Previous thread and program notes here. Happy Easter!

Thank you! I'm sort of confined to barracks at the moment, I watered the patio with weedkiller and I'm having to keep the cats in until it's dried, so I'm chlling, reading the papers online, attempting to buy some new glasses (long story) and wondering what to listen to next. Some good jazz is perfect for a Sunday morning.

You're welcome, essexjan. I'm drinking coffee, writing up next week's shows, and saddened to learn in doing so that a bass player that meant a lot to me when I was a kid died last February 12, a couple days after his last show, in Thailand.

One by one, the bright lights are dimming, and I with them, I'm afraid.

But, at least the coffee is still good this morning, at my place.

The coffee here is grand too, Costco's own brand, made with an Aerobie. Knocks the burned, bitter taste of Starbucks right out of the park.

And accompanied by multi-grain buttered toast and 3-fruit maramalade, Sunday morning doesn't get much better.

I looked at the Aerobie last year. But I've been making coffee (generally Eight O'Clock 100% Columbian, but sometimes Kenyan, or stuff I get from roasters down in Tampa) in a #6 Melitta cone for so long, it's ingrained habit by now. I don't reckon the coffee would taste much different, but I thought the basic principles of the Aerobie were sensible.

And I agree with you completely - Starbucks is bitter swill for the unrepentant.

As for breakfast here, in an hour or two. Cream cheese omlet, with sauteed onions and mushrooms, biscuits & orange marmalade, I think.

I used a Swissgold one-cup filter for years before I switched to the Aerobie and the difference is remarkable. Somehow the Aerobie smooths out the coffee through the vacuum press process. I'd never go back.

groovy! It's like you read my mind, I needed a dose of jazz today. Thanks. :)

Welcome, dabitch.

essexjan, one thing that intrigued me about the Aerobie were reports that people were getting espresso like crema from the machine, through paper filters, which I thought was remarkable, if true. Have you tried making "espresso" with yours?

Oh great, now I really need to go make me a cappuchino. Good thing I got new beans, great milk and a pre-heated machine just waiting for me downstairs. (bless the beau for remembering to turn it on for me). Wee.

Despite it being the un-cool Ikea-built in machine from Whirlpool, it's actually good. Only thing is I wish it had a drawer to bonk-out the grinds in. Damn dumb design flaw that. I love that it saves space though.

At least you've got a working espresso machine, dabitch.

My old Krups has a busted pump (actually, just the reed valve, I think, but no workee any way). So, I've been eyeballing espresso machines again, for several months, and getting along without. When I have a machine, I drink way too much of the stuff, and I used to love to smoke with a fresh espresso, so I wanted to put a few months of smoke free time between me and a new machine, initially. Some how, that's morphed into more than a year now, and I'm still idly looking around for my next espresso unit.

Maybe I'll kid myself along through the summer, just to keep safe...

Yes, I get the crema. I usually make my coffee as an espresso in the Aerobie and then dilute it with hot water from the kettle (in the UK we all have electric kettles, the absence of which in most American kitchens is always a surprise to me) to make an Americano. I drink my coffee black and sugarless. I've tried using more water in the Aerobie, and it turns out just fine, but without the crema.

The other day a guy was selling some Krups pod machine in a store and gave me a free sample. It was vile, like drinking earth mixed with water. It reminded me of the old Tommy Cooper joke. "Waiter, this coffee tastes like mud" "Well, it was ground this morning."

Have Diana Krall and Elvis Costello ever collaborated musically?

Well the great thing about the Aerobie is that it's fairly inexpensive, so if it makes decent "espresso" it'd be worth trying, compared to even a light duty pump type unit, which is bound to cost 10x or more, easily. I was also concerned that the main Lexan tube of the Aerobie wouldn't hold up in use, but it seems most people are doing fine with it, from reports I read. So, I may try one.

But if I start back smoking, you're the reason, essexjan...

As for Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, well, they've just had twins last December. And yes, they put out an album in 2004 called The Girl in the Other Room. Can't say it's her best, but it's different.

Those little krups machines are quite good, I've had three - preferred the old square and heavy model and when I moved to san fran I lucked out and picked one up for ten bucks at a garage sale. All it needed was some cleaning and it was good to go! Now with very little counterspace in the new kitchen, I knew my dream Faema would never fit (I once subletted where the was a huge faema in the kitchen, so awesome!) so I looked at built-in models. Most were terribly expensive and I wasn't sure that AEG for example knew how to make a good espresso.. So when I saw the Ikea/Whirlpool one at a third of the price I decided to go for it. Best deal ever!....Well apart from that drawer missing. I'll build one. ;)

Do not cave and smoke paulsc. To make me stay away (i'm a cap-kinda-gal) I treat my caps to a wee dash of hazelnut or amaretto. Never want to smoke when the cap itself is a treat. Not too much though, they get too sweet. Just a dab will do ya.

Well it's coming up to 7:00 a.m. here at the farthest West point of the East Coast of America, and that Bill Evans tune is the signal that this set is over. Was nice talking coffee with you ladies.

Same time, same channel, next Sunday?

It's a caffinated date, mate.