The toaster is toast

Last year I posted about the ambitious prose accompanying my Toastmaster Toaster. Apparently the words were all the thing had going for it, since the thing stopped working without warning a month ago. Last week I finally got my hands on its replacement (with help from Alex, who drove me to the UPS depot). This time I invested a little more cash with hopes that I'd get a longer-lasting bread-crisping companion. I selected the KitchenAid KMTT200 (how's that for a catchy name?), in plain ol' silver. It's downright classy, if not as posh as my parent's KitchenAid PRO LINE Series toaster. It certainly recalls for me William Jay Smith's wonderful little poem "The Toaster":

A silver-scaled dragon with jaws flaming red
Sits at my elbow and toasts my bread.
I hand him fat slices, and then, one by one,
He hands them back when he sees they are done.

This was one of a score of poems I memorized in Mrs. Tobler's second grade class. It's one of the few that has stuck with me totally intact.

The reel deal

After two or three years of gentle pestering, I finally convinced my dad to buy a reel mower for our lawn. He took the first crack at it over the weekend when I was busy working at the pond, but tonight I got a chance to try it out, and I was as pleased as I anticipated. It didn't cut quite as perfectly as the gas-powered Lawn Boy, but it didn't do too shabbily either. It was quiet, consumed no gas, and generated no exhaust (which I missed slightly, as the fumes tend to keep the skeeters away). Perhaps the best part was the increased work-out; after a school year of minimal activity every little bit of exercise is welcome this summer.

Oddly enough, I can't find even the slightest mention of their "Classic" mower on the Scotts website. Goodness knows I can find as many chemicals as I could possibly want to spread around my lawn. I'm glad to see Scotts has their priorities in order.

Intriguing Product

Claire brought these to my attention - the perfect gifts for your favorite geologist, rock hound, or birthstone enthusiast.

The tenth intriguing product is SoapRocks.

Intriguing Product

We had a Forth of July party at work yesterday, potluck style. I brought in puppy chow (the well-known chocolate Chex cereal concoction), which competed with a large number of deserts. Perhaps the best thing I tried was an excellent jarred salsa. I was pleased to see that it was a local product to boot.

The ninth intriguing product is Salsa Lisa.

Intriguing Product

I think I've probably eaten less than a quarter-pound beef since 16 February, when we had our "Industrial Meat Production, Health, & the Environment" lecture in Environmental Conservation. The amount of antibiotics given to cattle in the U.S. during normal production techniques is disgustingly high, even in comparison to pork or chicken production. Fortunately, there's hope that I'll be able to enjoy a filet mignon this summer.

The eighth intriguing product is Napa Free-Range Beef.

Intriguing Product

Every now and then I encounter a small business with a name so clever I suspect they've never consulted a lawyer. I thought New Country Buffet was a fun name for a little Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, but apparently the Old Country Buffet franchise didn't agree. (The small restaurant is now New King Buffet.) I think I may have found a company name that takes the cake in this category.

The seventh intriguing product is the stainless steel equipment of the Royce Rolls Ringer Co.

Intriguing Product

At this time of year we hear "Jingle Bells" and "Winter Wonderland" on the radio, in malls, in restaurants, or just about anywhere that isn't a synagogue or a Moslem temple, and we think of the merry ringing of little bells as we are wisked over a snowy landscape. But are your sleigh-pulling horses properly bedecked? If you're not nodding an emphatic yes, sir and you don't want your neighbors to think you're a total Scrooge, you'd best get your act together!

The sixth intriguing product is Forgedale Sleigh Bells, available through Oley Sled Works.

Intriguing Product

On Wednesdays I am unable to return to the dorm system for lunch, so I often smuggle a bagel or two out of the dining hall to munch on during the day. The bagels in the Highlander are locally made and really nothing special except for the kooky information on the bag regarding "Care of Bagels" and "Preparation." You can find almost the same text on the site, but here's the essay on Preparation.

Try a sliced bagel, toasted, with butter or cream cheese and jam. Our bagel, even after it has been cut in half, is sometimes too large for the conventional toaster. In this instance, the bagel must be compressed after cutting in order to fit into the toaster slots.

The bagel will make anything taste better. Consider using it in the construction of your next sandwich. A traditional favorite is composed of lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese strategically placed between the two halves of a sliced bagel; perhaps a slice of tomato or onion can be added to liven up your concoction. But, it is important to note that your bagel will always taste better when it is hot, so please take the time to heat it.

You will discover that the bagel has many uses; it can be used in any situation where ordinary bread may have been used in the past. Feel free to use as many bagels as you please without worrying that the supply will dry up, because at our bakery you will be able to find Bagels Forever.

The fifth intriguing product is Bagels Forever.

Intriguing Product

There's been a lot of talk in the post-debate discussions about how polarized our nation is at the moment, and it certainly seems true. I'm not really sure it divide along a Bush-Kerry line, but rather a pro-Bush-anti-Bush line. It's hard not to feel strongly about the man, one way or the other. Anyhow, in thinking about this, I recalled a rather intriguing product I encountered at Simon's Rock that not only smells nice but preaches unity.

The fourth Intriguing Product is Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap.

Intriguing Product

In my attempts to find a birthday gift for Claire that acknowledged our shared residence in this great state of Wisconsin, I found this store. I sent her five pounds of the Original White, and I think she's enjoying them.

The third Intriguing Product is Rock Cheese & Honey Super Fresh Cheese Curds, made right here in Madison, Wisconsin!

Intriguing Product

I think it's time to add a new Intriguing Product to the site, and I happened to stumble onto a good candidate just minutes ago. I'm listening to the Al Franken Show, and today Al talked via telephone to conservative fans of barbecue. It's a bit he's done before, and its a good one since the barbecue is something the Al and the callers can agree on, smoothing out their political differences. Al argues well, but certainly lets the callers have their say. But I digress. The product. Yes.

The second Intriguing Product is Big Bob Gibson's Bar-B-Q, the Alabama restaurant and creator of award-winning sauces.

Intriguing Product

I've decided to add a regular feature to this blog. Hopefully about once a month, I'll add a link to a new and interesting small online business. I'm not actually a customer of all these stores, but I hope that each one of these succeed.

The first official Intriguing Product is 420 Jars

"For the tastiest lips north of the hips!"

Word has it that Pussy Pucker Pots are the newest craze back at ol' Simon's Rock. These lip balms are 100% vegan and probably at least 85% feminist-approved. It might be more of a modern feminist thing though...I can't really see Susan B. using this stuff without blushing something fierce. Anyway, if you want to snag one or two from the web, looks like Feminist Planet has a the best shipping price. If you want more, something with a lower unit cost will be the way to go.