Monthly Archives: September 2007

When I get a back flare-up, the absolute worst thing about it is putting on socks. I can’t bend far enough to get my toes into the top of the sock to put them on. I’ve tried leaning against the wall, I’ve tried standing, I’ve tried sitting on the bed, I’ve tried lying on the bed. None of it works. I end up taking several minutes to loosen up enough to put on my socks. And then while I put them on, I make strange noises that sound like a small animal being strangled.

I’ve searched the internet for a sock-putter-oner gadget, and they do exist. But my goodness, getting one of those would be another step toward old age and death. The sites that advertise them also advertise for walkers and oxygen tank caddies. Hopefully this present flare-up of back pain will go away soon so I can pretend every thing is okay again.

I’ve had a couple of people tell me that lately their comments won’t post. Lloyd’s comments were stuck “In Moderation”, so I had to “approve” him again. Then yesterday, Beth’s comment wouldn’t post at all. Here’s how things should have looked at 8:30am –

Peggy: SpongeBrad Square Pants ( … assuming boxers)
(btw: they sell little sponge holders that attach to the side of the sink with suction cups. And if you use antibacterial dish detergent, it shouldn’t get smelly … just ratty)

Beth: First of all, my apologies for this practical post…not the least bit witty (but I will say, briefs. I know this, I’m the man’s sister).
You can also put sponges in your dishwasher to wash the sponge itself and if you have your dishwasher set to “dry” you get the added benefit of having your sponge steam heated to kill the yuckies…
I’m a Palmolive/Dawn “wash-n-toss” girl. I HATE, HATE, HATE the mildew-y smell of oft used washcloths and sponges…it grosses me out. And, being a biologist…well…eeeeeewwwwww.

Over the weekend, I plan to download the newest version of my website software. Hopefully that will work out some of the bugs people have experienced. All on-going membership fees will be suspended until this problem is resolved.

I have always used a washcloth in my kitchen sink. I like washcloths because they dry faster than sponges and you can throw them in the washing machine if they get dirty. Sponges, on the other hand, always stay wet, and eventually start smelling really bad. I can only imagine all the scary bacteria that grows on them.

A little while back, I needed something with a scrubby surface so I could clean my pots and pans. I ended up getting a sponge because it was available. Over time, I have been using it more and more. Just recently, I washed a whole sink’s worth of dishes with the sponge while the washcloth just sat there.

What has been the difference? The sponge has an opportunity to dry out now. I got some rack-like inserts for my sink because my pans were scratching the porcelain. If I leave the sponge on the rack, it dries. Nice!

I think I may be converting from a washcloth man to a sponge man.

Well, we’ve had almost three weeks of school so far. My pencil sharpener experiment is going strong. Let me explain:

Every year I have to get a new sharpener. Every year by February or march the sharpener doesn’t work so well any more. I have taken to getting hand-cranked models because they have been more durable for me and because they’re cheap. This year I decided to get the most expensive electric sharpener I could find. I wanted to see if money=quality in regard to pencil sharpeners. I found a shelf in the store that was marked $50, but as it turns out, I accidentally grabbed a $40 model. I’m a little disappointed, because this is not the most expensive sharpener, so if it breaks, I’ll have to repeat the experiment with a different one.

But so far so good. Here it is. Doesn’t it look amazing? It reminds me of a race car.