I made brownies last night. Yes, me. I baked. It happens sometimes. Did I tell you that I got a letter from Con Ed wondering if something was wrong with the meter because I hadn’t used a single bit of gas in two full months? It’s nice that they worry.
I brought the product of my Betty Crocker moment to work today, less as a gift to my favorite coworkers, and more as a strategic move to get them out of my house. I got my fix last night. And again for breakfast this morning.
My eyes are a bit puffy right now, the result of absolute exhaustion. And of all the things I could wish for at this exact moment – money, power, a twenty-four inch waistline – I want nothing more than a really good cup of coffee. Actually, make that: The Perfect Cup of Coffee. You know what I'm talking about. Rich. Warm. Sweet. The first swallow that makes you sigh deeply and roll your eyes into the back of your head in total bliss. I’m tempted to take my little fantasy one step further and think about drinking my Perfect Cup of Coffee in bed, tangled up in the sheets with the New York Times crossword puzzle. Hot, right?
What is desire? Coffee, you bitches. Not underwear from Victoria’s Secret. That I got.
Speaking of desire: I’d really like to re-caulk my tub this weekend, too. It would make me deliriously happy. As I’m somewhat capable in the arena of home repair, is this a Do-It-Myself possibility or should I leave it to the professionals?
You say the word coffee but I just read underwear from Victoria's Secret. (which although good, has nothing on Agent Provocateur)
Posted by: Adrian at August 12, 2004 10:34 AMIt's totally easy! Go to your local Home Depot or Mom & Pop hardware store. HD gives great tips and advise, and I'm sure Mom & Pop do too.
Posted by: Sara at August 12, 2004 10:37 AMOh, my. Stop by a candy store on the way back from the hardware store. We'll have toffee. We'll caulk.
Posted by: not at August 12, 2004 10:41 AMYou should definitely do the caulking yourself. Then you should write about it and post it here. Just because it would be a really interesting post, though, not at all because I've been wanting to do the same thing for a couple of months now and I'm too damn lazy to go figure it out for myself.
Posted by: Mojo at August 12, 2004 10:44 AMDo-IT-yourself!
watch Andrew Dan-Jumbo tonight and be inspired for tomorrow.
Posted by: akaellen at August 12, 2004 11:03 AMWatching Andrew Dan-Jumbo to learn how to caulk your bathtub, while drinking coffee. That right there would be the best of all worlds.
Posted by: The Lobster at August 12, 2004 11:09 AMOf course, if your tub needs calking and you get your landlord to do it you won't have to shell out any money. Then again, you'll probably have to wait a year and a half.
Posted by: sly at August 12, 2004 11:19 AMah the perfect, elusive cup of coffee. where does one find 'the perfect cup'? though sometimes it's the quantity one needs more.. i was thinking of telling starbucks they should supersize their ventis.
Posted by: writersbloc gal at August 12, 2004 11:25 AMhehe, you said caulk, hehehe!!
Posted by: Fake Robot Boy at August 12, 2004 11:29 AMTotally easy and worth doing. Caulking even makes the rest of home repair simple. We re-did my mom's bathroom and somehow F-d up the new tile and molding. So we just caulked the whole area to seal it and it looks like everything fits perfectly. Caulk is to bad carpentry what icing is to bad baking.
Posted by: Hudson at August 12, 2004 11:32 AMIf you can put on eyeliner, you can totally caulk. Think of it as a big, smelly, messy tube of eyeliner.
Posted by: Collette at August 12, 2004 11:44 AMhome depot is my favorite store. oh and that's an easy do it yourself.
Posted by: steph at August 12, 2004 11:50 AMDitto to everyone's DIY suggestions. Just be sure to fill up the tub before you caulk it, and make sure the edges are totally clean and dry. Apply the caulking and smooth it out with your finger (or sometimes I use a spoon). Coffee AND caulking! Big weekend.
Posted by: NEIN at August 12, 2004 12:06 PMandrew dan-jumbo? no, no, no, my friends. i have two words for you: ty pennington :)
Posted by: shannon at August 12, 2004 12:09 PMSome utterly NON-advice:
Scrape away the old caulking with a really sharp tool. Get in there and dig. Work up a good sweat. Then apply the new stuff liberally. Money is no object here. Wait for it to dry. Fill the tub, hop in, and put the plate of brownies within easy reach.
After a decent interval (say, three hours), dry off, call every number in your cell phone, and tell 'em what you did. You will feel completely superior! And about two pounds heavier :)
Posted by: Michael at August 12, 2004 12:49 PMOoooh... Ty... SO YUMMY!
Posted by: Sara at August 12, 2004 12:51 PMPS--Almost forgot. Go to "www.wholelattelove.com" and look at all the really fabulous espresso machines for good prices. A Gagia will make devine coffee every time with fresh roasted beans and a small home burr grinder. Once you learn the tricks, latte better than any coffee shop is minutes away, even on "mornings after." *ahem*
Posted by: Michael at August 12, 2004 01:01 PMI highly recommend do-it-yourselfing. With things like that, I practice in a hidden area other than where the actual work needs to be done.
Before I started caulking my bathrooms, I actually went downstairs and caulked the cement walls in my basement for a while until I got the hang of it.
Good luck-
Yours,
Steverino
I caulked every crack in my room to help get rid of the vampire critters. Took me a little while to get the hang of it, but then it was easy. You could totally do it yourself. And it's cheap. The caulk was $3 a tube (for silicone; I think the latex was even cheaper) and I got a gun for only $3.
Posted by: C at August 12, 2004 02:30 PMDo it yourself. Although, if you mess it up and then have to call in professionals, don't blame me!
How extensive is the caulk work?
Your description of coffee is delightful and makes me want some too. Yum!
Posted by: DeAnn at August 12, 2004 02:38 PM100% silicon caulk works best in my experience. That's not advice, just an observation.
Also, regarding coffee? Help is on the way!
Posted by: Lex at August 12, 2004 02:50 PM...wow, there is actually advice on the non-art of caulking here! scary!
Posted by: Jager at August 12, 2004 04:01 PMDo it yerself. If ya screw it up, you can laugh about it later.
Posted by: bikefox at August 12, 2004 05:11 PMWow. I never knew so many people had strong opinions about doing caulking yourself. And I would definitely take coffee over underwear.
Posted by: jennn at August 13, 2004 03:11 AM