Loose Change

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My First Million
What would Butch and Nellie’s Cafe owner Kristi Bielski do with her first million? When it comes to the big bucks, Bielski would put it right back into her café. “I’d like to open another Butch and Nellie’s, maybe on the coast.” The cafe's logo, a gnarly bull dog and long-lashed bichon frise, represent the bold and the sassy. “Just like our coffee, our customers and our pets,” she says. She’d also expand Butch and Nellie’s merchandise mix, adding to the T-shirts and hats now on offer. “Actually, people have asked for handbags.”
    Bielski opened the cafe nearly two years ago with business partner Amy Quintana. They envisioned a cafe where people could sip coffee and work on their laptops in the company of their pets, be they dogs, iguanas or parrots. Sacramento turned out to be less keen on the idea. “It’s hard dealing with the city,” says Bielski. “Not just about pets, but all of the licenses and fees.”
    Bielski, 31, now finds herself at the cafe most days of the week, often with 1-year-old son Bennett in tow. “We started with 10 employees, but now we only have six because I am here all the time,” she says. “When you have an independent (business), it’s important to be there.”
   Before opening Butch and Nellie’s, Bielski ran a cafe on Tioga Pass, the high Sierra road leading from Yosemite Valley to Mono Lake. “Usually a maximum of 10 people would ski in during the winter and we’d have them stay for the dinners we would make.” For the near future, million dollars or no, Bielski has her sights set firmly on the success of her café. “I’m not very extravagant, but I believe in keeping the place fun.”
midtowngrid.com/butchnellies/butchnelliescoffee.shtml

Your Wallet Can’t Do This
For those who value quick access to their dough and their digital information, welcome to the Memorex Money Clip. This gadget acts as a money clip and USB pen drive in one, holding cash securely and providing 1GB of storage. Hopefully, the threat of losing not just your bills but also your all-powerful data will give new impetus to the phrase “Hang on to your wallet.”
memorex.com   gizmodo.com/gadgets/money-clip/

Don’t take any wooden nickels:
Though the term’s exact origin is unclear, wooden nickels, along with other denomination and coins, were first issued by a bank in northern Washington that ran out of currency during the Great Depression. Wooden coins have since become a classic souvenir token marking historic dates and advertising roadside attractions.

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