“Daich DCT-MNS-TS Quart Spreadstone Mineral Select Countertop Refinishing Kit” in the color “Sundance”. I think it was around $160 when I bought it. The kit probably had enough to do at least twice as much area as that countertop. I’ve seen similar kits at the store from Rustoleum.

After checking into how much a new one would cost, I used one of the refinishing kits on the old 1980's faux marble countertop and integral sinks in our master bathroom. The results were very good. I got a medium tan stone finish, and three years later it still looks about the same. As you mentioned, it requires a bit…

Partial solution:

My wife and I are caring for her father and my parents with dementia, but it doesn’t look like there will be any fruits from this for another 1-2 years for us individual caregivers. I read through some of the info at that CMS link, but although I’m a pretty smart guy, I don’t have the domain knowledge of the…

I haven’t been there, although my kids and a lot of friends have, and it’s considered one of the best theme parks around. If I remember correctly, you get free unlimited sunscreen and drinks all around the park.

Seems like a scaled down Mach 5 would be a great opportunity.

I tend to trust Gilles, because he seems like a real car guy. Years ago I was at an event where he not only gave the keynote speech, but he also volunteered to be an instructor at our track day.

We grow a lot of peaches in Southern Illinois. I’ve heard that in the 1800s this was actually the largest peach growing area in the country. The past three weeks I’ve gotten some delicious local peaches from the farmer’s market. Hoping there are still some there tomorrow! I planted a peach tree of my own two years…

When I was a kid in the 70's, all the local grocery stores had similar industrial quality machines where you could grind peanuts into a jar right there in the store. We only did it a couple of times, as far as I remember.

Sounds good! Very similar to peanut butter cookies, but with no flour.

Since you mentioned rice cookers, I used to wonder how they work, and it turns out to be extremely simple and ingenious. If you took any science classes in school, you might remember that the temperature of a container of boiling water stays at the boiling point. All a rice cooker has to do is monitor the temperature,…

Egg yolk is a good emulsifier, so it makes sense that it helps make a creamy vinaigrette. I may have to stop reading this kind of thing in the middle of the day; I’m getting hungry!

I was thinking that some of the examples given are basically a Turkish breakfast. Which I love.

But we’re a dedicated eight! lol

But we’re a dedicated eight! lol

Same! lol I remember that Kresge had one of the best toy selections in town.

Until sometime in the 70's, several of the little discount department stores and drug stores in our town had lunch counters. Two I remember were Grants and Kresge, a company which later became...K-Mart! The old Kresge building still stands in our aging downtown area and is again serving lunches. It’s the home of my…

I picked two quarts of wild blackberries behind our house this year and made a couple of jars of seedless jam with half of them. Whew, picking wild blackberries involves literal sweat and blood! The jam is really good on ice cream or on fresh peaches. The past three weeks we’ve gotten really excellent local peaches at…

Well that brings back memories. My first new car (second car overall) was an ‘85 Escort I bought just before my wife and I got married. It shifted great, better than any other manual I’ve ever driven. The 1.6L engine in it was a dog, though, with a fatal design flaw. It didn’t have a PCV system, and eventually…

Looks like there’s pretty universal love for the Butter Cookies. This past winter I started making my own shortbread cookies. (Well, “started” if you don’t count peanut butter, which are also basically a shortbread cookie.) They’re really easy to make, and probably even more craveable than Royal Dansk. I really…