2009’s been a blast. I recall listing down four major “projects” I had intended to accomplish – with no particular timeframe. It was the investment on a new car, a bicycle, replacing my speaker system, and a new DSLR.

I was pleased to realize I got 3/4! The DSLR is no biggie; since the “model” I’m waiting for [thankfully] hasn’t arrived yet. I’m techincally waiting for the successor of the D700 – which I’m pretty sure will have video. Then that would fulfill my want for a full-frame, video capable DSLR. Once I have that body, I think I can start investing on lenses¹

All in all, I was already set for the year as far as what-have-you-got-to-show-for-2009 went² the moment I got one of those four. I’m extremely grateful to the powers that be that I was able to get even more… and the last few months of the year proved to be a blast, as I was fortunate enough to get even more toys and gadgets! Below are just a few of them which I got just this december.

JBL MSC-1

The thing I’ve been waiting for finally arrived! It’s beautiful, and works as I imagined.³ I already talked about it two posts ago, so no need to repeat it here. But I will say that I love being able to toggle every speaker output configuration from one place!

Watch Strap

For those who don’t know, the watch I use initially came with a metal band, which was too formal for my tastes. I changed it to a Zulu strap to add some character to it. The only problem with the original Zulu was that it covered the back-plate – which was kind of a shame since most automatic watches have glass back-panels to show the automatic mechanism.

When I got the chance (Or when I remembered to order it) I changed the existing strap on my watch to a Zulu 2-piece. As you can see below, it now shows the back panel in all it’s glory, while retaining the Zulu form factor I’ve always loved.

Money Clip

I’m a money clip person; always have been – always will be. And I’ve been through lots of them, but I’ve always been partial to ones that can hold both cash and cards. I’ve only had 4 of those types to date.

My first was pretty good but the clip mechanism (for the money) broke down.⁴ My second one had a magnetic clip but the problem with a magnetic clip is that the thicker our wad is, the less the magnet is able to secure your cash. Both had leather sleeves for the cards. The third one I had was sound in design, but the material wasn’t strong enough. The metal joint was too thin, so it bent over time.

So now I’m trying out yet another one. Only time will tell if it turns out to be “the one.”

Earphones

No, I didn’t buy new earphones⁵ :) On the contrary, I’ve just proven to myself that I made the right decision in choosing my IE-40s. A major factor I chose them was because the cables were user-replaceable. It’s very common for earphones to be rendered useless because their respective cables finally gave way due to wear and tear.

My IE-40s⁶ stopped responding last november while we were recording BP’s chants album. The first thing I did was order 2 replacement cables and had it shipped to someone who was coming home. The cables arrived only a few days ago. It was a good thing I had good spare earphones⁷ handy – so I didn’t notice the wait. I plugged them in and viola; I’m back in business!

Letter Opener

This may seem trivial (which it actually is) but people who know me know how OC I can get with my stuff. One thing I discovered about myself is that I easily lose interest in “ugly stuff” – and the things I own are no exception. This pre-disposition makes me even more particular when comes to the stuff I use on a regular basis, such as my work chair, writing implements, – or even how my monitors are mounted for less clutter

My sense is that if I’m going to be using it often⁸ … might as well enjoy using it. And it does work! The best example is my investing on a paper shredder: I tend to digitize all my accumulated financial/legal documents at the end of each year – a major part of it is because I look forward to using the shredder. But it makes me more productive because I end up archiving and organizing in a more effective manner, while being able to get rid of physical clutter.

Understanding that, it’s not surprising that even the little things don’t escape my attention – even something as mundane as a letter opener. I chanced upon it (in the middle of the picture below) when Cris pointed it out⁹ while shopping in PowerPlant Mall.

So the good part is that I’ve significantly diminished the list of major “projects” needed to satiate the materialistic side of me¹⁰. All the same, it’s always nice to know that despite the trials of everyday life – you’ve get to enjoy the “fruits of your labor” as it were.

Cheers 2009, you’ve been great! 2010, please be kind to all of us.