Saturday, June 22, 2013

How To: Fix a Broken Flip-Flop

I broke one of my flip-flops the other day, and just as I was browsing Amazon for a new pair, I decided to search online for a way to salvage it.  I do love the internet, because sure enough, I found a tutorial that helped me do just that, and it was so easy!

This round nubby thing that holds the flip-flop thong in place is the part that broke off, so instead of throwing away the whole sandal, I just made a new "nubby thing".



1. Punch a hole at the end of the broken thong where the nub fell off.  I used a hammer and nail.



2. Use pliers and a small paper clip (or some wire) to fashion a new "nubby thing".  Straighten out the ends of the paper clip so that it looks like a bobby pin and clamp down on the "U".




3. Thread the flattened paper clip through the hole in the rubber thong.



4. Using the pliers, bend the legs of the paper clip.



5. Trim off excess wire so that your "nubby thing" fits in the recess.




And voila!  You've raised your broken flip-flop back from the dead!


See, easy, right?  I must say, I'm pretty proud of my MacGyver self, tinkering away in the garage like that.  It's not quite saving the world, but it's something!  :)

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Me, Myself, and a Cup of Joe

Ahhh..... I am in pure bliss... doing nothing extraordinary other than sitting at Starbucks, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading my emails, uninterrupted and without the pressure of a ticking clock that starts as soon as I put Caedmon down for his nap.  Okay, I have X number of minutes/hours to myself, starting... NOW!  ... On second thought, this little respite at Starbucks IS pretty extraordinary.

Since school let out at the end of May, I have been adjusting to my new schedule.  Without any sub jobs to fill my weeks (previously, I had been subbing on an average of twice a week), I simultaneously have more and less time.  I have more time, since I don't have to work, but almost all of that time is taken up by an active toddler who is now transitioning to one nap, which he still takes earlier in the morning, leaving a LONG stretch of wake time from noon until bed time.  At the end of the day, I am exhausted, and I have gotten nothing done.

I miss reading.  And paying bills even... without heavy eyelids and nodding off, half sitting up in bed, pen marks on my sheets from where my arm dropped, drool glistening in the corners of my mouth.  Isn't motherhood beautiful?

And so today, my little jaunt to Starbucks is extra rewarding and refreshing.  It's like unclenching a muscle that I didn't even know was wadded up into a rock, welcoming that release of pent up tension, allowing relaxation, in the form of dark roast, to wash over me.  Ahhh... solitude and free time...........

This is therapy.

On a related note, this video parody of Taylor Swift's "22" pretty accurately and hilariously depicts my life at 32... perusing my closet for yet another comfy cotton outfit, falling asleep to Downton Abbey, bookworm, the whole bit.  When did I slip into such a mundane existence?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUTTrgZSigQ