Reading Buddy

I received an IPad on Father's Day. What a wonderful gift. It has virtually replaced my use of the laptop in the office and it has almost completely eliminated my use of printed story books. I've found that reclining or lying down while reading with the IPad becomes tiring, because it needs to be held up. The solution: Reading Buddy.














The Reading Buddy was made to fit on top a a tripod and provide handsfree viewing. The tripod presents all of the adjustment flexibility I'm looking for.















Reading Buddy can also be used for other ereaders, Kindle, etc.

Box Buddy

This is an experience we have all gone through. The following episode, however, isn't a pre-destined fact of life.

You've been sleeping restlessly. The new season has brought with it your first cold. When you reach for the tissue box on the night stand you notice there is none protruding, ready for your easy grasp. The box wasn't empty yesterday, you recall. The chilly room air brings you shivers as you sit up to turn on the night light. Ah ha! The tissue has dropped down inside the box.

As you are carefully prying into the plastic window to try to retrieve the top tissue the box falls to the floor. This activity has awakened your spouse, or was it the not so subtle cursing you were doing under your breath. Fully out of bed by now you collect the box and shove you hand through the plastic gap expanding it non-retrievably into a hole which will no longer serve its intended design function.

Inside the box your finger tips probe for the leading edge of the top tissue. There has to be one but you can't sense it. You know its there so you grab a small quantity by dipping along side their edges. This process has netted you at least five tissues. There it is, right on the very edge of the small stack. With your index fingernail you pull off the top piece.

Nasally relieved, but wide awake, you set the unused tissues on the top of the mutilated box and reach up for the light switch. The covers feel toasty warm as you snuggle back into bed. Laying there waiting for drowziness to once again capture the waining hours of the night, you think - there has to be a better way.

There is. It's called the Box Buddy.



This one inch wide piece of thin gauge metal is formed so it will easily slip through a small slit made at the bottom edge of a freshly opened box of tissues. Once inside, and pushed to the far end of the box with the aid of a table knife, the Box Buddy will provide a continuous upward pressure on the stack of tissues. This will ensure there isn't a large enough gap at the top of the stack for first piece to want to fall back inside. The slit can be cello taped closed.

When the last tissue is withdrawn, retrieve the Box Buddy by shoving your hand through the plastic slit. This will create an unseemly gap at the top of the box, but you're going to throw it away, anyway. The Box Buddy is ready to insert into your fresh box.

Now, stay covered, leave the night light off, and have a good night's sleep. Cheers!

Leaf clean-up

Autumn is my favorite time of the year. Except when the leaves need to be collected. Our garbage man will collect bagged leaves left on the curb. Getting the leaves into the bag has always been a chore. Until I came up with Bob's Bag Buddy.

Bob’s Bag Buddy
1.Begin with a strong cardboard box that is ~20” tall and has a perimeter of ~55”-60”. Cut off top and bottom of the box.
Use garbage bags with ties, Glad, e.g. Find a large plastic dust scoop and a leaf pile.















2.Fold box slightly and insert it into the bag.



3.Bag Buddy will rise as leaves are compacted around the inside edge.



4. When compacted leaves are at the top of the bag, remove Bag Buddy.



5.Result: fully stuffed and tied bag of leaves- ready for the curb.



6. Save Bag Buddy for next year’s use.

Enjoy a wonderful season of the year.