I Pod Madness

I've been busy the last couple of days adding music to my family's new I pod.

I find it to be a strange.... almost...... addictive task.

I've never owned an mp3 player. To be honest I don't really listen to that much music. I don't listen to it often in the car because I'm usually listening to sports radio. The only time I do listen to music stations is because I get bored during comercial breaks, and I start skimming through the fm stations.

It's not that I don't like music....I do. But I hardly ever listen to it. Most of the time when I hear a song I like it's usually because I'm watching a movie or t.v. show and they are using a song during the scene.

On the rare occasion I have music playing, say at home, I have it in the background on my computer as I surf the web. But I rarely do that because it interferes with the video content I'm usually checking out.

But for the last couple of days I've been cramming all kinds of content onto this damn I pod thing.

For what I don't know.

Unlike the commercials on t.v., I don't stroll down the street bouncing to the latest jams. My job requires customer service, so I can't wear it at work, and as far as wearing it at home my wife hates it, because I can't hear her calling me when she needs my help with the little cub.

So it's practically unneccessary.

But it's a freaking fasciniating gadget.

First off the thing can hold a ton of stuff.

7,500 songs.

Seriously.

Don't ask me what I would need 7,500 songs for, but I'm trying my hardest to find out.

I'm going to try and fill it up......just to see if I can.

I've downloaded stuff onto it that I haven't listened to in years.

Like old Run Dmc and Boogie Down Productions songs.

Seriously.

I assume for the day when I get that strange urge to indulge in classic old...... I'm talking OLD school rap.

I've started the strange habit of asking everyone I know about their cd collection, so that I might borrow a cd which interests me so that I can add it to my I pod.

I've even raided my wife's musical theatre cd's. In case someone in the family gets the urge to listen to some Sondheim on the I Pod.

Yeah...seriously.

I've got about maybe 1, 800 songs on there right now.

Insane....in the palm of my hand.

If that's not enough, this particular I pod is able to play video content.

That's pretty crazy.

I remember how when I was a kid, I dreamed that someone would come up with an invention which would allow me to watch tv in the car.

To save me from the boredom of long road trips, and those boring quick drives with my mom as she ran errands.

Now it's possible to play video in the palm of my hand......as I wait in line at the grocery store.

Not because I'm bored.....but simply because I can.

Crazy.

I even downloaded a couple of movies from the I tunes store just to check out the video functions on the gadget.

So now I have Pirates of the Caribbean and Tombstone on this thing......even though I can't imagine sitting in one place watching a whole 3 hour movie on this thing.

Then my co-worker informed me that I can actually rip content from dvd's, and add it to the I pod.

So now I have the First season of Da Ali G show, and 6 episodes of the U.S. version of the Office on this thing.

In case I need a quick laugh....I guess.

The frustrating thing is the gadget isn't even halfway full yet.

I've been adding stuff for several days now, and I haven't even put a dent into the thing's memory. It's almost becoming a burden trying to fill the thing up.

What's ironic is that I'm finding it difficult to actually find time to use the thing.

The device has tons of content, and I'm working my ass off trying to fill it up, and all it does is sit on top of my computer.

Classic.

I don't know what to do with it.

I'm trying to find occasion to use it, but it's rarely come up. A couple of days ago I offered to drive my wife to the store....which shocked her.....until she realized that my intention was just to sit in the car, and watch my I pod as she shopped.

The other day I caught myself laying on my couch........in front of my 46 inch big screen......watching an episode of the Ali G show...... on my tiny I Pod.

Don't ask me why.

I'm obviously insane.

It's bizarre......such an amazing device.......and I can't find an occasion, or excuse to use it.

I just wish I had the thing when I was younger.

I would've worn the thing out.

I would have used it during those bus trips to the beach. On those long walks to the comic book store. In line for the latest blockbuster film. Waiting for my mom to pick me up from school.

Maybe that's why I've worked so hard to add content to this thing, because of those horrible memories of boredom, and frustration when I had nothing to entertain me.

I'm sure it'll eventually come in handy one of these days.

One day I'll be so happy to own this device, and I'll be relieved and grateful that I was able to put plenty of content on the thing to entertain me for hours.

But for now it sits.....sits and waits.