A New Toy

"Don't ask me what I want it for

(Ah ah, Mr. ALLEN)

If you don't want to pay some more

(Ah ah, Mr. HEATH)

'Cause I'm the TOXman, yeah, I'm the TOXman..."

-"TOXman", written by George Harrison and slightly augmented by me (maybe that wasn't actually the title of it)

Long week. Goofy mood. Currently tired but we know how that will play out.

Oh, before I forget, thanks for the many kind suggestions that I received in response to my sleep issues from earlier in the week.

I've been in the market for a mixer for some time. Is it a need? No, but the ones that I use are all aging and I felt it could be a good investment for Robcasting.

I've been eyeing Allen and Heath mixers for years and have been particularly impressed with the ZEDI-10, featuring a USB interface and...

(OK, OK. I can hear you snoring)

Anyway, it's a worthwhile investment to get a mixer that can handle phone calls for podcasts and Doubleheader as well as something that is durable for game broadcasts. That's the short version of why I've been looking.

The reviews have always been good and I, of course, analyzed all of it, nearly talking myself out of it several times.

But, whenever I'd see one on eBay, I'd consider bidding. I jumped in a few times, only to lose each time, including earlier last week.

But later in the week, I struck gold, getting a good deal that I felt good with. Financially it made sense and I pulled the trigger, winning the auction on a (barely) used model.

It arrived today and I got to work on making it work. It's safe to say that there's a learning curve and, at one point, I had to walk away because I was frustrated.

But, I loved it. That's the thing, it makes us nuts but we love this stuff.

I texted Bob Small and showed him a picture. I could sense he was interested. We broadcasting types like these things (Mike Hirn, Nate Stidham, and I have talked Rodecasters many times, for instance). A new mixer can feel like Christmas Day, which reminds me of the day the new equipment showed up in the nascent days of HAN. Ah, memories.

I did use it on "Doubleheader" and hopefully it sounded seamless but, behind the scenes, I was still learning. There were even a few moments where I was concerned that I made a dumb purchase but I think I figured some stuff out. It will take time.

After all was said and done, I got to work on deciding where and how to pack it. You see, you have to think about these things. I have my fancy, hard-sided Pelican case that Hector gave me, but it's also heavy and can be a beast to move through different places. 

Then I have a soft-sided backpack that Stephanie gave me. It's actually meant for ski boots but I repurposed it. Both are great. The Pelican comes in especially handy if there's bad weather.

But, carrying the softer bag up the stairs at Cardinal Stadium (if there's a season beginning in September) was also a consideration.

I unpack and repack -- literally -- several times a year. I'll no doubt do it again IF there's a football season in September.

So, it's always a bit scientific for me. That is to say, like literally everything else, I overthink it.

But, I got a new toy and that's cool. I have to allow myself to believe I've earned it every once in a while.

Oh, back to the sleeping problem. That's literally the thing: I can't turn my brain off. Buy a car? Buy a broadcasting mixer? Read a book? I think about all of it and simply can't check out. So, there's that.

Veg out? No chance.

Oh, and "TOXman?" Well, I've been making up songs about Christopher "Kato/Tako/Tox" Kaelin for years. So, yeah.

Now I need a game to call to keep trying the mixer out.

Mike Hirn and I also have to get going on a new "Tales From the Booth" podcast.

I wound up with the weekend off!

But, that's a completely different story.