Purse, Closet or Vehicle?

One of my ‘to do’ list items was to clean out my truck. As I have written, I’m downsizing from a big, luxe Ford pick-up. I have been judiciously tidy with this vehicle over the past two years. The problem is, it’s just too damn big.

The full back seat is seldom occupied, so it has become an impromptu closet and garage. Under the seat is a cheap jump-starter thing I’ve never used, a snow brush/ice scraper, an assortment of bungee cords, two dog leashes, and a covered chain lock. A pair of flip-flops and a mismatched pair of sock inside paddock boots are crammed under the driver’s seat and a light nylon jacket is stuffed in the pocket of the seat-back. The passenger’s seat pocket yields up a pair of Night’s gallop boots, a sweat scraper, a used roll of no-chew vet-wrap and a spare lead-shank. (A mini tack room?)  An umbrella is stuffed under the passenger seat along with a roll of paper towels and bottle of Windex.

Moving to the front, the ‘command center’ of this cavernous beast. Each door pocket is jammed with gloves; I left 3 pair (work, riding and dress gloves) and tossed four assorted other pair into the clean-out bag. Water bottles of various sizes went into the trash along with a Tupperware container that rolled out from under the seat. I think it was clean but had no recollection of how or why it got there.

This brought me to the nitty-gritty contents of the console. This deep, dark cave between the two seats serves as Alice’s seat when we have a passenger. There is a handy little removable tray and molded slots for coins and electronics. The tray is great but I have never found anything that remotely fits in the slots without a constant rattle. I have always thrown my change in the ashtray, $5.81 cents to be exact.

I used to spend a lot of hours every day commuting in this vehicle. It has all kinds of creature comforts and what it lacks can be stored in the center console. Emergency food includes honey sticks, peanut butter crackers, mints and a stray biscotti. In the personal care section I have:

• 4 pairs of glasses
• 2 pair of sunglasses
• many hair scrunchies
• 2 bottles of perfume
• liquid hand sanitizer
• a new toothbrush, dental picks and toothpaste
• and a package of hair nets in case I get caught short at a Latin gang convention or horse show.

As to ’emergency’ tools:

• 2 pocket knives
• 2 flashlights
• a tire gauge
• a book of matches
• a handy 3-in-1 flashlight, tape measure and screwdriver
• last year’s fishing license

Why do we carry so much stuff around in our vehicles? What constitutes an emergency?

Finally, I ran my hand along the inside and found the rubber snake that has been in every car I’ve owned since my kids put it in my Jaguar as a joke. The little green fellow looks just as plucky as the day he appeared. Though I wouldn’t want to find him in my purse or closet.