Fortunate

Every once in a while I clean out and reorganize my purse. I've gotten heartily sick of digging out stuff from the pit of my current bag so it was time to organize or switch. This purse is a cheerful orange floral backpack thing the date brought me from Hawaii. I like the summery outside but the inside is just a sack with one small pocket. Usually a purse I choose has 3 main compartments plus a zipped pocket for feminine needs and meds, plus a pocket each for the cell and camera. This one is just chaos. I try to keep it cleared out but it only takes a week or two and it's back to where the people behind me at the grocery store are mentally stabbing me while I dig for the store card to activate my savings.

This time, I went to my not inconsiderable stash of smaller bags and decided to add a step to actually laying hands on an item by sorting most of the stuff into these smaller bags/wallety things. The current allocation is

1. money & ID & insurance wallet
2. coupon & gift card wallet
3. coin purse
4. Meds/first aid
5. tools
6. food
7. makeup

The camera has its own case, the pens float free as does the ibuprofen bottle that doesn't fit in the first aid sleeve. There's a notebook with games in it that closes with elastic. The phone has a cliphanger and clips to the drawstring, as do extra hair clips. The work badge, lipgloss, and wetwipes are in the outer pocket. I think this could work.

Every once in a great while, I clean out AND reorganize my wallet. Usually, it's just before a big trip when I want to make sure I have a clear list of all the items in case they need replacing. The wallet is normally a tri-fold, but it hasn't gone beyond bi-fold in maybe 6 months. This one has been a long time coming, motivated by an upcoming trip to Alaska. The key to this reorg working longer than a week is that I've decided to separate credit cards and necessary membership cards from gift cards and voluntary membership card and stick the latter with coupons in an overengineered flat leather case I couldn't resist at the J.Crew register a few years ago but never found a solid use for. The separation of gift cards and buy-12-get-one-free offers means I can now fold my wallet closed again, which makes me happy.

Other stuff I did in the reorg included re-writing the list of emergency and friend contacts. Now that I have a cell phone, I don't know anyone's phone numbers by heart, but cell phones can get lost or run out of juice. And were I incapacitated but possessed of the wallet, I'd want someone to know there were people to call who might care. Judging by the names, I'm pretty sure the last time I did that, I lived in MA, although I'd tacked my CA work number on there. I've got a more current mix now.

Lastly, I've decided to take out all the fortunes I've been accumulating. And share them with you. Personally, I group them into "positive fortunes", "funny descriptions", "descriptions that resonate with me", "Instructions", & "Engrish". Extra bonus points to those in more than one group. I'd be interested in hearing what you think this selection says about me. Or barring that, pick one and guess why I saved it.

• Past inspirations and experiences will be helpful in your job
• You are a happy man
• Your love life will be happy and harmonious
• Your sense of humor is a joy to all
• You have inexhaustible wisdom and power
• Versatility is one of your outstanding traits
• Maybe you can live on the moon in the next century (Was this was from 1999 or a hope for a very long life?)
• An interesting musical opportunity is in your near future (accompanied by a picture of a bumblebee)
• The best profit of the future is the past
• Keep your plans secret for now
• Sing and rejoice, fortune is smiling on you
• You are contemplating some action which will bring credit upon you
• You will be awarded some great honor
• You will be fortunate in the opportunities presented to you
• A pleasant surprise is in store for you
• A friend will be important to you and your forthcoming success
• Happiness always accompanies with you

May happiness always accompany with you.