Jones-a-Day

Day 300 - The Big Three, Oh, Oh

2010-06-08T23:12:00.003-04:00

I wish I had something spectacular lined up for the big 300, but, alas, all I have is long grain brown rice in a bottle. The label is brown, and the pine tree on the roof of the Volkswagen Beetle reminded me of hay which, in turn, reminds me of the grains harvested from wheat and the grains of rice in this bottle.

300 bottles down, only 65 more to go. I know it's been a bumpy, unpredictable ride, but this milestone still feels big to me.

Thanks,
~Mitch~

Day 299 - Kaplow!

2010-06-07T21:00:00.003-04:00

Just got through another busy stretch of time, brought to me by life. Work. Work out. Work on this and that. Finally, a day off. I had tried to post yesterday, but Blogger, for one reason or another, was unavailable...

But, regardless, I'm pretty proud of this bottle. Yeah, it looks alright, but the filler-to-label connection is brilliant. Think of the old Batman television series. The comic-like action sounds of "bam" and "zoink" as Batman and Robin beat the tar out of the evil-doers. In this bottle, black eyed peas.

Get it?,
~Mitch~

Day 298 - I Have No Idea

2010-06-04T21:38:00.001-04:00

No, really, I'm posting in such a hurry that I'm not even sure what is in today's bottle. Details later? We'll see.

And away we go,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Just rememberred. Peanut shells. Girl on sidewalk. I imagine a peanut shell littered sidewalk, like outside of a baseball stadium. Bubblegum. There.

Day 297 - Mambo, Italiano

2010-06-04T08:41:00.002-04:00

I guess the idea behind the filler-to-label-connection on this bottle is a little stereotypical, and for that, I apologize. On the label, a man donning a beret lovingly shows affection for what I assume is his daughter. I think of France which, with a stretch of the imagination, makes me think of Italy. In the bottle, Italian salad dressing.

That is all,
~Mitch~

Day 296 - Kid Knee

2010-06-03T20:51:00.002-04:00

Right? "Kid knee" is phonetically equal to "kidney". That's about as creative as it gets for now. Red kidney beans in a bottle, no F.T.L.C. at the moment.

Buh-bye,
~Mitch~

Day 295 - Best. Candy. Ever.

2010-06-02T23:09:00.003-04:00

Okay, let's not get carried away. There are far too many categories of candy and far too many "Best Candies Ever" to call Peanut Butter M&M's the best candy ever. But, regardless and without debate, they are damn good. Now, now, before you try and call me for reposting filler, look carefully. The candies in Day 272's bottle is Peanut M&M's, these are clearly Peanut Butter.

I don't know, I'm just in a good mood right now and talking about these delicious, perfectly crunchy, creamy morsels is making it better. I've found a diet that works, just ran two personal record miles back-to-back (7.5 minutes), and have vowed to stick to this routine for another 20 days until D.B.'s Summer Slip-n-slide Bash.

Good night, all you beautiful people,
~Mitch~

Day 294 - Northern Lights

2010-06-01T22:48:00.002-04:00

Great Northern Beans. I graduated high school in 2005 from Forest Hills Northern. Our mascot was a husky. The F.T.L.C. should be obvious by now, but in case it isn't, think of the great white north. Think of snow and the outdoors. Think of sled-dogs and the beautiful husky.

Till tomorrow,
~Mitch~

Day 293 - Condiments, Part 2

2010-05-31T14:14:00.002-04:00

Well, the previous post asked, "can you guess what tomorrow's bottle will be?" Although, technically I didn't post this the next day, the answer to the riddle is "ketchup". Only makes sense, right? To have mustard and ketchup back-to-back.

Unlike the previous bottle, however, this bottle does come with an F.T.L.C. You see, some of you may have remembered last year around this time when I was all excited for a giant summer party hosted by my good friend Dan. This year the party returns and it is going to be even bigger on account that that good friend, Mr. D.B. himself, will be moving to Los Angeles shortly thereafter. The slip and slide on the label reminded me of last year's party. The horseshoes, the trampoline, the s'mores, the 100-foot slip-n'-slide. The beer and hot dogs. The condiments.

We'll miss you, buddy,
~Mitch~

Day 292 - Condiments, Part 1

2010-05-27T14:35:00.002-04:00

This one actually turned out better than expected. For some reason, although I love the taste of mustard on a hamburger, hot-dog, bratwurst, etc., I'm not too found of the smell or taste of mustard by itself. With all things considered, I thought that the sight of the large amount of mustard would make me cringe, but I think it works within the confines of this bottle. I'm not sure if there is a filler-to-label-connection, but the mixture of the black, the white, and the eye-popping pink and yellow seem to work.

Can anyone guess what tomorrow's bottle will be?,
~Mitch~

Day 291 - In My Soup

2010-05-24T21:06:00.002-04:00

Wow, blogosphere, I'm back again. Where did I go this time? No where special really, the special news is that my computer is no longer the equivalent of a high-tech paperweight. Not only did I upgrade from a weak, almost laughable 512mb of RAM to a respectable 4GB, but I triple the cores in my processor. With Windows 7, the whole new system feels nice and snappy and polished.

This bottle is one of my favorites of the ones that I have filled recently. I'm not even sure why, could be because Animal Crackers are so iconic and delicious.

I picked the label because I always think of Shirley Temple when I say the words, "animal crackers". I guess the girl on the label made me think of Shirley Temple.

And so the cycle is complete,
~Mitch~

Day 290 - Mashed

2010-05-17T21:11:00.002-04:00

I forgot how much working out and eating right feels like a full-time job. Seriously. By the time I get home from work or skateboarding, I'm just dying for a thick, greasy, cheeseburger and hot, crisp, salty french fries smothered in chili or ketchup. Instead, it's a salad or oatmeal then 2.5 miles on the treadmill followed by x-number of crunches, sit-ups, etc. By the end of the day, I am beat.

So that explains where Jones has been for the past few nights. I've just been too exhausted.

This bottle is filled with those white, powdery, instant mash potato flakes.

F.T.L.C. is up to you,
~Mitch~

Day 289 - Candy Coated Crack

2010-05-12T23:05:00.003-04:00

No, really, that is what this bottle is filled with. Crunchy, candy-coated crack. Imagine a Reese's Pieces candy. Delicious, right? Now imagine a larger Reese's Pieces filled with more peanut-buttery goodness and a thicker chocolate shell.

With my new objective to excercise more and eat right, this bottle should have been called "Torture".

The label has people on a beach spelling out the word "LOVE" with their bodies. I chose this filler for this bottle for a few reasons. 1) I love, love, love candy (especially peanut butter candies). 2) I felt the filler would look nice with the label (and, in my opinion, it does). And 3) Stevie provided me with these sweet treats for me to eat/put in a bottle (xoxo).

Night, night,
~Mitch~

Day 288 - And Rice

2010-05-11T22:42:00.002-04:00

So, I'm back. I never expected, with it being only a week or two into my Summer vacation, that I would have to deal with snow. We pulled into Wisconsin around midnight local time and were greeted by cold, wet, slushy snow. Gross.

The trip went well and I made it the official end of Winter. Which means eating right, exercising more, and getting ready for a Summer of sun, travel, and beaches.

As a result, my first vigorous work-out session since Independence Day last year has left me beat. So I'll get this one out quick. Today's bottle is filled with lentils. I chose these uncooked legumes for this bottle because they reminded me of fish scales. To my surprise, when put into the bottle, they arranged themselves in a scale-like pattern.

Which is pretty cool, I.M.O.,
~Mitch~

Day 287 - Ok, a Few More Beans

2010-05-06T22:01:00.002-04:00

What is it about pinto beans that looks so fake? They don't look natural. It is almost like someone took the fake beans from that old game "Don't Spill the Beans" and splashed some tan paint on them. I don't know, I can't imagine them growing in nature.

I chose this label because it has a picture of a rock on it. It looks natural, unlike the beans, and its texture and color array reminded me of the little beans.

As the previous handful of posts indicate, I will be in Wisconsin for the next four days helping Stevie's brother move. I will post more complete descriptions for these bottles when I return. But, for now, it's time to get some sleep.

Have a good weekend,
~Mitch~

Day 286 - No More Beans...For Now

2010-05-06T22:00:00.003-04:00

Gone to Wisconsin; check back later for a full update.

Filler - Mike & Ike Flavored Jelly Beans

~Mitch~

Day 285 - Happy 21st

2010-05-06T21:58:00.001-04:00

Gone to Wisconsin; check back for a full update.

Filler - Green and Pink Party Streamers (hung by Stevie's roommate for her 21st birthday)

~Mitch~

Day 284 - More Beans!

2010-05-06T21:56:00.002-04:00

Gone to Wisconsin; check back later for a full update.

Filler - Starburst Flavored Jelly Beans

~Mitch~

Day 283 - POOF, There it Is

2010-05-06T21:55:00.000-04:00

Gone to Wisconsin; check back later for a full update.

Filler - Cheese Puffs

~Mitch~

Day 282 - Paint Me Blue

2010-05-06T21:52:00.003-04:00

Gone to Wisconsin; check back later for a full update!

Filler - (Used) Blue painter's tape.

~Mitch~

Day 281 - Magical Beans

2010-05-04T23:13:00.001-04:00

Spring Has Sprung - Second Edition.

Filler - Hawaiian Punch Jelly Beans.

F.T.L.C. - Kid on a bike, on a beach, in the sun. Hawaii. Bug Juice. Childhood.

Word,
~Mitch~

Day 280 - ...and Dogs

2010-05-03T19:10:00.001-04:00

You see? You see what I did there? The previous bottle, featuring a white cat, wrapped in a white blanket on the white label was filled with chocolate chips. This bottle, featuring a black dog with a dark background on a black label, is filled with vanilla chips. So...they're like...opposites and such.

That's all I got,
~Mitch~

Day 279 - As Different as Cats...

2010-05-02T22:57:00.000-04:00

A lengthy description might take away from the dramatic effect I am trying to establish. Just pay attention to the title of this post and the post coming for tomorrow.

Filler - Chocolate Chips

Night,
~Mitch~

Day 278 - Where a Kid Can Be a Kid

2010-05-01T22:55:00.002-04:00

Another bottle that is practically 100% user-submitted. The bottle, my very first Cherry-flavored Jones, was hand-picked and passed on to me by two faithful followers; thanks Kevin and Laura. The Chuck E. Cheese tickets were collected by Tammy and Stevie. All I had to do was fill, photograph, and post.

Thanks, guys!
~Mitch~

P.S. - Chuck approves...

Day 277 - Spring has Sprung!

2010-04-30T23:35:00.002-04:00

Well, I guess now it is close to the summer season, but the first bottle in the new line of "Spring" bottles reminds me so much of the Spring season. Bright, neon, multi-colored Sweet-Tart flavored Jelly Beans. Delicious and Springy.

Until tomorrow,
~Mitch~

Day 276 - Call Me Nuts

2010-04-29T13:50:00.002-04:00

I think I might be going a little crazy right now. I was sorting through the pictures I have archived on my computer, putting them in the appropriate folders and what not, and I came across this bottle. I looked at the date stamp, checked my "Jones-a-Day" folder, and checked the Jones-a-Day site. This bottle was no where to be found. Had I not stumbled upon it, this bottle may have gone uncounted.

If I did post this bottle previously and just overlooked it, let me know immediately so I can post a new bottle for this day.

Thanks,
~Mitch~

Oh, P.S., the bottle is filled with dry roasted peanuts. The squirrel on the label makes for an obvious F.T.L.C.

Day 275 - Don't Condone Us

2010-04-28T10:39:00.002-04:00

Well, it is finally over. No, although it suffered a dry spell, I am not talking about Jones-a-Day. I am talking about school. Although it was the smallest credit load I have ever taken, this semester was probably the hardest, most labor-intensive periods of college career. I took a final yesterday that now owns my spleen, one of my lungs, and a good portion of my dignity.

It is official summer vacation and, with that, comes a lot more freedom. Without school I will have a lot more free time. Without the need to drive to campus and back twice a week, I will save on gas and, thus, have spare money that I can spend freely. Without the added stresses, I am free to enjoy Jones once again.

This bottle is quite meaningful to me, to be quite honest and sentimental. Right in the middle of all this stress, right at the peak of exam time, my Geology 319 class left on a field trip to Missouri. I can't begin to describe how much fun I had. The van ride was amazing, but what else would you expect on a road trip with a pack of amazing people? The geology was incredible. And camping under the stars, telling jokes around a warm campfire with a cold beer in hand, is it possible to get any better than that?

The bottle is filled with red dirt...sorry, dirt is a "dirty" word to geologists, what I meant to say was; this bottle is filled with velvety-red soil I collected at a local restaurant in Missouri. The girl on the label is sitting on a rock, taking a picture of a squirrel. Somehow this picture sums up the trip.

It's good to see you all again,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Me in front of this massive hauler over 1,000 feet below the surface of the Earth...

Day 274 - Half a Page of Scribbled Line

2010-03-31T15:59:00.002-04:00

"Every year is getting shorter, never seem to find the time. Plans that either come to naught, or half a page of scribbled lines." (Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon)

So just as I was ready to make a triumphant return to my "daily" blog, life happened once again. One day melted into the other as school gave way to work, gave way to school, gave way to school work. For a short period, my schedule consisted of school from 1:00 to 9:30pm including travel time, then work at 5am, then school again the next day only to come home, sleep a few hours, then back to work for an 8.5 hour shift. Somehow the course of four days felt like one continual, bleak, tedium.

So I found some time between papers and right before having to leave for work. I'll be home by 10:00pm and out the door for school by 1:00pm tomorrow. Then? Work, of course.

You may have noticed something different about this bottle. I'm not sure if this is a temporary, limited edition label design, or if this is the new permanent look for Jones Soda. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is the new design and, if I had to guess, I would conjecture that this may have been why new bottles were so hard to find in the past. I liked the old design better; it was a little easier to photograph and was deliciously simple. I'm not sure I am a fan of how much color they have on the labels now, I liked the old gray-scale better.

Anyway, this one is filled with Smarties. A while ago I filled a bottle with Smarties' wrappers (Day 40) so this one compliments that one nicely. I even suggested in that post how I should, someday, fill a bottle with Smarties.

The prophecy is complete,
~Mitch~

Day 273 - Melts in Your Mouth

2010-03-23T22:31:00.002-04:00

Thankfully, throughout the course of this project, I have received a lot of support. This bottle is brought to you by two special fans of Jones-a-Day. The bottle itself was submitted by Mitch, the star of a handful of posts. The filler, pink and blue cotton candy, supplied by the one, the only Stevie.

Thanks you guys. This one is for you,
~Mitch~

Day 272 - From the Grave

2010-03-22T22:07:00.003-04:00

I'm back. Not that I expect any followers to have waited for me for this long, but Jones-a-Day was never about amounting a massive number of fans. Sure, I have a hit-counter and have promoted the site via business cards, but it was really just a way for me to express myself. It was an excuse for me to collect something, to create something, to share something. I never meant for it to be a job, I never meant for it to become a deadline or something I dreaded doing everyday. But, unfortunately, that is how I thought about it during my absence.

It seems as though every day of my life is subject to a large amount of responsibility. Wake up early. Go to work. Go to school. Finish this paper. Prove this proof. Rarely do I have a day where I can just sit. Sit and relax and play video games and not have to worry about anything. Jones-a-Day had become just one more thing I had to worry about. Find bottles. Find filler. Find time to fill, photograph, post. Not to mention it started to take an economic toll on me. Bottles are over $1 a piece with deposit. This doesn't sound like a lot, but multiply that by 365. Now add two to three dollars for filler per bottle, per day. Now consider that the local stores that I depended on for Jones marked the bottles down for clearance. I was out of money. Out of bottles. And, frankly, out of a drive.

But I'm back. I cannot promise Jones-a-Day, but certainly promise not to make this Jones-Every-Other-Month. I have stockpiled a good amount of filler, maybe a month's worth, and enough bottles to last me a week or so.

Hopefully I haven't disappointed any of you. My own disappointment alone is too much for me to bear.

Today's post is colorful and introduces a new lighting scheme I've been imagining. Peanut M&M's. The label features a bright, inspiring, hopeful picture. The brilliant array of colors seems to be a good match.

Good night, see you tomorrow,
~Mitch~

Day 271 - What a Sweetheart

2010-02-14T22:57:00.002-05:00

Two days ago we celebrated Stevie's 21st birthday. Today, February 14th, we celebrated Valentine's Day. She's done so much for me, so I decided to take a few days off of Jones to do some things for her.

Conversations hearts, this time around the bottle is filled with everything but the white ones (unlike Day 80. In honor of Valentine's Day, of course. I imagined the woman on the label writing the word "You" as in, "I Love You".

Dedicated to Stevie,
~Mitch~

Day 270 - You Rock

2010-02-08T23:36:00.003-05:00

Had some extra cash laying around, mostly 20's and 50's, and decided that it would make good filler. I took my giant stack of money and just let loose on it with a pair of scissors and a paper-shredding machine. The results? Not bad, worth every penny.

Okay, FALSE. This filler was actually provided by Heather, a rather generous coworker of mine. Usually, when I introduce Jones-a-Day to someone they start rattling off ideas for filler. Most of these suggestion have either already been done, have already been thought of, or are too disgusting to even consider. Heather, however, gave an unpredictable response when shown my project for the first time; an idea that was both original, amazing, and doable. She had obtained a bag full of shredded money from a relative who works for the U.S. Mint (or treasury, or some operation that deals with money) and offered to bring it in for me to use as filler. Amazing. The bottle turned out to be one of my favorites, definitely in my top five ;-)

But why this bottle? Well, I was going to wait for a bottle to come along that had money on it, or a cash register, or something to do with currency. But I came across this bottle, this label, and kept saying to myself, "this filler is going to rock."

Heather, you rock.

Thank you so much,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Such an amazing bottle deserves some alternate shots...

And a close-up on the filler...

Day 269 - Twist and Turn [EDIT]

2010-02-08T23:34:00.003-05:00

Probably the most delicious bottle to date. I love anything gummy. Gummy bears, gummy worms, gummy sharks, gummy peaches, gummy gummies, gummer frogs, gummy lighthouses (lol), gummy ANYTHING. My favorite gummy, however, has to be the traditional gummy worm..or the gummy frog...although the gummy shark is pretty good too.

Luckily I had a few extra worms after filling this bottle. They were delicious.

I pictured worms snaking their way through the ground like a roller-coaster snaking its way through the sky.

Man, I wish I had something gummy right now,
~Mitch~

Day 268 - Tribute Hexalogy [EDIT]

2010-02-08T23:30:00.004-05:00

Old teeth? Aunt Kay, two words; EW and GROSS. It would have made for a nice F.T.L.C., but I don't believe I could have dealt with all the gagging.

Instead, I decided to end my six-bottle tribute with this random label and not F.T.L.C.

A little bit boring, but not at all disgusting.

Green Apple soda in a Berry Lemonade bottle,
~Mitch~

Day 267 - Mushy, Gushy, Hearts [EDIT]

2010-02-08T23:28:00.002-05:00

Wow, Aunt Kay, beating me to the punch. I picked up this bottle thinking the exact thing. Man, the guy on the label looks just like me. I mean, it is only his profile, but the hairline, the sideburns, the shape of his face, everything matches my profile. I asked Em and Stevie if they thought so too, and they both disagreed. I'm glas someone is on my side.

Filler - Heart-shaped, strawberry-flavored, marshmallow hearts. Stevie gave me these and they were disgusting. She knows it, I know it. Regardless, they made an awesome filler.

I chose this bottle because I thought the guy on the label looked like me. Since Stevie gave me the candies, I thought it was a good enough connection.

~Mitch~

Day 266 - 99 Bottles of Jones-a-Day Left, 99 Bottles of Jones

2010-02-08T23:26:00.002-05:00

Berry Lemonade Jones Soda in a Green Apple bottle.

Just another tribute to an amazing beverage,
~Mitch~

Day 265 - 100 More to Go! [EDIT]

2010-02-08T23:22:00.003-05:00

Wow, only 100 bottles left. It sounds like something to celebrate, which it kind of is, but 100 more is at least another $150 for bottles and filler. It's both exciting and a little bit of a relief. Wow. 100 more to go.

This bottle actually looks like cream soda that has been tainted. It is Red Apple soda in a Cream Soda bottle. The red apple is almost clear enough to be cream soda, but something is not quite right.

Here's to the next 100,
~Mitch~

Day 264 - Crystal Fu

2010-02-06T10:42:00.002-05:00

Jones has issued a lot of flavors. From the predictable root beer and cream soda, to the off-beat FuFu Berry and Blue Bubblegum, to the bizarre Tofurky and Gravy soda. My main source of Jones Soda only sells six different flavors; FuFu Berry, Berry Lemonade, Blue Bubblegum, Green Apple, Red Apple, and Cream Soda.

I have had so many suggestions for filler along the way including several people who suggested keeping the soda in the bottle and calling it filler. I liked the idea of using Jones as a filler as this project serves as a tribute to the good memories associated with the unique drink. I was, however, off-put by just leaving the soda in the bottle. So, taking the six most common flavors, I decided to mix-and-match flavors. I purposely chose matches that seemed odd; like blue soda in a Green Apple bottle or clear soda for the iconic, red, FuFu Berry flavor.

This FuFu Berry bottle is filled with cream soda Jones. I'm so used to the FuFu Berry soda being a vibrant red. The cream soda behind the Fu label made me think of how people must have felt while drinking Crystal Pepsi.

It must have been weird,
~Mitch~

Day 263 - They're So Delicious

2010-02-06T10:40:00.002-05:00

I was always keen to water. Loved being in the water, loved swimming, loved the way water flowed, just loved water in general. I've sometimes been referred to as a "fish". Well, these guys are obviously having fun at the pool.

Pool, swimming, fish, Goldfish Crackers.

Gone gold-fishin',
~Mitch~

Day 262 - Sweet Sand

2010-02-06T10:34:00.002-05:00

Filler - Brown sugar

F.T.L.C. - The brown sugar reminded me of sand, like the sand seen on the beach here.

Like the other post featuring a picture of a dog standing on a beach, I kept this one simple.

Like they always say, "keep it simple, stupid!",
~Mitch~

Day 261 - Little Miss Sunshine [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:54:00.003-05:00

I don't know, I had bought a lot of filler and am quickly running out of bottles for which to fill. I had Lemonhead candies and wanted a bottle with a label that had some sort of connection given the vibrant color and fun nature of the filler. I saw this one with a young, happy girl and thought, "Little Miss Sunshine".

Sunshine, sun, yellow, Little Miss.

F.T.L.C.,
~Mitch~

Day 260 - Not Quite Right [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:53:00.002-05:00

Another Jones-a-Day mix up. This time, the soda that should be red, is actually blue. What's going on here?!

Just kidding, obviously this is another Jones Soda tribute bottle.

Blue Bubblegum soda in a Red Apple bottle
~Mitch~

Day 259 - Remember "Dig 'Em" the Frog? [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:49:00.004-05:00

Filler - Honey Smacks cereal.

F.T.L.C. - The ripples on the beach reminded me of the lines and cracks in the cereal.

That's all there is to it,
~Mitch~

Day 258 - Mix Up [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:48:00.002-05:00

Another tribute to Jones Soda. The collecting of bottles themselves is a tribute, so filling a bottle with the soda itself has to be some sort of exponential tribute.

The label says "Blue Bubblegum", but the soda inside is not blue, and not bubblegum flavored.

FuFu Berry soda in a Blue Bubblegum bottle.

Jones squared,
~Mitch~

Day 257 - Like Molasses [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:47:00.001-05:00

I expected this one to be lame, but it actually turned out alright. I thought the syrup would be too dark and non-transparent, but the bottle actually displays a nice, rich, mahogany hue.

I picked this label for two reasons. One, the mud that the snowmobiles are trekking through appears to have a very viscus, fluid nature to it, much like syrup. Secondly, when I think of snowmobiles I think of the great outdoors. I think of trees and natural maple syrup.

I think of lumberjacks, but I'm not sure if I should disclose that on the internet.

Too late, I guess,
~Mitch~

Day 256 - Soft n' Sweet [EDIT]

2010-02-05T23:46:00.003-05:00

I saw these at Meijer at couldn't help myself. They're small, they're colorful, and they're cheap. In Jones-a-Day language, the sum of small, cheap, and colorful is equal to amazing filler.

Multi-colored, fruit flavored, miniature marshmallows.

Put with this label because...I don't know...babies are soft?

Meh,
~Mitch~

Day 255 - And Cracker Jacks

2010-02-03T23:30:00.002-05:00

From what we can tell, the picture on this label shows the shadows little league players or some sort of baseball-related gang. You can make out the silhouettes of baseball caps and what appears to be the shadow of a baseball bat. Assuming this is some sort of baseball team, the filler should be obvious. "Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd. Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack..."

I don't care if I never get back,
~Mitch~

Day 254 - On a Rope

2010-02-03T23:25:00.002-05:00

A couple lays in a hammock. Hammocks are made of rope. This bottle is filled with rope.

I wouldn't call it nylon rope, only because it wasn't waxy or shiny like typical nylon rope. It is just generic, classic-yellow looking rope. There is approximately 34.5 feet of continuous rope in this bottle.

Thank you Dollar Store,
~Mitch~

Day 253 - QUESTION; Which Kind of Bear is Best?

2010-02-03T23:16:00.002-05:00

Pretend you're in the woods. You're hiking along a trail, a beam of sunlight bursts through the canopy of leaves above you. Then, all of a sudden, a giant bear charges in your direction. What do you do?

Instinct tells us to run. In our haste, we might be tempted to flee to higher ground. We may be tempted to climb a nearby tree. FALSE. Bears can climb faster than they can run. That's the word around The Office, anyways.

In this bottle, one that features a person climbing along a fallen tree, is miniature Teddy Graham crackers.

Bears, beats, Battlestar Galactica.

Oh, also Jones, trees, F.T.L.C.,
~Mitch~

Day 252 - Down to Business

2010-02-02T23:44:00.003-05:00

In case you didn't know, I normally put a great deal of thought into creating a title for each post. Usually I try to think of a pop-culture reference that relates to the filler or the label. Sometimes, however, the titles of my posts serve multiple purposes. Take this one, for example. "Down to Business" - the water seen in this bottle was collected, by my tap, on one of his business trips to India. It is Indian tap-water and unsuitable for the typical American to drink. The title also implies that there is no more fooling around. As the bonus pic indicates, I'm stepping up my game. Today is supposed to be post 268. As you can see, it is only post 252. If you are opposed to thinking, stop reading now. Here's a question for those of you who were not put-off by the previous sentence; if John is 16 days behind on his daily blog, how many days will it take for him to catch up if he posts three bottles a day? Hmmmmmm....

There is also a lot of connections between title, label, and filler. The water was acquired while on a business trip. The person on the label is looking through a viewfinder which are common at popular tourist locations. The person on the label is also waving at the camera. They are probably waving "hello", but I am saying "goodbye". Goodbye to my vacation-like, post-skipping days and "hello" to getting down to business.

See you tomorrow,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Spent $72 on Jones and filler...let's do this...

Day 251 - Candy Land

2010-01-29T22:46:00.002-05:00

A nice, colorful bottle is refreshing in times like this. Times when filler is chosen because it is cheap or simple or easy. Today's bottle is filled with candy-canes. Not the standard-red-and-white peppermint ones, but the multicolored fruity ones.

The rings on the label reminded me of the swirls on the candy cane itself.

Until next time,
~Mitch~

Day 250 - So Fresh and So Dry

2010-01-29T22:40:00.003-05:00

This has to be one of the best smelling bottles in my collection. Filled with used, but still fragrant, dryer sheets.

Not sure why I chose this label. It was the only one I had that made any sense what-so-ever. I guess I was thinking water droplets are wet, dryers are dry. Hence, dryer sheets.

I would celebrate Day 250, but I'm still behind schedule, so it's not really Day 250.

But, "hooray" anyway,
~Mitch~

Day 249 - Off-Axis

2010-01-28T00:03:00.002-05:00

I'm ready for the Northern Hemisphere to be titled toward the sun again. In an effort to harness positive, warm, Summer-ish thoughts, I have filled this bottle with faux-flower leis. Like Day 116, this bottle is all about sand, sun, and surf.

Is it Spring yet?,
~Mitch~

Day 248 - Boxed In

2010-01-26T23:38:00.002-05:00

Think of long road trips. Not being able to bathe like normal. Sometimes going days without changing underwear.

I'm not trying to make assumptions about the man on the label, but the picture reminds me of sitting in a car for days on end.

Bottle is filled with old boxers,
~Mitch~

Day 247 - By the Foot

2010-01-26T23:37:00.002-05:00

Fruit-by-the-Foot wrappers. There's a foot on the label.

What else can I say?,
~Mitch~

Day 246 - No Yolk About It

2010-01-24T22:31:00.002-05:00

Took an egg carton, cut it up into little pieces, and put it into a bottle featuring a dog peering eagerly into a refrigerator (i.e. where eggs are stored) on the label.

Yup, that's what I did,
~Mitch~

Day 245 - Memories of Yesterday

2010-01-23T21:53:00.002-05:00

Not that those memories are good, but they will be forever burned into my mind. In this bottle are several ads from the major retailer for which I am currently employed. They have been cut to shreds. Included in the bottle are a couple weekly holiday advertisements, two Black Friday door-buster fliers, and a few two-day ads. At the time, I had these ads committed to memory. Not by choice, but because it was necessary to know what was in-stock (nothing) and what was out-of-stock (everything).

The two people on the label summarize my feelings regarding this past holiday season.

!!!ATTENTION CONSUMERS!!! You make us retail slave-laborers want to jump off cliffs.

Thanks,
~Mitch~

Day 244 - Catch One

2010-01-23T21:45:00.002-05:00

Water, peanut oil.
On the shore? Surfers with boards.
And the waves roll in.

Ohm,
~Mitch~

P.S. -

Day 243 - Hypnotized

2010-01-23T21:35:00.003-05:00

So I turned a gift for Em into a Jones bottle for the world. Your little sister only turns 21 once, so I wanted to make it special. We thought we had found the perfect gift;

Right? Well, my predictions that the booze would be a perfect amount of liquor and flavor were false. The drinks that I attempted to make wound up a bit pungent.

Whoops,
~Mitch~

P.S. - If it wasn't obvious, this bottle is filled Hypnotiq Liqueur. The Asian on the label is on the ground and hiding her face from the camera. Draw your own conclusions about the filler-to-label-connection.

242 - Bandanna Republic

2010-01-20T21:47:00.002-05:00

As an extra special treat, I mean that as a bonus treat, not an extra special treat, although it is, but I digress. Worst Jones-a-Day intro yet? You bet.

As a special bonus to Stevie's customized Jones bottle, featured in Day 224's post, was this awesome Jones Soda bandanna. As cool as it is, I felt it should forever be memorialized in the contents of a bottle.

The filler-to-label-connection, I guess, stems from this image I have of snowboarders wearing goggles over their eyes and bandannas over the remainder of their faces. I'm not sure if this makes sense to anyone else, but it makes sense to me.

242,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Bandanna details...

Day 241 - Orange You Glad

2010-01-19T16:45:00.002-05:00

Posting this one quick for a multitude of reasons. First and foremost, there isn't a lot to say about this bottle. I needed a quick way to fill a bottle before rushing off to school and felt that orange-soda would add a nice splash of color to my collection. There is no filler-to-label-connection, other than the fact that I thought the picture went well with the vibrant orange.

I'm also posting quick today because I am in the lab at school. It is hot, I'm hungry, and I've been sitting here for an hour-and-a-half writing a paper. I need to get outside, make some calls, eat some food and prepare for my 6 - 9 class tonight.

Enjoy,
~Mitch~

Day 240 - A Square to Spare

2010-01-18T22:28:00.002-05:00

Not much needed here in terms of explanation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this may be the first time the main subject of the label is the same thing as the filler inside the bottle. On the label it appears someone has been the target of a little practical joke. The act of covering a yard, a room, a car with toilet paper is sometimes referred to as "T.P.-ing". Inside the bottle, you guess it, toilet paper.

In this case we have a first degree F.T.L.C.

Or is it a zero degree?,
~Mitch~

Day 239 - One Tequila, Two Tequila, Three Tequila, Floor

2010-01-17T21:59:00.002-05:00

I don't know the girl on the label. I'm not even sure she's of legal age to drink. But that's the beauty of an anonymous picture like this, I can affix my own story, my own details to it. Maybe this girl is simply napping on the beach, maybe the picture was snapped mid sneeze and that is why her head is slumped into her chest as it is. But maybe, just maybe, she's in Mexico and got caught up in the spirit of her vacation at the bar with her friends. Maybe she had one too many and decided to rest against this wall on some beach on her way home. I don't know. Tequila, Mexico, possibly intoxicated woman; it's all possible.

And if you know this girl and are reading this, my apologies for jumping to conclusion.

12 fluid ounces of Jose Cuervo.

About eight healthy shots,
~Mitch~

Day 238 - Twist and Shout

2010-01-16T23:49:00.002-05:00

Every once in a while a bottle comes along that I fall in love with. This is one of those bottles. For once a bottle turns out just as I picture it. Today's bottle is filled with Twizzlers, the strawberry licorice, delicious candy. I imagined the ropey goodness spiraling its way into the bottle. Forming a perfect coil against the inside of the glass. The ruby red rope did, in fact, spiral upwards until into the neck of the bottle and against the inside of the cap.

The bow on the label, like a twisted twizzle of fabric. A good match for the almost ribbon-like insides.

Plus I imagine the bow being red, red like the licorice inside,
~Mitch~

Day 237 - Can't Get Enough Buttercups

2010-01-15T23:18:00.002-05:00

You may have been able to predict that this bottle was coming given Day 229 was filled with the little black trays that hold each Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, and if you did you are a very wise Joneser. Today's bottle is filled with the little foil wrappers that surround the little black trays that hold the miniature peanut butter cups. It took approximately three entire bags of the miniature candies to obtain enough foil to fill a bottle. But I can't complain about having all these peanut butter cups at my disposal.

See the bonus pics for a shot of Candy Mountain,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Candy Mountain...

And while I was taking pictures for this post, a mysterious animal walked by in the background. It's a little blurry, but I believe I may have captured Big Foot on camera...

Day 236 - Rock Star

2010-01-14T23:54:00.001-05:00

Had to get this one up here quick, my computer was doing everything in its power to keep me from making this post on time.

Today's bottle is filled with red wine. Not anything fancy...in fact the bottle cost less than $6.00.

I had a bottle with someone throwing the rock horns, thought about rock stars backstage after a show with wine, champagne, etc.

Yup,
~Mitch~

Day 235 - Going Crazy

2010-01-13T23:22:00.002-05:00

In keeping with the tradition of putting ironic pet food within bottles with pets on the label (as I did on Day 132 and Day 39), this bottle featuring a dog on the label has been filled with cat food. The cat food seen in Day 39's bottle is the special kind of kibble that my family feeds our three cats; Oscar, Olliver, and Oswald. The cat food in today's bottle is a different brand, a different flavor, and contains fun and colorful fish-like and steak-like shapes. You see, Stevie moved back into the dorms on campus. Because no pets are permitted in the dorms, and because we wanted her cat to have a good home, my family and I adopted her baby cat, Psycho. He only lives up to his name from time-to-time, but for the most part he's doing just fine.

Welcome home, Psych,
~Mitch~

P.S. - In fact, I think he's doing quite well...

Day 234 - Charged Up

2010-01-12T23:35:00.002-05:00

Alright, still getting back into the swing of things, but I'm going to proceed as usual and try to ramp up the multiple posts per day as much as possible. My cache of Jones bottles that I stumbled upon is starting to dry up and, once again, I may be looking at a Jones shortage.

But let's erase those bad thoughts and focus on today's bottle. I like it. The filler, in my opinion, is unique, not wasteful, and looks pretty cool inside a bottle. I collected these used batteries from around the house and by raiding the recycling bins around campus.

I don't know if there is a connection per se between filler and label, this label was chosen based on what my sis and I thought would look the best with a bunch of dead batteries behind it.

Sometimes the F.T.L.C. is just a gut instinct.

I felt that this label was destined for this filler.

Sometimes I just guess that the filler and label are going to look good together.

And, usually, I am right,
~Mitch~

Day 233 - Unwrapped

2010-01-12T00:39:00.003-05:00

At first it was an issue of time and money. Jones-a-Day took a backseat to the ever-important school and the unrelenting hours at work. Despite slaving away tediously over the Holiday season, because of an abundance of Christmas spirit, I ended up with little in terms of money. So, without the time to collect filler, fill, and photograph, and without the money to purchase anything but the essentials, Jones-a-Day was on hiatus.

Once the Holiday dust had settled, however, I ran into a new problem. With time on my hands and a fair amount of pocket dough, I was ready to begin Jones-a-Day again. The problem? Finding bottles. I checked all my go-to places, and then I checked them again. I went out of my way to check these same stores on other sides of town. No luck. Either they had no Jones at all, or they had repeat bottles. I was about to suck it up and pay the outrageous price per bottle at the mall when Stevie and I took an impromptu trip to a Meijer nearly 13 miles from where I live. The results? Well, we found bottles. So I've been hurriedly sucking them down, cleaning them out, then filling them up. These nine bottles posted in this blitz were consumed, filled, and photographed over the course of three short days.

School starts tomorrow and I have a large gap between two of my classes so will take that time to add sufficient posts to the eight preceding bottles. Until then, it is time for bed.

Thanks for your patience,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Filler = ripped up wrapping paper

Day 232 - Sweet, Salty, Delicious

2010-01-12T00:38:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure how to explain the filler-to-label-connection here, it is something almost intangible. I'm not even sure if it can be put into words, but I suppose I can give it a shot. Caramel-corn, the pre-popped orbs dunked in sticky sweetness, is one of those snacks that tell you everything is on the right track. No matter what is going on in your life, this is where you want to be. Sitting around a campfire, munching on the crunchy, sugary goodness that is caramel-corn. There's something so soothing, so warming and inviting about the two things; campfires and caramel-corn.

Stevie bought one of those big tubs of popcorn, you know, the ones that come in metal barrels with a cardboard divider for caramel-corn, cheesy corn, and regular popcorn? So this bottle, and the previous day's bottle, are from said tin of popcorn.

Delicious doesn't even begin to describe it,
~Mitch~

Day 231 - A Little Cheesy, A Little Corny

2010-01-12T00:37:00.002-05:00

The beauty of the cheesy popcorn hadn't befallen me until I wrote the title for this post. Cheesy is something that is, well, for a lack of a better word, corny. The words are synonmous with something that is overdone with sentiment. It is no wonder that the combination of the two adjectives yeilds one delicious noun that makes me feel all sappy; cheesy corn. The pre-popped popcorn dusted in a fine coat of cheese.

My heart is pounding already,
~Mitch~

Day 230 - Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-01-12T00:34:00.002-05:00

So, somewhere along the course of my hiatus, January 5th to be exact, I turned 23 years old. I would have liked to hold off on this post until Day 240, which would have been the correct post corresponding to January 5th, but the bottle had too much meaning to neglect until then.

If you know anything about me, you know that there are three things I can never so "no" to. 1) Beer. 2) Hot wings. 3) Friends and family. So, for my birthday, I invited everyone out for dinner and drinks at Buffalo Wild Wings. The turnout was amazing and we all had a great time watching the games that were playing, drinking, and laughing. People showing up was a gift in itself, but Jbyrd, a friend of mine, brought me a Jones Soda Bottle to help celebrate me being born. The bottle he gave, seen here, is filled with styrofoam from Buffalo Wild Wings boxes, the ones you get to take home leftovers.

So the connection? Jbyrd's gift and Buffalo Wild Wings.

Thanks, brah,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Another thanks to Stevie for being so sweet, xoxo...

Day 229 - Fill Me Up, Buttercup

2010-01-12T00:33:00.001-05:00

Not a ton to say here as the F.T.L.C. is kind of obvious. The label contains a picture of a Jack-o-Lantern that has, somehow, caught fire. Flames shoot from the top as if this lantern was set too high. Inside the bottle are the small black trays, kind of like cupcake liners, that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups sit in before being devoured. The trays in this bottle come from the miniature or "bite-sized" variation of peanut butter cup.

I don't know. Candy wrappers kind of let you know Halloween is over. A flaming Jack-o-Lantern holds a similar message.

I wish I had more peanut butter cups right now,
~Mitch~

Day 228 - Paging Doctor Jones

2010-01-12T00:31:00.004-05:00

Oh, IRENE!

To make a long story short, and to avoid worrying anyone, just know that everybody is okay. One day I get a call from a distressed Stevie saying that her mom is in the hospital for reasons unknown. After rescuing her from work and rushing down to Spectrum we are relieved to find out everything is alright.

While chatting with her, her mom, and the handful of others who came to check on things, I debatted nabbing a few latex gloves for myself. I mean, they are kept right on the wall, boxes and boxes of them in fact, so would it really hurt if I took a couple handfuls? After much debate, and after checking to see if the coast was clear, I made a quick grab and got a decent handful. Wanting to be sure I could fill the contents of one bottle I made two, three more snatches before calling it good.

Inside this bottle are purple and grey latex gloves "borrowed" from Spectrum Health Hospital. The broken egg symbolizes Eileen.

Luckily her prognosis was much, much more positive than the egg's,
~Mitch~

Day 227 - Party Paper

2010-01-12T00:28:00.001-05:00

Okay, I called the filler for this one "Pink and Red Accordion-Like Strips of Paper" because I wanted to avoid using the term "confetti". As the astute Jones-a-Dayer will point out, I have already filled a bottle with confetti in Day 161. However, this confetti is of a different color-scheme entirely and was featured in a gift basket given to my family by, you guessed it, Stevie. So not only is it different in color, but it is also covered in sentiment. On Day 1 I warned everyone that sometimes the filler will only varry in color. No promises were broken here.

So the connection is simple. Not only is the scene semi-romantic in nature, but the leaves and branches of the tree are crinkled like the paper in the bottle.

I'm guessing it is some sort of willow, but I could be wrong,
~Mitch~

Day 226 - All the Kings Men

2010-01-12T00:27:00.003-05:00

I could not be more pleased with this bottle. I don't mean that it looks phenomenal or anything, it doesn't, but I am happy it is over with. For months I have been storing egg shells in my mini-fridge, gagging everytime I opened the door for a beverage. The plastic-bags could not contain 100% of the odor and the bottle sat, half-filled with rotten eggs, on my dresser the whole time (cap securely in place). Finally, it's filled and back in the fridge next to the rotting milk. There are some bottles that win my "Best Smelling Filler Award", this one has earned quite the opposite title.

There's a chicken on the label.

F.T.L.C. should be obvious,
~Mitch~

Day 225 - Grounded

2010-01-12T00:26:00.001-05:00

Another one that went bad as time went on. I had this bottle half-filled with used coffee grounds but did not have enough to fill the rest. As I waited, the moist, warm ground developed a greenish-white mold. I quickly scrounged up enough grounds to top it off and sealed this on away.

Coffee makes me think of energy and the two on the label seem to be full of it.

Nine bottles down, fourteen more to be caught up as of today (Jan. 12th, 2010),
~Mitch~

Day 224 - Meet the Family

2009-12-28T21:14:00.005-05:00

Yes, yes, I cannot even contain myself while I write this, but yes, that is my brother, my sister, and I on the label of this bottle. I am on a freaking Jones bottle! In case you don't know or are confused, I am the medium-sized blond one on the far right. In the middle is my brother, Jeff, and the tiny bundle of smiles on the left is my sister, Emily.

Introductions aside, I am on a Jones bottle. For the first time in my life, for the fist time in Jones-a-Day history, I am featured on the label of the iconic Jones Soda. How did I end up in such a lucky scenario? Well, it all starts with a girl named Stevie. Knowing how much this projects means to me, and being the amazingly thoughtful and beautiful person she is, ordered me a six-pack of custom Jones Soda for the holidays. She sent in one of my all-time favorite photos featuring my siblings and I in traditional Korean garb, wrote a seasonal greeting for the back of each bottle, and wrapped them up carefully in a basket of all my family's favorite candies. By far my favorite and the most thoughtful gift I've ever received.

Thanks, baybee.

Inside the bottle is this amazing blue, wrapping paper. The material is somewhere between wrapping paper and tissue paper, and is slightly transparent. It is left over from the piles of gifts I received from her family.

With its brilliant shade of blue, shimmer, and sparkly little snowflakes, it reminds me of what a wonderful year it has been,
~Mitch~

P.S. - A shot of the amazing label...

And, in addition to showering us with candies and presents, Stevie also baked up this platter of never-ending goodness. Included in this bundle are little balls of heaven; crushed Oreo cookies, rolled up with a cheesecake-like filling, and dipped in chocolate...amazing...

Day 223 - Let it (fake) Snow, Let it (fake) Snow, Let it (fake) Snow

2009-12-28T21:03:00.002-05:00

Not as if there were a lack of snow this year, because there was plenty, but this bottle is filled with fake snow. Similar to fake spiderweb, fake snow has a very cotton-candy-like texture. However, the fake snow is thicker and includes little flecks of translucent confetti to give the material a little shimmer.

Check out the "P.S. Pics" for a side-by-side comparison with the actual snow in Day 208.

In my opinion, the fake snow is doing quite a good job, actually,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Side-by-side, faux and fo-real...

Day 222 - Streamers

2009-12-28T20:52:00.002-05:00

Not actually streamers, per se, but the brightly colored, pinkish-hued, pearlescent Easter-grass-like stings remind me of the streamers that little girls have on the handlebars of their bikes. Found in the basement of Stevie's old house, I quickly snagged the bag and smuggled it home. This label was chosen because I imagined the streets of New York city after New Year's Eve; littered with streamers, confetti, party hats and whistles.

The pearl-like glossy ribbon looks so much better in real life; rotating the bottle under the light shows the true beauty of the little strings of fake-grass.

Two-two-two taken care of,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Many of you may be wondering what else I've been up to in my absence. Besides work and dreading going to work, I finally sent my XBOX 360 back in to be repaired. Microsoft no longer provides you with a box or shipping material, so I was concerned about my baby being hurt. Moreover, I was worried that Microsoft is going to find a way to charge me, fine me, or hold my unit for ransom. I made sure it was going to be okay. I wrapped the system entirely in bubble wrap, lined the box with larger-bubbled wrap, and put air-cushions on both the top and bottom on the unit. It all fit snuggly in the box. You could drop this package from the roof and I'd be confident the contents would be safe. See for yourself...

Day 221 - Back From Break

2009-12-28T20:28:00.002-05:00

I hope I haven't lost any of you, and I appreciate your patience as I return to a normal schedule. I come today with as many bottles as I can muster. I know today's post is not a fraction of what I owe, and it pains me to say that it might have to be that way for a few more days. I am done with the 40-hour weeks and honestly have five-or-six easy, thoughtful, unique fillers on hand; but I am out of bottles. My two main Jones suppliers have had the same four lousy bottles for weeks and, since I cannot post duplicates, I am stuck in limbo until they receive more.

I know I owe nearly a dozen bottles, maybe more, but until I can get my hands on new bottles in an affordable fashion, I'm kinda S.O.L. And, unfortunately, so are my loyal fans.

But here's what I have for you. To try and compensate for the lack of bottles I will increase the size of my descriptions and include some more personal things going on right now. Christmas is over and it was one for the record-books; thanks to my family, Stevie, and her family for everything and showing me a wonderful Christmas. I worked three back-to-back weeks at the biggest toy store there is (i.e. Toys "R" Us) and was feeling quite burnt out. Aside from Christmas Day, today marked my first day off practically all month.

I know X-mas isn't about the gifts, but I got more than I could ever ask for and then some. If you add the sentimental values and the fact that I'll have candy and sweets well into June, it had to have been the best Christmas ever.

Included in my giant stocking from Stevie, along with an insane amount of candy, hot sauce, coffees, and more, were boxes upon boxes of "candy cigarettes". You know, the little sticks of pure sugar that kind of resemble cigarettes? Officially called "Candy Sticks" or "Batonnets de Bonbon". On each box a different Marvel superhero. What does Spiderman have to do with candy sticks? Beats me.

There is no F.T.L.C. here, and as long as I'm being frank, I was saving this label for an AMAZING filler.

Desperate times, desperate measures,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Alternate angles...

Day 220 - UGH

2009-12-17T00:01:00.002-05:00

Ranch dressing...gross.

No thanks,
~Mitch~

Day 219 - The Very Hungry Caterpillar

2009-12-15T22:19:00.004-05:00

Think of the Jones bottle as a cocoon. The caterpillar inside, as we speak, is growing. Changing, evolving, whatever you want to call it. Only this caterpillar is not changing into a butterfly, no. According to the package it is growing into a giant, viscous, angry, hungry caterpillar.

See the "P.S. Pics",
~Mitch~

P.S. - We've got another one...

Day 218 - First Class

2009-12-15T22:10:00.002-05:00

You can order free boxes and other shipping goods from the United States Postal Service. Which makes me wonder why they sell their boxes and shipping goods for arms and legs inside the USPS shipping centers. Anyways, when you order your boxes, envelopes, stickers, etc they make you check an agreement box saying that you will be using the products for shipping and only shipping. I hope it's not a federal crime, but I ordered a roll of these first-class mail stickers, for free, from the USPS site and didn't exactly use them to mail anything.

Oops,
~Mitch~

P.S. - The label-to-filler-connection should be obvious, what with the bald eagle on the label and all.

Day 217 - Under the Sea

2009-12-15T22:06:00.002-05:00

An impromptu filler after last night's dinner. Why not fill a bottle with pineapple juice? Brilliant. Fast, easy, and free; and something that would be otherwise disposed of.

The pulp is thick but settles quickly.

No F.T.L.C. here,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Shake it up a bit...

Day 216 - Young Grasshopper [Update]

2009-12-15T00:11:00.008-05:00

Okay, so here we are roughly 28 hours later and our little grasshopper is now of mutant proportions. The incredible growing insect takes up to 72 hours to reach its fully-grown adult stage, so look forward to yet another update within the next couple of days.

Take a look at the label. A man jumps from hay-bale to hay-bale, "grass-hopping" so to speak.

Connection,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Take a look at the growth so far...

And the pictures prior to the latest update...

Day 215 - Re-feather-Member

2009-12-11T15:28:00.002-05:00

Forgive the inside joke in the title, but it was necessary.

Instead of relaxing and staying some place warm over her Fall break, Stevie took an alternative break to a reservation in South Dakota. I'm sure I'll screw up the terminology here, but she helped out with various construction work including installing wood-flooring, insulation work, and "skirting" trailers.

Anyways, while she was away, I couldn't help but think of her. And, while she was away, I know she couldn't stop thinking of me. Not only did she sport a soccer shirt I wore in elementary school with "Mitchell" scrawled across the front, but she brought me home two wooden blocks from the construction site for my project.

Thanks, love,
~Mitch~

P.S. - I used a power-drill to bore out holes in the blocks and collected the shavings to put in the bottle. Yes, I've done "sawdust" before in a previous bottle, but this isn't sawdust...it's drill-dust and it is special...

A look at the "skirting"...

And a peek inside the joke...

Day 214 - On a Beach in Mexico

2009-12-11T15:18:00.002-05:00

Kind of a thing, isn't it? Nachos, chips and salsa, taco night; all special occasions with one thing in common - tortilla chips.

In this bottle, which by now should be obvious, is broken tortilla chips. Chosen because I imagine the two girls on the label on vacation somewhere warm, somewhere nice, somewhere where eating chips and salsa is a standard form of relaxation.

I'd like to be there right now.

Warm and relaxed is not exactly how I feel right now,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Forgive the screen in the picture. I would have taken in off, but it's a bit chilly outside right now...

Day 213 - Red, Please

2009-12-11T15:14:00.002-05:00

It was never "cherry" Kool-aid, was it? It was never, "Mom, I would like cherry Kool-aid, please". No, it was "red" Kool-aid. Not strawberry, not cherry, not watermelon. Red; obviously the best Kool-aid ever.

In this bottle is my favorite Kool-aid made to my specifications. Yes, this is the first bottle that was drunk out of twice; once when I consumed the soda, and twice while testing the Kool-aid inside. I like mine more sweet, with lots of sugar.

And, preferably, red,
~Mitch~

Day 212 - More Bran?

2009-12-11T15:02:00.002-05:00

So on Day 150 I introduced you all to one of my favorite cereals; the traditional All-Bran in the "stick form". To follow up, today's bottle features the All-Bran in "bit" or "bud" form. A great addition to yogurt or other cereal for a little extra boost of fiber.

But why this label? Yes, it is one of those circumstances where I don't have a lot of bottles and, thus, not a lot of choice in which filler goes in which label. But remember the cat food in Day 39? Well, if not, click the link in the previous sentence. Doesn't the cat food in that bottle have a striking resemblence to the human food in this one?

The cat on the label is a little joke because the food inside is human food. The human food is a joke because it looks like cat food. The cat food was a joke because was in a bottle with a dog on the label.

Two bottles connected in at least three ways.

Harmony,
~Mitch~

Day 211 - Santa's Little Helper

2009-12-08T14:16:00.003-05:00

The problem with today's post is that I like this bottle. The problem with that? I am still a day behind and am fighting for time and money. There is a lot on my mind lately; finals approaching at school, holiday hours at work, Christmas shopping, and being nearly broke. All this adds up to little time, little money, and a lot of stress.

For example, take my weekly schedule. Sunday: work 4:00pm to midnight. Monday: school. Tuesday (today): work 3:30pm to 12:30am. Wednesday: school. Thursday - Saturday: work until 12:30am. Phew, barely time to breathe.

I am running out of money which means few bottles to choose from and cheap filler. This filler was free, provided by my brother, Jeff. While he was out of the country on business it seemed like this kid got three packages a day. One cardboard box was enough to fill a bottle.

I thought it was fitting since I did 90% of my holiday shopping online.

Let's hope it all gets here on time,
~Mitch~

P.S. - Flagrant advertising...

Day 210 - Something New

2009-12-08T02:39:00.002-05:00

I want to keep this one simple, I just wish there were lyrics to the presidential anthem or a way I could have "Hail to the Chief" play only when someone is looking at this post.

Big, big thanks to Tammy for my Obama bottles. And, also, a big, big thanks for everything you do for us. Come home safely, and come home soon.

Yes, I did say "bottles" as in plural. Look forward to the occasional Barack Bonus Bottle from time-to-time.

This Commander-in-Chief bottle is filled with four miniature American flags.

U.S.A. FTW,
~Mitch~

Bonus - A close-up on the label...

Day 209 - Holiday Spirit [EDIT]

2009-12-05T17:17:00.004-05:00

4oz apple cider
1 oz vodka
1 slice of apple
Caramel-apple dipping sauce
Cinnamon
Powdered sugar

Pour apple cider and vodka over ice in a shaker. Add a pinch of cinnamon and shake well. Wet the edge of a mug and rim with powdered sugar. Strain contents of shaker into mug and microwave until warm. Dip slice of apple into caramel-apple dipping sauce and float in mug.

Warm, apple strudel cider.

To celebrate the season, Stevie threw a Winter-themed party featuring sweet treats, Christmas movies, and tasty cocktails.

The man on the label appears to have consumed more mugs of cider than he should have.

Cheers,
~Mitch~

Day 208 - Let It Snow [EDIT]

2009-12-05T17:16:00.001-05:00

Yes, Aunt Kay, it is snow. It was a long Autumn, we were spoiled with beautiful weather and a lack of ice, snow, and slush. Then, one night, everything changed. We went from no snow at all to over eight inches over night.

This bottle marks the first snowfall of the season. Inside this bottle is snow collected from the ground from this first downfall.

I hope you understand why this picture was late. I wasn't at my house so couldn't take a proper picture. I didn't want to fill it with snow, take a bad picture, and not get a chance to get a decent shot before the snow melted.

Connection is obvious,
~Mitch~

P.S. - The snow melts...

After the initial snow melted completely, I added more to fill the bottle properly with "snow"...which is now nothing but water...

Day 207 - A Tangled Web [EDIT]

2009-12-05T17:15:00.001-05:00

I don't really have anything for this bottle. I felt like the neon green from the fake, glow-in-the-dark spider web was a good match for the label. I don't have an explanation for this "feeling", call it instinct.

In my opinion, it doesn't look half bad,
~Mitch~

Day 206 - All Wrapped Up [EDIT]

2009-12-05T17:14:00.002-05:00

So, to keep this one short, the filler for this bottle is brown paper. Doesn't sound exciting or meaningful, but I didn't mention that it is special brown paper. I've been waiting a long time for my new street board to arrive. I made an order on Labor Day for a new cruising skateboard and a new street skateboard. The cruising board came quickly, but every time I checked my email or the website I was reminded that the new Girl board was back-ordered.

Well, it finally arrived; wrapped safely in a box with the brown paper seen in this bottle. On the label two important things to note; 1) a girl and 2) a skateboard. My Girl brand skateboard came mailed wrapped in this brown paper.

Yay,
~Mitch~

P.S. - The new Girl...

Day 205 - Hairball

2009-12-01T21:56:00.000-05:00

Dog and cat hair collected from the furniture around my house and the wood floors around Stevie's.

Label-to-filler connection obvious,
~Mitch~

Day 204 - Melt With You

2009-11-30T19:23:00.003-05:00

I wasn't lying when I said I would milk the eight-dollar bag of Jolly Ranchers for all it was worth. This bottle is filled with melted Jolly Ranchers. In real life there is a nice stained-glass window type of effect. See the "P.S. Pics" for my attempt to show this phenomena.

I chose the label because I thought the color scheme on the label would match the colors of the melted candy.

It totally does,
~Mitch~

P.S. - The stained-glass effect...

Day 203 - For All It's Worth [EDIT]

2009-11-29T19:52:00.003-05:00

The title is an ode to the $8 I recently spent on Jolly Rancher hard candies. I will be milking this purchase for all its worth.

I started with Day 199 which featured the unwrapped Jolly Ranchers themselves. Today's bottle features the inverse of that; the Jolly Rancher candy wrappers.

The label is unrelated, but reminds me of all the time I've spent trapped inside at work during the last few weeks.

Ah, almost completely updated. Finally,
~Mitch~

Day 202 - Uncle Sam [EDIT]

2009-11-28T16:12:00.001-05:00

AMERICA!

Land of the Free, Home of the Heavily-Armed.

I would say more, but the label, filler, and bottle as a whole speak for themselves.

Special thanks to my good friend for supplying me with a coffee-can full of spent ammunition shells. I'm not sure how legal AK-47 assault rifles are, but your last name has been omitted just in case.

Cheers, Benjamin!,
~Mitch~

Day 201 - On the Road [EDIT]

2009-11-28T16:09:00.002-05:00

Sorry, Dad, but a lot of this post is aimed at you. I apologize because, in the most loving way, I will be criticizing your family vacation camera technique; something Mom has been doing for a while. I loved family vacations, I loved being on the road and the family van. But look at the man on the label with his camcorder. Look at the bored posture of the other man. My father is infamous for recording the most boring, mundane things of a family vacation. Want to see what it looks like to drive through Nebraska? I can show you...all six hours of it.

Snack foods were a must on these trips. One of my faves? Pizza-flavored pretzel Combos.

Just kidding, pops. When the world switches to floating cars and all the roads are replaced by tubes, I'll be happy to have footage of every major road in America,
~Mitch~