Two mornings ago, our blender, after a year and half of inadequate service, months of burning plastic smell, and occassional wafts of smoke, has died. It is now in the bin in the alley, unceremoniously dumped there by me because I had to finish whirring up my morning smoothie using a more reliable immersion blender. Although my smoothie was more a chunkie, three servings of fruit were consumed, and the day could begin.