Paper Clip Mystery

Where do all the paper clips go? Yes, stupid question, I realize this – especially where there are so many other subjects to write about – but I honestly want to know the answer to this question. See, I have a drawer in my desk with a neat little organizer...uh...thingy...that keeps my paper clips, my “sign here” flags, my sticky notes (generic notes, not brand name expensive I-can’t-believe-I-just-spent-$10-on-funny-little-square-pads-of-paper notes), spare change, correct-O-tape, band-aids, chap stick, and a few other carefully selected odds-and-ends. I seem to go through paper clips very quickly and I cannot, for the life of me, figure out where they all go! I never get any of them back and I know my boss doesn’t have them, because, well...he’s not here anymore. When the Lovely Ladies of HR cleaned out his office, the few extra supplies they handed me did not include one, single, solitary, paper clip. So I know they are not in there. Is it like the mystery of the missing socks? Do they just disappear to some unknown, alternate universe? Has some avid paper clip collector, somewhere in the world, convinced people to send him (or her) all the loose paper clips they can find? Does someone have an extraordinarily long paper clip chain? What am I missing? Can someone please clue me in? Although, I guess since most generic paper clips cost about five cents for a box of 100...we’re (the company, I mean) not out that much money. Still... TTFN JMS