Monday 4 March 2013

Brown Paper and Bubble Wrap



About a month or so ago, we broke one of our storage jars. It was a five pound flour jar that had one of those wire type closers that formed a tight seal using a rubber gasket. We have had these jars for more than thirty years and to tell the truth, the rubber gaskets had seen better days. The break just finally got us off of our asses to look for replacements.
 
Surprisingly, finding a replacement wasn’t very easy. It turns out that five pound flour jars have gone out of fashion if indeed they were ever in fashion. We went online and searched high and low before we found what seemed to be the perfect replacement. I suppose that we could have found a different solution to store our oats and brown sugar, but I tend to be a trifle inflexible. We found the jars at a place online called The Container Store. The jars were about eight bucks so they were quite doable. However, the shipping costs were about $35 which put the jars on the expensive side, but since we had no luck except for this site, we thought “Why the hell not?”

We received a big box in the mail today and it contained the jars. About time! Louise ordered a purse from Taiwan on a Saturday and it arrived on that Tuesday. The Container Store is somewhere in the American Midwest, and I can only assume they use Amish Express delivery company. I could hardly contain myself when the box was opened and we dug into the depths of bubble wrap and brown paper. I cut the jars free from their bubble wrapped prison and saw disappointment sitting in my hand. The jars were too small! WTF? They looked so good online and the right size I might add. We can use the jars, but I will keep my eyes open at the second hand stores just in case a real 5 pound flour jar turns up.
 
The lemonade part of this purchase is in the wrapping. When I ship parcels, I have learned that it is best to wrap the box in brown paper so that the address is clear and obvious to the many postal workers that inevitably (mis)handle the box. I think once the paper was uncrumpled there is probably a roll of about 12 to 15 meters long and 24 inches wide. Score!!!! Sure the paper is wrinkled, but who isn’t? It isn’t as if I am sending a parcel to the Queen, and wrinkled is the new unwrinkled.

There is also the pristine box the jars came in and it will eventually be put to some very good use. The real treasure in my mind is the reams of bubble wrap. Hurricane and Tornado are going to have a ball with it. Arwen, Chris, Brendan and Tara are likely to play with some as well. Bubble wrap isn’t just for kids after all. Louise and I will of course get the best pieces for ourselves. I suppose I could save it to put in parcels that I mail out, but where is the fun in that.
 
I think we need to order something else that needs to be wrapped in brown paper and bubble wrap, and right soon!

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