Friday, November 13, 2009

Mindshare

When I was in school, one of my professors introduced me to the concept of "mindshare." Her goal was to get more of mine. (What can I say, I was distracted...). It was her justification for what I considered an unholy amount of homework.

To explain the concept, let's just say the grand total of all  ou think equals 100%. A certain percentage of the time you think about your family, your work, your play, running, blogging, etc.

The following pie chart illustrates what I've been thinking about this week.

Yes, thinkin about what and when I will eat and drink next consumes a great deal of my thinking.

Most of my mindshare this evening has been spent trying to figure out how to retrieve my iPod shuffle from a most unfortunate spot.


See that little green corner. That's the shuffle, which has sadly fallen through a ridiculously narrow spot between the stovetop and the cabinet. At least it's not in water...

So, who has some ideas for how to retrieve the sucker. I've tried double-sticky tape on the end of a long stick.


I made the long stick by taping together the cardboard part of three hangers. Go ahead, call me MacGyver.


I also tried a magnet, taped to the end of the wire part of the hangar, until I cleverly realized: 1) the iPod shuffle is NOT magnetic and 2) putting a magnet next to it was probably not such a wise idea.

So, maybe I recsind the MacGyver comment...

I also thought about using the vacuum cleaner, but the space between the stovetop and the cabinet is really narrow and the hose won't fit (That's what she said...ba dum dum).

Oh, and it's not my fault that it's down there, other than I left it on the counter.

So, if anyone has any really clever ideas for how to retrieve objects from small spaces, please let me know. Walter has already nixed my drilling holes in the cabinets though.
_______________________________
* In all honesty, I really thought I'd lost the shuffle on the plane last Friday when I flew to Oakland. I just couldn't bring myself to share with you that I'd "lost" another music playing device. I didn't discover it's whereabouts until today, which is why I didn't spend the entire FREEKIN' WEEK trying to figure out how to get it.

16 comments:

  1. i guess moving the stove is out of the question? hmmm.....what about a fishing net? or very long tongs so you can grab it-what about those things that people use to pick up trash without bending over

    ReplyDelete
  2. No clue about getting the Shuffle out of there. I can truly relate to you about "what I'm going to eat or drink next." ;)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Love the pie-graph (I'm sort of a statistics nerd).

    Hmmm... how to get the iPod... maybe ABC gum on a wire coat hanger?

    Glad you're back! I hope you get your Shuffle out of there!! Keep us informed. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. How about one of those grabber things that old people use to pick things up off the floor? They are usually skinny. They make a kids version in plastic and they probably skinnier than your vacuum hose. Or just a stick made out of a wire coat hanger with curve on the end to scooch it forward?

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wondered the same thing as Penny: Can you pull out the stove, at least enough to put one of your other devices into action?

    ReplyDelete
  6. You can sure get into all kinds of crazy shiz! Cracks me up everytime!
    I'd go with either moving the stove or doing the gum thing on the end of a stick.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Love the chart. I'm such a dork, I love that stuff.

    iPod, mmm, looks like a bad game of operation to me!

    ReplyDelete
  8. The biggest part of my pie chart might be daydreaming.

    WRT the shuffle: if you can't move the stove, try the gum-on-stick but route the stick in the space under the stove, not down the hole it fell into. If there is no "under the stove," lift the stove top to see if there is a way at the there. MacGyver, I ain't.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Have you tried telekinesys yet?

    Other than that, I'd say move the stove.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I'm wondering what others have already asked: Can't you pull the stove out?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the mindshare pie graph! (But I live with a math teacher so there you go - nerdy stuff works for me.)

    Good luck with the shuffle retrieval!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Loved the pie chart!

    OMG...sorry about the iPod. I don't have any better ideas. You have done them all. I hope it comes out soon.

    ReplyDelete
  13. The pie chart I would make would be exactly the same except for Dramagirl,Turbo and Walter LOL! Oh and the iPod, I don't own one so I'm sorry to say I can't help you out at all....

    Good Luck!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hmm. Here's a question - can I sell seats and adult refreshments in your kitchen so we can watch you attempt t get it? I'll cut you in on the bookmaking business as well.

    I think I hold the record for a lost iPods. In the space of two days I put my Nano through the wash *and* then lost a shuffle the same day that I bought it.....

    ReplyDelete
  15. I once lost my shuffle after a 5K race. I even had the awards person ask if anyone found it over the loudspeaker. No one came forward and I cursed the person I imagined picking it up. When I got home, I pulled my top off and there it was...down the front of my sportsbra....LOL

    Can you pull the bottom drawer out? Sometimes you can reach the outside edges from under that! Pull it all the way out!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I am reiterating the "Can you move the stove" comment.

    ReplyDelete