Just returned from Tokyo. Starting off the week with a public holiday.
It would be nicer if I didn’t have to go into the office to catch up, and moreover, if my espresso machine wasn’t broken. I brought back a kilogram of Espresso Paladino from Zoka in Akasaka Mitsuke. This morning I was disgusted to find that my machine wasn’t generating enough (any?) pressure. The boiler was working and was at 1.2atm, but the grouphead pump isn’t making pressure. I think the motor is shot. I took the case off and gave it a few taps my micro-persuader, but that didn’t liberate it. Looks like I’ll have to try to get it serviced.
The Nuova Simonelli Mac 2000 is a deprecated model. What will I do if the machine is hard or too expensive to repair? I’ll buy something else. The ideal would be a Synesso Cyncra. Of course, that might be idiotically expensive. I’ll have to find out.
On returning from Tokyo, my mail stack had an important package — a collection of Alton Brown Good Eats CDs from my darkNet connection in the high desert of the American Southwest. Just watched the episode on making apple pies. Of course he had new-and-improved twists that I am looking forward to try.
Bought Luke a neat toy called Quadrilla. He loves to play these at toy stores, so I bought him one of the sets. He’s still a bit young to assemble them himself, but he loves to feed them with marbles, and already is recognizing what some of the pipes and holes do.
His by-himself school starts Wednesday. Ling drops him off for, I think, three hours three days a week. Hopefully this helps to kick-start his mandarin, which is still quite wanting.
Oh hell. It’s already 10am. I guess I better get dressed and take care of the day’s work/admin rubbish sooner-than-later. I told Luke we’d go driving this afternoon.
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With all those tiny parts and marbles…a “Grannie” might inquire …what is the suggested age range?????????? It does look cool. Do you have domino’s? He might get a kick out of a cascade of them too.
ah yes, the alton brown apple pie episode…are you finding yourself hunting piebirds now? i was able to procure 2, one for me/one for mom, at williams sonoma. very tough to come across, but very collectible in england, apparently. wish you were here so i could eat your experiments!