I don't know what a Bottle Brush replacement sells for today but if I need
to buy another one the Scotchman part of me won't keep me from buying one
if I need another one.

I had never thought of using one of those as a back scratcher, but I bet it works good. With the handle being made of wire instead of plastic, you can probably bend it a little to put a curve in it, if you need it.

Mike


* SLMR 2.1a * "She's dead, Jim. Still warm, though. Flip ya for her?"
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Hi, Ed! Your name seems familiar to me. If you've posted in SURVIVOR before, welcome back. If you haven't, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance. Recently you wrote in a message to All:

The "Bottle Brush" I have, has a long handle of
twisted wires.

We have one of those. I figure it's at least thirty-five years old, but it still does the job. :-)

I can use it all over my back.

The handle is flexible too. Very clever.... :-)

The Bottle Brush is a lot better than the plastic
Back Scratcher that has the shape of a very small
hand on the end of it that I won while trying to
win one of the better prizes at a Game of Chance
in the Arcade at a Amusement Park years ago.

Our daughter has one like that. She's never used it very often, but keeps it for decorative & sentimental reasons.... :-)

The long tiny handle broke when I used it many years
ago and the pieces were thrown in the trash.

Many such things do appear to be rather flimsy. In her case some of the fingers broke off, and were probably vacuumed up before I noticed.... :-Q

I threw those pieces away long before any "Recycling
Program" was thought of to recycle plastic to keep it
out of the trash or getting in the waterways.

Understood... but now that we have such programs, I'll share with my readers what I do with small pieces of plastic. The folks who empty recycling bins can't be bothered with things like that. If I put several of them into a plastic container from the deli, however, they seem to accept it gladly. If I put various bits of metal into a coffee can which is made of mixed materials & would otherwise be rejected, they'll take it. But if they don't know what the heck something is... although I have carefully removed any offending bits made of different materials... and write it off as garbage, I leave it near the top of the garbage bin where a homeless dumpster diver could find it easily. Such people may be overjoyed to see something weird made entirely of metal.... :-)

I will keep using that Bottle Brush (or a replacement
for it) as a Back Scratcher, until I learn of some
other way to scratch what itches on my back that works
better. It works for Me!, but I'm open to learn of any
other instrument that anyone uses or knows about that
does the job as well or better. Estecially if the cost
for that other thing is very cheap.

$11.50 CDN, at a local shop, for a bottle brush with an "extra long" (12") handle. Cheaper ones tend to have shorter handles, but Amazon offers an extensive range of styles at various prices.

What else would serve your needs & can be found for less than $10 in this part of the world? A bath brush, maybe. That's what we use at home, but if you want something which will outlive you I think you got it right.... :-)

I don't know what a Bottle Brush replacement sells for
today but if I need to buy another one the Scotchman
part of me won't keep me from buying one if I need
another one.

One of the most important things my ex-Brit ancestors taught me was, as John Molloy said WRT clothing, the idea of "cost per wearing"... [chuckle].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

09-05-20 09:55 Mike Powell wrote to ED VANCE about Ultimate Back Scratcher? Howdy! Again Mike,

Which BBS Network is the Survivor Echo carried on?

I'm thinking it is a FIDO Echo or maybe a GT Power Echo.

I thought this morning to FORWARD my original Post to the other BBS Networks that You carry on the Capitol City BBS, so Folks in those other BBS Networks can read my Back Scratcher thoughts.

You know, just in case someone on those Networks might get some benefit from
my Idea.

I am thinking of FORWARDing my Post to a few Echos in each of the
BBS Networks that I see in the Echo Listing.

I know that You are probably thinking "Vain Vance" as You read this Post,
but I can't help myself but think other people would appreciate reading
what I wrote.

I decided to enter it here, where I thought it would do the most good, and
I am glad 'my SYSOP' approved of my thoughts.

@MSGID: <5F539A2A.355.survivor@capitolcityonline.net>
@REPLY: <5F52D60D.354.survivor@capitolcityonline.net>

I don't know what a Bottle Brush replacement sells for today but if I need to buy another one the Scotchman part of me won't keep me from buying one
if I need another one.

I had never thought of using one of those as a back scratcher, but I
bet it works good. With the handle being made of wire instead of
plastic, you can probably bend it a little to put a curve in it, if you need it.

73 de 'Vain Vance' Ed W9ODR - The QTH Where 9 Old Dirty Rats live at.
----- - - - - -
. .


... The care and feeding of a computer could drive You MAD!
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Hi, Ed -- on Sep 08 2020 at 05:48, you wrote:

Which BBS Network is the Survivor Echo carried on?

I'm thinking it is a FIDO Echo or maybe a GT Power Echo.

We're a FidoNet echo - I'm not aware of GT Power carrying us.


Cheers... Dallas (co-moderator)

--- timEd/NT 1.30+
* Origin: The BandMaster, Vancouver, CANADA (1:153/7715)

Hi, Daryl! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

I can use it all over my back.

The handle is flexible too. Very clever.... :-)

I have no idea what I did with the one I had. Kind
of awkward to scratch up against the door frame. :P

Yeah. I find the latter unsatisfactory, but I take it bears & other animals scratch themselves on trees when they're moulting or whatever.... :-)



[WRT the traditional Chinese back scratcher]

Our daughter has one like that. She's never used it
very often, but keeps it for decorative & sentimental
reasons.... :-)

I haven't been to the fair in ages...and this years
Arkansas State Fair was cancelled due to COVID-19.

Understood. Dallas & I live in a seaport, where it's easy enough to obtain such things if you know who to ask. But anything which involves a trip downtown (except to St. Paul's hospital) is out of the question just now. :-)

Years ago, my late uncle had been separating the
recycled items into one container, and the regular
trash into another. But, one day, he saw the trash
folks putting everything together. He never separated
them again.

Hmm. I am reminded of a friend who, like us, is getting on in years and finding it increasingly difficult to sort plastics by number... as we were told to do by municipal authorities. When I saw they were all dumped into the same receptacle I quit sorting them, just as he had done. "Plastics go in the plastics bin", as he puts it. And someone with "twenty-year old eyes", as our optometrist puts it, can sort them out if that is actually necessary.... :-))



[WRT bottle brush with an "extra long" handle]

I may have to look for that, but the electric company
apparently took me off of levelized billing. I've got
to call them in the morning to sort things out, plus
find out how to logon, as they've lost my logon info.
At least due to COVID-19, they're not doing disconnects
for the non-payments right now, as so many are in
financial straits.

I'm glad various organizations are recognizing that folks may not be able to adhere to the usual time frame at present. OTOH, they may not be able to work quite as efficiently as usual. The public library here suspended late return fees for awhile... but I'm still waiting for a book I asked for on Aug. 24th even though it's listed as available for loan & I'm #1 in the queue. :-Q




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Hi, Daryl! Recently you wrote in a message to Ardith Hinton:

I take it bears & other animals scratch themselves on
trees when they're moulting or whatever.... :-)

I didn't think bears molted, but they likely shed.

That's probably the word I should have used. IIRC, now that you've reminded me, it is birds which moult (Canadian spelling of same). Oops! :-)

"Shed Happens". <G>

Uh-huh. Years ago, when we had a large white hairy dog, one of our friends dropped by unexpectedly & asked if the living room carpet was new. I chuckled & told him I had just finished vacuuming. Then I added "I guess you thought we had a tweed carpet." His expression told me I was right.... :-))

I finally got that annuity in after my Mom's death...but
it's already shot with the 50% to my brother, then repairs
on the car, medical expenses, and possibly installing a
generator.

Unfortunately repairs & medical expenses aren't always predictable, but they can eat up one's savings very quickly... (sigh).

I don't lose power that often, but when I do, it tends to be
for quite a long time...as it was in June and July, 2019...
after severe thunderstorms pulled the electric meter off
the north side of the house.

Good grief! I didn't know about the electric meter, but I remember times when your BBS was down for quite awhile because of thunderstorms. Mark invariably tells us when you are offline in such cases. Thankyou, Mark. :-)



DS> with no air conditioning, the apparent temperature was well
DS> over 100 degrees. It was like taking a hot shower, then not
DS> drying off afterwards, and then climing into bed still naked.
DS> People die in conditions like that every day.


Yes. When we have such situations around here people with asthma & other respiratory conditions are advised not to go out. Because we live near the ocean the temperature rarely exceeds 90 degrees... but because we're also surrounded by mountains we get temperature inversions in which the smog hangs around for days. About a year ago, I realized "This means means you!" when I needed to take a break during what would otherwise be a ten-minute walk. :-Q

I like what the late Red Skelton said about his eye doctor,
who he called "the optimist" <G>...

He was a comedian who did his thing while I'm a retired teacher who enjoys making people think and... like you... testing their mettle by teasing them a bit. The first time our optometrist, who was a lot younger then & was probably reciting from textbooks, instructed me to "look at the big letter E" without my glasses on I played dumb & asked "What letter E?" I find him very quick on the uptake, and one of the best optometrists we've ever had.... :-)

I've decided with my health, and COVID-19, it's not worth
traveling outside of central Arkansas anymore.

Understood. In the past six months we haven't been more than fifty miles away from home. Our world shrank a lot once we'd added a wheelchair to the equation, but now I'm seeing a lot more activity in my favourite echoes & I'm hearing a lot more often from my BFF during our high school days.... :-)

* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

The name sounds like where I've been at lately. :P

Glad to know you understand where I'm coming from... [wry grin].




--- timEd/386 1.10.y2k+
* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

Ardith,

A shaggy dog story? Yeah, another blast from the past.... :-))

Sounds like a title for a Disney Movie. <G>

Sounds like a plan. With many folks being unable to visit others in person because of COVID-19, the computer is an important way
to keep in touch.

With the BBS work, ham radio nets, and square dance related stuff, I've
got more than enough to keep me busy, even though I'm here alone.

Hmm. There is still a lot we don't know about this disease,
and I'd been wondering whether the same person could get it twice
within a short time. I've heard one's immunity to at least some
variations on the common cold lasts only for a couple of weeks
afterwards. And I myself have had the "90-day flu" ... so nicknamed because it tended to come back after 90 days. :-Q

I've been dodging that, but can't dodge UTI's and epididymytis (this has
been going on for 2 months). The urologist examined me, and said there was
no evidence of kidney stones or testicular cancer. But, the constant groin
pain is annoying to say the least.

Was she near-sighted? I can certainly relate to that. The
last time we went to the optometrist, I pointed out that there was dust
on the lenses he uses for testing... which were, of course, within a
few inches of my own eyes. He took my word for it because he's
far-sighted & hadn't noticed... [chuckle].

It's possible...all I remember is that her glasses were real thick!! But,
she could find typos in BBS menus, bulletins, etc., on the first look. I
was so embarrassed!!

Sounds nice. I hope for your sake that the risk will be less
by that time than it is at present. We experienced a slowdown of
COVID-19 here during the summer... and the rules were relaxed a bit.

I'm not overly optimistic...but regardless, it's the last one. The
arthritis is really getting bad.

But now we're into the second phase & battening down the hatches again.
We're being strongly advised not to travel unless we absolutely have
to & large gatherings are prohibited.... :-)

I've been able to take part in virtual meetings via Zoom, but it's not
the same as being there in person. I do have to be sure that "I'm decent" before starting the chat. :P

* Origin: Wits' End, Vancouver CANADA (1:153/716)

The name sounds like where I've been at lately. :P

Glad to know you understand where I'm coming from...
[wry grin].

I can just see a sign with a town having that name...Welcome to
Your Wits End. <G>

It reminds of the cartoon where this huge piece of silver
is in the street...the proverbial "fork in the road". <G>

In English class we'd describe that as a live metaphor...
which to me is particularly amusing because I once found a dinner fork when I took a short cut through the woods to the dumpster in a local campground. It was on a path which, though unofficial, showed signs of having been been used often.... :-)

But those plastic deals break so easily...or maybe the food was cooked
too long. :P

Daryl

... I couldn't repair your brakes, so I made your horn louder.
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