Category Archives: Editorial

And not making one. It’s been snowing here and the city does not plow the streets often, but when they do, they leave large piles of snow that block access from the sidewalk to the street, and obliterate all ADA-required curb ramps.

Of course, residents and businesses are legally required to clear their sidewalks regularly or face a fine. The government owned sidewalks continue to be un-shoveled or un-plowed.

So on Thursday I contacted the Mayor stating that our city could not possibly be in compliance with the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 by leaving piles of snow and slush blocking every required curb ramp in the community.

As Zoe (my dog) and I took a walk at seven this morning, there was a truck plowing all the city sidewalks and curb ramps. Normally one has to wait months or years for government to take action, but mention ADA and they’re on it. I did this, and look forward to seeing, later today, whether they only did around our building or everywhere.

There’s a physical rehab center a block away (read Old Folks Home) and I’m always glad to see residents coming out in their wheelchairs for a breath of fresh air. Fresh air and needed mobility doesn’t help them unless they can cross the streets in motorized or hand-propelled wheelchairs. That’s what curb ramps are for. I can’t even bring my wonderful wheeled cart to the grocery store or take out the dog without perilous crossings.

On not making a difference, I spent all yesterday afternoon on the phone with a government agency and a certain express delivery service trying to find a package that was processed Wednesday and sent Thursday one-day delivery. I had the return tracking number that continued to tell me online that it had not yet been scanned. For four hours I pressed both and the government agency, at close of business, actually scanned and emailed me the document I needed, and the express mail service put a trace on the package.

Then I went downstairs at 6:00 p.m.and was told, “you have a package.” The document we needed had been downstairs all day and no-one emailed or called me to tell me it was there. My husband waited for me in the car downstairs while I came up and notified both the agency and mail service that all is well and they can call off the search. Egg on my face.

That said, I did help push someone out of a parking space on the street yesterday, my good deed for the day. But good deeds do not go unpunished. Me, the Buffalo gal, is telling two guys how to get out of the spot while dog sits on the sidewalk watching.

I tell the guy in the car to get out and push as well, then say “jump in and drive!” and he did and it worked and we provided a “runway” for the gal in the space behind them to get out as well. I’m quite sore today and now know why. Will I stop doing good deeds for others? Never.

The government agency that told me they only use regular USPS and it would take two weeks to replicate what they were sending me would leave me without a car for that time. As I moved up the ranks I spoke with a lovely woman, D, to whom I’m sending a grilling recipe for her family and she wants to meet me next time I’m in town. Honey, babe, not vinegar. Let’s see. What do I want to change today? Cheers! Dee

I’ve lived in a number of places and had good and bad kitchens, and have also been on tours of many dream homes for up to $10 million and I inevitably come back with ideas but also concerns about the kitchen.

My husband thinks there should be a cooking robot to make food. He loves my food and I find this concept to be an insult unless he wants peanut butter sandwiches all day, every day. I find cooking to be more of an art than a science.

First off, those people who buy the $10 million house are not going to be using the kitchen so open concept is fine but they should have one in back for the chef and brigade, especially as the home has a movie theater, steam room and locker room for 20, three front-loading washers/dryers and heating elements for 20 pairs of ski boots. Oh, and ski-in/ski-out access.

I prefer a small, open galley kitchen. Many “dream homes” have as large a kitchen as possible and most suffer an extreme loss of functionality. When one watches home shows on the weekend, everyone says “the kitchen is so small.” Yes, but is it functional?

We now have a small, open galley kitchen with stools on the outside for breakfast and for guests. There is not nearly enough cupboard space and most is so high I can’t use it without a stool which I keep but prefer not to take out regularly. There’s a “tech center” right off the kitchen and I’ve a 6′ dark metal (think Container Store) utility cart in there with wheels and brakes. It holds a pasta machine, meat grinder attachment, many heritage bowls, colanders and measuring sets for dry and wet ingredients and pots and pans hanging on each side. Also, I designed it as my pantry and my husband and I placed four 6′ racks along the walls, one side for flour and spices and savory items, plus oils and vinegars and canned goods. The other is for cereal and sweets, plus a top shelf for Marsala and brandy and the back for dog stuff. I initially wanted to close it off with a screen but as long as I keep things organized, I don’t mind if guests know that I actually cook, and we eat, food.

In an ideal situation I’d keep a smaller kitchen with a useful island and a butler’s pantry (swinging door) with glass-fronted shelves and a marble countertop for pastry, also a wall of outlets so I can keep certain appliances at the ready. When I look at a place and the refrigerator door opens the wrong way against a wall I know that’s a time-waster, also that the owner cut corners elsewhere because he didn’t care about functionality.

What is most important in a small kitchen is getting whatever one can off the countertops to leave prep space. I’ve a power strip attached to the utility cart for a juicer and spice grinder. All my important knives save one are on a magnetic wall mount so I don’t have a knife block taking up space. The one I use and love is a ceramic santoku that I keep in a knife guard in the silverware drawer because it is not magnetic.

The dried spices I use most are also on the wall so they don’t take up space. I strongly believe that one should have on hand only the appliances one uses regularly displayed on the kitchen counter for easiest use. Mine are: KitchenAid 5 qt. mixer (25 years old and going strong); utensil jar with spatulas and wooden spoons and my favorite sauce whisk and paint brushes; KitchenAid food processor, 11 qt., a wedding present 10 years ago from my in-laws; and a KitchenAid blender. Also a toaster, and an electric tea kettle. I fell in love with this while living abroad and when in the Rockies at 6.500 feet above sea level, it got our tea water hotter more quickly than a kettle on the stove.

If we made coffee, rice, espresso, pasta every day choices would be different but these are mine and it makes easy work of our meals. The lesson learned is that finding a kitchen that fits you, is functional and makes your life easy is better than finding the largest kitchen you can. We carved out space for a pantry and everything has its place.

Even my m-i-l, who loves her big kitchen, re-did it last year and while she’s not a fan of islands, brought out a lovely granite-topped addition that makes the kitchen better for serving big family gatherings, as well as it allows us “landing space” for our three-day Thanksgiving cooking marathons. Over the past ten years we’ve developed our own rhythm and space for cooking together, even though she’s moved some things around due to new storage space on her “non-island.” I’ll get used to it! Cheers, Dee