OK, here's a possibility. Go to the local sign or photocopy shop and have them print, in big, bold, plain(for stupids) writing, "There is a hidden surveillance camera" or omit the surv part if you live in an area with real, real stupids, "which is recording every move(ment)"!!!!OMG, my stomach really hurts. "So, if you belong here, stay and do your duty"(!!!!ha, nah, don't say doody, unless you think it clearly applies to your locale. "Joggers, go at home or go ahead 1/4 mile, but not here"(I'm a mom of a marathoner, but a considerate marathoner) or, "If you can't hold it, go home! This ain't your home!" Plaster these signs INSIDE and outside the porta.. OOOOH, I have a great idea. Instead of 'violaters will be prosecuted... something like, violaters will be given a free, disposable, mop, plastic gloves, strong trash bags and YOU will be responsible for cleaning up your mess. Who defines what is a 'mess'? Your co-workers. If they don't think it's a mess, then they can help you clean it up. If the consensus agrees that it IS a mess, then the consensus (colleagues) can video your clean up activities!!!!This is so much fun! Pecanpie, I spit out my champagne(cheap 9.5% low carb) while reading your post! It was downhill from there......Breathing is difficult. This is a 'save for posterity'(don't go there) thread. Time capsule worthy. Love it Bev I will breathe normally soon. Ok, I can't resist. We have a beach cottage where, (I wish I had written this line...no, I'm not a snob, but) the handymen have more tattoos(sp) than teeth.

Power and heat on again last night! Today I sorted through all the stuff removed from the shelves at the top of the basement steps. Everything was freshly painted last weekend and looks so much better, thanks to DH. Still need to do some organizing of the area -- drilling holes for all the computer stuff, wires and chargers, printer, etc. And more nails and hooks on the wall to hang all the stuff we use often -- vacuum cleaner, cleaning supplies, cat litter stuff. It's such a small area, but serves multiple functions. The Sunbeam Mixmaster is back in its home in the cabinet. Isn't it funny that once I seriously considered parting with it, now I'm thrilled all over again to have it! Instead, I have pulled out all the vintage crockery, pottery and casserole dishes and will make an attempt to use items in other rooms, as you suggested. I already put pens and pencils in a small pitcher (after putting a piece of cork in the bottom to protect from ink) so it's no longer hogging cabinet space, and I get to see it when I use our new mini office. I have done a small evaluation of how we cook day-today, for smaller gatherings, and for a couple of large annual parties. I think these large events are what make me think I need lots of prep and serving dishes/bowls, but the truth is I don't need everything. My main concern is that I have to have enough prep bowls so that I can just throw them in the dishwasher and not have to worry about washing them so I can serve food. Also, I'm going to get a casserole dish with a lid that's just a little larger than anything I have right now, maybe something that can go from stovetop to oven. The one thing Alton Brown's book made me realize is how little I know about the science of cooking, which is something I've always liked about his TV show. I inherited or haphazardly bought my kitchen stuff (often second-hand) without any thought to why certain types of materials or designs are efficient or ideal for certain tasks. I'm looking forward to reading more and determining the kinds of tools, pots, and small appliances that may be more helpful than my current mish mash of stuff. I think it will be fun to have things I enjoy using and will gladly part with stuff I've been hanging on to for no other reason than that I've hung on to them for this long. I'll post some pics when I get finished with my projects. Thanks again for everyone's suggestions. You've been really helpful. Tina

Tricia, I'm so sorry about the list that disappeared! I hate it when that happens! One of the things I love about Firefox is that those things are sometimes recoverable. (Either following the back arrow, or closing and reloading.) The MAGMA cookware is interesting. Same kind of thought as the Cristel that KitchenDetective mentioned. Seems to have good variety, too. So I've been trimming my list and I think I have it down all the way. I thought I'd share. No wok required, but it could hand half into the window, next to the dishwasher. :) It's still a really long list, but I think everything actually fits, and pretty easily. More so than the people! When four people sit down to dinner in my shipping container, the table and chairs are big enough for the people, but there's no real room to maneuver and everyone has to move if someone needs to get up. :) So, for cookware storage I have a set of 24" drawers, for the dishes I have a shelf, and between the studs storage for glasses and mugs. There's also a little storage above the fridge and oven, but I don't want to use it for cookware other than the 20" wood carving board. The "pantry" is three wire baskets in a moveable cart with drop leaves that tucks away between the side of the cooktop cabinet and the washer door. I kind of cheated and used my own 24" self imported induction cooktop. After reading Johnliu's list, I just couldn't deal with the single element Miele 15" or the other, wimpy dominoes. The paper towels would go in a basket in the cart, which pulls out and becomes an island with the drop leaves up. The foil, parchment and plastic bags can go in the between the studs storage, along with small bottles and jars, or in the cart drawer with the tea towels and pot holders. There's room for cleaning supplies, including: telescoping broom and mop compact mop bucket cleaning supply caddy with nesting bucket collapsible 13 gallon lidded trash can--a frame which holds the bag, then flattens to 2.6" Sponge holder suctions to sink side. Press-with-back-of-hand soap dispenser sits on counter. Clothes iron hides behind a sliding cover on the shelves folding Ironing board and Drying rack hang on bathroom door. Side of shelving case is reinforced and has hooks to hold the four chairs, when folded, 6" thick, total. Top drawer has a compact flatware organizer which can hold the four settings of seven pieces and five hostess pieces: tea spoons soup spoons salad forks dinner fork table knives appetizer spoons appetizer forks serving fork serving spoon slotted serving spoon sugar spoon butter knife Utensils: Infrared/themocouple thermometer Shun Classic Hollow-ground 8" chef's knife with edge guard Shun Classic honing steel (I decided the cook could take the knife out for proper sharpening rather than making room for a stone set) Normann Copenhagen nut cracker Rachael Ray peeler with attached vegetable brush Norpro stamped steel church key for...

Okay, I've finally managed to read all this thread. I love the idea of that portable timer, but of course, a lot of timers are portable. The stove in my Tahlequah house has a timer that only beeps once, so if I don't hear the one beep, I'm out of luck. Having a timer that goes with me wherever I am would be cool. Early in this thread someone mentioned a bench scraper. I love mine. I actually ordered my Christmas present, a dough rising bucket. Since I needed to order some ingredients from KA anyway, it made sense for me to go ahead and order what DH was going to give me anyway, to save shipping. :) As for the above mentioned microplane with a tray - I learned an obvious trick from a Bobby Flay show once. I felt silly for not thinking of it myself. It's simply to turn the microplane so that the blades are at the bottom and the sides are pointing up, like a U. Then you can grate and catch the zest or whatever in the microplane. I've done it that way ever since. I lucked out at an estate sale the other day and found a 8" Henckles chef's knife for $10. I missed out on the Le Creuset they had. As I walked into the kitchen, a woman was laying claim to the entire set they had for sale. Oh, well, she saved me a bunch of money! Still on my list for Santa is one of those scraper paddles for my KA mixer. Sally