I feel the need to share just how indispensable ice is to cocktails, and why I prefer the refrigerator configuration we have at the cabin:
My gin martini setup is always frozen/ready. I freeze my (garlic-jalapeño stuffed) olives because water should never touch gin, but ice is required for almost all other concoctions.
You’re inspiring me. I’ll move my Hendricks gin from the refrigerator to the freezer and I’ll try freezing olives. You say gin should never touch water. Should I infer that you’re using straight super chilled gin with no martini shaker?
That would be correct — arctic cold with no dilution. DH swirls a few drops of dry vermouth in a glass and shakes it out before putting it into the freezer. All components, including the glass, are kept frozen. This is why I can never order a martini in a bar or restaurant; they can never make it cold enough, and room temp gin is an abomination. I have Angel’s Envy OTR when I’m out.
DH used to shake (“bruise”) until the pour would produce a thin, floating microfilm of ice that would kiss your lip on first sip, but I’ve graduated to colder/purer.
Though I’d argue that perfect cocktails are a form of home improvement, we are off topic.
Carry on.
Apologies for the digression, but better to wrap it up here than starting a new thread.
We harvested oysters and crab yesterday, which will pair perfectly with a martini. Do you add vermouth, or is it only the frozen mist in the glass?
These posts should probably be moved to the Sinner’s Alley thread. 
No additional vermouth beyond the “frost” inside the glass.
We have wood floors under our refrigerator - for many years we did not use the upper freezer icemaker because on older refrigerators, sometimes the water line would have problems and possibly leak and I didn’t want to worry. For the two of us, I would just make the ice. But refrigerators have gotten better - and our LG, sometimes a ice ball would get ‘stuck’ and we would see the tray not having the balls. Our LG has the in-door crushing and also cubed ice - and if that ice wasn’t dropping it was easy to stir it around/rattle it. DH uses the door ice and I use the balled ice.
Honestly it is what people prefer. This LG is the best refrigerator I have ever had and will get another one when we move if we leave this one with the house.
As you know from another thread, our ice maker died. The water works fine but no ice. We are waiting for a settlement from Whirlpool…they will either give us a %age of the repair cost…or a whole new door. We really like this fridge, and it’s not seven years old yet
…so we are hoping for the whole new door.
I never would have bought a through the door ice maker, but we needed to replace our fridge during COVID…and options were limited.
Except for some trim work, DH has finished his office area downstairs and, yes, he is temporarily(
) storing some of his spirits in the bookcase. Sigh.
Beautiful! I love the bunks too!
I love the little cubby for his printer!
@ChoatieMom Your H does beautiful work!
Looking at a beach house with leaning foundation posts. Is it fixable? I am guessing it is not uncommon since beach homes are built on sand.
You need to get a professional opinion whether this is an issue that can be fixed by anything other than demolition and rebuild.
Has anyone converted a house with steam radiators to either baseboard heat or forced air? I keep looking for houses near D, and I see old radiators, which I’d prefer to avoid or remove.
Why? We have steam radiators in this house and LOVE them! It’s the most comfortable heating system we’ve ever had and the most economical.
Baseboard heat as in resistance heating? Least energy efficient heating! Avoid at all costs. Steam radiators work well. If I were converting an old heating system to something newer, I’d pick a heat pump with individual room minisplits.
Your husband is so talented!
My interior columns are being removed this week, but I’ve hit a roadblock on my flooring. I started out with 3 1/4 inch white oak, but am now at 6 inch rift and quartered. At the last minute, I asked about the length of the boards. He told me 3-4 feet. That would look so choppy, so now he’s asking for more money to get 6 foot boards. Anyone have comments on board length?
So not an immediate no?
Assuming the house still has value (and this is not “value in the land” situation), I would make the offer absolutely contingent on the results of inspections by a couple of independent professionals routinely fixing such issues. Ask your realtor for recommendations. If the seller refuses, I’d walk away.
