Yeah, I know, my past couple of entries have been about phones. If you can bear with me just a bit longer, I have a few phone related issues to get out of the way, then I can move onto more serious matters.

I finally decided upon the HTC Touch Cruise. The full onboard GPS was the major deal sealer for me. The fact that it also had all the GSM and 3G bands and the fact that is available now instead of some future date, really put the decision over the top for me.

I got a really good package too. It came with the essentials such as an AC charger, stereo headphones that you could take calls with, usb cable and a 1GB microSD card, which I switched to an 8GB card that I had on hand. The bonus was the suction cup windshield holder and car charger, which solidified the GPS functionality.

Little did I realize however that the GPS software provided, called "MapKing" had only Asia/Pacific maps available with Hong Kong being the default map. I was like WTF? That right there was a major deal-breaker for me.

I was up all night that same evening trying to get a US compatible GPS program. Because the device itself was pretty expensive, spending even more money for software was not an option, and thanks to the steep 20% restocking fee at the place I bought the thing, returning it was also not an attractive option.

After a few hours of frantic online searching, I finally discovered, a version of TomTom that comes with the US versions of HTC devices. It came with one free city map, so I downloaded the one for Chicago.

Once I got the GPS software loaded, it worked pretty much like a standalone TomTom GPS unit. I was very satisfied with the accuracy of the map positioning and the turn by turn directions. I may throw in a more serious review of the Touch Cruise in my mobile blog if I have the inclination, but for now, suffice it to say, not only am I happy, but Im actually composing this very blog on the device itself.

As for the more serious matter, I heard about someone going through a "bucket list", which is basically a list of what that person wants to do in their life before he or she dies or "kicks the bucket".

The thought of making and fulfilling such a list intrigued me, because most people, myself included, go through life largely oblivious to their own mortality. I think simply by my nature as a calm, cool, and collected person, I seem to lack a sense of urgency in my life.

Ever since I completed school, my sense of focus and determination has waned considerably. I figure a list like this will up the ante in my life, so to speak.

For the most part, we never quite truly know when we are going to go. The fact that my best friend died so young in life is a testament I believe, to how quickly and suddenly it can all end. I figure however, given at least the average life expectancy of human brings in general, I still have quite some ways to go, and that also, given my tendency to procrastinate, I'd never get any of the interesting stuff done until I was way too old to enjoy it.

So I thought of a few, possible lists with closer deadlines, like things to do before I'm 40, or even things to do before my next birthday. But even then, those things seemed a bit far off.

I need to start making changes in my life really soon, but with a long enough deadline that I can actually get most, if not all of those things accomplished. So, I started contemplating a list of things to do for this summer, with the deadline being Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Unfortunately, I have a movie to catch, so I'll post my official list in my next entry.