Posted on 03/20/2010 6:22:47 AM PDT by Daffynition
(March 19) -- In 1965, a 14-year-old Canadian kid started building a chain of chewing gum wrappers, just like millions of other kids.
The only difference between Gary Duschl and your typical kid is that he never stopped, and his chain is now 12 miles long -- 42 times the height of the Empire State Building, twice the height of Mount Everest and long enough to cross 210 football fields.
"If you were to get in a car and drive 60 mph from one end of the chain, it would take you 12 minutes to get to the other," says Duschl, certain that he's got the math correct.
The 59-year-old Virginia Beach, Va., resident says he works on the chain about one hour a day "more or less" and attributes his unique achievement to "persistence" and a "very understanding wife."
"She's an amazingly tolerant woman," Duschl says. "I used to stretch it out through the house, and she set me up in a place in the den with a TV, so I can watch sports and build my chain."
The chain is now so large -- it weighs nearly 900 pounds -- he only takes it out about once every two years.
As he prepared to add the 3 millionth link to the amazing chain, Duschl loaded up a truck and brought it to Ripley's Odditorium in Times Square in New York, where Ripley's CEO Jim Pattison Jr. signed this labor of love.
"I'm just halfway there," said Duschl, who works as the general manager for Virginia Materials Inc., a supplier of industrial materials.
"I'm going to keep going until this is 26.2 miles -- the same length as a marathon."
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at aolnews.com ...
WOW! You HAVE been busy!
More practical for CCW... ;-)
Dude...
On a "never to be forgotten" first date my date showed me his ball of string. That was not a euphemism. He really did have a five foot high ball of string that he was working on.
Need I mention that was our last date as well?
Personally I was a little worried that he was using the body of his LAST girl friend as the core.
It just wasn’t meant to be. At least he has his true love.
Not to worry......
Guys who collect string seldom harm their girlfriends.......
They're too tied up with their other interest.......
Okay, Okay,.....bad joke.....I couldn't help it....The Devil made me do it. lol
Don't bring a big knife to a big gun fight.
One thing for sure, he does NOT have a cat!
I had one about 12 feet that I gave to Goodwill about 2o years ago.
True!
JERRY:I think gum is, is one of the weirdest human inventions.It's not a liquid, 's not a solid, 's not a food. What is it? It isn't really anything, you know. I mean, it's like a stationary bike for your jaw.
Like, remember when you were in school, and teachers would get all riled up if they caught you with gum? And when you were a kid, you'd think 'What is the big deal?' But, as an adult, I can understand it, because when you're chewing gum, you don't look like you're too thrilled with anything anyone has to say.
(as sarcastic teen)
'Oh, World War Two. That was an important historical event? Yeah, I'm sure.' 'They landed a man on the moon, nineteen sixty-nine? Yeah, right. Yeah, I buy that, teach.'
You sound like you are anti-horder...
I think I had to sit in this chair in 6th grade social studies.
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