easiest option would be a turntable like this: www.bestbuy.com/site/audio-t...
you'll need to plug it into speakers but it'll be a big step up in sound + record longevity, & best buy often has decent holiday sales!

at one point i made eye contact with the woman, and i hope she knows my facial expression was at the guy and not her

woman: with the way things are going I think we're going to see WW3 by December.
man: so pessimistic!
woman: i think I'm a realist.
man: let's bet on it. if you win, I'll pay for the next date. in the apocalypse or whatever. maybe the currency will be rocks

man: i mean, i don't personally know anyone who fought in WW2, but we haven't had a major war since world war 2 because of having nuclear weapons. that's a good thing
woman: so...you mean the threat of weapons--
man: --has made us all safer
woman: you seem like an optimist
man: I'm just a realist

man: if Elon Musk finds gold in outer space, the price of gold will go down

(at this point my partner gives up and whispers to me, ah yes, because going to space is so inexpensive and uses no resources)

other bangers:

man: i just think technology has done more good in the world than bad. like it makes people's lives better in the end. like even nuclear weapons, we could solve climate change if everyone changed to nuclear power.
woman: or start a nuclear war.
man: you sound like a pessimist

knew it was about to fly off the rails when i hear -

man: so you don't like cryptocurrency?
woman: i just think it's a bit sketchy.

(the chain was Gong Cha. it is truly so nondescript)

love this! will say - depending on the model, Crowleys are often not great turntables for the longevity and health of vinyls; they may wear them out more quickly than a turntable with a properly weighted/calibrated tonearm. if you're not listening to them frequently it's ok tho!

one of the officers peered into my living room, singled out my gymnastics rings & synths, & finally asked: do you live alone?
me, warily: yes.
cop: you gotta be strong as hell. you seem like a very interesting person.

i have achieved Interesting Spinster on a police report ¯⁠\⁠_⁠(⁠ツ⁠)⁠_⁠/⁠¯

coda: i didn't report it at the time bc (a) ftp, & (b) there was absolutely fuckall the cops could or were likely to do.
at the urging of multiple locals, i eventually reported it to the non-emergency line the next day. they sent cops to my place bc they said i had to report it in person.

in the 15 years before that of living in the tristate - in rougher neighborhoods than these, at weirder hours, doing riskier things - nothing of the sort happened.

can't help but think: this is the rightward american slide in action.

anyway, we have to look out for each other. shit's fucked.

i refuse to let this make me feel less safe but i can't help but think about how different the story would be if he'd been more violent. it's the third time in three years i've had someone do some kind of hit-and-run against me - carrying mace etc. would've done nothing at the speed things happened

race-related? less likely; there were other Asians around. all i can think of is that i was a solo femme walking slightly apart from the main crowd of people (i walk fast) & maybe a convenient target. bitter incel? maybe.

it was so random that one passerby said she thought he might've been a friend screwing with me until she saw he immediately took off running & I was cursing after him.

people keep asking me what the motive could've been. i don't know. i didn't know him. he said nothing.

for real tho folks, this is Bad