time naked as possible and they sit on the benches with their legs apart, lifting up their gargantuan breasts to dry underneath them, it's horrific.

I was getting changed once and the cleaner noticed I dropped my membership card and picked it up for me, then she started chatting to me and was standing closer than normal people do, whilst I was trying to get out of my bikini without flashing her.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:40, Reply)

A German colleague of mine
once expressed surprise that when she went swimming there were so many women (primarily the young, fit ones) who would do their best to cover up in the changing rooms. This struck her as odd, as Germans seem to have no hang ups about this sort of thing at all.

Edit - the cleaner obviously wanted to have a good close look at your tits.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:44, Reply)

Sometimes I wish we didn't have such an embarrassment over nudity
but it would have to be a mass revolution, otherwise I would just become the person who everyone was uncomfortable around because of my brazen nudity.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:51, Reply)

I'm not uncomfortable with other people's nudity
and I like wandering round in the buff myself. I'm just not sure I want to put the two together just yet!

Changing rooms are an odd exception. I've found myself in the nude having a conversation about science with an equally naked colleague without discomfort.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:54, Reply)

There was a programme a bit ago about a load of people going to work naked
I do NOT want to see my colleagues naked. Well, maybe the office junior, she's pretty hot.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:59, Reply)

I imagine it would make for a pretty awkward working environment
And would possibly result in little work getting done.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:02, Reply)

I would just be really cold. I'm cold now.
A woman has just returned from maternity leave and she always insists on having the fucking window open, even if it's winter. I want to say to her "you're only warm because you're so fucking fat!"
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:04, Reply)

Lucky you
My office is at over 30°C most of the time because the heating's knackered and is stuck on full blast. Were it not for the social acceptance factor, I'd be more comfortable working unclothed.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:06, Reply)

Is this the one that you thought might steal your desk?
If so, did she steal your desk?
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:08, Reply)

haha yes that's her
she tried. She said "I want that desk back" so I made out like it was a huge hassle to move and made out like she wouldn't like this one because the sun shines right onto you and makes you really warm. She said I can stay here for a while until she's 'decided' which desk she wants. Hmph.

I was out of the office yesterday morning and I was worried she would steal it when I wasn't there so I made it really uninhabitable. I put loads of really heavy boxes that she wouldn't be able to lift around it, I left loads of papers lying all over it and I moved the shelf so it created a tiny gap to get through, which I can fit through but she can't even get an arm through. I'm so passive aggressive :D
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:17, Reply)

I like your moxy, kid
You make sure to keep up the good fight/petty desk-based fight.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:19, Reply)

Petty fighting gets me through the day
When she was away she had all her emails forwarded to me. Since returning she has forgotten to turn this off. I haven't said anything yet. The longer I leave it the more trouble I'll be in for not saying anything, do you reckon I should?
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:28, Reply)

But the longer you leave it
The more fun you could have too...
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:30, Reply)

exactly
I could find out some juicy information if I leave it, but I could also get really bollocked for it.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:35, Reply)

It's a fairly serious breach of privacy
Flag it now.
( Labia Majora You keep on talking but it makes no sense at all, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:36, Reply)

dammit.
fine. You're right, I know.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:44, Reply)

only if she's using her work email for personal use
which you're probably cautioned against in the email and internet policy for your company.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:59, Reply)

well she's now taken over again as the practice manager
so she could be having private email discussions with the partners about things like people's jobs and stuff so it is pretty naughty of me.

She's doing my head in, she's only been back 2 days and she's already bossing me around, forgetting that I've done her job for a whole year by myself.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 10:14, Reply)

probably just insecure about her job
Now that you've shown she's not indispensable.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 10:25, Reply)

There's only one or two around here I'd like to see in the nude
The rest are male, old, ugly or combinations of the preceding.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:03, Reply)

Invasion of personal space while mostly naked
Lovely. Yet another reason to avoid gyms.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:44, Reply)

yeah, also the crippling exercise

( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:49, Reply)

Damn that exercise
I still mock people who drive to a gym, then do nothing but go on the treadmill.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:56, Reply)

I always wonder about exercise bikes
Why not just buy a proper bike and get out on country roads with it? Assuming you're not a townie, that is.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 8:57, Reply)

I can't do the exercise bikes, I get tired within minutes
but if I'm doing real cycling I can go for ages, plus the up hill down dale thing is much better exercise.

Running scares me, with all the joint pounding, I worry it'll ruin my knees and ankles. I liked the cross trainer though. There are also those weird machines where you stand on the two paddles that move independently from each other and it kind of looks like you're skiing. I can't work those either, I can't get the rhythm right so I just end up spending the whole time trying not to lose my legs out from under me.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:02, Reply)

I can't do running really
As my knees start to get sore after not very far. Plus you get somewhere far quicker with a bike.
(PenguinOfDeath is Scottish, and most likely angry, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:04, Reply)

Oh, that's what a cross trainer is!
I've never been to a gym. I prefer swimming as my form of exercise.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:04, Reply)

the skiing thing isn't the cross trainer,
although I suppose it is a bit like skiing as well, so my description is rubbish. The skiing one I was describing goes out to the sides rather than forward in an elliptical motion. It's supposed to tone your ass, but I just can't work it.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:20, Reply)

Imagine you're at glastonbury
wading through shin-deep mud. I think that's how ypu're supposed to do it, I know those women you sometimes see doing it really fast are doing it wrong.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 10:02, Reply)

really?
there was a bird in my old gym that used to do it lightning fast for the whole time I was there, she was always sweating buckets. I thought she must be hardcore.
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 10:15, Reply)

compare with slow sit-ups and fast sit-ups
slow ones are much harder so you end up doing the same amount of exercise for a given time. But doing it superfast makes you more injury prone.

Aim for a solid slog.
( The Light in Chains don't touch the Pope's boner, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 10:28, Reply)

oh yeah that's true
I do slow ab crunches, they're way more difficult. And the bastard plank. IT WILL NOT DEFEAT ME!
( Kitty v1.0 desperately naive, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 11:01, Reply)

I got bored as fuck in the gym
yet find swimming clears my mind and I can just concentrate on technique without getting bored.

gyms are full of wankers anyway. or if not, you perceive that they are wankers so they may as well be.
( Vipros. clever got me this far, then tricky got me in, Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:51, Reply)

I love my slow cooker
Just throw everything in, and go to do something else. When you come back, food is ready and delicious.
(Aberracion Life's getting very complicated, but a lot of fun., Wed 18 Aug 2010, 9:13, Reply)