Wednesday, April 8, 2009

a luxury suitcase

Back when I started living out of a suitcase I went out with my parents and an old friend to buy a 24 inch Hartman. It was supposed to be my storage suitcase, where I left winter clothes in the summer and the projects I was going to start after I finishing the current piece of work I was engaged in and lots of other stuff.
The suitcase I was living out of in the mid '80s was an aluminum Haliburton. Another old friend, uncle Dick, helped me customize it by putting an aluminum divider on hinges so I had two separate compartments. Wilson from Happy Camp made wooden dividers for one half so that my books were in the middle safely separated from toiletries. This was necessary because I had the habit of stuffing my case to the absolute limit. One time I had bought a tube of toothpaste, (biggest tube, most for your money is what you do when it's not your money). The pressure was too much and Crest ultra shine came bursting out of the bottom seam of the economy sized tube. I learned how to use refillable squeeze bottles to avoid that problem in the future.
Later I moved away from here where we travel by cars to a place where we only rode trams and buses and trains. I gave the Hallibuton away and got economical lightweight soft side stuff.
I've gone through lots of cheap bags. I looked at them like high gas mileage economy cars. Those bags would have periodic breakdowns and get fixed by luggage repairmen of varying aptitude and attitudes...one of these men advised me to pay a bit more for my luggage in the future.
For example on this bag the handle for the built in wheels snapped, so we had to replace it with a broom handle. I liked that, but would have been better if I weren't a Muggleborn squib.
These are words I took to heart, and yesterday I bought the Mercedes I've never felt I should splurge on...a brand new Briggs and Riley. I was at the outlet malls and got a great deal. Now I feel like one of these elderly folks whose kids are out of the house and can finally enjoy driving a luxury car.

4 comments:

Gary Myers said...

D see a Briggs and Riley is perfect for a 2 to 5 day trip. what are you telling us? Or did you mean Briggs and Stratton? I think a 5 horse or perhaps 7.5. remember to stay away from two stroke. a real hassle to pack along an extra can of mixed gas. Use the handy primer bubble to get a quick start on a cold morning.

Extrem4 said...

I was wondering if you divulge more about how you were involved in this Halliburton deal with Uncle Dick Cheney. Was it suitcases full of goverment money? How did that work? I can see how the dividers would make it easier to sort.

alleykat said...

I should have made it clear that it was a Zero-Haliburton case, empty when I got it, empty when I gave it away.

Anita said...

the broom-handle suitcase was memorable. You've had some seriously awesome cases, for sure. Not all so easy to move, as I recall- but definitely with character and not run-of-the-mill. I nearly forgot what I was going to say, though, lol'ing at the other comments... You'd do well with a Briggs and Stratton... but why not just go for something bigger and with more muscle... like a c-a-r???