30 seconds and two cups of coffee later ...

Last week, my very own Senseo coffee machine showed up on my doorstep. And the price was right: free. The steps leading up to that point went something like this:

1. Received e-mail from Philips offering a free Senseo if I shared a cup of coffee with my friends.
2. Carefully scrutinized e-mail for signs of scam.
3. Carefully scrutinized promotion rules for signs of scam.
4. Signed up, still unsure if it was a scam, but figuring I could always claim ignorance later.
5. Received e-mail declaring I was one of 10 chosen to receive a Senseo and asking me to fill out a survey after I'd tried it.
   
6. Received Senseo in mail, accompanied by a few brochures in case friends also wanted to fill out survey.

That's it. An $107 coffee maker for free. And besides Paul's comments that it looks like "the vampire coffee maker," it makes a good, strong, frothy cuppa in 30 seconds. Amazing.

Which kind of sucks, because I really don't need to pick up the coffee habit once again. I've switched to tea — a more healthful (and less caffeinated) option — and reserve coffee for when Carrie's in town. Oh well, balance in everything, I suppose.

[Edit: After much whining from dear hubby, I've added the target="_blank" tag to my links. If you like it, I'll jscript in it permanently. Thumbs up/down?]