New record player and old cell phone

I bought a record player the other day. It was on sale. It's a gift to myself.

I bought one last year in purple, my favourite colour. It was on sale, too. The problem with it is that it doesn't spin a record fast enough and maintain its speed. It's such a shame.

This new record player can do more than just play records. It has a cassette deck, AM/FM radio, bluetooth, and an aux line to connect an iPod or other music player to it.  It plays CDs, too. I can record anything to MP3. It's quite the powerhouse.

I had to make room for it. It's not a tiny thing. It's not monstrous, either.

I liked that it forced me to clean the top of my stereo system. I found a box with an old cell phone from my days in Minnesota. I didn't think that I still had the phone. It's so tiny in comparison to the phones these days.

I felt like I had opened a time capsule of sorts. It was cool to see a snapshot of my life a while back.

Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack and CDs

I have a pretty good music collection. These days, it's easy to purchase and download music digitally. Some of the benefits include a lack of physical storage and portability.

However, I still like owning records (a.k.a, vinyl), cassettes, CDs, and concert DVDs. These days, my rule is that if I love an artist or band, that I will buy the artist's or band's latest CD or DVD.

Depeche Mode is a good example. I have already pre-ordered the band's latest CD. I am seeing them in concert this September.

I have been streaming the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack these days. Both this soundtrack and the one for Fifty Shades of Grey are great. The variety and thoughtful selection of songs got me. I also like the artwork and information that you get with the CD.

On Saturday, I was at Walmart and bought the former soundtrack. It wasn't planned. It was staring at me. The price was pretty good, too.

I thought that I would be ordering it from Amazon. Sadly, many music stores in Canada aren't offering CDs in their stores any more. I don't see a CD section at Best Buy. HMV is closing across the country. Chapters Indigo has a decent music section, but the prices can run high.

I am thankful that Walmart has a music section still. I have fond memories of visiting music stores. I am glad that I can relive a bit of that now and again.