WANTED - 2-Group Commercial Espresso Machine

Can't count the number of times I've used the term "melt-down" without thinking about the literal meaning. Well I'm THINKING ABOUT IT NOW!

This morning I entered the shop to find that the pump went out, the boiler on the espresso machine went dry, & the whole bloody thing melted down into a fused pile of plastic & metal. The pump had been giving me hints, leaking & making more noise than it should. I should have listened. I should have dealt with that right away. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. Well I procrastinated & the result was a lesson in what TOTAL MELTDOWN really means.

I know, I know. I'm lucky it didn't catch fire & burn the building down. As a customer of mine just pointed out, this is my lucky day. I should go buy a lottery ticket. I'll feel much luckier, though, when I can replace my beloved espresso machine & start pulling shots again. Guess I'll have to replace at least one of my shot glasses, as it was sucked down into the melting plastic & is now a permanent part of my very own cautionary sculpture.

My life is a series of lessons learned the hard way, and apparently my lesson for the day is to avoid procrastinating when things mechanical are involved. It's a hard lesson. No Caramel-Vanilla Latte for me today. (Sad Face).

Catching Up

Today is a lovely, soft, rainy day in the Pacific Northwest & perfect for catching up on things. Also perfect for a nap, however, and if I weren't at the book shop today I'd be indulging in sleep.

Funny how just getting up one hour earlier can make me feel so sleep-deprived. So are you as tired as I am of gaining & losing & gaining & losing that arbitrary hour twice a year? Anyone out there want to sponsor an initiative on the ballot REMOVING Daylight Savings time in Oregon? I would be most happy to support that effort.

We are (for the most part) NOT an agrarian culture and we no longer need that extra hour - if we actually ever did (doubtful). Federal law doesn't require us to observe DST. Arizona, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa do not observe DST. They are on "standard time" all year long.

So why are we setting our clocks back & forward twice a year? No, never mind. Don't tell me. I don't care why, I just want it to GO AWAY. After all, I'm confused enough. I don't need time to stand still, but I do need a little consistency. If I want to get up an hour early to gain a little daylight I can set the alarm a for little earlier. I don't need everyone in the state to roll out of bed early just because I want to get a head start on my gardening. And I don't. The weeds will still be there.