Perfect Duluth Day | Duluth MN Blog, Events, News and More » Advice

Engraving in Duluth

Zacaroo — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 00:42:10 +0000

I have a small plate for my guitar that I want to have engraved with my initials. After a quick search I’ve found a few places that would be able to do this for me, but I was hoping some of the fine folks here have any experience or recommendations with any of these companies.

Ideally, it would be laser engraving about 1×2 inches.

Organize my iTunes

duluth_bishop — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 19:14:59 +0000

I’m looking for somebody to get our iTunes library consolidated and organized – or maybe some advice on how to do it. Right now it’s spread out over three lap tops and an external hard drive. Perhaps iCloud is the solution? All I know is that right now it’s a GF and I feel a bit overwhelmed thinking about it. Thoughts or advice? Oh yeah — as much as I would enjoy putting some time into this; it’s a pretty low priority — and with 49% of the vote, I don’t see its status rising. Therefore third-party solutions will be considered.

Clawfoot tub refinishing

erik_ote — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:37:49 +0000

My wife and I have been throwing around the idea of a bathroom remodel. I’ve been on the hunt for a clawfoot tub that won’t break the bank and I think I’ve found one. Of course, I’ll need to inspect it personally with my “keen” sense of quality, but if all goes well, I may very well buy it. The photo and description indicate a need for refinishing. I’m wondering if anyone around Duluth has tackled this on their own and has some advice on a budget friendly solution or if anyone has had a local company refinish one for them (prices?). Any other advice or warnings would be great as well. Thanks!

Lake Skating?

bluenewt — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 15:59:52 +0000

Can anyone point me to good places to ice skate or cross-country ski on lakes around Duluth this week? Looking for lakes with a sheet of smooth-ish ice or with an inch or two of snow to ski on.

We’ve been skating on the harbor the last couple of weekends. The ice was nice weekend before last, and lots of ice boats and kites were out. Since then, a hovercraft (I’m told – is this true?) has made some trails of busted up ice chunks that are tough to skate across, and the rain and snow kind of pebbled the remaining surface, but there’s still a big sheet of skatable ice near Sky Harbor airport.

I’m not telling you that it’s safe, so please don’t sue me if you head out and something awful happens. Yesterday when we were out, a ship passed along the Superior shore and then cracks started to open up. Beyond the airport, if you skate along the shore, there is some open water.

Can anyone recommend any other lakes to try, either for skating or for skiing?

Homemade Tom & Jerry Batter

Dave P — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 03:07:05 +0000

OK gang, due to the volume of discussion and frustration regarding Connelly’s vs. Mrs Bowen’s vs. Flaherty’s, I’ve taken it upon myself to root out a decent recipe for homemade Tom & Jerry batter. Here’s the result of my research and experimentation (it should be noted that I pilfered 95 percent of this from an online recipe):

12 eggs, separated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound butter, room temperature
3 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:
Beat egg whites and salt in a large glass or metal mixing bowl until stiff peaks form (when you lift your beater straight up the egg whites should form a sharp peak that holds its shape).

Beat the egg yolks to soft peaks in a separate bowl. Beat the butter and powdered sugar in another large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla to the butter mixture; mix. Stir in the cloves, allspice, and the egg whites; beat until well blended. Batter can be frozen or kept in refrigerator for several weeks.

To make a Tom and Jerry, put one jigger of dark rum and one jigger of brandy in a coffee cup, add a heaping tablespoon of batter, fill the cup with boiling water and garnish with a little ground nutmeg (most aficionados consider it a sacrilege to stir the batter, but I have one friend who won’t have it any other way).

Heaven!! A true PDD (Perfect Duluth Dram). And it only took me a half hour or so to whip up (plus this recipe makes a lot — several weeks worth for our household and a rotating cast of holiday guests). Reviews have been overwhelmingly positive. My wife, upon hearing the recipe, remarked, “That’s cake frosting! No wonder people love it!”

One final caveat: use pasteurized eggs, available at Cub Foods, but — curiously — not at Mount Royal, last time I looked.

Cheers, and happy holidays!

Snowshoeing: Where to Start?

nbayuk — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:07:43 +0000

I am about 90% sure I am getting my first pair of snowshoes for Xmas this year. I have always wanted to get into this but need some advice on a few things. Besides the actual snowshoes, what kind of actual shoe is best to wear? Is snowshoeing something that needs to be practiced or is it pretty much walking in the snow? I live very close to Hartley Nature Center so that will be the main trail but where are some other good places to go in town? Any advice would be appreciated.

Question about Nerd Night

sean42 — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:07:15 +0000

I was wondering about the tone of the Nerd Night events at Teatro Zuccone, as in, are they appropriate for children? I have an 11-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome who probably would like to see the robotics demonstration, but I don’t want to put him into any situations that he would not understand. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch people!

Community Composting Fix

Meredith Cornett — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 16:51:53 +0000

Read all about the joys of community composting and why you should pay the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District to take your waste and sell it back to you in the spring.

Nature of Modern Life blog: Black Friday — Dig It

Guess how I celebrated Black Friday? With a trip to the WLSSD Composting & Yard Waste Site, of course!

50 Below advice

Anon — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:05:04 +0000

I’m seeking a little help from the PDD community. I work for 50 Below Sales & Marketing and, like everyone else there, I haven’t been paid in over a week. That’s roughly 300 people who have had to get through Thanksgiving without the money they earned. Some have gone even longer due to bounced checks.

I don’t really want to get into how this came to be, maybe someone else can step up with that info if anyone is curious. What I’m here for is some advice on what (if anything) I can do. I’m sure everyone will see their money at some point but that’s not enough. Who does people recommend I talk to to try and make sure we don’t get screwed again? Lawyers? I hear they cost money. Unions? Some kind of labor group?

Any thoughts are welcome.

Small Visitors

bluenewt — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 01:19:38 +0000

Some pals are visiting from Seattle next week. Their kids are 3 and 6, I think. We don’t have kids, so we’re not sure what amuses them. What are some cool Duluth things we could do that would be interesting to both kids and grownups? I’m thinking Hartley Nature Center, throwing rocks into the lake, maybe the harbor tour. What else might delight them?