I've thought a lot about my espresso grinding situation. I quickly ruled out taking a cup full of beans to the store every day. It's ten minutes each way and my '91 Plymouth is a "must go" car. I do not drive it unless I must, go. It would take too long. If I don't get that first caffeine by 7:30 a.m. I get cranky.
Younger Daughter Rebecca wrote I would be giving up freshness if I had them grind a pound at a time. Nephew Ralph wrote about his burr grinder and how well it works. Anyone that still uses a percolator has got to be a serious coffee drinker. Avie lives in Costa Rica and could probably walk out her back door and pick coffee beans off the plants. Andi is a tea drinker so she was no help at all.
Just as I was set on having the store do the grinding Wanda called with a suggestion. She found a Cuisinart, odd.....it's not spelled with a Q. I thought it was pronounced Q's-in-art.....burr grinder just under $100. It had mostly great reviews. We're ordering one later today.
Do you spend much time reading reviews? An item can get ninety-nine glowing reports but always someone hates it. Usually because they didn't read the instructions properly or it didn't last as long as they thought it should. One guy was bitching about the grinder.
"It stopped working before the warranty expired. I thought it (the warranty) was longer so didn't get around to calling them right away. By the time I did it was too late. They wouldn't make it right. I'm too young to remember when 'things were made to last.' Now no one stands behind their product."
It's their fault you waiting too long? Jerk.
And I'm old enough to remember when people took responsibility for their actions.
I saw this a few days ago.
Dirty Secrets: What's under the front lawn?
I've mentioned I love "Shameless" so my first thought was Aunt Ginger. See, Frank planted her in the backyard and cashed her pension checks for fourteen years. But, this was an actual real estate help page. I'm fairly certain most home owners had a basic awareness of all this. But, you never know?
1. Sewer line: A sewer line carries plumbing waste away from the house. No Shit! According to the article this line has the most potential for trouble. Right here I could include an old joke about Indian Chief Bowels and his move, but I'll refrain. Tree roots can be big problems once they invade pipes. Once roots invade a pipe they suck up water and grow inside the pipe until it bursts. I buy bottled water and trees drink from sewers, who knew? If trouble is suspected, a-tiny camera can be sent through the pipe to locate the problem. The camera and photographer are available nights and week ends for weddings and bar mitzvahs.
2. Gas line: Don't get cute with the sewer line and gas. A gas line transports natural gas into the house. A problem here can be very dangerous. If you smell gas do not light a match. Back when I was married to the bad spouse I had too much to drink at a party and she drove home. I fell asleep on the way and woke up alone, in the car, in the garage, and the engine was running.
3. Water line: A water line is a pipe that brings water into the house. Are you starting to get the feeling this was written for imbeciles? We had shut off valves installed on both lines coming into the house. Before that I had to go next door near the sidewalk, lift a cement cover, reach in a spider infested box and turn a round 'turner-thing.' Our cruise before last I turned off the water coming into the garage. We got home, forgot, started a load of laundry and our semi-new computerized low flow washer went nuts. Next cruise I put a big sign over it.....WATER IS OFF.
4. Power line: Power lines transmit electricity. These lines can be buried or overhead. This guide says underground lines experience fewer outages due to high winds or lightning and reduce the need to trim trees. But underground service is more costly to repair and is susceptible to uprooted trees, tree roots, flying debris from severe weather, flooding, and tidal surges. I have a problem with "flying debris." How does that get underground? There's a house a few blocks from here that was built directly under those big towers and electric lines. It's a rental and every six months a new family is in it. This last one has been around much longer. They walk around with tin foil hats on their heads. Guess that helps?
Great news: Gas Prices Are Coming Down. The national average of regular gas was $3.63 on Monday. That's 13 cents lower than the average price on March 1 and 30 cents lower than April 1, 2012.
I'm happy gas prices are down. It's a Hell of a lot better than the alternative. But, how high should I jump for joy? In California the average gas price is $4.01. We usually buy gas at Costco, it's currently $3.73. There are still a few stations in the L.A. area charging just over $5.00 a gallon, nuts right?
I really need to psych myself up when we fill up our gas tank. I tell myself not to get aggravated, it is what it is. When someone in a refinery sneezes too loud its an issue and prices rise. Just why should we take gas hikes with resolve and celebrate lower prices with glee? Sorry, just can't do it.
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