Purchases

This weekend I made two, hopefully, life changing purchases.  I'm not sure which one I'm more excited about really.  I think it may be the more expensive one, or at least the more expensive one up front.  In the long run, it'll be the bargain.  I'd been going back and forth between which thing I wanted to get.  They're very different and serve very different purposes.  One was very high tech and the other pretty low tech.  Both can help me with goals I have and both are fun.  I thought I was only going to be able to get one or the other, but as luck would have it, and thanks to a sale at Target and a generous offer from Gak, who knew I wanted both and couldn't decide, I was able to get both.
Do you see that lovely picture up at the top of this post.  This is a picture from the web of my new bicycle (actually, mine's purple, not blue).  Yes, I actually bought myself a new bike.  Gak helped pay for a bit of it and a new helmet since I got rid of my old one ages and ages ago.  I'd been bitten by the bike bug when we moved into this new apartment.  It got worse, much worse, this spring.  You see, I've become quite active again and well, I always loved spending time on my bike rolling around the neighborhood and getting around.  Town is nice and flat (for those of us who aren't used to biking hills right now...) and we live close enough to the grocery store (and many others) as well as the park and some other fun things, that running errands or going for a ride with my son would be awesome, not to mention gas saving.  (Sorry about the run-on there...)
I have yet to get Boo a seat for the back of the bike and a helmet for him to wear.  I wanted to get back into the swing of things before getting that.  Also, I was hoping Kat still had her old one because this will be the last year that Boo will be able to ride it because by next year he'll be too tall even if he's not too heavy.  But, her old seat is being borrowed by another friend, so I'll invest in one of my own to keep in the family or sell/give to someone else next year.
I got to ride for a good bit Sunday after we picked her up, but it's been raining most of the last few days, so I haven't been able to.

As for my second purchase, it was a new phone.  I was eligible for a new upgrade.  I'd been toying with and tossing out the idea of going to a smart phone.  I figured if I did, it would be to an Android based OS.  Partially because I knew I'd never afford an iPhone (I know, the 3G or 3Gs is $50 now... but, I'd want to go 4 because with electronics always get the newest/fastest you can for your buck).  Partially because as much as Gak enjoyed his iPhone, it had a few quirks I didn't enjoy and you seem to get so much more with a 'Droid.  Well, Gak said he'd buy me a new phone.  It turns out he didn't have to.  We'd gone to the AT&T store to play with some of the phones a few weeks ago, and again over the weekend, and I'd found a couple that I really liked.  It turns out that one of the top rated ones was on sale at Target.
Yes, Target again.
For free.
Yes, that's right.  Free.
I go the Samsung Captivate.  It's got a huge screen.  It's got some really cool features and is very easy to navigate.  And did I mention the Droid app store is huge?  I've downloaded a handful of free apps, including two from Weight Watchers.  (Yes, I'm still following the plan, but even if I wasn't actively trying to loose weight, I'd still be following the plan to some degree, as it helps keep the amount of food I eat "real" and helps me not put all that hard work back on.)  I think I'm going to enjoy being a smart phone owner, even though I fought the idea tooth and nail for years.  Actually, I was still fighting it a week or so ago when Gak ordered his new phone (an LG Windows phone) because we were both up for upgrades.  (I was going to just hang on to mine for a good long time since it wasn't broken and did what I wanted it to, but then I realized I was paying for a new phone in my monthly bill anyhow.  Yes, most cell companies pad your bill with the cost of a new phone as part of your monthly access charges, even if they don't say so... that's why a $500 phone can be "free".)

So, in the long run my $180 bike will cost less than my free phone, but that's only because I now have a $15 a month data plan.  (Which is more that I'll probably need since I'm on wi-fi at home and try very hard not to use it at work...)  I'm very happy with both my phone and my bike.  I've been able to use the phone more, if only because I can use it when it's raining.  (Yes, I can bike when it's raining, but I prefer not to...)

Anyhow, I'm very pleased with my purchases, but I've now got 10 minutes or less to get together my breakfast, my lunch and get dressed and out the door.

Peace to all and may you get the tools you need and may they be ones you love.