Tuesday, February 9, 2010

The One In Which I'm Being Gross

Do you remember The Great Toilet Paper Shortage of '73?

Back in 1973 there was supposed to be a toilet paper shortage. I don't know if that was really true or not, but my grandparents believed it, apparently. They had a whole wall of toilet paper storage. Shelves and shelves of toilet paper.

My mom got a kick out of it! In fact, she figured that they had enough toilet paper to last them the rest of their lives.

You know, not to get too personal or anything, but there are just some things that you don't want to run out of. Toilet paper being one of them. Kleenex being another.

My dad grew up in the "handkerchief" generation, and without being too gross, let me just say that you couldn't pay me to use one of those. I say use it and throw it away. Don't wash it!

Although that is kind of hypocritical I guess. I used cloth diapers and well, you know the stuff on that doesn't even compare.

By the way, when I say "I used cloth diapers" I don't mean that I personally used them. I mean that my children used them. But since they were babies, they really weren't into the whole washing and hygiene thing, so they used them but I was responsible for cleaning them. Just wanted to clarify for any of you that were seriously concerned about the health of my bladder. It is fine, thank you. My colon says "hello" as well.

Let's get back to toilet paper. Hurry. Since when did toilet paper seem a safer topic than diapers?

Just for fun I googled "What did people do before toilet paper?" and guess what? People have already googled that phrase before. Guess I'm not all that original. Kind of scary that that many people are interested in toilet paper shortages though.

By the way, you aren't going to get a history lesson here. I don't know what people did before toilet paper. Matter of fact, I don't even want to think about it. I just think it's funny that you can google that.

After I typed "google that" in the previous sentence, it made me wonder if "google" was actually considered a verb. Then I googled "Is google a verb?" and you can google that too! Yes, apparently it is a verb.

If google is a verb now, how come my spell check doesn't seem to even recognize that it's a word? Oh well. Make sure you don't run out of toilet paper people. I'm just sayin'.......

29 comments:

  1. Nan, you are funny!! I love your style sister-friend! As for pre-toilet paper? Maybe it was leaves??? (SMILE).

    I love you. Thanks for sharing :)

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  2. Wow! Just a little off the wall today, huh?!? I love it. Made me laugh so early in the morning. Good way to start a day.

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  3. Death before toilet paper has always been my motto. Well, not really, but you know what I mean. My Dad, who liked to gross me out, told me that when there was no toilet paper, they used pages from the Sears and Roebuck catalog. and if you were poor, you used a corncob. Yikes!

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  4. google is actually a Noun. It is the number 1 with 100 zeros behind it. That's what I remember learning in the 2nd grade anyway!

    My dad had an outhouse growing up. trust me, you do NOT want to know what they used. Not pretty at all!!

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  5. I'm thinking they used leaves...and that does not sound very fun to me:)

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  6. Yikes...say it isn't so. If we ever had that scare it would not be fun. I would probably head on over to my moms house...she likes to stock up on EVERYTHING, so I am sure she will have some stocked up.

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  7. Yup, you're weird! Maybe even weirder than me! And that's pretty weird! LOL! Love ya!
    Kim

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  8. Here's another gross & yet interesting thought...what did people do before tampons/pads? I know in Bible days the women got kicked out of the camp until their cycle was over. Wonder what that was like? Did they have to take their kids with them? Things that make you go, hhhhmmmmm

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  9. My dad is hankie man himself, I hated doing laundry as a kid! I was born the year of the toilet paper shortage, my parents still keep a hoarded stack and it's just the two of them!

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  10. My FIL is a handkerchief guy and it grosses me out. My MIL once asked for my FIL's handkerchief and wiped my kids face with it. I wanted to die. I thought I was going to be sick. I am so germaphobic. That one took the germaphob to a new level. ugh.
    Don't even want to think about no TP.

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  11. Gotta have toilet paper...and lots of it...hahaha.

    Nan: I am glad you are here, today. I have not been able to access your regular blog for the last couple of days. It opens but does NOT show the post.
    Hugs, andrea

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  12. My grandmother shared with us that they used dried corn cobs for toilet paper when she was a little girl {OUCH}!!

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  13. Lord, that brings back memories. My parents thought we were having a toilet paper, canned foods, cleaning supply, diet coke shortage. We couldn't even make our way through the basement, much less find what we were looking for!

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  14. On my way to buy it at Target with my coupon...could you imagine how gross that would be?

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  15. Grocery List: Case of Toilet Paper...check! :)
    LOL you make my laugh Nan, I love you!

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  16. I don't even want to know what people did before they had toilet paper. Gross! I'm totally with you: use it and throw it away! Don't wrap your snot up and carry it around with you in your pocket. Puke.

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  17. I do remember the tp shortage of '73. HA! Funny, I had a dream last night that I had no toilet paper and I used some pieces of paper with staples in them. I made sure I worked around those staples. Why on earth I dreamed that, I'll never know.
    My hubby uses a handkerchief. GROSS! I need rubber gloves to throw them in the washer, and I only wash his clothes with them. No snot on my stuff.

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  18. I'm safe!I just bought 6 cases which is 288 roles of the white stuff yesterday!I should be good for at least 12 months.No I'm not crazy I just don't like shopping!

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  19. I think I might like to become a toilet paper hoarder myself:-) And like you I don't think I want to know what they did before toilet paper:-)

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  20. I would be awful to live without toilet paper.I always buy the jumbo packs of Scott toilet paper. I never want to run out! I'm not an over-stocker, but I do buy when I'm down to 4 rolls. Thank goodness for paper products!

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  21. HAHAHA! This is too funny! I get panicky when we get down to two rolls, then I'm like, we've got to go get some now! :D

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  22. LOL Some of these comments are as funny as your post
    I have a friend who has toilet paper lack phobia. LOL
    After this, I think I might too.

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  23. haha! Nan...first a quick question...is there any of your grandparent's toilet paper left?

    and that diapers was a topic to move away from to the more safer toilet paper topic haha ...that would not have been an issue back in the day before the adult diapers were invented.

    I agree with Chrisy rose, the comments are hilarious too!

    Blessings & Aloha!

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  24. Nan:
    I use foxfire, too. This problem JUST started. It has been fine until about 2 or 3 days ago. That is why I said something. It doesn't make sense.
    Hugs,
    andrea

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  25. LOL! Yes, I don't want to know what they did pre-toilet paper. Ugh!

    My dad still uses a handkerchief. YUCK!

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  26. We've run out before! Agh, in fact it seemed we kept running out (then I'd put tissues or napkins in the bathroom, though I use mostly cloth napkins so I didn't put those in there) so despite being thrifty and poor I decided I'd start buying the giant thing of Scott TP! That stuff lasts forever! And not only did I CD a few of my kids but I too used Cloth diapers, of course really my Mom used them on me, but you know! And she used pins and plastic covers!
    This is so long that my request couldn't be processed, trying again.......

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  27. OK, having two young adult daughters (18 & 20), I can tell you something else you NEVER want to be out of...guess. Yep. And toilet paper is a must also!! Seriously I need to go stock up because I just might have a panic attack now! ha ha

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  28. You totally crack me up! I don't even want to imagine what a life without toilet paper would be like.

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  29. Lack of TP would be real bad, tissue too.

    I do remember a supposed gas shortage in the early 70's. That was crazy. People tried to store cans and drums and 50 gallon tanks of it in their garages & all.

    Great post! Take care.
    Nannette

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