{"id":352,"date":"2008-11-02T14:53:16","date_gmt":"2008-11-02T18:53:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.silkentent.com\/Trees\/?p=352"},"modified":"2008-11-05T11:47:09","modified_gmt":"2008-11-05T15:47:09","slug":"what-the-hell-is-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.silkentent.com\/Trees\/?p=352","title":{"rendered":"What The Hell Is That?"},"content":{"rendered":"

November 2, 2008
\nSunday<\/strong><\/p>\n

What the <\/em>hell is that?! [ squints ] What the hell <\/em>is that? [ chuckling at himself ] What’s <\/em>that danged thing doing here! How did <\/em>that get here? What the hell <\/em>is that?! [ squints ] What<\/strong> the <\/em>hell is that?! How’d that dang deal get here?! [ turns off-camera ] Hey! Come on over here and look at this<\/strong> deal!
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d<\/em> Steve Martin, b. 1945, American comedian
\n\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 on Saturday Night Live,<\/em> October 13, 1979<\/p>\n

\"NaBloPoMoAs I said just about this time last year<\/a>, I find deep cleaning some corner of clutter a soothing activity, especially if it distracts me from something that is confusing or frustrating me. I’m waiting for November 4 to be over. As comedian Larry David has said, this is like waiting for the results of a biopsy. You can’t move forward until you have more information. I’m stalled in my writing, in my reading, in my life.<\/p>\n

Yesterday, when I couldn’t find a device to grate some orange peel for cherry scones, I cleaned out the gadget drawer, washed the whole thing down, considered all the implements (why do I have three pizza cutters and no cheese grater?), and then put them away neatly (including only one pizza cutter). I made the scones with dried orange peel, and then when I needed a pot holder, I became interested in redding out and organizing that collection of kitchen necessities.<\/p>\n

\"WhatI found two Christmas-themed pot holders, a red casserole grabber that actually belongs to Lynn (it came in a set of learn-to-cook items I got her when she was ten), and some chip bag clips. At the very back of the drawer I found the device pictured at left.<\/p>\n

In the words of Steve Martin from Saturday Night Live<\/em>, “What the hell is that?”<\/p>\n

It is evidently meant to be hung on a wall. The slots for the screws and the plastic anchors that are in the little bag are on the back, so imagine the straight edge at the top mounted flush against a wall. That means the thing would jut out, but what would you do with it? The round part looks something like a thing for gripping jar lids while you try to unscrew them, but I certainly wouldn’t mount one (especially one that is not adjustable) on a wall. And what’s the slot for? Additional questions: where did it come from, when did it get here, and why did I put it in that drawer?<\/p>\n

If anyone out there knows what it is, clue me in. For now, I’m going with Bill Murray’s response to Steve Martin: “I would not mess with that thing.”<\/p>\n

To be included on the notify list, e-mail me:
\nmargaretdeangelis [at] gmail [dot] com (replace the brackets with @ and a period)<\/em><\/p>\n


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