duffel's arrival

The huge Kelly 40-inch, 70-pound-capacity duffel I'd ordered from eBay (looks a bit like these) arrived today—and just in time, too, given how close my departure date is. I paid a bit of extra money for expedited shipping, and now the bag is here, and it seems to be in good shape. One zipper stuck a bit when I tried to unzip it, but because it was an "accordion" zipper,* I knew that I'd keep it opened because of the huge items I plan to stuff into the bag.

I bought this duffel specifically because of its dimensions: it's large enough to accommodate both my desktop computer and my printer, both of which I'm going to bubble- and sponge-wrap like hell before I bag them. I'm more worried about the printer than about the Mac, to be honest: the Mac is tough and heavy, and only a truly jarring impact will unsettle its internal circuitry; the printer, meanwhile, is festooned with fragile plastic doodads that threaten to crack very easily under pressure, and I can't permit that to happen.

I'll be stuffing the bag with plenty of clothing to help cushion any impact from careless baggage handlers. Of course, in life, there are no guarantees, but I'm pretty good at packing things safely. Ask Charles.


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