Duct Tape and Teeth

I had my dental cleaning yesterday. No cavities. Nothing at all requiring a further visit. After needing four fillings last time, I made two changes. I started using Act Fluoride Mouthwash nearly every time I brush my teeth. I also started brushing my teeth whenever I felt the least bit of gunk built up on them. I don't know which change had the greater effect, but together they were efficacious. Another change that only went into effect a month ago, and so may have been unnecessary, was the water filter in my kitchen. I'd been getting my drinking water out of my mom's revers-osmosis water-filter. Tastes great, BUT it also filters out the fluoride. I'd just as soon keep the fluoride and thereby my teeth. Both Mom and I have had worse problems with our teeth since she got that water filter. So I got a lesser water filter that leaves the fluoride intact.

And I can now officially announce that I have used duct tape on actual ducts. Dryer ducts. Pulled out of place by rambunctious kittens. I went to put some clothes in the dryer last night, turned it on, and it was making a lot more noise than I remembered... I checked behind it. Lo and behold, the duct leading to the outside vent had come loose. It's got metal straps that wrap around and can be tightened, but because everything's metal, there's no friction. Even when I had the straps tightened as far as they'd go, the blasted thing would still slide right off. I went to bed after that, extremely annoyed, and tried to think of ways to make the thing stay on. One idea was some industrial strength sealant I've got, but that seemed a mite extreme; another was to put some strips of traction matting between the connecting ducts, but that really would have required some sealant as well. Then this morning it hit me. They're ducts: Use duct tape! And lo there was much rejoicing, and hiding from the noise of the dryer, while the near-sacred load of summer shirts is cleansed from its load of water. (I don't know why I'm talking like this either; it might have something to do with sleep deprivation and/or the chocolate chips I put in my yogurt)