I have what I think is an above-average fear of breaking things. I can't stand the thought of something irreplaceable falling to the ground and shattering into a million pieces. In fact, I can barely stand the thought of something being irreplaceable in the first place.

She is not helping much.

I had to watch Singin' in the Rain for film class this week - by far the most enjoyable film we've watched so far, and for once, a film I could watch in the comfort of my own home. Or rather, my girlfriend's home.

Because, being a devotée of Gene Kelly, Jenn naturally owns a copy of Singin' in the Rain. (It's also arguably the best movie musical ever made, so there are multiple reasons she'd own it. But I digress.)

Jenn had brought the movie with her to her parents' place this weekend, figuring I might want to watch it there. I didn't get around to it, so this evening, essentially at the last possible opportunity, I mosied over to her video shelf and grabbed the box.

The image froze a few frames into the title sequence.

Well, this isn't good, I thought. I ejected the tape, which of course was caught in the VCR and hence coming out of the casing, twisting in all sorts of nasty ways. After about half an hour of fidgeting, and using Jenn's scotty dog lamp as a makeshift flashlight, I managed to unhook the tape, and started trying to wind it back into the casing.

That's when I noticed that the tape wasn't attached to the take reel.

Well, Jenn didn't take this too well, and after the Betty and Veronica glass fiasco, who can blame her?

So naturally, I signed my ass on to Amazon and ordered the Singin' in the Rain DVD. DVDs don't break.

I was still in a bit of a fix vis-a-vis my film homework, not having seen the movie in a few months. (And not having seen it sober in somewhat longer.) As a long shot, I picked up the box to examine whatever still frames they might have decorated it with, to jog my memory.

I hear a meek "Gus?"

This is followed by, "Was that the tape you tried to play?"

Which is in turn followed by Jenn retrieving her other Singin' in the Rain tape out of her suitcase. It seems the tape I broke had in fact been broken for several years.

Good thing Amazon lets you cancel orders so easily.