14-1-30

14-1-29

14-1-28

I invested in a lot of kitchen stuff lately. Some stuff I spent a lot on, buying the best I could afford, other things I saved on, buying things that I imagined didn't need to be "invested" in. Yesterday I broke my grater. It was less than a year old. A grater is the kind of thing that I figured lasted forever. No moving parts. Pretty basic design. Most every cheese grater I've used has been quite old, rusty even, but still perfectly effective at doing what it was supposed to do. I didn't imagine I would have to give my purchase of a grater much consideration.

And then it broke. It came apart at the crimped seam. I thought about welding it. I tried to recrimp the seam with a pair of pliers. And then I considered my $6 grater and how it had already failed me and decided I would replace it instead.

I'm at an age where the things I buy might very well be the last of the type of thing I'm buying. I bought a pretty decent carving knife before Christmas, it should last 40 years. And I bought a good chef's knife a few years ago. It, too, should last 40 years. And today I bought this cheese grater. It comes with a 25 year warranty. I have a hard time believing any company will be around for 25 years these days. But the promise of 25 years of service was intriguing, and I spent $30 on a cheese grater as a result despite a perfectly serviceable one being on the shelf next to it for a mere $7. The quick math suggests I could buy four $7 cheese graters for the price of this one, and if they all provide me the good, solid year of performance my first affordable grater gave me I'd still be looking for a grater 21 years before my fancy new grater would, in theory, be done, assuming the warranty represents an actual life expectancy.

I was warned that this grater has actual, sharpened blades vs the stamped metal openings more traditionally found on most graters. "Be careful. You don't want to be explaining to your guests what the 'special ingredient' is in your dinners." I'd prefer to keep my finger tips, I will be careful.

So now I'm set for graters for the next 25 years. And tonight the handle came off my 1 cup measuring cup. How hard is it to attach a handle to a measuring cup?

14-1-27

Beswick Cantering Shire Horse.

14-1-26

14-1-25

Foggy night walks. It's the silhouette of the man on the sidewalk, dark and anonymous.

14-1-24

14-1-23

I'm not sure if the tree is a metaphor for the house or the house is a metaphor for the tree. I'd be happy if both could hold out against gentrification for just a bit longer.

14-1-22

14-1-21

14-1-20

14-1-19

14-1-18

South end of Saturna Island.

14-1-17

Going to Saturna Island.

14-1-16

Sushi for dinner.

14-1-15

14-1-14

Consumerism in staging. Though I'm opposed to the oppression of cars by forcing them to be wrapped from head to toe with only their windows showing. Oh the humanity.

14-1-13

14-1-12

14-1-11

I shuffle stuff around in this garage every so often with the idea that it might be an efficient work shop one day. Every time it is an act akin  to the old adage of "arranging deck chairs on the Titanic." At least the cross bike got its brakes adjusted and tires changed. Progress, I suppose.

14-1-10

14-1-9

14-1-8

14-1-7

Again the rain. I never get used to it.

14-1-6

14-1-5

14-1-4

Jones Lake. It's a bit of a drive but the weather was perfect and the lake was beautiful.

14-1-3

14-1-2

14-1-1

First day of the year. I went for a ride on the cross bike and then tuned it up. Damned brakes, XTR ones are so good, but those pads, stupid design. I'll swap them front to back, they might work better that way, or maybe I'll just order some KoolStops. That would be the smart thing to do. I wonder what I'll do...

13-12-31

Well, I took a photograph. It's a metaphor, I guess. I guess I don't need to say much about it.

Happy New Year.