DAY 43 - WOOD Trip!

365 Day 40 41 42 009, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

So, the Detroit trip has been a success! Ten meetings with as many different clients. Collecting payment, gathering orders and getting networking leads. I could probably stay here and continue to crack this market for another couple of years. But alas, it is time to go home and see the kiddos. I miss them...There are so many things I wanted today's picture to be that it is not...

Farms with cows and horses that you had to wind almost through to get to huge office buildings. One potential customer had a penchant for stuffed animals, the real kind. He had a stuffed coyote, rooster, beaver and harp seal. Cute, but a touch tragic. One of my favorites was a therapy office called the "REALITY COUNSELING SERVICES" which I SOOO wanted to be today's picture. Unfortunately, GPS took us by it on our way to one of our meetings and I didn't catch a photo, but took us back a completely different way. The little joke in the car was to come up with slogans for the Reality Counseling guys...
Reality Counseling, for those Who Live in a Dream World
Reality Counseling, Helping People Take Life MORE Seriously

Another memorable moment was when we were sitting at dinner in Holland at a cute brewery there, I noticed a person taking a photograph of the neon sign outside the restaurant on the sidewalk. Then I noticed it was more than one person, it was a whole group of people out at seven or eight o'clock at night with tripods set up, taking pictures in the dark. I wanted to grab my camera and hokey pokey right on in!

Our five meetings on "Day 43" were to trot our wares out to: Worden and Co., Grand Craft (mahogany boats), Heritage Guitars (which is run by ex-Gibson guys in the old Gibson plant), Herman Miller of the office environment fame and Dooge Veneers...this cool statue was the last thing I saw before heading off to the hotel.

After a brief rest at the hotel and the Irish/Mexican restaurant next to it (Carlos O'Grady's...weird name!), I got picked up by an old friend from work and went to spend an evening with he and his family. He likes to have private cooking lessons, so when I am in town we cook a meal together. This visit it was pasta with pesto and chicken francese. It was quite good, actually!

DAY 42: Holland Michigan

42/365 Holland Michigan, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

This is Haworth, the office environment company. This one of the four meetings we had today. We are trying to sell these companies on a patented invention we own. I thought this picture particularly communicated the day because it captured the four story high windows in the background and the red tulips in the foreground which just say Holland, MI to me.

DAY 41: Kiki Goes on a Business Trip

41/365 Kiki Goes Flying, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I took a bunch of random pictures around the airport, but ultimately settled on this one. I love the way I am peering into the mirrored pillar...I keep thinking Kiki goes on a Business Trip sounds like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington...or, Debbie Does Dallas, but I try to repress that one.

DAY 40: Liam Loves Rocks

40/365 Our Family Loves Rocks, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Liam, like his mother, loves rocks. I always collected them and kept them, my most precious possessions. When I was a little girl, the tooth fairy even brought me polished river stones instead of money. I couldn't have been happier!

I have some "grown-up" rocks I collected at Thatcher Mountain State Park in Albany, NY. I hiked the Indian Ladder Trail, and meandered off the path. I ducked under the railing that was supposed to keep people (people just like me) from skittering down into the gully. I climbed, spider-style, down into the gully. Down there, I found fossils from the Ordovician and Devonian periods. I found crinoids and tentaculites. An amazing find! At one point, I remember pulling myself up to a ledge that was under running water. It was covered in swimming tentaculites. It was an area five by two feet large. It was incredible! Breathtaking! Who thinks this way about rocks? I do. Liam does. My family does. Go figure.

DAY 39: Kristen, Kristen and Kristin

In college, sophomore year, I got a single in Moore Hall. This was desirable. There was a lottery to determine when you got to pick your room. I was in the top third. My friend Kristin was close to last. She ended up in one of the older dorms (was it Penfield?) with a roommate. Her roommate was Kristen Zebrowski. Kristen and Kristin became fast friends, best friends. They could not have been more different in a lot of ways, but they complemented each other beautifully.

Spring semester, I was in a bit of a phase. Lots of walking to campus, working out, playing racquetball...it brought me to Kristin and Kristen's room often. I would head over there after a workout to go hit the dining hall. It was a very comfortable room to visit.

I had a car in college, my aunt and uncle's old Volvo wagon. At the end of the year, I would drive Kristin home to her house in Virgina when she missed her flight...forever late Kristin! Anyhow, I am finally getting to the funny part...One day, I was driving along in my car with the two Kristi(e)ns and I saw another friend of mine from Moore Hall walking. I offered her a ride. She hopped in. I collapsed into paroxysms of laughter as I went to make the introductions. You see, this was my friend Kristin Petherick...Kristen and Kristin, this is Kristin...Kristin, meet Kristen and Kristin...It just cracked me up.

The first telegram my parents sent to my grandparents when I was born spelled my name Christen...you see, they thought they made it up! Silly parents!

DAY 38: To Your Corner

Elena has a lovely new phase. Maybe you'll remember me saying that a few weeks ago she wouldn't leave the living room? Maybe you'll remember that she's recently phobic of being knocked off her feet or of slipping on ice (or the kitchen linoleum floors)? She's quirky, to be sure. Lately, however, she's moved into a specific corner in our family room. She has provisioned this corner so she rarely has to leave it, except to eat or use the bathroom. Coupled with her new found ability to channel surf, she is perfectly content to stay there in her corner all day long. Her mother is starting to get worried.

I find myself understanding the need for one's one place and stuff around them and loving that this corner is a corner in a room we all frequent. I get a little worried that she has memorized the daytime game shows my father watches and can be heard shouting along to "No Deal, No Deal" (as she calls it) right along with him. She seems to at least be a part of it all...whereas when she was in her living room corner stage, she was separate from us all. I like that she's around, shuffling toys, trimming paper (my sister calls her the Yankee Clipper) and playing quietly at projects and solitary games. My dad recently joked that we need to throw some cedar chips over in that corner and install a wheel...sort of bang on, actually. It is slightly more like having a pet than a daughter.

DAY 37: Valentine Gifts of the Magi

Last night, I drove up the driveway. I had a secret package in my back seat. I had gotten Ketra valentine flowers. I am going to be away for valentine's day (in Michigan, of all places). Anyhow, I pulled up to the garage only to see Liam waving a separate floral bouquet from the window. We BOTH got each other flowers. Magi flowers. Awwww....

DAY 36: In Loving Memory

DAY 36: St. Stephen's Church, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Today, I went to my church, St. Stephen's Church, to honor one of our great parishioners, Sarah Tison. I knew her daughter, Kate quite well. We were dear friends. She is a loving and sweet woman. She now has three kids of her own that I have never met. I remember her wedding, also at St. Stephens. She was a beautiful bride. I remember her father's funeral, also at St. Stephen's. He was a charismatic and funny man who I loved. I worked with her brother, Joe. They called him Joby. He was funny and cute. I was there when he met the women he eventually married. She was there today, pregnant and ripe. They already have one baby. All of them are grown-ups now.

But the Tison children, although grown-ups, are orphans now. I don't know if one can ever get over being an orphan. I bet it hurts to lose one parent terribly, especially tragically early. I imagine it's horrid when you lose that second one and realize you are alone. Children are not supposed to lose their parents when they are so young. It is not fair. My only consolation is imagining the happy reunion of Joe and Sarah Tison in heaven this last week, as they embraced, touching for the first time in years...

God bless you!

DAY 35: Arepas

34/365 Arepas, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I made these tonight and they were lovely. I made three fillings for them...avocado, chicken and mayo, beef with enchilada sauce, mozzerella, mango and black bean and havarti cheese.

Colombia Venezuela Breads Cornmeal Gluten-Free

(Venezuelan corncakes)

Arepas were originally made by the indigenous inhabitants of Venezuela and Colombia. These small corncakes are sold in Venezuelan restaurants called areperías and are stuffed with all manner of fillings like a sandwich. In Colombia, arepas are made a little smaller and are spread with butter or topped with cheese.

Makes 5-10 arepas
Pre-cooked cornmeal (see notes) -- 2 cups
Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
Boiling water -- 3 cups
Oil -- 3 tablespoons

Method
Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a large bowl, mix together the cornmeal and salt. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of the boiling water and mix with a wooden spoon to form a mass. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Using wetted hands, form balls of dough out of about 1/4 cup of dough and press to form a cake about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. If the dough cracks at the edges, mix in a little more water and then form the cakes.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the patties, a few at a time, to form a light brown crust on one side, 5-6 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side.
When all the patties have been browned, transfer them to a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until they sound lightly hollow when tapped. Serve immediately.

Variations
To make filled arepas, split them in half when finished and scoop out a little of the soft dough filling. Stuff with your chosen filling.
Arepa de Pabellón: shredded, seasoned meat and black beans.
Reina Pepeada: chopped chicken, avocado, and mayonnaise mashed together.
Arepa de Dominó: black beans and crumbled white cheese.
Arepa de Perico: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, peppers and onions.
Columbian Arepas: make smaller and thicker and don't bake. Top with butter and melted cheese.
Other possible fillings: grated white or cheddar cheese; guasacaca, ham and cheese, hard-boiled quails eggs.

The sautéing step is sometimes skipped and the arepas are simply baked. In the countryside arepas are often cooked on the grill.
Small arepas can be made and served as appetizers with garnishes on top instead of inside. Or they can be eaten as small biscuits.
Sometimes a little sugar is mixed in with the dough to form sweet arepas (arepas dulces).

Notes
The cornmeal used to make arepas is a special, precooked type that usually goes by the name masarepa, or masa precocida. It can often be found in Latino markets. The more commonly found masa harina is not the correct type to use for this recipe.

DAY 34: I Cheated

365 Day 33 003, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I took this picture yesterday. I confess, but it so describes our weekend of trimming, glueing, cutting, and designing valentines. Just as we have a "season" of Christmas card photographing and envisioning the card (that will never be sent), there is also a very prolific valentine producing season. Usually the valentines are given out to few, if you don't get one in the mail, consider this your valentine!

DAY 33 (Extra Credit Post): CFG BFD

CFG BFG, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

CFG = Cash for Gold
BFD = Big Fucking Deal
Let's just say either I did not send in enough, or this thing is a racket. Enough said.

OK, I had more to say on this subject, so I guess NOT enough said! Please, please if you have done the Cash for Gold thing, write in and let me know how much you made, what you sent, etc. I am just trying to figure out how this thing works. It's steeped in mystery...questions like, What is a troy ounce? Why did I not get an extra 10% as promised? Would I have gotten more going to a jewelry store? Share your stories in the comments section...thank you!

DAY 33: Herd of Snow Animals

Herd of Snow Animals, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

This is the first of two day 33 posts. When I came home from work today, there was a little herd of snow animals waiting for me. It was so cute! There was a zebra, a giraffe and an elephant. There are MANY, MANY more pictures of the animals if you click the picture it will take you to my Flickr account where you can see them.

This whole snow zoo was a brainchild of my mother. She just loves making snow creatures with kids. I still remember the snow turtle we made when I was six. We even got out the food coloring and dyed it REAL green! I had the best mom! Elena has the best Grammy!

DAY 32: Still Life with Clementines

32/365 Still Life with Clementines, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Nothing profound today. I am off to church. Just LOVED this wine label and felt guilty posting just a wine label, so I made a still life out of it.

DAY 31 Under the Covers

365 Day 31 004, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I don't know why, but I love it when the light comes through the covers in the morning. Is there anything more wonderful than sunshine first thing on a Saturday?

DAY 30: Bear in a Box

30/365 Bear in a Box, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

So, it's not every job that invites you to play with, think about and be around stuffed animals all day. I am lucky. My new job enables me to do just this. I am a New Business and Marketing Manager for a company that makes plush toys. So far, so good. I am loving helping them develop their ideas and doing market research to see which of these ideas are viable.

I took these pictures because Elena is DYING to come to work with me. I told her she can come sometime soon, but not yet. I'm new there. So, today I promised her I would bring my camera to work and take photos. I told her, as I was leaving, "Elena, I remembered my camera so I can photograph my office for you." She looked at me disapprovingly and said, "NOT your office, Mommy, JUST the animals!" Ha! She knows what she wants!

DAY 29: The Moke Metrol

29/365 The Moke Metrol, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

When my sister was about Elena's age, she called the remote the "moke metrol" and the name stuck. Our family has called the remote the "moke" since then. In the last few weeks, Elena has discovered the moke. My mother, thinking it would help her learn numbers, wrote her a TV guide of sorts...a list of all the channels she might like to watch. She now has the power...watch out world!

I swear to you that this child so longs for independence that this little step in this direction, has completely changed her mood to sunny. You can see the rising sun of her cheek in this picture as she grins from ear to ear after successfully landing on a show with which she's satisfied.

DAY 28: Snowy Day

28/365 Snowflakes with Horse Snowflake, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I rue the day someone taught my daughter how to snip snowlakes out of paper. Every room I walk into looks like it has had squalls of paper snowlakes in little piles here and there. If you look closely on the right side of the picture, you will see the horse snowflake. It's a snowflake with legs and a little horse face. Have I mentioned before how this daughter of mine can explode all over a room? She is always an inspiration waiting to be born....a project waiting to be undertaken...a picture waiting to be created...She reminds me so much of me as a girl. I love her.

I have to admit, however, that the perspective of the clean-up committee (aka Mommy) is very different from that of the little messy girl. Take it from one who has been both in her life.

DAY 27: Silly Putty isn't as Funny Anymore

365 Day 27 014, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I just remember the imprints made with Silly Putty and the funny papers used to be good pure fun. I am wondering if I changed or if the pursuit of making backward newspaper prints just pales in comparison to all the high-tech, internet fun that exists today? I recently had a similar disillusionment with a Slinky and some stairs...

DAY 26: The Boppa-sitter

26/365 The Boppa-sitter, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

We used to jokingly say, "It takes a vilage to raise a child..." ALL THE TIME when Liam was little and screaming all the time and when Elena was little and needed constant rocking and holding to stop wailing. Now, they have grown up quite a bit from those days. We don't find ourselves calling for "fresh horses" (another favorite expression) as often. When the kids were little, friends had to be careful not to get too close, lest they sucked into the black hole of desperation that colicky babies and needy mommy created.

So, today I embarked on a new chapter in my life. I added a part time job to my contigency consulting work. This is the first time in a long time I will be working outside of the home on a consistent basis. It felt wonderful to get up, get dressed up, do my hair and pack the kids off to their respective morning places...Elena to school and Liam to the sitter. At noon, there was a changing of the guards. I was still at work (I work 9:30-2:30 as a New Business and Marketing Manager at a toy company). The kids came home and hung out with Grammy and Boppa. Then, at 2PM, Grammy headed off to one of her tutoring jobs and left the kids in the care of my dad, Boppa, the Boppa-sitter pictured to the left.

When I came home, he was sound asleep. He didn't even notice I was home. Elena was cradling the remote, telling me that she had been flipping back and forth between channels. I was only a touch unnerved when she told me that she didn't really like "Killer Elephants" on Animal Planet...Um...I can see why! Oh well, the children are USUALLY well cared for and at least he, unlike me, naps right there in the same room with them.

DAY 25: Connecticut State Land, Lover's Leap Park

Day 25 State Land, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

In the summer, we go to Lover's Leap. It's a beautiful, green, lush state park. There is a tomato colored bridge that straddles the Housatonic River. In the summer, it's inviting and cool and you want to plunge off the bridge in a dramatic swan dive. Today, it was not so inviting.

I decided, since I arrived in New Milford to pick up the kids a half hour early, to go on a photo hike in the park. It wouldn't be too cold in my big puffy jacket, I surmised. I surmised wrong!

First of all, it was 15 degrees out. Secondly, the ice and snow made it so slick, I was afraid I would fall into the icy jammed river. The river was so cold, it looked like green ice water and barely moved. By the time I had snapped twenty pictures or so, I was numb in the face and fingers and I had to run back to the car. On my walk to the bridge, I was thinking, "I wish I had the kids with me...they would love sliding down these hills!" On my run back to the car, I amended my thought to, "THANK GOD I DO NOT HAVE THE KIDS WITH ME!" Whew! Haven't been that cold in awhile!

DAY 24: Elena Loves Animals

365 Day 24 019, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Elena cracks me up. This morning, we were driving to their father's house. She was yammering on in the back seat about all kinds of topics. She was playing with two Polly Pocket dolls. This is probably the very first time she has even noticed a doll. I was trying not to make a big deal, but listening to her talk about and to the "girls" as she was calling them.

It got a little akward when she said to me, "Mommy, isn't it funny that I used to love animals so much and ONLY animals, but now I find that I really like girls. I just LOVE girls!"

Gulp.

So, I repeated back to her with one edit. "Yes, you did love animals and now you like DOLLS, too!"

(The picture above is a horse, in case you are trying to squint and figure it out)

DAY 23: The Shyster

23/365 The Shyster, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

Last night, I scared up the old copy of Green Eggs and Ham that we were raised on. I read it to Liam. He loved it due to the fact that there is a train and a car and a boat in it...I would not, could not on a train...I also like to think he liked the cadence of all that fun rhyming language spilling out of his mother's mouth.

Anyhow, as I was reading it as an adult, I was struck by what a shyster that Sam-I-Am is. Being in sales and being a mother, a nagging approach to getting what you want is not my favorite method. He's just plain annoying. He gives the main character not a minute to consider any of his offers, he just keeps bombarding him with potential scenarios whereby he might want to eat green eggs and ham. I assure you, Sam-I-Am would have met with a violent end had he been trying to persuade me to eat those nasty looking breakfast foods.

When I was training sales people, I used to describe two scenarios of potential sales tacts. Imagine if you will walking into a high end suit shop to buy a suit. Imagine one shop where you are immediately pounced upon by a salesperson dangling suits from each arm...this salesperson is bringing you all the top selling suits and not taking your wishes and needs into consideration. This is a bad salesperson. This is the Sam-I-Am approach.

A good salesperson welcomes you and sits down with you for a consultation before even getting to any suits. What colors do you like to wear? Tell me about your favorite suit? What is the occasion? Are you a trendy or traditional suit guy? etc...

See the difference? So, is Green Eggs and Ham teaching my child to wheedle, whine, persist and carry on to eventually get what he wants? Or is it teaching him to try new foods and he might actually like them? What do you think?

Day 22: Mirror Image

Day 22: Mirror Image, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

What do you think of yourself? Do you love yourself completely? Do you think that a lot of the shortcomings in your life come from areas where you lack self-love? How is self-confidence tied to self-love?

These are the questions I ask myself when I look in the mirror. I have always been confident that what I offer the world when I open my mouth, or serve up the contents of my brain, is exceptional. Lately, I am starting to find my physical appearance more and more trued up with the internal image. This is odd, because years ago, I lost a lot of weight. I was actually down to a size I hadn't seen since Junior High! I was still the same girl inside, though, and all the same insecurities still plagued me. I remember thinking this was odd. How could my "new and improved container" not have impacted the way I felt about myself?

Now, the reverse is true. I am working on becoming more at peace with myself inside and am, therefore, finding happiness with what I see in the mirror. Pretty cool, actually.

DAY 21: Bathtime

365 Day 21 059, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

So, this is an awful picture. It doesn't even look like Elena, but I had to post it for the story that goes along with this picture. Tonight I said, innocently, "It's bathtime." Herself freaked out. "No Mommy! NO! I DO NOT WANT TO TAKE A BATH!!!"

"Sorry honey, you need a bath and you need your hair washed!" She stormed out of the room. I asked my dad where she was, "Where did she go?" He thought she was going to the bathroom. I didn't. She had just been.

Moments later she emerged from the bathroom with a sopping wet head. "There! I washed my own hair!"

She was perturbed that I was laughing at her..."STOP LAUGHING AT ME MOMMY AND BOPS (my dad)!" So, what did I do? Made her pose for a picture and stick out her tongue...so cute!

DAY 20: How Could it NOT be an Inauguration Photo?

20/365 How Could it NOT be an Inauguration Photo, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I am forced to photograph the TV screen because I am not in Washington, DC today. I wish I were. I am so excited this morning, I am almost motivated to toss my kids in the car and drive to DC. But, practicality will always get the better of me. I was mighty disappointed to realize I was in Philadelphia when Obama made his "whistle-stop" on Saturday and was cluelessly hungover and missed it. Makes me feel sort of uninvolved.

OK...here it is three hours later and I am sitting on my couch, riveted. I came down from my "home office" to turn on the tv at 11:43 and it was all just starting...10 minutes later, they introduced Barak Obama, our president elect. I started crying. I was crying tears of gratefulness. I was crying for Rosa Parks. For Martin Luther King Jr. For all the immigrants who have scraped and fought to be treated as equals. This day brings me tears of hope and promise. Tears of sadness for all who were not so lucky to see this day, but who were instrumental in its fruition.

God bless us.

Bonus (non-365 Project) Photos:

DAY 19: Alstromeria on its Way Out

Alstromeria, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I love this flower. It lasts forever. I love the dashes all over the petals. They are like mini-lilies without the horrible smell. I don't have much more of a blog in me today...tired after a fun weekend away in Philadelphia.

DAY 18: I Love My Feet

18/365 My Feet, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

What is the body part you most love on yourself? Easy, my feet. I love my feet because of the family-inherited stairstep toes, their proportionate width and nicely formed toenails. This morning as I was fluffing the covers, I saw my feet hanging out angelically in the light at the end of the bed. Breathtaking. You may think me vain, but come on...you gotta love something about yourself. What is your favorite body part?

DAY 17: From Inside

17/365 From Inside, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

It's ridiculously cold in the Northeast today. I am in Philadelphia with my sister and we both had to huddle together in her bed to keep warm. So, our view of the city today has been very abridged...through big blinds which we have kept closed to try and keep the cold out. It's not working, but made for an interesting obstructed view for today's photo.

DAY 16: Shooting Blind

16/365 Shooting Blind, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

I tried all day to capture a photo that sums up the absurd attraction I have felt to watching all the news about the US Air flight that landed in the Hudson River. To listen to the passengers talk about it, is to hear them say their lives were saved...complete strangers holding hands and hunched over in emergency crash positions, made me tear up. To hear the newscasters talk about the pilot's heroicism, made me verklempt. To hear them call this man Sully, made me laugh out loud, because I had just read this blog.

All the pictures that did not make the cut are probably just as interesting as the one that did. There was one of Liam pointing excitedly at the tv shouting, "PLANE!! BOAT! TUGBOAT! TWO TUGBOATS! WOTS OF BOATS!" There was one of the tv screen in a bar which said "SULLY - Hailed as a Hero." There were many of the George Washington bridge, as I drove over it thinking about the folks who had been in that exact same spot the day before as an A320 was, what felt like, feet from their heads. But, the one that made it was this one. A shot from the George Washington bridge as I attempted to capture some evidence of the melee below. As you can see, I got nothing but serenity. As always, the hubub of the city is made still by being photographed. You would think I was the only car on the bridge. It's actually quite a peaceful shot.

DAY 15: Waiting for Coffee

15/365 Waiting for Coffee, originally uploaded by Kikigill.

There is no finer moment than the first sip of hot coffee in the morning. I awake in my bed already thinking about it and anticipating its warm silky glide down my throat. I steal downstairs (hopefully without either kid in tow) and perform the ritual of making it. I push the button. The light comes on encouragingly. I have to find something to do to entertain myself so I don't pace idly by the machine. Today, I take its picture and anticipate posting this note.

There have been some questions about this picture. This is a picture of the light that goes on when you push the button on my father's coffeemaker. It's a Cuisinart coffeemaker with a lovely carafe that stays warm for a long time after brewing. The irony of this fact is that whoever is the first to get up each day, is forced to "decant" their coffee into a second thermal carafe to free up the machine. I usually get up first (thank you, Liam) and have to empty all my coffee and grounds out for Dad.

If Dad has to do it himself, I get a lot of flack about the amount of grounds I choose to use, how it's ruining the machine, gums up the works and, if I am not careful, we are going to have a major coffee event. Now, the terms "major coffee event" and "minor coffee event" were termed by my father to describe the kerfuffle that ensues when the coffeemaker's pinhole pouring mechanism, or the pot's tiny receptor hole, gets jammed and coffee proceeds to extrude all over the counter and floor. Coffee events can ruin your morning. There is a theory in the family that, like one person's using too much toilet paper might cause the next person's flush to overflow it, my use of coffee grounds is responsible for any and all coffee events from here on out. I guess I will just take that blame and keep on trucking...I like my coffee strong and dark. It needs to be able to wake me up and carry me through the first hour of awakeness.