After some experimentation with my iPod, Mike wanted one of his own.
"Do you know? – nearly everyone at the gym has an iPod," he commented.
"I'm not surprised," I said. "You should have one, too."
But, Mike has that conservative nature that just won't quite let him really enjoy what he considers an indulgence. So last Sunday we went to one of the marts and he bought a GPX MP3 player on sale. I wasn't necessarily in favor. We're learning iPod technology; why throw in another brand not really compatible? But he liked the size and certain features and so we bought it – and spent one of the most frustrating afternoons ever trying to figure out how to make it work. He finally packaged it up and we returned it.
Thereupon he ordered an iPod Shuffle personalized with his initials. It's red, which means the company will donate to a fund for African something-or-others (you know the trend for color-coded donating). FedEx attempted to deliver it Thursday when I wasn't home, so yesterday (Friday) I stayed home all day in order to be here to receive it. I didn't want him to miss the opportunity to have it this weekend, especially Sunday – his only free day this week. The delivery finally came at 4:15.
Last night Mike made a playlist of some of his favorite tunes and loaded them into his new iPod – so simple! One excited "kid" went off to work with his new toy, looking forward to using his iPod at the gym – "just like all the cool kids."