So, Friday night I took my iPod with me as usual.  I was running a little late because my Motorola DSL modem purchased last year after Ike killed my last modem died an early death.  I took my bicycle out as I usually do.  I ride the bicycle for a variety of reasons: i need the exercise, it’s really not that far from the Heights to Montrose or Midtown, parking is never an issue.

My first stop, and as late as a few hours earlier my only planned stop, was at Anvil.  A relatively new bar in the Montrose area, it specializes in mixed drinks.  So, that’s what I had.  Of course riding your bike a few miles will build up a thirst, and liquor drinks aren’t necessarily ideal for that.  I should have asked for some water as well, but they were already slammed with the happy hour + birthday wishes for Romy crowd, and I didn’t.

But I did enjoy some great drinks: Scofflaw, which was quite tasty with rye wiskey; Blood & Sand, another too easy to drink this time centered around Scotch; i tried to slow myself up with a Gimlet but that didn’t quite work; then finally the Corn ‘n Oil with blackstrap rum was a sipper.  The Anvil has free wi-fi as most of Houston does.  It’s locked, but the password is free for asking.  My iPod enjoyed checking it’s email and twittering a few times.

The intersection of friends with Romy is interesting, and I got to chat with Tracey, Renee, Lindsey (whom I hadn’t seen in years), Katie, C. Matusow who had a new twitter account, and briefly said hi to Hillary G, and quite a few others.  I succeeded in exiting for under $30, which was amazing.  Just before I’d left the house I noticed that Jack Schultz commented that Sean Refer was playing at the West Alabama Ice House.  So, I extended my evening and headed there.

I ran into Ron, who poured me some of his Irish Wiskey, saying he owed me for hosting an excellent Christmas party.  I ordered a Pine Bark and ran into Tracy V, and sat and talked to her.

West Alabama Ice House doesn’t have a wi-fi of it’s own, but it’s surrounded by dense residence and businesses, so there is usually an open signal there.  Soon, my iPod chirped at me with some new email.  I scanned it and saw a message from Tricia that it was Ken Wall’s birthday at the Continental.  So, though I had not planned to head there, I couldn’t miss that.

I locked up the bike out front, and went in to say hi to Ken, Bob, Adam, and quite a few others.  The Light Rock Express was playing outside, another band inside, and apparently Ken was picking up the bar tab.  Even Becky and Steve W. road tripped from Austin.

My iPod always feels lonely at the Continental Club because they are sans wi-fi.  I was a few blocks down the road when I realized I didn’t have it in my breast pocket.  I turned around and looked a few places with no luck.  I headed off again also without one of the keys I needed, but knowing how to bypass the apartment “security” gate.

In the morning I realized I may have dropped the iPod in the bushes while leaning over to unlock the bike.  I went back to check for it, but it was not there.

However, when I got home there was a message from Tom M. who lived in midtown that he had found it on his morning walk, 6 blocks from where I dropped it.  My iPod had also sent an email to Dana about an hour before Tom found it.  A little after noon I met up with Tom and retrieved my tired iPod and took it home to recharge him, with only a few more character scratches to show for it.

Here’s the rundown of the iPods:

1. 20GB 4th Generation Classic iPod Color (model# PA079LL, serial# JQ5263A7TDU) – I lost it at some point several years ago and was so jonesing to have an iPod I bought on eBay a….
2. 2GB 1st Generation iPod Nano – it served me well, but I traded it to TG who needed an older iPod to give to someone with an older Mac, and she gave me a…
3. 8GB 3rd Generation iPod Nano (model# PA980LL, serial# 7J736XLSY0R) – This tiny fabulous iPod handles video and has an amazing screen. I use it daily in my commute for podcasts and watch video at lunch time at work. But, I’ve been wanting to program with the new iPod SDK, which requires and iPhone or an…
4. 8GB 1st Generation iPod Touch (model# MA623LL, serial# 9C8012GU14N) – which I just received on tuesday. There is bound to be a new version comin out in June, but I just couldn’t wait. These are listing for $300, but I managed a used one on eBay for $188.50 – I may resell it if newer ones do come out.

Now that the new iPod touch is out, and is quite nice for video, I’m thinking it would be cool to have an HD tuner attached to it. Of course, watching college football made me think of it – that would be the ideal use.

How small can a tuner be made? How much power does it consume? Will Apple let companies start officially adding applications (it seems so from the half vacant home screen)?

I heard a business pundit on NPR the day before the announcement – “what’s left to do with iPods? they’re already played out. who could want more that 80GB?” That person looks like an idiot today. These will be the holiday fodder once again.

But how long will it take before we have an HDTV tuner on these puppies? I’d be surprised if it’s not before Xmas 2008.

Note to me: all Houston library branches have free Wi-Fi (and so does HCC).  Oh,… and get the iPhone without the phone: iPod touch. Then I can continue to stay cell phone free.