There were 10 writing prompts this week on Purple Ink, so I'll be posting a few at a time over more than one day. Remember: if you like journal writing, join Purple Ink!
- List the contents of your purse or carryall.
- List all the jobs you've ever had.
- List everything you have accomplished today, no matter how small.
#1. List the contents of your purse or carryall.
I use a medium-large leather "belt pack" purchased at a craft fair years ago and still holding up. It has several compartments. I went through it recently and removed everything I hadn't used in recorded history 😉
In the "forward bay" I have:
- A wallet with Barnes&Noble "Preferred reader" card, Target card, AAA card, healthplan card, and a spare $20 bill.
- A rectangular metal "Wallace and Gromit" tin which originally contained a watch (a co-worker got the watch; I got the tin) containing my emergency meds: Excedrin, Advil, Actifed, Sudafed, a nail clipper, antacid and Tylenol Sinus caps (the last for hubby).
- Tissues (specifically Puffs Extra Strength which can be carried around and don't self-destruct)
- A very small pepper grinder.
- A spare set of car keys for whenever we take the car in for servicing.
In the "middle bay" I have:
- a small notebook and mechanical pencil
- a velcro-closure "pouch" that I use if I need to carry checks to the bank
- a pair of chopsticks
- two sets of high-DB foam earplugs in plastic screwtop cases
In the "rear bay" I have:
- A small cloth sun visor that fastens onto my glasses
- A velcro-closure "pouch" containing pens
- A screwtop plastic bottle of spare peppercorns
- A hair scrunchi (just in case)
- My card case – license, credit card, ATM card; if I have to grab and go, this is all I need.
- An 8-ft measuring tape
In the "top bay" I have my Handspring Visor PDA.
In the side bays (one on each side) I have a mini maglight (in one) and a mini leatherman tool (in the other)
#2. List all the jobs you've ever had.
The summer after High School I worked as a cashier at the community swimming pool – lots of small wet children running around. Yipes.
The next summer I had a work-study job in the Bio department stockroom at the university in the morning, alternating with a temporary secretarial job for the Park and Rec department in the afternoon. It always took a while to decide how to answer the phone ("Park Forest Pool, no, Stockroom, no , Park and Rec")
No other part-time College/Summer jobs loom in my memory.
In Grad school I had an assistantship (I taught labs in return for a small stipend and a reduction in tuition).
My first job out of College (Grad school) was as a "Clinical Data Specialist" (next step up from Data Entry clerk) which I parlayed into Unix Specialist (i.e. programmer-to-order) within a month. After two years of that, I had a stepping stone to a Unix programmer job at Apple which I held for 6 years. Then through Quality Lead, Project Manager, Technical Support and Webmaster, Scientific programmer (for two companies in a row), Technical Writer, Programmer again for a few contract jobs… at the moment, I'm unemployed.
#3. List everything you have accomplished today, no matter how small.
(entry written yesterday)
I got out of bed. I fed the cats. I wrote a couple of weblog entries, read and answered email. I looked at a software bug (which I still haven't solved) but maybe I have a better idea for a direction to take. I went to the grocery store, bought groceries, brought them home. I took a short late-afternoon nap. I got the charcoal started for dinner (now that's an accomplishment. In One Try yet!). I grilled the salmon (and it came out exquisite – another major accomplishment!). Ate; cleaned up; did some more email; sat in the hot tub; went to bed.
Slightly Off KIlter 