Damn technology!

For my birthday, S arranged a group gift from my friends. It wasn't a surprise, because we went shopping all over for an MP3 player. And we (he) ended up buying it on eBay for cheaper than we could have gotten it in stores.

I love my Creative Nomad MuVo TX! It's tiny, fits in the palm of my hand, runs off a single AAA battery, and provides me with hours of music. I managed to fit 11 albums into the 256MB memory capacity. I haven't even explored all of its features, yet.

A few minutes later .... AAAAHHHHhhhh!! While searching for a link for the MuVo TX's features, I came across this: the new MuVo TX FM! Identical to my TX, but with an FM receiver. And it's going for cheaper than my TX! Oooohhh, woe is me. :'(

Footnote: As it turns out, the MuVo TX FM isn't a Nomad, which means it was outsourced, which means it is likely not of the same caliber as their in-house Nomad products. Somewhat consoling. :)

Mouthwash, anyone?

I popped an antihistamine before hurrying out to the car, and we were on our way.

My eyes were tearing up and I started sneezing - and I realised that it absolutely reeked in the car. "Dad, are you wearing cologne to a funeral??"

"No, I rinsed with mouthwash. It was one of the little hotel bottles, labelled 'Mouthwash', but it was so strong that I spit it out immediately. I tried rinsing and brushing my teeth, but I can't get rid of it."

I think that one of my brothers must've reused the little bottle for cologne or aftershave. I couldn't talk to my dad all morning because the stench was too much to handle. (Luckily lunch and lots of tea helped.)

"My, what black teeth you have!"

I was digging around in passport documents and the like one day, and I came across a cookie tin with some old photos. One picture was of us and some older Chinese guests from about 20 years ago. When I showed the picture to my father, he recounted their visit.

Apparently, I pointed out, "Daddy, his teeth are really black."

Dad tried to brush me off, but I was intent on telling him. By the time he managed to shush me up, our guest's face was already flushed with embarrassment.

Rodent pets

My wireless optical mouse had been acting up, and even after changing the batteries, it wasn't responding. In our next phone conversation, I exclaimed to S, "My mouse died!"

"Your mouse died?" replied S. And then I heard laughter.

Apparently his mother had overheard and asked, "N has a mouse? and it died?"

:)

Violence as a means of resolution

A couple days ago, I was out running an errand when a radio news piece made my jaw drop. It was the latest horrific child killing: the slashing of Japanese schoolgirl by her classmate.

It wasn't just the fact that these girls were only 11 or 12. It was the fact that the victim's throat was slit, her arms cut, and she was left to bleed out in a nearby classroom. All because of a little Internet dispute.

In 1997, a 14-year-old decapitated one of 2 victims, leaving the head at the school gate. The man was just recently paroled.

How are kids these days resorting to that extent of violence as a resolution method? They need some serious therapy.

Window into my soul

There are some cool perks to going to an optometrist friend, besides having complete confidence in his skills. His downtown office has all the latest high-tech equipment, and I get to ask all sorts of questions without feeling like I'm pestering him.

He doesn't charge me. I certainly didn't ask or hint at it; I wouldn't think of it. So I bring him little cakes or pastries as a token of appreciation.

He gives me free samples - disposable contact lens, eye drops, anything I might need.

And the coolest perk is that I have access to neat stuff, like pictures of my retina! Normally off limits to clients, my friend gave me a soft copy. This is the retina of my right eye. You can see the blood vessels in my eye, the bright spot where my optic nerve is located, and the dark area of my blind spot. The bright haloing around the optic nerve indicates retinal stretching - a result of myopia. Neat, eh? :)

Shopaholic on the loose

I am exhausted. I have so much work to do on my project, but I pretty much haven't touched it in the last couple of weeks. I've been so busy MP3 player shopping, laptop shopping, camera shopping, birthday gift shopping, and (latest addition) sunglasses shopping. Costco, Coquitlam Centre, Future Shop, London Drugs, Lougheed Mall, Costco, Metropolis/Metrotown, Future Shop, .... That's a lot of running around! A lot of shopping for someone who's not particularly keen on shopping. My bank account's gonna have an owie this month ....

CYA

To catch the trough in the gas price cycle, I had to circle back to the same gas station. As I was waiting to pay inside, I noticed a yellow laminated sign on the counter:

If we ask you for id please, consider it a compliment.

Living a better life

For my birthday, my cousins got me a little music box with a framed saying on it: Live so that people will be better off for having known you.

A nice little reminder to make the world a better place (as long as you're not a pushover).

Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Postman ....

There was a time when my day started with the mail delivery. With over 50 penpals, receiving letters was the highlight of the day: I got to read news from a friend, and then tell them all about what was going on with me.

Well, those days are long gone, and the number of people with whom I correspond regularly has dwindled down to a handful or so. My ears still perk up at the sound of the mailslot, but my expectations have been reset. I often think about the others, and how to get back in touch with them.

And then the other day I received a letter. The first thing I noticed was the handwriting, which immediately told me: Europe. The stamp: Spain. I hadn't heard from any of my Spanish friends in over 5 years. It was from a friend I'd met in '93, and then stayed with in '94 during my second trip to Spain. She wasn't a particularly diligent penpal, and we lost touch a few years later. She works now, lives with her boyfriend; they bought a house in a town of 10,000. She's no longer the same brat I knew back then.

I can't wait to write back. :)