It's finally cool enough to put the SnuggleSafes under the cushions in the cat beds. Yay.
2008-10-19
Coffee Snob in the Making? (probably not but...)
I guess since SquirrelBoy got one I'll be a lemur and chime in.
Several years ago my friend Sam told me about Keurig. I had a Senseo and was content. I made my own pods for the most part. I kept watching the Keurig, Senso, and other single serve brewer news over at SingleServeCoffee.com. Even though I really liked the coffee the Senseo makes and the crema-like layer it would put on top, I was constantly lured to the variety of K-cups available.
A few weeks ago I got one of the Keurig brewers from Costco. I'm pretty pleased with it. (It's still all Sam's fault.)
Most coffee pods are in bags of 18 or so. Once you open the bag, you've opened them all. Then I feel committed to use that bag before opening others. Each K-cup is sealed until you put it in the machine and brew it. So I can buy a few boxes of a bunch of different coffees and brew whichever one I happen to feel like drinking at the time. It's like being as the Baskin-Robbins of coffeedom.
Here we are with some Gloria Jeans Cappuccino flavored cofeee.
I think I had underestimated the ease of use of the Keurig. The Senseo was not hard to use by any means but it did require a little more rinsing and wiping etc. With the Keurig you just drop the K-cup in, close the lid and push a button. When the coffee is done about a minute later, just open the top and remove the K-cup. Done. Good decent coffee with little fuss.
I've been able to find K-cups for $0.25-$0.44 each. That's a bit pricey compared to just brewing a pot from ground beans but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a crappy cup of coffee somewhere. I also think I wasted more coffee by brewing a pot of 6 cups etc. when all I really wanted was one big mug.
It also comes with a "My K-cup" thingy that basically contains a reusable filter basket you can fill with your own coffee. So when I just want a cup of Chock Full O' Nuts (so much for being a coffee snob now) I can brew one up. There are also things out there like the K-cap that will let you reuse K-cups.
Now that SquirrelBoy has a Keurig too, it should be easier to hit the minimum order needed to qualify for free shipping and help keep prices down. Yay :)
Several years ago my friend Sam told me about Keurig. I had a Senseo and was content. I made my own pods for the most part. I kept watching the Keurig, Senso, and other single serve brewer news over at SingleServeCoffee.com. Even though I really liked the coffee the Senseo makes and the crema-like layer it would put on top, I was constantly lured to the variety of K-cups available.
A few weeks ago I got one of the Keurig brewers from Costco. I'm pretty pleased with it. (It's still all Sam's fault.)
Most coffee pods are in bags of 18 or so. Once you open the bag, you've opened them all. Then I feel committed to use that bag before opening others. Each K-cup is sealed until you put it in the machine and brew it. So I can buy a few boxes of a bunch of different coffees and brew whichever one I happen to feel like drinking at the time. It's like being as the Baskin-Robbins of coffeedom.
Here we are with some Gloria Jeans Cappuccino flavored cofeee.
I think I had underestimated the ease of use of the Keurig. The Senseo was not hard to use by any means but it did require a little more rinsing and wiping etc. With the Keurig you just drop the K-cup in, close the lid and push a button. When the coffee is done about a minute later, just open the top and remove the K-cup. Done. Good decent coffee with little fuss.
I've been able to find K-cups for $0.25-$0.44 each. That's a bit pricey compared to just brewing a pot from ground beans but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than buying a crappy cup of coffee somewhere. I also think I wasted more coffee by brewing a pot of 6 cups etc. when all I really wanted was one big mug.
It also comes with a "My K-cup" thingy that basically contains a reusable filter basket you can fill with your own coffee. So when I just want a cup of Chock Full O' Nuts (so much for being a coffee snob now) I can brew one up. There are also things out there like the K-cap that will let you reuse K-cups.
Now that SquirrelBoy has a Keurig too, it should be easier to hit the minimum order needed to qualify for free shipping and help keep prices down. Yay :)
2008-10-16
Not Cool
We've been having a lot of trouble with the AC freezing up any time the outside temperature isn't insanely hot. We've fixed coolant leaks, charged the system and it's still not happy.
This is all the crap Walt scraped off my evaporator coil this afternoon. I'm guessing that's probably 15 years worth... or possibly 30 if they didn't clean it when they replaced the furnace.
Above is how the coil looked after scraping the dry crap off. It then got a nice coat of cleaner/foam and was closed back up. The condensate ran brown afterward. I'd have to say this must help.
It's running now. We'll wait for the sun to go down and see how it does.
This is all the crap Walt scraped off my evaporator coil this afternoon. I'm guessing that's probably 15 years worth... or possibly 30 if they didn't clean it when they replaced the furnace.
Above is how the coil looked after scraping the dry crap off. It then got a nice coat of cleaner/foam and was closed back up. The condensate ran brown afterward. I'd have to say this must help.
It's running now. We'll wait for the sun to go down and see how it does.
2008-10-09
The Ultimate Solitaire
I was talking to one of my coworkers about archive.org and the wayback machine and it go me searching for myself in the past. Well... I stuck "Elrod Montana" (uh huh... a way-old BBS name... stop laughing...) in google and it actually turned up something: ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/games/board/solitaire.dsk.gz
I had completely forgotten about Dan's version of Solitaire for the Apple //e that I had wrapped some happy graphics around and out on The BBS to share with the Apple ][ world.
I still have my //e and can see it from here. I probably still have the original disk too. However it was easier to go find an emulator and boot it up here on the Mac.
Whoa... all the wild scrolling begins.
Yep. That's it. 7C2... we were really geeks back in high school.
It was pretty good solitaire for the Apple ][ too... I wonder how many people ever had their monitors on their sides to play it?
(The emulator software I found called Virtual ][ is really nice. I'm not sure if I want to pay $30 or just take my Apple //e down off the shelf though.)
Thanks W.J.T.!!!
I had completely forgotten about Dan's version of Solitaire for the Apple //e that I had wrapped some happy graphics around and out on The BBS to share with the Apple ][ world.
I still have my //e and can see it from here. I probably still have the original disk too. However it was easier to go find an emulator and boot it up here on the Mac.
Whoa... all the wild scrolling begins.
Yep. That's it. 7C2... we were really geeks back in high school.
It was pretty good solitaire for the Apple ][ too... I wonder how many people ever had their monitors on their sides to play it?
(The emulator software I found called Virtual ][ is really nice. I'm not sure if I want to pay $30 or just take my Apple //e down off the shelf though.)
Thanks W.J.T.!!!
2008-10-08
2008-10-01
2008-09-26
2008-09-18
In Search of Falernum & The Bitter Truth
A week or so ago I was out and about in search of a new bottle of falernum as my trusty bottle of Sazerac Co. falernum was just about out. I had a hard time locating much of anything and a few searched of the internet indicates the the Sazaerac Co. quit producing it a few years ago. UGH!
I finally located some Fee Brothers falernum down near Decatur at Toco Giant. The Fee Brothers stuff is pretty good. It doesn't quite have the same level of "tang" and crispness that the Sazerac falernum has but it's very close. The basic spiciness of the falernum is all there. One notable difference is that the Sazerac falernum contained 5% alcohol and the Fee Brothers falernum is non-alcoholic. Perhaps the alcohol in the Sazerac version helped free more alcohol soluable compounds from the spices it was made from. The world may never know.
In any case, pick up some Fee's falernum if you see it somewhere. Not only is it good for tiki-drinks it's great on fresh fruit salad (plus the acidity will help prevent browing) and is actually nice on some vanilla ice cream. Or do what you're supposed to:
Next to the falernum I also found a bunch of different Fee Brothers bitters. I'd bought a bottle of their orange bitters a while back and it was good so this time I picked up a bottle of their old fashioned bitters and peach bitters as well. The old fashioned bitters is a bit like Angostura bitters but with maybe a bit more sweetness and perhaps a touch of cinnamon. The peach bitters is also a bit sweeter, pretty peachy, lighter on the spices and very light in color. I'm actually enjoying bitters a lot with just a few drops (5-6) in a tall glass of 7-UP (or diet Publix lemon lime) soda. Bitters are kind of like Mrs. Dash for the beverage world. Pick up a bottle when you find some and give them a try. If you hate it, give it to me and I'll find it a home. If you like it, tell me about it. :)
BTW... if someone locates Angostura Orange Bitters somewhere near Atlanta please let me know where you found it. I've read good things but can't find it around here.
I finally located some Fee Brothers falernum down near Decatur at Toco Giant. The Fee Brothers stuff is pretty good. It doesn't quite have the same level of "tang" and crispness that the Sazerac falernum has but it's very close. The basic spiciness of the falernum is all there. One notable difference is that the Sazerac falernum contained 5% alcohol and the Fee Brothers falernum is non-alcoholic. Perhaps the alcohol in the Sazerac version helped free more alcohol soluable compounds from the spices it was made from. The world may never know.
In any case, pick up some Fee's falernum if you see it somewhere. Not only is it good for tiki-drinks it's great on fresh fruit salad (plus the acidity will help prevent browing) and is actually nice on some vanilla ice cream. Or do what you're supposed to:
Daiquri Cocktail (as found on the Sazerac Falernum bottle)(I suggest Appleton Gold or a Mount Gay Barbados Rum... something with some color and flavor.)
Juice 1/2 Lime (or lemon)
1 1/2 oz Rum
cracked ice
1 tablespoon falernum
Shake until frothy. Strain into cocktail glass.
Next to the falernum I also found a bunch of different Fee Brothers bitters. I'd bought a bottle of their orange bitters a while back and it was good so this time I picked up a bottle of their old fashioned bitters and peach bitters as well. The old fashioned bitters is a bit like Angostura bitters but with maybe a bit more sweetness and perhaps a touch of cinnamon. The peach bitters is also a bit sweeter, pretty peachy, lighter on the spices and very light in color. I'm actually enjoying bitters a lot with just a few drops (5-6) in a tall glass of 7-UP (or diet Publix lemon lime) soda. Bitters are kind of like Mrs. Dash for the beverage world. Pick up a bottle when you find some and give them a try. If you hate it, give it to me and I'll find it a home. If you like it, tell me about it. :)
BTW... if someone locates Angostura Orange Bitters somewhere near Atlanta please let me know where you found it. I've read good things but can't find it around here.
2008-09-11
Name this drink!
I just made a really yummy cocktail to finish off the day. I don't have a name for it (but I like it a lot). Now is your chance to suggest something. Here's how you make one:
What would you call it? Better, yet, make one and then make a suggestion. I'll wait about a week to see what people come up with. Please post your suggestions as a comment.
Unknown Cocktail
- Juice of one lime
- 3 oz orange juice
- 1/2 oz grenadine
- 1/2 oz simple syrup
- 1/4 oz Stirrings Blood Orange Bitters
- 1 1/2 oz Cruzan Estate Dark Rum (really more of a gold rum)
- 1/2 oz Cruzan Black Strap Rum
Mix well and serve over ice.
Good times.
What would you call it? Better, yet, make one and then make a suggestion. I'll wait about a week to see what people come up with. Please post your suggestions as a comment.
2008-09-08
New Lappy
I've been wanting one of the tiny little netbooks for a while now. I enjoy my Nokia n800 but without a regular keyboard and pointing device it just doesn't replace a full hands-on computer.
I gave in this weekend:
Meet the Acer Aspire One. I'd been looking at the the Acer and the ASUS eee, while waiting for Dell to get their new machine out. Dell's new Inspirion Mini 9 was very tempting (and probably more upgradeable) but for the price right now, the Aspire One seems like a good entry point into the world of tiny netbooks.
It has 1G of RAM, 120G HD, Windows XP and built-in WiFi. It runs Firefox just fine and handles streaming video with SlingPlayer without and issues (Yes, I can now watch NASCAR in the kitchen while preparing a compound butter.) It's also fully WeeWar compatible.
It's small, light and easy to throw in my bag with my work laptop or throw in another bag to drag around without the poundage of the work laptop. The battery life is pretty limited but I usually don't stray too far from power sources. I wish the power adapter was a bit smaller though.
I gave in this weekend:
Meet the Acer Aspire One. I'd been looking at the the Acer and the ASUS eee, while waiting for Dell to get their new machine out. Dell's new Inspirion Mini 9 was very tempting (and probably more upgradeable) but for the price right now, the Aspire One seems like a good entry point into the world of tiny netbooks.
It has 1G of RAM, 120G HD, Windows XP and built-in WiFi. It runs Firefox just fine and handles streaming video with SlingPlayer without and issues (Yes, I can now watch NASCAR in the kitchen while preparing a compound butter.) It's also fully WeeWar compatible.
It's small, light and easy to throw in my bag with my work laptop or throw in another bag to drag around without the poundage of the work laptop. The battery life is pretty limited but I usually don't stray too far from power sources. I wish the power adapter was a bit smaller though.
2008-09-06
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