gadgets and contraptions

I spent a day at an aboriginal Elders conference this past week. It was a very positive experience in so many ways. It was also a very uncomfortable experience because of this ...... a nasty escaping underwire! This bad boy impaled my right armpit off and on all day. Why is it we humans can produce amazingly complex micro-processors and land vehicles on Mars, but we cannot produce a comfortable bra with underwire that stays where it belongs? This is truly one of life's major quandaries! I sat down to put a patch on the bra before putting it in the laundry this morning ... which really annoys me considering the cost of the damned bra probably equalled the entire annual economy of a small third-world country ... and I got to thinking about the gadgets and contraptions that make my life HAPPIER on a daily basis. Or at least regularly. The first of the ten things I thought of was ...... Mister Shower Head. I absolutely HATE bathtubs and baths, and cannot force myself to sit and soak. Mister Shower Head in the morning is a very good thing ... he lets me bathe every part of me while standing safely upright and in two minutes or less. Very convenient invention! Then there is my ...... cast iron fry pan. Notice it's not just your ordinary round cast iron frying pan with a smooth bottom. This baby is SQUARE and has RIDGES. That means I can cook my six strips of bacon all at once without bending at least two strips to accomodate pan roundness. This is important, believe me! Disorderly bacon is NOT a good way to start the day! The ridges in this frying pan mean pleasing browning patterns ...... like so. And the best part is, this baby wipes clean with a bit of paper towel, no matter how BROWNED my bacon or potatoes or whatever gets cooked. Truly a wondrous kitchen gadget! Oh, and while we're discussing wondrous kitchen gadgets ...... I don't know how I ever enjoyed meals without my heavy-duty pepper grinder. I LOVE fresh ground pepper! That powdered crap you buy to put in your pepper shaker ... which never has enough holes to shake out a decent sprinkle of pepper anyhow ... is just that, crap. Tasteless crap at that. Once I'm breakfasted and ready to face the day, I really appreciate this little item ...

... my bus pass. Oh, I know it's not REALLY a gadget, but it lets me ride city transit without the bother of keeping track of exact change or hunting for errant tokens or tickets, and it truly saves me a bundle in transportation costs over the space of each month. Bus passes are good things! And while I'm on the bus on my way to work in the morning, I have half an hour to enjoy ...

... the comfort of familiar prayers. This may come as a bit of a surprise to y'all, but I am a huge fan of the Rosary. This is a way to quiet my mind and meditate on some crucial mysteries and values. If I skip this important ritual in the morning, I just feel uncentred and unsettled for the rest of the day. Of course, some mornings fellow bus riders are more than a little disruptive to quiet prayer and meditation, so I resort to ...

... my IPod. It provides hours of enjoyable music suitable for blocking out unpleasant conversations, and also allows me to listen to the Rosary and stay focused. Truly a great gadget! On my way home from work, I usually plug into travel podcasts and let my imagination wander far from home. Once I get home for the day, I light one of my ...

... essential oil warmers. I usually light a few candles too. Candlelight is a pleasant way to relax at the end of a work day, but more important, the smell of my favourite essential oil replaces the stinky pulp mill / bad city air smell that clings to my clothes and the insides of my nostrils when I come back from down town. Our air quality is really disgusting right now. One day last week, I walked one block from my office to pick up a sandwich from the bakery, and by the time I walked that one block back to my office, I was WHEEZING! And I'm not asthmatic! Essential oil warmers are delightful contraptions. Once supper is over, I really appreciate my ...

... laptop. It is rapidly becoming my principle means of communication. It also has a built in DVD player, and so often serves as my home entertainment centre. I don't own a tv. I can watch Coronation Street online, so I don't NEED a tv! Thank you, Sony. My laptop is a grand gadget! However, I don't make a habit of watching DVDs every evening, and I generally save my Coronation Street viewing for a jammies morning and Coronation Street marathon on the weekends. My favourite way of relaxing in the evening is knitting, and I really appreciate my ...

... bamboo knit needles. For years, metal knit needles left the insides of my knuckles sore. Bamboo needles don't, no matter how fine -- these dpns are 1.75s -- or how fat they are. They are warmer and more flexible than metal. Bamboo knit needles are amazing gadgets! If you knit and you haven't tried them, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR??? The tenth gadget/contraption that makes many of my days happier is ...

... my digital camera. It lets me record my thoughts in a visual manner to present here on my blog, which is certainly more interesting than just ho hum writing -- don't y'all agree? This little Kodak EasyShare C713 is an amazing gadget because it has an anti-shake feature. This feature means people like me can take decent photos without a tripod because it automatically compensates for my tremor. I can't begin to tell y'all how much I wish that feature had been available forty years ago!

It was really easy to name 10 simple items that give me pleasure. What are the first 10 items YOU think of? Inquiring minds want to know!