Dear Reader Column 09-24-08

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Dear Reader,

My husband went shopping the other day and came home overly excited about the "Buy One, Get One Free" ketchup offer in the grocery store. Apparently he needs to get out more, but then again come to think of it, I remember writing a column a few years ago about my husband's "thing" with ketchup--and T.P...

We've never run out of ketchup or toilet paper at our house. What do those two products have in common? Nothing, other than for some reason if we aren't well stocked with both of those items, my husband gets a little nervous.

Remember the old familiar, "If you were stranded on a desert island, what two things would you want with you?" question. I'm sure, in fact I'd bet money on it, that my husband's answer would be 'ketchup and toilet paper.'

I don't know why my husband has this phobia about running out of ketchup or toilet paper. It's not like we've ever had to knock on the neighbor's door to ask if we could borrow a cup of ketchup, or beg for a few squares of Charmin.

I lovingly tease my husband, but after visiting some relatives I realized that there are other people in the world who are even more obsessed about keeping track of their toilet paper inventory.

It was the third day of our visit, my husband and I were sitting down to breakfast, and after our hostess asked us how we wanted our eggs cooked she commented, "Boy we seem to be going through a lot more toilet paper since you guys came to visit. What are you doing with it?"

Initially speechless, I finally muttered, "I don't know. I guess we use it for the same things most people do."

I refrained from asking for ketchup to put on my eggs.

Later that day I bought two 12-roll packs of toilet paper and stacked them up in the corner of their bathroom. And of course, I bought a couple of bottles of ketchup, too, just in case.

Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.

Suzanne Beecher
mailto:Suzanne@DearReader.com 
http://www.DearReader.com

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Comments

[Virginia Weber]

Suzanne: Your husband inventories the catsup (ketchup?) and toilet paper so you won't have to! :-) And the relatives you visited managed to say out-loud what many hosts have probably thought to themselves often - I know I have, and then have wondered why on earth I am worrying about the dwindling supply of toilet paper. Oh, yes. So my husband won't have to! Ha. Thanks for the chuckles in today's column!