New [vintage] tech toys

Today started out like this: I had a lovely breakfast with my dearest Shelby. We were originally planning on grabbing a bagel from Noah's. Then we walked by Lakeshore Cafe, and suddenly I couldn't imagine not eating my usual scrambled eggs/chicken apple sausage/english muffin combo. And water. Last night I finished a bottle of Sapphire Gin (it had previously been started, but it sounds super cool in a 'I swear I'm not an alcoholic' kind of way if you say you finished it. Plus, hey, finishing anything should be an accomplishment.) (Yes, I know it was a Tuesday. I had a really bad day. Do not judge me.) So I ordered extra water.

Then I went home. And I never left again. Not even to check the mail, and I love mail! Not to do anything. I wrote letters, I emailed. I watched Criminal Minds, I perused the web. And I played with my new toys.

Yes, you heard me. A week or so ago, a good friend of mine gave me some of his gear. I know what you're thinking, oh he just gave it to you? What exactly do you mean by 'good friend?' And to that, I have to say two things: 1. well, you know dot, dot, dot, and 2. no seriously, he's moving and is too lazy to ship his bulky audio stuff to North Carolina.

So I inherited a turntable. Yes, it's called a turntable. No, I'm not going to become a DJ. It's a Pioneer, it's not for super fly scratching. Yes, for it plays records. No, I cannot MC your wedding. Why not? Because I'm not a DJ. Yes, really.

Isn't he beautiful? I am still undecided on his name.

Don't worry, there will be an update post with the official announcement.

So here's the new set up. We have my multi-input 7.1 receiver. No, I don't have a 7.1 system set up in my studio apartment, I'm rocking the L-R system. Why? Because I'm poor. Thanks for the reminder. Underneath that is the receiver for the turntable, and then your regular cable box/dvd player stack at the bottom. Oh, and my iPod wanted to make an appearance. She felt neglected. She threatened to decrease her battery life if I didn't blog about her. She has a bit of the middle child syndrome, I think. I have no idea where she gets that from...

These speakers look eerily familiar, yes? A little reminiscent of 3263 Belmont Ave #1?

That's because they're the same ones.

My old speakers. That I gave to my friend.

That he has since gifted back to me.

I love a good tech-filled entertainment center.

So much gear.

So much potential for multi-level entertainment.

It's all so exciting.

Oh yes, about that. Here's a funny story...

So my entertainment center thing is fine french craftsmanship. Swedish materials, assembled at the hands of a French/Scottish/Irish/English person. A white person. A me person. When I moved in a few months ago, I put this together. My thinking was, since the turntable did not fit on the other side, the side with shelves, I would simply take the front off one of the drawers and make it a pull-out shelf. Clever yes? Okay, well it was actually my older brother's idea. Details, details. Anyway, so I started taking the front off, which was super easy. Only the thing about this drawer is - the front is essentially what holds the entire structure together. Now, it would be safe to think that because I was the original assembler of this contraption - I would know that before I pulled everything apart. And yet, as you can so very easily see, I did not.

So now there's just the one drawer, and a lesson learned.