My Welsh Dresser

My Welsh Dresser

Image by Jacob Whittaker
My Welsh Dresser, with hifis and Concert Traveler. Beneath the Traveler are the JVC speakers for the hifi in the centre of the picture (given to me by my new deal advisor of 5 years ago, thanks Maureen!). There's a Decca Junior gramophone there too.

www.jacobwhittaker.co.uk

Day 350: Holly Jolly Christmas

Image by amanky
1. happy & hungry..., 2. Santa Smiles, 3. celebratory!
4. sweet dreams...

Wow! what a day... wonderful, amazing, unexpected, and just awesome!

The keen observer has surely noted by now: I have the 40D! It is mine!

How it all has come about is still confusing and unbelievable to even me... but I'll try to explain it to the best of my excited ability!

On Thursday (I still can't believe no one caught on to my hint... or maybe they, like me, didn't want to get too many hopes up!?) I went to the bank [with my "camera only" account] to deposit some birthday monies, and the ORkicker check (measly, for me, promise!) and suddenly saw that the balance was closer than I had thought!

Then I found that Ninendo Wii's were selling for 0-500 on ebay... and (in case you didn't know) I had picked one up in the unlikely BlackFriday selection from amazon. Still sitting mostly untouched, totally uninstalled, on my living room floor... it's easy to see I'd get more use out of a camera, then the Wii, as much as I'd love a Wii... $ towards the camera is more of a priority.
Put an ad on CraigsList and GorgeNetClassifieds. Woke up to a call Saturday, buying the Wii. A local grandpa wanted to have something for the grandkids to play with at their house. he asked me why I was selling, we were both totally upfront.. and next thing I know i have 0 cash in my back pocket, and I'm basically floating about my day in disbelief.

Took the cash to the ATM, and made the deposit, actually freezing up some of the total until after Monday, but I figured I still had to figure out where to get the best deal, any coupons, discounts, bonus points, etc. eeking every bit I could... but once a couple friends heard what was up they all wanted to truck me into town to just get the thing! (still so weird for me to have folks genuinely backing me on something so BIG!)

Finally settled on CircuitCity who has boasted the best price on the whole kit for a good month now... plus, with a AAA discount coupon I could get an extra 10% off. This discounted total rolling out at exactly .72 less than my available balance on the special account! (How you like them apples?!) My original plan was to just get it all together online and do store pick-up. But I was getting errors all afternoon/evening/night... and even ended up trying the phone customer service (but all i got was circles and circles with farmed-out tele-commuters from India who couldn't proficiently speak english for the task at hand!)

So, to Portland it was, with some determination, trepidation, and constantly underlying prayer the whole afternoon...

Ended up at the Clackamas CircuitCity (due to an extra errand for Jared's roommate's parents...) and hit the customer service line mostly immediately (after a quick check to see only ONE kit in stock!) figuring I'd end up there eventually anyway!

The lovely & frazzled Holly called us up to the counter when it was my turn... I calmly shared with her my experience, intentions, and hopes/expectation. (Oh, almost forgot, added extra... just for fun, you know: the price in store was MORE than online!?)

She went scurrying about doing her business... I stood there not fully convinced it would work out. Intermittently encouraging Holly through the craziness, assuring her she was doing everything she could, and we could see that. Apologizing to the growing line behind me... and just holding my breath about it all.

Somehow she worked her magic, pulled out some calculators, and the total pulled up right. Suddenly I had a panic moment, unable to pull out the right bank card... after Elizabeth had math spinning through her head, as did I, I did actually find it, phew! and the transaction cleared.

I quickly signed, tried to share with this unknowing Holly how HUGE it all was, and nabbed up that box in bag... and walked out of the store, trying not to jump TOO high (I had an expensive camera in my hand, after all!

Elizabeth got a shot with her cameraphone in the parking lot... I don't think the smile wiped off my face until well into sleep mode, late-late-later in the night!

[Created with fd's Flickr Toys.]

Ugly Christmas Sweater

Image by amanky
17:27 My uncle Bill picked up this dreadful sweatshirt, along with an equally gawdy tablecloth... and a gift card for gas (you know, about a quarter tank anymore!)

Taking a picture of the atrocity, was a given.

Soon, my mom stole it away... and another picture had to be taken.

In the end, by proxy, my cousin Thai stole it, freezing it. We're all anxiously awaiting the email including the picture of HER wearing it... 'cause that's part of the deal!

My Communist Christmas

Image by Arty Smokes (deaf mute)
We don't make a big deal of Christmas in my family, mainly because we are all over the age of 12 and have genius-level IQs (apart from one of my sisters, but she's got brain damage, the least said of which the better), but also because some "very bad things" have happened at this time of year in the past, and it would feel "wrong" to celebrate. Besides which, I come from a family of atheists and communists.
My great-grandfather was a leading light of the British Communist Party back in the day, and read the 'Morning Star' every day of his adult life. His proudest possession was a signed photo of Vladimir Lenin. I always hoped I'd inherit it one day, but it mysteriously vanished shortly after his death (my great-grandfather's, not Lenin's). Mumma Smokes picked up this statuette of the world's greatest baldy in a recent auction. It's about 10 inches tall, made of spelter (zinc) and it's in pretty bad condition, but I quite like it. Mum juxtaposed it with the "amusing" Christmas card, which made it an irresistible photo.

Ho bloody HO. (Large)