Back to business

We had a service for dad on the Friday after Christmas, against his wishes, but the service wasn't really for him, it was about him, for the rest of us. There were friends, family, co-workers, and clients, gathered to remember, share, and listen to each other. It was important to so many people, and I don't think we would have done it any other way. Thank you if you were there, and thank you for thinking of us all if you were unable to join us.

The rest of the "holiday" was spent quietly with friends and family, and here we are almost half way through January. Val and I returned to Connecticut to find a pile of holiday and sympathy cards, and the Nintendo Wii and Wii Fit that Val ordered before Christmas. We have needed the return to routine that work brings, but we have really been enjoying the Wii, and with it have made small but steady resolution progress.

The other Christmas present from Val that I was excited about was my new vacuum coffee pot. We bought it over Thanksgiving down in NC, and I had tucked it away so it could still be a gift. I tried it out today.



There are quite a few parts, but it's pretty simple once you set it up...



Water goes in one half...



Grounds go in the other...



The heat is on, and then you wait.



The bubbles form, but instead of a gurgle, or a whoosh or whatever, the water is slowly pushed through the grounds, very, very quietly.



It ends up in the top, and because of the vacuum created, the coffee is sucked back into the bottom.



The top is left with just grounds.



And you end up with just coffee in the bottom.



The coffee was different, as promised, with a different scent, and a different taste than regular brewed coffee. I will be researching and experimenting with various beans and grinds and heat and such, to figure out what works best. Best for me, that is.