My New Dolly

During the end of my college years I got to the point of needing a computer.  My major (psych) required lots of research time and writing, so my heart’s desire was a laptop that I could take in and out of the library, that I could pull up power points on while sitting in the lecture, to IM with my roommates to check in with each other.

This computer was to be my best classmate.

Luckily at the time I knew and admired a handsome IT student.  I casually mentioned around him that I was hoping to find a computer at a fair that was being put on that week on campus, but that I really wasn’t sure what I was looking for.  A chance to be chivalrous and do computer stuff?!  Yes, that nerdy knight-in-shining-armor was hooked and agreed to meet me at the fair the next day.

My thoughts: Me and Jay ALONE at the computer fair, weeze weeze, is this a date? He said he’d meet me – what does that mean, does he like me? weeze weeze.

What my thoughts would be in this scenario today:  Me and Jay ALONE at a computer fair, ugh, well at least we’re alone.  I hope Cee’s being nice for the sitter.  Wow, how long is this going to take, I thought I saw a cute shoe store outside…

Boy how things change with time – anyway, back to the story…

We met, we looked, we didn’t find.  Instead Jay continued the search online until he found the right computer for my needs at the right price.  He helped me order it, helped me set it up when it came, and my life changed forever.

No, Jay didn’t ask me to be his girlfriend then, I just really really liked my computer.

I liked her so much that I named her Dolly, so that I could say phrases like, “I’m just playing around with my Dolly,” and “I’m going to the library with Dolly.”

Much like a childhood pet that seems immortal – long outliving the normal life expectancy for its breed, Dolly endured.  She helped Jay and I patch things up after a rough start to our relationship, she listened to me complain about the incompetent writing that I had to edit as a Senior capstone project, she went with me to work everyday while I was a Spanish teacher since most of the time I didn’t have an office to call my own.  She edited Cee’s birth pics.  She started this blog.  Then last month, she coughed out her last.

This is where I have to give LOTS of credit to Jay.  He saw me struggle with her, he saw her die on me out of nowhere, and he saw how slow she went on the simplest tasks.

No, he didn’t grab a shotgun to put her out of her misery like some terrible ending to ‘Old Dell-er,’ he once again went online, found the perfect computer for me and bought it using all of his overtime money from last month (so as not to destroy our family budget).  Not only is Jay a wonderful husband, father, and provider, he is a selfless gift giver.  16 hours of his life went into me having a new toy and I appreciate it with all of my heart.  It’s one way he tells me that I matter, that he thinks I’m talented, and that he wants me to keep pursuing my dreams.

I’m a lucky girl.

Here’s the new Dolly.  She’s younger, faster, smarter, and sleeker, but she can never be #1.

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