KitchenAid Kenny

KitchenAid Kenny delivered some devastating news yesterday: I can't use my beloved mixer here- not even with converters or transformers. : ( 

According to Mr. Kenny Running 60 Hz appliances in a 50 Hz environment forces the motor in your appliance to run at a slower speed, and can potentially cause immediate motor or operational failure.  Then there was some chatter about fire.  

I've already lost one KitchenAid (my beautiful yellow one) to over-taxing the motor; I don't think I could handle the loss of a second.  Damn.  It will now have to live, for a time, next to the vacuum cleaner & box of onions.  The wrongness of it all.

Oh, Gym, it's about time!

Yes, it appears that we've finally found a gym space (well, it once again appears to be so;  let's hope this time it happens).  This is actually a space that we looked out almost two months ago- if only we had known we wouldn't have wasted all this time! 

Alas, doesn't work like that.  Unfortunately, the building cooperative turned off the power/gas etc (because why wouldn't you, when you're trying to rent it out??!) & so first off we have to go through all of the drama of inspections & then having things turned back on before we can have it cleaned/ get the flooring & the pull-up bars installed.

As soon as that gets done, we're in.  I am already feeling so relieved that we're moving forward- really, what is more exhuasting than spinning in circles?

I Hate My Kitchen Sink (or, some days are harder than others)

Why, I ask you, would someone put a shallow sink- a sink that doesn't fit pots or cookie sheets or large pans/bowls (a sink that would, at the most, be at home in your van remodel) into a kitchen?  A shallow aluminum sink without a sprayer, so that when attempting to wash aforementioned larger-than-a-cup & saucer items, water will, inevitably, douse the kitchen (as well as unfortunate dish washer)?  Could that be good for the kitchen?  My annoyance levels?  Hmm.  I think not.

The Kids hate school lunches.  Getting up early.  Music class.  The milk.

Roztoky

Yesterday we were all settled in for a lazy day (the plan of walking to Hvězda was being met with resistance)- Antonín on the Wii; Nikolaj the computer; Zdeněk dozing after his early-morning bootcamp instruction & Lily & I watching yet another episode of Fringe (thank you, Minna!)- when Honza called.

He was driving by our house & wanted to take us to his cottage for the day. He has a lovely little place only about 15 minutes from us (by car)- it took Zdenek closer to 30 minutes because he had to ride Honza's bike there as we all didn't fit in the car.

It was a beautiful fall day which we spent playing badminton & Petanque (the French version of Bocce).

Then we went home & watched a few more episodes of Fringe.

Antonín had to memorize this little poem/nursery rhyme for school (illustrating the difference in pronunciation between the long & the short A, in theory).

Pizza, We Love You (or try to)

We finally decided it was time to step out &  begin our search for the pizza we can all love (it's been over two months!). We chose Grossetto's in Dejvice, as it's been there a long time, gives a nice "Italian restaurant" impression & is relatively close to home.

Of course, the fact that we've been there a few times (albeit many years ago) & didn't recall the food one way or another, should maybe have tipped us off.  The food was fine.  Expensive.  The atmosphere was very pleasant.

The pizza,  was, of course, not exactly right.  Too many odd ingredients.  The "pepperoni" wasn't pepperoni at all- more of a bacon with a lot of bell peppers & chilli.  The "margarita" was okay- the mozarella came in odd little plops but at least the basil was in large enough leafs to easily remove.

Lily was unhappy that she couldn't find an alfredo sauce & turned her nose up at the green pasta with mushrooms that she did order (although it was fairly tasty).  The crust was nice & thin. The lemon beverages that the kids had tasted like fresh-squeezed lemon juice (& about as sweet).  It was fun to go out, the place was nice, but, in the end, will be crossed off our Pizza Quest list.  Pizza is, after all, a serious business.

dismissal

We're still trying to sort out the picking-up of the kids from school. They all get out at different times- & the times they're out vary from day to day (perhaps by spring, we'll have sorted it out)...