The stapler kerfuffle

I don't know if this is a commentary on my life -- god help me if it is-- but I can't figure out how to work my new stapler. Don't weep for me Argentina but I just bought a sleep OXO stapler and can't figure out how to use it. And Kate, who is the ultimate handy person, couldn't figure it out either. So I have a new stapler and don't know how to use it. Is that a statement on my low tech life?

This morning I carefully filled a number of spaghetti pots with water because the building sent out a notice that they are turning the water off this morning. But whoops not this morning it seems. So I have buckets of water placed in the kitchen and bathroom and no shortage of water. It's all a muchness with the damn stapler.

Kate is home today lounging in her bed, eating steamed pork buns -- breakfast you know -- and reading manga or anime which are Japanese comics....what happened to slavish attention to the summer reading lists? And what happened to school, you ask? Can't answer that? She is taking regents which she characterized as "mad easy - no need to study" and has blocks of time where she is eating bon bons and doing little else.

I think my response is typical....