Haha, you can still use it. I am a sucker for things like symmetry and repetition and such.
Yeah I tend to avoid visiting shops and when I do I do my research beforehand so I do not make any impulse buys.
I will try my best not to scratch or drop it, learned my lesson immediately :P
Oh boy! Close call - but that's how we learn - by making mistakes. When I teach people photography, I tell them early on that if you're not making mistakes - you're not learning.