Jar Opener

After a bottle opener a few days ago, now it's the turn of a jar opener to have its turn in the Blip sun. Seeing this on Blipfoto is as good saying that this wasn't a particularly exciting day, and that Dublin Shooter didn't get out much (if at all).

It's true (the not going out bit). Just a quick trip to the local shop for some groceries. Apart from that, lots of time spent at Mark S. Johnson's wonderful Photoshop Workbench. Loads and loads of wonderfully informative and inspirational instruction videos about compositing, several of which I watched during the day, making time apart from that only to watch last night's two episodes of The Bridge II (terrific stuff!).

Anyway, back to this gadget. The jar of marmalade in the shot was among today's grocery purchases, and I was looking forward to spreading some of this gorgeous stuff nice and thickly on a few lightly toasted muffins for an afternoon snack with a cup of coffee. Could I get the lid off? Not a chance, despite much tooth-gritting, facial grimacing and tongue-sticking-out. Often when this problem arises it just takes a few seconds with the base of the lid under the hot tap for it to loosen, but even that failed to work this time. So out came the last resort gadget. I don't know if Zyliss is the name of the gadget or the company which produced it, but it's an invaluable tool when your wrists have been almost twisted off with effort, your coffee is getting cold, and your frustration levels are rising.

Turn the knurly knob at the right end and the metal band at the other end opens wider and wider until large enough to fit around the edge of the jar lid, then tighten the knurly knob with the spanner-shaped rubbery bit against the lid edge — and voilà! An anti-clockwise twist, and any lid relaxes its grip. I would have been lost without my Zyliss today, and might well have been found lifeless on the kitchen floor some days from now having died of starvation only for it.

There's a bit of a story attached. I got in Zürich on my first visit there, which was probably about twenty years ago It was desperate last-minute purchase which I got as a souvenir gift for my unfortunate mother. The poor woman: most sons would have brought home a cuckoo clock or something like that, but she got an opener for stubborn jar lids instead. I think she was diplomatic and thanked me, but she probably would have preferred a box of chocolates. Still, just like I think of my dad whenever I use the bottle opener, I think of my mum whenever I use this.