Reticulating Splines

mayannee asked: What was the strangest thing you had in YOUR bag today? haha... (spreading this question around tumblr like nobody's business)

Like you (but without the lies!), I’m going to use this question as an opportunity to take an inventory on what I generally carry on my person on a day-to-day basis and let you decide what the strangest thing is.

I used to have an absurdly utilitarian approach to what I’d take out into the world with me, carrying everything including the kitchen sink in my pockets or backpack on the off-chance that stuff would come in handy (you never know what situation may arise that calls for a glue stick, a pair of scissors, a tape measure, and some instrument cable!), but I cut back on a lot of that out of simplicity’s sake and now just carry around the essentials + a few other bonus items. I also used to wear a wristwatch everywhere I went (a basic analog Timex white-face w/ black leather strap), but have gone watch-less for the last year or two. I like to say I have philosophical reasons for this, that I did it to break free of the constraints of time and to acknowledge that time is a human construct which doesn’t actually exist and only serves to place limitations on us, but really, it was because when I started swimming a lot the embarrassing tan line I had where I wore my watch disappeared and I got used to not wearing it everywhere. Apart from that, I wear practically no accessories, mostly because I don’t like having to account for them & because they weigh me down, but also as a conscious effort to not look like a douche bag. My fashion is essentially no fashion. I’m fond of t-shirts and jackets, long-sleeved shirts, basic button-up collared shirts, jeans, sneakers and boots, I don’t like logos in general as a rule, and I like dark solid colors (especially brown, navy, and black) and tasteful stripes and plaid, but apart from that basic taste [and from being generally well-groomed], I don’t spend much of my time on my appearance. It just detracts time I could be spending on other, more important things.

Anyway, here’s a rundown of what I carry with me on a typical day:

· Pair of Levi’s sunglasses purchased with a Ross gift card (if I’m wearing my contacts; if not, I’m wearing my plain black-framed prescription eyeglasses).

· Brown leather Fossil wallet (I never know what to get with Macy’s gift cards, so I usually just buy socks & underwear or basic necessities like this).

· Key chain holding keys, guitar pick holder, pill holder, and blue LED light.

· Super basic cellular telephone which just makes and receives calls.

· iPod Touch: the thing I own which single-handedly does the most. I have a netbook which I used to bring around with me, but this has all but replaced it (unless I need portable word processing). It serves as an organizer, a reference tool, a camera & recorder, a musical instrument, and an arts & entertainment device, and with a wi-fi connection, it’s my lifeline to the outside world. I also bring my JVC marshmallow earbuds to use with it.

· Swiss Army backpack which carries the following (and sometimes other things as well): pens (medium & fine point black + purple or green for corrections) and pencils (one mechanical, one lead), an eraser, hand sanitizer, pocket tissues, toothpicks, gum, sunscreen, basic lock and key, Swiss Army knife (no, I’ve never served in the Swiss military force), lighter, granola & energy bars for food supplementation, a bag of Genmaicha, a small notepad, a USB drive and SD card, a folder with school papers and documents, my school texts and generally at least one book I’m reading (right now it’s Ulysses by James Joyce), my lined Moleskine notebook, my iPod’s wall charger if I’m going to be out for long periods of time, and a bottle of water (this is essential, as I need to keep hydrated regularly and throughout the day) which fits into my bag’s side holder.

I think that’s all quite modest, especially compared to what I used to lug around.