saying goodbye to my MacBook

damn… i just handed my 5-month-old MacBook Pro (13.3) to its new owners, and it feels like i’ve just sold one of my kidneys.

it was just one of those things that had to happen. i’ve tried to postpone making this decision for as long as i could, but the time has come for me to cross this BRIDGE — in order to acquire a hardcore laptop that fits with the nature of my work, i needed to let my MacBook Pro go. the economics of my situation demanded it.

bottom line, i had to sell my MacBook because the bulk of my work hinges on Windows-based applications and my other laptop (a weather-beaten Dell that has fought too many wars) is basically giving out its death rattle. i needed a new laptop fast, and my all-important client decreed that i had to use Windows, or else…

and so, after a last fond tap on its silver polycarbonated casing, i accepted the money from the buyers and took a long walk.

later, there will be time enough for me to buy a new replacement (ASUS Zenbook). for now, let me mourn the departure of an old friend.

coming up: Pink Panther 2

after almost 3 years, steve martin‘s second outing as the criminally befuddled Insp. Closeau is about to knock us off our collective derriere once again heheh. Pink Panther 2 is set to make its bow in local theaters in about a week or two. and despite the thrashing that Pink Panther has largely received from critics, i still can’t wait to watch this film.

joining steve martin are jean reno, john cleese (as the long-suffering and eternally envious chief insp. dreyfus), andy garcia, alfred molina, aishwarya rai, emily mortimer, and lily tomlin. this feature isn’t likely going to be as potent as the early Pink Panther movies, but what the hey. i’m a big steve martin fan, and with a cast like this what’s not to like?

a year-end note

early this year, to tame my spiralling expenses i made a mental note to cut back on my book purchases. for the first 10 months, rather to my surprises, i actually managed to make good on this promise — well, except for one occasion when i gave in to buy Collected Stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

my unusual restraint started to crumble last november. the first time it happened was when i caught sight of Susanna Clarke‘s The Ladies of Grace Adieu. of course, being a certified Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell fan, there was no way i could have walked away from that. (and i consider that money well spent, because ms. clarke doesn’t disappoint.)

then a few minutes later, i inexplicably reached for this Jane Austen fanlit title (These Three Remain) and handed it to the cashier before i could change my mind. i really have no excuse for it, except that i was feeling nostalgic i guess. like every Jane Austen fan, i’ve always wondered what happened to elizabeth bennett and mr darcy before, during and after the events that transpired in Pride & Prejudice. i suppose, if nothing else, buying that book ought to warn me not to raise my expectations too high, and to steer away from fanlit pulp.

then, a couple of weeks ago, i succumbed to temptation again and bought a copy of Valerio Manfredi‘s The Last Legion. at the moment i’m plowing deep into various resources to learn more about the Roman legions, so i enjoyed the book for its entertainment value. i also managed to dip into Cressida Cowell‘s delightful Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III series. this time i snapped up How to Twist a Dragon’s Tale. as always, i find myself vastly amused and entertained by its sly humor. it’s geared for male juveniles, but if you go beyond the obvious it’s still a whole lot better than most books intended for grown-up readers.

the one book that has eluded my grasp so far is Naomi Novik‘s Victory of Eagles (book V of her Temeraire series). i am sooo tempted to buy the hardbound copy, but i think i’ll hold off for a while. at least until 2009.