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How little it takes to make this writer truly happy! I have found Nirvana . . . or maybe, to be honest I should say, my back has found Nirvana.
Every March hundreds, if not thousands of authors take to the roads as they visit schools, libraries, and talk at conferences—all in honor of National Reading Month. So every March carts, suitcases, rolling backpacks and briefcases are loaded with books, handouts, stuffed animals, laptops, PA systems, and other assorted equipment any well-prepared author, or illustrator, needs. For years I’ve used a large artist portfolio for the big flat items and a rolling backpack with lots of mesh bags and zipper compartments for all the books and printed items. (With various assorted smaller bags for the PA system, my laptop, etc.)
But the small wheels of backpacks do not make for the easy conquering of curbs. I’ve often had to lift the heavy thing over or around curbs. So I have been on the constant lookout for the perfect carry-all; big enough to hold lots of books with big wheels and lots of exterior pockets for assorted stuff. I think I finally found it!
In fact, I am so excited I want to tell everyone and anyone—and the price was great! $50, at Lowes. (It even looks good—not like one of those folding milk crates.) You could probably get it at Home Depot as well. It was the inspiration of my husband, who now will have less backrubs to administer. (Unless I lie about that need!)
Anyway, it’s a wheeled carpenter’s tool bag. Even the handle is tall enough—why do they make most handles too short? Here are the pictures. It’s black and yellow heavy-duty duck cloth with large wheels (see the pictures below), lots of space for everything. There is room for my PA system, 10 of my books, folders for teacher material, copies of manuscript drafts, several stuffed animals, a goody box, my rainstick, my thunder-maker, extension cords, markers, water bottles, and other odds and ends. And it’s wide enough to put my laptop in as well.
Ahh . . . heaven! I loaded it and spent most of the day just admiring it, and taking pictures of it. Its specs: the handle raises to a whopping 44 inches! The main compartment is 19 inches across, the back of it rises to 17 inches, the front to 10 inches. (It slopes downward so there is easy access to everything inside. And you don’t have to zip the cover up if you have something really big that needs to stick out.) It is 10 inches across from front to back. 3 pockets across the front with Velcroed flaps. Four open pockets inside, two net pockets on the short sides outside. Lovely!
As I said, it takes so little to make this writer happy—a good carry-all and a thoughtful spouse. Hey, honey . . . do I still get my backrubs?
Enjoy!
Shutta
*(a la James Brown’s “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag.”)
(The handle telescopes down. Look at those big wheels, ½ the size of my water bottle. The fox fits inside, too!)
Posted in April, 2008
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