Vonage
I have issues with telephones. I don't much like to talk on them, and they are ridiculously expensive to have. We once had cell phones, but I didn't much like being accessible all the time, and really, what in my life is that urgent that it can't wait until I get home from the store? Plus, when we had cellular phones, we lived in the Bowl That No Electronic Waves Could Penetrate. Couldn't get TV, couldn't get radio, and I could only get reception on my cell phone if I stood on the corner. Which didn't do much to enhance my reputation, let me tell you.
When we repatriated to Columbus, we got a land line--and got even worse reception on it than on the cell phones. The phone company said, it's your phone (it wasn't) it's the old house wiring (also negative) it is in the lines, and we can't really fix it.
Then...we moved to a brand spanking new house. Brand new wiring in the house! Brand new phone lines! Same old problem. So...I decided enough with that, and ordered us up some Vonage.
I. Love. It. Granted, I only just hooked it up yesterday, and have used it maybe for 15 minutes total, but the sound is so clear--no static or random beeping--and the price, oh my the price. Roughly a third of our land line cost. Hooray indeed!
This book
I first heard of this book from Amy over at Angry Chicken, who is the inspiration for and source of any domestic aspirations I have.
The book? Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day. Seriously, 5 minutes. No kneading. No punching down. No proofing the yeast. No trying to figure out when the dough has doubled in size. No. No. No. Mix a big bunch of dough, stick it in the fridge, and yank off bits to bake over the course of two weeks.
And it is yummy, yummy bread. You can check out the author's website here, and of course buy the book at your favorite local bookseller. This method is truly, the best thing since sliced bread.
