In the Can, or Why I Haven't Scored a Lid In a While

Today, I must be brief, both because I'm at home watching two kids, and because I'm working on a keyboard where you have to hit the 'I' key like three times before it works. Infuriating to be sure. Also, there is an odor coming from the next room, and the Moose has a look of satisfaction that I know too well. I'll be right back...

Ah, the joys of parenting.

Anyway, this weekend I took a Christmas gift card, and I bought myself a new electric can opener(thanks, Bob). I already had one of course. It had a knife sharpener and a bottle opener and all, and if it had opened cans without me standing over it swearing repeatedly (the secret to any advanced technology - trust me, I have a degree), I would have kept it. Seriously, if you're going to make a product with features, maybe make sure it can perform its primary objective first.

What's ridiculous is that I didn't realize how much grief it was causing me until I used the new one to open a can of mushrooms. I didn't even need a can of mushrooms - I just had to see it work. It slid through that lid like butter, and with terrific joy that I had not anticipated I removed the old one and placed it firmly into the garbage. I may have done a little dance. I'm not committing to that, but it could have happened.

I guess what's interesting to me is that I realized that this stupid machine had been causing me all of this suffering, but I had learned to live with it. I knew I had to replace it eventually, but when I wasn't using it, it just didn't seem like that big a deal. It makes me wonder what else I have around me that I could fix or replace that would lead to a similar reduction in my overall stress.

I may start with this %#$@ing keyboard.;