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Old 01-15-2017, 09:53 AM   #481
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All of you Costco wine aficionados might enjoy this blog:

CostcoWineBlog.com - Finding Costco's best wines - CostcoWineBlog.com
One other thing. Yes, Costco has good wine at good prices, but another 'superior' product I have found is the wine club at my local wine store. For $30 a month I get two bottles of red wine, most are ones I would probably never discover on my own. They are almost always very good, sometimes in unusual ways, like a bottle of red from Germany that was thoroughly enjoyable but like not other red I have ever tasted. .

And, I am supporting a local business, owned by a fellow who is well thought of in the community and a former neighbor of mine. On football game days they do a pot-luck type of viewing party, that is more like a family friendly English pub than a bar. Overall, it is a 'superior' place.
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Old 01-15-2017, 09:56 AM   #482
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Zinger-Would you mind providing a link to where you ordered your Amish built bedroom set or the company name.
I ordered through realamish.com, the product line I ordered from was 'Boulder Creek'. I was a little hesitant about ordering online, site unseen, but had a friend who made a similar purchase and liked what he received. My understanding is that the amish woodworkers only do the building and depend on companies like realamish.com to do the marketing and selling. Realamish represents several amish manufacturers. Highly recommend that you order wood and stain samples before placing an order, the online stain samples can look a lot different than the real thing. They do charge $50 for the samples but reimburse the cost when placing the order.
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Old 01-15-2017, 10:00 AM   #483
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Is there any actual data that indicates certain year CRVs have AC problems significantly above average? This is the first I've heard of it.
Same here, had my last CRV for 10 years with zero problems, never heard of anyone mentioning this as an issue.
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Old 01-15-2017, 10:42 AM   #484
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In fairness, I think we all tend to generalize a bit from bad experiences.

"After this, I will never buy another _______."

But it's not reasonable to advise others not to buy something without offering hard data. Describe your experience, but realize it's just an anecdote.
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Old 01-15-2017, 10:42 AM   #485
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I am very pleased with my Microsun lamp. I have the "Library of Congress" floor lamp next to my favorite chair and I find that it provides better light for reading than anything I had previously experienced. Not harsh, but bright like lots of natural light. Not cheap, but I read a lot in retirement and my eyes have more difficulty with low-light conditions than ever before. https://microsunlamps.com
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Old 01-15-2017, 10:46 AM   #486
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I am very pleased with my Microsun lamp.
+1
We have five of them (three inherited). Bought the first one nearly 20 years ago. I especially like that they produce such bright light at low wattage.
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Old 01-15-2017, 11:13 AM   #487
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I am very pleased with my Microsun lamp. I have the "Library of Congress" floor lamp next to my favorite chair and I find that it provides better light for reading than anything I had previously experienced. Not harsh, but bright like lots of natural light. Not cheap, but I read a lot in retirement and my eyes have more difficulty with low-light conditions than ever before. https://microsunlamps.com
How expensive are the bulbs and how long do they last?

I notice that the lamps are very expensive, but often it is the consumables that are even more expensive.
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Old 01-15-2017, 11:26 AM   #488
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I don't know what others experience, but of the five lamps we own, the oldest is 19 years old and most recent one about seven years.

Total number of bulb replacements: four.
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Old 01-15-2017, 03:25 PM   #489
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In fairness, I think we all tend to generalize a bit from bad experiences.

"After this, I will never buy another _______."

But it's not reasonable to advise others not to buy something without offering hard data. Describe your experience, but realize it's just an anecdote.
I guess that goes the other way as well, which is why I never suggest folks marry as perhaps I got the only good one in the lot
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Old 01-15-2017, 03:39 PM   #490
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My dyson vacuum cleaner. I have had it 10 years and it is still going strong. I have a dog that sheds a lot. Never fails me.
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Old 01-15-2017, 03:43 PM   #491
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I am very pleased with my Microsun lamp. I have the "Library of Congress" floor lamp next to my favorite chair and I find that it provides better light for reading than anything I had previously experienced. Not harsh, but bright like lots of natural light. Not cheap, but I read a lot in retirement and my eyes have more difficulty with low-light conditions than ever before. https://microsunlamps.com
This looks and sounds like a wonderful lamp! I love this thread.
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Old 02-09-2017, 10:45 AM   #492
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I bought Gotham Titamium non-stick frying pans on sale at a local store a few months ago for $25CAD for a two pan set, and I am quite surprised and pleased with them. I have bought so called non stick pans over the years (I tried cast iron pans, but I am a little OCD and have a tendency to strip the greasy coating which necessitates re-seasoning the pans way too often...), and they usually gradually lose the non stick qualities over the course of several months for some reason, but not so with these pans. They are still working the same way they did the first day I used them.


http://https://www.amazon.com/Gotham.../dp/B018WHD2SO

I only raise the temp to less than half way up on the stove dial (The low temp cooking seems to be the key for longevity and successful frying on these pans). It can fry eggs with or without oil (although the egg white without oil (if you are cooking sunny side up and alike) will get a bit tough where it touches the surface of the pan) The eggs with or without oil just slide off the pan like you see on their commercials. Not only eggs, but anything that tends to stick on regular pans just slides off. Even oil you put in the pan do not seem to penetrate the pan.

Anyway, these pans look thin and cheap (so they are very light, which may be a plus for some people.). I use All-Clad stainless steel tri-ply for everything else, but for eggs and sticky materials that I cannot manage with my All-Clad, these Gotham pans have been just great.
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Old 02-09-2017, 01:55 PM   #493
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I bought a "prosumer" grade espresso machine last year with part of my bonus check. Every day I smile when I look at that beautiful, 54-pound, chrome-plated machine. I can easily make a cappuccino, latte, or simply a shot of espresso that rivals anything I get at the local specialty espresso bar (Charbucks is too easy to rival). I expect it to last indefinitely, and it's engineered to be user-serviceable with parts available online.

While I wouldn't spend that much cash on something like this post-FIRE (I think), I never regretted spending the dough when it was a windfall. Definitely a splurge.
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Old 02-09-2017, 02:28 PM   #494
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I adore my Jura ENA Micro 1 superautomatic. It will be a year next month in operation at 3 to 6 cups a day every day. Still makes coffee so good your toes will curl.

When it dies I'll toss it inna trash and buy another one.
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Old 02-09-2017, 02:43 PM   #495
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I bought a "prosumer" grade espresso machine last year with part of my bonus check. Every day I smile when I look at that beautiful, 54-pound, chrome-plated machine. I can easily make a cappuccino, latte, or simply a shot of espresso that rivals anything I get at the local specialty espresso bar (Charbucks is too easy to rival). I expect it to last indefinitely, and it's engineered to be user-serviceable with parts available online.

While I wouldn't spend that much cash on something like this post-FIRE (I think), I never regretted spending the dough when it was a windfall. Definitely a splurge.
What is the model name or number?
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What you consider *superior* products
Old 02-09-2017, 03:09 PM   #496
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What you consider *superior* products

Galaxy Boy, care to share the make and model?

I purchased a Jura F9? About seven years ago and it puts the capsule machines to shame, imho. Expensive yes, but the real cost is in the consumables and that is much less than those capsules.
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Old 02-09-2017, 03:24 PM   #497
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I agree. I am past breakeven on a Keurig and those "pods" and I get good fresh city roast whole bean Columbian Supremo off the internet.
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:09 PM   #498
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It's an Expobar Office Lever. I'm almost afraid to admit it since it gives away just how much I paid. That retailer always has sales and coupon codes so it wasn't near list price actually.

But I love that thing.

Having a great local artisan coffee roaster helps a lot, too.
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Old 02-09-2017, 09:07 PM   #499
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How do you guys drink all that expresso and then sleep that night? You must not be in your 60's yet.

All I can get away with is a mug or two of regular coffee before noon and then no more caffeine all day, if I want to sleep soundly all night. It's the pits; when I was young and could sleep more easily, I couldn't afford expresso. Now that I can, I can't drink the stuff.
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Old 02-09-2017, 09:41 PM   #500
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How do you guys drink all that expresso and then sleep that night? You must not be in your 60's yet.

All I can get away with is a mug or two of regular coffee before noon and then no more caffeine all day, if I want to sleep soundly all night. It's the pits; when I was young and could sleep more easily, I couldn't afford expresso. Now that I can, I can't drink the stuff.
I'm with you. Coffee also kicks in my acid reflux, big time.

I've gone to tea, and have become fond of a particular variety -- Chinese pu'erh. It has a rich body -- almost coffeelike -- compared to other teas. I buy it from Chinese vendors on eBay; a compressed cake of 357 grams costs $10 to $20, although particularly desirable varieties can fetch much more.
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