I seldom stop to think how important everyday items are: lightbulbs, windows, tables, toilets. Oh, and toilet paper! (I really think that if society ever collapses, I will miss plumbing the most. I really enjoy the fact that my excretions go somewhere when I pull a handle). Recently, my oven broke. It is an old oven, probably around 22 years now. It had been showing signs of age for a while. I kept telling myself "It will be fine. It can last a few more months." And then, it wasn't fine. The bottom heating element went out so I had to cook everything on broil. I opened up the circuit panel and hit things with a screwdriver. That fixed it for a few weeks, but then it started to overheat. I lost a whole pan of bacon and bacon isn't cheap! I could just order a new oven, but they don't make ovens the same size anymore. The width is fine, but modern ovens are 4 inches shorter than mine. I don't have time during the year to do even a small remodeling project. ...
Blog started at my students' urging. Many different things will be talked about here.