The Bag Lady

8:37 AM Edit This 14 Comments »
This morning, as I was leaving the house, I had to consider just what my neighbors think I do all day. I leave at 8 a.m. and rarely return home until 8:30 p.m. on a good night. I mean, I've got my purse, which is like a suitcase in and of itself. I have been accused of being more prepared for meltdown emergencies than the mothers I know - I've got it all in there. Tums. Bandaids. Life savers. Toys. Gum. Paper. Markers. You name it. My purse is a child's playground. And then I've got my gym bag. Which I must say makes me very, very happy. Because it's bright pink and shiny, but it's FULL. Shoes, socks, yoga pants, short sleeved shirt, long sleeved shirt, water bottle, iPod, sports bras, extra underwear (I know. Even I think that's weird. Am I going to wet my pants on the treadmill? I dunno.) and a flashlight. No idea why the flashlight is in there. Then I've got my lunch bag, which is really a cloth grocery bag - today holding a container of mixed greens, a tupperware of black beans, a jar of homemade balsamic vinagrette and a can of tuna. Then I have my briefcase which I need for my part time job since I don't really have an office. And because of that, I haul client files around with me all the time.

It's a chore I tell ya. In the summertime, I live out of my car - so I just leave the bags in there. The beach bag, the camping bins, the floaties, beach chairs and sleeping bags. But this winter stuff. Sigh. Hauling the bags in and out, refilling them every night and taking them back out in the morning? It makes me tired. But it also makes me laugh. I like to keep the neighbors guessing.

In other news, I love my new gym. I don't feel intimidated there at all. I plug in my iPod and I am fairly certain that I'm probably singing aloud at times, but I really don't care. I walked an extra mile in the treadmill last night just to see what song was going to come on next! But more about that tomorrow. Because I'm going to learn to run.

14 comments:

justme said...

loving your gym is so much of the battle, i find. i don't love ours so much. i get people that have aisles and aisles to change in, at the locker room and they find the need to sit on me. it's annoying and unnecessary. it's a country club type place, without the golf. bar, pools, tennis. we are paying for a lot of things we do not use!

Jennifer said...

I do outdoor exercise and don't belong to a gym, but I have a similar "bag" life. It mainly surfaces in the summer - I take a huge bag of journal, books, all that doo dah to the pool. It is HUGE, and I can only imagine the thoughts of others. It really is hilarious. We take 2 pool bags, my book bag, and a cooler. WOW. There are only 2 people using these resources, this summer I might try one book, and only carrying our towels and a water bowl. What do you think?

Anonymous said...

I'm impressed that you actually eat the lunch that you take. By the time lunch rolls around, the healthy delicious food that excited me when I packed it has lost its appeal and I'm looking for a slice of pizza or a burger.

artemisia said...

Whoo! I think loving your gym is one major hurdle you have crossed. Dude.

I am learning to run, too! (How ridiculous is it that we have to LEARN to run? what happened to being 11 years old and just, you know, RUNNING?)

I did not get my act together to bring my lunch this morning. I did manage to make the bed, so I am still calling today a success. For lunch I am having one of my emergency instant oatmeal packets. That is really nothing to look forward to.

BrianAlt said...

I have a bag lady that works for me.

She carries her snow/ice scraper with her. One of those big ones with the brush on one side and the scraper on the other. Yes, IN HER BAG! (Which there are 3.)

You ain't got nothin' on her.

Test said...

Too funny! I get crap all the time at work b/c I look like a pack mule. My daily regime requires me to carry my laptop, purse, water bottle included in purse, gym bag loaded to the point of exploding b/c it includes my lunch, workout gear and all the shower stuff included.

I tell peeps that even if I don't get downstairs, it was a workout just to get into work.

Glad to hear you are working on the running thing. I miss it so much and can't wait until I get the green light from the PT to hit the road again.

Jen said...

I wish I had a car, I miss my car. Carrying bags all over town on my shoulder is not fun at all.
Good luck with running!

Nilsa @ SoMi Speaks said...

Oh, I totally look like a bag lady when I leave in the morning. Purse. Gym bag. Lunch bag. Computer bag. It's so sad.

At the gym, there's this older Asian guy who runs slowly around the track. He sings Classic Rock in broken English ... it's awesome.

buffalodick said...

When our kids were little, I used to tell my wife she could carry more stuff than a pack mule!

Susan Carpenter Sims said...

I so relate to this right now! Today is my "long" day at work. I left the house this morning with a backpack stuffed with books, student papers, my laptop cord, and a cloth binder/keeper thing busting at the seams because it contains all the handouts and work of all three of the classes I teach.

I also had my purse, a plastic bag with my lunch in it, and my laptop, which would not fit in the backpack. Thank God I'm driving and not on public transportation!

The Good Cook said...

My family of 5 and I could survive for 3 years on what I have in my purse alone. Seriously.

I love a well stocked bag or two.

lacochran said...

I'm a bit of a bag lady myself (computer bag, lunch bag, purse, etc.)

Seems if you haul enough bags and distribute the weight, you can skip your muscle toning at the gym. :)

Isn't it great when things like a gym bag can make you happy? It makes exercising soooo much easier to get to. Go! Go! Go! (I'll be your cheering section.)

tattytiara said...

Oh do I know how you feel! I work in entertainment and I'm usually too tired to bring the equipment back to the main office after a late show, but I don't want to leave it in the car either, so I'm always hauling all kinds of strangeness in and out of the place. I have seen cars slow down to look!

Allie said...

Ooh! SO glad to hear you found a gym you love.