Next Project

This is actually one that is being revisited since it has been neglected for a bit. I got to work in the espresso room last night, getting more prepared to start thinking about possibly beginning to hang drywall. I had some junior plumber work to do to get the water filters and the pump motor off the counter and to their final home. The filters are on the wall in the basement for easy access when it comes time to change them in about 90 gallons time from now.


The motor/pump will live in the cabinet under the espresso machine. I need to find a nice foam block or something to put under it to minimize vibration, but it sure is much quieter with it hidden away. This cabinet space will also hold the "waste" bucket since I can't conveniently plumb in the waste line with enough drop to ensure that grounds won't plug it up over a short time span.


I still need to find a home for the 220v timer so I don't have to remember to turn the machine on at night before I go to bed. I've had the timer forever now, but haven't been motivated enough to get it set up and running. After last night's work, I have a bit more counter space than I did before.


Speaking of counter space, I finally got started on the top, sort of. Originally my thought was to do an edge grain pattern, laminating 2x4s together with a couple through bolts for accent and stuff. I got to thinking about doing an end grain pattern for kicks and I think I will keep heading in that direction. Because I have absolutely no interest in running each 2x4 through a jointer to square them, the top will have a certain degree of character because of the imperfections, but the overall top will be squared prior to install.


I am also toying with the idea of using a silver/grey "whitewash" effect instead of staining the top. This would allow the grain to show through still, but give it a metallic look. Good thing I don't have any deadlines set by the owner on any of this.

Since Passover is on the horizon, I figured I'd clear the last of the bread dough out of the fridge so last night, I prepped a couple loaves before going to bed. When the alarm went off this morning, my snooze cycle was getting out of bed, firing up the oven and waiting for it to beep. The result . . .


A mighty fine looking loaf was ready and waiting to be pulled out of the oven when Dempsey and I got back from the visit to the park. This is one of my best loaves to date using the master recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The verdict . . . delicious, especially with a healthy slathering of Nutella.