Saturday, May 27, 2006

Tricks of the trade

Here are just a few:

Short order chef:  Making toast? Start the toaster before you start looking for the bread, unwrapping it, and slicing it. That'll give the toaster a few seconds to warm up before you put the bread in, and your toast will be done that much sooner.

Hockey player:  Are your hockey skates giving you blisters? Pick up some produce bags from the grocery store and put them over your socks before you lace up the skates. They serve as a frictonless surface that will prevent your feet from getting blisters, and also make the skates very easy to take off after you're finished playing.

Winter pick-up truck driver:  It's difficult to drive a pickup truck on slick winter roads because the light back end will fishtail. Shovel the snow from your driveway into the truck bed. You'll weigh down the back end and clear your driveway. When it warms up enough to not need the extra weight, the snow will melt and there's no clean up.

Photographer:  When taking a photo of a portrait subject, count down 3-2-1-Cheese!, take one shot, and then take another shot immediately after. The smile in the first picture will often look stilted and posed, but there is usually a moment a split-second later when the model will relax and his smile will look much more natural.

Artist:  If your magic marker is running dry, tape a string to the bottom of it and spin it over your head in a big circle. A few times around will generate enough centrifugal force to push any remaining ink to the tip.  
Warning: There is usually a lot more ink left in a "dry" marker, so make sure the lid is on security before you start and remove it carefully when you are finished.

Delivery driver:  Plot your course ahead of time and make it a close to a circle as possible, so when you are done with your deliveries you are near the beginning of your route. Then, when driving the route, remember that it's much faster to go clockwise instead of counter-clockwise, as you will have many more right-turns than left.

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