“We would be honored if you would join us.” – Darth Vader, Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back
(part two)
Ready to play another round of Is the Hype Worth the Press? (Aka – more wishful thinking about cool stuff) My last post got me mentally planning a few more things that I’m just Jones-ing to try out.
Kindle 2: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device
The reviews on the Kindle 2 have been relatively good overall, but I wonder a bit if people don’t sometimes talk themselves into raving about something they’ve just shucked out a a handsome swash of cash for it. At least I know that I have been guilty of doing just that in the past. My biggest concerns are how durable it is (I do have a 13 year old in the house) and if I would miss the swish of turning pages and the physical heft of holding 250+ pages.
A KitchenAid Stand Mixer
I make bread by hand, but I think I’d probably be willing to give that up in a minute to have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer mix it up for me. If everything I’ve heard about them is true, that is. $350 is a pretty steep price tag is all I would end up using it for was making chocolate chip cookies and banana bread. Dough is a pretty heavy mixture to push around, with the added danger of too much and too rough manipulation potentially making the dough tough. Still, I’d be willing to give it a whirl if one were to show up at my front door!
Mini Cooper
And just to round out today’s list of things I’d love to have a crack at but can’t for the life of me afford, I submit… the Mini Cooper. It’s small, decidedly adorable, and is said to corner like a go-kart (and how I do love go-karts). Its gas mileage is decent, although lower than Dad Windu’s somewhat draconian “40 mpg minimum” demands, but I’ve heard you can really bump up the stated amounts by driving like a good doobie. As I generally tend to drive at (and even sometimes a bit below) the speed limit, don’t race off the line or stomp on the brakes to stop, I’d be interested to see what I could drag out of one if given a chance. Of greatest concern to me is how this cute little car would handle a Midwestern winter and how well would I end up getting to know my mechanic. Would a Mini get bogged down in the snow? Could it push itself through the crusty lip of slush that forms at the end of my driveway after a day’s worth of cars driving up and down the street? Could the frame handle that annual harbinger of spring – potholes the depth and breadth of Lake Erie? Would it eat brakes and clutches like Padawan Learner eats cocktail wienies?
Note to Mini Cooper USA (should they be interested in handing the keys over to me): British Racing Green, white top and mirrors, manual transmission to boost gas mileage, and – preferably – some of that custom-fit luggage you used to sell (for the road trips that would be absolutely necessary to test it out proper) would be lovely.
Where did all the picture go? LOL. I sense a fellow obsessive compulsive website tinkerer.
So Kitchen Aid mixer. Very pretty. Very spendy. We got a red one. And all of the black knobs broke. If anyone can find a cheap replacement set of black knobs for a Kitchen AId Stand mixer, can you please send them my way? Because we got quoted $300 (Au mind you) just to replace ONE of the knobs. Seriously. For that kind of money I can make them myself out of modelling clay.
Other than that, it is great. Does a great job mixing. Only costs a bazillion dollars for the grinding attachments.
A Mini would be cool. Just specify you want a post 2007 model
http://www.euroncap.com/tests/bmw/mini.aspx
Seeing how I have little time to read books anymore and rarely bake anything, I guess the Mini Cooper is for me.
Miss Maccy: The pictures were taking forever to load, so I’m looking around again. And yes, I love to tinker. $300?! I.don’t.think.so. Yes, post 2007 is the only option for a Mini. I love my mechanic, but not that much.
Musing: Dahling, Mini Coopers are for ev.er.y.one.
The Kindle intrigues me. I can see two big advantages- one which has nothing to do with me. I think they would be great for college textbooks. Instead of lugging a backpack around that weighs 900lbs students could have a kindle. Plus, costs should come down for textbooks as they wouldn’t have to worry about print runs, shipping, warehouse etc.
Since college is a looooong time in the past- the other advantage I can see is travel. I hate trying to narrow down how many books I can bring with me on vacation. This way I could bring as many as I wanted.
The Kindle doesn’t have the wireless option here in Canada. I’m smitten with the Sony Reader. Who knows- maybe someday
I would love to have the standard kitchen aid mixer, I have drooled over them for years. But alas I have a bread machine that I only use for the dough setting, otherwise it is all done by hand. A friend of mine has one and I so envied hers for so long. Though there are days when mixing and kneading bread dough by hand can be so cathartic!!
Sigh… I want the Kitchenaid mixer. Although the Mini would be nice, too. Green is good. Oh well – have to make do with the old Commodore and hand-held mixer for now.
I bought my kitchenaid brand new from ebay for about $150!