Home Is Possible

Fixing Silvia

July 3rd, 2008

We’ve had our Rancilio Silvia for more than six years now. One morning, recently, we powered her on like normal, but the water never came up to temperature. All of the other functions seemed intact; we could dispense water, even steam. I did my best to find a solution on the internet, but everything I saw suggested the repairs would cost more than a new unit. I spoke with a local dealer who also seemed to think the issue was likely to cost hundreds of dollars.

Resigned to this course, I began researching prices for a replacement. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t manage to get a replacement unit for less than $600 delivered. I was not interested in spending $600 dollars when almost everything worked. I dug deeper, and found that the unit had a reset switch. Hope rekindled, I tore Silvia apart to find the reset switch. I found and pressed the switch, but it wouldn’t go in. Sadly, that was not the solution.

With my head hung low, I searched again and found this page. I found the two thermastats for sale at espressoparts.com and after $38 (shipping included) and three days of travel time, the parts arrived. I replaced the two thermastats, and plugged Silvia back in and powered her on. After thirty minutes of warming up, we had our first cup of espresso from Silvia in several months.

Moments after fixing Silvia, we were hit by another disaster. Our Rancilio Rocky’s doser failed. This morning I made a couple of cappuccinos and took Rocky apart. I cleaned him up as best I could and found the broken portion of the doser. I went back to espressoparts.com and ordered the replacements for it. Six years of use and $70 of replacement parts will probably get us another six years of use. We definitely got our money’s worth on these units.

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I Wish I Had Some Martian Ice

June 20th, 2008

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Ice on Mars!

June 19th, 2008

Yes folks, ice on Mars. From water. Whee!

http://phoenix.lpl.arizona.edu/

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The Phoenix Has Landed!

May 26th, 2008

Yesterday was spent watching NASA TV, reading the Mars Phoenix twitter feed, and watching the clock. We landed on Mars again! Go Earth!! (We’re now tied with the Martians — let’s see if we can’t start winning now).

The pictures are amazing. The landing was spectacular — it was basically flawless. There’s even a picture of the lander parachuting down to the Martian surface, thanks to the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

Thanks to Tivo, I could pause NASA TV a lot and explain what was going on to my son. Yay!

Now, I’d say my biggest issue with the whole mission is they make it all about “Life on Mars” (or past life on Mars) and I really don’t agree with their astrobiologists about what life requires or what evidence of life looks like. Their definition is very anthropocentric, and I do fear they will miss really unique, weird life because they’re looking for something that looks too much like us. I guess the best example I can give is that they’re looking for amino acids — as if that’s the only way a lifeform in the universe would possibly be built.

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Recent Quotes

May 13th, 2008

Boy, playing Harry Potter: My parents were murdered by Voldemort, and I got this lightning scar!
(Maybe you had to be there, but it reminded me so much of those “My parents went to X and all I got was this lousy T-shirt” shirts.)

Girl, playing with molecule kit: Hydrogen, where are you? Where’d you go, hydrogen?
(Of course, she says it more like “High-gen”.

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Stick Figures in Peril!

May 1st, 2008

Flickr Pool of imperiled stick figures.

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Today’s Geek Cartoon

April 23rd, 2008

Apparently this is a good week for geeky cartoons that amuse me.

theIcons at monkeyPi

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A Being of Indescribable Power

April 22nd, 2008

Today is brought to you by the Penny Arcade.

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Girl and the Watermelon

April 13th, 2008

“No, we don’t use toys as a melonballer”

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Baby’s First Story

April 4th, 2008

A few days ago (sorry about that downtime) the baby told me her very first story. I’ll need to paraphrase, and you don’t get the benefit of the hand gestures, but it was cute.

The story was about a spider falling down from the ceiling and going “whap-boom!” as it fell on her head. Then it was on her head for a while (I didn’t understand most of this part) but eventually she told me she put it in the trashcan.

Okay, granted, it’s quite possible she didn’t make this story up, but I think she did. Anyway, it’s cute.

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Bye Bye Milk

March 11th, 2008

Oh, I miss you already. But you had to go. We’ve had such a turbulent relationship! But you have to go again. Because apparently, you are the source of the horrible sinus headaches and sinus pain I’ve had for the past several years. In the past, I knew I was allergic to you, but I thought we’d gotten over that 15 years ago, when I brought you back into my life. But no, you’re still an allergen for me.

So goodbye, milk. Bye, cheese. Bye tasty, tasty, scrumptious cream.

I’m going back to the arms of soymilk. But I’ll never forget you, milk. Never. Maybe we can get back together another time, when I’m not constantly surrounded by cedar, juniper, and eucalyptus.

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Baby’s new dress

March 5th, 2008

So here’s a photo of the baby’s new dress that I made her. Unfortunately, it doesn’t fit her. She wouldn’t stand still to let measure her, so I just picked “size 2″, figuring she could grow into it this summer if it was too big. (She typically wears size 18 months, so I figured 2 would work). No. So I made “size 1″ hoping it wouldn’t be too small.

Well, that’s the oversized dress in the picture. She now has two dresses that are too big for her. I’m not in the mood to make this dress again. But the poor little thing loves dresses and needs dresses! Pants always fall off her waist, or they aren’t long enough. (Or they are right in the waist but don’t leave enough room for the rest of her tall, thin anatomy).

Plus, she’s already interested in the potty and talking about her bodily functions, and dresses make potty training that much easier.

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On Bread and Honey Butter

February 19th, 2008

Me: So, you really like bread and honey butter, huh?

Boy (eating slice number 5): It’s like floating on a cloud with Cheeze-Its in my mouth!

I guess that’s the highest praise possible, around here.

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How Exciting! My First Spam!

February 15th, 2008

Yay comment moderation! Of course I approved the stupid comment spam. Must check closer next time. Bad blogger.

Anyone have any comment spam tips either in general or specific to WordPress? I’m sure it has wonderful features, if only I didn’t have hooting monkeys jumping all over me, I could read all about them.

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Comments — Sorry!

February 15th, 2008

Okay, apparently I have to approve the comments, but either the software doesn’t actually inform me of this, or I have a setting wrong. So I’ve now approved all 3 (three!) of my comments. Sorry again.

Those responsible for comment moderation have been sacked.