Because the University of Oregon is the center of the
Eugene-Springfield universe — many of us still think
about Marcus Mariota despite his NFL call-up — the
Eugene rocks glasses centered on the campus area. The
unfortunate part is that the heart of Eugene-Springfield
isn’t the best piece of street grid to look at when you’re
taking a sip of hard liquor.
Nevertheless, an order of the Maps rocks glass would
make a great gift for someone who has a passion for cartog-
raphy or city planning — or who works as a getaway driver
and needs to memorize a bank robbing route over a stiff
drink. Theuncommongreen.com. $16. — Henry Houston
Cube Tracker
I never thought I’d
need a device to track
my keys. I thought I was
better put together. But
I’ve found hooking a
Cube Tracker to my keys
to be useful as I hunt for
my keys when I’m late
for work. What’s nifty
about this tracker is that
it syncs with your smart-
phone. You can attach
the Cube Tracker to any-
thing — guitar cases,
important equipment or
keys. The tracker also helps you find your smartphone.
The downside is that it can’t help you find dignity — trust
me, I’ve tried. Cubetracker.com $29.95 — Henry Houston
Shopping at Random
Kit-Cat Clock
OK, I can’t believe I’m saying
this, but having a Kit-Cat Clock
has exponentially improved my
workday. The classic Felix The
Cat-inspired moving-eyes-and-tail
clock has truly taken my office to
the next level. The clock not only
makes my office feel more home-y,
but also is surprisingly great for
me to stare at and space out on.
(It’s helpful when writer’s block
has you in its clutches and you just
need to rest your brain for a while.)
I have the classic black-and-
white model, but Kit-Cat also
comes in a multitude of patterns
and colors, even lady cats that have
eyelashes and rock a pearl neck-
lace instead of a bowtie.
Although it can be a bit loud (if
you’re like me and you run a pod-
cast out of your office), it would be
a great addition to a communal
THE BEST OF WHAT COMES IN THROUGH THE MAIL SLOT
BY HENRY HOUSTON, CAMILLA MORTENSEN AND MEERAH POWELL
W
hen you work at a newspaper, there’s
always someone who wants your atten-
tion to cover their story, their event,
their product. One simple way compa-
nies get attention for their product is to
send samples out for review.
As a result, some weird and wonder-
ful stuff shows up on Eugene Weekly’s
doorstep, from books to beer and from
hot sauce to coconut sandals.
Here is a roundup of some of the more giftable items
that have come in through the mail slot for your holiday
gifting pleasure.
Engraved Barware
Uncommon Green sent
over a set of rocks glasses
from their Maps Barware
drinking glassware catalog,
which features street maps
etched on pint glasses, wine
glasses and anything else
you might drink out of.
Rocks glasses are so-called
because they are designed
for drinks sipped “on the
rocks.”
Transformational Gifts
K CRYSTALS
K JEWELRY
K INCENSE
K JOURNALS
K BOOKS
K CARDS
1374 Willamette St. • 541-342-8348 • Mon.-Sat. 11-6
K
6 Eugene Weekly’s GIFT GUIDE 2018
NEW 2019 CALENDARS & TAROT DECKS K
www.eugeneweekly.com