Jura Micro Ena 9

As many people know I had a part time job at Sur La Table. It started as a seasonal distraction and turned into a more long term part time job. I worked all over the store in every department but the area of the store where I spent most of my time in was at the coffee bar.

It was my favorite not because I am a big consumer of coffee drinks but because I had an ability to sell just about any machine to just about any customer.  I sold many Nespresso units but I also sold a fair number of automatic machines. Out of all the machines we sold there was only one that I would buy if I ever decided to get a machine. That machine was the Jura Micro Ena 9.

 

The Jura Micro Ena 9 is touted as the world's smallest One-Touch automatic cappuccino machine. Its operation is so straightforward that it can be summed up in two words. Press - Enjoy. It can make a multitude of beverages with a  single touch from your basic espresso and coffee to your more complicated cappuccino & latte macchiato. The best part is that you can have any of those at the touch of a button with out ever having to move your cup.

 

Its amazing to me how much technology is packed into such a small stylish unit. Its programmable features such as volume, temp, strength are all done through a single simple interface and rotary switch. It has an aroma preservation seal to keep your 4.4 oz of beans fresh. It has a Clearyl Blue filter to ensure the purity of the 36.8oz of water used and can make 9 beverages before needing to have the grounds removed.  For those who are energy conscious is has a zero energy switch and can go into a programmable energy save mode.

 

Each beverage the beans are freshly ground in the multi level conical aroma grinder before entering the high performance thermoblock heating system and then being dispensed under 15 bars of pressure. It also has a shoot for pre-ground coffee if there is someone out there who must have something different. If you are having a milk based beverage the milk is dispensed from its cool control cooler into its own state of the art fine froth technology tips producing a rich and creamy milk. No matter what the size of the beverage the spout is adjustable from 2 to 5.4 inches to allow your cup to fit underneath. The best part is that when its all over it will automatically rinse its self internally including the milk system. It will also do a more robust full clean and descale when necessary at the touch of a button.

 

I decided it was time to treat myself. I was going to make one final big purchase at Sur La Table before leaving but with a little research I discovered I could actually pick one up for even less then I could with my employee discount. So as an early Christmas gift to myself I ordered it online and even got the cool control container for the attached milk at about 60% off. I was a little nervous that they might be refurbished units. 

When it finally arrived I nervously opened the box wondering if  I had made a bad decision.  I couldn't have been more happy since they were clearly brand new never opened boxes. It won't get a lot of use so it should last me a good long while. I got it at a great price too so I feel good about my acquisition.

Bearskin Neck, Rockport, MA

Bearskin Neck is a small neck of land that juts out of the town center into Rockport Harbor. According to legend has it is so-named for menacing bears that early settlers corralled onto the neck and hunted. Rockport's early fishing and granite industries made Bearskin Neck a busy commercial dock area owing to its convenience as a landing place. The tip of the Neck actually housed a fort during the War of 1812 which was fired upon regularly by British warships. Today the rocky end of the Bearskin Neck jetty offers a fine view of both Sandy Bay and the town of Rockport.

What really makes Bearskin Neck one of the principal attractions in Rockport however is the quaint little studios, shops, and restaurants that line its narrow roads. Bearskin Neck is also a bustling artist colony where one is just as likely to see an artist at his easel as a lobsterman hauling his traps.

The tiny studios and shops surround a famous old red fish house known as Motif #1. The "Motif" was originally built in 1884 and has had to be rebuilt several times due to the ravages of nature. 

In addition to the many little ships and galleries Bearskin Neck offers outdoor activities like Kayaking from North Shore Kayak.  They offer guided tours of the area from Memorial Day through mid-September. The colorful kayaks lined up in the water are likely second to Motif #1 being photographed.

 

Task 18 - Part-Time / Seasonal Job

With the unexpected cost of repairing my car and my usual over the top fall/holiday spending habits I thought I might get a part time seasonal job. I gave this a lot of thought before deciding to do it and even more thought about where I might want to get a job.  I figure that if I am working I wont be spending and why not pull in a little extra money in the process.

When I was deciding where I knew a few things about what kind of job I didn't want. I didn't want to fold cloths or wait tables. I also didn't want a job where I would be interacting with the dregs of earth. I settled on a few possibles. After my recent great experience with the Sur La Table cooking class and my many interactions with the staff I thought it would be an ideal spot.  It fit all of the criteria for what I was looking for.

Last night was my first real night at my new part time job. I had my first day last week where we went through training. I chose a retail position like Sur La Table because of the flexible hours and as an alternative to my day job. This position requires little in the way of mental effort or stress and is a great way for my outgoing personality to shine. April the Assistant Store Manager taught us everything we need to know about the store and the products Sur La Table sells.

I will be working 1-2 nights a week and the occasional weekend during the busy holiday season. My employment will last the holiday season and take me into the new year a little bit. Even better the employee discount will allow me to pick up some pretty nice gifts at awesome prices or take more cooking classes at a significantly reduced rate.

I already have meet some great people such as April who first suggested I get a job there when I was on break during my cooking class. Another employee who has already made the job fun and exciting is Stephanie the Floor Manager I worked with last night.  Everyone seems to be super friendly and even more importantly they want the job to be fun while maintaining a professional approach. They are the most down to earth bunch of people and each and every one I have meet have made me feel welcome and appreciated.

Even better I sold my first espresso machine last night to this very nice young couple who came in about 15 minutes before we started closing down. I will admit they had a good idea what they wanted and beelined right for the machines but it was nice to make a nice high ticket sale on my first real day. We don't work on commission so it doesn't really matter who sold it but it felt nice to have done it.