ODDS, ENDS & INSPIRATION

z Nobel Prize-winning 20th-century American author John Steinbeck once said: “We spend our time searching for security and hate it when we get it.” z It seems no one can adequately explain why women tend to strike matches away from themselves while men tend to strike them toward themselves. z It may be hard to believe, but there is an official competition to see who can sit in a sauna the longest. The World Sauna Championships have taken place in Heinola, Finland, annually since 1999. The starting temperature is 43.33 C, and a litre of water is poured on the stove every 30 seconds. The winner is the last person who is able to leave the sauna without assistance. Competitors participate at their own risk, and they are required to sign a waiver agreeing not to take legal action against the event organisers.

z Other than being celebrities, what do Woody Allen, Farrah Fawcett, Stanley Tucci, Glenn Close, Richard Attenborough and Kevin Spacey have in common? They’re all pigs. In the Chinese zodiac, that is – they were born in the year of the pig.

z The small Central American country of Costa Rica has more species of mammals and birds than are found in all of the contiguous United States and Canada combined.

z The ubiquitous summertime thongs that Aussies wear on their feet have different names in different places. Some Australians calls them pluggers, in America they’re known as flip-flop sandals, they’re called slops in South Africa and slippers in Hawaii, and New Zealanders call them jandals.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

z Struggling with your shower cleanliness? Keep a bottle of shower sanitiser and a grout brush in the shower at all times. Use the grout brush if something pops up, and spray shower daily. This should greatly extend the time between deep cleanings. z “I bought a television recently and didn’t realise until I got it home that there are NO buttons on the unit itself. It operates only through the remote control. So, I put some hook and loop tape on the remote, and also on the TV and the side table. That remote stays put, and I can always find it when I want to turn the TV off!” – I.J.M. z Hotel rooms can be germ paradises. Try sticking your TV remote inside of a plastic bag (you can use the one that comes with the ice bucket). Touch all you want; germs are trapped inside.

z Brooms get worn down with use. Be sure to remove clumps of hair and dust bunnies after use, and give it a dip in soapy water or a spray with the hose weekly (not straw brooms, though). Hanging a broom will give it a longer life.

z “After we replaced our kitchen knives with a nice block of knives, we repurposed the magnetic strip to the garage, where it can hold a variety of tools and hardware.” – E.P.

z If you want to keep a few bottles of beverage cold in your hotel room, use one of the garbage bins lined with a bag that’s filled with ice. The actual ice bucket is typically too small to use as a cooler, and if you use the bathroom sink, where will you wash your hands?