I am about a month in to my dumb phone experiment and here is the daily carry as it's coalesced. It's taking a bit of trial and error to figure out how to navigate with minimal map–the key seems to be writing down address and directions in my notebook–and what content I really want to have with me throughout the day.
I always carry a book of poems or a novel with me and I am really starting to like having my only my favorite albums on my iPod. I have been listening through the songs that I grew up–nostalgic, funny, sweet–and slowly acquiring others through band camp and thrift store CD purchases.
Some of my friends are mad–your notifications are green!??–and others are thrilled by the phone calls and more considerate texting. I am perhaps less annoying now.
Contents from top to bottom:
Swatch watch, Coolpix digital camera, mint tin for pills, hobonichi A5 techo that contains my whole life, Nokia 2780, iPod nano 8GB with favorite albums on rotation, Sarasa Zebra pen, and uni-ball vision, wallet, headphones.
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my everyday bag is a large baggu crescent bag, and it is the love of my life. i have a variety of pins on display that say, “help the police-beat yourself up!”, “mean lesbian”, and “the moral panic is about ME!!!”
i keep my wallet and coin-purse in the one little inside-pocket, along with lip balm/gloss, airpods AND wired earbuds, pencils/pens, lighters, my trusty bus pass, and an unlimited use kiss coupon from my partner.
in the main part of the bag i have a smaller bag full of stimming toys and communication cards (and gum and more lip gloss). i also have a taser, one reusable bag (just in case!), my journal (i’ve been trying to keep a commonplace book), my kobo libra color, my vape, a few joints in a cute kitten cigarette case, and a pack of american spirits (the teal ones are superior).
not pictured: owala water bottle and any given crochet project
Sep 4, 2024
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Whats in my bag?
momma…. A lot.
♠️♥♦♦♥️♠♥♦♥️♦♣♦♣️
8 different lippies (so far today)
2 nail polishes
chorded headphones
5 bobby pins held together by a clear hair tie
a notebook with my favorite painting on the cover 🖼️
a pen
a white cloth headband (covered in makeup)
joints obviously
empty joint canisters as well 🙃
empty gum pack
an urban decay solstice eyeshadow *crumbled of course*
sommerset moss facial balm that doubles for the hands
car key
house keys 🔐
solo door key *OFF the key chain
two pairs of earrings (hoops, and locks both silver)
air pod *singular* in the case
matches
one cough drop
vivienne wallet
sunglasses (2 once I take the ones off my head)
phone 💋
May 8, 2024
Old filled journal + new empty journal (still need to index the old one), pen case with Kaweco Skylines (different inks) and tape and a sharpie, Analogue Pocket with Final Fantasy VI, small cash bag, microfiber, Beats Fit Pro. Carried in a cycling messenger.
On bad days, I manage to fit two (2) laptops in here.
Mar 5, 2024
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No screen Sundays. If I want to listen to music its CDs or radio. If I want to watch a movie, no I don’t. If I want to see a friend, I will make plans with them on Friday or Saturday to meet up. As a result, I read more, write more, and sit with questions like “did Citizen Kane‘s 50 year winning streak in the Sight and Sound critics choice survey end in 2012 or 2022? When did Stephen Merritt come out? Whats the etymology of Whitsun?“
This is something that I have practiced off and on for many years but I’ve been doing it every week since December and I love the way that it just allows me one day of true freedom and rest.
Jan 22, 2025
Mar 3, 2025
My calendar this year has 52 of these week at a glance pages but I don’t think that way. So, I've been inspired by Ross Gay’s Book of Delighs to start recording the little moments and sensations that bring me joy throughout the day. An analog pi.fyi, if you will.
heres some of what I have so far:
- Waking up to the sound of my upstairs neighbor‘s footstep. It sounded nostalgic. Felt like company.
- Strawberry jam
- feeling tender for strangers: their lips, nail colors, their small wrists. Thinking of all the lives we hold gently.
- A young girl bought an LP at the bookstore just before I left. She stroked its cover with love
- Green tiles —the mint shade always makes me think of Jancie
- Charlie’s little bop and punch dancing to some German language punk
- lunch with Katherine, curry Brussels sprouts
- small talk at the photo studio. The photographer's brother was named after their dad, stole his identity, bought jet skis.
Jan 13, 2025