The Great Houdini

One of the best things about visiting my kids' houses is that I can learn so much so easily. All the things that they've experimented with and practiced and honed to a fine skill, they pass right on to me.

Firstborn Army Guy has been helping me with my camera and that's great! It's so much easier than reading those boring manuals. And now he's taught us about a must-have product.

Just for a little background, I'll describe Mr. Right opening a bottle of wine with our corkscrew. He positions it on top and then turns it...and turns it...and turns it. After turning it some more he starts to turn it the other way. Back and forth..back and forth until my wrists are sore from watching him. I'll admit that a big part of the problem is that the corkscrew is kind of different from the norm and he just doesn't seem to understand how it works. And as I watch, I have mixed emotions. First, I wonder how he's making it so difficult and second I'm ecstatic that I don't have to be the one doing it. Whew!

So the first night we were here Firstborn Army Guy opened a bottle of wine in about 2 1/2 seconds. I wasn't watching, but Mr. Right was. The next night Firstborn Army Guy opened another bottle of wine (don't ask me who's drinking all that wine either) in about 2 1/2 seconds again. This time I saw it too. Mr. Right jumped up and started asking how in the heck he did it. Here's the answer: The Houdini Lever Corkscrew.

Isn't it cute?!! That little round thing on the right is the foil cutter so it's a very complete package.

Then here's how the corkscrew works. First you clamp the Houdini around the neck of the bottle. Then when you pull the lever back it corkscrews the cork and then pull the lever forward and it removes it. Just like that! Presto! The great Houdini does it again.

And where did he get it? From his sister as a Christmas present and he insists that it's one of the BEST presents he's ever gotten.