I think Nate may have inherited a love for tools from me

We were at The Home Depot today, getting more things for the basement reno. We had Nate with us this time, and although he wasn't all that excited to go initially, he quickly warmed to the place once we got there.

Some things he wanted to buy:

• various tape measures - 'for measuring things'
• a rubber hammer - 'so I can bang on things'
• some small screw drivers - 'cause they are made for little boys like me and they're cute'
• 2 packs of 10 carpenter pencils - 'one for you and one for me'
• a chisel - I have no idea why

This could be a good thing, I could think of worse things to do than go to The Home Depot with Nate for a few hours.

The continuing story of my broken espresso machine

They may not look like much, but these two pucks of coffee signify the first time that espresso has been poured in this house. The first time I've been able to pull a shot of espresso at home since we left Vancouver.

We have been without the Wega for over 6 months now. 6 months! If we were still in Vancouver I could just walk the 3 blocks to JJ and pick up coffees, but we haven't had that luxury here. Three blocks from here gets us a McCafe, and we weren't going there!

So we've been making do with an Aeropress and a Hario woodneck pour-over. They're good, but they don't get you espresso. They also take quite a bit more time, and fussing about. There is no satisfaction of watching that first stream of espresso drop from the spouts, thick with promise. I"m not knocking the Aeropress or the Hario, I just miss my old morning ritual. I miss hearing the familiar sound of the pump kicking in as I lay in bed, my old pre-alarm so that the Wega would be hot by the time the real alarm went off.


Finally, we are one step close to getting back to the good old morning ritual. The machine is up and running, but there are still a few kinks to work out before I'll be able to run it all day like I used to.


As you can see, there is still a leak in the boiler. It's just a small crack, but it's a leak. So I'll be taking the boiler out again. The good news is everything else seems to work just fine, and I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Random bits

• It's been 6 months since we left Vancouver
• Nate started going to 'school' last week - 2 1/2 hours twice a week
• This, based on one of my favourite books by Oliver Jeffers, makes me happy
• We've been without our espresso machine for 6 months now, but the wait is almost over...I think
• I am still taking photos, despite the lack of activity on my flickr account
• Pipe is being laid for natural gas, right in front of our house - our electric stove's days are numbered
• Work on the basement continues
• Patty is spending next week in Vancouver, I wish I was going
• I really really miss The Brewery Creek Liquor Store

This, is my life

Getting Nate to do anything these days is like pulling teeth, wringing blood from stone, bashing your head against a brick wall...you get the picture. He's full of excuses, he talks back, he yells, he screams, he throws things, he hits. There have been quite a few time-outs lately.

Just this morning, he drew a time-out for not listening and bugging Patty while she was trying to work. Not an hour later, I asked him to go pee, and he refused. He didn't want to, he would go later, he didn't have to. I asked him again, and told him he could go pee or go to his room. He started yelling, and I put him in his room. More yelling and eventually silence. I usually give him some time to cool off, and he generally comes around and comes out all smiles. Five minutes and still not a peep, so I decide to go take a look. I find him sitting on his bed, reading a book, all smiles. Then I see the dark spot around him on his sheet. The little devil peed in his bed!

Some days there's just no winning. You're damned if you do, and you're damned if you don't. It was 10am and I wanted a drink already. Such is my life these days.