Mon 6 Jun 2011

British Army Field Rations

Posted by gremlin under History, Life
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I am not too sure what period the following covered (prob in the last 10 years) but they are the Meals-ready-to-eat (MRE or ‘Field Rations’) that are issued to troops in the field who are not near a army canteen or mobile kitchen. There are a number of “menu’s” and which one you get on any given day was pretty much a random lottery from what I remember. Most troops used to hate field rations for a number of reasons: they can’t cook, the limited menu (snacks were pretty much the same and breakfast was almost always some form of meat and beans) and most people usually don’t like something in each menu so swapping a pudding for a tin of sausage-and-beans was common. For me I did not like afters (puddings apart from chocolate ones) and I don’t drink tea so would swap those for a tin of beans and a coffee ration for example.

One thing my father taught me was you needed to “supplement” the rations anyway you can. For me I used to bring a supply of salt, pepper, dried soup, OXO cubes, tomato ketchup and mustard sachets (kind you get in cheap cafe’s) and a plentiful supply of “instant potato” to help “improve” the rations. If the truth be known I actually quite liked Army food. Anyway I digress from the list of menus.

Menu ‘A’
Breakfast: Hamburger & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, chicken & Mushroo & Pasta, Treacle Pudding

Menu ‘B’
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Beef Stew & Dumplings, Choc Pudding in a chocolate sauce.

Menu ‘C’
Breakfast: Chicken Sausage & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Lamb Stew & Potatoes, Fruit Dumplings in a Butterscotch Sauce.

Menu ‘D’
Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Pork Casserole, Treacle Pudding

Menu ‘E’
Breakfast: Bacon & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Lancashire Hotpot, Fruit Dumplings in a Butterscotch Sauce.

Menu ‘F’
Breakfast: Beefburger & Beans
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Meat Pate, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Steak & Veg with potatoe, Rice Pudding.

Menu ‘G’
Breakfast: Meatballs & Pasta in tomato sauce
Snack: Oatmeal block, Fruit Biscuits, Brown Biscuits, Cheese Spread, Choc Bar (2), Boiled Sweets
Main Meal: Soup, Chicken Stew, Choc Pudding in a chocolate sauce.

Daily Drinks and Sundries
You are also issued on a daily basis a number of drinks: powdered chocolate, coffee, tea. You also get vegetable stock, powdered milk, sugar, lemon or orange powder.

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Sun 17 Apr 2011

Updates and Progress

Posted by gremlin under Children, Family, Fatherhood, Maeve, entertainment
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Its been four months since my last post ! and not a lot things have happened and a lot of things have changed. Confused? Well its official Ireland is well in the dumpster at the moment – well what do you expect with a Fianna Fail government and their “whats in it for me and my mates”; But a least we got rid of them and their poodles the green party in the recent election. Fortunately at the moment I am still working – although like many I don’t know how long for.

Maeve is blooming. She had her 3rd birthday in January and because of her love of star-wars her English, Maeve’s English is excellent if a bit eclectic. A three year old using the phrase “Yes my dear” is a bit disconcerting. Maeve is also quite tall for her age and is into 4-5 year old clothes which is quite something for someone who has just turned three.

I took Maeve swimming yesterday in the National Aquatic Pool in Blanchardtown and we have a fantastic time. It was the first time Maeve used water wings and the first time she “swam solo”. Her face was a picture of such excitement, joy and pride and she swam towards me again and again to her squeals of delight. Her smile said everything.

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Mon 20 Dec 2010

Fight for control

Posted by gremlin under Family, Fatherhood, Maeve
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The usual fight for the use of TV, DVD-Player and the various remote controls has reached new hights – our 2.75 year old daughter has figured out how to put a DVD in the DVD player (and remove any already there), turn on the TV and with the remote control press the “play” button when the right screen appears on the TV (which she can already turn on or off).

Whole weekend has been “Star wars” the cartoon series – suits me ;)

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Fri 17 Dec 2010

A Nativity Play

Posted by gremlin under Children, Family, Fatherhood, Maeve, entertainment
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Maeve’s creches nativity play was today – and Maeve had the plum part of “mary”. The best I ever got at the Nativity was one of the three kings with the “Joseph” part going to my arch Nemesis Paul Russell and as you can tell that after 40 years it still rankles me somewhat. Needless to say I took the afternoon off work to attend the play and do a bit of festive shopping too.

At the anointed hour all the proud parents bustled into the room where the play was being held all elbowing for the best position to see their “little star” perform their part in the traditional Christmas play. I have to admit all the kids looked great in the usual towel “Arab” headdress, but the poor little mites were totally confused and frightened by the mob of “paparazzi parents” all elbowing and taking up one end of the room. Needless to say some of the mights (my daughter included) were overcome by the crowd, the low lighting and frequent flashes of camera’s and started to cry – what do you expect with 2-3 year olds.

Maeve started to cry for her daddy and eventually I made my way into the children and gave her a cuddle and sat on a baby chair which helped her somewhat and the play started with carols being sung by the children and the traditional nativity story told – punctuated by frequent sobs and crying.

2010-12-17

All in all we all enjoyed it and Maeve enjoyed the dressing up and singing. The creche staff said she knew the whole play – words, songs and “the role” perfectly and I am sure that is the truth. Maeve even continued singing “Jingle Bells” all the way home.

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Sat 11 Dec 2010

Third Party Empathy and Emotional Understanding

Posted by gremlin under Children, Family, Fatherhood, Maeve
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Its a rather wordy title but accurate in light of events. Maeve and I had a “Star Wars” (Cartoon series) evening whilst her mom was out attending her companies Christmas party. We both like the series – but for different reasons probably – but I was interested to note Maeve emotional state and reactions to one of the cartoons plot lines. Over a couple of episodes the Sith Lord arranges a bounty hunter to steal a list of “force away” children from which the bounty hunter is to select and steal a few babies with which the Sith Lord will use so subjugate the galaxy. When the bounty hunter stole the babies (<2 years old) they reached back to their parents and cried. Soon after Maeve became very with-drawn, clingy and on the edge of tears. "Whats wrong" I said - obviously concerned at my daughters change in mood. "Those babies want to be back with their mommies" Maeve sad; "They should not be taken away - bad Man" she continued and was very down till the end of the next episode when they were saved and taken back to "their mommies".

What startled me was that you could see from her reactions that:

  1. The babies were being taken away from their parents against their will.
  2. That the babies were going to be very sad because of this.
  3. The man who took them away was a “bad man” for doing this.
  4. She said someone should “stop the man” from taking the babies away from their parents.
  5. She understood she did not want that to happen to her – hence the clingy behavior.

It is plain to see that Maeve understood the emotional stresses and strains of what was happening in the scenes and extrapolating the emotional consequences of taking a child from their parent and applying it to herself (and visa versa) – all in all an interesting thing to note in ones 2.75 year old daughter.

That said, we really enjoyed a Father-Daughter evening watching 8 episodes of a series we both enjoy; And the same thing is going to happen this evening.

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