Problem Solving

More for me, as a reminder, the simplest way to get from here to there is to define the problem.

Occam’s Razor buried in Taurus.

The problem is a weird collection of every-day carry items I’ve currently got. Headed out the door, what’s the minimum and what’s the max? Maximum is clearly a working day afoot in San Antonio or Austin, possibly beyond — although — it’s been years since I’ve worked anyplace else. There are even a myriad of regional events, and I still don’t work at all of them, not any more. Just the certain shows. For me, proven performers.

“Follow the money,” (cf. Pink Cake.)

So the stuff I carry for a big show in Austin, or a day at a rock shop, whatever?

Still all fits neatly in black canvas shoulder bag that is over 20 years old, now. Originally, it was fitted as a laptop-messenger bag, but now? Just a large, canvas bag for me, for work. Just an empty shell without too many frivolities. Still looks nice draped over my shoulder, at least, it still carries well.

What’s been somewhat disquieting for me, the problem of getting the proper, smaller bag for every-day carry. Mostly it’s just an iPad and a small notebook, but them I’ll also want chargers, cables, extra pens, a set of tarot cards, and the list gets longer. While I’ve trimmed it down, I still like to make sure I have at least two sets of reading glasses with me, too.

I’ve used — and retired then dug it back out, and then retired it again — it’s an old leather briefcase, custom made for me, close to thirty years back. It worked for school, and has been featured in various horoscopes. The original craftsman was a heritage saddle manufacturer, one at a time, the old way.

I greased the bag up, slathered with preservative and mink oil, leather salve, and then, I tried to get some new straps for the old bag. Old saddle bag, what it really is. Almost perfect for what I want except that the straps holding it shut needed to be replaced. Then, just to make it better, maybe replace the buckles with “Sam Browne” style buttons. Just made sense. Easier ingress and egress.

Seemed almost perfect, and it is, except that it is just slightly too large to carry every day. Too large, and the luxury of the leather? It’s also too stiff, and the bag itself won’t quite absorb everything properly. Just cables, chargers, tarot cards, business cards, and assorted necessary paperwork.

Problem Solving

While it was a perfect bag for books, notes, notebooks and that kind of scholarly material, it just doesn’t totally adapt to the modern variations of tablets, chargers, and cables.

Halfway through this, I like to wrestle with ideas on the page itself, I realized I needed to go back the simplest solution. No reason to overcomplicate the matter, the question at hand.