[at-l] gear report.........sorta

[hopefl@juno.com (Lamar Powell)]

Dateline: Chattanooga;  Trail angels descend on Hopeful

Good fortune has been smiling on me these last few days. First, I got a
note from Jan, journalist extraordinaire. She mentioned that someone has
used medicine bottles for storing denatured alcohol. The advantageous
features of the medicine bottles are the unique shape, totally different
from a beverage bottle; the amber color and translucences; the ounces/
milliliter graduates molded into the plastic, and the child proof cap.
Well maybe the child proof cap is not an advantage, but it is
replaceable. What really got my attention was the fact the bottles were
purchased for pennies! That is the sort of price that really appeals to a
cheapy like me.

I went to a local pharmacy and explained to the lady in charge what I was
looking to buy and why I wanted such bottles. After an incredulous stair
that lasted several moments the pharmacist asks, "What size?" I was taken
back by her question because all during The Stair, I was certain she was
activating some kinds of nut case alarm. I could just see me being
carried off by armed police and men in white coats. After regaining my
senses I replied, "Large."

After disappearing into the shelves, the pharmacist reappeared with a 16
ounce medicine bottle, no label. "Great," I responded as she handed over
the bottle, "how much do I owe you?" "Nothing," she replied. I assured
her I was most willing to pay; little did she know how pleased I was with
the price. "Thank's ok, just take it," she says and turns to assist an
honest to goodness, paying customer. I walked away a little disappointed.
I was hoping to pay a small amount for the bottle so my conscience
wouldn't bother me for asking for two bottles. 

Well, one 16 ounce bottle is going to work just fine for a hike of a few
days, maybe a week if I'm stingy with the fuel. For a long hike or a hike
in cold weather, I think I'd rather have more alcohol on hand. There was
nothing left to do but try another pharmacy, being that I have an easily
bruised conscience and I was ashamed to go begging for another bottle at
the same store. So, I walk right up to the "Drop Prescriptions Here"
window and a pharmacist promptly appears, another lady. "May I help you?"
I repeat my story ending with a request for a medicine bottle. Without
loosing eye contact, lady pharmacist number 2 reaches under the counter
and produces a 16 ounce, translucent, amber color, graduated bottle with
child proof cap. I says to me, "Hopeful, old son. She was expecting you!"
Taking the bottle, I ask, "How much?" "Nothing," she replies. I'm
starting to feel real odd about this time. "Ok, thanks," says I. "Do you
know Felix," I ask. After a short stair through squinched eyes she
responds, "Felix?" "Never mind," I says, "Thanks for the bottle." 

As I walk out to my truck I consider pinching me to see if this is really
happening. I had been ready to buy a Nalgene bottle specifically made for
alcohol, maybe two small ones. That would have cost me about $16 to $20.
I now have two ideal bottles and all it cost me was the time and a few
miles to get them. At home I got a metal pan to sit the bottles in for a
"will denatured alcohol dissolve this plastic" test. I got my laundry
marker and scribble stuff like, Poison! Denatured Alcohol on the bottles
and drew some skulls and crossed bones. Well, I was able to recognize the
drawings as a skull and crossed bones. I began to put alcohol into the
first bottle and started to chuckle about my good fortune. In the process
I spilled some and washed the writing right off my new bottle.  Hopeful

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