How is it possible that an entire day is gone and I’ve got so little to show for it? I spent — it felt like wasted — hours researching gas ranges. I’ve tried for 2 months to like the really nice ceramic-top electric stove that came with my house. It has lots of really nice features. But the only part I can say that I like is the oven. The stove top? I rather hate it. I have cooked on gas since college and can’t accustom myself to the differences in electric cooking. So it’s time to make the switch.
But which stove? How much am I willing to spend? What features are critical to me (4 burners including 1 low powered and 1 high powered, digital display and controls for the oven, ease of cleaning), what desirable (storage drawer), what don’t I want (convection, grates covering the entire top of the stove, griddle)? What does Consumer Reports recommend (mostly stoves that are at least twice what I’m willing to spend)? Today isn’t the first day I’ve spent on this research, although I spent by far the most today.
The bottom line? I don’t know! I’ve got a few ideas and now I need to go to the store, armed with my mobile Consumer Reports reviews, and look at some stoves. But I did get photos and description of my nice electric range taken and it posted on Craigslist. I also figured out the order that things need to happen: (1) put at least some energy into selling the electric stove, (2) buy and install and under-cupboard microwave, (3) go look at stoves and make at least some tentative decisions. If I have to, I can live with a microwave and my toaster oven for a short time. If the electric stove doesn’t sell, I’ll donate it to Habitat for Humanity or similar agency that will come and pick it up and give me a tax deduction receipt. Better than simply letting the people who deliver my new stove take it away and doing who-knows-what with it.
What else? I went through the dozens of photos I took, picked the best 6 or 7, cropped them, and sent them to the bride from yesterday’s wedding. It’s obvious from their cake that this couple are farmers, isn’t it? It was so cute, and so fitting for the people and the setting.
I stripped the bed, washed the sheets, and remade the bed. I watered the new plantings and vacuumed. I ordered the yarn for my next 2 warps of baby wraps, wraps for LM, ARO, RH, and RBG. That job always takes close to two hours.
I spent more time than seemed reasonable talking to support at PayPal trying to figure out why Australia shipping addresses wouldn’t print on the invoices for LY & EK’s custom baby wraps. I got their wraps in the washer and the dryer. I pressed them and labelled them. I updated my required postcards with my new address, printed and trimmed them. All I have left to do is put them the wraps in their respective bags and a box and take them to the post office. (In the photo above you see LY’s wrap, with a natural cotton weft on the left, and EK’s with a lavender silk weft on the right.)
I’m hoping for a more productive day tomorrow.
Oh Peg,
I think you had a different kind of productive day!
Most of my days are like this.
…researching aka reading weaving blogs, instead of weaving .
I heated with wood at my old country house, too, but dealt with that LP tank cuz I couldn’t bear cooking on electric. 😉 Since I had to have the tank anyway, I also had a gas clothes dryer…although I hung clothes outside whenever possible.
I’ve looked (online) at the dual fuel stoves, but of course they cost more, and since I broil VERY rarely (the only place where electric always beats gas), it’s not worth the difference in price to me.
Thanks for your comments. I’ll do a Jack update soon.
I have one of the glass top cook tops and don’t much care for it, but up where we live it’s either electric or LPG and since we heat with wood, who wants to contend with the ugly LPG tank just for cooking. When this one dies, I am going to go back to the old calrod style.
My folks have a gas cook top and electric oven in one stand along stove. They like it very much.
Good luck with your research….