A whole year...

Wednesday was officially 1 year that Eldon and I have been together. It really doesn't seem that long. I'm very happy though. He's truly wonderful and I'm so glad to have him in my life. He is my rock, the balance of logic to my often irrational emotions. Love you babe!

Anyway... enough mush...on to the stories!

************The Quest for a Digital Camera**************

Eldon's digital camera died on him when he was in NY, so I had it in my head that for our anniversary I was going to replace it for him. Buying electronics for Eldon is no easy feat, because he is EXTREMELY picky about his gadgets, and he's really tough to buy for because if he wants something, he usually goes out and buys it immediately.

A week before, we were in a CompUsa looking at something else he needed, and I wandered over to the cameras and sorta asked him what he was looking at, which got him to open up to what he'd been researching so I knew where to start. He showed me the camera he wanted. I was all set to buy that one for him the day before our anniversary, and as I'm ON THE WAY to go buy it for him, he sends me a text message telling me that he'd been doing research on digital cameras and decided he wanted a different one instead. He gave me the model number and told me where he saw it for how much! (He absolutely had no idea I was on my way to go buy one when he sent me the message, so I was really glad he did that.)

I stopped into Video Only on my way to the other store he had mentioned, just to compare prices, and the second I walked in, the guy sitting at the desk at the front of the store gives me one of those squinty-eyed looks of half recognition. I tilted my head in response, recognizing him as well. It turned out he was my old boss, Donovan, from like 7 years ago when we both worked at a now defunct (except in Canada) electronics store called Future Shop. Small World!

I told him what I wanted and told him what the other store was offering, and he said, "I'll do better! I'll give you a free 1gb card for the camera instead of that other deal, and knock off some money on the 2 year service plan as well." SOLD! I was really happy. I got a smoking deal on exactly the camera Eldon wanted, and I managed to get it BEFORE he bought it for himself! Go Me!

Of course, this wouldn't be a ME story if it didn't have a catch....

Donovan rang me up, and then realized he didn't actually have a camera in the store. However, the Jantzen Beach store had one in stock. I was in Beaverton, and it was 5pm. I didn't really want to drive in that kind of traffic, but I needed to get the camera that day, so I made the drive in rush hour traffic to go pick up the camera.

I walked in and the guy behind the counter ALSO looked familliar. I worked with him about 7 years ago at Good Guys after Future Shop closed its doors in the US. How odd! So he gives me the camera, and I head back to Eldon's. I decided to present him with the camera right away rather than waiting for our official anniversary the next day. I pull the camera out of the bag...

and they gave me the wrong fucking camera!!!!!

Eldon was like, "Wow, that was really sweet of you to get me a digital camera, but that's not the one I was talking about getting." I wanted to beat my head on the coffee table. I showed him the reciept, which of course had the correct camera he wanted on it, and we hopped in the car and drove all the way back from Beaverton to Jantzen Beach.. AGAIN~!

I walked in and the guy at the counter asks, "How can I help you?"
My deadpan response was, "You can give me the camera I paid for. :)" as I plopped the camera they had given me on the counter. (The camera they gave me was about $200 less expensive than the one I paid for.)

Hooray for Morons! It all worked out, we got the camera Eldon wanted and he absolutely loves it. It's just so typical for things to be so much harder than they need to be when it comes to me. I'm surprised I'm not even more bitter and cynical than I am after this hellish month. I sincerely hope next month is better.
*****************************************************

So Eldon's gift to me was a fantastic steak dinner at Ringside. He'd been threatening to take me there for a while, but we'd just not gotten around to it. We had reservations at 7, but I picked him up from work at 5, so we had some time. I suggested we go have a drink or two at the very place we met...

East Chinatown Lounge.

We had also forgotten their phenominal happy hour prices. We were there during happy hour afterall, and during such time, their well drinks are a meager $2!

The bartender was really cool too. We told him that this was our anniversary and that we had met at this bar, and when he brought our 2nd drinks to our table, he said,

"This round's on me, Happy Anniversary."

Granted the drinks were cheap, but that was still really nice of him.

So then we went to Ringside. I'd never been there before, and it was really nice. We had a fantastic steak dinner.. mmm...mmm... goodness.

Even sitting in a fancy restaurant, I couldn't help but be dorky.

Good night though. It's been a great year, and I look forward to more!