Toys that make my life better....

[gwendolyngrace]

So.

I drove my car to the mechanic this morning to ask about the potential harm to the car if I drove around with the emissions system leaking.

The mechanic didn't even want to look at it. He said, "It's not going to lock your engine. The most that'll happen is you might see a decline in your mileage. But if you're getting rid of it...don't bother doing anything with it. Come in right before you're about to trade it in and we'll turn off the engine light for you. Then let them deal with it."

Which was GREAT. But it left me with my car, halfway to work, and nowhere to leave it.

So I drove back to the mall again, and parked by Best Buy this time, and caught the bus. Missing the first one, as usual. But that's okay.

Work was...work.

But then. I took the bus back and got off at the mall and went into Best Buy to see if they had a. any sort of case for the sidekick; b. anything inexpensive and t00bulous to buy. They didn't have a case that would fit, but that's okay. I walked around the movies and carried a $4.99 Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure for a bit, and also a $14.99 double-set of Good Morning, Vietnam and Dead Poet's Society - all of which were short on features, but hey, the *movie* is what you watch most often?

Then I saw the Alien Nation Movie Collection. For $40. Which felt too expensive. So I put it back.

Then I saw something *else* for $25. Which felt about right. But I said to myself, "I should check it on Amazon before I get it. I wonder how much the Alien Nation is?"

Then I remembered that I had a SIDEKICK with me.

Ahem. They have the Alien Nation set for about $26ish - so that was right out. But the other thing? It was actually $2 more expensive, which, by the time I paid tax, was just about the same. So I put back Bill, Ted, and Robin-squared and bought the other thing.

You guys.

Voyagers. Jon-Erik Hexum and the kid.

OH. MY. GODS.

Yeah, so when I was 10? I wanted to be that kid. Not because I crushed on Jon-Erik Hexum but because I'd get to TRAVEL THROUGH TIME. With a device kind of like the old TARDIS, in that it *malfunctioned* all the time and there was no predictability. YAYS.

This is SUCH a guilty pleasure. I'm sure it's going to be utterly painful, because, hello, it wasn't that good then, but to a 10-year-old, it was AWESOME.

And yeah, I shouldn't be buying DVDs just before Pennsic. But hey.

Jon-Erik Hexum. As a bad Jules Verne pun. And the OMNI.

I'm just sayin'.

Anyway - the point is that the Sidekick? Totally made me feel good about my purchase. (Thanks, Heidi!)

And I've just driven the car for probably the last time until I return from war. Sigh.

Comments

[nightowlv.livejournal.com]

I've never seen Voyagers, but I know what it's like to be unable to resist buying a DVD that's more of a guilty pleasure than good quality entertainment. But as painful as it is, it is fun to see them again. I'm sure you'll enjoy rewatching the series.

I've been thinking about getting a Sidekick. I currently use a prepaid phone, but I'd love to have some sort of smartphone. I haven't decided if I'll get it, though. I'd really like to use the prepaid Sidekick plan, but I don't know how good the coverage would be in the area I'd use the phone. But it's great that your phone makes your life easier! It's always nice to know that making an expensive purchase was worth it. :)

[gwendolyngrace.livejournal.com]

I didn't actually purchase it. Heidi got an iPhone and had a year on her sidekick contract still, so I'm using it to stay in contact while planning Azkatraz.

So even better, because I didn't have to buy it. But my *next* phone is *definitely* going to be a smartphone.

[nightowlv.livejournal.com]

I'd say it's definitely better if it didn't cost you anything. :)