Probabilities

The thing about drinking yerba mate (a sort of green tea popular in some South American countries) is that you’re carrying along your supplies: green tea leaves in a cup or mug with a filter-straw sticking out of it. And a thermos of hot water.

I arrive at my office door with hands full of stuff, including the yerba mate appertenances. I need to grab my keys from my pocket. Beside the doorway is a large box mounted to the wall. Inside the box are computer connections for the local area network (LAN).

The top of the wall mounted box is above eye level, but to me, it seems an adequate resting place for my guampa, which is just my thermos cup.

When I hear my guampa drop into the LAN-hub box, I don’t think so anymore. On tiptoes, I can see the circular hole in top of the box.

My guampa is three inches in diameter and the hole is just a bit larger. The hole takes up about 1/25^th of the top surface of the LAN-hub box.

Just what are the probabilities of dumping all of this onto delicate computer circuitry?

I’ve never been the greatest shot in basketball, after all.

The chances are slim that it fell to the box’s floor in an upright position, but not impossible. As the box is locked, I will have to see on Monday.

Listen to an audio feature describing yerba mate
by clicking here. You will need a few minutes to listen to it.