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wayfaringwordhackI'm sure this could never happen to you, but just in case this advice could serve: If ever you are in need of buying earplugs, make sure--if you are able--to check the manufacture date. For me, that would have been a glance at the copyright symbol had I thought to check while still at the pharmacy.
After a few days of wearing the things, I was convinced that they were just some inferior quality, a bit hard, not perfectly smooshable, never fully expanding* to fit my ear canal. But the Quality blazoned across the tiny box and the insistence that both the color and the name were a patented unreplicable invention made me think someone was proud of their product. Further examination brought the copyright date to my eyes: 2001. Yeah, I guess even quality earplugs aren't all that great after waiting 21 years to fill some ears.
I have since bought newer plugs (different brand), and they are great. Thank goodness I had them last night during the windstorm. I have mentioned the colander-like quality of our windows. I would now like to point out that the utility access shafts/wells** ALSO let through prodigious drafts. The high winds kept blowing them open (we have one on each floor) and I had to cram a t-shirt and floorcloth, respectively, into to the cracks of the access doors to keep them closed. Even after doing that, I also needed to shove a spent toilet roll into the crack of our bedroom door to keep it from rattling. :P
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* We bought a mattress topper here, and it took WEEKS to expand instead of the promised 24-72 hrs. I would argue that there are places that are still not at 100%.
** Does anyone know the true name for these?
After a few days of wearing the things, I was convinced that they were just some inferior quality, a bit hard, not perfectly smooshable, never fully expanding* to fit my ear canal. But the Quality blazoned across the tiny box and the insistence that both the color and the name were a patented unreplicable invention made me think someone was proud of their product. Further examination brought the copyright date to my eyes: 2001. Yeah, I guess even quality earplugs aren't all that great after waiting 21 years to fill some ears.
I have since bought newer plugs (different brand), and they are great. Thank goodness I had them last night during the windstorm. I have mentioned the colander-like quality of our windows. I would now like to point out that the utility access shafts/wells** ALSO let through prodigious drafts. The high winds kept blowing them open (we have one on each floor) and I had to cram a t-shirt and floorcloth, respectively, into to the cracks of the access doors to keep them closed. Even after doing that, I also needed to shove a spent toilet roll into the crack of our bedroom door to keep it from rattling. :P
_______________
* We bought a mattress topper here, and it took WEEKS to expand instead of the promised 24-72 hrs. I would argue that there are places that are still not at 100%.
** Does anyone know the true name for these?
no subject
Date: 24 Feb 2022 01:13 pm (UTC)I'm glad you're finding ways to deal with the infelicities of your housing, but I'm sorry there are so many of them :-\
no subject
Date: 24 Feb 2022 01:46 pm (UTC)And many in our day and age have a very short life-span, the shorter the better for, say, certain manufacturers. :P
As to the housing situation, there has been a quiet voice in the back of my mind the past couple of days asking if we really need to put up with some of this stuff. I am always afraid of the "out of the frying pan into the fire" possibility, but sometimes you just have to go for it. We shall see.