Me versus the shredder

I didn't start out trying to make an unholy mess on my newly mopped floors.  I was only trying to catch up on shredding documents.  I've had a basket of them sitting in the garage for five months.  (I also have a mountain of things to file, but that's gonna happen later this Spring)  

Exhibit A:  The shredder that LIES because it says it will take up to 12 sheets of paper, but it will not.  It's our second shredder - we tend to kill appliances.  Shredders are a good thing to have.  Going 100 paperless would be an even better thing, I realize.  But we still have documents and old bills that will need shredding in the future.  

 Exhibit B:  The mess created from me taking the darn thing apart and unplugging the paper jam.  Yes, I used a skinny wooden ruler to assist.  Yes, I broke the ruler.  And  plastic fork.  Ditto a plastic knife.

Two more clean-outs and two and half bags later, I had gotten a chunk of paper so wedged in there it wouldn't budge and I knew I was finished shredding indefinitely.  I got the bulk of it done, so after thirty minutes of troubleshooting, I officially gave up.  Rather than give Hubby yet another thing to fix (the leaf blower is higher up on the list of things we need fixed) I think I will set this out on the next Big Trash Day.  Executive decision: go quietly to Wal-mart and purchase a new one.

Gina