1.19.2009
a lesson from my uncle - did i learn, or not?
my "Uncle" Richie has always talked to me about needs and wants. i can remember him giving me fatherly advice about needs and wants since i was 4 years old or so. my family and i joke about needs and wants from time to time, but it seems especially relevant in the face of the hard times the world is facing right now.
of course, as i grew older, i simply found ways to justify wants as needs. for example, i don't just want that new tennis racquet. i need it because i'll be playing against girls who have racquets even better than that new one i might have, and i need my new Prince racquet (with gamma grip, of course) just to stay on the same court as them.
i am usually pretty frugal, but when i do spend my money on things other than hockey registration, darn right it's going to be researched and studied so that i'm getting a quality product that will last me a while. i've been trying to justify a new hockey related item - maybe elbow pads, maybe pants - but can't justify either enough. hey, i just got my pantalones de gold not too long ago, and there's nothing wrong with them. well, except for the gold. and the fact that it's not the model i ordered. i'll blame the extra wide legs on that. because i haven't been in full hockey mode, i can't condone spending money on gear right now. chalk up a win for Uncle Richie there.
my work computer (lappy) houses about 2/3 of my music collection, and it is through said lappy that i keep my ipod up to date. well, the lappy was ridiculously close to being absolutely FULL and i realized that about 50gb of that was my music. hrmmm. here, i legitimized the personal purchase of an external hard drive to hold my tunes. after a library-expanding visit with Joey over the holidays, i need to add about another 40gb of music. so, with external drive in hand (technically, in backpack), i go to work each day and often play the role DJ Cheds. not sure if Uncle Richie would be cringing now.
the little trusty Canon camera i've had for a few years now has been nothing but durable, has done its job of taking whatever i tell it to, yet, there's been something lacking...the last straw was seeing Nicole's pictures of our trip to Italy. when i compared them side by side with mine, the color in hers was so much more vivid and detailed. then i noticed that the batteries in little Canon weren't lasting as long between charges, the flash took longer to load, the pictures looked worse and worse. i know that Uncle Richie would not be proud here. i don't even know if i tried to justify it. but, before Vegas, Vacaville, and a trip to visit Nic and Joey in March, i have a new camera. haven't tried it out much on account of being in bed for the past 5 days, but it's here. with all of it's 10x optical zoom glory.
the last rationalization i've made is that i need to purchase a new case for my new camera. little Canon swims in the case i have now, and the Panasonic doesn't fit at all. sure doesn't have size on its side (depending on how you look at it) but surely a case can be justified. i think?
of course, as i grew older, i simply found ways to justify wants as needs. for example, i don't just want that new tennis racquet. i need it because i'll be playing against girls who have racquets even better than that new one i might have, and i need my new Prince racquet (with gamma grip, of course) just to stay on the same court as them.
i am usually pretty frugal, but when i do spend my money on things other than hockey registration, darn right it's going to be researched and studied so that i'm getting a quality product that will last me a while. i've been trying to justify a new hockey related item - maybe elbow pads, maybe pants - but can't justify either enough. hey, i just got my pantalones de gold not too long ago, and there's nothing wrong with them. well, except for the gold. and the fact that it's not the model i ordered. i'll blame the extra wide legs on that. because i haven't been in full hockey mode, i can't condone spending money on gear right now. chalk up a win for Uncle Richie there.
my work computer (lappy) houses about 2/3 of my music collection, and it is through said lappy that i keep my ipod up to date. well, the lappy was ridiculously close to being absolutely FULL and i realized that about 50gb of that was my music. hrmmm. here, i legitimized the personal purchase of an external hard drive to hold my tunes. after a library-expanding visit with Joey over the holidays, i need to add about another 40gb of music. so, with external drive in hand (technically, in backpack), i go to work each day and often play the role DJ Cheds. not sure if Uncle Richie would be cringing now.
the little trusty Canon camera i've had for a few years now has been nothing but durable, has done its job of taking whatever i tell it to, yet, there's been something lacking...the last straw was seeing Nicole's pictures of our trip to Italy. when i compared them side by side with mine, the color in hers was so much more vivid and detailed. then i noticed that the batteries in little Canon weren't lasting as long between charges, the flash took longer to load, the pictures looked worse and worse. i know that Uncle Richie would not be proud here. i don't even know if i tried to justify it. but, before Vegas, Vacaville, and a trip to visit Nic and Joey in March, i have a new camera. haven't tried it out much on account of being in bed for the past 5 days, but it's here. with all of it's 10x optical zoom glory.
the last rationalization i've made is that i need to purchase a new case for my new camera. little Canon swims in the case i have now, and the Panasonic doesn't fit at all. sure doesn't have size on its side (depending on how you look at it) but surely a case can be justified. i think?
# posted by cheddah : 7:18 PM
