Laptops and NASCAR

CIDER

I am a full-time student in my final year of school. I have a LOT of homework when school is in session. Fresh back from Christmas break - spring of 2005 is proving to be no exception. However, at the same time that my school load is picking up, Greg has joined an online racing league that requires both the desktop and laptop to participate. The desktop runs the game, and the laptop sends his voice out so that he can apologize profusely for running into any of his fellow racers. You’d think it wouldn’t be necessary, but apparently these people take their fake racing VERY seriously, and have come to expect profuse groveling if a rookie screws up. Not enough groveling = excommunication from the Church of NASCAR. They have the power to make good on this, Greg assures me. So its important that he has the laptop with the microphone.

I really don’t care. I think it’s silly and/or stupid. I also don’t control the computers.

The other night, I was highly exasperated. I needed to type up some stuff and couldn’t because Greg was busy groveling (or racing – they’re intertwined at this point). I stomped into the den with a very carefully prepared ultimatum. I stood before my penny pinching husband and announced:

“Greg, I need to get homework done during the week. Either you schedule me in on the computer for about 2 hours every weeknight or you buy me a laptop of my own.”

It seemed simple, but as Greg began to ponder this, I realized I’d gone in over my head.

“Hmmm, you know, that’s a great idea! I start looking tomorrow and we’ll have something for you soon.”

Sure enough, there’s a laptop in the mail even as I type this, and it should be here on Tuesday. This has taught me a lesson:

Be careful what you wish for – especially when your husband is a techie-junkie.