Superglue Bandaid

Cleaned out my old office yesterday -- moving to a new cube.

I've been drinking sparkling water at work... this Mendota stuff that comes in cans. The price is right, and so are the calories. Somehow, sparkling water satisfies as a snack -- the carbon dioxide is kind of filling, the fizz makes you slow down so you enjoy it longer, and water's good for you. Win-win-win.

I had an empty drawer. The first day, I needed a place to toss the can. Don't want to throw it away, you know. Recycling's good. Tossed it in the drawer. Deal with it later.

Four weeks later, as you might imagine, I had quite a drawer full.

So I brought a recycle bag in from home, and started crushing them with my heel. One stomp, and blam! Flat. Most of the time.

I caught one at an angle and it didn't flatten satisfacorily. I reached down with my right hand and grabbed it to squeeze it the rest of the way flat.

My thumb caught on the inside of the tab hole, and I sliced my thumb open but good.

I know what you're thinking. "Sue."

Well, that would be the modern American Way, wouldn't it? But if you know me, you know I think people should take responsibility for their own stupid mistakes, and I try to behave as I expect others to. So I put a bandaid on after holding it tight for a few minutes.

Well, the bandaid kept coming off, plus, because of where the cut is, I had trouble typing. And I have my guitar lesson today. And there's this weekend's jamming with Mike and Mark to consider. And the bandaid wasn't keeping the wound closed either.

Then it hit me... superglue. It's durable. It's fast. It sits on top of the skin, and it will hold the wound closed. And it will allow me to do the things I need to be doing.

So last night, after shedding my fifth lousy bandaid, I cleaned the area, put some superglue on a piece of paper, and closed the wound tightly. Then I simply dipped the wound in the dab of superglue and let it dry a few mintues.

Bam!

All the advantages of a bandaid, and most of the disadvantages are gone. It won't get in the way. It'll actually hold better, allowing for quicker healing. It keeps dirt out. It keeps moisture in. I can type. I can hold a pick, and even strum a guitar. I have to replace or re-enforce it a couple of times a day, but hey.

Just don't let it seep INTO the wound before it dries.

A little post bandaid research suggests that superglues made of octo-cyanocrylate are the least irritating to the skin.

(disclaimer - do this at your own risk. I am doing it at my own risk.)