Ohio Barns and Farms

We haven’t taken a trip for quite some time. We moved from DC to northern Virginia six months ago and finally felt comfortable enough to venture away. Since we haven’t been to Wisconsin for about three years, it was time to visit with old friends and colleagues. So we set out last month and drove to the Midwest. We took two days to reach our destination and two more to return. What was different this time was we stayed for ten days at a VIP housing high rise in the lower east side of Milwaukee rather than staying a long weekend with our old neighbors. On the way home we took the usual route we have taken so many times before - Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia. I have always been intrigued with the barns and farms along the way. It seems the best photo ops come when I am driving, but I was able to find several lovely homesteads while my husband was driving through Ohio. There is something very Americana about it. We always look forward to these road trips. And for as long as we can drive, we will continue to take them. 

Thermador Refrigerator Water Filter Impossible to Remove

When we first moved in to our new condo in northern Virginia about six months ago from DC, we had nothing but problems with the Thermador appliances. The microwave didn’t work, the oven could not hold a temp above 350, the dishwasher didn’t dry the dishes well, and the refrigerator water filter was impossible to remove. The filter is also located in a very odd place so it is difficult to access behind the pull out freezer door. All of these irritants resulted in several service calls. The oven was eventually replaced because three repair jobs didn’t work. We ended up buying a small microwave so we could at least use the kitchen! Even the service man had trouble getting the filter removed after our building maintenance man couldn’t get it to budge. I started using extra dry on the dishwasher and that helped with the dishes. On the flip side, our LG washer and dryer are running perfect! So it’s been six months since we changed the refrigerator water filter and we are back to where we were - neither my husband nor I could get the darn thing out and no You Tube videos were helpful. My husband at least got it turned half way, but that resulted in no more ice. So I filled our old ice cube tray just in case. And rather than try to do something on the weekend we decided to wait until Monday to try again.  So he turned the filter back to its original position and the ice at least started again. I hope we don’t have to call Thermador AGAIN because we can’t get the filter out. I have never heard of so many problems with appliances although the ice cube makers never worked in any of our GE refrigerators. What should be a simple maneuver isn’t. I suppose things could always be worse. 

Kopp’s Custard

We used to load up the car with our Borzoi, Tatiana, and take a ride to Kopp’s for a hamburger, chicken sandwich, and custard. Of course, we also got French fries. Tatiana was always enthusiastic because she would get a French fry, and also get to lick a bit of the custard. So when we were in Milwaukee last week, we didn’t have our Tatiana with us anymore, but we drove to Kopp’s to get a small vanilla custard cone. It was a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed, as it always was. We got in line and ordered up our cone and waited a few minutes for our number to be called. Then we stood inside and enjoyed the scenery. We noticed the cows in the back and took a ride behind the store to take in the view. It was exactly as it was when we left thirteen years ago for DC. There aren’t any custard places around here like Kopp’s. It’s just better than ice cream and was a treat to visit. 

Ethan Allen Visit

Our home in the Midwest was systematically redecorated from top to bottom. When we moved to DC thirteen years ago, we got most of our furniture from Ethan Allen, but I missed working with our designer Glenn. So when we moved to Northern Virginia six months ago we brought along what we thought would fit, but knew we might eventually get at least a new living room because the carpet was too big and the couch was too small for the new space. I contacted Glenn to see if he might be able to help - and he was as happy as I was to do just that. So we had an opportunity to see Glenn when we visited our old home town last week. I sent the floor plans and photos of our new condo to him beforehand so he could work up a few options. We first met for breakfast, and then met him at the design center to see what might work. It was like old times. It will take a couple of months for everything to be made and delivered. I’ll need to figure out how to donate the few pieces we have before the new furniture arrives. That will be the biggest challenge because there are a lot of rules and regulations about securing the elevators for certain days of the week. We hope everything goes well. It was a really nice day and I know our home is going to look very different. 

Lake Michigan Views

It was always ten degrees colder by the lake - in the summer months along the shores of Lake Michigan. On the reverse side it was ten degrees warmer by the Lake in the winter. It never really got warm in the summer, which is why I didn’t care to live so close, and in the end the foul winter weather finally drove us to move to DC thirteen years ago. It wasn’t the only reason, but the primarily colder environment was just not for us - especially the ice and snow. Although I have to say it feels like Wisconsin here in DC and northern Virginia - the winter just doesn’t last as long. So when we visited our old home town last week we drove along the Lake several times - in our old neighborhood and downtown to points north. It rained most of our visit, so it reminded us again of foul weather. On top of that, both of us caught some sort of bug, virus, flu and were tired, sneezing, and coughing our way through. A most unfortunate situation since we haven’t been to Milwaukee for three years and wanted to visit with our old friends and colleagues. The lake looked the same. It has its own personality. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t care to live near the water regardless of where it is.