Wherever I Go These Things Must Follow February 5, 2008

♦ My glasses – I can’t see far. And my allergy-prone eyes don’t seem to like contacts.
 
♦ Calendars – I’ve got one in my kitchen, one in my bedroom, and one in my bathroom. I have to know what day it is today, what day it will be next week, and what day it will be in one month even when I’m brushing my teeth. It’s fundamental to my sanity.
 
♦ Watch / clocks - My life runs on a schedule, so knowing the time at all times is very important. I feel lost when I don’t know what time it is. I have three (nearly identical) watches that I can use plus one stop watch, and of course, my cell phone. At home I keep one clock in every room.
 
♦ Calculator – I can’t count mentally and I don’t have enough fingers on my hand. I get really frustrated when I have to calculate something (e.g., tip) and don’t have a calculator handy. Thank goodness my cell phone has a calculator (and tip!) function.
 
♦ My cell phone – Not for the phone feature – hardly anyone calls me and I hardly call anyone, but for its portable clock, calendar, calculator functions. Very convenient to have one tool to fulfill so many of my most basic needs.
 
♦ Internet – I feel stranded when I’m offline. The internet helps me stay connected with the rest of the world. And it lets me check the weather at any moment of the day/night in any location of the world, if I so need it. 
 
♦ Chapstick – It seems that the more I use it, the more I need to use it. I don’t know what they put in it, but I’m hooked for life. I need at least two tubes of the stuff to feel peace of mind.
 
♦ Ear plugs – I can’t get a wink of sleep without them. All the noise must be blocked out for me to be able to fall asleep. (It used to be that I also needed an eye mask to sleep, but I had to learn to get over wearing it once I discovered that it was exacerbating my acne/rosacea symptoms.)
 
♦ Notepad/notebook (preferably attractive-looking and college-ruled) & a black rollerball or gel pen – To write lists, important reminders, notes, and random thoughts. The pretty notebook and rollerball/gel pen are to incite pleasure and delight.  
 
♦ Nivea – The thick white cream is the only thing that can make my dry, ashy hands feel smooth. And somehow it also gives me a cool, then warm, soothing feeling when I lather it on. I love the tiny trial-size tins. They’re soooo cute and they fit in my pocket, so I can carry them everywhere! 
 
♦ iPod – What would life be without music? (Dry.) Music breathes soul into life. I can’t imagine exercising without music, dancing without music, or just living without music.