Living Right

Yes, this really happened. Out of the blue, there was the UPS dude honking from the rocky driveway. I went out to see what was up, seeing as how I hadn’t ordered anything. He leaned out of the truck and called out, “John Farr?”

Yup, that was me. The package he handed me was from Small Dog Electronics in Vermont, and I had to sign for it. You know what that could mean, but no way, right? Opening the box from Small Dog revealed another one, this one from Ingram Micro (another flag). Inside this was a large, flat white box covered in bubble wrap. Underneath the plastic was one simple word: “MacBook.” My God! Yes, someone I know had apparently just made me a gift of a new laptop. But considering the immediate circumstances, it might be a one-year loaner, I reasoned. I emailed. The party called. It wasn’t. The new MacBook, first in the new line of Intel-powered Macs, was mine to keep, no strings attached. Wow. Really? Yes, really.

It’s been too long since I had my hands on something new. Part of the “trouble” is, as many of you know, that old Macs tend to last forever, and my B&W G3 is a good example. Besides, I have it covered with cool blue panels with yellow hot-rod flames. I love this thing. The matching monitor is a classic, and I love being able to slide the keyboard underneath its three-legged stand. But launching certain apps is like growing radishes from seed, if you know what I mean.

So yes, someone gave me a new Mac. I had no idea and I didn’t see it coming. Let me go on record as saying that it feels quite excellent to be the recipient of such a gift. And think of how good it would feel to hand a new Mac laptop to someone who truly appreciates it. Everybody should give Macs as presents. What a better world it would be. Seriously. All I’ve done since is play with it. How would I ever have time to start a war or go to law school?

If it can happen to me, it can happen to you. Take time to breathe, enjoy your meal, and wash your bowl when you’re done. Also, stay away from SCSI Zip drives. Boy, that’ll date ya.

Next up: a decent review of this thing. The MacBook, I mean. (What else would I be using now?)

[adapted from a post at FarrFeed]