...and now, with two previous posts today, I offer this lame, dubiously OT explanation, wherein I shill for company that some of you will no doubt want to keep a note on, if not contact them for an immediate need...
WHY am I hypercaffienated and being even MORE loquatious than normal? It is because my 1973 ( date is on topic) Gaggia ( okay, an unfamiliar brand to most of you, but Italiano, nonetheless and Italiano is OT,no?) Espresso (hey, if you don't think caffe is OT, then phoeey on youee) Machine ( we LOVE machines around here,right?) is WORKING AGAIN.
I am on my third caffe of the morning ( Italianos, real or in my case, wannabees don't ask for espresso, they ask for "un caffe", accenting the last syllable) because after blowing the boiler gasket years ago on my fine Gaggia Coffee (that's the model) machine I was smart enough to stash it in the loft next to all my old bike parts. I recently decided to see if I could repair it myself somehow and through fruitless 'net searches, contacting the Italian manufacturer who sent me to the New York based US distributor who sent the wrong gasket ( nice folks tho) and even being turned away by the legendary Thomas Cara Imports in San Francisco, I stumbled upon:
Home Espresso Repair
Seattle, WA
206-789-9513
This small 5-person outfit knew exactly what part I needed and got me back on the road. Kinda like finding NOS world logo gum hoods in a sealed bag in the back of some funky little bike shop owned by a true lover of the genre. That's what these folks were like. So if you have a high-end machine and need something, give them a try.
Sorry Dale, but, well, this was important!
Riccardo Bulissimo
Verdi, NV
on to cups number 4 and 5, right, maTeo?