Me: 1 Trash Can: 0

Man, something is up this week. My friend Debbie would say that my stars are not aligned but I don't think that's what it is. Though I don't really know WHAT it is, so maybe?

I've been freelancing at UGA this week and it hasn't been bad at all. The drive is not as long as it used to be now that they've re-routed 441 around all the little towns, and I enjoy being back on campus. Interestingly enough, though, it isn't making me pine for my old job there as it did in the past. I rather feel like UGA has moved on without me, rightly so, and I'm just there for a visit.

I do miss Athens. I miss the wonderful places to eat downtown, I miss the creativity and the culture and I definitely miss the liberal environment. Ten years of living in exile in a red state will do that to you.

But on to the title of the post, the battle with the trash can...last night I really needed to take a bag of trash out and was having some difficulty doing so. My trash can has a pedal that opens the lid, and has a ring that fits VERY TIGHTLY INDEED into the top to hold the bag in place. You remove the ring by pulling on the two handles that are inserted into each side.

Well, you do unless the handles come out of the ring. At that point there was some unfortunate language and then wisdom: pry the sucker out.

By the way, a knife that can cut through a plastic ring that goes around the top of a trash can is not a good choice for a lever. Just so you know.

Finally the handles did their job and the ring came out with a very satisfying POP. I'm still not sure if it came from the rings or my shoulder, to be honest. I closed off the bag with the ties and pulled upward to remove it from the trash can.

Nothing.

After more unfortunate language and lots of yanking at the bag, I realized that part of the problem was coming from my boots that have NEGATIVE tread on the bottom. Seriously, I could go ice skating in them, and do anytime I encounter leaves on the ground. I couldn't hold the lid open with my foot because it was sliding off the pedal. More unfortunate language concerning boots made in American having more tread than those made in the UK (and to be fair, these were from Primark so they probably weren't made anywhere NEAR the UK, but...) later, a change of shoes, and the bag still wasn't budging.

Last straw. Hold trash can by bag still firmly wedged inside. Bang can up and down against the floor until bag lets go. Take bag out to bin.

Luckily I have a hammer, so the dent I put in the trash can that was impeding the use of the pedal once I put on proper shoes with tread was easily hammered back out. Mostly.

Envy me, don't you?