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Wednesday, January 1, 2003
Shortly after pulling out of my driveway and tapping the brakes one morning I looked down to see the OBC informing me of "1 brake light fail". After I got over the coolness of having the car tell me precisely when a lamp has failed and realizing that it must be doing current sampling on that circuit every time I hit the brakes, I figured I'd just go to the dealer and pick up a lamp to replace it.
On the way there, I recalled that the Oil Service light had illuminated last week and since I'd been so busy at work lately I had kept forgetting to call my dealer for an appointment, so I figured I'd try to squeeze into their schedule for an oil service and just have them replace the bulb while they were at it.
I walked back into the shop to say hello to my mechanic and I told him that the car had been running fine since we did the plugs and idle valve. When I told him about the brake lamp, he recommended we replace all three, since the other two were likely to fail soon as well. After 5 years in operation, and the fact that they all illuminate at the same time -- thus have the same on-duty time -- I couldn't argue with that logic.
I also noted that I had started to feel a slight resistance about half-way through the door handle travel and some subtle resistance when I inserted my key into the door lock and turned it. He said he'd put some graphite in the lock and some grease in the locking mechanism. While I was at it, I asked him to put some silicone protectant on the door seals where they are exposed to light behind the glass.
This time I figured I'd wait for the service as I expected it to take only an hour to perform, and in the process saved the hassle of a loaner. They even sent the car through their wash bay, and cleaned all the nasty road salt off the car that had built up in only two days since I washed and waxed it.
The car is technically due for an Inspection II at 72000, but given all the work I've had done on the car in the last six months, and the fact that my mechanic always gives it a routine checkout when it comes in for service, I'm confident that I can delay that until 75000, at which time it will need another oil service anyway. Given that I'm putting about 1700 miles a month on the car, I figure that will be sometime in March or April.
Parts and labor (Oil Service plus 0.1 hour charge for lube & lamp replacement): $88. Total mileage, 70869.
Saturday, March 1, 2003
On what became the warmest and nicest day of the new year, I decided to wash and wax my baby. Shortly after I put the buffer away, I stepped back to admire a beauty I hadn't seen in several months due to the lousy weather and salt grime. I then hopped in to put the car away, turned the key, and then...misfire! In fact, not just a misfire...I really nasty steady miss that shook the whole car and eventually tripped the check engine light (first time I'd ever seen it do that). Damn...not again.
I started wondering whether she was getting back at me for having scheduled her for an Inspection II in two days, but I told myself...na...this baby gets all the TLC she needs...why would she intentionally cause me pain? (Sadly, I've found myself asking the same thing about "real" women, but I digress). :-)
To make a long story short, Monday morning rolled around and there I found my car on a flatbed again (well, last time it was a fork type truck and this time it was a real flatbed). I learned some more about towing BMWs. Believe it or not, if they're careful, they can hook to an E36's lower control arms but NOT on the E46...those components are now aluminum (which should serve to clarify why it's a pain in the ass to tow an E46 relative to an E36). Because the car started, I was able to drive it half way up the ramp so the tow driver could hook on to the lower control arms and minimize the force necessary to pull the car up on the ramp.
I arrived at my dealer, paid the tow guy $40, and found my mechanic standing by his bay door chatting with someone. I soon got his attention and related my theory on what may have caused the problem. He initially suspected that I flooded one or more of the spark plug holes, because a consistent miss will usually result from the water wicking up into the long tube that extends from the top of the plug to the base of the ignition coil and shorting out the connection. I told him I sprayed water near the sides of the bay, and maybe a bit on the engine cover, but nothing extreme and certainly did nothing differently than usual. He suggested that he'd give it a good look and call me later in the day, and recommended I just leave the car with him for another day so he could complete the Inspection II at the same time.
I arrived the next morning to snap some pics, expecting the car to be in a million pieces, but my mechanic not only managed to fix the misfire problem, but complete the Inspection II as well. It turned out the misfire was on cylinder number 6 (again), and he traced it to a loose ignition harness connector [click on thumbnail for a closeup view]. Somehow, I must have managed to jog that loose, but given how I cleaned the bay this time around, I don't think it happened this time...I think it was like that for the last several months, and ever since I had the earlier problem (if you'll recall, there was a misfire as well as an idle valve problem).
The good news is that the Inspection II went off without a hitch, with the following highlights:
- Normal items for the 2nd Inspection II, I wasn't charged to replace the plugs or brakes, since we just did those a few thousand miles ago (remember, the Inspection is just that...an inspection...if your car needs work, that's extra).
- My mechanic said the diff and tranny fluid is in good shape. He added that although BMW suggests the fluid needn't be replaced during the "lifetime" of the car, the reality is 100K miles is a good time to change both. Since I'd have to pay for a new diff or tranny...not BMW...I'd say it's good insurance.
- He maintains that it is VERY rare to put a transmission in any of the 3 series cars before they head to the scrap heap. He said his dealership does maybe 2 a year...which says a lot about BMW trannys. 250K miles is not uncommon for both engine and transmission in these cars, and I'm beginning to believe it.
- My suspension looks good. I asked him about the rear shocks, shock mounts, and snubbers and he said they're all in good condition. I could probably get another 15-20K+ miles out of them if we watch out for the warning signs...damaged snubbers and/or mounts as the shocks weaken and transfer the pounding to those components.
- The weatherstripping on the lower portion of the body that meets with the driver's door had a slit in it, no doubt due to the repeated hammering by my shoes as I remove myself from the car on a regular basis. He repaired it with superglue, just so it wouldn't get any worse. Replacing that weatherstripping is (drum roll please...) $170 in parts and about an hour labor ($80) PER SIDE, so it's clearly something to avoid unless absolutely necessary. Although we had spoke at one point about replacing the weatherstripping on both sides of the car for other reasons as well, he suggested I eventually replace just the side that needs it. Guess you can't fault a mechanic that looks out for *my* bottom line.
- I decided to replace the sunroof seal. It wasn't leaking, but the top-most exposed "fuzzy" portion of the seal had been worn away by overzealous use of the orbital polisher over the years. It was also crammed with a bit of wax dust. For only $35 Parts and $35 labor, the new one looks great, and should help prevent a lot of water from finding its way into the sunroof cavity. Granted, the cavity has four drains, one at each corner, to drain off any water that gets in there...even if you park on a slope...but it's generally not a good idea to rely on them to keep things dry.
- I requested synthetic oil again, and this time the oil only had around 4K miles on it...perfect timing.
Total damage: $700 for the inspection (P&L), $80 for troubleshooting the loose ignition harness connector, $70 for P&L to install the sunroof seal, for a grand (almost) total of $850. Mileage 73440.
Tuesday, April 1, 2003
On the drive home from work a couple weeks ago, I thought I saw the display of the climate control head go black for a split second. At the time I dismissed it, thinking that perhaps the display found its way into my blind spot (you know, the blind spot every one of us has in each of our eyes due to the location of the optic nerve on the retina?)
Unfortunately, about a week ago I realized I wasn't seeing things...the display really was dark for a second. Then it illuminated again...then it went dark again. This cycle continued for a few more times, and then the unit returned to normal operation. I decided that I would drop by my dealer to talk to my mechanic about it the next morning.
In short, my mechanic confirmed that this is typical of a failing climate control head, and said that it was impossible to tell how much longer it might operate. Since I didn't like the thought of suddenly being without heat, air-conditioning, and defrost, I confirmed they had a control head in stock, wrestled with my blood pressure as they revealed the price and made an appointment for the following week to have it replaced. To make a long story short, the unit operated intermittently before failing completely on the way home on the night before the appointment. I went in the next day and my mechanic swapped the unit out.
The job involved pulling the radio in order to gain access to the control head, moving the faceplate, buttons, and temperature sensor fan from the old unit to the new, and reprogramming the control head for North American conventions via the BMW diagnostics computer (when I'm not flying, I prefer my temperatures in Fahrenheit, thank you very much!).
I had also noticed that the Auto/Manual transmission switch light had failed again, so I decided to have them fix that. I whined about this being, like, the 80th time this stupid incandescent bulb had failed and the fact that I had just dropped 8 bills in this place last month, so they replaced it for cost of parts ($28) only...no labor charge. What can I say...sometimes it pays to whine.
While this is apparently not a common failure in these cars, I have heard of one other occurrence in a '96 vintage 328. I hope this means this was a fluke of manufacturing, but it's impossible to tell without more data.
The damage? Parts, $325, Labor/Tax: $80, Total $405. Mileage 75812.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
I've received a couple emails regarding failure modes for the climate control head. It seems that it can also fail in such a way that when the climate control system is turned off (by turning the fan all the way down), the fan will continue to run. Other failure modes include: selected buttons will have no effect, or the temperature will reset to 70 degrees. Bottom line, if anything like this happens, I would suggest that you replace the climate control head. As for replacing it yourself, unless you have access to a BMW diagnostic computer (not the $50 "diagnostic tool" used to reset the service lights, I can assure you) you can't program the unit properly. Take it to a dealer.
Tuesday, July 1, 2003
At nearly 6500 miles since the last inspection, it was time (well, actually a bit late) for another oil service. I showed up and chatted with my mechanic as usual. "Been pretty reliable lately? I haven't seen you", he said. "Well, " I said (while tapping the side of my head), "knock on wood, yea."
I mentioned I'd started to hear that annoying "sounds like bad A/C compressor bearings but is most likely just an "old loose belt" sound, and asked him to check it out and replace it if necessary.
An hour and a half later, the car had fresh oil and filter element, along with new A/C and fan belts. My mechanic showed me the A/C belt in particular and revealed several splits in some of the splines. He said that while there could still be sufficient tension on the belt (there was in this case), when the splines start to split, the belt won't grip as well under load, which could also explain those familiar sounds.
While we were on the subject of consumables I asked about all those coolant hoses with 80000 miles on them. He said "don't worry about them...they typically outlast the cooling system components, but if you really want to pick a time to replace them anyway, 100K would be a good idea." Okay, good enough for me.
Total labor $108.00, Parts, $98, Total $219. Mileage 79818.
Friday, August 1, 2003
So, here I was (again) minding my own business and some stupid kid in a slammed Civic with a cheezy body kit hanging half off the car races past me. Normally, this is no big deal, simply because I've made it a practice to let morons like this guy speed past me so they eventually splatter their brains on the guard rail and learn the valuable lesson "it's not nice to drive like an ASSHOLE".
This time, however, something came off of his POS and sailed toward me. I thought I was going to eat whatever it was, but then it quickly dipped below the level of my hood and I heard a loud "thump". I figured I had gotten lucky and merely ran over it. When I got home, I realized that wasn't the case. I found the left fog lamp assembly hanging by its supply wires, nearly touching the ground, the glass of the light assembly completely shattered, the bulb sheared off, and a few scratches on the paint around the apparent point of impact.
Surprisingly, I didn't freak out too much. And, no, it's not because I've been working on my anger management. Rather, it's because I'd seriously considered replacing the light assemblies anyway for the simple reason that six years of high speed driving had taken its toll on the glass, much in the same way it had on my first windshield. If you click on the image, you can see what I mean.
The next morning I went to my dealer and asked my mechanic to "take a quick look" at the problem, which he knows by now really means "off the clock". It took him about 30 seconds to say that if I bought the parts, he's snap them in for free. I then told him that if I was to replace the left assembly, I might as well replace the other so it matches. I also knew that if I were to replace one halogen bulb, I should replace the other to avoid possible subtle, but noticeable differences in color rendering that can appear between different bulb manufacturers and as bulbs age. His offer still held. I walked over to the parts counter and found the light assemblies priced at $70 each, and the bulbs a mere $9. Sold.
While the right-hand assembly went fine as expected, after my mechanic tried to insert the left light assembly into its mount, he realized that one of the mount's aiming pivots had been sheered off by the impact. Click on the picture to see what I mean. The two arrows indicate the points that should be one piece. The alignment arm to the right pivots on the broken shaft and is adjusted by a screw that is inside of the white plastic shaft on the upper right side of the bracket.
He also could not seem to get the new light assembly to latch properly. The assembly is normally held in by one of those press-fit clip type arrangements...you can see the metal clip affixed to the far right of the light assembly, which snaps into the plastic pivoting receptacle on the mounting bracket to the left.
At that point I offered to go back to the parts desk and get the part, but he stopped me and said "wait a sec...". He then walked over to a couple of his spare parts bins and...amazingly...found the exact part we needed, saving me about $35! (Have I said lately that my mechanic is a cool guy?)
The downside was that replacement of the mounting bracket was a bit more involved than installing the light assembly, so I needed to pay a for a half hour of his labor to get the job done. The task involved removing one of the underside panels to gain access to the rear of the bracket where four screws hold it to the bumper cover. Considering he'd just saved me the equivalent cost in parts, I considered it a wash. Less than 45 minutes later, the job was done and paid for, and I was on my way.
Now that I know how this whole assembly is supposed to look and work, I could probably fix it myself if it happens again.
Total labor $45, Parts, $156, Total $214. Mileage 81880.
Monday, August 11, 2003
I submitted a claim to my insurance company a couple days after my fog lamp incident happened just for shits and giggles, thinking they'd find a way to avoid paying. Much to my pleasant surprise, a check arrived in the mail today for $114, or the total cost less my deductable. Kudos to State Farm...they really turned this around quickly without haggling. Have to admit it's nice to get even a tiny percentage of my premiums back.
Saturday, August 30, 2003
Ok, I goofed. I accidentally caught the driver's door moulding on an obstruction in the garage. Due to the design of the moulding, it shifted on its mounting clips and wound up compressed between the door and the quarter panel. That effectively trashed the end of the moulding. Since the side moulding in particular was faded from UV damage, I figured I'd do something I'd been planning to do for some time -- replace all the moulding around the car.
I made my way to the dealer the next morning and spoke to the parts guy about this and he quoted me almost $450 for all of the moulding pieces around the car. After I picked myself up off the floor, I chuckled and said, "well, hey, let's just order the left and right side mouldings today". $226 and a week later, I went back to pick them up.
Today I installed them. Pretty easy, actually. The moulding is attached to the car via plastic butterfly-type plastic mounting hardware. Each clip is covered with a soft rubber tip. According to my mechanic, the tip is required to prevent scratching the paint on the edge of the hole in the door that receives the clip. If you scratch the paint, you're asking for rust and corrosion to set in. After working with the clips, I figure the rubber tip is also required to create the proper interference fit and prevent vibration from wearing down the plastic mounting hardware. Incidentally, when you receive the moulding, the rubber tip is about half-way on the clip. That needs to be stretched over the mounting clip before you install it.
After carefully (but "firmly") pulling the old moulding off, I decided to wash and wax the entire car and pay particular attention to cleaning out the cruft that had formed on the paint under the moulding. After that was done, I started with the front left quarter panel trim and went around the car, firmly pushing the new moudling mounting clip into their respective holes. Mission accomplished.
At some point, I'll likely replace the front and rear trim, but right now, the car looks great again, so it's no biggie.
Monday September 1, 2003
Because I was a bit late performing the last (mid-cycle) oil service, I covered only about 3500 miles before the red service indicator and the "OIL SERVICE" text appeared. I don't really like doing oil changes more frequently than 5000 miles because there's simply nothing to be gained by doing so, but if for no other reason than to get back "on schedule", I did it anyway. My mechanic took care of everything perfectly as usual, but had one surprise in store for me (what else is new).
He mentioned that I may need front brake pads soon(!) After I got up off the floor (again), I told him I honestly hadn't looked at them recently, but that with only 24K miles since I did all four wheels and given that the first set of pads & rotors lasted 60K miles, I couldn't believe they would be due anytime soon. He told me that the rotors were still well within spec, so I would only need to replace pads. That was the second thing that didn't make sense...I told him I thought BMWs *always* replaced rotors and pads together because they usually wore at equivalent rates. Apparently not.
The only reason for the accelerated wear my mechanic could offer is that BMW must have changed vendors or the vendor changed formulations. I had heard of E46's going through front brakes every 30K miles, but I figured that was because the pads and rotors were completely different than the E36. Apparently not. He then went on to say that he regularly replaces pads before rotors and that, depending on my driving style I might still have 5-10K miles left on them. I thanked him and then walked over to the parts counter to do some research.
I asked the Parts guy if he could trace the part numbers for me to see if BMW at least acknowledged any change in brake pad vendor or formulation via a different part number or whether BMW offered a "high performance" pad for special applications. He said there was only one applicable part number for front pads and another for rear pads because they were from different vendors. Fronts are made by "Textar" and the rears by "Jurid". I've never heard of either vendor, but the fact that my rear brakes were wearing on schedule and the fronts were in the crapper about 35K miles too soon made me think, "uh, Textar brake pads suck ass". Oddly, opinions online seem to favor Textar.
Now for the interesting part...I spoke to a friend with a '98 528 and he said he just replaced his original pads and rotors at a bit over 50K miles. Given that the 528 is a heavier car, it's no surprise he got 10K less life out of them than I did, but I think this proves that my experience with the original pads, while certainly exceptional, is not unique. BMW MUST have changed pads at some point after my car was built (perhaps replacing a semi-metallic with an organic). I told my friend to keep a close eye on his front brakes, because they will likely last half as long as the original set.
So, looks like front pads will need to be done sometime in December. My tires are also nearing end of life (and wearing evenly, incidentally), so I'll likely be out another $600 as well.
Oil Service (P&L): $89, Mileage 83584.
Monday, September 29, 2003
On the drive to work today it dawned on me that I had a mere two days to bring my car through NJ DMV inspection. Of course, as anyone knows, getting through inspection around the end of the month can be a real pain in the ass and I expected today to be no exception. In fact, I figured tomorrow would be worse, so after checking in at the office, I drove over to the local DMV inspection station.
Before I tell you how much fun I had today, a little history is in order. NJ's DMV program was outsourced to a company called Parsons. They were given the charter to reduce costs and improve efficiency, while at the same time creating a new, more rigorous inspection process that would ensure that NJ could meet federal clean air standards. To make a long story short, they wasted more than $400 million of NJ taxpayer money before the State had to step in. What did we get for our money? A system that ran Windows 98(!!), crashed constantly (erasing several cars' worth of inspection data each time), a process that took far longer than that it replaced, and dynos that wouldn't run properly in cold weather. Why am I telling you this? Because recently they washed their hands of the dyno tests and replaced them with analysis of the OBD (On Board Diagnostic) computer interface for all cars 1996 and later.
My 1998 E36 is equipped with OBD II, the second generation system. These systems have a standard physical interface and communications protocols. That means that a mechanic can use the same cable and computer software to interact with the OBD, which explains why the DMV chose to pick on 96+ model year cars even though older cars had OBD functionality. The OBD connector in an E36 BMW is mounted inverted underneath the dash just to the right of the driver's side kick panel. BMW was kind enough to put a little access door over it with a "lock" that could be actuated by the edge of a coin or flat blade screwdriver. The access door is labeled with three big raised letters "OBD". Pretty hard to miss.
As I waited for the car at the end of the inspection line, thinking everything went reasonably well, I went into shock when the line guy walked toward my car with a big red REJECTED sticker. I said "Woa!...failed? For what??. "Uh, we couldn't find the OBD connector." he said. Sure enough, the inspection report said "OBD: missing". A few choice words ensued, and I told the guy if he couldn't find it, it was his problem...I wanted my "Passed" sticker now and he could sort out his lack of data two years hence. After it became clear he wasn't going to give me what I wanted, I asked to see the manager, who then spoke with the line people. They then confessed the OBD connector wasn't "missing", just "inaccessible".
Thinking that these people had just gone off the deep end, I crawled under the dash to look more closely at the receptacle. Sure enough, the receptacle was mounted facing rearward, rather than straight down so it was impossible to insert the plug. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, so I called my mechanic and asked him about it. He said he would have to take a look at it to recommend a course of action, so I left the inspection facility with a glaring "police magnet" affixed to my windshield and drove to the dealership.
As usual, it didn't take my mechanic long to figure out what needed to be done. He used a #1 philips screwdriver to pull two screws out of the OBD receptacle mounting flanges, rotated the receptacle such that it would face straight down, and reinstalled the screws. Well, DUH...if I knew it would be that easy, I would have done it myself, but given my disgust and haste to bring my conflict with DMV personnel to an end (if only for today), I didn't see the screws and just figured BMW had some special right-angled cable assembly for this application. Oh well, live and learn.
My mechanic's only comment was that the 5 series cars have the connector facing aft, while those in 3 series cars are supposed to face downward, so the assembly line guy in Regensburg must have had a few too many lagers that day. Whatever..the problem was solved and I was on my way back to the inspection station within 5 minutes. Fortunately, the reinspection only took about 10 minutes.
Moral? If you live in a state where they have recently instituted OBD analysis as part of the inspection process, you might want to pull that cover and take a quick look at the OBD receptacle to ensure it's installed properly BEFORE you show up at the inspection station. That simple check could save a lot of time and aggravation.
Mileage 84085, Cost $0 (not including my time and aspirin, of course).
October 2003
About 2000 miles after my mechanic told me I'd need front pads (and not rotors), I decided to schedule the work just to get it out of the way before the holidays. Shortly after the car went into the shop, my mechanic found me and said that he didn't feel it was time to do the pads. I told him that it looked as though I had less than 1/8" of pad left and I didn't want to wait too long, for fear of gouging the rotors. That's when he told me that I'm going to need rotors shortly anyway. Apparently the rotors are near 20.6 (mm, presumably), while the BMW minimum specification is 20.4. If I replaced pads now, I'd have to replace the rotors shortly anyway and probably toss the pads too. This means that not only are the front pads wearing at twice the rate of the previous set, the rotors are as well!
My mechanic maintains his belief that it's typical to replace the front brakes at twice the rate of the rears, but I have empirical evidence that suggests otherwise. When asked to explain the disparity, he holds to his opinion that the brake pad formulations have changed since my car was built in 1998. Obviously, they haven't changed for the better, but who am I to fight it. The E36 M3 did have issues with brake squealing and BMW eventually fixed that problem, but I don't know exactly how they fixed it.
If there can be any good in this, it's that my mechanic sent me home without any charge. He told me to come back when the brake wear light has illuminated. While I respect his logic in that I shouldn't replace parts until absolutely necessary, I honestly don't want to look at a stupid indicator light for the two weeks necessary to get an appointment and I don't like the idea of driving for two weeks on "known questionable" brakes. It's just not worth losing the car in a panic stop. I'll probably wait another 4-6 weeks and bring it in again for front pads and rotors and just be done with it. I'm expecting about $360 for the job, while the original "pads only" quote came in at $188.
This month would have ended on that fairly positive note, if it were not for the fact that I got ANOTHER rock in my windshield the other day, a mere month after getting a fresh inspection sticker, and a mere two years since I replaced the last one. I'm not exactly broken up about it because my insurance will cover all but $100 of the esimated $700 replacement, but also because the windshield had been hit by some smaller stones a few times before, and the entire surface was moderately pitted from all of my high speed highway driving. BMW windshields are very soft, no doubt about it!
I had the job scheduled for the last week in the month and would have included the report this month, but apparently two BMW windshields came through shipping cracked and needed to be returned (WTF BMW? You can engineer the best cars on the planet, but you can't engineer a damn shipping crate???). The good news in this situation is my insurance company has authorized me to use the same installer as last time, which is the same my dealer uses. These guys have a pretty good rep, and that's a good thing, since I don't allow people with room temperature IQs anywhere near my car.
Friday, November 7, 2003
I just had my second windshield installed, and decided to write a short article to update the original. Check them out.
Thursday, November 20, 2003
The 2nd set of Dunlop SP8000's are spent. The rears are at the tread wear indicators, while the fronts have about 1/16" above them. As I've been pondering for some time whether to go with another set of SP8000s or try a new tire, I let these wear farther than the last set. As a result, I've really noticed a decrease in wet performance as well as a significant increase in tire noise. Considering that the tread now resembles a DOT legal racing slick, that's no surprise.
The main reason I'd considered going with a different tire is because this set of SP8000's was particularly out of round. When I brought the car to my mechanic shortly after they were installed at another local shop, he said he balanced the tires as best he could and moved the worst two the rear, where I would not feel them as much. He also strongly suggested I NOT buy Dunlop tires again.
When it became clear I'd need to look for new tires recently, I went back to him and asked for his opinion. He said that he balances tires all day long on a Hunter RoadForce balancer, which can measure the eccentricity of the tire in "lbs of road force differential". A perfect tire would present 0 lbs of differential, while a bad tire might between 30 and 40 lbs. He added that Dunlop and Bridgestone, for example, are all over the place...some good, but mostly bad (anywhere between 20 and 35lbs, with some as bad as 40). He said Continental aren't too bad, but Michelin are the best...at around 3-5 lbs on average.. BMW specifies a maximum of 18 lbs. So, what to do?
I initially considered many tires, including a promising alternative for the SP8000 - the Kumho ECSTA MX. But after weeks of on and off analysis, with emphasis on finding a tire with low eccentricity, I worked it down to one of the two Michelin Pilot Sport tires. The original Pilot Sport is a summer-only ultra high performance tire that comes on the newer sport-package BMWs, while the Pilot Sport A/S is Michelin's all season equivalent.
I really wanted to go for the summer tire, but two things stopped me.
- First, I continually recalled the nightmares I had last winter (one of New Jersey's worst in recent memory). There were days I was stuck in the house, unable to drive the car. Driving in as little as 1" of snow, I might as well been driving on ice - no exaggeration. I pulled the car out of the garage one morning, almost got stuck in my driveway, said "screw this!", put it back in the garage, and worked from home that day.
- Second, no one seemed to have the summer tire in stock. That pretty much cinched it for me. It was the A/S or nothing.
The good news is the A/S came highly recommended. Nearly all personal reviews I read about this tire raved about its performance in dry, wet, and (yes) even snow. The downside? They're EXPENSIVE. Tire Rack had them for $180 each + shipping, or a total of $750...which is a LOT of money for tires that I'll likely replace in 18 months or 30K miles. Just for grins, I asked the dealer's parts guy how much they would charge for these tires and he said $250/each(!). When I mentioned Tire Rack's price he said that he would call Tire Rack if it were his choice, and added that I should have the tires shipped directly to the shop for installation. So I shall.
While they have the tires off, I plan to have them do front pads and rotors (still a bit ahead of schedule, but better to do before the holidays, IMHO), do the biennial brake fluid flush, and a mid-cycle oil change. Total bill will likely be around $1200.
Oh, and incidentally, I'm not fooling myself -- I know that these tires will NOT have the dry performance of the SP8000's. You need only look at the respective treads to see why. I am also concerned about more rapid tire wear on the Pilot Sport A/S, in spite of what I have read to the contrary. If the tire significantly impacts dry performance, next spring I will either buy a set of Pilot Sports or other tire I can burn up during the summer and swap the tires on the existing 16" rims, or I'll buy the 17" M-Contour rims (available on the E36 M3) and put the summer rubber on those. That way, at least, I can swap the tires on my own, and I'll improve the looks of the car as well. And, before you suggest how much THAT will cost, it's STILL cheaper than a second car. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Cost (parts): $750, Mileage 87005.
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
THIRD windshield replacement
Yes, I had the (two-week-old) windshield replaced again, except this time it wasn't because of a stone hit...it was because I realized they didn't install the last one properly.
During the installation two weeks ago I noted that the windshield seemed to be sitting low in the frame, although it appeared centered laterally. I gauged this by looking at three factors:
- a small but noticeable gap between the frame and the rubber trim near the top corners of the windshield (specifically, near the lower portion of the radius)
- I could barely see the VIN# through the tiny "window" at the base of the windshield.
- I could see a portion of the paint above the windshield that was "scuffed" by the underside of the rubber trim.
When I tried to point this out to the installers they tried to pull the windshield up in the frame but it didn't want to budge. They did manage to close the gap a bit but that still left the window another 1/8" below where I felt it should be. When I made it clear to them that I didn't like the way it looked they commented that the extra gap would disappear behind the trim once it "relaxed" and conformed to the frame over the next day or two, but in case it didn't the lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship would cover the installation and they would come back to fix it for free. Naturally, I'm sure they didn't think that I would call them on this, but I did.
They hoped to save the existing glass, but ordered new glass just in case that didn't work out...and it didn't. They had the usual difficulty removing the glass and cracked it, so the new glass was installed. This time, they took special efforts to orient the glass before seating it, and pushed it firmly to the top of the frame BEFORE they pushed down on it. They also used a high-strength red fabric tape (as opposed to the blue painter's tape they normally use) to hold the windshield where it should be. My experience shows once the glass touches the glue and is in the frame, the friction created by both the glue and the rubber trim kit just won't allow the windshield to budge much, if at all so it needs to be set correctly from the start.
This installation actually looks better than the one they did two years ago, and in fact looks the way I remember the original did. The windshield appears to be "level" with the top of the windshield frame, rather than recessed slightly, and the rubber trim sits, appropriately, level across the windshield and the windshield frame. The trim on the top of the windshield also nicely hides the paint defect created by the old trim. In short, the windshield is where it should be.
I did note that the VIN# window is still a bit low, but that's obviously a glitch of the windshield manufacturing process, rather than the installation process. The windshields acquired in the last two weeks were made by the same manufacturer for BMW, but the logos and other writing on the windshield seemed to be in a different font, meaning this is a new "rev" of this windshield. Fortunately, I couldn't care less about this...let the cop, inspection station attendant, or whoever wants to verify my car's identity, bend over and squint a bit more to see it.
Now, the question I'm sure you're begging to ask -- would I use Quality Auto Glass again? Sure. They screwed up, but remedied the situation. I was out nothing more than a few phone calls. They were good about coordinating the installation time with me, and were generally cool about making things right.
P&L: $0, Mileage 87178
Tuesday, December 2, 2003
Wow. What a difference a set of tires can make. I just got home from the dealer with the new Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires on the car and I cannot believe how much differently the car feels and drives with the new tires.
Some notable improvements:
- No more vibration in the seat of my pants or in the steering wheel. The car drives like the day I drove it out of the dealer. Perhaps better. No marketing-speak BS here folks.
- Tramlining is completely (okay, 98%) gone. I wonder how much strain the tramlining forces from the other tires were putting on my power steering pump...
- Steering feels so much more neutral and PRECISE, particularly right around the center, that I can't believe I tolerated how the old tires would pull the wheel everywhere with every minute change in road surface grain and slope.
I took the car up to 80 on a back road and, again, all I can say is WOW. I will never put another Dunlop tire on this car...to do so would be an affront to the quality of the car and the driving experience it can deliver...with the right tires. My mechanic was right all along.
And, for you skeptics, I think I can get away with saying that the car drives better than when I drove it off the lot by considering the car came from the factory with Dunlop tires. If you'll look back at first maintenance entries in 1998, you'll note I had problems with steering wheel vibration. What I didn't know then was that this was NOT due to some steering pump problem...it was due to flat-spotted and out-of-round tires that eventually "heat cycled" into shape. Sort of.
Of course, my mechanic was able to get more objective measurements of the new tires by using about $25K worth of tire mounting and balancing equipment (shown above -- mounting equipment on the left, road force/balancer on the right). Considering the cost of the equipment and the positive results, I'd say the $40/tire I spent for mounting/balancing/disposal is a bargain.
My mechanic told me that two of the tires produced about 6 lbs of road force, while the other two were just under 10. This is higher than his original estimate, but well below the maximum BMW (18) or Michelin (25) specifies. Naturally, the two 10's were mounted on the rear, but I'm here to tell you that you CANNOT feel 10 lbs of road force (on the rear, anyway).
Some recommendations that I've developed as a consequence of my experiences with tires on this car:
- In a properly aligned car, tramlining is typically caused by wide tires with large, uniform tread patterns consisting of large tread blocks that more readily transmit road surface irregularities back into the sensitive BMW steering system. You need only look at the tires delivered on the current-generation BMWs for evidence that supports this assertion. All of the tread patterns consist of small tread blocks laid out in various patterns necessary to scavenge mud and snow, as well as reduce noise. The increased potential for tramlining is the primary reason why I chose not to go with the Kumho ECSTA MX.
- Whatever tire you buy, make sure you verify the return policy of the tire distributor or tire manufacturer. Tire Rack was cool in that they said if I wasn't satisfied with the tires for ANY reason (like they weren't within my personal road force specifications) they'd take them back and send out replacements in a heartbeat. My next set of tires will come from Tire Rack for this very reason.
- When it comes to installing the tires, deal with a reputable company you can trust, with the right equipment, to do the job right. Some shops will put totally out-of-round tires on a car with absolutely no regard for the owner's driving experience or any sound engineering principles...simply to clean inventory. The local shop I bought the last set of SP8000's from obviously did that to me. My dealer's mechanic, on the other hand, was the one who took the time to educate me about tires. You can probably guess who will mount and balance my next set. 'Nuff said.
While the wheels were off, I also had the front pads and rotors changed, the brake fluid flushed (about 6 months ahead of schedule, but while in Rome...), and a mid-cycle synthetic oil change performed. Next major maintenance will be an Inspection I, in about 6K miles, or sometime in the February/March timeframe.
Total damage: P&L (excluding tires): $800. Mileage: 87609.
Wednesday, December 17, 2003
Thermostat Replacement
The first two years I drove the car on a daily basis, including during the depths of winter. During that time I was always impressed at how quickly the car would warm up and retain heat for a considerable time after shutdown. For ownership years 3 and 4 the car never left the garage on cold, crummy days.
When I brought the car back into routine service in year 5 and the weather turned cold, I noticed that the termperature gauge would no longer rise to the 12 o'clock position (vertical). The effect became more pronounced as the temperatures dropped below 35 degrees (pretty common here in NJ from late November to March). I shrugged it off as "normal" and drove all last winter with the gauge about 2-3 needle-widths on average below the vertical.
We had been enjoying fairly mild weather for some time this season, until a cold snap hit, with temperatures in the 20's and 30's. It was during this time I that noticed the temperature gauge riding lower than last season. Particularly while cruising at 80 MPH on the highway, the needle hovered around the tick mark on the face of the gauge about 1/3 the way up from the cold position. When the temperature rose to about 50 degrees a few days later (gotta love this crazy New England weather) the average reading rose again, but remained within a few needle-widths of the vertical.
If you know how automotive cooling systems work, this is a pretty easy diagnosis. I figured the thermostat just wasn't sealing properly, and was allowing coolant to flow out of the block and through the radiator, even when it was supposed to be fully closed.
I dropped by the dealer to speak with my mechanic, and he said that thermostats are one of the "hot items" on this model car. Turns out the thermostat on this car is of the simple mechanical variety (unlike the E46 and later rev cars which are electronically controlled), and this lower-than-normal temperature is a symptom of a weak spring or a degradation of the wax pellet that prevents opening of the thermostat until the coolant comes up to the rated temperature.
He said that replacement of the thermostat is a pretty simple procedure, and since the engine temperature wasn't dropping into the "cold" region, it wasn't doing any damage to the engine, but he agreed with me when I suggested that it was probably "cheap insurance" to replace it before it failed completely and left me without heat.
I got an appointment a week later and happened to watch the entire process, which took about 45 minutes to complete. It involved removing the black panel covering the top of the radiator (which also serves as a means to direct cooling airflow to the alternator). This exposed the radiator, which, incidentally, is far easier to replace than I thought. Remove few hoses and a couple mounting clips, and it slides right out. In fact, I imagine the thermostat would be much easier to get to with the radiator removed, so if I had to replace the radiator, I'd definitely do the thermostat at the same time....but I digress.
After inspecting the face of the radiator, he showed me that some leaves and other light debris had found their way into a space at the front base of the radiator. The debris wasn't blocking the radiator it to any great extent, but my mechanic naturally blew those out with a 2' long wand attached to a compressed air hose before continuing.
He then removed he engine-driven fan, a support bracket on the oil-driven VANOS actuator on the top-front of the engine (which apparently shares a bolt with the black high-density plastic thermostat housing), the 2" coolant hose attached to the housing, and then the housing itself.
After the housing was removed he inspected it for leaks and cracks. He pointed out a couple white stains around its perimeter indicative of leaks, and said that the coolant is specially formulated to leave these "stains" behind to help find leaks long after the coolant has evaporated or burnt off.
Then, he pointed out some minor damage to the housing seal (pictured) and said it's pretty common for the antifreeze to crystalize at the interface of the housing and the seal, and this can ultimately cause the seal to be "pushed out" of the recess built into the housing for it, which ultimately causes leaks. I don't know if this was responsible for the (very) modest coolant loss I'd experienced over the last few years, but it seemed as good a probable cause as any.
After verifying that the replacement thermostat was the same temperature as the original (92 degrees C), he swapped the parts and put everything back together. If you look closely at the thermostat, you'll see the manufacturing date - this one was built six years ago to the month.
When it came time to refill the system with fresh coolant, my mechanic loosened the plastic vent screw slightly forward and to the right of the overflow bottle filler. This is required to allow air to escape the system and the coolant to fully fill the radiator. If you do not open this vent, the system will not fill completely (even though it will appear full). Note that because of this vent you do NOT need to run the engine while filling the coolant, but my mechanic nevertheless started the engine shortly before pulling the car out of the shop to ensure all air pockets had been purged and the coolant level was proper.
The car was supposed to be returned to me within an hour, but as it turned out my mechanic (who is also the lead tech in the shop) had to meet with a BMW engineer that dropped by just as I had arrived. For that reason, about two hours had passed since I'd arrived, so my mechanic offered to throw in the biennial coolant flush ($120) in for free. There was no real additional work, as replacing the thermostat drains roughly 1/3 of the coolant anyway, so all I really got was a few gallons of coolant for free...but I'll take what I can get! Christmas came early this year!
I then did my rounds, wished everyone a good holiday (especially the cute 20-something receptionist), and left with the coolant temperature needle perfectly vertical - exactly where it should be.
Cost: Parts, $35, Labor $135, Total $180. Mileage: 88215.


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Depending on one's loss, the experience may prove particularly traumatizing. In more severe instances individuals may struggle to move forward and eventually develop a mental illness. Though life-changing implications may occur as a result of the loss, grief and loss therapy helps clients come to terms with their loss and continue living their lives.
Life brings challenges and changes. Grief and loss are a necessary part, but they can be so difficult! I help people understand how "normal" their grief is, as well as to process their reactions, deal with practical matters, regroup with significant others, and rediscover their joy.
Grief can be painful, but the intensity of it needn't last forever, and you needn't continue to suffer without support.
Have you recently lost someone or something you love and are having difficulty moving on? Are you finding it difficult to function due to sadness, depression, anxiety or even despair? These feelings are very normal reactions when faced with a significant loss. However, if you find that your feelings are constant and overwhelming and have affected your ability to carry on and function normally, then you may benefit from grief counseling. Through this process, I will help you to move properly through the different stages of grief, while providing you with healthy coping strategies and support in order to move forward.
We all experience grief and loss usually when we loose a loved one or family pet. Certainly grief affects all members of the family. Individual and family therapy are usually both indicated.
Grief and loss is also a significant problem in separation and divorce both for adults and children. It is very important to process feelings that may be emotional left overs that can be damaging if not dealt with, so that relationships can be re-established . Many times this involves deep hurts, and loyalty conflicts that can affect future relationships, and present emotional behavior and/or school or work performance.
I did mymasters thesis on how to work with homicide victim survivors and I have worked with many peoiple who have lost family members to violence. I have also worked with people who have lost spouses and children. IN my work with military I have worked with combat vets who have experienced traumatic losses.While therapy cannot totally remove the pain of grief, I have helped people to heal and function better as a result.
The shortest verse in the Bible is found in John 11:35 - "Jesus wept." One of his close friends, Lazarus, had died. Our Lord knows heartbreak and is ready to provide comfort for our hearts when they hurt. My approach to grief counseling comes directly from God's word of comfort and seeing the future in the light of His promises. I also have my clients read Granger Westberg's classic book entitled: "Good Grief" which discusses the stages of grief, and helps those who hurt experience a journey on a pathway through grief that is based on honesty.
Mark D. Parisi, Psy.D. & Associates, P.C. understands that grief and loss and impacts everyone differently. We also realize that grief and loss is often made easier with the professional support and guidance of trained counselors. Our approach to treating grief and loss is to, first and foremost, make sure that we understand how the grief and loss has impacted our client's life. We carefully assess the presenting problem(s) and develop an individualized treatment plan to help over the grief and loss. This plan may include counseling, support groups, and/or medication management.
Are suffering from an emotional or physical loss? Is the Grief just too much to bear? When feelings of loss or grief become too much to for one person, seeking support is an act of strength. Together we will find solutions to your grief. I believe in empowering people to understand their loss. You and I will develop a clear plan for letting go of the negative emotions associated with the loss, while remembering and honoring its origins.
Many of life's major events produce losses that result in grief--death, divorce, moving, becoming an empty-nester parent. Each of these losses brings with them particular challenges. We have to recognize and accept the changes and re-create life in a new way. I can help you do that. I help people adjust to the new reality and deal with the difficulties that can turn normal grief into a much more complicated process.
Grief and loss occur in many forms. Whether you have recently lost a loved one, are divorcing or in a major life transition, we can help. Grief may provide a fertile ground for postive life changes. You do not need to suffer alone. A time of loss can feel like the ground has been swept from beneath your feet. We are here to guide you through the most difficult of times with grace, dignity and compassion.
The death of a loved one is arguably the most traumatic experience any of us can face. The goals of Naperville grief counseling are recovery and acceptance. Naperville, IL trauma counseling seeks to help an individual process, debrief, and cope with an extreme stress. Recovery from loss through grief counseling Naperville, IL does not mean that all of the pain, memories or significance of a loved one are resolved, but that one is able to accept what has happened, and that those experiences and memories are an important part of life, but not all consuming. When you see a Naperville trauma therapist or Naperville grief counselor, you will find a listening ear. There are several stages of grieving, and compassionate therapy in Naperville can be a strong shoulder that will facilitate healing. Naperville grief therapy and counseling in Illinois can help one move through the shock, trauma, and acute suffering, so that you are not destroyed by what has happened. Most likely, there are still loved ones in your life who need you, and if you are grieving, you may utterly lack any emotional energy at all to deal with them. Naperville grief counseling can help stabilize you.
If you have experienced the pain and trauma of loss, grief counseling Naperville with a licensed therapist can help you move through. A Illinois grief and loss counselor has training and experience in helping people who have suffered loss to find strength, to cope, and move through the trauma. Naperville grief counseling can be an important tool to help you through this difficult time. And while nothing anyone can say can completely heal the pain, you can still find strength to cope and to find hope in the darkness. Therapy is a very important part of moving through grief. Please contact a Naperville, IL grief therapist below today.
You can move through the issues and find the new freedom that you hope for. We are here to help you make the first step. Make your journey the road you have longed to travel...don't be afraid to reach out, contact a therapist, and get beyond.
Theravive does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. We provide information only. Theravive is intended as an informational resource of independent, private practicing clinics and counselors. We cannot guarantee the credentials or accuracy of any person or information listed on our site. Therapists on our site are not affiliated with Theravive. Please check and verify the credentials of any therapist you contact. Not all therapists listed are psychologists, and in any given city there may or may not be a psychologist listed. You are solely responsible for your use of information obtained on our site and are strongly advised to use due diligence before choosing a therapist.
Read here for more info.

subset: commoncrawl


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Suspects in diesel fuel thefts identified, caught
The Ellis County Press
WILMER – Two Ohio residents are accused of rigging satellite links inside fuel pumps at the Shell station on Interstate Highway 45 to avoid paying for 243 gallons of diesel fuel.
Wilmer Police Chief R.D. Wells estimated the value of the fuel at $920.97 and if convicted of the Class A misdemeanor, both John Wilson, 47, and James Ratliff, 39, could serve jail time and pay hefty fines.
The incident was first reported to police in September, with WPD officers noticing the fuel pumps had been tampered with.
"The suspects had tampered with the satellite link inside the cover of the pump which would allow fuel to be pumped and not register on the pump itself," Wells said.
"Officers at the scene viewed in-store video surveillance of the pumps and saw activity by the suspects that supported the report of tampering with the pumps in question."
Wells said the WPD is investigating whether the alleged crimes occurred on other occasions.
The Shell owners said they have dealt with diesel fuel thefts since August.


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Use Hair Products That Compliment Your Healthy Hair Journey
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Recent articles in 'Featured'
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Il Poggio delle Ginestre Farmhouse Torgiano
Official Contact Details - Il Poggio delle GinestrePhone: +39075985248 Fax: +390759880800
Everybody knows Umbria and its artistic,historical and spiritual value,but just a few know that it is a small paradise,a true natural oasis where you can turn your yuor back on your hectic daily pace
- Price from 440 EUR / Week
- Capacity up to 5 people
- 2 bedrooms & 1 bathroom
(click on a photo to view it)
Last updated: 06/27/2007
This is your property ?
Off in the distance ,you can glimpse two of Umbria's most important cities,Assisi and Perugia at 15 km ,but is also easy to reach Todi,Gubbio,Spello,Bevagna,Montefalco and many others inportant town of Umbria.
MIMOSA Sleeps 4+2 SqMs 55
Ground foor. Living-room with fireplace ,kitchen corner with oven and sofabed, two double bedroom, bathroom with shower
Prices & deals
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Location & area
Il Poggio delle Ginestre overlooks the Torgiano valley ,a fruitful land where agriculture and food production go hand in hand with renowned handicrafts.
And then there's the stunning view of Torgiano,a medieval hilltop town from which you can see the confluence of the Chiascio and Tiber rivers.And off in the distance ,you can glimpse two of Umbria's most important cities,Assisi and Perugia.
- Address:
- 13 Via della Cittadella, 06089, Torgiano, Italy
- Accommodation located in:
- countryside, near historical interest, town!
Amenities & services
# of Units: 1... and each unit includes:
- Bedrooms: 2
- Bathrooms: 1
- Single beds: 1
- Double beds: 2
- Baby cots: 0
- Single sofa beds: 0
- Double sofa beds: 1
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Living room
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Review - Il Poggio delle Ginestre
Il Poggio delle Ginestre - Contact the owner
Important Notice : Avoiding Fraud
It's rare, but some helpful hints to watch out for with regards to fraud:
- It is important to NEVER wire funds or use/employ other fund transfer mechanisms such as western union: Always use a credit card to protect yourself against fraud. If owners pressure you into providing a deposit or refuse to accept credit cards, there is a high probability that this is a scam.
- If at all suspicious of fraud, ask to see their website, or any other literature they can provide or send to you. Ask them for contact details for guests who have previously stayed on their property insisting on telephone numbers. Be suspicious of emails that originate from free email services (yahoo, hotmail, gmail, etc)
- Research the property thoroughly on the internet to see if there is any history or mention of scams associated with the property.


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AMESBURY, MASS. — "Seated Men" by Twentieth Century Korean artist Park Soo-Keun sold for $103,500 at the John McInnis August 12 sale. The tiny oil on board, found in a California thrift shop, is much smaller (4½ by 5¼ inches) than other works by the same artist sold at McInnis. It generated significant international interest and went to a Korean American collector underbid by a knowledgeable Korean collector. McInnis sold Park Soo-Keun's 10½-by-8½-inch oil and mixed media on board "A Seated Woman" in October 2008 for $460,000, and his oil on board "Recess" that measured 9½ by 13¼ inches for $409,500 in July 2010.
Japanese artist Kinosuke Ebihara painted the evocative nocturnal snow scene of what appears to be a western village, "Neije, or House by the River," in 1927 when he still worked in France. It had extensive provenance and sold for $11,500 to an Internet buyer. It is headed back to Japan.
Of a group of Anthony Thieme paintings, all purchased from the artist and from a Worcester collection, all went to private collections. The Cape Ann artist's signed oil on canvas overmantel "White Birches in a Fall Landscape" measured 22 by 39 inches and realized $21,850. Thieme's framed and glazed oil on board Venetian scene sold for $4,025, as did "Gloucester Fishing Boats at Dock." The oil on artist board scene "Dutch Canal" with chickens represented a steal at $2,588.
Paintings from all points sold. Fort Pierce, Fla., artist Beanie Backus, formally known as A.E. Backus, is often associated with the Florida Highwaymen. He was pretty much self-taught, except for two summer stints at the Parsons School of Design in New York City, and his work is increasingly desirable. "Florida Landscape" came from a Florida estate and sold for $20,700. The painting came to the McInnis gallery in Stuart, Fla., from a consignor who acquired it in Miami and it went to a Miami dealer.
New York artist Charles Warren Eaton's Tonalist "Summer Twilight" retained the Grand Central Galleries label and sold for $7,180. Work by another New York artist, "On the Hudson, April 1866," a view of a solitary sailboat against a darkening sky by Casimir Glayton Griswold, sold online for $6,900. A Vermont view, John Bunyan Bristol's oil on canvas "Larrabee's Point — Lake Champlain" brought $4,600.
Of a group of pictures by Emile Gruppe, the Cape Ann harbor scene "Boats at Dock" sold online for $4,888.
Two New Mexican scenes by Santa Fe artist Warren Eliphalet Rollins were the oil on canvas "The Home of New Mexico's First Governor" dedicated to Aunt Mary in 1917, which sold for $4,025, as did the oil on canvas board "Street by Moonlight (New Mexico)."
The English oil on canvas "Escort to the Track" depicts a top-hatted rider aboard a black horse leading a riderless horse in a blanket. It sold online for $4,888.
Kentucky artist Henry Faulkner began as a boy to make paint from pokeberries. His two framed oil on Masonite still lifes with flowers were a good buy and sold online for $3,738.
Bidding on a Herschell-Spillman carousel horse in original paint that retained the original tail and tack opened at $4,500 and advanced easily to $18,400. The lot was accompanied by a 1977 obituary for artist Paul Riba, who used the figure in his Magical Realism paintings and from whose estate it was purchased. It went to a Midwestern collection.
Bidding cards fluttered all over the room for the first lot of the day, an Eighteenth Century coin silver cann made in Philadelphia by Philip Syng Jr, that sold ultimately on the phone for $13,800. The cann was engraved "Ann Newbold" and was descended through the family of Congressman Thomas Newbold of New Jersey, coming to market from a New York City estate. Syng was designated a goldsmith and, as a pal of Benjamin Franklin, was active in Philadelphia society and politics. He was a founder of the Junto and was active in the establishment of the library, a fire company, the University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Hospital, the American Philosophical Company and a fishing and hunting colony.
The same phone bidder, a dealer, paid $3,450 for the framed wax portrait "Thomas Newbold, member of Congress in 1812" that was signed G.M. Miller. It came with documentation from the same estate as the cann.
An Eighteenth Century New Hampshire Queen Anne grain painted chest on chest from the Dunlap School was in untouched condition, having no repairs, replacements or missing parts. Bidding opened at $4,000 and ended when it sold in the gallery for $16,100. A State of Maine diminutive blanket box in green and yellow sponge paint came from a Massachusetts estate and sold for $6,900.
Other furniture included a cherry high chest with graduated drawers and large pinwheels on central drawers on the top and the bottom that opened at $3,500 and sold for $5,175. A late Eighteenth Century cherry bachelor's chest with a notched top and four graduated drawers sold online for $4,888.
An early Twentieth Century Adams-style mahogany and satinwood breakfront cabinet stood large, measuring 104 by 103 inches, and had been found in a Park Avenue hotel. It was claimed online for $6,900.
An American Hepplewhite mahogany jewelry box had an interesting history and sold for $1,265. It had belonged to a "Dr Marryck" of Charleston, S.C., and was subsequently captured by the British in the War of 1812 and ended up in the hands of the Snowden family of Philadelphia.
One Sheraton mahogany chest of four drawers with a bird's-eye maple top and bird's-eye maple and string inlay drawer fronts sold for $1,840. Another, a Maine Sheraton chest of drawers with turned legs and fancy wavy birch legs, brought $230 from Joe McInnis, one of John McInnis' three children who is taking it to school. As he hammered it down, McInnis, wearing his Kennedy auction tie, observed from the podium, "See? The younger generation does buy." He added that he will not be moving it. Bets are on.
Online bidding was particularly strong; absentee bids were as well. The presence and participation by a number of other young buyers was noticeable.
Two French prisoner of war ship models sold. One, a carved ivory example with three masts, deck guns, two rows of cannon and a figure head, went for $8,050, and the other of carved bone with bone veneer depicted a frigate with standing rigging brought $4,600.
A Louis Vuitton trunk in the trademark checkered canvas with wood strapping sold online for $4,313.
A miniature watercolor on ivory portrait of a gentleman was signed and dated, "C. Fraser Charleston Sept. 1836," and brought $17,875. Charles Fraser was a lawyer and artist in Charleston. The portrait was part of a group of objects sold that related to the Cohen family of Savannah and Charleston. The same buyer took a lot of nine daguerreotypes and ambrotypes that descended from cotton merchant Octavus Cohen of Savannah, including an ambrotype of Cohen himself, for $3,385 against the estimated $300/400.
A rare Savannah Sheraton mahogany upholstered armchair from the Cohen family collection realized $1,380 to an absentee bidder. A Bohemian decanter in red overlay glass etched to clear with a whiskey label was also related to the Cohen family and sold online for $805.
The Eighteenth Century Salem tiger maple tall clock by Samuel Luscomb was signed and dated 1739 and realized $2,875
An early soft paste tea service decorated with strawberries was exceptionally pretty and sold for $2,185.
An Eighteenth Century Georgian mahogany and parcel-gilt wall mirror perked up the phones, which pushed it to $3,450 from one of them. It was made with a broken pediment crest with a carved eagle and garlands of flowers.
A couple of Continental pieces sneaked into the sale that was otherwise replete with American and Asian work. A pair of Eighteenth Century giltwood console tables with later green faux marble tops fetched $6,440. A Nineteenth Century French gilt-bronze stand had enameled decoration and dramatically patterned onyx on the top, the column and the base. It sold online for $4,888, while a late Nineteenth Century French gilt-bronze three piece surtout du table drew $3,450 from an absentee bidder. A late Nineteenth Century French table with marquetry inlay of flowers and musical instruments and gilt-bronze ormolu decoration sold for $4,313.
From an African safari, the pair of 87½-inch elephant tusks sold to a collector for $25,875. The tusks were taken in the 1960s and were mounted in wrought iron bases.
Bidders in pursuit of good Asian material had some choice objects to consider. A large, 69¾ by 42¼ inches, Chinese carved huanghuali wood center table went to an Internet bidder for $16,100, and a large Japanese Meiji period exhibition urn that stood nearly 7½ feet high and fashioned with dragons, foo dogs and warriors brought $13,800.
The odd and esoteric is always of interest in this quarter. A replica of the William Thomas Green Morton's ether inhaler used in 1846 in the first public demonstration of ether as an anesthetic at Massachusetts General Hospital was one of five examples commissioned. With a wooden base and shipping container, the device sold for $3,450 to a physician from that hospital.
All prices reported include the buyer's premium.
For additional information, www.mcinnisauctions.com or 978-388-0400.


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Book your room at Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai
Family Suite (Viceroy)Max Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Deluxe RoomMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Junior SuiteMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
Executive RoomMax Occupancy: 3 guests (up to 2 children, 2 infants)
4-star hotel with 3 restaurants in Dubai (Bur Dubai)
This hotel is located in Dubai (Bur Dubai), close to BurJuman Mall, Dubai Museum, and Grand Mosque. Also nearby are The Dubai Heritage Village and Gold Souk.
Hotel Features
In addition to 3 restaurants, Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai features an outdoor pool. Other amenities include a bar/lounge and a coffee shop/café.
Room Amenities
LCD televisions come with satellite channels. Guestrooms also feature complimentary wireless Internet access, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, and air conditioning.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
At your hotel
At your hotel
In addition to an outdoor pool, Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai provides a health club, a spa tub, and a sauna. Dining is available at one of the hotel's 3 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at the coffee shop/café. A bar/lounge is on site where guests can unwind with a drink. High-speed wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary.
This 4-star property offers access to a business center, limo/town car service, and meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 34647 square feet (3220 square meters) include a conference center and conference space. This business-friendly hotel also offers a nightclub, a steam room, and tour/ticket assistance. Onsite self parking is complimentary.
Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai is a smoke-free property.
- 24-hour front desk
- Total number of rooms - 282
- Number of floors - 7
- Babysitting or childcare
- Bar/lounge
- Business center
- Coffee shop or café
- Conference space
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Elevator/lift
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Health club
- Airport transportation
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Meeting rooms
- Nightclub
- Porter/bellhop
- Luggage storage
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Year Built 2006
- Number of restaurants - 3
- Conference space size (feet) - 34647
- Conference space size (meters) - 3220
- Number of meeting rooms - 16
- Conference center
- Free self parking
- Sauna
- Smoke-free property
- Spa tub
- Steam room
- Outdoor pool
Stay connected
Available in all rooms: Free Wi-Fi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Available in some public areas: Free Wi-Fi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Park your car
Free self parking
In your room
- Soundproofed rooms
- Air conditioning
- Complimentary newspaper
- Phone
- Coffee/tea maker
- Complimentary bottled water
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Private bathroom
- Hair dryer
- Bathtub or shower
- In-room safe
- Desk
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Satellite TV service
- Free Wi-Fi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Room service (24 hours)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Eat and drink
Docklands - This restaurant specializes in international cuisine and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
AAngan - This restaurant specializes in Indian cuisine.
Soto Soto - This restaurant specializes in Italian cuisine and serves lunch and dinner.
24-hour room service is available.
An outdoor pool and a spa tub are on site. Other recreational amenities include a health club, a sauna, and a steam room.
- Swedish massage
- Steam room in spa
- Thai massage
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
- Accessible path of travel
The fine print for Grand Excelsior Hotel Bur Dubai
When you arrive
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Special check-in instructions:
A tourism fee is imposed by the city and collected at the property. The fee is AED 15 for the first bedroom per night, and increases by AED 15 per night for each additional bedroom. For further details, please contact the property using the information contained in your confirmation email.
A tourism fee is imposed by the city and collected at the property. The fee is AED 15 for the first bedroom per night, and increases by AED 15 per night for each additional bedroom. For further details, please contact the property using the information contained in your confirmation email.
When you leave
Check-out time is noon
How you can pay
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- Tourism fee: AED 15 per accommodation, per night
- Breakfast fee: AED 62.50 per person (approximately)
- Rollaway bed fee: AED 125 per night
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the hotel prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Up to 2 children 6 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.


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My Profile
Amie Is Cooking!
Fort Collins, Colorado
Member since Jul 2005
Flag This ProfileFlag as Inappropriate
Reviewed Parker House Rolls
Nov 25, 2010 in Food Network Community Toolbox on Food Network
"All I can say is OH MY GOD.... AWESOME! Every single one of my family and in-laws loved these rolls for Thanksgiving. I was a little worried after reading some of the difficulties people had with proofing the yeast. I used two packets of yeast and the full cup of sugar but I am also at a higher altitude. I also cut the rest of the ingredients in half..."


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Speech-language therapists help both adults and children improve communication skills and address swallowing and feeding issues. They also work on cognitive retraining to build skills in association, attention, memory, sequencing, problem solving and abstract verbal reasoning. Call 612-775-2475 to schedule your first appointment.
More speech-language specialty areas:
© 2014 Courage Center • 3915 Golden Valley Road • Minneapolis, Minnesota 55422 • Contact Us 763-588-0811 • Privacy Policy


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Category: Waste & Recycling ×
Subcategory: Medical Waste ×
Industry: Chemical & Pharmaceuticals ×
Location: Canada ×
Location: Saskatchewan ×
Bramidan Balers
based in Bramming, DENMARK
Bramidan is one of Europe`s leading suppliers of balers and compactor solutions for handling cardboard and plastic waste and other recyclable materials. Bramidan was founded in 1975 as a small, family owned company that sold farming equipment. In 1981 the company changed direction and entered the market for waste handling. Today, we are a strong and popular brand in many ...
MERCODOR GmbH Sondermaschinenbau KG
based in Frankfurt am Main, GERMANY
MERCODOR GmbH Sondermaschinenbau KG in Frankfurt am Main was founded in 1973. The family-owned company has always made shredders and manufactures them individually from start to finish in its own factory in Trebur according to customer specifications. The company`s shredding systems are now successfully employed, for instance, in industrial and commercial establishments, ...
ICL Water Solutions - BK Giulini GmbH
based in Ludwigshafen, GERMANY
Water is the most diverse resource we know and it influences many different areas of life. However, it is a sensitive element and cannot be taken for granted.We as ICL Water Solutions use our expertise and decades of experience to take care of water, wherever it is needed for industrial processes or public purposes. ICL Water Solutions is part of BK Giulini GmbH, an ICL ...
econ industries GmbH
based in Starnberg, GERMANY
Hazardous and industrial waste technologies are our profession. The VacuDry units - a thermal desorption process working with high temperature and lowest vacuum - are state-of-the-art for treating mercury, hydrocarbon, PCB, solvent polluted sludge and soils. We also offer solidification units to stabilise inorganic ashes, dust and sludge as well as sterilising systems ...
Lumex Instruments Group
based in St. Petersburg, RUSSIA
Lumex Instruments develops and distributes throughout the world a wide range of laboratory and automatic analytical instruments of more than 20 types of its proprietary design for scientific and industrial research, process and environmental control, providing its high-tech analytical instruments with a comprehensive methodological support and extensive training of ...
Biowater Technology
based in Cumberland, RHODE ISLAND (USA)
BioWater Technology is a company focusing on development of sales of innovative technologies and solutions for biological treatment of water and wastewater. Products include but are not limited to: MBBR, IFAS and Package Plants. We have offices in the United States and Norway and partners and representatives around the world. We provide Combined Fixed-Film Activated ...
ARTECH Reduction Technology
based in Oakville, ONTARIO (CANADA)
ARTECH has developed state-of-the-art shredding systems for clients around the world. From our manufacturing facility, ARTECH produces the most durable, technologically advanced and cost-effective systems available on the market today. With over 1100 shredding systems currently in operation around the world, ARTECH has the engineering and manufacturing expertise to custom ...
The Compliance Center (ICC)
based in Niagara Falls, NEW YORK (USA)
Since its inception in 1987, ICC The Compliance Center has been training and providing products to comply with dangerous goods regulations to safely handle and transport dangerous goods by air, ground or sea. ICC The Compliance Center has been operating for over 20 years throughout Canada and the United States, and has developed products that have become the de facto ...
Insheng Engineering Co., Ltd
based in Pingtung, TAIWAN
Since its founding in 1988, INSHENG has engaged in manufacturing, installation and repair of equipment for the industry of iron and steel, steel milling, petrochemicals, electronic products, textile, etc in the early stage. In order to meet customers' dynamic demands, INSHENG has co-operated with governmental and academic organizations developing new materials ...
Combustion Research Associates
based in Noida, INDIA
Combustion Research Associates is managed by scientists and engineers dedicated to design and develop new technologies in the field of combustion, energy saving/waste heat recovery systems, pollution control,Biogas equipments, process heaters, gas safety devices and flow meters. Combustion Research Associates is a consortium of engineers working in various high technology ...
Need help finding the right suppliers?
Let the XPRTs do the work for you


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Nice review. I'd rather have PeeKaWho though, it looks a lot more complete than Aerize.
Aerize is nice as it compliments the oem bb syle. The peekawho is visually appealing as well, however, both apps have FAILED
By not incorporating a "missed call" on their apps. I hope they can do this soon!
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Penélope Cruz, her sister Monica, Shakira… 2013 will be filled with celebrity Spanish-speaking babies. Find out what other Latina stars are expecting!
Crédito: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Actualizado: 15 de Febrero, 2013 - 1:08 PM EDT
of 13
After several days of rumors following a report from the New York Post announcing her pregnancy, a Spanish rep for actress Penélope Cruz finally confirmed that the 38-year-old actress and her husband, actor Javier Bardem, 43, are expecting her second child. The Academy Award-winning couple have a son named Leonardo, born in January 2011. Click through to see what other Spanish-speaking babies we'll see in 2013!


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Series 100 DP8340 Heavy Duty Printer Driven Cash Drawer Overview
Small in size, the APG Series 100 cash drawer does not compromise efficiency, it actually improves upon it, increasing the effectiveness of your workstation.
Designed around a full size till, the narrow footprint of the Series 100 minimizes the amount of counter space required. There is still ample storage in a deep under-till compartment to hold coin rolls and packaged currency. An adjustable media slot divider separates and organizes different media types.
With features including steel ball bearing slides and a robust latch mechanism, the Series 100 is proven beyond 4 million cycles. A durable till design and the resilient powder coat finish resist the abuse in even the toughest environments. Size, color, interface, accessory and configuration options complete the Series 100 solution and contribute to APG's reputation as the preferred choice amongst cash drawers.
|What's Included:
|Cash Drawer and keys included. Cash drawer cable sold separately.
|Compatible Devices:
|Any receipt printer with a compatible APG cash drawer cable.
|Standard Warranty:
|3 / 5 Years (5 years if registered online)
APG Cash Drawer Drivers (Serial/Parallel/USB Drawers Only)
|Guides and Datasheets:
Series 100 Datasheet
|Cash Drawer Cable for Star DP8340 Parallel Drawers
Interface Cable
|Product #:CD-017A
|Under Counter Mounting Brackets for All APG Series 100 Drawers
Mounting Brackets
|Product #:PK-27-BX
|Series 100 Printer Driven for DP8340 Parallel Printers
Color: Black/Dark Gray
Size: 16-W x 16.7-D x 4.9-H in.
Money Tray: 5 Coin-5 Bill US
Media Slots: 2 x Adjustable
Front: Painted
|Product #:
|Series 100 Printer Driven for DP8340 Parallel Printers
Color: Off-White/Light Gray
Size: 16-W x 16.7-D x 4.9-H in.
Money Tray: 5 Coin-5 Bill US
Media Slots: 2 x Adjustable
Front: Painted
|Product #:


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Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks recently approved 20 ice-fishing contests for this winter.
Participants entered in the contests may catch and keep fish entered, but must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits. No holiday weekend contests are allowed and contests on the same body of water may not be held on consecutive weekends.
Here is a list of the approved contests. For details, please contact the contest sponsor.
Northwestern Montana, FWP Region 1
Southwestern Montana, FWP Region 2
South Central Montana, FWP Region 3
North Central Montana, FWP Region 4
Northeast Montana, FWP Region 6


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What Is WP Shortcode Shield?
WP Shortcode Shield is a WordPress plugin to allow posts and pages to easily document WordPress shortcodes without the shortcode being expanded.
What Does It Do?
This plugin allows you to refer to a WordPress shortcode within the content of posts and pages without that shortcode being automagically expanded by WordPress. The plugin takes advantage of the fact that the WordPress ShortCode API does not support nested shortcodes to allow this plugin's shortcode to wrap the shortcode being documented.
The shortcode parser uses a single pass on the post content. This means that if the
$contentparameter of a shortcode handler contains another shortcode, it won't be parsed
The plugin supports both the self closing
[shortcode] and enclosing
[shortcode]content[/shortcode] forms and supports a short form name of the shortcode,
[wp_scs] as well as the more verbose
[wp_shortcode_shield] form. For the sake of brevity, the remainder of this documentation will use the
[wp_scs] short form name.
If using the self-closing form of the shortcode, you need to supply the name of the shortcode you are documenting using the
code attribute but without using the enclosing
[ and
] characters. This is because when parsing shortcodes, WordPress looks for the first occurrence of the ']' character to terminate the shortcode. As a result of this, usage such as
[wp_scs code="[another-shortcode-name]"]
… WordPress will use the ']' character inside the
code attribute to try and terminate the shortcode name, which is not what is desired. Instead, the plugin automagically adds the terminating '[' and ']' characters to the plugin's output, so that usage such as
[wp_scs code="another-shortcode-name"]
… will display [another-shortcode-name] in your post's of page's content.
If you are using the enclosing form of the shortcode, you can either supply the shortcode to be documented with or without enclosing '[' and ']' characters; if they are omitted, the plugin will add them for you, so that usage such as
… and
… will display the same results, namely [another-shortcode-name].
Finally a note of caution, you cannot mix the enclosing and self closing form of the plugin's shortcode within the same post or page; this is not a limitation of the plugin, but the way in which WordPress implements the ShortCode API …
The parser does not handle mixing of enclosing and non-enclosing forms of the same shortcode as you would want it to. For example, if you have:
[myshortcode example='non-enclosing' /] non-enclosed content [myshortcode] enclosed content[/myshortcode]
Instead of being treated as two shortcodes separated by the text "non-enclosed content", the parser treats this as a single shortcode enclosing "non-enclosed content [myshortcode]enclosed content".
How Do I Download WP Shortcode Shield?
To download or install WP Shortcode Shield on your WordPress powered site, either search for WP Shortcode Shield from the WordPress Dashboard or go to plugin's page on the official WordPress plugin repository.
If you want to fork the source code of the plugin, you can find it on the plugin's GitHub page at https://github.com/vicchi/wp-shortcode-shield.
What's New?
WP Shortcode Shield v1.1 was released 11/11/12.
Full Documentation
- You can install WP Shortcode Shield automatically from the WordPress admin panel. From the Dashboard, navigate to the Plugins / Add New page and search for "WP Shortcode Shield" and click on the "Install Now" link.
- Or you can install WP Shortcode Shield manually. Download the plugin Zip archive and uncompress it. Copy or upload the
wp-shortcode-shieldfolder to the
wp-content/pluginsfolder on your web server.
- Activate the plugin. From the Dashboard, navigate to Plugins and click on the "Activate" link under the entry for WP Shortcode Shield.
- That's it. There's no admin settings to configure. Go and start documenting.
Raw Source Code Sample
Resultant Content Display
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get help or support for this plugin?
In short, very easily. But before you read any further, take a look at Asking For WordPress Plugin Help And Support Without Tears before firing off a question. In order of preference, you can ask a question on the WordPress support forum; this is by far the best way so that other users can follow the conversation. You can ask me a question on Twitter; I'm @vicchi. Or you can drop me an email instead. I can't promise to answer your question but I do promise to answer and do my best to help.
Is there a web site for this plugin?
Absolutely. Go to the WP Shortcode Shield home page for the latest information. There's also the official WordPress plugin repository page and the source for the plugin is on GitHub as well.
I want to amend/hack/augment this plugin; can I do this?
Totally; this plugin is licensed under the GNU General Public License v2 (GPLV2). See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/gpl-2.0.txt for the full license terms.
What's Changed?
v1.1.0 – 2012.11.11
- Other: Upgraded plugin to new version of
WP_PluginBaseto prevent class name clashes during future upgrades.
v1.0.1 – 2012.08.29
- Fixed: Ensure
WP_PluginBaseis properly included and defined.
v1.0 – 2012.07.17
- This is the first version of WP Shortcode Shield.


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- Life As Mom - http://lifeasmom.com -
Keys to a Successful Pancake Breakfast — or Dinner
Posted By Jessica Fisher On January 11, 2010 @ 1:04 am In Meal Planning,Pantry Challenge | 43 Comments
As we "eat-from-the-pantry [5]" this month, I anticipate some creative cooking and menu planning. However, one regular feature on our menu that also makes good use of pantry staples is one that my kids will gladly embrace: Pancakes! My husband is usually the pancake chef around here, creating all sorts of cool designs [6].
Whether you serve pancakes for breakfast, lunch or dinner, they are sure to be a hit with everyone in the family. Here are some tips to make your next pancake breakfast (or dinner) a success.
Use a large electric griddle to speed up your cooking time. A good one can be purchased new for about $20 or found in a thrift store for less. Since pancake baking is definitely an assembly-line activity, the more you can make at one time, the better. Otherwise, the line of kids at your side will never end. Trust me.
Pancakes made from scratch definitely work for me [9]!
Got a pancake trick? I'd love to hear it!
Article printed from Life As Mom: http://lifeasmom.com
URL to article: http://lifeasmom.com/2010/01/pancake-breakfast-or-dinner.html
URLs in this post:
[1] RSS feed: http://feeds.feedburner.com/lifeasmom/oGdA
[2] free updates via email: http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=lifeasmom/oGdA
[3] my free seasonal newsletter: http://eepurl.com/q47Vb
[4] Image: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_89L9ZoBsR08/Szbk3s7mN0I/AAAAAAAAG4E/GiwshD9k6aw/s1600-h/Blog+948.jpg
[5] eat-from-the-pantry: http://www.lifeasmom.com/2009/12/eat-from-pantry-challenge-join-us.html
[6] creating all sorts of cool designs: http://lifeasmom.com/2008/10/tgif-pancake-art.html
[7] favorite pancake recipe: http://goodcheapeats.com/2010/01/pancakes-easy-pantry-staple/
[8] Image: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_89L9ZoBsR08/SzU7kgs2i6I/AAAAAAAAG3k/f_BX2IbVS5w/s1600-h/pancake.jpg
[9] work for me: http://wearethatfamily.com/
Click here to print.
Copyright © 2011 Life As Mom. All rights reserved.


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Handcrafted and made of pewter. Kettle lid is not removable and handle does not move. Items may vary slightly.
Skillet: 1 1/4"W including handle
Kettle: 3/4"w x 5/8"H
Scale: 1/12
Assembly Required:
No1/12 scale, also referred to as one-inch scale (or 1" scale), means 1 inch = 1 foot
miniatures.com is dedicated to bringing you quality items at the best prices, and
we stand behind our products 100 percent. Satisfaction guaranteed. If, for any reason,
you are not completely satisfied with your order from miniatures.com, simply return
it to us within 30 days. We are more than happy to exchange it or provide you with
a credit or refund.