I have a Breville that I've been very happy with, 3 speeds and one of them is specifically for crushing ice. I've had it for 6 years with no issues, but not heavy use (I don't make smoothies every day or anything, but I have burnt out blender motors on occasion in the past).

Eta: upon googling, it looks like they have thoroughly changed their design, so I don't know what the new ones are like, but probably sturdy, at least.

I have a cheap Hamilton Beach that has done me good smoothie making for years. But I don't add ice, just frozen fruit.

You guys and especially msbelle should be very proud of me--I made it out of the Nordstrom's shoe sale without buying anything even though I found a pair of really cute Munro sandals at almost 60% off.

That is very impressive! Well done.

Nice work, Perkins!

I, on the other hand, had a little bit of a shoe shopping spree this morning and got hiking boots:

[link]

and kind of ridic expensive flipflops (justification: they are crazy comfortable and environmentally upstanding and etc.)

Anyway, I also got new lenses for my glasses. Progressives. They are okay, I think? I haven't really figured out reading on the computer with them yet.

Earlier I saw sarameg at the market! And got my CSA share (good but not nearly as robust at shrift's) and a bunch of other things including what is probably the last of the spring peas and strawberries! yum

I am posting from my wii!

Ooh. I never did hook up my wii to the network.

Cute boots!

I wish I could CSA.

Cutting-edge msbelle!

We have an Oster that has an ice-grinding setting. It's heavy as a carthorse, has a glass container that's thick and heavy and the motor seems up to just about any task. I don't crush actual ice, but I blend frozen fruit. It's worked great for the last three or so years.

We had an Oster before that that really wasn't meant to deal with ice, and that's how we broke it. It had a plastic beaker--but it also had the little wee pint jars that fit onto the base so you could make mayo or small batches of stuff, and there were lids that either snapped on or screwed onto the jars. I miss those!

I need that! I would like to crush ice. And after the SO's adventures in dentistry this summer, his days as champion ice chomper are over.

Our favorite farmer at our farmer's market at home just had a scary week; his irrigation pump went out. So they were desperately watering everything by hand until they could get it replaced, four days! But everything survived. I love his blog. He was the first of the farmer vendors to know me, because I'd gotten kale for kale chips, which he was interested in. He has kale now, but I'm not there! I hope he still has kale when we go home, because I want to buy from him in the morning, go home and bake the kale chips and bring them back for him to try.

Cute boots!

I am posting from my wii!

What? You can do that? Last time I tried to use my Wii it refused to read any discs, I doubt I would be able to get it to post for me.

I filled out the replacement extra census survey that they sent because I procrastinated filling out the first one I got for so long. I got to skip a lot because I haven't worked in so long, but had to fill out stuff that I skipped last time (I am almost positive my address was randomly selected for the follow-up survey back in 2000/2001 also - the government is following me!). And I couldn't check that I was widowed in the last 12 MONTHS (that's how it's printed in the question) because it's been 13 months. That feels weird. I did write it in off to the side just because.