other people's pocketses...

for my birthday earlier this month, i got a little bit of money.

and a place near my house, which typically sells rather expensive leather jackets, was selling the last of some styles for $49.99 each. So I picked one up - a nice leather blazer in brown.

With some left over, I contemplated buying a second jacket - but I already have a black one, so it would have been a bit wasteful. Besides, I didn't have quite enough, and I didn't want to spend anything in addition to that birthday money.

Well, two days later, I was at work (painting) and the client was planning for a garage sale, so I picked up a black leather jacket for $3. All it needs is one of the buttons replaced. It seems a bit light for leather, and there's no tags telling me the material - but if it's a fake, it's a good one. And for $3 - how can you go wrong?

Since it's hot as blazes outside, I really have little use for it right now, though. But yesterday I thought I'd go through the pockets. I found

- the missing button (yay!)
- several perfume samples
- a receipt from a restaurant
- some plastic wrap, bunched up
- and two fancy tea bags wrapped in plastic wrap

This tells me a few things and lets me speculate on a few more - fun, if not too serious.

First, it was probably the sister from L.A. who owned the jacket, seeing the tea bags were pricey brands I haven't seen, even in Toronto, and the perfume samples high-end. Second, they're likely a bit frugal - taking your own tea bags with you instead of ordering at Starbucks, and having leftover plastic wrap from a snack or more tea. The receipt tells me they probably don't save their receipts, since it would be tucked in a purse or wallet. The missing button being saved was a good thing. And finally, them not checking the pockets before selling probably indicates the amount of things they have to sell and a tendency not to dig too deep into one's past.

This morning it began to rain, so I wore that jacket to work, but left it there since it was so hot. (I used the umbrella for shade on the way home, and saw a cute little lady doing the same). And not having carried a purse, my jean pockets had a wallet, a shopping list, some keys and a tissue in them.

What would your coat pockets have in them? What about your jeans?

And perhaps most importantly, what would that say about you?