So here's the short of it, 

I used a Saddle Stapler for the first time ever today!

And here's the long.

Well, I'm an old cuss, and I've been working around office equipment since my first job when I was about 15 years old. I kind of pride myself on knowing about such things. I even remember using an old copy technique called the hectograph. It was a  semi-permanent gel in a tray. You made an original from carbon paper or with special pencils. The original went face down on the gel and then you left it for awhile - I'm thinking about 30 min or so. Somehow it made a negative image (in purple) of your original, then you could press one page at a time down on the get and get a copy (less clear with each copy) - you could get a good number of copies before it faded too much to be read. And as a teacher and a support person, I've done my share of stapling things together too. I thought I'd used every kind of stapler around - of course as a teacher mostly old ones or cheap ones. BUT I had never heard of a Saddle Stapler before today! It's a pretty specialized stapling instrument!


I am working with a teacher on something for tomorrow, and I told her that I'd make up student journals which are essentially 8 1/2 X 11 paper with a cover folded and stapled in the middle.  It was the staple in the middle that was giving me grief. I couldn't find a stapler that would work. So I see Carrie (who knows everything) in the hallway. She's the secretary in the pre-school center downstairs.  I asked her for advice. She said have you tried the Saddle Stapler. I laughed. I didn't know there was such a thing. Wow, it was funny looking, and it sure made short work of that job I had! 

So now this old dog learned a new trick today - and it was a trick I thought was pretty cool!