Sunday, October 18, 2009

TBWCYL Day 291 - How does Cookie Monster wipe his ass with these things?

Well, I hit the final task involving senses today by having to do the "Live without my sense of Touch". Since I have no access to mass amounts of Novocaine to numb my I was forced to use padding to stop myself from feeling things.


Now you may be thinking I am turning into Fozzie Bear, wokka wokka, but no, those are just regular work gloves. I bought padded gloves to stop any sensations from reaching my fingertips, wore a long sleeve shirt and jeans to protect my body, and kept socks and shoes on all day to cover my feet.

The sense of touch is, in my opinion, the second most important sense. However, I think the real reason to make me wear gloves all day was to stop me from having any fine motor skills. Wearing gloves stops you from doing a lot of things. Here are a few.

Pulling my wallet out of my pocket
I went to get donuts for breakfast and when I went to reach into my pocket, I couldn't get my giant puffy hand in. I had to remove my glove just to get my wallet out because my jeans were tight enough that my wallet was wedged in.

Holding a fork
Understandably, the gloves aren't something you wash like your hands and this meant I had to eat everything with a fork and knife. Coordinating this was a challenge in that my fingers were now twice as fat as usual and didn't have the gripping power they should. It took two hands to pick up the fork and get it situated before even attempting to eat a donut. I had to pull tongs out just to get the damn thing out of the box.

Picking up a quarter
We were cleaning our house yesterday when a arcade token fell on the floor. As my brother-in-law and Diana sat watching, I took my gloved hand and attempted to pick the coin up. My fingertips were flimsy and had no real gripping power and it took a good 20 seconds to finally use both index fingers to flip the coin into my hand with pride.

Holding a screw
We bought a Texas Tech flag and yesterday I journeyed to the store to buy a flagpole. When I got home I went to mount it to the house and realized I had to maneuver screws to accomplish this. It was slow going but I was able to pinch a screw between my gloved fingers and get it driven into the wall.

Using the Computer
Maybe you haven't considered it but a laptop mouse pad uses some sort of magic touch technology that only works with skin. I don't know how it works but I hate it. As I sat trying in vain to move the mouse with my gloved finger I became increasingly frustrated. Only skin would make it work and I had none so I had to give up and shut the computer. I also have the IPhone which also had the same issue. I was able to use the tip of my nose to get it running and check my email but a gloved man pecking at a phone doesn't work well.

There were a few things sensory related as well. I was trying to wash a dish and didn't realize that the water was running on my finger. I also couldn't feel most heat or cold so I could have picked up hot dishes with ease. The wind didn't get to me either. In all I got what I expected from the sensory part of the experiment. I couldn't feel and that was an experience in and of itself.

Luckily I didn't have to face my greatest glove fear: Wiping my butt.

That is all,

Newt

9 Ripples in the pond:

Addy's Daddy said...

Did you go to the store like that? Did they stare at you? More than usual?

Erin said...

If you were supposed to have zero sense of touch, then doesn't taking the nose to the iPhone still count? I mean, hello, nerves on the end of your nose! Too bad you couldn't get your gloved hands on some Novacaine...

I really like your shirt, by the way.

Trinity said...

Yes I went to the store but I didn't get the gawkes you would expect. I assume it had to do with the gloves looking work related and me buying a flagpole.

ladytruth said...

When I first saw the picture I thought it was this post was going to be about Halloween costumes and already tried to figure out what you're actually representing, like a bear crashing an Oktoberfest party or something.

Speaking about costumes, I still remember that one post about Diana (I think it was her) dressed up in a costume and we had to guess what she was. So what was she?

Trinity said...

She was Orko from He-Man. A few people had guessed it and I confirmed the guess in a comment. No, I am not a bear at Ocktoberfest but that would be a funny idea.

Carrie said...

Yeah, I think I would have given this one up about the time you couldn't pick up the quarter... ;)

Soda and Candy said...

You kids today and your tight jeans *tsk tsk*

; )

Laura said...

I love that picture of the fozzy bear/ work gloves. It makes the whole thing way funnier cause I kept picturing you doing all that stuff while ensconced in those gloves.

Trinity said...

Carrie - You give up to easy.

S&C - I only have tight jeans because I am plump. I don't buy them that way I just grow into them.

Lola - glad I could make you smile.