New Toys

Remember when you were a kid and you finally got the new toy or bike that you had been dreaming of? I remember that all I wanted to do was run home from school, finish my homework, so that I could play with that new toy. That new bike was eventually replaced with Pacman and Space Invaders. In my teens, my favorite pastime was talking on the phone so call-waiting and three-way lines were my new “toys”. And then there was my first car: a 1978 Toyota Celica with a sunroof. She had 200,000+ miles when I inherited her from my cousin Tony, who inherited her from my other cousin Debbie, who inherited her from my uncle. She was almost like a family heirloom. I cried when she suffered a premature death after being rear-ended.

In my 20s, new bars and adult beverages became my source of excitement. Bonus points to those bars that had happy hour specials and free food. Eventually, clothes and shoes became my thing – my Dad called me Imelda Marcos on several occasions. When I started going to the gym and running, I supplemented my clothing collection with enough moisture-wicking material to dry up the Amazon. Unearthing my crafty side brought about the discovery of many “toys” that I had to have: yarn, needles, sewing machines, fabric, hooks, and a whole new world of gadgets.

Which brings us to 2009. Our new front-loading washer and dryer from Sears was delivered today. The washer has more options than I’ll probably ever need. The dryer is big enough for me to hide in should I ever have the need.