The Gift of a Mac

The most unbelievable thing happened to me today: UAB is going to buy me a Mac!

I received an email this morning from Randy Seay, the IBS graduate program manager at UAB, and he asked me if I had a laptop. I've been saving to buy an Apple MacBook, and since I was waiting for the next iteration, I hadn't bought one yet, so I told so. He quickly emailed me back and told me not to buy a laptop because the University is going to purchase one for me.

Wow! This is great news! Well, isn't it? But even though I'm being offered essentially a completely free computer, one detail made it slightly complicated: I was certain it wouldn't be an Mac. Remember, I have been looking forward to getting an Apple for years, and I've been saving up for it since last year. So I had a huge dilemma on my hands! Should I continue my plans and buy a MacBook, or should I accept the Dell and save $1,200 that could be used to help me get started in Alabama. I was dangerously low in my budget, and taking the Dell would solve that problem completely.

It was like being tempted by Satan in the desert. "Why don't you just turn the stones to bread, Chase. All you have to do is give up you soul!"

Well, I asked Randy if there was any way to subsidize the purchase of a different brand other than Dell, that I had my heart set on something already. He said there wasn't, but he did ask me to tell him about the laptop I wanted, so I wrote him back about the MacBook; its price, its features, and that it may be updated soon. I also noted that the real complication for me wasn't really the specs, which I'm sure Dell could have matched, but that I wanted Apple's unique operating system; those little and big things that make an Apple so nice to own and use. A few minutes later I got this reply:

"I believe I can order this computer for you. I need to place the order before August 12^th, so let me know if the computer configuration changes."

Unbelievable. I didn't even push or pressure, but just because they wanted to, my graduate university, UAB, has offered to do their best to buy me my top choice of laptop (a friggin' Mac!), and not only that, but the money this will save is going to allow me to enjoy a much easier transition from my life in North Carolina to a new one in Alabama. I guess that's what my friend Travis would call "Synchronicity". It makes me feel really good about the program I've chosen and shows me how much UAB is willing to work with me to make my years there enjoyable and productive. I can't thank them enough for being so kind, and I especially thank Randy for doing everything he could to make sure I got the best possible option.

A MacDaddy I'll be yet!