Monday, May 21, 2007

My Birthday

My birthday was this past weekend. I LOVE my birthday. I like feeling extra special for just one day, all the cards and the calls that I get throughout the day. Thanks to everyone who sent a card or gave me a call, by the way, I really appreciate it!

I'm always amazed by people who get cards out on time. Usually I'm sending them the day of the big event. I've finally stocked up on belated birthday cards, so now I'm even lazier -- if you get a belated birthday card from me, I probably didn't even buy it with you in mind, I bought it knowing I was going to miss someone's birthday, just didn't know it would be yours.

I got a slew of gifts from the family -- a Cinderella Barbie, supposedly from Lindsey but really for Lindsey, a Cinderella baby doll, supposedly from Marissa but she seems to like playing with it best, and a new workout bag with an extra special something stuck in the pocket -- an iPod shuffle.

This is my first foray into the latest technology, and I've been wanting it for my workouts. I have a Discman, and a couple of years ago it wouldn't have been too unusual to see it in a fitness club, a bulky round gadget strapped around my waist. Now, it would be downright embarrassing to be seen with something like that, when everyone is walking around with these little tiny MP3 players and iPods.

I was trying to describe to my dad the size of this thing, so I finally measured it -- 2 1/2 inches wide by 1 inch long, and 3/8 of an inch thick (that includes the clip to clip it to your clothes.) It holds a maximum of 240 songs which can be played continuously or in random order (thus the name "iPod shuffle.")

It is a technological wonder, though it is incredible how the "wow" factor goes down dramatically once you reach out to those under 30. Even Lindsey knew when I opened the package what it was and wanted to put the earphones in to "listen to the music." Huh?!? How does a 4-year-old know this? Turns out her pre-school teacher has one and plugs in before leaving work every day, every once in a while letting someone listen in on the music before taking off.

For an idea of how small it is, click here.

And yes, my iPod is pink.

2 comments:

  1. Wow! That is small!! Maybe I should haul out my Sony Walkman for comparison! Glad you had a good birthday. I have cards for ya'll . . . maybe I'll get them out before Labor Day . . . .

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  2. Let's see, my daughter was born in 72 or was it 71, hmmm! Oh well she is 35, must've been in 1971 when her mother and I made the midnite dash from our army apartments to the hospital on the Ft. Bliss base in El Paso, TX. This was about the time that they were starting to put in sensors on the highway to help time the stop lites. As we drove across the base in the middle of the night the light that would let us on the road to the hospital was red. I slowed down, surely it will change to green before I got there. I slowed down, I slowed down some more, I thought what the hell, I'll run the red light if I have to. As I started to move forward to run the light I hit the sensor and the light changed. Oh yes, that was after my wife woke me up from a sound sleep and told me we needed to get to the hospital quickly. I dressed ran out of the house only to her my wife yell wait for me. I was so groggy I might have taken off without her.

    Needless to say, Bonnie could not walk into the hospital, the attendants came with a gurney and wheeled her right into the delivery room. As I was checking in with a sleepy Kristi by my side I could hear through the air ducts the wail of a pissed off kid. That was Jenny. When I went in to see her, Jenny's brow was so furrowed that I thought other things than a beautiful bouncing baby. It all turned out well. I am proud of the woman she has become, and proud of the family she and Wayne are undertaking to raise. God bless'em.

    Dad

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