shappy... I have the 500 series bosch set... 2+ years now... one service call almost right away to replace the pump... probably defective and since it was so new the repair guy just said... I'm just replacing it... 2nd call totally my fault... I washed to OLD rubber backed mat rugs... (backing was cracking) and the backing totally fell apart and clogged the outflow hosing... they came and cleaned it out for me under the extended warranty with no problem and other than that they've been great machines... I would easily buy them again, have a few friends who have picked the same ones, and btw... I do not have the pedestals either... bosch is made in North Carolina to design specs from bosch-siemens from Germany... I figured this was 'good' as fl machines are so common and have been in use for so long in Europe their designs should be pretty well debugged by now... and then made here is a plus in my mind... realistically the US machines are 'larger' versions of the European counterparts... and run off 120 volt instead of most of them being 220... although that is/has changed for the models currently being brought in to sell in the US market... I understand being proactive on replacing... that's what I was doing too... with 25+ yo machines in my case... there certainly is an 'adjustment' period... yes the cycles take longer, but they also have mnore clothes in them and use tons less water and power... and now the dryer is always done before the washer! and detergent?? make sure it's he, and start out using about 1/2 of what the container says... fwiw... I use Charlies powder... love it, cleans great and no soap build up under the gaskets that I can find!

I love having a dedicated INformal dining room! Yes, it's 'The Dining Room,' but it's not formal. Long farm table, comfortable chairs, warm lighting, flooring and surfaces that won't get damaged by kids or spills. A really warm and welcoming place to eat meals as a family or with friends. The 'breakfast nook' has just never been my favorite. Even when the space is nice, the furniture is rarely of a caliber that brings joy to the users... I'd replace that with two comfortable wingback chairs and a tall side table -- the kind of place you could have a cup of coffee and read the paper, or sit with a glass of wine while your spouse makes dinner or cleans the kitchen. The other great use for a 'breakfast nook' IMO is as a kids' homework area or auxiliary baking table. Another great use for an unused dining room is (if you can close it off) as a TV room. Get the TV out of your family room and reclaim that space as a family gathering area without the constant racket of a TV.

Two stories: First, a story of an old friend of mine. She lived with a guy for two years in college and they got along well. They got engaged. He was wrong for her, but she said she loved him. "Mom" immediately began planning the wedding for just after graduation. She took on a second job. The wedding got a life of it's own. "Mom" was going to create the wedding of her dreams for her daughter. She was in charge. The morning of the wedding, her daughter was sick in the bathroom. Came out and said "Mom, I'm sick. Should I cancel the wedding?" Mom jokingly laughed and said "I'll push you down the aisle in a wheelchair". Mom thought it was jitters. Her daughter was telling the truth. Mom had worked so hard for the wedding, daughter went through with it. Guilt wedding number one. Groom lost his wedding ring the week after the wedding. Couple was separated after a month and got a divorce. Second story, my cousin married a guy that was similar to the guy in this story. He was a jerk. She had low self-esteem. "Mom" made the grand push to create a big wedding for her daughter and didn't listen to the signals that something was wrong. Girl got married. Mom-guilt, again. Divorced after a year. To me, the moral of the story for me is, if a girl has a relationship with someone that it's doubtful that it will work out, I'd leave it alone. I wouldn't get excited in either direction. I'd WAIT until SHE starts generating wedding plans. I'd ignore the subject completely. Especially since there isn't an official date nor are specific plans being made. After all, it's HER wedding, right? Then she has to take the helm. I've never understood weddings that get thrown by parents like it's a kid's birthday party. If she's adult enough to marry, she's adult enough to manage the process. Not do all of the work, but be the conductor of her own symphony, so to speak. I feel that mothers are there to support the process, not run it. And if the girl is in charge of it, then she won't lose face if she backs out. All of it gets to be her decision. And if she brings concerns over time, listen. Tell your own truth about what you've learned about marriage, adulthood and life. One thing that I've told all of my grown nieces contemplating marriage is that "this is as good as it gets"...As in..The state of the relationship BEFORE marriage is what it's perfection looks like. Once children and life pressures ensue..Once the couple lets down their guard, they won't try as hard. It's the nature of the beast as marriage isn't one big long date. It's a LIFE. We all can't be "on" for decades. Ergo, if the situation is 'great', then there are things to look forward to and a mellowing. If things are not great, they won't get great with a ring. It's preferable to have this conversation in the abstract and not involving a current boyfriend. Less likely to be taken personally. However, if it's stated like a life law of physics and not like an accusation, it's easier to deal with. I prefer to make statements like that in a neutral fashion without an expectation of a response. Sort of like, take this for what it's worth, but this is what I believe. No big emotion. No fire. Sort of, this is your life and your decision. Like you would with another adult that is not your kid. That allows the person to walk away with it and think about it, as opposed to setting up a situation where someone has to fight to not be wrong. Be yourself. Tell the truth over time. Act like you trust her to make the right choice for herself. She's going to need that if this guy really is wrong for her. She needs to know that she can go to you and talk about it, whatever it looks like. And if at any time, she acts like she wants to balk, but is confused? I'd tell her to spend some time thinking about it, that it's her choice on her timeline. But that it's better to back out before the complications of shared homeownership and children...And that there is no law stating how and when she is to marry. It's her choice. Her life. She's the one that has to live it. More than once my own neutral mother dropped a oneliner piece of truth in my lap that I couldn't have said thank you for at the time, but that I thanked her for later. And when the emotional drama is removed, all that is left is the truth. Just my thoughts on the matter...

Scotch whisky - I like some of the single malts - but I don't care for the really peaty ones like Laphroiag, I don't like gin, or tonic water. Fake sugars leave a bad aftertaste in my mouth, and diet sodas leave me thirstier than before - longing for something to wash away the aftertaste. Stevia, while it's healthy, doesn't even taste sweet to me. Tastes rather moldy or something. Other than those carrots (and I'll still eat those if served them, if cooked or well-shredded), I don't have any vegetables I actively dislike. Forgot to mention another food I dislike - cottage cheese. It's the curds, I probably had some milk gone bad as a kid and associate those curdy things with that experience. I can certainly eat it if hidden away in something like a lasagna. Ministrone soup is something that stirs up a similar reaction in me - I remember getting violently ill after eating some for lunch during a summer job in NYC. I am certain that the minestrone was not at fault and it was something I caught - but it left me with an instinctual revulsion that I just can't overcome quite yet. The memory is trapped into the horrible trip I took leaving work to go home early - getting into the train at Grand Central well before it was ready to leave... they had a few bathrooms then, but the doors were locked as the train wasn't underway, and... Let's just say, no more minestrone soup for me. I don't like the texture or concentrated sweetness of most dried fruits. Dates are particularly awful. Figs? Give me fresh ones every time! I can't think of a single dish that is improved with the addition of raisins, but at least they are small. On the other paw, I do dehydrate strawberries and grape tomatoes and love those. Otherwise, I like okra and offal/organ meats, and love lamb. Not fond of chicken breast - inferior to the tasty and moister dark meat. I love kale, but I prefer the less bitter variants - or to eat the more bitter ones when they are still "baby leafed".