Archive for "Toys"
Sneaky Brian
Posted on September 2, 2004 by Ching under Toys.
I just found out that Brian’s tank thing (it’s actually called a desktop rover; he ordered it from ThinkGeek) cost him almost $250 bucks! The sneaky turd wasn’t even going to tell me. He finally admitted to spending $49 for the tank, $39 for the commander software (which we don’t even know if he will know how to use), $149 for the camera attachment and only God knows how much for shipping. I must’ve upset him really bad!
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New Phone
Posted on August 8, 2004 by Ching under Toys.
Brian has remained true to his word and is letting me get a new phone this year. I’ve had tons of fun using his old Nokia 3650 (he got a Nokia 3660 and gave me his 3650 as a hand-me-down).
Albeit clunky, my Nokia 3650 is loaded with features. Brian has installed old school NES games and I have a neat video recorder that can record as long as my memory card can hold (instead of the default video recorder that only records for a minute or so). I’ve got it set up to check and send email (a feature that I don’t really use frequently) and also to send pictures to my various mobile blogs that I’ve created and neglected. I’ve had some fun times with my trusty Nokia.
Now, it’s time to say goodbye..
Not quite yet actually because we have to wait for my new phone to come – but it is coming! Brian and I have decided on the Samsung D415. Even though it’s got fewer features than my Nokia 3650, I’m pretty excited about trying it out. For one, it’s way smaller and way cooler looking. So I get a sleek phone, instead of one that looks like a freakin’ tv remote control, for a change.
The Samsung D415 retails for like $350 without signing up for service but with Brian’s employee discount, he can get it for about $100. Not bad. He says next year he gets upgraded to a 100% discount, so he can get any phone carried by T-Mobile for free.
I think I will like having the D415. If not, I can always go back to my Nokia 3650. Brian says that he’s willing to take my D415, if I don’t like it and then I would get to pick the free phone next year. I think that’s his way of making up for all the years that he’s given me his hand-me-down phones. I told him that even if I end up going back to my Nokia 3650, I would let him have his turn at picking out a phone next year. Although, I may regret saying that later if a T-Mobile decides to carry a really cool phone. We’ll see.
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Bowling on the 3650
Posted on December 20, 2003 by Ching under Games, Toys.
On the way home Brian was telling me about this bowling game in his 3650. He was bragging about his 204 high game and his 533 high series. As you know, I’m a much better bowler than he is in real life so I felt very confident that beating his high scores would be a piece of cake.
He gives me a run-down of the controls and I play the game all the way hom. He’s only more than happy to let me play because this gets me out of his hair as I have this tendency to supervise as he drives which, it turns out, is very annoying to men and Brian is no exception.
It takes me a couple of games (not frames, mind you — there are ten frames to a game, and it took me two games) to get the hang of the limited controls. Once you get the hang of it, though, it’s not too bad. Nothing like real life, but not too bad considering it lets you move the ball from the left to right, adjust the speed/strength of your throw, set the aim and put a spin or hook before you throw. The challenging part is that all of this is donen through one button. LOL! It’s not that bad really.
Anyway, we get to the house and I still haven’t beaten his score. He’s laughing at my persistence and egging me on by saying I should just give up because I will never beat his scores. To add insult to injury, the phone beeps “low bat” on me. If you think this is the end of it, think again. It takes more than this to stop a determined person such as myself.
I get home, plug the phone in and continue playing. An hour later, sweaty palms and everything, I’m still playing. A lesser person would’ve given up long ago. But no, not I. I finally bowled a 226 toppling his puny 203 game. Thank God for it too because my thumb was getting really tired and my back was starting to ache for being hunched over for so long.
“You’ve yet to beat my high series!”
“I bowled a 226 game! Beating your 533 high series, should be chicken feed.”
I play a couple of games to no avail. I tell him, calculate the average per game for a 533 series so I at least know what I’m shooting for. He does and it’s a meager 177. This boosts my confidence and sure enough within ten minutes I produced a 535 series. It’s only two pins more than his high series score but it’s good enough for me. I can rest now.
I suppose you could glean from what you have just read that stubborness runs in our family also, but there are more positive qualities at work here; like perseverance and determination and hard work.. Â Man, I really need a life!
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Brian’s New Toy
Posted on December 18, 2003 by Ching under Toys.
It’s all my fault. My shopping addiction has totally rubbed off on Brian. Now when he gets stressed out, frustrated or bored, he shops — just like I do. We really need to put a stop to this. I realize now that it is wrong and we’re going to try to do better in 2004.
Anyway, last month he bought himself a portable DVD player. I’ve never really understood the usefulness of those things but Brian is a true electronics junkie. He can rationalize it anyway he wants. All I can say is, if everyone else has one he has to have one. That’s the way he is with his big boy toys.
This time around he spent $200 on a freaking remote control. I mean, who the hell spends $200 on a freaking remote? It’s supposed to come free with your electronic device (unless of course it’s one of those special edition — read: stolen — ones). Shoot! You could buy a DVD player for that price. Hell! You could even buy a nice TV (small one, but a nice one nonetheless) for that price!
Here is a picture of the horrid monstrosity that is his newest acquisition:
He told me about it while I was at work yesterday. See, this is what happens when you leave your husband unsupervised for two seconds. Anyway, I can’t dog him too much for buying it because he is really super-duper excited about this thing. He’s like a little child, telling him there is no Santa Claus would just devastate him. Besides, he probably feels the same way about me and my clothes. Here is how part of our conversation went:
BRIAN: THIS IS SOOOOO COOL!
ME: Does it work?
B: With one button I can turn everything on or off. I can program macros to do anything I want! I LOVE THIS THING!!!M: But can it make breakfast for you?
B: I haven’t gotten to that part of the instructions yet.
M: You’re nuts. I’m saving this conversation and posting it on my blog.
B: But if we have a machine that is remote controlled that makes breakfast, I can program this thing to run it!!!
B: I am sooo happy. I dont need any of the other remotes any more.
M: You’re such a goober. I want a demonstation. It better be good too.
B: I’m going to the dinning room to program that next.
M: I shall wait to be impressed.
True to form, when I arrived home from work he gave me a little demonstration. He has this one button programmed as movie night and, literally, with the push of one button it turns on our big screen TV, the surround sound system and the DVD player. He even programmed it to put the TV on the correct channel and to have the DVD automatically eject so all we have to do is put our DVD in and bam, we’re good to go.
I guess it is pretty cool. But me being me, I’d rather spend $200 on a good coat or a pair of shoes or something.
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Back-to-School Thoughts
Posted on August 30, 2003 by Ching under School, Toys.
The first week and a half of school has gone really well. I can’t believe I was so apprehensive. Brian was completely right. I truly had nothing to fear. Besides, I think I blend in pretty well. I doubt anyone can tell that I’m a non-traditional (read: returning adult) student.
Other great news: we found my dream printer, the Canon i950 for almost $50 less at Sam’s Club and it even came with a free USB cable (not that I needed one, but free stuff is always good) and Dazzle 6-1 card reader (not that I need it). The free stuff was just an added bonus. It was the price that really grabbed my attention. What an awesome deal!
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