Can't Stop Spending

A few weeks ago, I got it in my head that I wanted a laptop computer. Don't need. Want. Then we added a wireless network to our house and the want got worse. When I asked Steve if I'd be able to sit on the deck and work on a laptop connected to the Internet (sun glare notwithstanding) - he said yes. Uh-oh. The want just got way worse.

There is some level in your brain, where you know there's no turning back. I started thinking about some HP laptops that were being offered at work at a great price (below our cost even) from excess inventory or something. One morning last week, I asked some questions - and by 10:00, I'd bought a laptop. It had to be reimaged (from it's original intended purpose) and our IT person kindly loaded some software for me but by Monday night, I was one very happy camper. It's a little frightening how much I love this inanimate object.

That's why I haven't posted much recently - busy playing with my new toy. I'm moving things from old to new very slowly and methodically. I love having a totally clean machine. The kids used to use both my computer and Steve's, back in the day, for gaming. We uninstalled the obvious stuff but there are so many components that aren't identifiable as important or not. Plus when they were younger, they downloaded stuff willy-nilly.

So far I've got my Thunderbird email just the way I want it. I always spend way too much time trying to configure the Pine Tree Designs email address, even when copying the parameters verbatim from the old machine! Then I realized I had my account on dreamhost.com set up to forward PTD mail to my regular address - so I think all that time spent was moot. But it all works now - my usual woodgrain theme installed as well.

Last night I downloaded Foxfire to use as my default browser, something I've been meaning to do forever because I hear such good things about it. But the thought of "starting over" was daunting. Now I see there's a way (duh) to import your IE bookmarks - but I'm using this as a good opportunity to give my bookmarks or favorites, a good fall cleaning. Maybe I'll end up importing them, but for now, no.

My biggest dilemma now is whether to take the money from my savings to pay for this or have payroll deduction set up, in effect, an interest-free loan. It's something we offer all employees but I could actually extend my term longer than I normally allow - one of the perks of being in the accounting department. So it's hate-debt vs letting the money sit in my savings account earning pennies of interest. The answer will come to me, just hasn't yet.

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I come from a pretty frugal family so I don't come to purchase decisions easily. But sometimes, once the floodgate opens, look out.

We bought a Dyson last weekend.

In case you don't know, this is a high end vacuum cleaner, an amazing machine. And it's all Gretchen's fault. She tried her friend's, then had to have one. Gretchen can wax poetic about this damn thing night and day. It's a noun, it's a verb. "I Dysoned Paul's room today." So I borrowed hers while she was in FL one week. We have a phrase, "Once you Dyson, you never go back."

I knew I was in trouble when I came home from work one day and Simon had used it in his room. I had not used it yet, so when he said, "Now that's a vacuum cleaner!", I knew I was going to like it.

Steve didn't know diddly about them, nor does he hardly ever vacuum but even he was saying, early on, "Why don't we have one of those?"

I used it a couple of days later and was amazed at the stuff it was picking up, mostly pet hair. When Steve came home, I dragged him out to the garbage toter to look at the giant dirt piles I'd deposited there. "Look! That's our bedroom! And that one is the family room!"

I tried to like our old reliable whatever-kind-it-is vacuum cleaner, I really did. Last weekend we were deep cleaning Lizz's room and I was "vacuuming". I put vacuum in quotes because, well, it's just not the same. I finally said to Steve, "Let's go buy a Dyson. Right now." So we did. Just like that. Life's too short.

We actually bought the model designed for most efficient pet hair pick-up. I'm not sure what makes it so, to tell you the truth, but we fell for it. I think if it had a Flowbee attachment I could suck the loose hair off the pets before it even hit the floor!

I don't love the Dyson as much as I love my laptop, but close.

So that's what Stefani, the non-consumer, has been doing lately. Vacuuming and writing about vacuuming on her new laptop.