I can't open things up. I'm talking mouthwash, Clorox, pill bottles -- all those caps that you have to push down on and twist at the same time. Oh, I press and twist, and still the cap doesn't open. I repeat the motion once, twice, and maybe then I succeed. If not, I call on my husband to help, and then I start wondering what's wrong with my hands.

Is it just me?

I have this problem with peel-back tops, too. Like with the little cartons of egg beaters and yogurt, with the fine foil lids that have to be pulled back. I grab the tab and pull. And pull. I let go, dry my hands, and try again, then shift and try with the other hand. Finally I take a knife and cut through the foil, which, of course, makes things messy. And then there are "pull-tabs," the things that are supposed to let you open a mailer, say, a book you've just received from amazon. You pull the tab, and it tears off. You try the other side, struggle with it, then grab a pair of pliers, grit your teeth, and pull.

Is it just me?

And those plastic containers -- you know, the 8-pack of batteries or the new card reader for my camera or, goodness, even the cat toy I just bought for Chelsea. Cat toy! Ok, I go straight to the scissors for that kind of plastic packaging, and not my little knitting scissors or even my normal kitchen scissors. I grab the heavy duty scissors and cut one end of the package, then try to tug it open. Nothing. I cut the other end of the package and tug. Maybe I can squeeze part of the item out now, but more often than not I have to cut a third edge before the whole thing comes free.

Is it just me?

I do understand that manufacturers are trying to deter theft. But really. All of these items have the store's little electronic tab that sets off the alarm at the door, so isn't this kind of mega-packaging overkill? My sister suggested that manufacturers are also trying to deter people from neatly opening a package and, undetected, inserting something that shouldn't be there (like poison), and I can actually buy this argument. But how sad it is that we have to worry about this. The world has become a scary place.

That's the reason I buy relaxation CDs. I get them home, remove the thin plastic wrap (with a knife, thank you), then struggle with the label that holds the case closed. If you pull, you get the label torn raggedly and not open at all. If you pull too hard, you risk breaking the CD case itself. If you use a knife, it slips and you cut yourself. I actually got a how-to tip once from a young woman at the checout counter of a music store. Mind you, she knew nothing about New Age music, which was what I wanted, but she did open lots of CDs. She suggested that once the outer plastic wrap was off, I gently disengage the bottom hinge of the CD, raise the now-disconnected top lid and, still gently, peel the label from the bottom lid, then peel it from the top, re-engage the hinges, and -- bingo -- done! I does work ...

... which means I have soothing music to listen to while I struggle to remove the tiny labels on each of twelve new juice glasses I just bought at Crate and Barrel. Next time I buy glasses, I'm going to get everything to the register, pay for it, then tell the clerk I'll return it there and then unless he removes the labels before I take the glasses home. Can you imagine if we all asked that?

Or ... is it just me?