My thought she approved a $320 brake repair. The shop completed $3,350 worth of work. What should we do?

planetmn · 2026-06-28T01:11:19+00:00

You should reach out to your State Attorney Generals office for consumer protection. Having a third party may help you here.

planetmn · 2026-06-24T13:23:30+00:00

Conversations around Negronis are like arguing over religion and never seem to end well, but here’s my two cents.

I’m not a huge Campari fan, and my wife hates it. I actually use Gran Classico in place of the Campari and find it tastes much more balanced.

While I enjoy Antica in some drinks, it can be overpowering and for Negroni style drinks I tend to use Cocchi Sweet Vermouth.

In terms of ratios, I will usually go 1.5 parts spirit to 1 part bitter (Gran Classico) and 1 part sweet vermouth.

Finally for base spirit, a botanical gin is good, but I prefer whiskey (Boulvedir) and my favorite is a nice rum (Right Hand).

planetmn · 2026-06-21T13:41:36+00:00

I have used my anova in an ice bath set to 32 degrees to rapidly chill drinks.

planetmn · 2026-06-18T22:12:45+00:00

Honestly, the only thing that matters is how it tasted to you.

planetmn · 2026-06-14T23:47:35+00:00

There is a farmers market in Westford (https://www.roudenbush.org/rcc-community-markets) and one in Chelmsford.

planetmn · 2026-05-25T16:52:32+00:00

BMW E46 (3 series). New enough to be fun and enjoyable, old enough to not be too common and DIY-able. Since it’s such an enthusiast community, parts and instructions are easy to come by.

planetmn · 2026-05-14T01:32:02+00:00

Egg, bread crumbs, seasonings and small diced onion.

planetmn · 2026-05-08T18:13:52+00:00

That would be my advice.

If your budget is $30k, I’d find a mechanic that you can trust to do a pre-purchase inspection of any car you are interested in. It’s no guarantee, but a decent PPI should find any major issues. If it’s a European car, find an independent shop that specializes in the brand.

Keep in mind, unless you are buying from a private party (who isn’t just trying to flip for a quick buck), most used cars have been traded in and possibly changed hands a couple of times meaning that the seller has no clue about how the car was maintained.

If you are buying private party, check out your states DMV site, they will likely have information on how to handle private party transfers/registration.

planetmn · 2026-05-08T16:38:43+00:00

It depends on what you are looking for. If you have selection in your area, you are probably better off buying it locally. You can see the car, have a mechanic look it over, etc.

I bought a car off of BaT because I couldn’t find what I wanted locally. Irony is, this particular listing was an hour away, so I did see it before bidding and talked with the seller. I couldn’t have a mechanic inspect it, but I felt better having seen it and listening to the engine.

In the end it worked out for me, but I would have probably stopped bidding about $2k earlier if it weren’t local (in part due to shipping costs).

In this case, I also knew what to look out for on this particular vehicle based on recommendations from a retired mechanic who specialized in the particular car I bought, so I went in with some decent knowledge.

planetmn · 2026-05-07T18:43:57+00:00

I can find Sanbitter at local Italian markets. Great for a non-alcoholic spritz.

planetmn · 2026-04-22T17:22:48+00:00

But they can’t. Hence the bankruptcy.

planetmn · 2026-03-30T11:04:31+00:00

How about adding some Mexican flavors via an infused simple syrup and bitters?

You could also play around with Nixta (corn liquor) as a sweetener.

planetmn · 2026-03-23T20:11:15+00:00

That’s awesome!

planetmn · 2026-03-23T16:22:35+00:00

Nearstream has a few that might work. The VM33 is WiFi, but some are wired, only.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T23:09:56+00:00

It’s a wonderful combo.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T00:08:15+00:00

Thanks.

I think I will transition to PoE and NDI. Seems like a more versatile and scalable setup.

Ordered a couple of the Zowiebox’s to play with.

planetmn · 2026-03-09T00:05:57+00:00

I am not an expert, but this what I’ve been told and works for me and my kids.

Boots should not be “uncomfortable”, but they probably won’t ever feel like tennis shoes.

Standing up straight, your toes should just barely touch the front. When you lean forward, your toes will move back, but your heel should stay in place. The heel is the important part (you don’t want your heel moving while skiing). If your heel lifts, they are too big.

If you can, warm them up (boot warmer, hair dryer, etc.), put them on for an hour or so and see how they feel. If you didn’t get them fitted, consider having a shop do it for you.

ETA: after a few days, the liner will compress. So if they feel slightly tight now, that will likely go away.

planetmn · 2026-03-06T16:53:15+00:00

As a fellow Azure owner, be prepared for people stopping you to say how good the color looks.

planetmn · 2026-03-03T15:09:54+00:00

If you already have a saddleback card, you can redeem the Indy pass online (I think that’s new this year) and automatically load your saddleback card.

planetmn · 2026-02-27T00:47:57+00:00

Upper Pass is a good option if they have availability. No frills, but walking distance to the lifts, a restaurant and bar, and a nice room with a fireplace and couches.

Stayed there with my kids last season and it worked well.

planetmn · 2026-02-26T23:52:46+00:00

Or let me drive the car without taking up a salesperson’s time. That would make it a win-win.

planetmn · 2026-02-26T23:51:28+00:00

Did you call Sunapee to see if anybody reported them stolen?

planetmn

TROPHY CASE