This year it was decided that I was going to get a certain Casio watch for New Year as a present from Alena. Since she claims she doesn’t really understand much about watches the choice was left to me. After days and days of research and deliberations I set my mind on one particular model.

We soon discovered that the model is nowhere to be found online except for one store. Alena placed an order, but to our disappointment got an email within an hour saying that there was a mistake on the site and they didn’t not have the watch in stock. I should mention that the list price for this item is $400, but a lot of online places have it for $299, when they do have it in stock that is. Read more…

Friday, 11 p.m. Danya and I just finished watching “4400″, and I want to write a couple of words about the last few weeks.

After we got back from the vacation Danya caught a flu somewhere (had 39C fever one day), and was recovering for almost two weeks (he spent the first whole week at home). I was courageously holding up, but also had a mild fewer, running nose and other niceties of being sick for a couple of days. Both of us are much better now.

Last Saturday was the 6th anniversary of our fist date. I keep saying this, but — oh my — time just flies! I still remember how anxiously I was waiting for our 3 months anniversary — for some reason it was always a critical point in my previous dating experience. Now I can only laugh at my naivete. I got Danya a pajama pants (stole that idea from him) — or at least I thought that I did. He said that the design is not very attentive to male’s physiology… so now I have another pair at my disposal. He-he. But some other stuff that I got him fits — that made me happy.

Speaking of presents. When we were in Las Cruces, NM, we stopped by the older part of the town to take some pictures. On the side of a little deserted square we walked into a gift shop featuring some Native American pottery. Danya’s parents got us a present for our 2nd wedding anniversary — a very pretty wedding vase, which was made by Dee Nelson of the Tangle Clan of the Navajo Tribe. I really like this vase — both the design and the symbolical meaning. The vase has two necks and one body — it symbolizes two soles coming together and creating a new strong union.

On the other note — the economy seems to be getting worse, and people are worried. The thoughts of job stability cross everybody’s minds, and some of my friends’ friends are getting laid off. I hope that everything will come back to normal sooner rather than later, but in the meantime I am really happy to have a job. I got the first-in-my-life bonus today, and even though it is small, I still felt excited about it.

My friend Gurya sent me an audio book by Василий Аксёнов called “Остров Крым”. I listen to it on my way to and from work. The book was written a while ago (around 30 years if I am not mistaken), and it is some sort of anti-utopia. The emotions this books stirs in me are similar to those that I got from reading “1984″ by George Orwell, although Orwell’s novel IMHO is stronger. Good thing USSR collapsed when it did (I wish it happened earlier). I just hope that future (ha-ha, this word has a strong association with financial derivatives now) will be kind to us all.

Some long time ago I said that one day I’ll make a post about my watch, which I remembered today. There is really not much to say, except for the fact that I like it. Back during the summer of 2005 I wanted to buy a nice watch, and my parents decided to give it to me as my 25th birthday present.

What I picked was Movado Men’s Museum Valor Watch. I like the simplicity of design, and never liked anything with many dials and many details. I didn’t expect it to weight as much as it does, but it feels nice on the wrist.