Thursday, October 23, 2008

I don't know how to wear earbuds.

No post yesterday because I went to Boston to meet with a client -- I had a choice between an extra hour of sleep and getting up early to post, and the sleep won.

But somewhere along the way I lost my favorite pair of cheap headphones (I got them at Reny's for $5; they hook over my ears), and this morning I had to use the earbuds that came with my iPod.

Dizzy and I had not gotten past the mailbox before one of the earbuds fell out, and as I was putting it back in, the other fell out. I spent a 20-minute walk juggling the earbuds, and am ready to throw these things away.

What is the trick? Is it possible that my ears are just the wrong size for earbuds? Why does everyone else seem to be able to do this?

What I really want is a pair of those cool noise-cancelling headphones, although I would be a danger to myself and others (not to mention looking like a complete geek) if I tried to wear them while walking Dizzy.

Since I didn't post yesterday, here's

Five Random Songs

"Nothing's Changed," Chris Isaak. I listened to Chris Isaak pretty much constantly for about four years in the mid-'90s, and now rarely listen to him at all. Not sure why.

"Empty Glass," Pete Townshend. Love this album, love this song.

"Children of the Revolution," Kirsty MacColl. I wish she were still alive and making new music.

"Tomorrow, Wendy," Concrete Blonde. Goth mood music, appropriate to the season. The Augusta Jaycees' Haunted House is in a warehouse right across the street from me, tomorrow night. I'm definitely going.

"Blue Shoes," Katie Melua. More mood music, a gift from my friend Gary. But boy, it hasn't been a very cheerful set this morning...

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Earbuds are the single most useless invention of the last 10 years. They hurt like hell when they stay in, and fall out otherwise. I prefer the clip-on phones.

Karen Olson said...

I hate earbuds. They don't stay in my ears at all. I like the old fashioned headphones, because wearing one of those things that hook over my ear doesn't work when one wears glasses.

Anonymous said...

I hate those earbuds that come with mp3 players-they're useless. I prefer the ones that have extensions that hook over your ear and hold the earbuds in place. They do interfere with my glasses a bit, but not enough to bother me.

Jen Jordan said...

Earbuds - do not bother me. I like how small they are. La la la.

Ellen Clair Lamb said...

You are the special one...

Anonymous said...

I am on a search to find comfort in my new earbuds. I think the trick might be to put them in and then move the little slide mechanism all the way up under your chin like you would a Cowboy hat. This keeps the pressure down so that they don't pop out. Now I have only just tried it finding no other source to tell me how to make them stay in and so far they are staying in. Cross Finfers

Anonymous said...

I just googled "How to wear ear buds" and found your discussion. I just got my first iPod this week. So, I am back from the second dog walk. It's only in the 40's here, and yesterday with my longish hair and the wind, they kept falling out. Today, I wore a fleece hairband and did the slide/cowboy hat thing, and it worked..but I will look funny with a fleece headband in July.

Fat Monster Films said...

I also googled "how to wear earbuds" and found your blog. Made me feel better to think that just maybe my anatomy is not so out-of-the-range-of-anthropomorphic-proportions that I can't wear earbuds properly. Sounds like a lot of people have the same issue! Thanks!

Eleste said...

Ditto - google loves you. Earbuds hate me - and a few hundred other people in the world I gather.

Do laundry = plunk
Walk five steps = plunk
Turn head = plunk
Any sudden movement = plunk
Lean forward = plunk

ARghhh!

I did have mine rubber-banded to a headband for a few weeks, positioned so they would hover near my ears, but they kept slowly sliding out of position so I gave up on that. Think I'm going to get old fashioned headphones.

peteski72 said...

We have come so far but haven't moved ahead at all. Ear buds screwed it all up. I have been so excited to get my MP3 player full of favorite and ready to go walking and it turns out to be such a pain and frustrating. I can't believe these huge and brilliant companies develop such great stuff to settle at this low of a level. Oh ya we could buy some for $295.00 for better ones. That will break or get lost Duh