My iTouch

It turns out that investing in an iPod has ended up being one of the best things I've ever done. I put it off for years, partly because of cost, and partly because I had a deliberate lack of interest in iTunes. I basically refused to believe that it had anything to offer me that I couldn't get for free online, and in all honesty, I think I was slightly intimidated from not knowing how the program worked. (Hard to believe, since I usually enjoy learning new software or programs, but it's similar to my fear of learning how to load pictures from our camera to the computer. I don't know how, therefore, I take the deliberately disinterested stance. I fear this is a sign of age. Soon I'll be afraid to try those new hover crafts those crazy kids are riding!)

My feelings about anything Apple changed last fall, when thanks to a surprise gift of cash from my parents, I was given the opportunity to buy myself something completely superfluous and FUN. After much online searching, and a stop at the Apple store with hubby, I placed an online order for an engraved iPod Touch that would be under the tree for me on Christmas morning. It would have my name on it, and underneath, "Merry Christmas 2007." (Being that the money my parents gifted to me came from a sale of property that my paternal grandparents had bought, I wanted the gift to be from all of them. I even had the card printed to read, "Merry Christmas from Mom, Dad and Gramma Janet.")

Are you ready for the surprise kick in the pants? After all the deliberation and turmoil to decide on the perfect iPod for me, and after deciding to save a little by opting for the 8GB version (vs. the 16GB), guess what my company gave every employee for Christmas? A $50 iTunes gift card, and a brand new, beautiful 16GB iTouch!!

Now, anyone who knows me, knows I have a deep fear of regret over money spent. I'm pretty darn careful, and I really think things through, so very rarely does this happen to me. Naturally, my first reaction of "WHY, God...WHY?!" was based soley on the fact that I could probably not return an engraved iTouch. Eventually, some time later, after I picked myself up off the floor, it occurred to me that perhaps my husband might enjoy an iTouch, too. I confess, I was sorry I couldn't give him the engraved 8GB version, and actually put some time into thinking of a way to make that work. But I never could get past the fact that it would have my name on the back. Yes, I'm shallow.

In the end, both hubby and I are thrilled with our new toys, as are the kids who have figured out how to play all the songs they love. (Our 6 year old son is mad for Queen's "Bicycle Race," and our 4 year old daughter is torn between Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape" and Vince Gill's "That Friend of Mine.") I have downloaded various television show episodes that have been a fun lunch time treat for me when I don't have a book to devour. And I've loaded over 700 songs from my cd library, as well as downloaded plenty of songs from iTunes, which it turns out is a pretty easy program to play with.



Yes, I'm very happy with the way things worked out, and that hubby loves his iTouch, too.

But I still kept the $50 gift card!