As you may already know, I am heading out to Whistler for a two week vacation. I will be making daily or almost daily posting about the trip to WASTEDBoarding.com site as well as this site. Hopefully it will not be too confusing posting the same message at two sites. We’ll see how it goes.
I have developed a ritual for getting through airport security that includes pulling out my laptop before I get in line. But today was a little different because I am also traveling with my Xbox. Naturally I expected that I would need to pull out the Xbox from its case but no! It’s not a laptop, it’s a game console.
Okay, so I don’t get this. Why is the Xbox treated differently at airport security than a laptop. In my opinion, the two are basically the same with regard to hardware. Both have a hard drive. Both have a CD/DVD reader. Both have an ethernet card. Both have a motherboard, built-in fan…you get the point. What is so special about a laptop that requires one to remove it from the case while an Xbox can remain in the case.
The funny part of my experience, though, was the guy reading the Xray monitor. He could not figure out what it was; the Xbox that is. I mentioned to him that it was an Xbox. He joked that they were going to confiscate it, and I joked back that I would give up the laptop before I gave up the Xbox. Now I have to tell Avanade I need a new laptop.
Yesterday I decided I wanted an iPod, and those who know me well know that once I get something set in my mind there is no changing it. So throughout yesterday I searched all over Manhattan for a 10gig iPod for Windows. I hit the mega stores like CompUSA but had no luck getting my hands on an iPod. [Side note: Don’t trust retail store web sites that claim something is in stock and available for in-store pick-up. On more than one occasion I have stopped by the store to pick up a gadget after checking availability from the web site only to be told by the clerk at the store that the item is not in stock. At least this has been a common occurrence for me in Manhattan.]
So I am finally rockin’ it with my new iPod, but I have quickly learned that I wish I had gotten the 20 gig model. 10 gigs is just not enough space for me. Guess I will have to deal with it. Besides, the case for the 10 gig model is smaller than the 20 gig model, which is the reason I wanted the 10 gig model in the first place.
Oh, I will say one other thing…the firewire connection is super fast. I can copy gigs of MP3 to my iPod in a matter of minutes. Now that really rocks.
Hot damn! I’m packed and ready to go. I can’t wait to be in Whistler for the start of WASTED II, a guaranteed good time.
I decided to walk by the Hudson River this afternoon on the way to work to see the ice. Looks like something you would see in Alaska. Click on the images to see the bigger picture.
I have discovered one of the best hours on TV…1 to 2 pm weekdays on the OLN Channel. 30 minutes of Skier’s World followed by 30 minutes of Warren Miller TV. I’m hooked.