WTF-Beta

Imagine that.

I wonder if your doc could prescribe some sort of rigid boot for you to put on for piano playing.

The internet likes to argue about whether or not bay leaves taste like anything. Some suggest making bay leaf tea to try for yourself - and I did!

Water just under boiling:

Steeped 4 dried bay leaves (fairly new jar) for 10 minutes:

And I tasted it.

There is definitely flavor there but I’m not sure I can describe it. It just tastes good. Maybe like chamomile? Very subtle, and I wondered if a longer steeping time would bring out more flavor.

10 more minutes. My tea is getting cold.

At twenty minutes the flavor is definitely there. Conjures up memories of beef stew. Still not a strong flavor, but cooking it for an hour in something like stew would likely bring out more.

Try it for yourself!

What a great concept!

@Rontuner

Did you notice any difference in how it cuts after you changed the bevel?

But the garage would be so worth it!

Is that one of the Japanese knives with the single bevel edge?

I think it depends. Sometimes you’re not allowed to modify the exterior, sometimes restrictions apply to the interior as well. Can’t imagine the restrictions would apply to the 50’s flat roof additions but maybe the history of it being a detention center means the additions, which need new roofs right now, are protected as well.

Prolly explains the price. Pity, it would make a lovely 3000 SF home with an awesome 7000SF heated garage!

Looks like something to try!

If I was 50 years younger I’d buy this house. Plenty of room to grow!

https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1319-Tiffin-Ave_Sandusky_OH_44870_M48026-78710

First lawnmower sighting of the season!

Lots of good cooks on this board, which means lots of experience with kitchen knives. So many kinds out there for so many purposes. $1 - $1000+ and every price in between.

What do you use? Which ones stay in the block?

How do you maintain them?

@wtg

Oh my. What a disturbing story.

Glad to see it’s working out for the kid.

@AndyD

No recommendations here, but perhaps you’ll consider how Ernest Warther approached the problem of finding blades to whittle out the intricate little parts he needed for his trains.

He made his own. Should keep you busy for a while.

@AndyD

That Marples set is sweet!

The chisel in the picture I posted is a Marples (Made in Sheffield, says right in it) but a cheaper version with a plastic handle. Perfect for practice, certainly a better chisel than I am as a mortiser, but not much to look at. Being as I almost never need to chisel anything I think I’ll focus on appearance, and perhaps history.

Turns out there’s a huge swap meet every Saturday about two towns over. Might have have go out and see what I can find.

@Rontuner

And a consistent angle is the hardest thing for me to get right. Some days I can do pretty good, other days all I can do is turn a sharp blade in to a bludgeon.

Have considered newer methods to keep consistent and the rolling kind is one I’d like to try. Things get more complicated - and $$$ - from there. Much more complicated as it turns out; some systems have dozens of parts and would take up half of the garage!

Stones are at least somewhat compact and there are enough variations and methods to keep me busy for the foreseeable future. The powered systems look good, but in the words of my British carpenter friend, “Rubbish! All that thing will do is let you f it up faster!”

@AndyD

That Kakuri guide is beautiful! Not a bad price, either. Might have to get one!

Some comedian -Pryor? - once said that cocaine was God’s way of telling you that you have to much money.

This piano may indicate the same.

Darn. I like his stuff less now that I know that.

Not exactly a bloom, but we emerged from winter this week and I found this little tree. Yikes!

It’s a dwarf weeping Altas Cedar. It came through the winter of ‘24-‘25 just fine, but the cold snap this winter may have killed it. What? Don’t cedars grow in Alaska and stuff?

Nursery guy says it’s probably fine - that it will drop the brown needles and grow new ones. Sure enough, the branches are still pliable so maybe there is hope.