Thelow point of today was also the high point. My favoiret Geek emporium in the whole world.. Sparkfun Electronics  was having there annual ‘free day’   . The guys planned to give away $100.000 dollars of merchandise toay.. It was pretty wimple. eeach person could get up to $100 of stuff free.. The only catch is you had to get your order in befor ethe $100.,ooo was used up. They do this as pure altruistic giveback. They have a rabid fan base (me included0  in teh geek maker community> this company is the onel place oyu can find cutting edge stuff to make amazing things.. Most of the cool stuff I build starts in one o ftheir part bins..

Anyway.. the free day event stared at 11AM EST today.. I’d carfully chosen the three  itms I’d like to get in my free stash.. A blood alchohol sensor, an etherenet bridge and a speech chip. My idea was to dreat a talking, networked blood alchohol meeter.. it would swear at folks who were too intoicated to drive…  My whol order was only $75.. I wasn’t going to be greedy.

Anyway   I had my order all set to go at 11..

The trouble is.. there were 10’s of thousand of folks

trying to push the button at the same time I was.. I spent exactly 1

hour and 44 minutes trying to get my order into the system..   It kept timing out due to the huge amount of trafic..

at 1 hour and 52 minuts in, my order fnally processed.. but the $100,000 k limit had just been reached.. I lost out   despite my best andm most dilligent efforts !!!!!

Initially I ws SO dissapointed. I’d alreaty bult my project in my mind.. I was mad and frustrated that despinte doing everythign wright, I hadn’t gotten my ‘fari share’..

 Then….

I realize..’ wait..’.. this wanst semthign I’d lost.. I’d never had it.. t owuld only have been a windfall.  My dissapoinment and frustration instanly got replaces with admiration and appreiation of the company that woud share such love (and it really is that) wiht their clients..

So.. I wrote the a longish letter.thanksing them so much for supportng our community (even if I lost out !) ”  DOig that compeltey reframed my feelings..

try it soemtime..

>> Aywa.. the reat of the day was busy and interesting.. Got home in time to get a vist from good grind Seth, his GF. Katie and tha few of their freinds from WPI.  They are all such geeks (anI mean that in the most complimentary way !)..  Seth  and I have collaborated on the giant pumpin guy and the bunrning man vehicle. He’s a top noch techical guy.. and a great guy as is Kate. thoghh she’s not a guy.

We had a good time showing them around the lab and messing with lasers, lights, and tesla coils. It was very good to see them.

OK. it’s getting close to 1:30/. time to sleep. More tomorrow !
night folks.. nite Sam
-me