Tech

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iPod Touch

I don’t need the newest gadgets, perfectly content to use something until it really doesn’t do what I need it to do. When I bought an 80GB iPod classic a few years ago, it was a huge purchase for me, justified only because the iPod would double as a read-only PDA in addition to being a music and video player.

For about a year now, I’ve been wanting to upgrade to an iPod Touch, which at its simplest, does exactly what my classic did, but with the addition of being able to input things. Moreover, I’ve been wanting an ebook reader and the Touch can be used as such, also, delaying the purchase of another gadget. I also think that it will be super useful on the road, giving me access to my calendar, movie database, and Google Maps, without having to fire up the desktop computer if I forgot to synch it with the laptop.

Last year, the most pressing thing I had to buy was a new laptop, which was a major expenditure. For this year, I decided to leave room in the budget for both an iPod Touch and a new camera. The Touch was the more ‘fun’ of the two purchases, and was also replacing an older piece of equipment, so it got first priority. I’ve been researching and saving for about six months now. After playing with the devices, gathering info from friends, and being talked out of buying an older, basic first generation 8GB Touch by Andy Baird, I was able to narrow my focus and score an incredible deal on a 3rd generation, 32GB model. I had just enough money in my Touch fund to cover it. It’s true; saving up and paying cash for something makes the purchase so much more rewarding!

Well, I’m going to leave my new toy to charge and synch while I go work my evening shift and then I’m going to have some fun at the App store. 😀

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Out and About

It’s amazing what you can do in a couple of hours on a HOT Dawson afternoon!

I needed to pick up a package in town (more on that in my next post), so I decided to treat myself to lunch, opting for Sourdough Joe’s. The food, while excellent last year, was much improved, especially in the French fry department! I enjoyed a chicken burger made with a real chicken breast as well as sweet dark brown Quebec-style fries. Lunch with tip came to a reasonable $14.

Next, I went to pick up my much anticipated package and then off I went to meet up with my friends G & F, whom I met the day I arrived in Dawson and took to the dump.  We crossed the river on the ferry so they could show me their digs at the hostel. They weren’t happy with their accommodations so I suggested we drive back to Bonanza to speak with the manager to see if she could give them a good deal for their last three weeks here. Of course! That settled, I promised to go pick them up Saturday morning to move them back here and then went back into town to drop them off at the library.

Now, I have a half hour left to play with my new toy. Care to guess what it is? Andy Baird is not allowed to guess, if he’s reading this. 😉

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A Change of Plans… and a Dawson City Homecoming!

I got twenty kilometres up the Klondike highway today and decided to push on to Dawson, then do a circuit by toad and tent in late June or early July when more things will be open. It’s been a pretty lonely winter and I just couldn’t wait to see my friends again! It was a long, hard haul as the trip from Whitehorse to Dawson always is, and the numerous frost heaves have left me terrified to open any of my cabinets!!!

As expected, everyone was shocked to see me pull in today and there were so many hugs all around! I washed the rig and then got squared away in what will probably be a temporary spot. I don’t care, it has sewer! 😀 And I can get online with my Telus key!

An invitation to go out for a drink came quickly from two of my French-speaking friends, so we headed over to Bombay Peggy’s, a cozy pub I never got around to visiting last summer! I savoured a Yukon Gold as we each three shared our story of our winter adventures. Oh my, how I missed French! I think I spoke it twice this winter and that’s it. 🙁 Reading books and watching movies wasn’t nearly enough; there’s something to be said for a good gab fest in your native tongue!

I’ve put on some laundry and will be heading over to the public showers since I have a ton of stuff packed in mine and there is debris scattered all over the dressing room floor. I’m too wiped to even start to sort it all out. At least, I’ve had a hot shower every night since Les played with my water heater in Prince George. The water heater is still misbehaving, but I can coax it into submission thanks to his adjustments. He and it must have had Words. 😀

I can’t believe that was just a few days ago and that a week ago this day I awoke in Nanaimo! I’ve done 3,400km in that time. I didn’t mean to go so quickly and I honestly wasn’t ‘rushing.’ I really savoured this drive, much more so than the one last fall, and I had fun driving the RV for the first time! It was an awesome trip and an equally awesome summer lies before me. I’m really going to be able to get back on track financially and maybe even get some painting done.

Everything on my journey from Campbell River went well with the minor hiccups of the fuse and the windshield hardly worth mentioning. I boondocked solidly except when I had a chance at free power and lacked for nothing; I had all the heat and hot water I wanted, and when there was cell service I got work done. I read a lot, cooked a bit, and really got a taste of what life with the new layout is going to be like (even if I missed my dishwasher!). This week my good life has had no shortage of good days and I am the happiest that I have been in a very, very, very long time.

And, so, a second Klondike summer begins!

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I Love Having Internet on the Road!

My Telus internet key is awesome! It’s fast, coverage is decent, and I’m not burning through nearly as much bandwidth as I would have expected. In fact, I shouldn’t have bothered upgrading from the 500mb plan to the 1gb plan for this billing period.

That said, I expect that I won’t have internet access again until Whitehorse, which should be Saturday, although I will make it a point to try connecting when I go through towns.