Friday Randomness
The cartoon above looks random, but it is not entirely random, because while I do not plan to be singing on an airplane, I will soon be on an airplane! In October, I’m going to go visit my friend Marilee in upstate New York, and then visit a few friends in NE Ohio. Exciting! I wanted to go further west to Chicago or maybe Wisconsin, because I know some awesome folks there (you guys), but it turned into too much driving, right in the middle of the week while everyone would be at work and doing kid things, so I’m limiting this trip, this time. I am thinking of all of the folks in the Madison area though, and am thinking that might be my next solo trip. While visiting Marilee, I believe I am going to spend Canadian Thanksgiving in actual Canada. We have celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving for years, since Ted is Canadian, but never in Canada. Marilee’s in laws live just over the border in St. Catherines. I also would like to see Niagara on the Lake, because I’ve heard it’s beautiful. Assuming that Niagara Falls will also be involved. I’m looking forward to it.
I mentioned last week that we needed a new dishwasher. We went to 3 stores, Home Depot, Sears, and a local place. All were interesting. At Home Depot, the guy helping us was at least 90. He knew his shit, and he didn’t know his shit. Meaning, ask him a question about a dishwasher, and he knew everything. But he asked us the same questions a few times, meaning his memory wasn’t great, and he couldn’t blame it on menopause. From there, we went to Sears. Yes, we still have a Sears. Apparently, there are 5 Sears left in the US – 2 in Florida, 1 in Massachusetts, 1 in Texas, and 1 in California. Let me tell you, it is NOT what it once was.
This is the appliance area now. Not a human in sight to help you. No way to tell what model of dishwasher you are looking at, what color it is, what the price is, anything. I assume they mostly serve contractors who know what the hell they are doing, but there is no hope for someone who wants to just buy a damn dishwasher. Upstairs there were a ton of clothes though.
The third store was the charm. We ended up in the same local store where we bought our fancy washer and dryer a while ago, our European washer and dryer that we love. We feared that going there would be costly to our pocketbook, and we were not wrong. We ended up with a very fancy dishwasher that speaks something like 17 languages and can detect a clog at 75 paces. What do I mean by that, you might ask?
The dishwasher was delivered and installed on Monday. On Tuesday, it threw a weird error about a clog, but it said to clean the filter. How could the filter be dirty after 12 hours? So I rinsed it out and then it worked. So I forgot about it. Until Wednesday, when the stupid error came up again. So I called the fancy local appliance store, and the nice salesman who answered the phone told me the same thing happened when he got a new dishwasher. He told me to clean out the ‘air gap’, pictured above. I have never seen an ‘air gap’, but this is what ours looks like. Kind of like a filthy dildo. At least what my imagination tells me a filthy dildo might look like, I’ve (thankfully) never seen a filthy dildo. That made no difference. Errors, errors, errors. I called back and got voicemail. Frustrating, I wanted to know when someone might come and I had no idea. This went on all day, lots of emails and phone calls, when Ted went to the store to talk to the same guy I talked to, and he told him all about how he solved the issue when it happened to him. Ted came home, we had dinner, and then we dove in. SO MUCH DISGUSTING GROSSNESS. SO GROSS. However, it was really satisfying to clean it out, and to finally run the dishwasher and have it run through without an error. We’re considering starting a company where we just go clean out people’s pipes under their sinks, but wow, so gross. SO GROSS.
See the trees to the right? Don’t they look dead? Guess what, they are. This picture was taken in May.
This is this week. Dead trees are gone. SAD. I hope the remaining trees survive.
Gas prices are up again.
I made a frittata again. Frittata people, how do you keep it from sticking to your pan? I used to make it in my cast iron skillet, but that was horrible to clean, so I changed to the enameled cast iron, and it’s better, but not a lot. Is it because I cook it on the stover first? Should I put it in the oven instead? UGH. I may have killed my Le Crueset. The good news is that if the tiny holes I see at the bottom are real, I can return it and they will replace it. We’ll see.
We went for a lovely walk last weekend, to our local park which has an equestrian center. Look! Horses! I’m horrible at taking pictures though, because of the four horses, the prettiest one is the one with the butt facing you on the far left. The one on the right we named Old Paint.
On the same walk, we saw turtles!
And this horse, whom I have named ‘Steve’. We didn’t get close so I didn’t get to pet him. Isn’t that horrible? But I didn’t want to be rude and intrusive and his person was there. If his person hadn’t been there, I probably would have snuck up and given him a pet.
Speaking of which, Ted talked to my brother Richard the other day, and they were talking about animals. Me and animals. Richard told Ted about when I was 4 or 5 and we lived in Alaska, and we were at a fair…there was a horse behind a sign that said ‘Caution, Vicious Horse” and my mom found me cuddling the vicious horse. My mom used to tell a story about being on the street in Berkeley, and looking down to find me cuddling the mangiest dog ever from my stroller. I love animals is what I’m saying. When we go for walks, I love seeing all of the animals.
Any exciting trips in your future? What’s the last stupid appliance you had to buy?
36 Comments
Elisabeth
My next scheduled flight will be taking me to California! (San Diego, more specifically.) I’m excited.
I loved Niagara Falls. I’ve been twice and it’s stunning and beautiful and the sheer power and force of the water really is astounding. I’ve never been to Niagara on the Lake but have heard literally nothing but positive things about that area of Canada.
Hooray for celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving. I love the timing in early October. It’s also very close to my FIL’s birthday and my husband’s birthday, so my FIL usually comes to visit (it’s happening again this year), and we celebrate all three things at once.
J
Oh, San Diego! When will that be? I’ve only been a few times, but it’s beautiful, and if it’s winter for you, it will be such a balm to have sunshine and warm weather.
I’ve been to Niagara Falls, once, way back in 1995. It is amazing!
Elisabeth
At the end of February! Which feels like a long way in the future now, but will be here before I know it 🙂
J
That will be the perfect time to be in San Diego! It won’t be HOT but it will be so much nicer than Nova Scotia in February, almost tropical.
AC
Maralee is an unusual name. I have only come across it once, in a young girl who would be in her 40s now, close to 50, probably. She was Canadian, but I think the family moved to the States a long time ago.
J
This Marilee is in her early 60s and no Canadian connection other than her husband, so not the same person. I’ve never met another though, you are right that it is an unusual name.
nance
Like you, I always feel sadness when trees die or are cut down. Our neighbourhood is VERY tree-intensive, but most of them are old silver maples. That species is prone to a great many problems, and it does not age as well as other hardier trees. It also drops branches with alarming regularity. As a result, there are fewer and fewer of them left here. Luckily, the city replants with other species, like the Japanese Tree Lilac.
I’m excited for your trip here! Foliage should be lovely at that time. And I do hope you get a chance to visit NotL. Let me know, and I’ll steer you to the most wonderful wineries.
Those gas prices are horrific. Amazing since the ratbag says Affordability is a hoax, right? (Insert massive eyeroll and chest-tightening outrage here.)
J
I’m looking forward to NotL, and would love your recommendations! Marilee doesn’t drink, so I will have a designated driver, LOL.
Suzanne
So many fun animals in this post! I also love animals. As does my child. I definitely always point out animals if I encounter them, often to the detriment of whatever conversation I am supposedly involved in at that time. lately, the wildlife I have spotted is mainly birds and deer. There is a huge flock of turkeys that I see many days when I am driving home from school with my kid. Today I also saw a kind of scraggly heron in the pond on my walk. A scraggly heron is still a heron!
Your trip sounds delightful! And a great time of year to be exploring the Midwest.
J
I don’t point the animals out anymore, due to the conversation detriment thing, but I certainly THINK it! “Look, horses!”, “Look, dogs!” “Look, goats!” You get the idea. I saw a beautiful heron last week. Usually the herons we get here are white, but this one was grey or greyish blue, very pretty.
Margaret
I loved reading about your trip east but hated the dishwasher issues and clean up. That will be in my future soon since my dishwasher is quite old. I have no idea where to go or what to buy although I’m leaning Costco for all major appliances. I love animals too although I’m a little scared of horses.
J
I hope you have better luck than me with the dishwasher, ours is throwing errors again today. ARGH.
I’m not afraid of horses, but I can understand why one would be…they’re BIG!
StephLove
Happy trails! Are American and Canadian T-giving celebrations similar?
There’s a park in Wheeling with a similar drain in the middle of a pond where turtles gather. I wonder why they like them. Maybe it gives them a place to sun, away from people.
J
I have always heard that they are very similar celebrations, and when we celebrate, we pretty much make the same menu. I will report back however, after my first Thanksgiving IN Canada!
Nicole MacPherson
Niagara on the Lake is very beautiful! We were there in spring of 2024, and it was lovely. So many great wineries!
Sears closed here long ago; I used to love the Sears catalogues and I miss them a lot!
J
I’m looking forward to NotL, though likely won’t do too much wine tasting. We have a lot of wineries not too far from here, so that’s not a big thrill for me. If you have any suggestions of one you think I should buy a bottle or two from though, please let me know!
DB Stewart
Turtles!
I’m excited for you to spend Thanksgiving in Canada in the Niagara region. I’ve been there twice so not by any means that informed, but it is beautiful! Niagara Falls is terrific. Very touristy but if you focus on the outdoor spaces, a great experience. We took the boat ride and it was a blast.
J
I love seeing turtles!
The last time I was at Niagara Falls was over 30 years ago, I’m looking forward to seeing it again. Not sure whether I feel the need to do the boat thing, but maybe?
DB Stewart
Just saw this re: St. Catharines: https://www.timeout.com/travel/coolest-neighbourhoods-in-the-world-2026
J
Very cool! And now I see that I’ve been spelling it wrong. Will my mental note last?
San
So excited for you that you’re going to visit your friend in the Midwest, and a bummer that you cannot see some of the cool bloggers out there… maybe next time (and then you’ll take me with you :)).
I’ve never been to Niagara Falls and would LOVE to see it in person! What a hassle with the dishwasher (shopping for appliances is never fun, but it seems to become less so). I guess it was a good opportunity to clean out the gunk in the pipes and air gap though!
Gas prices are insane. I am glad i don’t have a long commute.
What oil do you use for the frittata and do you pre-heat the pan?
J
San, the bad news is that I am not going far enough west to see quite a few bloggers. The good news is that I WILL be seeing a few! EXCITING!
For my frittata, I use olive oil, and I do preheat the pan. I cook the veggies in it, then add the eggs per my recipe. Any tips to keep the eggs from sticking so horribly would be very welcome!
Michelle G.
I dread getting new appliances, and I shudder to even think about it. Although, when we had to replace our dishwasher a few years ago, the upgrade was so much quieter. We hardly notice it running, which is nice. I hope your new dishwasher is humming along smoothly now! I miss the good old days of Sears. They had everything! When I was a kid, my mom and I would sit together and look through their catalog. Good memories! Your trip and celebrating Canadian Thanksgiving in Canada sound like fun!
J
Erm…new dishwasher is still having issues. At least we know the pipes are clean, but not why it is throwing so many errors. Techs are coming on Monday.
Jenny
The last stupid appliance we bought was the new stove to replace the one that exploded. We got something cheap, basic, and NOT a Frigidaire, which apparently are prone to have exploding doors. I hope your dishwasher is working now!
Your trip sounds amazing. Yes, it sounds like it would be too much to go to WI, but it’s tempting with all the bloggers in that area!
I didn’t know Sears still exist. So there are two in Florida? I wonder where… although the photo you posted is so depressing, I don’t think I want to find one.
J
The Sears in Florida are in the Orlando and Miami regions, per a google search. If you want some shoes or something, it might be worth checking out, but the appliance area was depressing. There was not one employee down there to help, which is probably best for them (depressing) but not great for shoppers.
Our dishwasher is NOT working, and I’m frustrated. We have people coming tomorrow to look at it, I hope it’s an easy fix like a computer reset or something. Your stove exploding was so freaky, and I did rush downstairs to make sure ours is not a Frigidaire.
I feel like the Midwest is smaller than it really is, so at first I was picturing driving to Chicago, but then Birchie said yeah, it’s a good drive, ‘only 6 hours’. Then I thought, people will be working unless I can do it on the weekend, so really if I want to see folks I should go to Madison. Even more driving. Then I looked at my work schedule, this is a rough time of year to take time off, and it gets worse the closer I get to year-end. So the answer that made the most sense was to limit my trip. I would like to go to Chicago though, I’ve never been, and Madison sure looks beautiful! Maybe in the spring sometime…
NGS
My father and sister worked at Sears. My sister worked at one until the very last day it closed its doors. I find the downfalls of Sears and Montgomery Wards to be some of the saddest stories in American capitalism.
I use so much butter in my frittata. SO MUCH. That’s how come it doesn’t stick to my nonstick pan. I use about 2 tablespoons pan frying the potatoes/whatever starch I’m using and another tablespoon to pan fry the green thing, so there’s three tablespoons before I throw in the eggs and cheese. Basically, BUTTER!! The frittata slides right of our pan with this method.
J
Is your nonstick pan oven safe? I don’t think ours is. Perhaps that is the solution – an oven safe nonstick pan. Is that even possible?
ernie
Excited for your upcoming travel plans. That sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy. Let us know if your pilot sings. I will cross my fingers for a Chicago visit on the way to Madison friends.
The dirty dildo thing had me dying laughing. Oh goodness. So, was the error message because the pipes leading to the dishwasher were filled with gunk? Like stuff was stuck in there during the previous dishwasher’s reign?
I cannot help with your frittata woes, but it looks so tasty to me.
J
I’m glad SOMEONE mentioned the dirty dildo joke! I was sure it would be Nicole. We thought the error message was due to blockage in the pipes, which may have been what killed the old dishwasher. It is the water exiting the machine, thankfully, not leading to it. HOWEVER, after posting this, I ran a load of dishes on Friday and again with the stupid error message. Repair people coming tomorrow. I will keep you all posted.
Daria
Julie, you truly are an animal lover!!!! Such a big heart you have.
I remember Sear next to us… It had everything! And, next door to Sear, there was Sears Auto with inexpensive car batteries, oil change, etc… Since then it’s been all levelled. In that center we now have a bunch of new-ish things: a Cinemark movie theater, a panera, a Starbucks, as well as a bridal salon, an REI, an Ulta and a CityMD. Oh, and Miller’s and Chick Filet.
J
Those Sears stores take up a lot of room, don’t they? The Sears in San Francisco closed a long time ago, and they didn’t tear down the building, but there’s a Target, an Ulta, and a bunch of smaller stores there now.
I remember the Sears Auto…that closed here too, it’s just the main store that is left.
PocoBrat
I’m so excited for your Ohio trip <3
And I love the stories about Baby J cuddling and caliming the wild beasts… what a character!
Our dollege downtown cut down so many trees due to an infestation–it looks… SO BAD!
J
Oh how sad about all of the trees getting cut down!
I’m excited about my trip tooooooo!
Jim and Barb
Sears us to be such a popular store! Woolworths, Montgomery Wards, KMart, Dayton’s, Shopko, Radio Shack….All stores that I grew up with that are no longer in existence. There is nothing much grosser than cleaning sink pipes, I almost gagged just reading about it!
J
I feel like department stores are going away…places where you can get clothes (for men, women, and children) AND makeup AND household items. Add in appliances and it gets even less common.
Yeah, the pipes were gross.