4.2.2003 Curse of the Over-Toy

<< Half way out of the funk--just haven't really been feeling all that great lately. Not sure, but just kind of missing this or that. Need to get my groove on ... yeah ... and all that other stuff. I'm so hip ... yeah, hip. >>

I know previously I said I was going to let you read up about my jury duty adventures this week, but in all honesty, it didn't appear to be that interesting. In retrospect, it was a neat experience, but after rereading what I wrote, I feel I may have missed the point while describing things and if I documented it, it would ruin my sweet memories when I return to reading them. Although, I think I'm probably the only audience for the archives.

So, as I was saying -- I was trying to get my groove on.

Recently, there have been a lot of legal things to take care of—for the most part, taxes. I've also been trying to steer matters, business-wise, to get more work and expand operations ... blah blah blah (I try not to write about work here, but sometimes it effects things). Well, all in all, I find myself knee-deep in paperwork. And this is understandable. Frustrating, yes, and understandable.

On the lighter side of things, there is another timely matter that has occurred--Nintendo's release of the new Zelda game and the new Gameboy SP model. (Elizabeth's mom--she thinks I'm a phenom and a freak. She comments on how I can be so successfully ambitious, yet like a little obsessed boy, I huddle in the corner with a handheld video game). But you have to understand, Zelda is just an awesome game. Just awesome. And the new handheld Gameboy unit is just sooo sweet.

But here is the dilemma--<< you cannot get all your toys all at once >>.

You simply cannot. If you do, this would conjure the ever-popular Curse of the Over-Toy. The Curse of the Over-Toy is invoked when too many good things are overvalued all at once; therefore producing an end product of diminishing value. In other words, one would be left in the middle of the floor with all their great toys spread about thinking to themselves, 'this isn't any fun'. For grown ups, likewise, this happens to the stock market every now and then.

So we had to choose one and only one. We wound up with the Zelda game.

Elizabeth and I have been big fans of the Zelda franchise for a while now, and it has provided us endless hours of entertainment in the past. And I have been staying up pretty late each night playing it--it really is quite awesome (did I mention this?) But you know, I still have been thinking about the Gameboy SP handheld system. I have even called around trying to find it. Needless to say, it has been in high demand and no one has been able to keep any in stock. I know. Like I said, I have been calling.

I've also realized something else too--that I actually enjoy trying to track down who has this Gameboy in stock. It’s almost like a treasure hunt. I find out there's none left in this one store. Or they do, they only have the blue ones left. And, I would rather have the silver one. But I find out that this store across town is going to restock at 6:30PM. The rush. The rush.

After a busy day gathering tax information and consulting with a business counselor, I find myself at CompUSA near midtown Manhattan. I walk up to the second floor and proceed towards the back. My eyes busily scan the shelves and there's no sign of the new Gameboy. As I turn to ask one of the helpers, another guy runs up and hands him a piece of paper noting something in the store's inventory. "Customer service said there's two left. Only two. One for me. And one for the other guy. But he didn't want it. He said he wanted the blue one instead."

I couldn’t help but interrupt, "I like the silver one. No really, I like the silver one. I wouldn't mind having that one."

"Well," the helper hesitated, "You'd better hurry downstairs to customer service then ... It's the last one."

Gleefully, I darted down the stairs, where my eyes scanned the walls for the words 'Customer Service'. After careening around a few aisles, I embarked upon the short customer service line. Scrutinizing the people before me, I wondered if *they* wanted the single left over silver Gameboy. I stood there waiting. Then ... it occurs to me, yes, initially, it would be really cool if I had the new silver Gameboy—but then, there's the Curse of the Over-Toy. What would I do if I had both Zelda and the new Gameboy—which would I play? Which was more fun? What would I do?

<< Almost like licking a frozen metal pole while it’s snowing out—what appears to be tasty, just probably isn't. >>

I had to walk away. I had to. I wound up going home and playing with the Zelda game. It's just sooo awesome. Did I mention that already?