Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Chilling at a coffee shop

This is an old photo I took. They don't still have their Christmas decorations up.

It's the evening and I've escaped to a local coffee shop to write. Interesting place. There's a couple of guys playing guitar, three women knitting, a couple of girls discussing guys, a table of Scrabble players, a few loners like myself and a dwarf (little person?). Anyway, it's quite a mixed bag.

I'm taking a short break from I So Don't Do Makeup and was thinking of you guys and thinking of my home renovations. And I decided to mix it all up and show you some strange items that are out there for those of us with home on the brain.

You can toast four slices of bread, cook two eggs and bacon ALL AT THE SAME TIME. My kids would love this little $55 item.

This is a Smart Shopper. It sticks to your fridge with a magnet. You press a button and tell it your shopping list and your to-do list. You might even just be walking by and remember you're out of ketchup, so you tell it "ketchup." When you're ready to hit the stores, it'll print out your lists in alphabetical order. On a printer that doesn't even use ink. The Smart Shopper's about $25.


And a bit of trivia from my research for Makeup: What do you call a group of Roadrunner birds?


Oh wow. One of the guitar guys just picked up a harmonica and started playing it. Wow! I love love love the harmonica. This could be good for writing. Break over. Bye!



source: http://shopping.yahoo.com/articles/yshoppingarticles/98/wackiest-kitchen-products/

32 comments:

  1. That toaster is awesome! And only $55? I think it might be coming home with us.

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  2. Sounds like a nice coffee shop. I might drop in some time.

    If it had been me writing in there my book would now include a dwarf playing the guitar.

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  3. It's great that you have a place like this to escape to from all the renovations. I love the 'shopper". I always forget to write things on my list and just being able to say them like that would be fantastic.

    I'd love a coffee shop like that close by.

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  4. That toaster, egg, and bacon cooker is scary. And also looks like a pain to clean. (That there is the reason I don't buy too many gadgets. If it looks like a pain to clean, I avoid it.)

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  5. I would love both of those items and I have never heard of either one! I'm going to go follow your link.

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  6. How much writing did you actually manage to get done there?!
    I’d fill up that little Smart Shopper thing and then forget to print out the list as I headed out the door...

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  7. Oh, I hadn't thought about how tough the egg-toast thing would be to clean. :(

    and I didn't get as much written as planned. But it was me, not the coffee shop. I can pretty much tune anything/anyone out. It's a side bennie of having four kids!

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  8. Oh, awesome! We have one of those egg toaster things with TWO bread slots and one egg slot that also allows you to do sausage. How cool is four, though!

    It's not that hard to clean, really. All the parts are dishwasher safe, and for the base you can clean with a bit of vinegar. I recommend it.

    I can't wait to pick up your book sometime! It looks so cute. :D

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  9. I'll take one of those toasters please! I love going to coffee shops to get out of the house and concentrate. When I was studying for a big test last year I was at Starbucks almost every night. There's something in the air (smell of coffee perhaps) that makes it easier to concentrate than in my house.

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  10. Wow! That is sooo cool! I just watched the trailer...I'm a bad blog friend...but I loved it! Well done!!!!

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  11. Ooo, I'm liking that Smart Shopper. I'm always scrambling through a drawer for my current list, and I don't always write stuff down when I'm in the middle of something else. I'd love to be able to tell a device to write it down for me. :)

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  12. I feel like I've seen that coffee shop a million times. Where in San Diego is it?

    Also, how far along are you in the new book?

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  13. I almost bought that toaster once - can you believe it? Ended up passing on it - but it was tempting. :)

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  14. Nifty gadgets, Barrie; and an equally nifty setting to go to jot down a few writerly notes.

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  15. I love coffee shops! They're so cozy and it's fun to people watch :)

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  16. I SO want that toaster! OMG....
    There's a little coffeeshop by my school that ROCKS, sometimes we go there for a bite to eat before school. It's totally cozy and sweet!

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  17. I find myself strangely interested in that toaster.

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  18. That coffee shop sounds like my kind of place to write. Enjoy.

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  19. I love people watching - that coffee shop is right up my alley!!!

    Love the toaster oven!

    I am having my first ever give away on The Fringe - go check it out - I think you would love the prize!!!!

    Happy Easter!

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  20. That fridge thing ... could it work for plot points, too?
    I could use something like that when I'm out doing my mail route. Milk, eggs, the train breaks down, oranges, the policeman turns around and smiles right at her!, bread, sausages. Oops, I guess then I'd have to carry a portable fridge. Happy Writing, Barrie.

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  21. My mom has a toaster that cooks an egg...or is it eggS?....at the same time as toast. she loves it.
    my sister loved it so much that we got her one for Christmas.
    :)

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  22. The toaster cracks me up. It seems like it can't possibly do all of those jobs equally well, so I'd probably end up making everything separately anyway. As for the Smart Shopper? Well, should I be embarrassed to admit that I found it a little tempting? No searching for a pen, no scouring the list while in the checkout lane to make sure I've bought everything.

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  23. I love sneaking downtown to the used book store/coffee shop to get some writing in. The problem is, i get distracted by the BLOGS and get NOTHING DONE!!!

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  24. coffee shops i favor, but neither the awkward toaster nor the fridge gadget fit my lifestyle

    what is the answer to your roadrunner Q, barrie?

    have fun on the writing/research :)

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  25. I think I'd love that egg cooker/toaster thingy so much.

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  26. I need that shopper's magnet thingamabob.

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  27. Ooh, gadgets, I love gadgets! That toaster-egg cooker-bacon maker is a favorite. And have you seen the new gizmo that scans an image onto your toast? The kitchen is becoming a fun place indeed.

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  28. Cool coffee shop.... and love your new website!

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  29. i totally want one of those toasters! getting hungry just looking at it!

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Comments are always welcome!