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Thursday, October 13, 2016

I'm definitely doomed now

Last night I dumped out my bicycling bag.  It normally sits in grab-n-go mode, but I decided to go through it to see if I could lighten the load any.  As I went about pulling more stuff than I thought was in there out of every pocket and compartment, it reminded me of those "what's in your purse/glove box/pockets??" blog posts I've seen recently, so for lack of any other ideas, I present

What's in Abby's Bike Bag??



Sadly, I didn't find any long lost treasures or forgotten twenty-dollar bills or such.  But as I look at it, I'm wondering if I can go without any of it.  Here's the list:

  • Cable bike lock
  • 2 spare tubes - one for Bella, one for Alice
  • Book I'm currently reading
  • Cycling gloves
  • Spiral notebook
  • Coupla pens
  • Coupla pencils
  • Eraser
  • Wallet
  • Big honkin' lip balm (spf 30!)
  • Headband for the ears in case of unexpected cold 
  • Burt's Bees Miracle Salve
  • Bic lighter
  • Bicycle repair kit
  • Cycling glasses and case
  • Tiny first aid pouch
  • Peanut Butter Cliff Bar
  • Swiss army knife (whose is it?)
  • Spare gym ID card
  • Bicycle pump
  • Bag of hair things - ponytail holders, barrets
  • Eyeglass cleaner wipes
  • Barrier jacket and cell phone (not shown)

Sheesh, is all that really necessary?

Any one of these things on its own is not heavy or bulky at all, but it's the amalgamation that's literally like a monkey on my back.  It's not like I'm going on long commutes, a portion of them being away from civilization.

At the same time, who knows when I might be in dire need dental floss? (Seriously, why is that in there??)

In a satisfying move, I began by separating out the bag of hair things and the spare gym card, because really, those are mainly for trips to the gym.  I probably lost a whopping 2 ounces of weight at most.  But at least it got me going.  Other casualties ended up being

  • Dental floss *eye roll*
  • Cliff Bar
  • Swiss army knife
  • Bic lighter - for what?  Emergency barbecues?  (Yes, I know I live in a pot friendly state, but I don't partake)
  • All but one pen and one pencil
  • The book will only go in on an as-needed basis
  • Ear warming headband goes with the book

Aaaah, I feel so light and unencumbered now (well, not actually now as I'm not currently wearing the backpack, but y'know...)

At the same time, I'm certain now that I will be stranded on my next commute and have to kill some critter to survive because I won't have even a Cliff Bar to my name. And I won't have a knife, so I'll have to use a tire wrench as a weapon, which will cause a slow agonizing and extremely messy death.  Of course, I'll have to eat said critter raw since I won't have a lighter, and of course, critter fibers will be stuck in my teeth afterward.  

...not that I'm paranoid.

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Linking up with MamaKat for this week's prompt:
5. A blog post inspired by the word: paranoid


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15 comments:

Gem said...

Hahaha! I love it. As I read about the dental floss being a casualty of the clean out I was like, "Nooooooooo! What if you happen across a bunch of wild strawberries on your way to work and so you stop to partake but then you remember you have an important meeting so you zoom in, have no time to freshen up, if you had you would have seen the ten strawberry seeds trapped in your teeth....." I had a paranoid freak out on your behalf! Hahaha! (But seriously, you need that dental floss!).

ShadowRun300 said...

I tried, but can't make out the title of the book. On purpose?
I NEEDED that big honkin' lip balm on my MS ride. I rode 200 miles and the thing that bothered me the most afterwards was my burnt lips.
I just cleaned out my purse and am going through the same type of paranoia. I'm not brave enough to get rid of my dental floss. I don't care how much it lessens the load.

Abby said...

*GASP* You're right!
Dental floss is BACK IN BAG!

Abby said...

The book is "The Best Place to Work". Nonfiction. Pretty good. Not hidden on purpose, just buried under pile o' stuff.
I already put the dental floss back. I can't remember ever using it for as long as it's been in there, but the paranoia got to me. Now, go get yourself a big honkin' lip balm!

lotta joy said...

In my purse is an emergency kit of ISRAELI COMBAT DRESSING that stops severe wound bleeding. A billfold. And a semi automatic. No comb. No lipstick. Let's just say I'm the only woman who shops with all the basics for a field maneuver.

Abby said...

That's awesome.
Throw a thing of dental floss in there and you're a major force to be reckoned with!

carol daniels said...

So funny! It's amazing and surprising what we find in our bags and purses. I don't know if I could do without the dental floss. I keep on in my glove box in the car and it has been used more than once!

Unknown said...

Oh this sound coincidental. I just posted on what's in my black leather bag...

Abby said...

I think it's a good idea to go through these things on a regular basis! And dental floss is sure getting a lot of unexpected love here :)

Abby said...

Oh goodie, heading over to find out!

LL Cool Joe said...

Geez you've got a lot of shit in that bag! Ha!

KatBouska said...

I didn't even know bike bags were a THING. At least you have all your bases covered.

Abby said...

I know!

Abby said...

Yup, they're a thing - and mine is a bit of a cluttered thing!

Tee said...

Similarly, I make time now and then for a good purse clean-out ... usually after I start wondering why my shoulder hurts when I sling my purse over it. The dental floss always gets to stay, but I often find I've been lugging around one of those compact umbrellas for a few days after it's been raining.

It's good to lighten our loads now and then, right?