The Company Gift

Every year I get a holiday gift from the staffing agency I work for. For the last two years I got a catalog that I had to choose a gift from. It's kind of an unusual experience because the catalog is full of things that aren't bad, really, but aren't really things that you'd go out of your way to have in your home. I would page through it after Christmas, searching for the item that I was the least indifferent to.

This year my agency just got Best Buy gift cards for everybody, and I decided that it was a vast improvement. I had planned to hit the after-Christmas sales this morning to use it up. Unfortunately as I was driving to Best Buy and pondering my purchase I realized that there was really nothing in the realm of electronics that I'd want. I briefly considered a Bluetooth headphone for my cell phone so I could talk to people while commuting, but since I'll (hopefully) have a local job next year my commute will be much shorter and I won't really be talking to anybody. I also considered an iPod since the new Shuffles are just so cool, but my old mp3 player works just fine. I was stuck.

The situation didn't improve once I got into the store. I wandered around aimlessly, searching for something to get. Since my card was for a hundred dollars I really wanted to use it to get something big or defray the cost of something I usually wouldn't be able to afford but there was really nothing I needed. I started to consider getting a hundred bucks' worth of AA batteries, but ditched that idea and wandered over to the side of the store where they have the random kitchen/home stuff. I was considering the pros and cons of a new microwave (pro: I like microwaves; con: I don't really need another one) when I turned around and saw the keyboards.

I wandered over stared at them. They varied in price from eighty dollars to five hundred and there was quite a selection. I ran my finger over a key and then pressed down...the piano tone was surprisingly good. I started to get excited. I could learn to play the piano! I'd wanted to learn a musical insturment, but with no time for guitar or bass lessons and bad luck at learning the harmonica I'd kind of given up on the idea. But this could work.

Then I sighed and my shoulders slumped. Who was I kidding? Sure I wanted to learn music, just like I wanted to learn Spanish and American Sign Language. I just never had the time for any of it. I'd get a keyboard and it would probably wind up propped against the bookcase where I keep my ASL handbook and my foreign language CDs. At least I didn't blow much money on those...blowing a hundred bucks on something that might just sit around would be too much.

Then I perked up a little. What about Mike? He's forever plunking away at the child's piano in his office, either noodling around or testing out note arrangements for his electronic music. Maybe he'd be able to use a keyboard too. We'd get our money's worth out of it if we were both able to use it.

After a quick call to Mike and some collaboration with a largely clueless employee, I found the only keyboard that fit Mike's main requirement...that it have a USB output. It was just under a hundred dollars, so I was happy about that. I packed it into my car and drove home.

I do get around to the things that I want to learn eventually. I'm learning ASL word by word (I mostly know household objects, colors, and numbers) and my weekly Spanish practice is going better and better. So I think I'll get the hang of the piano eventually. If not, Mike just got a very nice toy courtesy of my employers.