As everyone already knows it was a Merry Xmas indeed at the Navarino house. However what most of you don’t know is something really unexpected, strange and bizarre happened today. It was so weird ‘n wild that it could only be explained as the lingering after-effects of a Navarino Christmas…

…you see folks, after I got some cash, pretty much everyone knows I had a few goals on how to spend the $$ I got. One was a better chair than the metal folding one I use (Darci and Kevin ruined me w/their O-chairs), a stand-alone DVD player for my room, at least a GIG of PC3200 RAM for my new mobo and a few other little things like a better mouse for the folks and a new keyboard. Well kids, you see both Santa and God work in mysterious ways.

One of the gifts I gave to 2 of my special friends (and neighbors) was an IOU for lunch at the restaurant of their choice. These angels (among others) always took me out for lunch all the time and refused to let me pay for my meals when I had the money. So as Xmas gifts they had no choice but to let ME take THEM out for a change and treat them like they deserve; which REALLY makes me feel good. It was today, New Year’s day that I was taking them out and I was really looking forward to paying that check when it came.

So I went to my neighbor A’s place and before getting her in the car I took out the garbage. As I tossed the refuse in the dumpster I saw a set of wheels sticking out of the bin. Curious, I peered inside, grabbed the sucker and what do you think came out? A freaking fabric pneumatic cushioned office chair w/arms, lumbar support and nothing wrong with it (other than covered in cat & dog hair)! Whoa, that’s weird these suckers are usually at least $59 in most stores. It was pretty well cushioned, no ultra-cheapie crud with no rips, tears or defects. And someone threw it away?! *Ding!* It’s still Xmas!! *Ding!*

I then looked down and I saw an HP Pavilion box with some stuff in it. There was a keyboard, a 3 button mouse, a perfectly fine Thrustmaster X joystick, a blank DVD-R disk…and a Hitachi K-2 DVD-Player! Kaaa-ching!!!

So I threw it all in the trunk, dumped it off at my place and took the ladies to lunch (which was splendid). We had a ball and then afterwards I got home and checked out what I’m calling my Garbage Xmas booty! The keyboard and mouse work great, the chair cleaned up real nice after some attention from a vacuum cleaner (it’s comfy and doesn’t smell) and after pounding out the dent in the DVD Player and modifying an old appliance chord to power it I was delighted to find there’s nothing wrong with it, it works just fine! Boo-ya! I cleaned it up and put it by the TV and now all I have to do is find a universal remote that’ll work on it and I’m all-happy as I could be. The sucker even has all the controls on the front as well as a shuttle wheel for FF, RW, pause and frame-by-frame controls. *sigh*

How’s that for luck? Now all I gotta do is dumpster dive some PC3200 DDR RAM and look out for Claudia Schiffer and I’m all smiles!

See kids, Christmas Miracles can come true… even on New Year’s Day. *sniff* I’m so happy I could (*censored*)! MERRY XMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! *waves* My butt is comfy at last and I don’t have to buy a DVD player anymore - Boo-freaking-ya!