Monday 8 December 2008

Z asks a question. The cue for no comments at all, I suppose.

The morning went fine, thank you, and that's another thing ticked off. The chap who took pictures didn't want to email them to me as you lose some picture quality (not that I'm fussy). "I could put them on a memory stick and send them to you" he said. I fished in my handbag, got one out and passed it over. People seemed surprised. But it's useful to have such a thing about one's person at all times, like a corkscrew and a screwdriver. I'm sure that at least some of you do the same.

Actually, I'd love to know of there's anything you carry around with you, apart from the obvious necessities, that seems normal to you but others might think a bit obsessive. For example, I have the aforementioned pen drive, a Swiss army knife, a contact lens container that has two Migraleve tablets in one side and two ibuprofen tablets in the other (and I have handed both these out in the past to strangers in pain), a couple of paperclips, safety pins and rubber bands, three badges with my name on, as well as the normal wallet, comb, lipstick, diary etc. I don't think any of this is particularly out of the way and when I'm using a larger handbag, I've got a whole lot more. Any thoughts?

17 comments:

luckyzmom said...

Ziploc baggies, my camera and a ziploc containing; a half inch by three inch piece of our carpet, a paper strip of paint samples of our walls, small pieces of curtain and apholstery fabrics. You never know when you'll find something that will match something. I also have tiny scraps off of clothes I need match. Oh, yes, and I sometimes carry green tea bags in my purse. I really do not carry a very large purse.

Anonymous said...

paint samples, the measurements for the furnace filter (you never know when you will find some on sale). Of course there are always the coupons, lists for various stores, a recipe and a small umbrella.

How do we know said...

i carry a Swiss knife, a torch, a pen and a pencil, a mirror, some jewelry, my entire makeup kit. When Ishaan is with me, i dont leave home without his First Aid kit. Even if we are just going to the grocery store.

Anonymous said...

I have a very boaring handbag, I am now on my way to empty the kitchen cupboard into it

Dave said...

Slightly more difficult for a man, with no handbag - I suppose if I were only ever to wear one jacket when I went out, it would have a similar supply of equipment.

On the other hand, most of my jackets seem to have a small penknife, torch, paracetemol and round pebblein them. In winter jackets there will also be a pair of gloves. When I put the jacket on, wallet (which doesn't just contain notes, but also credit cards, a mini-torch, multi-tool, visiting cards and a copy of Kipling's If) coins and keys will be added.

Greg said...

There's only so much a guy can fit in jacket pockets but in the hot weather, when I tend to carry a shoulder bag for all the stuff that would normally go in jacket pockets, there's always wallet, pain-killers, tissues, a mini-pack of baby wipes, comb, a carrier bag, notebook and pen (shocking memory!) and usually an out of date newspaper!

badgerdaddy said...

If I'm in town, I only have my house key, lip balm and wallet with me. If I'm travelling, there are many more things I always have close to hand. Moisturiser, two Swiss army knives (different tools, see!), all manner of crap comes with me – my toiletries bag is absurdly big.

But nothing exciting with me, sadly.

Brom said...

When I was a student I carried around a fairy cake in my coat pocket for a whole term. My mam put it in there the morning I went back to Uni and forgot to tell me she had!

I, Like The View said...

I try very hard to carry as little as possible. . .

. . . my "as little as possible" includes:

a purple Filofax with diary, year planner, paint chips and feathers tucked into it;

house keys;

a small purse, mainly full of coffee shop loyalty cards, my one credit debit card - no store cards but more loyalty cards (I've managed to get "freebies" at the bookshop, the card shop and the chemist recently);

a lipstick;

my fags and a lighter, also an emergency lighter;

a pen and an emergency pen;

a packet of tissues;

and a small collection of various shells from my favourite beaches

I've always wanted to be the kind of person who carries around a Swiss Army Knife. . .

. . .but I'm not

Z said...

Thanks, folks. I don't feel odd at all now.

If I've been to a concert or play I've enjoyed, I might carry around the ticket for a long time. A pebble or something from somewhere I've visited, too. And I usually buy a small coin purse on holiday, for a memento I'll carry around. The current one is from Krakow 18 months ago.

I,LTV, I like your belt and braces approach.

I don't take make-up except lipstick. But if I'm going to be away overnight, I take a spare contact lens, just in case.

Brom, you are rather wonderful.

If it comes to the crunch, diary, money and a cash card are the essentials. Phone, Migraleve, hanky, pen and lipstick come next. I used to always carry matches, although i didn't smoke.

I have a small shoulder bag at present as I can wear it while cycling, but if I take a larger one I like to have a camera. Keys, you wouldn't believe the keys I carry, all separately. House keys on one keyring, church vestry key on another, church safe key on a third, back door and kitchen of church, shop key, Weeza's house key. Possibly others.

Dandelion said...

I always carry a change of clothes, nail varnish, a torch, a yoyo, and Lovehearts (or failing that, some chocolate).

Anonymous said...

I never leave home without keys, money and brains (useful and short checklist) but there is a memory stick in my purse and a torch and swiss army style penknife in my handbag. Usually there is a book too. When the kids were small I always had spare nappies and related items. I once impressed colleagues by emptying out my handbag in search of a biro at a meeting - sadly I only had wax crayons (plus nappies, baby cream, sweets, colouring book ....)

I, Like The View said...

(oh crikey, I forgot to mention the mini packet of Love Hearts that I carry at all times!)

Anonymous said...

The chap who took pictures didn't want to email them to me as you lose some picture quality

Pardon? That's complete rubbish!

Like the contents of my handbag... I too always have a flash drive, spare contact lenses, reading glasses, tissues, painkillers, spare pants (just in case I have to stay overnight somewhere unexpectedly), and a camera (better than a notebook), a gazzilion loaylty cards and umpteen vouchers for things I'll probably not want to buy. I usually give them to people.

Z said...

I don't know anything about it, but when I sent some of our pictures for an antique book, I was asked to put them on disk rather than email them as well. It being for the second time in a few weeks and professionals had said it in both cases, I assumed there was something in it.

Lois (three-legged-cat) said...

Tissues (lots), camera + spare SD card & battery, phone, small notebook and pen, flash drive, wallet (which rarely contains any actual cash), keys, paracetamol.

Which sounds like a lot of stuff, but it doesn't actually take up much space at all.

ephelba said...

I've got two in diapers, and usually I leave the house with my keys and my wallet. To be fair, my wallet holds a pen, my cell, chap stick and a comb, but I think I carry a lot less than most toddler's moms.

If I bother with a bag, though, it must have Purell in it. Once, when my son was a toddler, we were at a huge park. I felt safe letting the boy run as far as he wanted to. He quit running and starting poking at something, so I went to catch up to him. I discovered he was poking a dead raccoon in its dried up eye socket, saying "Wake up, doggy." This was, sadly, before the days of Purell, but as soon as they invented it I knew it was a just the thing....