March 15, 2005

• Benchmade CQC7
• Restricting it to consumer goods, I always love me my Edwin jeans and my current pair of Merrels are still a joy after two years of hard wear. Other than that I have a very nice hand-forged Chinese veg chopping knife I bought off the maker that is weighted just so and keeps a good edge.
• My mp3 player. I wouldn't be able to commute without it. It turned my boring 2 hours long train journey into an exciting learning experience (sounds like a sales pitch!) as I listen to radio programmes I record from the web. Special thanks to France Culture, Radio Suisse Romande, RTBF, BBC radio4, ABC radio national and radio Canada ! (among others)
• ABC radio national Hey, you listen to that? All the time, me.
• I also have Merrells. And two PowerBooks.
• Wolof: oh yes, at least to all in the mind, every week.
• i really appreciate this coffee maker at the moment.
• Oh yeah I'm on my fourth pair of Merrill orbital mocs and I have the fifth ready to go.
• The guy on the WIK coffee page looks like a career criminal. I guess criminals enjoy frothy coffee beverages as much as anyone.
• You wawnt corfee wid ya mugging? Fuggedaboudit.
• [please use this space to imagine your own joke about my small cock]
• [now imagine you replied something about my small brain]
• [please imagine my small imagination in this small space]
• My Swiss Army Knife... I'm on my third over 30 years (before that it was generic pocket knives). The one I have now has been with me for about 18 years, a gift from my son. I'm lost without it, I'm reluctant to get on an airplane 'cuz I have to leave it behind!
• Petzyl DUO headlamp. Sorel duck boots. Creative Mp3 player (though missing the radio now that I see Koant's function for it. may have to record online and transfer file, but I'm usually pressed for morning time as it is).
• Minimoog!
• Me and my mini-stapler have been together since high school. I like that it has a built-in staple remover.
• My Leatherman Wave (it's half of a rather popular fix-anything kit I carry around) and my lovely lovely Red Wing boots. Besides being boots, they're the first pair of shoes I've ever had that fit properly.
• Those generic pint glasses. Frosty from the freezer. mmmmmm.
• I like that it has a built-in staple remover. for some reason i read that as, "like me, it has a built-in staple remover." handy!
• I have this blue bowl/oversized mug, I really like to eat stuff out of it. Spaghetti, soup, cereal, rice, etc. I also like my camping and climbing equipment (I'm on my first pair of Merrels, loving them so far), but none of that has that same sense of attachment. I like my 5-10s because I climb in them, but I'd like any other pair of climbing shoes because I like to climb. The blue bowl is different though- I just like that particular bowl.
• My Bob Dylan cds. I am actually serious. I get a ridiculous amount of enjoyment and stimulation from them.
• A collage my girlfriend made for my 22nd birthday.
• On a simple level, my glasses. Hand-crafted Alain Miklis, so perhaps they're not really THAT simple. In the more abstract, certain books. Leonard Cohen's Stranger Music (limited edition), Michael Ondaatje's Running in the Family, and the autobiography of Harpo Marx, etc. And I can't forget the pride of my beer glass collection -- a nice chalice for De Vorboden Vrucht / Le Fruit Defendu, with a small picture of Adam offering Eve a pint, and the stem of the glass a twisting snake. It's a beaut.
• My copy of Reason 2.0. I love that little program. And my very nice headphones.
• Books.
• A sterling pen and pencil set with my name engraved on them, that I received as a groomsman's gift at an old friend's wedding (the set lasted longer than the marriage); a pair of zeiss handheld binoculars that scissor shut into a package the size of a cigarette case; my father's battered zippo lighter, which Zippo was kind enough to repair the innards of for me without touching the outer case; a pair of antique cufflinks ca. 1890, of clad brass, that were made from English livery buttons and feature a coat of arms and a dragon; an Italian stilleto-style switchblade with mother of pearl handles that a fraternity brother traded me for a full size USSR hammer-n-sickle flag; a large ceramic bust of a gorilla, hollow underneath, the perfect mantel stashkeeper (though it's been many a year since Galunga guarded anything but his own dark thoughts); an olive and black macintosh (the coat, not the computer) my wife's grandfather wore and gave me before he died; my Bayo Iribhogbe oil; my ancient copy of L. Rust Hills' "How To Be Good"; and a picture of my parents at a cocktail party in 1965, my mother tall, blonde and aristocratic, my father short, staunch and no-nonsense in his houndstooth jacket and skinny black tie, because it renders succinctly into image the Apollonian/Dionysian duality I feel every day.
• I can't believe no one has mentioned their penis. Goddamn I love that thing
• He specifically said "small" object of desire, Zanshin :)
• quidnunc (surprise surprise) did the honours on that score already...
• Definitely my Moleskine. Also my frickin' huge thermal coffee mug, without which I would be unable to go to work, and which has survived some fantastic beatings. My pocketknife, whose handle is made from a very beautiful and very durable stone called pietersite. An ink pen that my brother made for me out of burled box elder wood. My wedding ring. My own Zippo, even though I quit smoking, which was hand-engraved by a friend. Two photo and memento albums that my mother put together for a Christmas gift last year. A record that features my grandmother, who died two years ago, singing in a trio when she was a young woman.
• My copy of Halo 2.
• I adore my 12" G4 iBook. Sometimes I talk baby talk to it. I have a shamrock plant that has died back one single leaf on several occasions in the 10 years I've owned it, but like Lazarus, it returns from the dead. My pink glass Fireking measuring cup with three spouts. The cheap Ten Commandments charm bracelet my sister gave me for Christmas (it was meant as an ironic gift, but I wear it every day). I also have family photo almums going back generations that were given to me as gifts. My great great great grandmother's wedding band.
• I adore sexyrobot's iBook. Also a little rabbit family trinket made out of seashells that belonged to my grandmother my cell phone my lost ring my cigarette holder my camera my wooden monkey doll from Prague.
• I saw a maglight in an episode of Farscape - the classic theatre tech's 6 inch maglight, there in an alien spaceship. It was the perfect size for the small puppet character to carry. Very fun to recognise.
• A bar of Lindt dark chocolate 75% cocoa. But now it's gone.
• My deceased step-fathers' Air Force wings.
• The only things I can think of are a book that I irrationally love (a compilation of sf short stories from about 1947) and a cookbook that my grandmother wrote up for me a couple of years ago. Oh, and my childhood teddy bear, shut up, shut up right now. I feel weirdly sad that I'm not attached to anything else. Huh.
• Rosebud. Oh wait - where'd I put that fucking thing?
• a hematite pebble, a dinosaur toy, and a new Libelle pen I got for xmas. A stuffed bunny that my mom made. All my Frank O'Hara books. ok, most of my books.
• I have a set of china that I inherited from my late grandmother. It's very dated and old, nothing fancy, certainly nothing I would have chosen for myself. But since it belonged to her, it was meaningful to receive it. I threw out my cheap dishes from college, and I knew she'd be happy knowing her stuff was being put to good use. A year or so later, I was taking a tour of Elvis Presley's home, Graceland, and walking through the kitchen I noticed the EXACT SAME CHINA in his cabinets. I nearly had a heart attack right there on the tour. I HAVE ELVIS'S DISHES. The same pattern I use for my mac & cheese has seen late night, deep-fried peanut butter and banana sandwiches for the King. You couldn't pay me to get new china now. In fact, I registered for more of the stuff when I got married last year.
• The clipboard I stole from high school my junior year, still festooned with old pictures of battleaxes and such. Also possibly the iPod. But more than anything the contact lenses. I become ENRAGED if I lose a contact lens.
• * My engagement ring, which was #2's grandmother's; * My iPod; * A necklace that belonged to my great-grandmother; * My prescription sunglasses; * A pair of Sandman figurines; * A garishly painted ceramic chicken from Mexico.
• Swiss army knife & Leatherman (amazing how often screwdrivers & pliers come in handy), books, a painted wooden horse from Sweden my aunt gave me when I was 5. Oh, and my Space pen. Just in case I need to jot in space!
• Small Objects of Desire What objects are you really glad you own? Looks at pile of junk on floor, looks at pile of junk on desk, look at piles of junk strewn through the house. -- I know!! Toilet Paper!! I love that stuff!!!
• -Anything EVER drawn for me. -A stuffed panda I've had since I was one. -A stuffed amoeba (don't ask) my ex made for me. -My soon-to-be-finished Frieda Kahlo doll the same ex is making for me, done in the style of my 'skellies.' (extremely elongated figures, very simplistic) -An amber pendent and ring the same ex gave me ...am beginning to see a pattern emerge here. my sketchbooks and my cd player. -Kimothy
• Amethyst bead bracelet, with gold beads interspaced. My dad got it for me on my 24th? 25th? birthday, and each bead is gem quality, and exactly the same shade as the other 19 beads, so it was a leetle expensive, I think. I wear it all the time. I do not take it off. I try to accessorise all my jewellery with it. And my clothes. I hope to one day die with it still attached to my wrist.
• Not to derail, Alnedra, but if you want to prolong its life as much as possible, you should neither sleep nor shower with it on.
• A cheap yellow teapot from Chinatown decorated in patterns of green ,pink and blue that came all the way to Mexico and back when I lived there. My brass Ganesha statue who also made the trip - I had sold everything else I owned as I thought I was leaving Canada permanently. My vintage pastel mint-cloured hand mixer (I feel like I should be in heels, Fifties frock and apron every time I use it), my resurrected 11 1/2" cast iron skillet, and the set of dishes I bought recently. They have an old school botanical print in mint green and black, and I adore them. They even have the poncy little teacups and saucers. They represented my move from mismatched crap stoneware to stuff I care about. I dropped $450 at a department store about a month ago, setting up my kitchen with a couple of good pans, basic silverware, glasses, a knife set, a blender and useful kitchen gadgets, which is something I've never been able to afford to do before. Nothing was really that expensive, but it was well designed, wasn't from a yard sale or dumpster, and I got to pick exactly what I wanted. I never before had been able to walk around and pick stuff up and pile it on a counter without paying much attention to cost until that particular day because I had $800 cash on me from a gig. I was, though, mindful enough to go shopping at a place that was mid-priced and having a massive sale at the time. My family was broke, and I've been broke as a snake my whole life, yet cursed with an eye for design, quality materials and workmanship, so this was a milestone for me.
• all the obvious - though the iBook is Mrs Dotcom's ... iPod no2 on it's way from Singapore where they're much cheaper - wouldn't go anywhere without my swiss army knife - what HuronBob said ... I carried on smoking for years because I was loathe to give up my zippo ... also now a memory stick - wouldn't believe how useful it is ... all of them go in my Timbuk2 bike bag which according to flickr is essential if you're a techno-geeky sort of chap (though I've had mine for 5 years!) And breaking the rules completely: My 10 year old Ridgeback mountain bike My Vespa and the Alfa 147 JTD Multijet me and mrs Dotcom just bought ... c'est the testicles du chien ...
• MCT, thanks, I used to. But after one heartstopping incident where the string snapped and all my beads went flying, I just leave it. The current string is what they use saltwater fishing, so it's waterproof; I'll get the bracelet re-strung every two years just to be sure. The beads are pretty hardy, and I actually don't care too much about the gold beads. If/when they wear out, I might even get them replaced with silver or platinum ones. It's the amethyst beads that I love. Amethyst is my dad's birthstone, see.
• I'll have to start thinking of sentimental things, but my immediate reaction to the question was "my Dyson vaccuum", shortly followed by my clothing steamer. When did I turn into a hausfrau?! (Seriously, though, both combined save me several hours and a few hundred dollars a month.)
• When I was a kid, my Dad gave me a little wooden square, wrapped and beribboned as if it was a tiny present. Attached to the ribbon was a poem: This is a very special gift that you can never see the reason it's so special is it's just for you from me. You never can unwrap it Please leave the ribbon tied just hold the box close to your heart it's filled with love inside. I've been carrying that around with me since.
• All the things made for me by the children in my family. All the photos of my children. My son Kyle's baseball, and johnboat. My Dad's suspender collection. The two arrow heads I found while arrow head hunting with my dad in 1973. My leather coat, chaps and gloves. If you ever lose skin on the road, you learn, never ride without leather again. A KJV Holy Bible, given to my when I was 14, by my late Aunt Alva. Although I am not religious she was and I respected her and loved her. So every time I look at it, I think of her. She was a surrogate mother to me. All the rings on my fingers. Given to me by those I love.
• My great-grandmother's entire scrapbook and photo album collection, with photos of the family dating back to 1860s, and my crutches, since I just broke my ankle over the weekend and would be helpless without them!
• ah, well *now* people are straying from the commercial vein. in that case, most definitely: - carved staves from Lake Toba, Indo - tin figurines from Rajasthan - Thangka from Pokhara - crazy-ass musician-themed batiks (3) from Jogjakarta - gold chain given as grad present from parents a long time back - red and green plastic army figures that I hid away and kept so my mom never got the chance to throw them out - my beloved girder and panel building set (which my mom threw out -- rescued twice; absent the third time) - Reader's Digest Reverse Dictionary - Google and Wikipedia (ok, I don't "have" them, but remember the internet without them?) - 1984 650cc Yamaha Heritage Special - genuine custom-built Bedford 20" unicycle
• I think it would be self-defeating to have a stapler with built in staple remover.
• I couldn't live without my heating pad, especially on days like today. Also my L.L. Bean backpack, Swiss Army penknife, digital timer, "tender wake-up" clock radio, PC, copy of City of Heroes, orthotic shoe inserts, digital camera, electric tea kettle, Paris tea strainer, coffee grinder.
• A liver that stays with me despite years of constant abuse and my almost weekly hollow promises to never mistreat it again.
• My Orthoflex saddle and my kilim rug from Turkey. They aren't that small, but I'd try to lug 'em out in a fire.
• Probably the same things as many people here have posted: a bunch of stuff made/passed down by loved ones and some cooking tools. Other than that, I'm not really fixated on sentimental attachment to possessions. My wedding ring tends to live in a box, because I hate wearing jewellery. I have a chunk of the Berlin Wall that my nephew gave me: it's fun to run across it in the back of my bedside table's junk drawer every now and again. I think I'd grumble if I lost it or any other odd little thing I've had for a while, but in the end, they're just things.
• they're just things Yes, of course they're just things. I'm curious why you felt the need to emphasise that, coppermac. Has anyone of us given the impression that we thought our things are somehow sentient?
• A japanese plastic figurine, gift from sister. Photo albums from late father. Swiss Army multi-tool blade, gift from brother. A specific audio CD, gift from (no longer) SO. Digital mini-camcorder (that thing's been thru hell and back). And of course, my big, heavy, metal monster juice extractor. I love carrot juice.
• Fab answers, chaps. Although it was cool 'consumer' objects I originally posted, the sentimental value ones were great to read. Y'all a bunch o' soppy old puppies! Thanks!
• You carrot-hoarding sumbitch! The Socialist Liberated People's Rabbit Party Army is gonna re-educate your ass and destroy your Capitalist running-dog Carrotocracy! Anger not the heroic rabbit hordes!
• Directed at the devilish flagpole...
• ... and what's with all the carrots? What do they need such good eyesight for anyway? BUNNIES - BUNNIES - IT MUST BE BUNNIES.
• We are marching on our knees towards bunny-doom.
• Beware.
• My photo albums - I'm obsessive about them. Books. Various pieces of jewelry. Art. My dansko clogs. My cast iron frying pans. My grandmothers too fabulous 1930s beaded evening bag. The diner plates my brother got me for my wedding - marriage gone, but great diner plates still with me. My computer. And the carved wooden laughing buddha a high school friend gave me, which I keep sitting on top of an inlaid box that my aunt bought in India.
• Please, mgl, don't try to change the subject. We're talking about rabbits now.
• I've got a theory: that it's a bunny, A small desired one ... no, something isn't right there ... I've got a theory, tracy is dreamin' And we're all stuck inside her wacky bunny nightmare ...
• *cries*
• I've got a theory we can work it out. So don't get teary - Buffy is what every thread's about!
• Late to the party, as usual. My Victorinox penknife. My Ballograf Rondo Plus pencil (try one: you'll never want to write with anything else). My Pentax Optio S50 digital camera.
• Oh yes. My Chinese balls.
• My five year old son, who had a horrible nightmare last night ("Scooby Doo, Dad!") and was asleep on my shoulder this morning, a perfect angel.
• What objects are you really glad you own? My five year old son Look, over there ... bunnies!
• Alnedra: I wasn't trying to disparage the pleasure other people get from treasured objects. I put emphasis on the fact that "...they're just things..." because that's how I feel about them, not to malign the sentimentality of anyone here (or sentimentality in general). I know I'm less of a 'saver' than most other people, but I don't think one approach or the other to life is very important or meaningful. My house might be less cluttered, but that's pretty trivial in the grand scheme. Eh, if you enjoy 'things', by all means have at it. Me, I'm more goofy about memories than objects.
• My teeny tiny rusted-out soul. So glad I managed to buy that back. Warning - the Dark One gets pissed if you try and slide him Canadian Tire money.