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Monday, April 16, 2012

My things

On the average day I really do not carry very much. I tend to have my phone, which I use all day and check twitter religiously with, my wallet, and my keys. I also carry about four or five pencils during the day, although generally they are not at the same time. I do tend to lose things. My tennis bag, which I have with me nearly every day, contains an unbeleiveable amount of random crap. I have sunscreen, my raquets, extra grips, sweatbands, elbow brace, Icy hot, advil, an 8 inch long swich blade, shoes, sandals, and pencils and other things that get thrown in there when I change after school.

The Pockets and Backpack of Logan Gardner

Well, if one dares to venture inside the treacherous backpack of Logan Gardner, he/she will discover that not only are there random, odd, and, at times, disgusting items inside, but one will also discover that the possibility of living out of the backpack I carry with me every day is a very realistic possibility. I always have an adequate (massive bottle by pharmaceutical standards) stash of Zyrtec, Advil, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Sudafed, Mucinex, and Amoxicillan/Augmentum (when travelling) as well as a T-81 Graphing Calculator ready at a moment's notice with seven pencils usually without lead within easy reach. On average, there are approximately 2 pens in my "Random Things" pouch (one that usually doesn't have ink) and 15 completely random items that I've accumulated over time. For instance, just the other day I got out of school and wanted to go to Keeneland, however I wasn't dressed for it with the exception of my khaki pants and dress shirt. I go into my "Random Things" pouch and out pops a Vineyard Vines tie and Polo dress socks. How convenient! One can also usually find a couple of Euros, maybe a Pound, and surely some pennies in this pouch of incredible items, as well as multiple packets of gum that I forgot about months ago.

Enough with the random things in the "Random Things" pouch though. My pockets ALWAYS have my car and house keys in them, my phone (can't live every day life without), and a disturbing amount of pocket lent. In my car I can't go without my Raybans and wallet, and at home I always carry homework around with me whatever room I'm in just in case I decide to do it for all of thirty seconds.

The Worst Nomad in the World

As everyone can probably tell, I haul around a heck of a lot
of stuff. My lunchbox, my oversized backpack, my purse, a jacket… I always get
hungry in third hour. So why put my lunchbox away? I utilize my free class time
and my lunch period to study, so why leave my books at home? My purse is
basically a garbage can with some spare change in it. I only keep enough on me
to buy an ice cream cone. But this is just as important. I also have major
hot-cold fluctuations throughout the day, so I always bring a coat to combat
that. Everything I carry is essential, in my mind. However, someone told me
once that I would be “the worst nomad in the world” with all the things I
carry. I beg to differ. Every day I carry with me means of shelter,
nourishment, and protection. My purse is so full it could probably stop a
bullet. I could clobber a bear with my backpack. I could store enough food in
my lunch-pack to last me weeks. And with the surface area of all my bags
combined, I could easily construct a fortress.

I don’t know about you guys, but an iPhone won’t save you in
the wilderness. I was built to survive.

In My Purse

I carry my purse everywhere I go; I feel naked without it. My current purse is a medium size Coach bag. I feel it is necessary to have my purse at all times because it encloses everything I need to get through the day. Most importantly, I have my iPhone for all iPhone related purposes (which are endless.) The second most important is gum. I cannot stand having bad breath, just like I can't stand other people having bad breath. The third most important is my mirror. What if my hair gets messed up or my makeup smears? Perhaps I'll just have an eyelash in my eye. I use my mirror about 4 times a day on average. Next I have my brush in case my hair gets oily or tangled. I will also carry some makeup for touch-ups; this usually only includes lip products and eyeliner. Attached to my purse is hand sanitzer for before lunch and if the bathroom is out of soap. I also carry average items like money, keys, and my license. Lastly, as every woman knows, there are times during the year that a purse is needed to carry hygenic items that need to be concealed.

Soooooooomewheeeeeere Ouuuuuuuut Theeeeeeeere

As far as I have known, since I was a kid, there are about 17 people who die every ten seconds in the world. Or maybe it's 19? Although I guess that there are about 0.5 billion more people on earth than there were when I was born. But that doesn't change the fact that, every ten seconds, a lot of people die. And there are a lot of interesting and terrible ways to do that! For example, go to Australia. I am relatively certain that a good portion of the problems come from Australia, thanks to its near-infinite supply of vicious and poisonous animals. For example, platypi. There are lots of platypi in Australia, and they are all totally adorable. Of course, that's not mentioning the fact that platypi have poisonous spurs on the back of their legs which will put you in immense pain and kill you. So maybe you should avoid the platypi, go for a swim, perhaps? Except you should wear shoes, because...stonefish! Stonefish, as their name implies, look like...stones! Wow! So you won't be able to see it before you step on it and its spines inject venom into your bloodstream, causing some of the most pain you will ever experience in your whole life. And how do we know this? Because somewhere, sometime, people tried to pet platypi because they're really cute. Or they tried to wade into the ocean, only to step on a stonefish. Or maybe some of them got stung by jellyfish? Anything can happen when you go to Australia.

And I would bet that somewhere, right now, someone just discovered that hippopotami, despite being cute, will gore you quickly and painfully.

Oh, the magic of nature!!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

All about stoplights and what not to do at 'em.

Well, every day I carry:
-My phone because if I get in a horrible accident or someone important needs to reach me I can communicate on a whim. The internet is also helpful when you need to use Google for some last minute AP notes cramming or prove someone wrong with the magic of Wikipedia. More importantly, my phone has a GameBoy Advance emulator on it and Donkey Kong doesn't play itself.
-My gum because I like gum. And because if I don't let all my friends mooch 75% of my gum supply off of me daily, who will?
-My earphones, even though I never listen to music anymore.
-My wallet because wallets hold money and money buys things and I like things.
-All my books and homework because my teachers told me to.
-My bookbag because books are heavy.
-The Henry Clay Go-Green shirt I bought a week ago, because I'm too lazy to take it out and it's not heavy, so why not? I might get in a horrible accident in which I lose my presently worn shirt, and that would be inconvenient.
-I wear my watch, if that counts. I usually just use my phone to check the time, but it makes me look more businessy so why not?

And that's all I carry.

The weight I bear

Haha, that title sounds way too dramatic. Anyways, we all carry stuff. And most of us, the same stuff. A phone, some smart some not, a money holder (wallets for me, purses for girls, usually), and that usually ends up being it. Honestly, I can barely go outside of that. More often then not I'll also have my portable gaming system on me (Right now it's a 3DS, but that changes as the years go by), sometimes a portable phone/device charger which is pretty handy and nifty, but besides that, my pockets are pretty standard. A wallet with little to no cash in it, an iPhone like over 50% of people our age have, and that's really it. I don't carry much.

Every once in awhile I'll carry a Ranger Key with me, just for the hell of it. I hope to get a license soon to put in that wallet I carry around, and when I do, I'll mod that Ranger Key and make it a useful car key. Yeah. That'd be pretty cool.

Nothing but my iphone

The thing that annoys me most is having to carry things with me. Because I am such a forgettful person, I have a problem with leaving my things in public places. My phone is one thing that I usually always carry with me, but there have been numerous occassions where I have had to call restaurants or stores because I left my phone there. If I ever feel the need to carry money and whatnot, I typically bring a bag because it is much easier to see that as I am leaving somewhere. All in all, I dont like being responsible for extra items when I leave my house.

What do I carry?

What do I carry on a daily basis? Stuff. And on the surface that's really all that I have, if you consider the numerous books, notebooks, pens, pencils, and various other instruments of torture. I also carry my phone, which I consider a huge part of my life (or more like a portal into the world around me. I also carry around my wallet, which contains my ID and my money, both very important things in my life.
But wait, I don't just have stuff, do I? No, I carry around emotions that every human being carries around: hope, fear, happiness, confidence, determination. Everyone has these emotions, just in different quantities. The most important one to me, however, is compassion. Without it, we are merely intelligent savages, without any thought for anyone else.
And that's what I carry around with me. Some would call what they carry a burden. What do I call it? Identity.

Things, Carried--A Reflection

I suppose, to start off this blog, I would have to ask, what does it mean to "carry" something? That is, outside of the regular definition. It could be used to display some emotional trauma--carrying a heavy heart--or be used in some idiom--carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders. But I guess here I'm going to be somewhat less poetic and somewhat more literal.

For example, every day, pretty much everywhere I go, I carry a small, black, rectangular bag. Most people don't bother to ask what this is, and usually they just don't care. But it's incredibly important to me, and I'd really rather not leave home without it. This, of course, is my handy dandy insulin kit, containing the medicines and machines to keep me alive for at least another day. Oh, by the way, I'm also metaphorically carrying diabetes, if you didn't catch that yet. The weight of diabetes is a heavy one(I swear if you make jokes about my weight here I am going to flip a table), and one which will, metaphorically, hang around my neck for the rest of my life. Also, it's a weight that causes blindness and organ failure, so it's not pleasant to have to carry it. I also try to carry a notebook whereever I go. Sometimes a red one, sometimes blue, sometimes black, green, purple, yellow, I don't care, as long as I've got somewhere to scribble down ideas I have and designs I think of. Do you know how very irritating it is when you think of a really really cool idea for a story, but have nowhere to write it down, and by the time you can, you've forgotten it? Pretty irritating is the answer.

The Things I Sometimes Carry

While pondering this assignment, I realized that I don’t really carry around specific things when I go anywhere – there’s no special keychain or “totem” that I keep around with me wherever I go. Sure, I keep the bare minimum with me – my not-smart phone, which has weathered years of unfaithful service and constant dropped-calls; and sometimes my wallet, whose contents are usually a mystery to me. Everything that I carry around usually is only for school – everything’s haphazardly jammed into my backpack and usually ends up ruining all the worksheets and other materials, but I don’t really need them with me at all times.

I have a particularly sensitive nose; every season, and in any weather – wind, snow, sleet, shine, or hail – my nose is running. For this reason, I always carry a mini-bag of tissues around. It’s always good for hygiene to keep clean, and there are plenty of uses for tissues. Everything from horribly-fragile origami to jotting down quick notes (keep in mind that all of these uses are for separate tissues!), tissues are second only to smartphones in my list of usefulness.

Not that I would know how useful smartphones are first-hand, but I would definitely carry it around everywhere.

Let’s just say that my not-smart phone might have a little accident.

The Things I Carry

I wouldn’t say that I carry any items all the time. I enjoy variety in my life. However, two common items that play large roles in my daily life are my water bottle and my purse. Recently, I have discovered my deep love of drinking water. As a child, I was mostly a milk or juice drinker, but now, my favorite beverage is water (with coffee as a close second). During the day, I usually refill my water bottle 4-5 times, usually more. It is the most refreshing thing and you never get tired of it. Also, my water bottle is also used as a water gun occasionally, which I guess could be useful in some situation. Secondly, my purse has great importance because it contains some of the basic necessities: phone, wallet, and keys. That’s all I really need, but it usually ends up having Chapstick, a pen/pencil, hair scrunchies, and whatever else can fit in a purse. My favorite item from my purse would be my keys with my awesome key chains from some of my friends (I have never bought a key chain, yet I have 5 key chains). I wouldn’t die without these items; they are just things I like to carry to make sure I have the things I need. I do not enjoy being unprepared.

Things I carry

If you were to search me at any given time, one would most likely find a cell phone, five dollars, a pencil and chapstick. That would be about it; I am a relatively simple girl.
Da Cell Fone
My cell phone is my life. From playing temple run to texting my boyfriend; this device is treated like my own child. I can search the internet or ask siri anything I would ever want to know. With an iPhone 4S I have infinite knowledge. When I get bored in class, I just whip out my phone and play temple run. It is constant entertainment.

Ca$h money
I love to eat and 5 dollars is just enough money for a large baja blast mountain dew and crunch wrap supreme from taco bell.

Chap stick
It IS ALWAYS NECESSARY. Dry lips are eww.
If you chose to search me this is all that you would find....kidding about that.

Things

Every day, I am constantly reminded of the heavy baggage that we students carry all of the time. The first things that come to mind are, of course, the physical burdens that are our backpacks, satchels, bags, or whatever we choose to lug around the gratuitous amount of coursework that we must transport. However, we all are holding much more in our possessions. As an example, I must admit that my family’s expectations in my success weigh much more; I understand that I must do well in school, that I must be both a respectable and respectful student, and that I must be as good of a person to others as possible. These few things mean quite a bit to me because I know that they are the keys to being a successful and happy person. While this list of baggage is relatively short, it holds much more weight in the big picture than any physical object ever could.

What I Carry

What I carry around with me everyday is pretty simple: iPhone, wallet with ID, credit card, and cash, and my keys; all simple everyday objects that are necessity. Nothing is very special about this other than my keys, there are a few cards to random stores like GNC and Speedway; more interesting though is that my keys are on a carabiner so that I can hook my keys easily on my pants and they are always within reach and never forget them somewhere. I also put my Clarks Desert Boot leather shoe lace thing, because it looks interesting but really provides no real purpose. My car is much more interesting with its contents. When I don't have my trunk full of my lacrosse equipment, which sadly makes my car dirtier and grosser by the day, then my car has its usual contents. I almost always have my lacrosse stick in my car with a few balls just in case someone calls me and wants to throw; "practice makes perfect" and the only way to get better at lacrosse is to work on your stick skills and with my stick always in my car it makes me practice and get better when other players do not.

baggage

On a daily basis I carry many things with me, both physically and mentally. Physically, every morning I walk out of my house with at least one other bag besides my backpack. After school I typically go to work or have ab errand to run or need to meet with my trainer or college planner. There is absolutely zero time to run home. Therefore, I need to take.all of the stuff I need for the whole day first thing when I leave to go to school. At school I carry my backpack? High is filled with notebooks and folders and pens/pencils (some may see this as excessive; however, to me and most people it is not). Mentally I also carry a lot of baggage. I carry everything from grades/school/tests/homework (and now more recently college s and scholarships. Also mentally I worry and am tad OCD.
Sometimes I feel as if it is too much for me to deal with but in my phone I am able to multi task even when my brain cannot.

A pencil

I try to carry as little as possible whenever I'm out. However I find that having a pencil in my pocket is essential most of the time especially at school. It's nice to have those moments where you need something to write with and you reach into your pocket and find a pencil. It's convenient and very useful. Other than that most of the items that I carry around on a daily basis is my phone and backpack. I think I should probably start carrying my wallet but it fits uncomfortably in my pocket. I honestly do not like carrying too many things with me. It becomes hard to keep up with it all and the more you have the more you lose. Psychologically I feel more at ease when my pockets are empty and there's nothing that I have to keep track of. But if I wanted to start carrying something more meaningful it'd probably be a dollar coin because it is cool. It'd be small and fairly unique. Then whenever I wanted to I could get a movie from Redbox and watch it.

I'm Surrounded By Tools--Sounds Like a Nickleback Concert

As much as I'd love to play the role of that spontaneous guy with all the awesome doohickeys, like Doc from Back to the Future, I've never seen myself go that route.

Or have I? It may not be that I'm particularly non-gadget-dependent but that I'm just no more dependent than anyone else in America. I could make the case that I'm practically braving it like Bear Grylls: navigating the abstemious everyday landscape toting just a phone, a wallet, and keys. But think about it. Even a dinky non-smart phone like mine constitutes about 200 gadgets in one; a wallet wields several critical documents and one certain green document covered in faces and numbers that practically lets me acquire any gadget I may desire on my journeys; and keys promise the awesome power of access to not only a home CHOCK FULL of tools but also one particular internal-combustion tool that makes all the rest of my gadgets look superfluous.

So compared to the austere subsistence on the bare necessities of life that not even all modern humans enjoy, my claim of lack of reliance on tools looks ridiculous if not outright ignorant. But, what if you somehow compiled a list of every person in the United States whose family earns an upper-middle class income like my own, and then you found out how many doohickeys each one of these people totes around on an average day? I think my number would probably fall below the average.

So, maybe I'm decadent, but so are you, so don't go around calling me a tool.

The minimum

Whether its physically or mentally I am always carrying around the absolute minimum. When it comes to concrete objects its always phone, wallet, keys. Thats all I need so thats all I am going to carry. When it comes to carrying things around in school is the same way. The majority of my school stuff is jammed in my locker while upstairs while all I carry around is a pencil, and a small folder with homework in it. This can create some issues when all of sudden the item you needed is not around, and you only have your lack of effort to blame. When it comes to non physical objects I am the same way. Multitasking is not my thing. I can walk downstairs, focused on grabbing a water, see something laying on the ground, and by the time I pick it up and examine it I have forgotten what I came downstairs for. Also when texting its either focused on phone, or focused on surroundings. I would be the like the girl that walked into the fountain while texting.

The Love for the Game

Soccer is my life. I carry it with me every second of the day and night. Whether I am literally carrying a soccer ball and cleats or not. The Love and Passion for the game defines me in every aspect of life. For example my morals are derived from the game. The hard work, dedication, and leadership, all from the game. In addition, my decision on where I go to college is not only based on the academics, size, and atmosphere, but also what soccer coach wants me the most and will give me the most money. That's the deal breaker. Physically. If I ever look tired it's most likely from soccer, not from pulling an all nighter. From the way I stumble through the hallways to the infamous soccer tan, I reflect the game. Then there are the endless amount of scars and cuts that are depicted from my knee down. These are reminders of the sacrifice I put forth for the game. Furthermore there's the fact that at least half of the people I associate with play soccer. This creates a soccer environment away from the field. I have one love and that's for the game. I think a phrase from a song by dean's list called dear professor pretty much sums it all up, " I'm addicted to the thrill, the dream of being big."

My totems for inception

Sadly, most of the items I carry with me at all times have been tampered with by my good for nothing so called friends, so I can't use them as my totems in case I need to perform inception on a billionaire's heir. However, they are still important to me, as they remind me of several different things in my life.

My lanyard is probably the only "totem" I possess, as no one has messed with it. I frequently change the keys and stuff on it. However, it is a gift from my brother, so I keep it as a reminder I'm not an only child. I also have a little figurine from a tiny Viet friend of mine, so I have a voodoo version of him in my pocket. Next, I have my keys, which go to my trunk of dark secrets and my house. I also have a Kroger card, which is weird. I never go to Kroger. Same with the library card.

I have my wallet, which contains my ID stuff and a few photos and some cash. Nothing too special.

My iPhone would be my beacon to society, since it can do so many things for me that I'm not capable of doing.

I also carry a pen around at all times, since you can't tell when someone might try to mug you and you don't have a reliable weapon. A nice extra fine tip pen should poke a few eyes.

Now, the one item that identifies me is my allergy bracelet that I've had longer than anything else. It identifies who I am, and tells them I have problems in case it's not known. I get ticked off when people try to take it off since it's almost impossible to put back on.

These are my Justin totems. Hopefully when the time comes I'll be able to tell whether that hot chick talking to me is actually real when I take out my keys and sense the weight.

My life

Everything in todays world most people do for practicality. while there are the few among us who remain burdened, or carry, metaphorical and emotional things, many of us carry physical things, mostly for practicality. i am not one of the few who are special, i am one who carries practical things. the thing i have with me almost everywhere is my phone. it is how someone is able to contact me. the sad truth is that the phone may really describe humanity, everyone is tied to technology when we do not need to be. but unfortunately we are, phones are almost as cherished in this world as pets and humans are. i carry a phone because it is a tool for fun and both work.
another object i carry, this one metaphorical, is being the first son. since i am the first born i feel added pressure from both my parents, and myself, to behave and act more responsibly for my brothers. i am the guinea pig so to speak and a lot of the time having all that pressure clouds my thoughts and weighs me down. i also feel like i have to be the mediator of the family when there are fights, this is because i am the first born. i feel a sense of duty to my family that i express more openly than my brothers, this too i believe is because i am the first born.
these things that i carry are only a few, but i believe that what you carry helps to define who you are, they shape you and mold you into a unique human being. everyone has different "crosses" to bear and so everyone is different. they are you.

what i carry

I carry lots of things with me every single day. I carry all of my books and schoolwork in my trusty backpack which stays perched on my back for most of the day, and I carry literally everything else that I could possibly need in my rather large purse/tote which rests upon my shoulder. I'm trying to think of something interesting or surprising to tell you all about that I carry with me, but sadly I am having little success. Mainly I can just say that I'm prepared at all times for whatever situation with the things that I carry, hence the big bag. I always always always have my little planner with me in my purse though. I seriously would be lost without it. Basically, its pages contain the entire contents of my life and everything that I need to do/want to do/accomplished/will accomplish/want/need. I would be devastated if I ever lost it! I always without fail will have my iPhone with me too. It's probably my favorite possession, as it can do basically anything I need it to. One thing that I absolutely never carry for some reason though is lotion. Don't ask me why, but I just never need it and it's one more thing junking up my purse. I mention it because this girl in my math class asks me for lotion literally every single day, and every day I say no, I do not have any. You'd think she would've gotten the picture by now.

A Basic Necessity

I must hand it to the person who came up with putting numbers and colors on cards to create a game - you sir, are a genius amongst geniuses. Really, it's such a simple concept. You put one of thirteen numbers and one of the four different designs on a card, repeat it fifty-three more times, and voilĂ , a set of endless entertainment.

Ever since Freshman year, I have reserved a special place in my backpack. In the zipper pocket next to my umbrella and calculator is a deck of cards. No. Not a deck of cards, for using such weak language undermines its very essentiality. In the zipper pocket next to my umbrella and calculator is the deck of cards. It's the deck of cards that safeguarded me from the - to put it in an eloquent and pompous manner - monotonous, quotidian labor that never fails to impress with the degree of lethargy it induces. In other words, school.

It's the desire, the hope that I'll get to play cards in maybe a couple of classes that gets me out of bed, that pushes me to school, that allows me to retain my sanity. It's a beacon of light in a perpetual ocean of sorrow and anguish. It's the savior sent by heaven to emancipate me from the eternal torment of routine drudgery.

Okay, maybe I'm over-dramatizing it again. But really, it makes the day go by so much faster.

beast of burden

in perhaps the greatest adventure of my life, I roamed through the New Mexican desert for two weeks with everything I would ever need on my back. The experience taught me many things, most importantly, that you can compact your entire life into a 45 pound backpack. not surprisingly, most of your life consists of food and water. without sustenance, you would die. it not only determines your survival; it also makes up most of your cultural and personal identity. However, it is not wise to take more food than you need. You will break down from the weight if you over indulge. this is the first lesson of the desert. the second weightiest category of your gear is your shelter. In the desert, a tent, a sleeping bag, and a ground mat are sufficient. usually, the tent is divided between you and your tent mate. You are equally responsible for your home. In real life, the same is true. The rest is clothing and survival gear. In the grand scheme of things, your appliances and belongings shouldnt weigh much on your life, though there is no shame in having a few. this is true of both the desert and real life. Of course, the greatest burden of all is that of the memories and frends you make along the way. Even after your leave the desert, you'll have both of those for the rest of your life.