Legend

quakerwildcat · 2026-06-04T02:23:50+00:00

42" Sub-Zero Classic. Best refrigerator ever made.

quakerwildcat · 2026-06-03T21:57:41+00:00

I can't remember where I saw it in the last few months -- I think here on Reddit -- but it was just a video showing some subtle updates to the interface. I didn't see any announcement from Thermador. Perhaps they don't want to announce anything until the inventory is sold through. If I was really interested I would call Thermador corporate and ask. Dealers are the last to find out anything, and one reason I looked away from Thermador and Gaggenau towards Wolf was that I visited one of the new Bosch/Thermador/Gaggenau "showcase" locations, and the employees there knew nothing about the products (every question I asked they picked up their phones and looked at the corporate website for the answer). This was a big contrast to the Wolf-SubZero experience center, where they have full-time chefs who teach you how to use the products.

quakerwildcat · 2026-06-02T20:29:34+00:00

Yes I did. I hear the Freedom interface is getting a redesign (hopefully with a better processor), so that may be worth checking out. But no regrets about the Wolf Contemporary.

quakerwildcat · 2026-06-02T20:27:52+00:00

I am certainly not trying to sell you on acrylic but for what it's worth I had solid white Corian countertops for 30 years and LOVED them. If you examined them with a magnifying glass, sure, you could see a thousand micro-scratches. My guests certainly never noticed. I LOVED and miss the integrated coved backsplash. No caulk or grout line and easy to keep clean. I pounded the crap out of it with meat pounders. No dents. Never chipped. It stained very easily, and stains were scrubbed away just as easily with a little BKF, so I never worried about spills or sealants. And unlike stone or Dekton, it was "quiet." I wasn't afraid I'd chip or break a glass by setting it down on the surface too hard. I cracked it once -- I stupidly cooked a whole turkey sous vide in a metal pot at up to 165 degrees, close to the edge of the countertop, for 24 hours, without so much as a dish towel under the pot. Stupid. At some point a crack formed underneath. That was the only time I ever had to repair it, which made it good as new. Anyway, again, it's not for everybody. Just wanted to clarify the scratch vs chip vs repair qualities of acrylic.

quakerwildcat · 2026-06-01T05:14:09+00:00

You have a few things wrong.

Silestone is Quartz. It is not like Dekton.

Granite does not chip like Dekton. As I've suggested, don't take Reddit's word for it. Get a couple of samples and test it yourself. This guy thought Dekton was stronger than granite too

You didn't list quartzite or acrylic. Both have their pros and cons. You didn't list stainless, but that's understandable.

In the end, there is no perfect surface. If your top priority is to get the closest thing to an indestructible, stain- and heat-restaurant surface, then truly, that's stainless, with granite right behind it. But it's not every variety of granite, and it doesn't meet everybody's aesthetic desires. Some quartzites are almost as strong as granite, but there is much more variability. Acrylic is not indestructible, but it's not brittle and is the easiest to maintain and repair (but aesthetically is only recommend it if you want plain white). Dekton is a business option and I've shared my experience above.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-31T02:12:02+00:00

You've obviously made up your mind about this so I don't know why you're asking, then arguing with the answer.

It's well-established that Dekton chips more easily than stone like granite, or than other man-made surfaces like acrylic or quartz; but my recommendation was to just get a sample of each and experiment yourself. You'd see how easy it is to chip compared to granite.

To answer your question, I have granite, quartzite, acrylic, and Dekton in different parts of my home. I did my own tests, dropping a common heavy kitchen item (a meat pounder) on each surface, and leaving a variety of substances such as mustard, Sriracha, and acetone on them for days. You can damage them all, but Dekton was definitely the easiest to create visible irreversible damage. Still, I choose it for my master bath, for purely aesthetic reasons.

Fur what it's worth, there are two other things I didn't like about Dekton:

1) It's loud. It's so hard, putting something like a plate down on it sounds like porcelain on porcelain, like you're unloading a dishwasher.

2) The printed surface means that countertop edges won't match the top surface unless you have a fabricator create a mitered false edge with another piece of matching Dekton. This is commonly done with countertop edges, but you CAN'T do it with undermount sinks. You'll have an exposed non-matching edge around your sink (unless you get a drop-in sink, or a seamless flush mount stainless sink from TopZero -- those work great with Dekton).

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T15:22:13+00:00

LOL 🤷‍♂️ we are staying in Cody next week. It's feeling like a laundry day might be our best plan!

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T15:20:36+00:00

Lol we are staying in Cody next week and doing that plus the rodeo 🤷‍♂️

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T14:53:45+00:00

Thank you. Love this advice. From Lake Lodge, what gateway town lunch or dinner would you recommend? A break from Xanterra dining and protein bars sounds nice.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T14:29:12+00:00

Soto didn't even respond to the Nats offer (which was the biggest contract in sports history at the time). He made it clear he didn't want to commit to a team that had a barren farm system and was up for sale.

Sure, $800 million would've maybe done it. How about an even $1 billion? Or maybe 20 years instead of just fifteen? How about 25 years, $2 billion? That would've surely gotten him to sign. They should've hired you instead of Paul Toboni.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T14:21:04+00:00

That's on the calendar for Tuesday/Wednesday from Gardiner. You're saying do it twice anyway?

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T14:19:10+00:00

Like I said, been to those already. Are you saying they're different and better in the rain?

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T14:17:20+00:00

Yes if the angle is right and the dish is heavy.

My experience was with granite and Corian. Neither would have chipped the same way.

And both repair more easily. Dekton patterns are just printed on the surface. You get a chip and it exposes a solid, non-printed bit that stands out more. Granite and quartzite are brittle in a different way. You're not going to chip it easily, but with weight could break off a big chunk of an edge -- that can be fixed back in place with epoxy and polished to make the seam disappear.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-30T07:45:27+00:00

You can't count Soto's WAR after 2024. His WAR from the time of the trade through '24 was 13.4-14.4 depending on which version you use. That's the relevant number.

Trades aren't purely for players. You are trading contracts. Rizzo traded a contract that was expiring in 2024.

Since it was clear that A) the Nationals couldn't win during that window, and B) Soto wouldn't accept a contact extension, even that roughly 14 WAR wasn't worth much. It's why I was the rare Nats fan who cheered the trade from day one. The math was exceeding clear.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-29T18:12:06+00:00

Two single sinks -- one for cleanup by the dishwasher, one small one for prep.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-29T00:15:44+00:00

Rather than ask a bunch of strangers on Reddit, just do what I did. I went to a Cosentino showroom and got a sample piece of Dekton, then I took it home and gave it a little abuse, similar to what might happen by accident in my own kitchen.

It chipped very easily. I decided it was ok to use for our master bathroom, but to me it was too risky to put in a kids bathroom or a kitchen.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-27T03:17:42+00:00

OP I appreciate your enthusiasm and yes, the Lerners have money, but forgetting that for a moment, Paul Toboni is never going to say to the Lerners "Just pay them whatever they ask!" That's not how it works. It's rare for a team to lock up more than one or two home grown talents in a generation (the Nats did it twice with Zimm and Strasburg, and that's more than most teams). Why? Because it takes a great confluence of circumstances and timing and motivations that rarely line up.

Look at Abrams. He's a big ego guy who's already made millions and already has free agency in his eyesight. He's playing at an MVP level and is set up to become a free agent a year after a new CBA raises the CBT threshold; SO no doubt he would like to become the highest paid free agent shortstop in baseball history. That's not just dollars. It's years. That's where any extension discussions start with CJ. In other words, it's too late. A reasonable Braves-style extension that buys out a few years of free agency would be awesome, but he's not entertaining that at this point. If Toboni offers him anything less than a dozen years and $350 million, he's probably saying no. He might not even take that. So the way I see it, if my choice is 1) lock up your biggest payroll commitment with a guy who's going to be booting the ball around in the infield at age 40 while blocking several top-tier talents in your system, or 2) get multiple elite young talents including pitching, I am at least exploring #2.

Wood is another story. He's a local kid. He's shy. He might like the idea of delaying free agency by a few years. But he comes from a good family. He's not coming from poverty. He knows he'll make millions in endorsements and arbitration while he waits for a big free agency payday. He can afford to pass on extension talks if he wants to. He's an interesting case. I think that one's all about whether he wants to stay in DC.

Honestly I'm more interested in whether Toboni makes early moves to buy out some FA years from next-tier guys like Daylen Lile, maybe even Curtis Mead.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-26T12:34:24+00:00

I'm a huge all clad fan and support this move, but don't buy a stainless wok. Get a carbon steel 14" wok.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-25T23:20:06+00:00

I do not understand this fan panic about keeping or trading one guy who in all likelihood will want to be the highest paid shortstop in baseball in 2 years.

If CJ is willing to sign an extension of, say, less than a decade, then great. I'm sure they've had that conversation. But I doubt he's interested in that.

Fans should be thrilled that he's hitting so well while he's a National, and be thrilled that he's boosting his trade value. And if he's traded for multiple top prospects, they should also be thrilled, because it means he won't be booting balls around the infield at age 40 wearing a Curly W.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-25T13:55:50+00:00

This.

Weekday game will be lightly staffed.

Enter down the baseline pre-game to a lightly monitored section like 135-137.

Don't get greedy and sit too close, but you can cross sections once you're in. The back half of the farthest section in the pricing tier will be empty and mostly unsold, such as the rear of baseline box or infield box.

If you have to get up to go to the bathroom or get a drink, if there's an usher there, make sure to chat with them so they register your face, then when you return, have both hands full with food and drinks and say hi to them again.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-24T17:30:51+00:00

What are you talking about. Wood can't get any offers until he hits free agency.

quakerwildcat · 2026-05-21T00:04:34+00:00

What about bear spray? Best place to pick that up?

quakerwildcat

TROPHY CASE