2004, no more

People, places, and things that were no more in 2004.

• My iTrip, the little thingy that lets me play my iPod over my car radio. Disappeared after a trip to Vermont in the fall. Damn! And I’d better hop out to the Apple Store and find a replacement soon, because at this point my iPod is seriously aged, and the accessories for second-generation pods are getting more scarce.
  
• Red Oaks Swim Club. Our favorite little summer spot for six or seven summers, where we would go and swim into the evening, enjoy a picnic supper, and head home dripping wet. A little bit of paradise where you knew everybody else, the kids were always within view, and everything was wonderful. So of course, THAT had to stop. The good news is there’ll be a big pile of ugly McMansions in Schodack to take its place, because what this area needed was more pretentious housing. (Not that I’m bitter.)
  
• Three compact discs, for the first time ever. White Album Side 1, Sedated in the Eighties, and the first disc of the National Lampoon box set. I even know what they’re in: a little MacAddict disc holder that I was using to keep them in as I did construction work around the house this summer. So, where are they now? Nowhere to be found, that’s where; one’s easy to replace, one I wouldn’t bother, and the National Lampoon’s gonna be a bitch without buying a whole ‘nother box set. Damn! I’ve never lost even one disc before.
  
• Ray Charles. Spalding Gray. Yet another Ramone (Johnny).
  
• VHS. Not that that’s a loss, mind you. I was on the Betamax side of the fight, because quality matters. I don’t for a second delude myself into thinking DVDs have won because of quality, however — it’s because they’re small and cheap. Well, that’s okay, too.
  
• Not a single hard drive. I think it’s the first time I’ve gotten through a year without a single massive hard drive failure on any of my computers, personal or work. (Okay, I’m gonna go back up my Mac right now).

Did New Year’s Eve at First Night, as we often do, but this year Hannah was one of the performers, which was a nice change. Beautiful night, walking around downtown Albany in the dark. It was SO warm, I was kicking myself for not being able to be in the Last Run 5K, because conditions were unbelievable.

Happy New Year, everybody!