Just in Time

Now that the mid-winter burst of spring is over, it is going to get cold outside again, which means it is going to get cold in the back room again. Good thing I got started on insulating last night. With a few batts in place, it was already a little less drafty. I was quickly reminded why I hate being anywhere near fiberglass insulation. Even coming close to think about touching the stuff makes my skin itch/prickle. I had on gloves, long sleeves, etc and could still feel the biting sensations.


It is all one step closer to drywall and finishing off the space for "real" even though I know what is under the surface and it horrifies me. Speaking of under the surface, the other night, I pulled the sight glass from the Astoria as one of the other small projects on the machine.


The assembly is supposed to have a little red ball that floats and shows the water level inside the boiler. There was some crud built up on the inside of the glass preventing the ball from moving freely. I cleaned it up, made sure it all went back together properly and reinstalled it. The ball promptly dropped out of sight and the glass filled with water as I filled the boiler. I figured the ball was stuck in the bottom elbow, never to be seen again.


This morning, it decided to join the party as I went through the ritual to make the morning coffee. I think there might still be an air bubble or two in the loop between the top and and bottom connections to the boiler, but this is a start. The real trouble begins in a few days when I get a hold of some real coffee beans. What came with the machine were great for practice, but in the words of Joey Brenner, "Yuck, these beans are gross." He has a wholesale account with Amante which is nothing but trouble. By this time next week, I'll be well on my way to being over caffeinated.