World's Most Bizarre Vending Machines

So, here at 7-Eleven, I get a daily newsletter keeping me up-to-date on industry trends.  Honestly, I usually delete it right away, but today, the heading caught my eye: World's Most Bizarre Vending Machines 

I thought you'd enjoy the list.

1. Live crabs: Subways in China offer live crabs for sale in vending machines. To repeat: they’re live, which should make for some interesting commutes home.

2. Gold dispensing machine: Where else but Dubai could you buy gold bars and coins from a vending machine, with prices automatically updated every 10 minutes to keep check with markets.

3. Bike dispenser: Bike-friendly Holland offers the Bikedispenser, a jumbo-sized machine that emits a bike after you’ve paid for your ride.

4. Sushi: Vending machine sushi? What would Anthony Bourdain say? You can find it Japan, and we’re guessing it’s healthier than a bag of chips.
5. Dog washer: France offers the Dog-O-Matic, an automatic dog washer, where you open the door, insert your dog (or someone else’s, we suppose), and pay by size. NOTE: Not PETA-approved.

6. Canna MedBox: It’s medical marijuana dispensed quickly and accurately from this California vending machine, with a fingerprint and prescription scanner that verifies patient identities.
7. Cupcakes: Beverly Hills offers bakery Sprinkles, a 24/7 cupcake dispenser where consumers get their sugar rush for just four bucks.
8. Fingernail painting: Japan comes in with another top-10 entry with a machine that offers quick and easy touch ups to chipped and unsightly nails.
9. Automatic apparel: Boston addresses the under- and over-dressed crowd with its automatic apparel machine that offers everything from shoes to underwear to shirts.
10. Let’s Pizza: Vending machine pizza in Italy? Seems sacrilegious, not to mention pizza bagel-ish, with a pie that’s ready in just 90 seconds.

My favorite is #2, the Gold dispensing machine.  I imagine you can beat the market on this one if you get gold prices in real time.  If you see the market has gone up and you are standing at the vending machine, quickly purchase the gold for the "old, dated" price before it correctly updates. 

Doesn't this list make you think "Why didn't I think of that?"  Which one is your favorite?

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Saw this on my friend Carrie's Tumblr and just had to share.  I love how innocent and "matter of fact" children can be. 

My Taiwaness friend: Chocolate Pie Kai

Or Super Fly Kai. (Kai rhymes with Pie and Fly.)



So, I have this friend named Kai.  We met at church and then, when I went to work for SunTx, he was my co-worker.  Kai worked at SunTx for 2 of the 3 years I worked there.  He left to go help with the Micro-finance movement in Africa.  After completing his work in Africa, he decided it was time to go back to his homeland and serve in the military.  You see, everyone has to serve 2 years in the Army in Taiwan, and since he'd left before he was 18 to go to Baylor University, he knew if he wanted to return, he would have to serve. 

Here are a few things I'll always remember about him:

1.  He likes to sing Britney Spears when he does Karaoke.

2.  He likes to eat.  I'll never forget his HUGE piece of chocolate pie from a lunch at Lawry's.

3.  One time, a big investor for SunTx called Kai to ask him some questions about a recent deal we'd done.  The conversation is as follows:

Investor: Hey Kai, what are you doing?
Kai: (takes a bit of food, starts chewing into the phone and with a Taiwaness accent replies) Ohhhhh, you know.  Same ole' same ole'.  Lighting desk on fire.  Throwing chair out window.

4.  While in Africa, he went on this crazy White Water Rafting trip.  He gave me a dvd of it when he came back to America to visit.  To sum up the experience, I'd say this: He pretty much almost died.  Like 3-4 times.

As a wedding present to Paul and me, he gave us 2 giraffes that were handmade in Kampala, Uganda.



Kai told me these reminded him of Paul and me. 

 Well, he just completed his term and is working in Taiwan as a finance guy. 

He started a blog when he first left America for Africa, and I always love reading it.  Pretty much every time I read a post, I laugh out loud. 

Well, today I read his most recent post about his recent vacation back to America.  I just wanted to share it with you because sometimes we take things for granted and viewing America through Kai's eyes is hilarious.

Here's a preview:

"The rest of trip was pretty much the same: eating junk food, drinking Dr. Pepper, hanging out with friends and eating more junk food. From Vietnamese Pho to Philly Cheese Steak sandwich with extra large curly fries, you name it, I ate it."

READ IT Here!

Basically, Kai came back and ate at every fast food joint in the metroplex.  And gained 5 pounds in 10 days and probably cut 10 years off his life by clogging his arteries.  Whatever--he enjoyed himself. 

Kai, we miss you and hope you find your way back to America soon.   

I'm attached to my Iphone....

Saw this today an laughed!  I am especially partial to #8!

Simple Laughs

Sweet friends, sorry I've been gone for a few days.  I feel like my days have just be flying past me.  In the absense of a witty story, I'll resort to Pinterest.  I promise I'll be back soon--and with our Guest Bathroom makeover!

Source: dn0ogew6jnq2k.cloudfront.net via Amelia on Pinterest

Lookin' like a Fool

Source: polyvore.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Young men, you are our country's future leaders.  Now that school's back in session, please pull your pants up. 

Love,
Amelia

Baby's Breath

This past weekend, my little sisters came along with my husband and I to Sam's to pick up dog food.  The 7 yr old thought it was so funny that "we came all the way to Sam's just for some dog food."  I guess when they go with my dad and step mom, they really stock up. 

As we were about to check out, the Hubs said to my sisters "Go pick out some flowers for my wife."  So, naturally, we all ran over to the floral department to start weeding through the bouquets.  When I picked up a bunch of baby's breath, the 7 yr old said "Nah, don't get those.  You can buy those anywhere or go pick them outside for free."  The sisters picked out a beautiful summer bouquet for me instead. 

I am quite fond of the simplicity of baby's breath though..... 

Source: None via Amelia on Pinterest

Source: ceciliafox.com.au via Amelia on Pinterest

Can't Wait: #4

I can't wait to make a quick pit-stop here:

Source: foundshit.com via Amelia on Pinterest

Okay, now you guys must know where we'll be!

Convo between a Brother and Sister

So, I think you all know that I work for 7-Eleven (chain of convenience stores around the world) at Corporate Headquarters.  My brother emailed me a link this morning and here's how our email exchange went:

Brother: This didn't happen at one of your stores did it??  http://youtu.be/JJKWiy_Wh_0

Me:  So, I can't view YouTube posts on my work computer, but I think it could be about a string of robbers breaking into convenience stores and stealing cigarettes.  You would be surprised how often this happens to stores!  At 7-Eleven, cashiers are required to insert $20 and up into a safe as soon as they receive them, so there is really never much cash in the register.  Thieves have caught on to this and now just want cigarettes because cartons of them are our move valuable inventory!  Fools jump the counter and load up cartons into trash bags---it's crazy! 

Brother:  No… It’s a guy robbing an Exxon while wearing a dress, but with mens whitey tighties on his head…

Wall Decor: Thanks Etsy!

I'm so excited-- I just received my first Etsy.com purchase in the mail!  I ordered these 2 prints from Thebigharumph!

I want to collect several more prints and wall decor to cluster together on the wall above our settee.  I wanted to bring in more orange (to my mainly white and grey-blue house) and since the Hubby and I ride our bikes quite often, I thought he'd like this as much as I do! 

Also, one of my ALL-TIME FAVORITE movies is The Princess Bride. 

If you've seen it, you know that Princess Buttercup (prior to her becoming a princess) ordered around a stable-boy from her childhood.  Through all the years of him working for her family and Buttercup bossing him around, all he ever said to her was "As you wish."  Years go by and the stableboy is killed.  That day, Buttercup was amazed to discover that when he was saying "As you wish", what he meant was, "I love you."  Heartbroken Buttercup continues her life realizing she'll never love anyone as much ever again.      

Along comes the nasty, evil Prince Humperdink who is forcing her to marry him.  She runs off and is caught by some traveling gypsys prior to the wedding.  While being carted around by these gypsys, the DREADED Pirate Roberts snatches Princess Buttercup.  She is able to free herself from him and pushes him down a huge cliff, and as he falls, he yells out "As....You....Wish....".  Yes, friends, Pirate Roberts is, in fact, the stable boy, who is alive!

Hottie, the Dreaded Pirate Roberts

If you haven't seen the movie, you MUST!  It's hilarious and full of 1 liners that you hear more often than you think.  Ever heard someone say:

"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." 
or
"INCONCEIVABLE."  ????

Go to this fun website to get the downlow on The Princess Bride. 

My sweet husband, As you wish.

I'd love to hear what your favorite movies / movie quotes are!  Do share!

Vegas Party Gods - Sneak Peak

Just wanted to give you all a little tease of what went down at the Krablin Estate this past Saturday.  I'll be posting a play-by-play once I get all of my pictures uploaded. 

(Photos by Mr. Krablin)

Let's Get Leisurely

I'll admit it, I pretty late on trends.  Planking, owling, icing people...I'm late to the party.  Heck, the summer before I started college was the first time I'd heard Master P's "Make Em Say Ugh".  I went around telling everyone about this awesome new song, only to find out it had been out for years.  But, thanks to my super cool, all-knowing brother (and maybe future Mayor of Midland, TX...just sayin), he introduced the hubby and me to a new sport--- leisure diving. 

The point of leisure diving is to pose- mid dive- and make it appear as though you are laying down, or just hanging out.  Basically, pose for a picture, mid dive, looking serene.  The unfortunate part of the leisure dive is that it really hurts when you hit the water--so it's quite a sacrifice to attempt to "get leisurely". Often times, you have to attempt a pose several times before you get it right. 

I wish I had pics of my brother trying this, but since I don't, here are a few from my new favorite website.

Will there be any leisure diving at the Vegas Gods Pool Party tomorrow?  I don't know, but I'll have my camera ready this time!

Wolf-Pack

Surfing for an awesome t-shirt? I've found one for you!  A co-worker just showed me this listing on Amazon, and I'm compelled to stay late at work to post about it.  (He told me the Merchandising team here at 7-Eleven even bought these shirts to wear to an off-site meeting.)

Don't bother reading the comments on Amazon for this shirt, on sale for 11.95.  I've got your recap.

Given 5 stars by B. Govern "Bee-Dot-Govern" (New Jersey, USA), here's what he had to say:

This item has wolves on it which makes it intrinsically sweet and worth 5 stars by itself, but once I tried it on, that's when the magic happened. After checking to ensure that the shirt would properly cover my girth, I walked from my trailer to Wal-mart with the shirt on and was immediately approached by women. The women knew from the wolves on my shirt that I, like a wolf, am a mysterious loner who knows how to 'howl at the moon' from time to time (if you catch my drift!). The women that approached me wanted to know if I would be their boyfriend and/or give them money for something they called mehth. I told them no, because they didn't have enough teeth, and frankly a man with a wolf-shirt shouldn't settle for the first thing that comes to him.

I arrived at Wal-mart, mounted my courtesy-scooter (walking is such a drag!) sitting side saddle so that my wolves would show. While I was browsing tube socks, I could hear aroused asthmatic breathing behind me. I turned around to see a slightly sweaty dream in sweatpants and flip-flops standing there. She told me she liked the wolves on my shirt, I told her I wanted to howl at her moon. She offered me a swig from her mountain dew, and I drove my scooter, with her shuffling along side out the door and into the rest of our lives. Thank you wolf shirt.

Pros: Fits my girthy frame, has wolves on it, attracts women
Cons: Only 3 wolves (could probably use a few more on the 'guns'), cannot see wolves when sitting with arms crossed, wolves would have been better if they glowed in the dark.

What to Wear: Pool Party - Vegas Style

This weekend, my husband's best guy friends (since high school) are throwing a lavish pool party at one of their parent's homes in Houston.  The theme?  Vegas Party Gods.  We keep getting facebook updates about the party that are constantly making me laugh out loud.  With around 75 - 100 people expected to attend, informational messages are a must!  Here are some of the memos sent out by the event hosts:

"Pick out your favorite Vegas Costume: wigs, glue-on chest hair, gold chains, Gucci sunglasses"
"Also: Fedoras, tattoos, high heels (obviously), smooth bass line techno"

A lot of prep work has already gone into making this very "Vegas" like.  An email from one of the guys' moms (whose house it's at) was sent out a few weeks ago:

"Honey, I have ordered paper lanterns and have someone working on stands to hold them.  He is also working on an arch for picture taking.  I ordered some personalized items such as napkins."

Wait, the party gets even better.  There will be a DJ- DJ Boss Krab (if you'd like to hire him, contact me and I'll manage the process), bartenders / cabana boys, and an Elvis apperance.  This is supposed to be Vegas after all. 

My husband asked me to get his Vegas Party Gods outfit together for him, so I thought I'd put together an Idea Board of HOT, MUST HAVE items when attending a Vegas Pool Party.

Clockwise from Top:
Summer Fedora: to hide balding spots,
Tattoo on peck: I like the one pictured of a gun and "Hustler"--very Vegas,
Limited edition 18k Gold Plated Ray Ban Aviator Sunglasses: a MUST
Havianas: sporting some kind of team you "claim" to cheer for,
Ed Hardy Board Shorts : these are very Vegas with the deck of cards and say "Love is a Game".

Now that you've got the perfect outfit, double down and get your Bottle Service on.

Monday: How to Keep a Healthy Level of Insanity

At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.

Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.

Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "in"

Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.

Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy."

Dont use any punctuation marks

As often as possible, skip rather than walk.

Specify that your drive-through order is "to go".

Sing along at the opera.

Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.

Put mosquito netting around your work area. Play a tape of jungle sounds all day.

Five days in advance, tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.

Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Hard Kim.

When leaving the zoo, start running towards the parking lot, yelling "run for your lives, they're loose!!"

Tell your children over dinner. "due to the economy, we are going to have to let one of you go."