desert island suitcase



so Smallest Person and I were in the car, and she asked me what I would put in a suitcase if I only had one suitcase of items to take to a desert island with me

it is a "magic suitcase" tho, or rather the items in it are "magic": because you could only put whatever you chose in the suitcase - an ordinary sized suitcase* - but that item would last forever and never run out. . .


*I'd say fourth or fifth down from the top


for example, if you put a bottle of cool refreshing water in, the bottle would never run out of water. . .
.
(don't know why she thought of desert island, it was trying so hard to snow yesterday that she might well have said the North Pole or basecamp at Mount Everest or a treehouse in an Amazonian rain forest) (but we'll stick with the desert island for the mo, shall we) (dunno about you, but I could do with the warmth and the sunshine)

(she also didn't know how she had come up with this idea, but used to play My Grandmother's Trunk a lot when they were little when we were on long car journeys and also Who Am I? so maybe her mind was just wandering and coming up with random thoughts) (have no idea where she gets that from)

I chose* my favourite photo of the children, a bottle of cool refreshing water, a tray of ice cubes, a chunky glass, my current medication, black mascara and purple eye-liner, spray on sun-tan lotion/after-sun, waxing strips and a razor, toothbrush and toothpaste, a parasol, my iPod, the most interesting book I have ever read, a kaleidescope, a sudoku pad and a biro, a sketch pad and some charcoal/pastels, a water melon and a pomegranite, a bag of very peppery nacho chips, a very large soft towel straight out of the laundry, a huge velvety blanket, a snorkel, kindling and a box of matches, a packet of marshmallows, a small telescope. . .

. . .a packet of fags and a lighter


I am smoking
far too much
at the moment
I need to cut down
and then quit

(she did ask why I hadn't included any clothes and what would I do when the rescuers turned up? I replied that they would be over joyed to see a beautiful woman wandering around naked waiting to be rescued from a desert island)

*I reserve the right to come back and add to this list should I remember what else I said!
.
happy Friday to you
.
(what's in your luggage?!)

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

A never ending supply, you say? I would put in a jar of quiet and stillness, then I would rummage around the house and find as much confidence as I could... there's usually some lying around, it is certainty that is never around... always more confidence than certainty, but I would go to the store and get some. That's about all... except for a toothbrush.

C:)

I, Like The View said...

I was kinda hoping that the island would provide the quiet and stillness - or do you mean for one's mind?

confidence is a good one!

(can't believe I forgot my toothbrush)

Anonymous said...

Oh, I so very much want to play this game! I shall go to my thinking spot and think my thinks until I've thunk it all and get back to you.

Meanwhile: " (have no idea where she gets that from)"

That made me smile a smile I haven't smiled in quite a while.

(oh dear, how Seussian of me!)

Anonymous said...

• Bible
• Drinking water
• Clean undies (various sizes for correct fit as I lose weight)
• Cargo Pants (various sizes for correct fit as I lose weight)
• Cargo Shorts (various sizes for correct fit as I lose weight)
• T-Shirts
• Sweatshirts
• Hiking boots
• Socks
• Military Cot
• Hammock
• Three hunting knives
• Suture Kit
• General First Aid Kit
• Military Blanket
• Mirror
• Poncho
• Tarp
• Rope (various lengths and thicknesses)
• Mallet
• Axe
• Needle-nose pliers
• Fishing Net, fishing line, lures, bobbers, hooks, split-shot
• Revolver with box of ammo, cleaning kit, oil
• Flare gun with flares
• Tinder box, flint
• Waterproof matches
• Straight razor and shaving cream
• Bug-spray
• Sun-block, sunburn ointment
• Bandanas
• Battery powered mp3 player with spare batteries and headphones/earbuds
• Granny Smith and Red Delicious Apples
• An orange
• Salt and Pepper
• Sugar
• A metal ‘spork’
• A cooler-chest full of ice
• A roast beef sandwich
• Cast Iron Skillet
• Cast Iron Pot
• Three chicken eggs
• A hunk of cheese
• Large sketch pad
• A pen and a variety of pencils
• A small variety of green vegetables
• Various fruit and vegetable seeds
• Acoustic guitar, picks, spare strings
• A backpack
• My meds (sigh)
• A puppy

I, Like The View said...

not Pink Lady apples? and horseradish or mustard in that beef sandwich? the first aid kit and bug spray is a good one! what do you need the sugar for. . . maybe I should have taken a kettle and some Twinning's English Breakfast Tea. . . oh, and my expresso machine NO NO NO I will detox I will detox I might have to add a hammock (was going to sleep on the sand, wrapped up in my velvet blanket, but now you're giving me ideas)(and having read your list I think I might have to add a bucket load of craig's confidence to mine)(remember tho, shot, it's only an ordinary sized suitcase - you might have taken too many clothes. . .)

I, Like The View said...

(you getting any work done today?!)

Anonymous said...

I'm not at all familiar with Pink Lady apples. You're continuously exposing me to new and wonderful things!

Here's how I imagine the sandwich: A torpedo roll (like for a sub sandwich), Miracle Whip (or mayo if I must), thick slices of medium rare roast beef, sharp cheddar cheese, crispy lettuce (romaine perhaps?), a spicy horseradish mustard, and radish sprouts.

If there's no room for clothes, then I will wear what I have on when I land on the island and only pack clothes in my eventual ideal size, but I was thinking it'd all fit (I'm quite the packer and I'd have the large suitcase at the bottom, steamer-trunk style).

As a note, the seeds for the garden are more for a diversion than for sustainance, but it would have that benefit as well.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and a good pair of sunglasses...and a spare pair of contacts and solution, and two pair of contacts in the next strenght up, and a snake-bite kit.

Romeo Morningwood said...

I can't think of one single semi-automatic 'item' that I could sneak onto the plane?
Unless it's a 'magical' metal detector?

A Wilson volleyball?
Nah.

Are we all alone on the island?
It really depends on who else will be there. I'll get sick of eating fish in no time so I'll need a very large roasting pan to live out any Lecterian 'Lord Of The Flies' scenario...
some fava beans and a nice bottle of Chianti!

However if Monica Bellucci is there I'll just need some vitamin E. Who says that you can't live on love? Blue Lagoon!

"Blue La-goon,
You saw me stranded alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own"
(The Marcels..
no Mel Tormé's version)

on second thought..

"I don't care what they say,
I won't stay,
on an island without Mon"
(Peter & Gordon)

Gordie said...

Can I just say that I am already overjoyed watching you wandering around waiting to be rescued, and have been for quite a long time?

mig bardsley said...

Oh I'll have to think about this.

my fiddle and my camera though, definitely.
.
.
.
I've thought.
.
.
.
Now I'll have to think some more.

Anonymous said...

I,S,LTV: If you're bringing waxing strips and make-up, I hope I'm on that same island (actually, I'd hope that regardless).

Anonymous said...

Ok, after reading all of these other comments it occurs to me that I forgot something.... one of those little cup and ball games where you try to catch the little ball at the end of the string in the cup at the end of a stick. Something like that could entertain me for years. I mean, seriously, you should see how far playing with a pen gets me. C:)

I, Like The View said...

y'all, I suppose I was imagining that one was standed on this island, no hope of "rescue". . .

sorry Gordie! I'm not waiting to be rescued just working out what I need a lifetime's supply of to keep me going in my solitaryness. . . but you are perfectly entitled to your dreams and imagination chez moi

"semi-automatic" Mr Escape - I'm confused? (think I might like to add your record collection to my list tho!)

but craig - why wouldn't you take a paper and pen? are you going to try something different?

mig what will you do with the photos you take. . .

and shot, actually, you take whatever sized suitcase you want honey; but you might need some washing powder for the clothes, huh?

:-)

I, Like The View said...

(stranded alone)(let's face it, if I had company - would I need all that stuff?!)(well, maybe the mascara and the waxing strips. . .)

Greg said...

Laptop with a good strong wireless broadband connection. And an ever filled baccy tin.

The first one makes me a saddo, right?

Mel said...

Ummmmmmm.....

Bubbles, a box of 64 crayons and two colouring books.....and super duper squirt gun. Priorities, priorities, priorities!!
A suntea jar with water--with teabags and a lemon. (must have suntea..)
Two filled ice cube trays--duckie and star shaped, of course.
Ummm....a pinwheel straw and a loopy straw (variety is a good thing!).
Sunning lotion and a floppy hat. (frisbee material if I really get bored)
The big blue book (cuz it goes everywhere I go) and the stupid reading book that's on top.
The journal and that cool mechanical pencil that has glittery stuff on it.
A fluffy blankie with rainbows on it.
The well worn pair of levis and Snoopy t-shirt that I don't get to wear outta the house.
One pair of Rocket Dog sneakers.
One box of theatre popcorn.
Matches and a coffee sachet.
Ummmmmmm....and one white coffee cup. LOL


Gosh, tell me that suitcase'll close if I sit on it....

Anonymous said...

You forget, I have spent much time all by myself in the wilderness and I can tell you that despite all your good intentions you will eventually end up spending most of your time sitting still and watching the horizon as your mind wanders to and fro. That is why the jar of quiet and stillness is so important. The confidence is to be saved for when you should by people again. C:)

Romeo Morningwood said...

Modern day Pirates are not the 'ar-bee-dar' type of nincompoops portrayed in the movies. Today's pirates are vicious, machine gun toting, psycopaths with a leave no witness modus operendi.

Many parts of the world are becoming too dangerous to risk a leisurely sail through the Islands. Of course since this is a 'pretend' exercise in which case I could prolly just 'reason' with the invaders.

Didn't mean to scare you but I have no intention of having my permanent vacation spoiled by a bunch of pelagic thugs.

I, Like The View said...

Mr Escape but I am scared. . .

craig I didn't forget, but it is useful to have someone with your experience around. . . I had forgotten all about inner stillness and confidence

I don't know if that is a good thing

:-)


mel I'm sitting on it too, while you fasten the straps up!

steg no, YOU my friend are NOT a saddo :-)

but, erm, matches?

mig bardsley said...

Yeah, I was wondering about the photos. Lap top then. Or maybe not. Maybe I will just learn how to take pictures without seeing them. I assume there's no broadband on the island?

mig bardsley said...

Ok, a bottle of wine, a laptop (with or without broadnband - the disc space is unlimited for ever and ever right? and the batteries and the windows and all that)

I, Like The View said...

mig whatever you want (as long as it fits in the suitcase) is there - but I think you have to make sure there is some way that the rest of us on our islands can share your photos

so, internet all round methinks (see, steg!)

:-)

and erm, mig, corkscrew. . .? (I only add that, because I don't have one and it was incredibly annoying everytime I used to want to open a bottle of wine)(or maybe you are one of these clever chicks, who can open it anyhow!)

mig bardsley said...

Screw top I.
but maybe a multi tool thingie as well.
And an umbrella.

I, Like The View said...

ah, a Swiss Army knife - thank you, I knew I'd forgotten something. . .

:-)

(might have to take my laptop too)

X

mig bardsley said...

Oh I hope so. Because desert island blogging would be brilliant. Could be anyway :)