The Our Mutual Anniversary Present

So we were having a bit of trouble coming up with a good plan for celebrating our anniversary this year since we have no idea when Baby Rodgers will show up.  I couldn't imagine that she (or we) will be exactly anxious for us to sneak away on an extended weekend to Disneyland - or even Lincoln for that matter.  We also don't do particularly well at getting presents that really meet the surprise quota, nor are we all that great at actually coming to a decision when buying gifts.  After all, how will we know that we bought the absoballylutely perfect thing?  After spending at least an hour tossing around ideas, we were still coming up short.  At least our anniversary wasn't for a couple more weeks.

Then, a few days later, inspiration hit.  We would buy an espresso machine.  This would be perfect because a) we both like espresso, b) we both like to experiment with making drinks, c) we like saving money, d) we would increase our popularity as a couple by about 200% and e) we would consequently be very happy people.  Steve started looking around on Amazon.com and not only found one that was in our price range, but that also featured a $20 rebate coupon.  This is where having a husband who could write for Consumer Reports pays off.  The best part?  The whole shebang arrived a mere two days after the order...and that was with Free Super Saver Shipping.

So purdy.

We had some beans ground at Starbucks and the result is fantastic.  We continue to experiment with different tampering techniques in order to get consistent espresso shots, but overall we are quite pleased with the performance of this little guy.

Here I be after attempting to steam milk for a latte.  Heh.  Let's just say that various and sundry parts of milk, coffee, water, and mugs were all over the counter and I kept yelling things like, "Eep!" and "Oh, crap!" and Steve kept laughing at me.  It was nice that the drink was worth the stress.

So, you know, if you're ever in the neighborhood, stop on by and have some espresso.  You may just want to wait outside until I have the milk steamed, though.