iPod or tripod?

Today I think I'll write about my new iPod instead of the tripod. It seems that I'm on a roll now writing about instruments related to computer technology that are really driving me crazy. I'll tell you about the tripod soon and the shots that I took at the beach....that I get....most of the time. This is more important because I know I need more exercise, but I really, really don't like to sweat. Just the thought of moving in the morning makes me tired. SO, to get me up and out the door in the morning, I bought an iPod Shuffle, the one for $49. I went to the Apple store at Lenox Square and just did it. For several months I had been thinking about buying one because the small tape player I had been using with the Jane Fonda Walkout Program is so 90's. It was simple to use, just pop in the tape and go. But, I was getting sick of walking to that marching music.

My new iPod is more complicated..at least for me it is. The one I bought holds 200 songs and that's enough for me. Do you think I would ever walk long enough to hear 200 songs? As luck would have it, the day after my big purchase, they were having a class on the iPod. My friend, Karen (she has 2 iPods, why?) and I went, sat on the stools and listened to this guy tell us the ins and outs of this cute little device. Here it is in a nutshell: download iTunes, create an account and start downloading your songs either from the store or your own CD's. TIP: when you are downloading your CD's, you really don't need to download the entire CD, just take what you like. This will keep your playlist manageable. Another thing. Buying individual songs instead of the entire CD will save you tons of money. I wish I had know that when I bought Gwen Stefani's CD. I love The Sweet Escape, but that's about it for the entire CD. Now that I think about it, that goes for just about every CD I own....except for Steve Tyrell's and Johnny Mathis'. Speaking of Johnny Mathis, I just happen to have a picture that I took of him at his Christmas concert at the Fox Theatre last December. Not that great of a shot...I had to sneak and do it. Actually, one of the ushers caught me after I had taken about 20 and almost had me arrested. OK, I exaggerate, but she told me to STOP! It was a great concert, but I kept waiting for him to sing The Impossible Dream and watch the disco ball drop, but no such luck. I saw him when I was in college, a million years ago, and when that ball dropped and the lights flew around the theatre, I thought ..well, you can take it from there.




Like I said, I bought the iPod to make me walk. So I started working on my walking playlist. I wanted to start slow and build up and then slow down again. Easier said than done. One evening I sat at my computer for hours playing most of my CD's tapping my feet, trying to determine beats per minute.


Here' s my first walking playlist:
We're All Alone-Boz Scaggs, Just the Two of Us-Bill Withers, Smooth-Santana, Night and Day-Steve Tyrell, The Sweet Escape-Gwen Stefani, Bittersweet-Peter White, Just To See Her-Smokey Robinson, Venice Beach-Peter White, and Set the Night To Music-Johnny Mathis. This playlist was 39 minutes but the first two songs were too slow. So I made a second playlist.

My second list is 34 minutes and I inserted a few songs that were much faster. Here it is: Who Is He and What Is He To You- Bill Withers, Heart to Heart- Kenny Loggins, then Smooth, Night and Day and The Sweet Escape, Brown Sugar-The Rolling Stones, Just To See Her, and Venice Beach. I figured Brown Sugar has 120 beats per minute.....way too fast for me. I've got to move it to #4, or take it out. I haven't made up my mind because I haven't walked for over a week. Something ain't workin'. I can come up with hundreds of reasons why I can't walk...tired, heat, too busy, need to pull weeds, the humidity makes my hair frizz, and on and on. I guess my reason now is that the play list isn't right. I think I'll add some Barry White and some Luther. I heard that George Michael has a new CD...maybe I'll go to iTunes and do some shopping.

By the way, if any of you who read my last post is interested, I did buy the external DVD burner. It works, but THERE IS ANOTHER PROGRAM TO LEARN. Another post for another day.