April 9, 2007
My Own Private Haunted Mansion
There's a chain of stores known as CompUSA that at one point was about the only place where you could go to get parts for your computer. Those of us in the know wouldn't set foot in the place because the prices were out of sight, and the staff didn't know squat about the product they were selling.
Recently Fry's opened just a few blocks away from CompUSA, and Fry's usually sells it's stuff at some pretty reasonable prices. In fact, I just bought a remote control mini helicopter from Fry's that is so much fun, I just can't put it down! Fry's is killing CompUSA, and so CompUSA is closing it's doors for good very soon. In fact, sooner than they advertised it seems.
Well, my wife has started selling Tupperware, (there will be a link very soon over to the right, and you WILL buy Tupperware!,) and she wanted her own, separate computer to do that with, so I put together a pretty nice 400mhz PII. I went to my favorite thrift store and found a BRAND NEW Compaq 17" flat-screen CRT monitor for $29.99! It even came with two speakers! It had not ever even been taken out of the box. I also picked up a decent keyboard and mouse, both for under five dollars. I scored.
I needed a wireless networking card for this rig, so I went to CompUSA because they were selling the stock on hand for 10% to 30% off, but when I got there everything was 20% to 40% off! I got her card for a song, and while I was there I picked up one of those new-fangled "digital frames", which essentially is a small monitor in a frame that acts as a slide show for your digital pictures. I had a clear idea of what I would do with one should I ever buy one, and the picture below will give you some idea of what that is...
For those of you who don't recognize that picture for what it is, (and you should be ASHAMED of yourself,) it is one of the "changing portraits" that can be found in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. I have written before about my Disneyland obsession, and my very strong affinity for the Haunted Mansion, and so with my new digital frame I was able to place pictures of two of the five changing portraits into it, add the eerie music that plays in the background of that part of the attraction, and now I have my very own miniature section of the ride I love so much!
Clever me.
Posted by Jeff at April 9, 2007 11:52 AMVery cool! I've been wanting to get a digital frame for awhile now. I saw one in Radio Shack and a few other places, but the resolution just wasn't what I wanted it to be. But, I think they are getting better.
I didn't know you could still get Tupperware. Good to know. :)
Posted by: Bill at April 10, 2007 6:53 AM