Ten-Finger Exercises

Catalogues for everyone

Every year I hunt for the silliest, most useless gadget for sale in a catalogue. On second thought, some of the gadgets maybe aren't useless, but they do cost money and take up space, more than justifies their existence.

Take this one. It looks for all the world like something people will buy an elderly mother with arthritis. It might be a whole new standard of hedonistic pleasure, but I think I'll pass on the heated lotion dispenser. Do you need anything else to plug in on your counter? I don't.

The electric Margarita machine is on my list too, even though it has a battery pack so you can use it in your car. Hmmmm. Doesn't sound like a very good idea to me. And I do like Margaritas. $99.99 seems pretty steep.

I'll do some more investigating tomorrow.


We bought a new set of luggage for our trip, something other than black or navy so we can pick it out at the airport without fighting people to look at the tags. I hope that red isn't the new black this year!

One stipulation Bill made was that we get rid of all our old luggage. What? Get rid of the Oshkosh with red and yellow stripes that I went to college with? Yea, probably a good idea. Okay, that'll be my next project, after finishing the nightgown I'm sewing for Sophie and before I get the rest of the wallpaper down. I know I'll find some things I've been looking for in at least one of those old suitcases; I remember using one for off-season storage some time or other, or off-size garments I haven't missed.