I'm of the school of thought that I shouldn't be appalled or traumatised by the idea of an animal dying if I'm willing to eat its flesh, but not being able to kill the lobster simply freaked me out.

Yeah, that sounds like a mess. I am of the school of thought that there are plenty of things I prefer to have other people do!

Speaking of which, my disposal died! I was just getting used to it. Is there anything I should try before calling someone?

Wow, ita, just....wow.

I was just getting used to it. Is there anything I should try before calling someone?

Check and see if there's a reset button on the side of the mechanism. That fixes some immediate ills.

While on vacation in a schmancy condo we broke the garbage disposal by putting sorrel detritus down it, and the Roto Rooter guy gave us a list of things that shouldn't be put down a garbage disposal. Strictly speaking the things are nigh useless. I promptly forgot the list, though, but try not to put too much fibre in.

Wow, ita, just....wow.

It was completely compelling. But when we went omikasu (chef's choice) we had to tell them that the albacore they were (slowly) preparing had better not be on our menu, because we weren't going to eat it after watching it slowly expire losing its moisture after being salted.

Amazing restaurant. Delicious sushi. Best yellowtail I've ever had.

You know, I wondered as I put the asparagus ends into it....

Before doing this make 100% sure that it is OFF. Ideally turn off electricity to it, but that may be impractical:

1) Shine a flashlight into it and see if something is stuck you could not see without the flashlight.

2) If you spot something, use an insulated or non-metal utensil to remove it.

Note: not sure even this is 100% safe, but as a major league klutz this has so far not killed me.

Check and see if there's a reset button on the side of the mechanism. That fixes some immediate ills.

Yes! Yay. Thanks.

Amy, it's indoor, but I guess regulations state that if there's lightning, they have to close until there's been none for 30 minutes. By the time they reopen (I haven't seen any more lightning in the last half hour, but more might be coming) it's too late for me, and even if it wasn't, lessons take over until 8 or so. And I left work early to avoid that!

It's what I get for crowing how I'd only not swum 2 days in almost 3 months!

Jesse, what did you put down it? Unless you were grinding up spoons, a disposal that quits probably needs looking at. But check your breakers.

I'm also of the "other people can do it" school. But I don't and won't eat lobster or crabs (no principles, I just don't like them.)

Thanks, Typo. I feel pretty comfortable sticking my hand in the disposal! But I also discovered that I can unplug this one easily, so that's good.

disposals

something else to add to the pro column for moving.

A lengthy comedy of tragic errors later, we had to boil it because nothing I could do to it would make it die.

Lobster have some kind of crazy primitive nervous system which means that they can feel pain even after being cut up, or so says David Foster Wallace. [link] That's why it wouldn't say die.