Stuff and bother...

[senoritafish]

Blah - I have a couple of longish posts that I can't seem to get finished. And my brain keeps reasoning to me that I can't post about anything else until I get those done. But heck, it says right there on my profile: Warning: Events may not occur in chronological order...

So, then:

• I have acquired another gadget; I find myself the reluctant owner of a 30GB Video iPod. I say reluctant because I really had convinced myself I was quite happy with hauling around my little flash drive with a few tunes on it and plugging it into any computer I happened to be using, and holding out for some kind of all-in-one device (phone/web/music player). About a month ago, DP came up to me and asked if I wanted to buy her 2GB iPod Nano for $100 - about half the price you can buy them for. She had gotten one for Christmas for herself, and then decided it didn't hold quite enough went out and got the 4GB one. She tried giving the first one to her mother, but after trying to use it for a week or two, her mom gave it back, saying her computer was old and cranky, and wasn't up to the task of copying all the music. That's when she offered it to me. I loved the small size and big sound, but soon realized I would have the same problem she did. So I offered mine to my Dad, since he's been thinking about an mp3 player for quite a while. I put some of his Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, and Your Hit Parade, circa 1937 on it for him and soon he was having a grand old time hooking it up to his PAL one-speaker radio (which actually sounds pretty nice - we used it for background music at the flower show).
  
  Shortly after I did that, John walks in the door and hands me a bag; he's been to Fry's by himself and thought he would pick up the larger capacity Nano for me. But then he saw the 30 GB video full-size iPod, which was only $50 more - plus they had a package deal with a case and one of those radio tuner jobs that lets you listen to it through your car stereo for no extra charge. He thought I'd be all excited. Well, I wasn't. I did really like the size of the Nano and I was used to it. And I had wanted to go shopping and make the choice for myself - I was already aware the big iPod wasn't that much more. But no, I'm the bad guy because I wasn't ecstatic about something he'd done for me. He brought up the story I'd told him about giving my dad a M.A.S.H. t-shirt for Christmas; he opened it up and declared "I hate olive-drab!" However, I think there's a difference between an outright gift (which I probably would have swallowed my pride over - and have done so, many times) and someone going out and grabbing something they know you were planning on getting yourself. I kind of wanted to make my own decision. So he was upset with me for that
  
  But now that I've had it for while, it's grown on me. I could put pictures on both and they look good, but the screen on this one is three times bigger. I haven't put any videos on it yet, we'll see how that works. I would have really like if it had a voice recorder, but I don't think it does. I miss the tiny size, though. Couldn't I have both? ;)
  
  And why, why, why, does Apple only supply those stupid earbud headphones? Those things do not stay in my ears on their own for more than a couple of minutes, unless I'm completely motionless. Not to mention, I hate sound going directly into my ear canals; after about half an hour, my eardrum actually begins to hurt. My larger pair of behind-the-head headphones just died for no apparent reason, so I think I'm in the market for a pair of reasonably-priced noise canceling headphones.



• My MIL took a misstep at the gas station, and fell down and broke her leg - her fibula, just above her ankle. John felt bad because she called his cell phone a couple of times, but he was working putting up molding for someone and just canceled the ring without looking to see who it was. I'm just wondering how she's getting in and out of her home - she lives in a mobile home with several steps up to each of the entrances. SO here at the office broke her ankle, too, in a similar fashion, but she has one of those inflatable walking splints, so she's still able to get around.



• Gareth got a student of the month award in his classroom for Cooperation. He got a certificate with a coupon for a free kids meal at Mimi's Cafe.



• I had been planning to get them new outfits and haircuts for the occasion, but somehow we missed the announcement about the second picture day of the year, and the boys went to school in old clothes and needing haircuts. In the photos, their moptops are sticking out in all directions and Gareth looks sick; he came down with pinkeye the next day and he looks it in the photo. I'm tempted to send them back, and just go to Target and have new pictures taken. Blech.



• John just called and says we need to start looking at cars. He just went out and found a big puddle of transmission fluid under the Trooper - it's already on it's third transmission - although I don't really count the second, it only lasted a couple of days. It's probably going to have to be a minivan, although I cringe at the thought. We do have a family of five and Dad is probably not going to be driving on his own forever - he's turning 80 this June. We already have to take two cars if we all want to go to the same place; i.e. holidays with other family or the Aquarium. *Sigh* I was hoping to go for awhile without car payments; we only paid the Trooper off in February. So much for what my Aunt left us, I suspect.



• The sore throat is finally (mostly) gone - I was still wincing to swallow as recently as last week, so it hung around for a good three and half weeks.



• And finally, for this post anyway, wonder of wonders, Angus ate a whole serving of peas last night! I don't even like peas; I always have to swallow them whole.

Comments

[lemonrocket.livejournal.com]

I'm like you - I like to pick out my own things, too. Especially when I've been planning on getting something. But you do get used to things. The one thing I didn't really like about my new computer was the wide screen (for various reasons), but after using it for a few days, I've found it has some advantages. I'm with you on the earbud headphones. They weren't designed for my ears.

Glad to hear you're feeling better!

Oh, and I always swallow my peas whole, too! :~)

[senoritafish.livejournal.com]

Hee, I'm not the only freak in the world! It's the only way I can eat them. Although, I do like snow peas and snap peas, and dried pea soup - go figure.

Mashed potatoes are always a good vehicle for peas, too.

Yeah, I know he thought he was getting me what I wanted and he was doing something nice, but it just felt like I wasn't allowed to decide for myself. I might have come to the same decision, but I wanted to do it.

[lemonrocket.livejournal.com]

Mashed potatoes are always a good vehicle for peas, too

Hallelujah! There are so many undesirable veges that can be hidden in mashed spuds.

[angelsmum.livejournal.com]

Peas are yuck! I like Baby Peas though. And fresh picked peas form one's own garden. :)

One of my workmates broke her foot in a fall too. =S I hope your MIL is ok.