I bought an ipod clock radio on sale at Target the other day. It's green and sleek and modern. My ipod docks comfortably on the top and it has a digital tuner. I'm not sure the screen won't glow too brightly as I try to sleep tonight, but it's too soon to tell.

I'm not sure the sound quality is enough to use it as a replacement stereo. I'm not sure the sound quality isn't too good to use it as a replacement clock-radio.

I thought it would sound good enough so that I could finally phase out my old, black stereo system. The old system's 3 CD changer doesn't really work so well anymore. There's no where to plug in the pod. The speakers are half blow. More to the point, I haven't plugged it in or set it up or used it in, oh, 10 months or so. I haven't used it since I bought its first replacement. Which, oh yeah, has been used only a handful of times, but resides appropriately in the living room for all the large, well-attended parties I throw.

But the real stumbling block here applies to the old clock radio as well. That antiquated equipment has a faux wood housing, super-faded red numbers, and an analog tuner with mono speakers that yields scratchy, yet reliable wake-up calls. Alarm 1 doesn't work. It's alarm two or nothing.

Here's where we stumble: both old stereo and old clock radio have been there for me. Old stereo was an unexpected Christmas gift from my parents during my senior year of high school - one of my first dorm nesting gifts. It saw me through college as I lugged it from dorm to dorm and abused it with all manner of bad musical choices. It still sounds okay, if not forced to compete with much else. It has a tape deck, for pete's sake. What if I need to listen to some of my old tapes? The history of music according to Len - those are historic documents that will be lost to the ages. Old stereo is an artifact. A piece of history.

And old clock radio! It's an Emerson - are those even made anymore? Its plastic front is cracked. It barely tunes to a station and it hardly stays there. But we start every day together. Sure, a few days it has exercised its discretion unwisely and caused me to miss class or picking Amanda up on time for the gym. Clock radio has roused me for exams. It has woken me for trips. It's been there, dammit. Now some upstart shiny green thing wants in - I don't think so.

Of course, the relevant fact here is that old stereo and old clock radio are inanimate objects. The don't feel bad. Right? This was like that time I got new backpack and turned my, uh, back on old backback senior year. Didn't need new backpack, still bought it. This doesn't happen with new clothes or new shoes. But new things - I just feel so. . . guilty. Buyer's remorse, right?

I still have time to return the green box. Doesn't sound so great anyway. Even if it's a really good price.

And if you only knew how long I'd spent at Target debating the sensible silver box or the shiny green box . . . .