I was never really into science and didn't understand why there were all kinds of space missions to launch satellites, repair satellites, blah, blah, blah. To be honest, I thought satellites were purely spy devices (no doubt ideas planted in my head by Hollywood) that had no impact on my life.
I didn't know they'd revolutionize the way I lived my life -- from how I get to Point A to Point B to how I rock out on the drive home.
It was a satellite Christmas at the Cass' where my husband got a Garmin StreetPilot from his boss that sits on his dashboard and tells him where to go (provided he plugs in the right address) -- something that would make a great gift for in-laws and my parents -- and frankly, for myself as my kids reminded me ("Momma, you need a map, like Daddy has in his truck") a few weeks ago when we got lost looking for Asbury Woods (which, by the way is not on Sterretania, but on Asbury Road...go figure).
I got my handy-dandy wrist-size GPS -- the Garmin Forerunner 205 -- for running and, as you know by previous blog entries here at at my Runner's Notes blog, I've grown obsessed with it. I actually find myself running faster because I'm wearing it and I know it knows when I slow down or walk -- and it records it...and will report it back to me and store it in its little memory forever. It's watching me -- thanks to all those satellites -- and tracking my every step (which is all sort of creepy if you think about it).
Finally, I broke down and bought myself satellite radio. I bought my husband Sirius satellite radio for Christmas in 2006 because he drives a lot for work and he wanted to listen to football talk radio. I bought him a portable radio for his satellite receiver for his birthday this summer which brought satellite radio into my home.
I quickly came to love the variety of channels and would implore him to leave the receiver at home if he didn't really need it so I could listen to "Hair Nation" or "Buzzsaw" at the pool. All for $12 bucks a month.
Dan (probably tired of sharing his radio) mentioned that it was only $7 a month to add another radio, but I resisted. I'm cheap, you know. I don't even have cable TV. But, radio, for me, is different. It's our TV -- we have it on 24/7 and I couldn't imagine my life without music in the background.
Come Christmas, I broke down & bought myself a radio when I found a dirt cheap price ($30) and I've been surfing the satellite airwaves and Sirius' 130+ channels ever since. I love the '80s and '70s channels, I love the heavy metal channels, the 80s hair band channel, the new country channel, the E! channel, the Cosmo channel and, for the last few days, I've been on a '90s alternative music kick. I also love the comedy channels -- there are three -- that are always guaranteed to have me driving home LOLing all the way.