New Year's Game Night

celebrate new year's @ homer's this wednesday! that's right, it's game night from 7-9pm! on wednesday night homer's is your place to find UNO, carcassone, chess, checkers, mastermind, rory's story cubes, gameboys, and much more! 

World's Biggest Coffee Mug

here is the biggest mug @ homer's. it's pretty big, but we do NOT have the world's biggest coffee mug, according to the guinness book of world records. how much coffee do you think that mug holds? 30 gallons? 300 gallons? 3000 gallons? if you know the right answer you'll get double punches toward a normal sized cup of coffee today! the answer to last week's trivia: false.

3, 2, 1...

we are in the last days of 2013, the end of the year, the final countdown... hey, speaking of the final countdown, if you sing part of that cheesy song by the 80s band europe to a barista in the next 3 days, you'll get double punches toward a free drink!

The Grinch: True or False

everybody knows that the grinch is a character that was created by dr. seuss... but did you ever wonder if the grinch was based on someone from dr. seuss' childhood? ok, true or false: the grinch was a nickname for a classroom bully that stepped up his game during the holidays. double punches for everyone who knows the answer today! what was the answer to last week's trivia? forced out.

Emily and Grace

emily and grace were hanging out @ homer's a couple of days ago. it was one of the warmer days this week, so they played music on the bench outside. it was awesome. more music is on the way tonight with lester estelle. he will be playing inside starting @ 7:30.

Gameboy Night Special: Tetris

hey, it's gameboy night @ homer's! the first 3 people with high scores over 4000 on tetris tonight get a free drink! hang out with us, bring some friends, meet some friends, and find out about this crazy fun thing we call gameboy night!

The Meaning of Espresso

what does the italian word espresso really mean? to go? forced out? black and intense? if you know the answer you'll get double punches toward a free drink today! oh and the answer to the last trivia question: a christmas story.

Game Boy Night

...you read it right, in addition to game night, jerry and hannah are hosting game boy night. tonight @ homer's you can bring your game boy (or other handheld console), or check one out at the register! get your tetris, pokemon, or mortal kombat on tonight!

First Date Anniversary

james and angela went on their first date three years ago-- at homer's! last night they came back to celebrate their dec. 9 anniversary, and they told us, "you can't ever close!" where was your first date? share with us or leave a comment!

That Time of Year

i used to work afternoons with christy at homer's. she posted this pic two hours ago on facebook. it's a small replica of an infamous lamp that gets broken in a movie every year before christmas. can you name the movie? leave a comment, tell a barista, get double punches toward a free drink! and the answer to the last trivia question? teen wolf.

Sip N' Shop Tonight

Enjoy your favorite coffee from Homer's tonight while shopping locally handmade gifts from 6-9pm. 5% of sales will be donated to The Hope Center of Kansas City.

Coffee and Christmas

check out this awesome christmas tree that laura clark made! it's adorned with coffee brew methods. have you put up your christmas tree yet? leave a comment & let us know how you are getting ready for christmas!

Thanksgiving With Arlo

many radio stations have a long standing tradition of playing alice's restaurant on thanksgiving day. it's a story song by arlo guthrie that is nearly 20 minutes long. most of it is a spoken word monologue, but the first line sung by guthrie is you can get anything you want at alice's restaurant. what would you get? coffee? pie? quiche? leave a comment so everybody knows, and happy thanksgiving!  

Doctor Who @ 50

today, google is celebrating 50 years of doctor who with a maze game where you throw switches, avoid daleks, and travel in the TARDIS. hey, all you need now is a cup of coffee and a treat from homer's! do you like reading the blog? leave a comment here or on our facebook page!

Barista Conversations

a coffeehouse is a place that spawns many conversations on all topics. some of them are serious, most are not. a couple of days ago i was talking to my co-worker, jerry ponzer, about a movie i had watched on youtube. michael j. fox and crispin glover have prominent roles in this movie, and it wasn't back to the future. in fact, this TV movie came out before back to the future. was it:
a) seasons in the sun
b) high school USA
c) teen wolf
double punches if you know the answer today! the answer to monday's trivia? a beach boy.

Hot Tea Dream

if coffee isn't your drink of choice, homer's also serves hot tea. thanks to observando for providing today's dreamy image.

I Write The Blog

the other day a customer asked who wrote the homer's blog, and i answered: i write the blog that makes the whole world sing, i write the blog of love and special things, i write the blog that makes the young girls cry, i write the blog, i write the blog. those words are a parody of the lyrics for i write the songs, a 1976 hit for barry manilow. that #1 song was actually written by:
a) a beatle
b) a beach boy
c) a beastie boy
double punches if you know the answer! the answer to wednesday's trivia: jackie chan

A Language in Itself

one of these celebs said "coffee is a language in itself." who was it? jackie chan? doris day? hugh jackman? if you know the answer you will get double punches toward a free drink today! monday's trivia answer: armistice day

Veteran's Day

the first commemoration of the day that would become veteran's day happened 94 years ago, when the first world war ended & president woodrow wilson proclaimed November 11 as:
a) Armistice Day
b) President's Day
c) National Pride Day
it would be known as such until eisenhower changed it to veteran's day in 1954. do you know the answer? double punches if you do! the answer to thursday's trivia: rock 'em sock 'em robots

Scan The Homer's Code

did you come up empty handed the last time you scanned front flip @ homer's? well now you can scan a code to get to this blog! on this blog you can get double punches just for knowing things about coffee, homer's, and basic pop culture! the new homer's blog code is located right next to the front flip code by the tip jar. big thanks to jerry ponzer for putting it together! ok, here's a question... what game is featured in the pic above?
a) punch out
b) fight to the death
c) rock 'em sock 'em robots
the answer to tuesday's trivia: true

True Or False, Mate?

is the following statement true or false? australians drink more coffee than tea. also consider this: incarcerated criminals were brought to australia from great britain (known for their tea consumption) in the late 18th and 19th centuries because all of the jails in great britain were too full. ok, if you answer correctly, you'll get double punches toward a free drink today! the answer to last week's trivia? bob marley, van halen, and james taylor.

Musical Coffee Countries

we get our coffee beans from e.f. hobbs in lenexa, and they purchase beans from many countries around the world. in the song sample below, three coffee growing countries are represented. can you identify all of the recording artists? ok, if you can at least name one we'll give you double punches toward a free drink! oh and the answer to last week's trivia was a) 1971.

Put On Your Uniform

one way to tell it's halloween is by the look of the leaves and the sound of the rain. another way to tell is the number of children (and adults) who will wear a costume for the occasion. the kids will get candy. if you're an adult wearing a costume inside homer's today, you'll get double punches toward a free drink! don't be shy, put on your uniform. if you have any questions about the pic above or the video, ask angie next time you see her behind the counter.

Game Night and Caffeine Crawl Extras

in addition to live music this weekend, homer's has a couple of events coming up in the next few days. do you like board games? get your game on tomorrow night with jerry and hannah from 7-9. also folks who are doing the caffeine crawl will make a stop @ homer's on sunday. if you are there too, you will learn alot about our coffee and other products!

Missing Geocache

yesterday i made a post about a geocache that has been outside of homer's for 5 years--- now it is missing. we don't know what happened exactly, but the geocache and the container that held its contents are gone. unless we're able to find it soon, it will be archived as inactive on geocaching.com.

C:Geo

one of the apps on my smartphone is c:geo. it is a geocaching app. geocaching is a global treasure hunt in which anyone can search for containers all over the world. tim andersen got me started years ago when all you could use was a GPS. there is even a geocache located outside of homer's. if you find it, make sure and put it back so others can do the same.

Return of Game Night

...or game night's revenge, son of game night, game night strikes back! nothing says game night like the sounds of of "UNO!" the card game UNO was originally introduced to the american public in:
a) 1971
b) 1982
c) 1993
if you know the answer you will get double punches today! jerry and hannah are hosting game night @ homer's tomorrow (wednesday) night after 6pm. if you like checkers, chess, or UNO then don't miss it.

The Pumpkin Went Wokka Wokka

even though he lost the pumpkin carving contest on the first game night at homer's, jerry still brought his late entry the next day. the LED lights inside the pumpkin are set off by motion sensors.

Victory By Default

last night was the first game night @ homer's. in addition to chess, checkers, and UNO there was also supposed to be a pumpkin carving contest between jerry and hannah, but jerry didn't bring his entry so hannah's pumpkin (above) won by default.

Game Night @ Homer's!

something new is coming to homer's: GAME NIGHT! starting tomorrow (and every wednesday) it will be game night @ homer's from 6-9pm with jerry and hannah! games provided this week include: carcassone, chess, checkers, mastermind, rory's story cubes, and UNO. everyone is welcome to bring their own games also.

Strangers in a Sandbox

thanks to a friend, i started watching soulpancake videos. the soulpancake website is a self procalimed "brain batter of art, culture, science, philosophy, spirituality, and humor." one of the videos has strangers in a sandbox talking about what they would tell their younger selves if they had a chance.

Our Own Joy Bomb

 

a joy bomb is something that happens when one person (or more) attempts to brighten up a stranger's day in a random manner. i started watching joy bomb videos on youtube, and realized that homer's has its own joy bomb: kelly dooley. kelly is leaving homer's for greener pastures next friday, and we'll miss her. stop by sometime to say hello and goodbye this coming week.

T.I.P.

you see tip jars in alot of coffeehouses (including homer's), but what does the word tip actually mean? most historians agree that it is an old acronym that was started in london. the original words engraved on brass boxes said:
a) Timely Improved & Preferred
b) To Insure Promptness
c) True Integral Payload
double punches for everyone who knows the answer today! the answer to sunday's trivia: excedrin

I've Got a Headache This Big

i had a bad headache saturday morning, and i was looking forward to my first cup of coffee when i remembered a commercial from the 80s that started out with these words: "i've got a headache this big." i found it online and recorded my own version here: do you remember what product the original commercial was for?
a) tylenol
b) metamucil
c) excedrin
double punches for everyone who knows (or tries)! the answer to thursday's trivia is: grapes of wrath

I'll Be There

"Wherever there's a latté poured so people can drink, I'll be there. Wherever there's a barista callin' out an order, I'll be there... I'll be in the way guys head to the coffeehouse when the weather gets rough—why, I'll be there." do you know what movie this line sounds like it's from... but ISN'T quoted from?"
a) twelve angry men
b) once upon a time in the west
c) grapes of wrath
double punches for everyone who knows the answer today! the answer to last week's trivia: family feud.

Puerto Rico

this photo came from heather kirkwood, a regular @ homer's. she writes: "Hey Dave, saw this on FB on the 'I love being Puerto Rican' page. Thanks to your blog, now every time I see or hear something coffee related, I think of your blog. he he he he he" thanks heather!

Room For Cream?

how do you drink YOUR coffee? a new survey says whether you drink it black or with cream, coffee will reveal something about your personality! speaking of surveys, if you know the old game show pictured above that used alot of surveys you'll get double punches toward a free drink! oh, and the answer to saturday's trivia? ian.

Easy Tiger Love

our customers are warming up to the easy tiger machine. what's not to like about a vintage vending machine that sells awesome greeting cards and envelopes for one dollar???

8-Bit Barista

i'm still having fun with the 8-bit camera app on my new smartphone. can you guess which homer's barista this is? and no, it's not me. if you know who it is you'll get double punches toward a free drink today! the answer to wednesday's trivia: rumblefish

I Got Something For You

yesterday michael gurau came up to the counter and said "hey dave, i got something for you." he handed me this magazine with tom waits on the cover... now let me just say that i'm happy when someone says "i got something for you," and i REALLY love it when it has something to do with tom waits. here's a little irony: tom waits appeared in a movie where he is the working stiff behind a counter. any idea what that movie is?
a) mystery men
b) the fisher king
c) rumblefish
if you know the answer you'll get double punches today (and maybe tomorrow). the answer to last week's trivia: the phone

Omnipresent Cats

cats are everywhere... our homes, our coffee, and the radio. i own a cat. roz sent me this pic of a cat latté. and today i heard this story on the radio about internet cats.

Back to 8-Bit

my first smartphone arrived in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and one of the first apps i downloaded was the 8-bit camera. i love high definition reversal, and the two images above reveal the difference between a normal pic and an 8-bit pic. here's another image of a familiar fixture @ homer's...

if you know what it is, you'll get double punches toward a free drink today and tomorrow! oh, and the answer to tuesday's trivia: michael mcdonald.

Steely Dan

we're riding out the 90+ degree heat @ homer's, and listening to steely dan right now. steely dan is basically donald fagen and walter becker, with a revolving cast of studio musicians. there was another adjunct band member with a very distinctive voice who appeared on at least two records with fagen and becker. do you know who it was?
a) Peter Schilling
b) Joni Mitchell
c) Michael McDonald
double punches today if you get it right! oh and the answer to last wednesday's trivia is squeeze.

Missed Connection

mike and shandi live on the other side of kansas, but last night they were @ homer's, and i missed them because i was doing my mondo beep thing. i wish i could be two places at once... just once.

Coffee Companion

everybody needs a companion, no one is an island. food is no different, that's why there are side orders. so what goes good with coffee? my choices are displayed above. tell a barista what you think goes good with coffee and you'll get double punches toward a free drink today!

Mystery Coffee Song #19

 

 i've lost count of the mystery coffee songs we've posted on this blog, so we're giving this one an arbitrary number. it's from the 80s. if you know who did the original version of the song, you'll get double punches today! the answer to last weeks trivia is the incredible hulk.

Comedians, Coffee, Contest

comedians in cars getting coffee is a new web series starring jerry seinfeld and a random guest. the concept is simple: jerry picks up a friend in a cool car, and they go drink coffee somewhere. the show just finished its second season, and is hosting a coffee video contest. the winning video will air on the next episode of comedians in cars getting coffee. and even if YOUR video doesn't get on the show, you can still get double punches toward a free drink just for reading this blog! you can't lose!

Postcards This Summer

we have a few postcards on the homer's fridge from co-workers and customers that went on vacation this summer. if you send a postcard to homer's, the address is: 7126 W 80th St., OP, KS 66204. if you want to listen to a new podcast about postcards check out this link on my other blog.

Action Lou

30 years ago today, hercules opened in theaters. lou ferrigno had the starring role as the mythological greek hero, who battles giant robots on the big screen. what prior role did ferrigno play on TV as bill bixby's alter ego? hint: look at the picture above. double punches for everyone who knows the answer!

Action Homer

able to achieve small feats of strength which include balancing himself on a normal sized avocado it's... ACTION HOMER! someone left this little blue action figure and i figured it was time to put him to work. who's your favorite action hero?

Happy Birthday Ray Bradbury!

today is ray bradbury's birthday! sadly we lost this prolific science fiction author last year, but he lives on in books like farenheit 451, the illustrated man, and dandelion wine... all of which should be read while drinking a hot beverage on a cloudy day.

Grandaddy

the name of that defunct band from sunday's trivia is: grandaddy. yep we miss 'em.

Name That Defunct Band

i first heard this band ten years ago on WOXY, then the band broke up, and then WOXY went off the air. does anyone remember this alan parsons-y band? was it:
a) weezer
b) grandaddy
c) coward
double punches go toward a free drink if you know the answer! oh, and the answer to last week's trivia question is bakersfield.

Repurposed Cool

homer's has something new in the form of an old vending machine: an easy tiger card machine! the next time you buy a homer's gift card for someone, you can put it inside an easy tiger card!