For good prices. I loathe actual camping. My idea of roughing it is a four-star hotel with weak Wi-Fi and a lack of room service. However, if I see a pricey item that I want, it’s not unusual for me to stake it out on two or three websites until I see a price I like.
Along those lines, I got the blue 500w 12-speed Cuisinart stand mixer that I wanted for $99 instead of $250. No excuses left — Now I have to bake up those three fancy cake mixes I bought as an impulse purchase!
It arrives tomorrow. To celebrate, I mixed up an apple poundcake … by hand.
The thing that may not even have a specific name. In this case, I’m referring to a “wall-mounted early-1800s plate rack.” I read quite a bit about them, but never figured out exactly what it’s supposed to be called. They seemed to start disappearing with the Victorians. As far as the late-Colonial folks go, they probably didn’t need a name for it, knowing it more as “where my plates go.”
A salvaged rack from a vintage kitchen
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These hung on the wall over the sink. After washing, you put your clean plates directly into it so they could drip dry.
When kitchens started to become something to look at as well as work in, we decided that you shouldn’t be able to see all of our plates and stuff. Cabinets, drawers, and counters took the place of racks, shelves, and tables. Pots were no longer hung from the ceiling, crockery was put out of sight, and all of our kitchen stuff disappeared into hidden spaces.
You don’t see them very much anymore, other than non-functional versions in custom kitchens to display fancy plates. This is where the Historian’s Tax comes in.
No, you can’t walk into a store and buy one, but there are craftspeople out there who would be happy to make you one … for $400+. That’s for pine — not even oak or another decent hardwood. And some of the examples I’ve seen from craftspeople don’t have an open bottom; which defeats the purpose entirely. For far less than half, I can get some really nice cabinet-grade wood, and build my own.
I can make it the perfect size for the space we have. One of the most important DIY things I’ve learned is that there’s no sense in having some thing that’s almost correct. I designed my own with a bit of detail/trim — just a leeeeetle bit over the top. Out of period, yes, but a little gingerbread never hurt anybody.
My design
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I do love the continuum — Just over 180 years ago a half block off Main Street, standing here on the same spot on the very same floor next to the old chimney, someone stood over a basin. Tucking away their plates into whatever this thing is called. Maybe they even built it themselves.
I spent another few days considering November vacation options, and the winner is … Universal Studios Orlando.
Maybe. I’m still deciding. One less vacation would pay for a lot of kitchen renovation. However —
Time to break with Walt Disney World. I’ve been going there for fifty years. I couldn’t count, but I have certainly been there well over 100 times, perhaps toward 200. Some may remember that I really enjoyed last year’s visit, but it would probably be my last.
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Strangely, I’ve never been to Universal Orlando. With a large Harry Potter section of the park and many other film-themed immersive lands, you’d think I would’ve visited several times by now. My last visit to Disney World finally pushed me there — right across Interstate 4.
Walt Disney World has become increasingly annoying. New petty policies put in place, perks removed, now requiring specific park reservations on specific days (which can run out), et al. I’m sure there are others who find it much less oppressive. For me, I’m not looking for exhausting-and-incredibly-complicated.
If you’d really rather not know about it, skip the following section. =)
To see what you’d like to see, you now must now even schedule your ridesmonths in advance on the Disney app — up to three per day, scheduling more as you go, with your face in your phone all day. This means your phone will need charged at a theme park in the middle of things. You may arrange to skip long lines (for around $15 per line, per person), but you’ll need to get up early so you’re online and waiting when the system opens at seven that morning.
All of this is still not going to get you on the super-premium newer stuff (Star Wars, Pandora, Tron), which on top of everything, have their own complicated reservation, queuing, and boarding system per attraction. This all comes with price increase. The “value” hotels (along the lines of a Holiday Inn Suites) can be $200+ per night, and a basic park ticket up to $189 per day per person.
Famously, everything at the DW is connected by shuttle buses, boats, cable cars, monorails, etc. But even with all that transportation available, Disney World is gigantic, and 5 miles away from the next thing is still 5 miles away from the next thing.
So, across to Universal I defect.
Diagon Alley, Universal Orlando
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Universal is by nature, more of a teen-to-adult thing than a little-kid thing. (Many attractions with height requirements add to that fact.) So, that changes the dynamic right away. I’m making an assumption here, but with a 42-inch height requirement on many rides, you’re not going to see a lot of toddlers and younger elementary-age kids.
It also seems that in many cases, Universal has purposely done the opposite of what people complain about at Disney World.
The Simpsons’ Springfield, Universal
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Universal’s “lands” (Harry Potter, The Simpsons’ Springfield, Minions, Jurassic World, Super Nintendo, etc.) are just as heavily themed and complete, but they’re near to each other — not a lot of distance between them. All hotels are close, just walking distance rather than miles. Rental scooters are reserved, rather than take-your-chances. Purchasing the Express Pass (skip the line) option does exactly what it says on the box, and isn’t limited to only 3 per day.
Jurassic Park, Universal
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So. I haven’t clicked the checkout button yet, but I have my hotel, tickets, and airfare in my cart.
The useless window is now gone, and the refrigerator is moved where the window used to be.
It got no sun (at all) and it was on the skinny-alley side — 3 1/2 feet from the neighbor’s three-story house. (No wonder it got no sun.)
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Pantry (pan-tree) — A closet for your food. Carson on Downton Abbey has a great big fancy pantry that has glass cabinet doors. Other people have pantries that are a 2×4 + drywall boxes that they hurriedly stick the drying rack full of underwear in when you ring the doorbell.
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Jonathan put together two of the three shelf units for me, so I plunked them where they’ll eventually be permanently.
This is that corner of our kitchen all messed up and pulled apart. The pantry will continue down from the big weird box over the shelves. The big weird box is where the fire used to connect to the chimney. (I didn’t do it. Long story.)
I’m currently mulling November vacation ideas in my head. I’m on #2 — Florida. I concentrated for a few days on a train trip to Washington DC. It didn’t stick. Having to go into Manhattan to catch the train when I can get on a plane to Florida (where it’s warmer) right here in Westchester. Plus, I’m not really interested in Washington DC to begin with. We’ll see where it lands.
I’d been feeling worse-than-terrible. Not just tired or having a rough patch. Truly, I would’ve gone to the ER if it got much worse. I took a Covid test today, and it was indeed positive. I have other stuff as well, so Covid on top of it is never an easy ride.
When the only thing I’m fit for is watching YouTube videos about primitive 1960s Soviet lo-fi synthesizers, I know I’m seriously ill.
Talked to the moms of my students and got that all squared away. One of their responses reminded me of the importance of being pro-active.
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If you have a suspicion, take the test. This particular mom is immunocompromised, and was so thankful that I took a test, canceled the day, and spoke right up.
This is the world in which we now live. Covid may feel like a rough flu to one person, but could be very dangerous for another person.
School is back in session — keep your guard up. And your spirits. =)
Sit Still Phill 