New lunch box

I got my new lunch box today! And this completes my back to school shopping.

I am excited about my new lunch-cooler. The one I bought last year was a mistake and aggravated me every day. It was really the only logical selection at the Dollar Store, all the others were family sized. But the one I got, seen below, was too big, too tall, too unattractive and too ungainly. I just take a bowl of soup or a sandwich, and maybe a piece of fruit or a granola bar. I didn't need all that height. It was a quarter inch too tall for the fridge and I had to mash it in there every day. And at the end of the day, every day, it got caught in the fridge rack as I pulled it out. The side pouch for a jug or drink was useless to me. I always drink hot tea at lunch, running the hot water thru the coffee machine in the room I share. The side pouch was in the way.

Old lunch cooler. Bad, bad cooler!

By May, the interior lining had torn up pretty good, and despite weekly washing, had accumulated crumbs and grunge in the seams. I think the $8 spent over the 180 days' use yielded a good return on investment. On the last day of school I happily chucked it.

Today I was pleased to see that there were different styles at the store. The one I ended up buying has fewer gee-gaws. No long strap to get caught on my center console in the car, like, every day! No foolish lace-up only thick enough to hold a spoon. No side pouch for a jug I ended up using in my locker in the bathroom for mouthwash, anyway.

Here it is. It's purple! As everyone knows for the back to school preparations, colors are everything.

The interior lining seems thicker and more insulated. I can fold it flat. The old one was bulky no matter what. It's simple, attractive, and three dollars less expensive than my old one.

So why care so much? I bring my lunch to school every single day. I have an appreciation for the simple and utilitarian. If I am going to use something every day and depend on it, I want it to be a pleasure to look at, handle, and use. My old lunchbox wasn't! It's like the perfect coffee thermos for the car or the perfect comb or brush. If it works we don't think about it how it enhances our day, if it doesn't work it is a constant aggravation because we handle it so much. So I'm happy to get a new lunch box and try this thing all over again!

And that is the story of my back-to-school adventure.