problem solved

    

      “Do you know what this is?” Shawn asked me while packing for our backpacking trip last weekend.
      “Is this a trick question? I replied.
      “No.”
      “It’s one of those tiny camping bottles filled with sunblock?” I guessed.
      “Wrong! It’s a bottle of sunblock AND a blister kit.”
      Maybe it’s just me, but seems like outside of seeing something naked, nothing quite gets a guy excited like designing or purchasing something that is multi-functional.
      Look! It’s a raincoat. But wait! Fold it like this and this, pull this flap over, and see this here? You blow air inside this hole, seal it, and now it’s a pillow.
      Happy Day!
      Whole industries have capitalized on this male phenomenon, starting with designing Transformers for little boys to Leatherman multi-tools —which have now been designed to include 18 DIFFERENT TOOLS in one tiny fold-up unit. (If you would’ve taken a close up of planet earth when the multi-tools where first released, you would’ve seen millions of men walking around with multi-tools in their pockets and and their pants standing up like pup tents, all eagle-eyed for a chance to put their tools to work.)
      Anyway, in case you’re wondering, the “blister kit” is a piece of gauze with some duct tape over it, so if you get a blister while hiking, you can pop it and apply the gauze and then the tape for relief. And really, I guess what’s at the bottom of this is a guy’s need to take care of his tribe. To solve problems.
      Forget insightful suggestions on how you can make amends with your closest girlfriend, but need your bottle opened?
      Here, gotcha covered.
      Hangnail?
      Got some clippers.
      Feel a sunburn AND a blister coming on at the same time?
      Bring it.