Wednesday, November 17, 2010

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When the last tissue is withdrawn, retrieve the Box Buddy by shoving your hand through the plastic slit.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!

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