The Junk in My Trunk

As a storyteller, I'm on the road a lot because most of my gigs are over 50 miles from home. As a librarian, I'm on the road a lot because my job is 50 miles away. As a mother and granny, I'm on the road a lot because my family are mostly over 150 miles away.

Each year I seem to log about 50, 000 miles. My little green car, my fifth Nissan, now has over 220,000 miles on it, and it's one in the line of five Nissans I've owned with similar mileage.

When you travel that much, you tend to have a survival kit of sorts in your vehicle all the time. Mine varies as to content and season, but here's a list of the current junk in my trunk (and glove box, and purse, and under the seats):

In my purse:

*my AAA card--a gift 3 years ago, a necessity now that my car has so many miles on it

*pen and journal because writing ideas and poems strike at any moment

*calendar because gigs can also come at any moment

*camera because great photos just happen anywhere

*eye drops, lip balm, small scissors, and a small tape measure because a cool piece of furniture might be standing in a junk shop window

*at least 3 pairs of reading glasses because I lose them constantly

*ibuprofen, claritin, Singulair, inhaler (darn it, but again you never know)

*a small puppet because you never know when a small child in line at a store might need something to brighten their day

*business cards (of course)

*and all the usual woman’s-purse stuff

In the trunk:

*a jack and handle (not always true--didn't have it for the last flat, and a long story ensued)

*a fully-inflated donut spare (those things can lose air so it's good to check them occasionally, as I learned the hard way--same long story)

*a heavy wool blanket, an old quilt and some large plastic trash bags

*neck pillow

*gloves--work ones

*rope AND duct tape (how can I be from West Virginia and not carry duct tape?)

*de-icer

*a small tool kit with sockets, pliers, screwdrivers, etc

*sometimes an ice-cream bucket of wood ashes: these are absolutely the best for getting you unstuck from snow or ice

*an old military trencher tool to dig out snow, or to dig up something interesting

In the glovebox:

*extra fuses

*a long magnetic reacher thingie with a light on the end. Very fun, and mighty handy when someone drops a bolt in the wrong place

*handi-wipes

*reading glasses (yep, another pair)

*sunglasses

*matches

*napkins

*ink pen

*cell phone charger is always plugged in—I use it daily

Under the seat:

*water bottles
*a BIG flashlight that can shed light or be a weapon if needed (a gift from one of my sons who worries about all the driving I do)

*road atlas

*de-icer

*ice scraper

That's my list. What junk do you carry in your trunk?