Curiosities

There are things in life that just make you go, "huh?" And the last couple of days, I've been thinking about some of them. I figure, why should I contemplate all by myself?

So at work we have these water-saver toilets. They hold so little water in the bowl, that if the toilet paper isn't aimed just right, it won't go down when flushed. The women's bathroom closest to my office has 6 stalls in it. It's like a symphony of flushing when you go in there. Nobody wants to leave anything behind, so to speak. First flush is rarely successful. So there's multiple tries. You have to love this. Now, I'm thinking two things. First, whoever said these toilets will save money is nothing short of crazy! Give me an old-fashioned toilet that holds like 20 gallons of water and creates a waterspout when you flush. Everything goes down first time, every time. And I bet in the end it doesn't cost any more money. The second thing, all that extra time spent flushing cuts down on productivity...think about it. Heck, you could write a blog paragraph in the time you spend in the bathroom! ;-)

My other point to ponder....toilet paper. The kind you can see through that you find in every public restroom and every employer's restroom in the country. Clearly not invented or purchased by a female. Minimally functional at best, you use 2-3 times as much to get the proverbial job done. Which only serves to exacerbate the aforementioned flushing dilemma!

I think about things other than bathroom matters, though. Like the HOV lane. Nice concept that doesn't translate very well. Every morning, I'm driving to work watching hundreds of solo drivers pass me in the HOV lane. Why? Because I think around 90% of us on the road are out there by ourselves. Why waste a perfectly good and wide-open lane of pavement like that? It's just too tempting to resist! Even, I have to admit, for me!

Then, there's the whole elevator etiquette issue. Does it make sense to try to get into an elevator when those inside are trying to get out? And do we really have to all look down at the floor or up at the floor numbers for the whole ride? Do you try to make pleasant conversation, or just pretend to be deep in thought? I prefer a polite smile and a silent ride, myself.

That's just the few things I'm thinking about these last few days. There'll be more later, I'm sure!