The Ultimate “Techie Toy” Christmas Gift!
Posted by Chris Leckness on 12/25/05 in General
Well it’s that time of year again. That is, when all of my loving family members start getting anxious about trying to find a gift for me. I am, to them, the ultimate gadget geek. And they all want to find that special geeky gadget that I don’t have, but I obviously must need desperately. I’ve told them over and over that I do just fine getting my own special gadgets all year long - Newegg.com actually sent me a Christmas card by snail mail! But each year my children have tried to outdo each other by finding me the ultimate geek gadget.
Talking keychains and watches, tinier and tinier voice recorders, even a battery-powered scrubber for the shower. (Please - don’t even ask…). Last year, however, may have been the last of my geek gadget gifts from the family. My children chipped in and gave me….Robosapien. Yes, that semi-cute remote-controlled robot that was touted at the time as the ultimate techie toy.
Now I am always a good sport about my gadget gifts from my children, and I always make a really big fuss and give out lots of Ooohs and Ahhs. Last year was no different; "Robosapien! Just what I wanted!!!" (I’ve gotten very good at that look of simultaneous surprise and joy). So I spent the next week looking at Robosapien under our tree, wondering just what in the heck I was going to do with him.
Later in January, my wife and daughters had a weekend getaway planned. A "Girls’ weekend out" in Atlantic City, visiting the casinos there and donating faithfully. Me - I think it’s much easier to just mail the casinos a check every year; saves me the long drive, noise, and lousy buffet food, yet costs me the same amount of money. Right after they left I took out Robosapien, determined to find something - anything - that I could do with him. (Don’t know exactly why I refer to him in the masculine gender, as he is, well, pretty much asexual in appearance). So after quickly examining his available features and determining that Robosapien doesn’t really do much more than the Robby the Robot toy I had over 40 years ago, I researched him on the web and found some hacks that allow him to do a bit more. Figured I would surprise them all when they returned from their trip.
The only stunt that I mastered that weekend was to have Robosapien hide in a corner in our foyer and, when sensing that someone was approaching by using his infrared sensor as a motion detector, suddenly shoot out into the room while waving his robot arms wildly and screaming out karate shouts. The whole time I worked on this, Max - my Yorkie who is blessed with super powers, watched silently. Robosapien’s antics didn’t seem to faze Max - that is, until the girls came home.
When my lovely ladies arrived home on Sunday evening, Robosapien was lying quietly in wait for them. I swear I could almost hear him snickering in anticipation. Oddly enough, Max suddenly positioned himself in the doorway of a powder room just off the foyer and eyed Robosapien intently. As they entered the house I saw that one of my granddaughters was the first through the door. Uh-oh. Robosapien sensed her motion and let out his blood curdling scream - OK, not quite blood curdling, but you know what I mean. My granddaughter was so startled that she fell backward and landed sitting on the floor. Hard. But at the same time, Max - now playing the attack Yorkie - sprang into action! Before her little baby rear end even hit the floor, Max toppled poor Robosapien and ripped his little robot arm out of its socket. Robosapien’s screams now seemed to be from agony! Then he was suddenly silent. And Max stood there protectively, watching Robosapien as the robot’s voice died away.
I’m not sure whatever happened to Robosapien after that. The last I saw of him, my wife was taking him out somewhere. Ostensibly to the nearest robot emergency room. I never saw my Robosapien again.
This year will be different, though. My children all had the same idea for me this year. Gift cards!
Written by Chris Leckness · Filed Under General
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Great story!