Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Squaddie Tea

Putting the kettle on is always the first thing I do when I wake up.
This morning I got up after being at work until 0230, stagger downstairs to start my brew up.
Tea canister is empty. Stagger to pantry to get the rest of the box.
No box.
Start searching behind things in pantry.
Still no box.
Start going through the kitchen hoping to find a bag of Tim Horton's tea (sometimes when you get a large they only put one bag in and leave the other on top. After questioning their sanity I put the extra in my pocket for emergencies such as this morning).
Nothing!
My daughter's"English Toffee Pu'erh" "Mint Refresher" and " Blackberry Mango" aren't going to do the job.
Then I find two nondescript little foil packets with "Tea. Instant." printed upon them.
They were from a British army ration pack that my friend the Mad Padre had gotten during his posting to CFB Suffield where the British maintain a big Mechanized Brigade training centre. He had passed them to me as a curiosity.
Into my mug poured a deceptively tiny amount of brown powder.
But the results were Not That Bad. I'm sure if cold and wet after sleeping in a slit trench or the back of a Warrior it would taste pretty darn good at Zero Dark Thirty.
So sanity restored until Daughter No. 2 got home with a big box of Yorkshire.
Although there was some panic and angst this morning, I'm proud to say that there were no actual tears.

9 comments:

  1. I feel your pain! I must have a kettle of King Cole tea!That or Red Rose

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  2. I was wondering what was missing this morning - kettle now on.

    My uncle was Royal Engineers and was also posted to Suffield back in the 80's. He left us a 10 man ration pack with one teabag in it. That one bag was enough to make several gallons of tea though. ;)

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  3. Oh the humanity! :O British Army rations came through when needed, though. Yes, going without tea is a sore trial for me also.

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  4. If I don't get my Yorkshire Gold, I start biting my toenails.

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    2. Yorkshire Gold is fantastic! I hint that it'd be a find Christmas present for me.

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  5. After too many years in the Civil Service (MoD if the answer isn't tea it's a bloody silly question.

    Fatman

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