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Well, the publishing of the Bau Family Online News has finally gone international. This issue is being published from Madrid, Spain. Weīre looking to bring you future issues from locales as exotic as Iowa and Long Island. Stay tuned for more exciting developments at BFON!
Well, with town water came a new water meter that can be read from outside the house electronically. You regular readers know that the house in Weston was switced from well water to town water in June. In late June, BostonGas came by to change the gas meter as well. The new meter can be read from a truck driving down the street from the electronic signal emitted from the new meter. Ahhh! Modern technology!
While the "gas man" was in the sub-basement relighting all the pilot lights, he noticed the plastic venting pipes off the boiler. "These venting pipes are no longer safe and should be changed. They tend to crack with heat and age and can discharge poisionous gases into the house", he said. "However, the Consumer Products Safety Commission (aka CPSC) has gotten together with all the manufacturers and they've agreed to pay for the materials and labor to change all these plastic pipe vent systems. Just call the CPSC on the proper 800 number and ask for a change"
The next day, the Handyman went to the internet, looked up the home page of the CPSC, and then found the recent recalls for heating and airconditioning products. Sure enough, there was the brand of piping in our boiler along with the manufacturers name and model numbers. A call to the 800 number brought the plan of action. In less than three weeks, the Handyman is to get a letter from the CPSC with a list of certifified contractor who can do the exchange at no cost to the home owner. Another adventure begins.
57 Varieties of Kermits
Like Heintz 57 Varieties, the Bau's swimming pool in Weston was loaded with 57 little varmits on one day over the 4th of July weekend. The pool is surrounded by woods, and on a rainy night, we alwasys end up with a few frogs or a field mouse in the pool. Well, Thursday was the biggest rain in over a month. June was the driest June on record for Boston. Friday morning, the Handyman awoke to start his chores.... one of which is to keep the pool clean. There were dozens of frogs swimming merrily in the pool. Openning the skimmers, WOW! Dozens more frogs in the skimmers. One dead mole.... like mice they get in the pool but can't swim.
56 frogs and 1 dead mole, 57 little varmits in just one night. Give me a break. It took the Handyman over 1 1/2 hours to catch and remove all of them. The Lees of Rachester are arriving Friday evening to spend the weekend touring Boston and then proceeding onto the Cape to vacaion. Hmmmm.... do you think they'd like to swim with the frogs! The Bau's have been in Weston for almost ten years and 57 Kermits in one day is a record.
The pool looks great, but it does take time to keep in order so that it can be enjoyed. Go Handyman!
Freedom Trail
In the early 1970's, the historic societies of Boston decided to link together Boston's most popular tourists' sights and mark the path with historic placks and other signage. They named this path, the Freedom Trail , and today it is the most popular way for visitors to conduct a self guided tour of Boston. Actually, the Trail has continued to expand over the years and today it includes more sights than just a decade ago.
Paul wanted to walk the trail with his house guests, Rebecca and Kenneth Lee, their daughter Veronica Tan and her son, Joshua ( 12 months old but a great traveler and a most well behaved baby)
Finding free parking on Beason Hill was a great start, so our tour began outside the State House. Highlights of our tour ( which covered only half the Freedom Trail) were: Paul Revere's House, the Old South Church, deserts at Mike's Pastry shop in the North End, Clam Chowder and Steamers at the Boston Fish Market in Quincy Market, the Granary Cemetary, the Holocost Memorial, the Union Oyster House, and much more. The temperature was close to 100 degree that particular day, but everyone ended the tour in good spirits.
AEGEAN REST.
The Aegean Restaurant of Framingham. Ma. is an old favorate Greek eatery. Located at the corner of route 30 and route 126 it is always full. The special treat we enjoyed on our last visit was the rack of lamb... tasty, tender and juicy. The Weston Food Critic certainly recommends this dish to all lamb lovers. The rack of lamb is available only on Saturdays and Sundays.
O.K. readers, you are about to learn one of our best tricks to finding really good value in a restaurant... taught to the Weston Food Critic by his mother. "Follow the crowds of folks with grey hairs and you'll find good value in a restaurant", Mother used to says. And Mother was seldom wrong. The Aegean clientel is all "grey hairs" and indeed the meals are excellend and of great value.
For first time customers, in addition to the rack of lamb, another recommendation is the combination plate. This dish will allow one to try half a dozen Greek treats and taste the versatility of the chef. He's good!
Kevin Sweats it Out in Madrid
Well, Madrid hasnīt been quite as hot as the Northeast U.S. recently, but a lack of air conditioning has left Kevin very hot and thirsty.
Classes, however, have been going very well. Kevinīs thinking about jumping up to level 3 (of 5) because the other students in level 2 are a bit behind him. However, the six person class size makes for a lot of discussion time for Kevin. This makes Kevin even more thirsty.
Kevin found a great bookstore on Gran Via, the main street of Madrid. Itīs called "Casa del Libro" or "House of Books". Just think, if they decide to go high tech, theyīll be called casadellibro.com.sp or some other such nonsense. And they, too, will have an Amazon.com market cap. Perhaps bigger, since they have access to a very extensive list of non-English authors. What a huge potential customer base! Just thinking about it makes Kevin even thirstier.
Well, with town water came a new water meter that can be read from outside the house electronically. You regular readers know that the house in Weston was switced from well water to town water in June. In late June, BostonGas came by to change the gas meter as well. The new meter can be read from a truck driving down the street from the electronic signal emitted from the new meter. Ahhh! Modern technology!