Contents of a cyclist's "handbag"

I've always wanted to meme and now I'm a speck in the the blogosphere I can dig deep within myself (or my "handbag") and spill forth facts about myself no-one ever dreamed could have been true. Ok, I may be overstating the importance of the contents of my handbag but I'm in the first flush of blog and I'm a bit excitement... I...I mean excited.

So this is my meme on the contents of my handbag. Except I don't really have a handbag. I have cycle panniers. I have four but the front wheel two are only used for tours and the back two don't like each other that much and so they don't go out together very often (only for shopping trips usually). So I bring one to work and they tend to swap around a bit. Lefty came with me to work today. Righty stayed home. Righty also contains my puncture repair kit and associated tools. I like to spin the wheel of chance when it comes to being prepared. Luckily punctures are a rarity for me due to reinforcements in my rear tyre (Mr Tuffy strips) so I haven't been caught out yet. Uttering this statement has surely tempted fate though.

Anyhoo or beth bynnag in Welsh (pronounced beth bunnag), these are the contents of my panniers (from this morning):

1. Bottle of water - I have a small set of recycled water bottles which litter my office and house. I never wash them - just keep refilling them. Isn't that a tiny bit gross when you think about it? Glasses and cups get washed but not these bottles.

2. Tupperware container with left over vegetable curry for lunch in it. I would be looking forward to it if I hadn't already eaten it 4 out of the last 5 days.

3. Lebanese bread to go with the curry as I ran out of rice yesterday.

4. Cycle computer and back light - I park my bike outside at work and don't like to leave these detatchable items on it in case of naughty people who like to help themselves to such things.

5. Flouro cycling vest which I don't wear to work because I only live just around the corner and I don't have to go on any busy roads. I do wear it if I go on busy/tricky roads though or going to unknown places where I don't know the road conditions. It's in my bag because my friend J from work borrowed it from me recently and just gave it back to me.

6. Wallet and ugly grey change purse. My pretty cloth change purse recently died after 8 or so good years of service and I'm using this ugly freebie cosmetics bag that is the type that comes free with a magazine or shampoo sometimes. Must make myself a new purse soon.

7. Gloves - It's become glove weather for cyclists in Canberra over the last week. The irony is that I have them in my bag but I didn't put them on this morning and I got cold hands and this means I was there riding with one hand on the handlebars and one hand in my pocket and I was alternating them when it got too bad for the handlebar hand. So dumb that I was too lazy to stop and get the gloves out.

8. Knitting in ziplock bag. This is actually completed socks and all I have to do is sew in one end. These socks are a present for N at work who recently got engaged. There is a whole story behind these socks and the monumental cock-up I have done with them which I will save for another time.

9. Embroidery project for my cousin C's wedding in two weeks' time with enormous yellow plastic bag. Can't show the actual embroidery as it is a surprise present but will after the wedding. Hoping to do some stitching during lunch. Some people might think I am incredibly brave (or stupid) to put an embroidery on which I have been working for months and a curry in the same bag. You are so right. It is a bit stupid but I always make sure curry is in extra reliable container and put it the bottom of the bag and this is the reason for the huge yellow plastic bag for the embroidery. See? It all makes sense! But one day I will be sorry...very sorry, I'm sure.

10. Muesli bar for a snack. As G said in her handbag meme, it gets very ugly if my blood sugar goes whacky.

11. Mobile phone

12. Post-it note left over from when someone picked something up from my office recently.

13. Telstra bill.

Tah-dah!