I had a blowout the other day! Not the tire on my car. It was my travel mug that blew a gasket. Most mornings, when I leave the Owego Kitchen, I get a warm-up to accompany me on the walk home. Refills are free with the purchase of coffee. Kind of nice! I claim to use a thermos mug because it saves paper cups and helps the environment, but I really do it because I want my coffee to stay hot for the rest of the morning so I get a \u201cwalk-home\u201d refill. I\u2019m a cheapskate who knows a good deal when he sees it.<\/p>\n
Anyhow, I put the travel mug in my messenger bag that also holds a notebook loaded with ideas for Old Coot articles and a wad of half written ones. I made it across the street and into the M&T Bank parking lot when I felt a wet stream running down the side of my leg. I looked down and noticed my shirt was wet as well. <\/p>\n
A quick check into the bag solved the mystery; it wasn\u2019t me that was leaking fluids, the mug was the culprit. Though it usually is me, with blood leaking out after bumping an arm or leg on a sharp edge. It\u2019s what happens when you have thin, old man skin. Coffee soaked the bag and then me. Did I leave the stopper open? Did I forget to tighten the lid? No! It was the O-ring that seals the top; it was bent out of shape. \u201cGood,\u201d I thought to myself, \u201cIt isn\u2019t my fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
I lumbered home through the village in wet, coffee-stained pants, and shirt, hauling a drenched shoulder bag. Now I\u2019m home, in dry clothes, writing this, happy as a clam. If my clothes come out of the washer with stains, it won\u2019t be my fault (for a change) and I won\u2019t hear my wife say, \u201cTsk, Tsk,\u201d or be referred to as the Stain Man. <\/p>\n
A skilled surgeon on the operating room table in our kitchen repaired the twisted out of shape 0-ring. It\u2019s back in service, ready for action, and I can walk through town with some semblance of dignity. <\/p>\n