What the heck is in that Black Hole?

I met with my girlfriend (we'll call her KG for the purposes of this post) this morning for a quick coffee and catch-up session.  With her busy work schedule these days, weekend coffee meetings are pretty much the only time I see her.  She's a serious gal on the go.  I got to the coffee house just as she started teetering with her stainless steel thermos in hand, a cell phone to her ear, and a gargantuan black bag on her shoulder.  That's the reason why she was teetering.  The bag literally had it's own gravity force it was that big.  At the last second before she looked about to topple over, she did a little jump shot and threw her change into the tip jar.  A dollar bill and some change all dunked in.  She didn't spill her coffee, and she was still chatting away on the phone.  The gentleman behind her caught her arm before she hit the floor.  Simply amazing.  When we sat down, I asked her, "What the heck is in that frickin' HUGE bag?  A dead body?  BTW, I have the number for a great chiropractor..."  She rolled her eyes and replied, "My life is in this thing.  I know it's not the cutest, but it's the only thing I could find that holds everything."

This amazed me.  Not just because MY back hurt just looking at her, but because I was amazed that someone had designed something so impractical.  I had to pry further.

Me: So, what exactly does your life depend on that you have to carry it all around in that?
KG: On any given weekday?  Let's see... my breakfast, lunch, wallet, keys, my cell, work cell, laptop, work files, make-up bag, extra sweater 'cause the office is freezing, water bottle, sometimes work-out clothes... an extra pair of flats if I know I won't be able to stand in my heels all day... oh, and my tennis racket actually fits in here too!  Hey, are you going to take those volley lessons with me?...
Me: (eyebrows raised in bewildered silence)
KG: What?  (sheepishly) I usually dump it all out on the weekends...  Just today, I have to go into work after this and...
Me: (my best: Are-you-for-real? face and more silence)
KG: I know what you're thinking.  And the worst thing is, I can't find anything because it's a black hole.  Everything gets sucked to the bottom and the thing I need most inevitably gets lost in the void.  I found a Ziplock bag with a moldy 1/2 eaten sandwich in here just the other day... at least I think it was a sandwich... (laughs)
Me: That my friend, is frightening.

But I get it.  I have big, cavernous purses too.  The bigger it is, the more I fill it to the brim.  That's why I have that number for the fabulous chiropractor.  We women seem to love toting around a bunch of shit.  At least the ones I know.  I work from home and rarely travel further than the gym and the grocery store and STILL my bag is full of crap.

My girlfriends span the gamut of individuality and lifestyles.  They are business women, working moms, fierce singles, doting wives, shop-aholics, save-aholics, gym junkies, eco warriors, and everything in between.  They exemplify pretty much everything that makes women so attractive, sexy and strong.  And that means each of these modern women need to carry her arsenal of essentials in their purse!

So what makes a great daily-use bag?  I don't know.  Is it the brand, the shape, the function?  Is it the color, the material or the price?  If you are a woman and you happen upon this blog post, let me know!  I'd like to hear what women want in a good purse, carry-all, tote, or whatever you schlep around town all day.  What does your favorite bag look like, and what's all that stuff you find necessary to carry in?

Year of the Rabbit

Happy Year of the Rabbit.

Look at this cutie with a lovely Mulberry messenger bag!

 Is this for real?  Yes!  It's an Angora.

 Holy Rabbit-zilla!

One of the best books written.  EVER.