Surround Sound

 I have bought dozens of things over the past month, small and big, cheap and expensive. I have regretted many purchases, some expensive ones, such as my bike and my first mattress (and maybe its even more expensive replacement, but only time will tell). I have made peace with those purchases and the money I have lost on them. But, there is one purchase that I absolutely do not regret, and that has boosted my quality of life appreciably. In my last house in England, my landlord had a Bose surround sytem and he encouraged me to use it. And, use it I did. A good sound system creates a sound cocoon from the soundwaves boucing off the walls of the room. It can be intensely relaxing and/or uplifting. I haven't tried high-end earphones but I can't imagine that cocoon effect can be replicated by music that is beamed directly into your ear. So, here in Amherst, when I saw someone was selling their music system, I leapt at the chance. As it happens, it was on the day that I bought my bike, which I didn't like from the moment I took delivery of it. But, the surround system was a great buy and redeemed the day. Its not a Bose, but it is still pretty good. I highly recommend it to everyone who is single and lives alone. There is nothing like it to beat the blues.