I am so very pleased that I finally have a computer to replace my old laptop, which has suffered greatly over the past few years. Especially, I missed the “x” key, which Samantha jumped on, just a few months after we brought her home, and broke entirely. The nice thing about tax refund time is having all the resources gathered together at once, enabling one to address the larger or more costly lacks in one’s life.

My list included notebook computer, replacement battery for the old Lenovo, a winter parka or hooded coat, shoes (my having worn out and tossed away all but my “funeral” shoes), a frying pan and covered wok, and undergarments. I’ve now purchased all but two of the categories on my list, and I am pleased.

I am surprised by how much larger the notebook computer seems. The keys are large, and there is a real keypad, for a change. I had missed that on both the netbook and laptop. Not that they’ve all come home to roost, mind you! UPS tracker shows my battery as wandering the streets of Salt Lake City, looking for eastern North Dakota.

It’s odd, though, what one will do without for the sake of immediate convenience. Priorities are not always as one might expect.