It feels so right now
For reasons that would not interest you, I'm not going to ride my bike to work for a few days. Perhaps longer.
But I still want to get some exercise, so my plan is to walk downtown after breakfast. It's about four miles. Not bad. I used to do it all the time.
The thing is, though, I find the walk seems to go a lot faster if I listen to NPR's "Morning Edition." So I started the day with the mission of buying a new portable radio. All my old ones had failed, for one reason or another.
My first stop was the ShopKo not far from where I live. They did not have what I needed. In fact, they didn't have anything remotely close.
In the store's defense, I never asked anyone for assistance. But sometimes you have to be in the mood to say, "I'm sure I can play KPBX on my phone, but, as I said, what I want is a portable radio."
I went home and reported that the cruel world has turned against me.
But my wife went online and found what I wanted at Target. So I sallied forth once again, out onto the sun's anvil (as they said in "Lawrence of Arabia").
This time, I asked for help. Multiple times. And I found what I wanted, for about 10 bucks.
Though I am positive it runs on a cheap microchip, it looks much like an old transistor radio. Perfect.
My cashier was a weathered guy who appeared to be older than I am. He picked it up and looked at it with an expression of wonder, "I didn't think they made these anymore," said.
You and me both, brother.
After getting home, I put the batteries in wrong. So initially I was prompted to reflect unflatteringly on Chinese workmanship. But once I realized the problem was consumer error, I switched the batteries around. And my new radio gave voice in full-throated fashion.
I had not tried to set it on any certain station. I was expecting, hoping really, to hear the crackle of static.
But instead, I heard the Beatles. Loud and clear. It felt like an episode of "The Twilight Zone."
The song was "Hold Me Tight." I was 9 when I first heard that, back in the heyday of transistor radios.
I have a good feeling about this new radio.
