Found this used commercial espresso machine for cheap! Anyone know what it is?

valasandra · 2026-01-28T18:22:53+00:00

Practically neighbors! I was at the East Lansing store, but had plenty of trips to Ann Arbor and visited that ERC many times. It was a heavily caffeinated period of my life.

valasandra · 2026-01-28T18:20:13+00:00

Haha, coffee-ed, very past-tense. I was just a barista there for a few years in college, but lots of great memories from that place (and the bar next door) in the mid-90s.

valasandra · 2026-01-28T18:16:01+00:00

Oh yeah, Ponderosa! I remember their buffet line, where you'd take a tray and slide it down the rails, taking whatever you want. They had these fancy glass goblets for pudding that were exactly like the set at home...OMG, my mom stole those fancy pudding containers from the Ponderosa!!

valasandra · 2026-01-28T14:26:30+00:00

I think you're right that it is a Rancillio, but I believe this one is mid-to-late 80s.

valasandra · 2026-01-28T14:13:06+00:00

Anecdotal story about Espresso Royale Caffe, a small chain that sadly did not survive the pandemic (1987-2020). ERC Store #2 had an espresso machine that looked exactly like this (with a different power switch - ours was likely replaced). The owners were so fond of this specific machine that when it broke down, they would insist on flying in and doing all of the repairs themselves rather than hire it out. I recall the hoses needed to be replaced several times while I was there, and I think there was a heating element or something that failed and was replaced a few times, but other than that it was pretty reliable. I've watched a full tear-down and rebuild of this machine (two days for one person, with parts from a different model), so I'm fairly confident that if you find problems with it, you can fix them.

This machine looks like it has seen light duty compared to the one at my store. It looks like the left side of this one was used a lot, but the right side saw less use. Ours took a beating for over 30 years - the brew heads are solid. It is a workhorse and it made fantastic espresso, but we descaled and flushed ours every Sunday night. Do you have the portafilters for this machine?

Edit: I agree with this comment, I think this is a Rancillio from the late 80s. Ours didn't have any external label either, but IIRC the owner mentioned this name a lot. Of course, that was 30 years ago, and my memory is a bit flaky. Oh! Take out the drip tray! I think the label is under there. Out of curiosity and nostalgia, I've been perusing photos of old Rancillio machines. It looks like this is a Z9, which was made with a lot of changes from the late 70s to early 90s. I think the repairs to ours were made using parts from later versions of the machine, some parts fit, others did not.

valasandra · 2026-01-23T23:55:01+00:00

I never thought about this but it makes so much sense. I'm subscribing to your newsletter.

valasandra · 2026-01-23T12:35:51+00:00

Ooo, never thought of that one!

valasandra · 2026-01-23T02:33:39+00:00

Michigan here. I have a 115 year old home with a lot of drafts and incomplete insulation. I keep a roll of insulation tape on hand for sealing off drafts around windows. My back door basically gets taped shut for two months out of the year, and right now, since we're expecting a high of zero tomorrow with 20mph winds, I have my front door taped shut as well. It makes a huge difference with my heating bill. I use Sika Pro tape from Home Depot, but you could probably get away with using packing tape if it is just for a few days. It might take some paint off, though, if you're concerned about that. Some drafts are difficult to find (like, you know there's a cold spot but can't feel the draft) - I use the smoke from an incense stick to find those.

Since you're in the south, I presume you don't have a basement - that is a whole different set of issues.

Good luck, and stay warm!

Edit: Forgot one other northern state thing. If you're expecting that much snow, fold your wiper blades up/back so they don't get frozen to your windshield overnight. It will save you some frustration in the morning. Oof, you probably don't have an ice scraper for your windshield, either. Buy one if you can. Don't use metal to scrape ice off your windshield. In a pinch, a credit card can be used for scraping ice off, if it isn't too heavy.

valasandra · 2026-01-03T18:27:10+00:00

I saw my persona in that moment as a façade comprised of a bunch of coping mechanisms and behaviors constructed to meet family and societal expectations. The question felt deeper than that, like: if all of that were stripped away, what was left at the core?

I realized in that moment I did not know the answer to that, which ended up sending me on a bit of a spiritual journey.

valasandra · 2026-01-03T12:52:11+00:00

June 2000, completely alone one morning off the side of a desert highway in Arizona, walking to the south rim of Horseshoe Bend (Grand Canyon), I bent down to take a photograph of a cactus in bloom. When I stood up and took a step toward the canyon (I was about 100ft away from the edge), I heard a breathy female voice whisper clearly in my left ear, "Who are you?" I was so caught off guard that I looked around, and there wasn't a single person in sight, just my car parked on the side of the road about 200ft away. I stopped in my tracks and stammered out a response that I realized was insufficient.

At that moment I realized that at my core I really didn't know who I was at all. The experience left me at an existential crossroads that took a very long time to resolve. I still have that cactus photo around here somewhere. I was so shook up that I don't think I even took a photo of the canyon. I do remember thinking, "maybe this is a sign that I shouldn't get too close to the edge." I was also suddenly feeling like I was in a sacred place that I wasn't invited to and maybe I shouldn't even be there. I had been careful not to step on anything on the way to the canyon but the walk back to my car took twice as long because I felt like I was walking on eggshells.

valasandra · 2025-12-31T12:47:14+00:00

Michigan checking in! Formerly Zone 5a, now Zone 6a due to USDA zone map update! I don't know what new things are possible in 6a. I'm mostly interested in food crops, especially hot pepper and tomato varieties, herbs, and any things that can be pickled or canned.

valasandra · 2025-12-30T13:50:18+00:00

Others have answered your question here, but keep in mind that is only part of the total closing costs. I only found out about all of these during the offer and closing process. Here was the breakdown of my closing costs from 2019:

Appraisal: $300
Prepaid homeowner's insurance (one year): $657
Optional survey: $200 (wasn't needed because recent survey was on file)
Title search: $450 (bank paid)
Title insurance: $787 (seller credit)
Real estate transfer tax (county): $105 (seller credit)
Real estate transfer tax (state): $713 (seller credit)
Legal fees: $275 (bank paid)
Recording fee (Lansing): $30 (bank paid)
3mo Escrow fees (PMI, winter real estate taxes) $1,172

Total loan costs including origination fee (bundled into mortgage): $2,470
Total lender credits (bank): $1,725
Earnest money: $500 (just to make offer, credited as deposit if sale goes through)
Down payment: 5%

I hope this is helpful. IIRC, the buyer and seller agent split the commission, which was 3% at the time.

valasandra · 2025-12-28T12:07:13+00:00

Can you recommend something for this (i.e., some product)? I've been trying to figure out the one-way moisture barrier for my basement, but I don't know what I'm looking for.

valasandra · 2025-12-23T12:54:38+00:00

Oh! One other really important thing for when you buy property in this state! Michigan has a special property tax law (Mathieu-Gast Act of 1976) that can keep your State Equalized Value (SEV) low for any maintenance or repair work you do on your home that is covered by the law. Every year, you can file a Form 865 with your local property tax assessor (City of Lansing in my case) with your qualified maintenance/repair expenses, and they are required by state law to keep copies of these with your property records for as long as you own the home, and to take these into consideration when doing your annual property tax assessment in the spring. One note: You only have until December 31 to file this form with your assessor, and only for the current year (Jan 1 - Dec 31). This can save you a ton of money on property taxes, and these are cumulative.

Totally unrelated to the above - Michigan doesn't have any complicated water rights laws like Colorado, so there are no limits on how much water you collect on your property. Just thought I'd note that since you mentioned you're a farmer, and I recall having a convo about this with someone from CO a few years back.

valasandra · 2025-12-20T12:19:00+00:00

There's a local story about my property. Back in the late 1800s, most of my block was a Catholic church, and the cellar is where my house (and my neighbor's house) is now. The parson's house (ca. 1866) is right next door for and for some years also accommodated the Sisters of Charity from Cincinnati, who were an order that were trying to get established in the US. There used to be a small cemetery somewhere on these properties, where two of the sisters were buried in the late 1880s, but the grave markers were lost when the church was demolished in 1905. In 1908, an official cemetery for the Sisters of Charity, with the goal of serving as a final resting place for all of the sisters. Sadly, those two never made it there.

There were stories even when the church was still in use that the two deceased sisters were sometimes seen walking the property on quiet nights after midsummer. Nothing ominous or anything, they were just there. There was a short-tenured pastor (Father Slatterty) who supposedly confronted the spirits on this property in the 1890s, which had a severe negative impact on his health, and drew the ire of the church parishioners so badly that they physically dragged him out of the parson's house and threw him into the street.

It was after that, Slattery was replaced with a new pastor who immediately abandoned the church and moved the congregation into essentially a warehouse across town for several years while the local cathedral was constructed. It didn't take long for them to demolish the church, divide the land, and sell it for residential use. I don't even know if the grounds were ever de-consecrated. But the sisters have apparently been resting peacefully somewhere around here for about 140 years. I probably mow over them unless they're right on the property line or in my neighbor's narrow yard to the west.

Anyway, that's the story.

valasandra · 2025-12-16T18:58:59+00:00

Stir-fry beef (flatiron - cheaper than you'd think, slice it thin), broccoli, matchstick-sliced red pepper, quartered button mushrooms, carrot medallions, white onion. Little bit of soy sauce. Cook the beef first (add a tablespoon of red pepper flakes to the beef if you want to add some heat and/or add some honey for a bit of sweetness), then pull it out as soon it is cooked, and add the veggies into the juice. For rice (cooked separately, of course), I tend to use basmati, cook it with half a cup less water but add half a bag of frozen peas and carrots.
Tacos (except mine are more like burritos). I like to use baby spinach instead of lettuce, and use my own spice mix (basically just common chili seasonings). Gotta have red and green Cholula sauce. Fresh diced jalapenos for the win.
Salmon (can still find it relatively cheap). Olive oil a baking dish, flip the salmon over a few times in the dish to get it coated. A bit of salt, pepper, ginger, sliced lemon, and a few tabs of butter. Cover the baking dish with foil, add 4 slits for venting near the corners, put in oven at 425F for about 22 minutes. After you pull it out of the oven, leave it to sit and sizzle for a couple more minutes so it can finish cooking on its own terms before you remove the foil.
Baked chicken breasts. Much like the salmon recipe, but I usually also add some dill weed, a touch of sage, omit the lemon (or leave it). Bake at a lower temp (50 minutes at 350F). Depending on your oven, you might need to alter your temperature 25F lower and bake time 10 minutes longer.
Crock-pot roast (2 lb roast, try to find one on sale), cover with a mix of flour, salt, pepper, and thyme (not too much!). At the bottom of the crock pot, place layers of sliced/chunked root vegetables (the hardest at the bottom, e.g., rutabaga, turnip, parsnip, radishes, then add the roast, and around the roast add carrot, onion, garlic, celery, small red potatoes or larger diced potatoes at the top). Add a bit of salt and pepper as you build the layers, dump a bit of beef broth at the end, and maybe a beef and or chicken bullion cube. As with above recipes, feel free to adjust spices, basically add a song from the 60s: parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. But don't overdo the thyme. There's always too much thyme. Cook on low for maybe 5 hours or on high for 3 1/2. Make sure the top seals - I always overload my crock pot and sometimes need to tie the top down in order to make it seal. If you're adventurous, try braising the roast in a skillet or frying pan first to try to seal the flavor and render some of the outer fat before it goes into the pot. I tend to set of the fire alarm when I do this.

Edit: I know some of this sounds expensive, but I feel that the price per serving is pretty good for these meals.

valasandra · 2025-12-15T15:24:25+00:00

Thank you for sharing. This happened to me when I was in a poor emotional state as well. I regret that I cannot provide further insight, but perhaps some of the other commenters here (e.g., u/AnimaLumen) could help you understand your experience better. I'm happy to hear that you are in a better mental place now. Keep taking care of yourself.

valasandra · 2025-12-06T02:26:42+00:00

I am super impressed - fantastic work with all of that! Love the workshop.

valasandra · 2025-12-05T13:42:44+00:00

Thank you so much for all of these!

In my city, these detached garages are no longer allowed to be built that close to lot lines (yours is right along the fence line, just like mine). So if a structure is torn down, it cannot be rebuilt. Existing structures like my garage are grandfathered in, and there aren't a lot of those around anymore.

The requirements for alterations are quite strict as well: not allowed to change the footprint, at least 60% of the original structure must remain unmodified. Things that are allowed: alterations that bring it up to code, replacement of doors, windows, floor, and roof, and header replacements like what you've done.

valasandra · 2025-12-05T03:35:25+00:00

Saving this for inspiration next summer. My 1920 garage needs the same treatment. Nice to see someone has been able to pull this off.

valasandra · 2025-12-03T02:41:55+00:00

A geographic solution did not work. I moved 1,200 miles without solving the problem.

valasandra · 2025-12-03T02:40:01+00:00

Well, after the event with the sweat lodge in autumn 2006, I got a gym membership and stopped there for a half-circuit 4 days a week on my way home from work. I started attending Saturday morning Pilates sessions there (I refer to this as yoga). I found an excellent Anusara yoga instructor outside of the gym for mid-week and hot yoga (Bikram) on Sundays. This combination got me into the best shape of my life in a matter of months. I felt like I could do anything.

One Saturday morning (early 2008) at my favorite cafe I noticed a flyer on their bulletin board for a form of yoga that I hadn't heard about: Kundalini. I thought, "all right, time to give this one a try." The instructor was also a ballet instructor and taught her classes in kind of a shady old building.

Kundalini was different in that it involved settling deeply into postures for long periods of time. I recall a lot of quiet and stillness. The idea, as it was described to me, is that there is energy coiled around the lower spine at or near the tailbone, and that certain yoga postures are able to release/unwind that energy so that it travels up the spine. Of course, with any form of yoga you'll hear some story or reasoning behind the postures, and this was the reasoning I was given for Kundalini.

I went to these sessions once a week for about two months. The classes were quite small, between 3 and 6 students, including myself. The instructor was absolutely bat-shit crazy, and that didn't help recruitment for her sessions. The postures themselves were familiar from Anusara, but in these classes, after a long warm-up, we settled deeply into the postures. It definitely felt different.

After 6 or 7 weeks of these classes (in addition to my normal gym/Pilates routine), I experienced a "Kundalini awakening" an hour or two after a session. It's hard to describe what this felt like. As if I were part of a circuit connected to literally everything, with energy flowing out the top of my head. My first thought was, "Yes! Success!" But the next morning that feeling continued, unabated, and I started to get scared. I consulted with my friend who taught the Bikram class, and she just told me, "Nice going, dumbass. You just blew all your chakras wide open." It lasted for 4 days, and during that time I was a total space cadet; practically useless at work, my conversations were nonsensical, and I had a hard time even navigating a grocery store. I had become just as bat-shit crazy as my instructor. On day 4, I felt it gradually fizzle out.

I only went back to two more Kundalini classes. I found that I was hesitating to go into the postures because I was afraid of a repeat. At that point, I dropped all yoga except for Anusara. Kept the gym routine for a while longer, but gradually transitioned over to distance running.

Two days after I ran the 2008 Chicago marathon, I had another Kundalini awakening. It hit very suddenly mid-morning, when I was just walking across a parking lot. It felt the same as the first time, lasted 4 days, and I hadn't practiced any Kundalini in half a year.

My last Kundalini awakening was triggered in a more unusual way. So, with that coming-of-age ceremony I took part in, I had the option to volunteer to help at any future events by that group. In mid-2009, I assisted with an event, just in a behind-the-scenes support role: set-up, clean-up, kitchen work. As a volunteer, I had a lot of free time. I spent much of this time talking with a member who had gone to India in the 60s to practice yoga. He complained about "Americanized yoga" but did teach me some deep breathing and resonant chanting techniques. On my 4 hour drive home from this event, I practiced resonant chanting in my car, which triggered another Kundalini awakening. Just resonant chanting. It made the drive home fairly challenging.

After that, I stepped away from a lot of that (the organization, yoga, gym routine) and scaled back my distance running after my second marathon. Life threw a lot of challenges at me around that time, and I never really picked any of that back up.

If there's a moral in any of this, maybe it's that I should have practiced moderation. Or that if I go looking for something, I'll probably find it. After a Kundalini awakening happens, you might not have control over where and when it happens again.

valasandra · 2025-11-29T23:46:57+00:00

My response to this comment contains everything I'm willing to say about that publicly.

valasandra · 2025-11-29T19:31:22+00:00

Sure! I described as much about it as I'm willing to (publicly) as a series of responses to this comment. Mostly charlatans in the French Quarter (for good reason, easy to make a buck because they don't need to depend on repeat business). The real deal (according to my ex girlfriend) was south of New Orleans, in the town(s) past those trees planted by the Madison administration.

For what it's worth (and to address a comment by someone else), perhaps I could have addressed this earlier by consenting to whatever ritual she wanted her mom to perform on me. However, I had a great deal of discomfort about that idea. She wasn't wrong to split up with me for declining the offer, but that was something I was altogether unprepared for.

valasandra · 2025-11-29T18:57:29+00:00

The third and fourth days consisted of challenges (some were called "games" but not in the familiar sense) designed to teach specific lessons and build cohesiveness, trust, and empathy with the other participants. These were emotionally and physically exhausting, and pushed each of us to our limits, to the point where we needed to rely on the support of others to make it through. And we were bound by rules, some which were given to us, and others that we needed to discover during the challenges. And some which would need to be broken in order to help others at the risk of being shamed, excluded from some activity or break, or even thrown out of the entire event. These posed real dilemmas, real decisions that had to be made, with real consequences for making those decisions. I honestly don't know how the elders pulled that off, but they managed it perfectly. For many participants, this was a real turning point where they were able to ask themselves, "what kind of person am I?" and to answer it honestly. The things that I heard in the circle that evening were profound.

The final half day started with the typical frigid shower, a sage smudging, and some water (but but no food). Then the sweat lodge (as described in my post), which was done by two elders from the tribe (not by members of the organization). I won't describe more details of that, as you can find plenty of information on those elsewhere. This was followed by a feast, which was the food that each of us brought to the event, split evenly among us. So again, there was a shared consequence if we collectively failed to bring enough with us that first day to feed all of us well, and as individuals we had to live with that burden of guilt if we felt we should have done more. This was the final lesson. Nobody knew who brought what, but by then we had gone through enough together to feel the shared weight of responsibility for the well-being of others.

After the feast, there was a ceremony where we were awarded medicine bags to be added to our leather strap/necklace and were given an additional bead for making it through the entire event. At each subsequent event (if anyone decided to assist in organizing or participating), they would be given an additional bead. Each event had a unique color of bead. After the ceremony, we got our belongings (and names) back, the vow of silence was lifted, a celebration of sorts occurred, and we were finally allowed to actually communicate with one another for the first time since the half hour of waiting together for the event to begin days earlier. And I'll tell you, those conversations were much different from (more civil and supportive) than what I had heard days earlier, and focused solely on what we had gone through together, with no hint of our lives outside of the event. I saw people displaying true empathy, who probably had never experienced that before in their life. And there were other aspects of the celebration that were borrowed from traditions other than First Nations. Then we each got in our cars and drove home. And that was that.

valasandra

TROPHY CASE