Ginevra Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Every pen/pencil cup I've ever seen, slowly (or quickly) devolves into The Receptacle of The Useless? Inkless pens, chewed-up pencils sans erasers, Magic Markers that have lost their magic, one giant, hopelessly dull Kindergartner pencil, a highlighter pen that doesn't, an odd lip liner, and the stuck-together scissors that everyone hates and overlooks in search of the good scissors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 It truly is a mystery. I can always find a dried up pen or a dull pencil but never a pencil sharpener--even though it seems like I've bought dozens of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Because the Universe likes to create challenges.... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Because the ones that actually work get taken and never replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twigs Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Could it be that we are just 2-3 generations away from the great depression and learned from our parents and grandparents never ever to throw anything away because "we might need it someday"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Word Nerd Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I recently discovered that my Mom's-only-don't-you-dare-remove-them-from-this-drawer scissors have disappeared. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OneStepAtATime Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I recently discovered that my Mom's-only-don't-you-dare-remove-them-from-this-drawer scissors have disappeared. Mine, too! I was so aggravated! And my screw driver and my favorite pen! Ugh! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I recently discovered that my Mom's-only-don't-you-dare-remove-them-from-this-drawer scissors have disappeared. That is so cruel! It has happened here, too! When I was a kid, the only scissors that were reliably found were pinking sheers. Those were not good for bang trims, it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink and Green Mom Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 We have missing scissors too and the only ones anyone can seem to find are the kindergarten type safety scissors (note my youngest is almost 10, and we not only have 1 pair of said kid scissors but three....) We must have 100 mechanical pencils and maybe 1 has lead in it. We have many ball point pens but none work. The big thing at my son's middle school is taking apart the ball point pens and "trading" the pieces in it. Who does this? Ah yes, the entire class of 6th graders (I subbed one day at school and finally took everyone's pens away). We must buy my son a pack of pens every week and then he claims to have none left. Don't get me started on the pencil sharpeners that don't work (from the cheapo to the expensive). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 When I was a child, my mother purchased office supplies for each room of the house and then put color-coded dots on them to signify which room they belonged in. Things like scissors, tape, stapler, pens, pencils, eraser. Yeah, she's weird. Anyway, I remember her constantly being upset that I would carry off the living room scissors to the kitchen or take the kitchen stapler to my room. To her, her system made perfect sense. To me, I needed to use something, found it, and then used it. Of course, I never remembered to put it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Entropy. Yergh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walking-Iris Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Yes. I have tried so many tricks over the years to not lose the school supplies!!! Nothing works. I stock up during back to school, and by right about now in the year I get all twitchy if someone asks where a pen or an eraser could be. My DH actually came in the other day and asked for my oldest ds's compass for a wood working project he was doing. Poor man!!! "Who knows!!!???" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 One time when I was at my mother's recently, I asked could I use the scissors from her desk and she took them out, sized me up, and held them away from me for a moment. Clearly I was a violator of the don't you dare touch them scissors as a child. :D In order to accommodate the cup as repository theory, I have made several cups. They're all nicely organized and good looking and sit in a pretty little basket caddy that can move off the main table for meals and back on for homeschooling... but I have set one cup aside to catch all the carp. And it does! And then I clean it out every six months or so. Dh thinks this is nutters to have a cup that's made to become junky, but I think it makes complete sense. I'm protecting the other cups! It's like the junk drawer in your kitchen. If you didn't have the one junk drawer, all the drawers would become junk drawers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 One of my teachers in high school used to loan pencils for her class.......if you left her one of your shoes as collateral. I thought it funny then, but now I find it increasingly brilliant. I wonder what I could hold as collateral for the use of my good scissors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 One of my teachers in high school used to loan pencils for her class.......if you left her one of your shoes as collateral. I thought it funny then, but now I find it increasingly brilliant. I wonder what I could hold as collateral for the use of my good scissors? That IS brilliant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 That's why I toss them when I realize they don't work instead of putting them back in the cup :P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Hold beloved toys hostage for the scissors! You can't play Legos until I get those scissors back! Sorry, you can't sleep with Binky until I get my scissors! Bwahahahaha! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I recently discovered that my Mom's-only-don't-you-dare-remove-them-from-this-drawer scissors have disappeared. Gasp! NO! I have a "Mom's Stapler. Do Not Touch." Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Hold beloved toys hostage for the scissors! You can't play Legos until I get those scissors back! Sorry, you can't sleep with Binky until I get my scissors! Bwahahahaha!Love It!!!!!! I could require them to bring me the most coveted Lego people. The Lego figures that are not promptly reclaimed could be fashioned into a necklace that I could wear as a warning to all those who would dare borrow from Mom: the great and powerful ruiner of lives and destroyer of dreams! >insert sinister cackle followed by villainous laughter< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueTaelon Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I have the opposite problem, I can never find any writing instrument or my scissors or stapler because dd7 runs off with them and NOTHING gets her to stop it. Really ticks me off when I'm on the phone and need to write something down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Χά�ων Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I do not have that problem. I know exactly where the pens and pencils are. They are under 2 feet of crap on DS's desk. Not that knowing where they are actually helps because I am too lazy to dig them out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Yeah, I bought a package of 10 or 15 pairs of scissors about a year ago, and do you think I can find ANY of them when I want them? The other thing that bugs me is when people find a pen not working, and they put it back in the drawer. So pretty soon two thirds of the pens in the drawer don't work, and you have to go through several every time you want to sign something. Why? Just throw it in the garbage, don't leave it for the next person! As for pencils, one of my kids likes to chew on hers. It makes me so crazy. But I have to admit that I used to do the same thing as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMamaBird Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Love It!!!!!! I could require them to bring me the most coveted Lego people. The Lego figures that are not promptly reclaimed could be fashioned into a necklace that I could wear as a warning to all those who would dare borrow from Mom: the great and powerful ruiner of lives and destroyer of dreams! >insert sinister cackle followed by villainous laughter< Oh my gosh! I love this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKL Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 And my daughter came home from school last week saying she's run out of pencils. (I sent at least 40 at the beginning of the school year.) I told her that she would have to borrow or find some at home, because I do not go school supply shopping in May. Isn't it odd that I've been using the same pencil for decades.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 One of my teachers in high school used to loan pencils for her class.......if you left her one of your shoes as collateral. I thought it funny then, but now I find it increasingly brilliant. I wonder what I could hold as collateral for the use of my good scissors? Confession: I steal pencils from IKEA... And make my students give me something In order to borrow them. Usually They pawn their cellphones, headphones or locker keys for the privilege of borrowing an IKEA pencil :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Lulu* Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Confession: I steal pencils from IKEA... And make my students give me something In order to borrow them. Usually They pawn their cellphones, headphones or locker keys for the privilege of borrowing an IKEA pencil :) This particular teacher had been at it a couple of decades when I had her. She said that students would forget to reclaim house keys, rings, pagers, purses and all manner of personal possessions but she had never had a student leave the classroom wearing a single shoe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeacherZee Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 This particular teacher had been at it a couple of decades when I had her. She said that students would forget to reclaim house keys, rings, pagers, purses and all manner of personal possessions but she had never had a student leave the classroom wearing a single shoe. Ah but the cleverness in my plan is that I can always steal more pencils (and the other week some of my juniors stole some for me ;) ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Yep. It's the law of entropy being displayed here. That and the fact that kids are total slobs. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Yep. It's the law of entropy being displayed here. That and the fact that kids are total slobs. ;) I'm not certain the kids wear all the blame... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I suspect in my case it is the like attracting like principle. The pencil cup is simply a very pretty pottery mug with a crack in it. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so it turned into the pencil cup. I suspect it has issued a general invitation to everything else that doesn't want to end up in the trash can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I suspect in my case it is the like attracting like principle. The pencil cup is simply a very pretty pottery mug with a crack in it. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so it turned into the pencil cup. I suspect it has issued a general invitation to everything else that doesn't want to end up in the trash can. This is an explanation that has merit. All this came to the fore yesterday when, struggling to find a functioning writing implement, I upended the derned thing and broke it in two. Then, when trying to re-create a functional pen cup, I learned that there was not one utensil within that was paper-worthy. So I went on a scavenger hunt and found replacements - sharp, Ticonderoga pencils, with tall, stately erasers; glossily-writing Uniballs with their shining black exterior and comfort-gel grip; spankin' new Expo pens, ready to write their sky-blue notes on a pristine whiteboard; and, yes, Virginia, even a coveted pair of velvety Fiskars, ready to trim at a moment's notice. *sigh* School Supplies. How I love Thee! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critterfixer Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 Ooooh, sharp Friskars envy! I've got to go purchase my pencils and notebooks soon. Trying to save that for a day when I'm really down in the dumps, because there is nothing like crisp clean paper and freshly sharpened pencils to lift my spirits! Maybe on our first 90+ day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 This made me laugh. I had to go check. One pencil cup was fine, even had my scissors. But the other had a fuzzy glue stick, and two dead markers. Toss. Thanks, Quill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I suspect in my case it is the like attracting like principle. The pencil cup is simply a very pretty pottery mug with a crack in it. I couldn't bring myself to throw it away, so it turned into the pencil cup. I suspect it has issued a general invitation to everything else that doesn't want to end up in the trash can. There may be something to this. My indoor flowerpot turned pencil holder (can't use it as a flowerpot because I kill house plants dead, dead, dead) is full of several "I can't get rid of this because surely it will be good for something" items. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted May 31, 2014 Share Posted May 31, 2014 I don't know, but it's kind of like the little top drawer in the kitchen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I don't know, but it's kind of like the little top drawer in the kitchen! Yes, wherein resides a circular metallic object a little larger than a silver dollar. It must be a piece of a tool? Or an appliance gear? It just begs one not to throw it blithely away; it looks so sturdily useful, if only I could identify for what... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myfunnybunch Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Yes, wherein resides a circular metallic object a little larger than a silver dollar. It must be a piece of a tool? Or an appliance gear? It just begs one not to throw it blithely away; it looks so sturdily useful, if only I could identify for what... Throw it away. You're sure to need it soon after, which would solve the mystery, at least. Cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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