Calculator In Actio: A Package from a Friend

On December 1st, I wrote a post that was equal parts letter to Sharp and expression of lament on the passing of my beloved graphing calculator.

My Sharp EL-9300C had been with me since high school. We’d lived in 6 states together. We’d shared gains and divided losses. We’d integrated laughter, derived smiles, and even graphed hearts.

Alas, the calculator croaked. I’d say it was an untimely passing, but I reckon that twenty-odd years is pushing it for graphing calculator lifetimes.

I can’t complain but …. well, it still hurt.

🙁

Fast-forward a few months and … lo!  It has risen!

🙂

An Easter miracle, you ask? Hail and hosanna to the highest?

Sort of, I suppose. Call it a miracle of the Modern Age.

In March, out of the blue, I received an email from Gregg M., a kind fellow who ultimately identified himself as

a hedonistic hydrophilic wanna-be-redneck who got spoiled on Florida beaches and pina coladas (and bikinis) and never quite learned to love huntin’ or beer. We don’t have kids, though I do have several forms of watercraft — three paddle-powered, one hydrocarbon burner, and recently have been trying hard to add a (cheap or free) sail-powered ‘something’ to the fleet. My indulgent & long-suffering wife refers to the ever-growing collection as the “Spanish Yardmada”. Mostly it resides under the whimsical backyard carport coined the “Garage Mahal”. The powerboat’s named “It’s A Moray” and gets dragged around by “Moby Truck- the great white Chevy”. (The puns alone make it obvious why she’s a ‘long-suffering’ wife… not so obvious: why she suffers me. Oh well, as long as its all about me… yippee.) Immaturity is my watchword: as the saying goes: “I was born too young, and when I die I’ll still be too young.”

I liked him at once, of course. I figure anyone with a Garage Mahal is okay in my book. 🙂

Anyway, Gregg not only had stumbled upon my post but then had taken the time to drop me a note about it:

Sitting in the desk drawer next to me there is an untouched EL-9300C if you would like it. Seems I had high hopes once, but never used it at all (despite working in technology all my life, I really don’t understand math…). It has been stored without batteries so it’s clean, truly “like new” — just tested with fresh batteries & it’s working.

This baby is all yours if you’re interested; would love to see it have a happy home.

To say I was stunned, thrilled, astonished and excited would be an understatement. I sent a note back to Gregg as soon as I was able, and he once again expressed his happiness to send me a replacement for the One That Went Before.

Not long afterward, I got the following in the mail:

How awesome is that? He even had the manual!

This little beauty is in extraordinary condition. Gregg had said that it was “still in pristine, unused condition,” and he wasn’t lying. It’s in better condition, honestly, than my belated beloved. (I’d tried hard to keep my old one in good condition, but a couple of decades of backpacks and boxes and bags and it had a nick or two.) I hope you’ll agree with me that it was an incredibly kind act for Gregg to send such a thing to a stranger for no reason other than this:

I’d be happy to help you relive the past a little.

Wonderful, no? Gregg opined that this might be “the best use of the internet so far,” which at this moment of elation I’m inclined to think is true.

Thanks, Gregg!