Have you ever used one of those peeling thingies to peel a potato? If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then this entry will hold little interest for you. Even if you have it’s probably touch and go. Anyway, imagine what happens to the peel when you use the peeling thingie on a potato. It works so well because it is open on top to allow the peeled substance to drop away. This is precisely why your finger nail makes a lousy peeling thingie (that and it’s not nearly as wide as a peeling thingie, but that’s not important right now). Peeling a potato with your finger nail is not recommended because it’s just not the best way, but at least it won’t cause any permanent damage to your finger. Trying the same exercise on wood paneling is another matter. While a potato is significantly less rigid than your finger, shards of wood paneling are significantly more rigid than the tissue under your finger nail. Imagine my surprise when I notice the shadow of a 3/4 inch piece of wood paneling under my finger nail. Now imagine me hoping around, going through the list of words I don’t want Beth to say.

Let me leave you with this nugget of learned wisdom: it hurts just as much to pull it out as it does to shove it in.