mixed media, movie musings

post-Oscar post

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So last night was the gay Olympics… I mean, the Oscars… and I spent the evening at a lovely Oscar party, hosted by my good friend John. There was a lot of booze, a lot of fun, and a lot of anxiety, as John had us participating in a Oscar pool for a coveted Target gift card. I actually fared quite well, as I ended up predicting 13 winners correctly (INCLUDING MY BABY JHUD!!!), which placed me in a 4 way tie with Barry, Rebekah, and Lisa. The shitty thing is, that John had decided that in the event of a tie, the winners would square off in Wii boxing… which happens to be the game I am the WORST at in Wii sports. I fought a good fight, making it through the first round and narrowly beating Rebekah, but I was crushed by the mighty Barry, as he claimed victory (and the gift card) in the end. I wasn’t sore about the loss, though, but for some reason, my jaw is really hurting today, and my voice is almost gone. I tend to get a little too excited sometimes (especially when my buddy booze is there), and apparently, I let it all loose during the boxing matches. I think it is hilarious that my jaw hurts, though, because I wasn’t even hit, it was VIRTUAL boxing! WTF is up with that? Anyway… Here’s a wrap up of the actual awards for the night, with a focus on my correct predictions (13 baby!): (The ones with the (*) beside them are the ones I correctly predicted, leading to my almost victory in the competition, for the night.)

  • (*)Actor in a leading Role: Forest Whitaker — Didn’t see this movie, but I correctly predicted he would win based solely on the hype he garnered for this movie. If you play a real person, and play them really well, you have a good chance of winning. Too bad hottie Mchothot Ryan Gosling didn’t win. At least he was nominated, though.
  • (*)Actress in a leading Role: Helen Mirren — no brainer. Seriously… She was a total shoe-in.
  • Supporting Actor: Alan Arkin — Holy cow! While I did pick Eddie Murphy, because I was sure he would win (See!!! I told you Norbit crushed his chances of winning!), I was really happy to see someone win for Little Miss Sunshine… MY favorite movie of 2006.
  • (*)Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson — OMFG LOL ORLY YES YES YES??!?11!!?!? I am SOOOO happy my baby Jhud walked out with the win on this one. How awesome is it that for your first movie role EVER, you snag both the Golden Globe, AND the Oscar. Work it girl!!! Her performance with Beyonce was awesome as well, with Beyonce COMPLETELY surprising me… But that is a different story.
  • (*)Animated Feature: Happy Feet — Haven’t seen it, but I somehow knew it would win over the rednecky Cars. Penguins are cuter than cars, ya’ll.
  • (*)Art Direction: Pan’s Labyrinth — I have been gushing about this movie since I saw it. It is amazing, and beautiful. Totally deserved this one.
  • Cinematography: Pan’s Labyrinth — Kinda surprised it wasn’t Children of Men (my guess), but I do love Pan’s. Glad it won.
  • (*)Costume Design: Marie Antoinette — I was really shocked that more people at the party didn’t choose this one… when I was watching this movie, I kept saying to myself, “wow, these costumes are beautiful and amazing”… and when I saw that it was a nominee, it was a definite pick for me. The Devil Wears Prada didn’t stand a chance!
  • (*)Directing: Martin Scorsese, The Departed — It was his time. Everyone said so. I believed them.
  • (*)Documentary: An Inconvenient Truth — Hell fuck yes. This movie blew me away, and it was something everyone should see. It totally deserved to win.
  • (*)Documentary Short Subject: The Blood of Yingzhou District — Um, I just picked this one, because I hadn’t heard of any of them. As I said last night, if it is about oppression or disease (meaning it has Blood in the title), then it will probably win. However, that doesn’t apply to movies with the word Diamond, also in the title.
  • Film Editing: The Departed — I guessed Children of Men for the same reason I picked them for Cinematography. It deserved it… I mean, COM looked REAL!
  • Foreign Language Film: The Lives of Others — *audible gasp*… uh, where’s Pan’s Labyrinth?? Seriously?!?!
  • Makeup: Pan’s Labyrinth — I went with Apocalypto… did you see the make up on those people? Okay… THAT’s why. MOST of the people in Pan’s were just normal people.
  • (*)Music: Babel — I haven’t seen it, I just randomly picked this one. Lucky me, eh?
  • Original Song: I Need To Wake Up (Melissa Etheridge) — While I picked Listen from Dreamgirls, because why nominate 3 if you aren’t going to at least pick one of them (!??!?!), I am super happy Melissa won… this song is great, and it has a great message.
  • (*)Best Picture: The Departed — I thought this was a no-brainer, but apparently, a lot of people thought Babel would get it. I didn’t see Babel, so I wasn’t dissuaded by it… The Departed was pretty good, ya’ll. Good enough to be best picture! HA!
  • Animated Short: The Danish Poet — I went with No Time for Nuts, because everyone loves that little squirrel from Ice Age. Well, at least I thought they did.
  • Live Action Short: West Bank Story — I picked Eramos Pocos, because I originally didn’t choose one, and had to come up with one on the spot. If I would have known what WBS was about, I would have picked it. Damn!
  • Sound Editing: Letters From Iwo Jima — I went with Apocalypto… the other film in another language. Oh well.
  • (*)Sound Mixing: Dreamgirls — Well, they have to throw them at least a few bones, don’t they? YES!
  • Visual Effects: Pirates of the Caribbean — I was kind of surprised, because I picked Superman… I guess I was the only one impressed by it. I was told by people in the room that the CGI in Superman was obvious, and not so much in Pirates. Oh well…
  • Adapted Screenplay: The Departed — I should have picked that, but I went with Borat, because of the love he was shown at the Golden Globes. Silly me.
  • (*)Original Screenplay: Little Miss Sunshine — Seriously, if it can win best picture, it at least has to be recognized for the brilliant story. YAY!

So there you have it… that is how I guessed, and I am glad that I did end up coming in first with a four way tie. It is just too bad that I wasn’t able to defeat Barry at boxing… but no hard feelings, Rebekah said that she took the gift card. HA! Hope everyone had a great Oscar night, and a BIG thanks for John for throwing a great party. Can’t wait until next year!!!!

flickr, get involved, listen up!, politics

first step towards changing the world

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James and I watched An Inconvenient Truth a week or so ago, and the film was so fantastic and so compelling, that it motivated us to take action. We want to do our part to lessen our burden on the environment, and we are doing so, one step at a time. If you want to help the earth, please go to this website, and see what you can do; because even the small stuff can make a difference.

I am definitely going to write more about the movie, but I have been distracted lately, and haven’t had it in me. The film deserves so much more than a distracted thought process, so I want to do it justice. If you haven’t seen it, see it… and if you don’t believe in global warming and climate change, you MUST see it, because science can change your mind… or at least, I hope it can.
goodbye incandescent
Our first steps towards changing our energy consumption, were to change out all of our incandescent bulbs for new, energy efficient compact fluorescent ones. Now, I know you make think that these bulbs are more expensive (because they are), but the energy you save by using them more than makes up for the price difference. Also, as a motivation to get them, if you go to a wholesale warehouse place (like Sams or Costco), you can get a 10 pack of the bulbs for only $10… that is a savings of over $6 per bulb. I am glad that we have taken this first step, and I know that we are only getting started in trying to make positive impacts on the environment, rather than negative ones. Go out and get your new bulbs today!!! Seriously, they are a hell of a lot brighter!!
hello energy efficient fluorescent!
Again, more to come about An Inconvenient Truth… Hope everyone is having a great weekend!! Go Green!

listen up!, venting

OMFG! I can’t believe this!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey, listen up, W.H.O., before you say things like,

Circumcision is the most potent intervention in HIV prevention that has been described.

CAN YOU PLEASE PUT THE INFORMATION YOU REPORT INTO CONTEXT BEFORE YOU REPORT THAT TO THE WORLD?????? The studies that were done on this issue were done in the regions of Africa where infection is the most rampant and there is currently little to no prevention that is working, so the findings from these studies ONLY APPLY in those areas!!!!!! Let me state that again, this study was done, and the findings that came from it, apply ONLY to areas where there is LITTLE OR NO other methods of HIV prevention available, and where HIV incidence is way higher than normal, and it should only be viewed as an applicable method of prevention in those areas!!! This should not be taken out of context and used in populations like the US, where it does not provide up to 60% prevention for HIV, and it is certainly NOT the most potent intervention!!! Again, it does not apply to anywhere but Africa! And should only apply as a last ditch effort when other prevention methods are not available, or are not working!!!!

This makes me want to scream, puke, pull my hair out, and scratch someones eyes out. Ignorance on a level like this is completely inexcusable, especially from an agency as powerful and knowledgeable as the W.H.O.. I can only hope, that the article where this is being reported (source) is the ONLY place that this insane level of misrepresentation is being told. If not, I certainly hope that people that hear this misinformation can be intelligent enough to realize that a cut cock is NOT enough to protect them from HIV; that is, unless they have NO OTHER method of prevention, AND happen to live in the areas of the world were prevalence is at its highest… See, that is the ONLY way that they could statistically come up with that 60% figure!!!! And I can almost guarantee that the people that will read that article, or hear that information ARE NOT the people that will benefit from this “protection”! I am so appalled and disgusted by this outrageous lack of proper reporting and utter absence contextualization that I could just burst.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE: Tell everyone you know that thinks this is true; USE CONDOMS!!! Circumcision certainly IS NOT the “most potent intervention in HIV prevention”!!!!! IT IS NOT TRUE!!! THIS ONLY APPLIES TO AFRICA (notice that ALL of the studies were done in Africa, but they totally downplay that by making such fanciful statements)!!!!

I really, really hope that by writing this post, that if I stop even ONE person from stupidly thinking, that circumcision gives them a 60% protection against HIV, that I have done more than I could hope for. Why educated and powerful people continually do things like this completely shocks me, as this is seriously the difference between life and death for many that will misinterpret this information, and thus, put their lives at risk for no reason at all.

I really hope that they realize what they have done in this misrepresentation of findings, and at least follow up in a manner that illustrates the severe lack of contextualization that is necessary when stating findings such as this; the public health ramifications can be disastrous. I am in complete and utter shock, and I just can’t even begin to express my level of rage right now.

"pointless", all about me, flickr, the catch-all-egory

a friday free-for-all!

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I am all over the place today! So, in the spirit of that “all over the place” mentality I am currently afflicted by, I thought I would share! Why not, right?! I knew you would agree.

First of all, my car starting making a noise this week. Not a good noise either, it was a “metal on metal” scraping noise coming from the wheels. Shit. Of course, I am a proactive person when it comes to car care (I always get the oil done on time, and I rotate tires and that kind of stuff), so I called Acura and made an appointment for this afternoon. Turns out, it is something to do with brake pads and the rotors, and so I have to have the back ones fixed… the front ones are covered by the warranty for whatever reason. It’s going to be $165, but at least I have two things going FOR me here; the vibration and that awful metal on metal noise when braking will go away, AND, I luckily got my tax return money this week. So, I guess things could be worse. I just can’t wait to see how it drives when it is fixed, especially since they let me borrow a BRAND NEW RDX to drive while I am waiting for my car. That car is NICE, but really, the only thing about it I would want, is the MP3 CD capability, and the audio in jack for my ipod… my car doesn’t have either of those features. Other than that, I am very happy with Bianca, and can’t wait to get her back.

Second, to preface this next thing, let me start by saying that my tattoo guy had me on a stand by list, in case of a cancellation, in order to fix my ankle tattoo. Apparently, this was the quickest way to get in, because he has a massive waiting list (which is totally understandable, because he is amazing)… but I didn’t expect that they would call and be all, “um, can you come in tonight?”. Well, needless to say, I said yes, because I don’t want to have to wait that much longer; especially considering the main reason I went to Russ in the first place, was to get my ankle redone… and I ended up with a half sleeve!!! I probably want to do more with the sleeve in the future, but for now, we are doing ankle work ONLY. I can’t wait to see what he can do with it. The man is a genius with a needle and ink. The appointment tonight shouldn’t be half as painful as my last one (which was all inner arm work, ouch!). I just hope James isn’t too shaken by the sudden change of plans… he doesn’t deal well with that, but in this case, I didn’t have much of a choice. Oh well, I guess we’ll see!

a daffodil's view

Finally, my good friend Deb has talked me into getting a kick ass lens for my camera, because it is pretty much one of the best deal lenses for the Canon EOS cameras… it is a 50mm with f1.8, and it should allow me to enhance the bokeh in my shots (bokeh is the effect in the shot above, where the main object of the photo is sharp, but the background is blurred and softened… but this lens can make it much smoother and more soft). This is the effect in photography that I have learned, and one that I love the most, and I can’t wait to see what this lens can do, because the one that comes with the camera is pretty limited when you want to do more specific and advanced things like this; plus, it is a cheap lens (as I mentioned). I am completely loving this camera, and I am SOOOO glad that I got it. It was totally worth the wait, and I know that I am gushing about it, but I really can’t help it. Mama likes her electronics, kids!!! Also, keep in mind I waited over a year and a half to get this camera, so a little excitement is in order. Be sure to keep an eye on my flickr page, because I can assure you, things are only going to get more interesting. Well, at least I am going to posting a lot more… I have fallen back in love with flickr!

I hope that everyone has a great Friday (what’s left of it), and I hope everyone has a great weekend as well! Expect some commentary on the Oscars on Monday… GO JENNIFER HUDSON!!! WOOO WOOO!

blog on blog, flickr, happenings, show the love

February’s APWBWGTTD

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barry through the boozeLast night was our monthly meet-up, and we had a great turn out! I was glad to see 10 people show up, even though, most of us were the regulars… which is actually a good thing, and I wish we could add more to our regular APWBWGTTD line up. Fun was had, booze was consumed, and even a few people ate. We did have a good time, and I have say, that I am super jazzed to find out that Manuel’s has a non-smoking section! I didn’t know that before last night, but I can guarantee that it will increase my desire to go there for drinks and whatnot… I won’t have to leave smelling like a bar.

There were a few things that I observed last night that I would like to share here:

  • No one should be bribed with beer to drink Au Jus. Seriously, that is just mean. And gross.
  • Maigh is a fucking freak for fireballs. And rightly so, they are delicious. (see below for proof)
  • Sometimes being around someone that you haven’t talked to in months doesn’t have to be too awkward. So long as you are willing to just let it go; even if they pretend nothing happened. Oh well.
  • At Manuel’s (at least), you can order your own pitcher… no questions asked. Sweet!
  • Apparently, this super deluxe has some funny shit. And the President’s song isn’t as funny when it comes from three drunkards. Perhaps I will have to check it out for myself. And Barry loves kitty no legs. Whatever that is.
  • Anna Nicole is not a celebrity, and people should just shut up about it already. At least, according to dave.
  • Passing your camera around to let everyone have an opportunity to take pictures at different angles may or may not be a good idea for the future… Dave wanted to take it to the bathroom, and instead just ended up taking close ups of my head. Which I deleted. (sorry dave). Other than dave’s proposed adventures with my camera, we did get a bunch of fun shots of the crew.
  • When you schedule an event on Wednesday because one person wants it to be on Wednesdays so that he can attend, don’t expect him to actually attend, or you may be let down. I realize (and this is the only reason I took the reigns from Lori), that people are going to show up, or not, and it doesn’t really matter, as long as those of us that ARE there have fun (which we did).
  • There are a bunch of political groups that meet at Manuel’s on Wednesdays.
  • Apparently, a black eye (which I have from banging my head on my chest of drawers) can be perceived as eye shadow on some… like on me. I just think it is funny that some thought I was wearing eye shadow (period), and even more, that I was only wearing it on one eye. Classic.

maigh is a fucking freak for fireballs
Well, that’s about it… I am sure that everyone else could come up with some stuff from last night, but I will leave it here. I had a great time, and I can’t wait until next month. Be there or be a gelatinous blob, bitches! The next APWBWGTTD will be on March 14, so mark your calendars now… I will send out an evite shortly. Thanks for coming out! (photos are obviously on flickr, so check ’em out, if you want)

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, public health, sex (oh yeah), venting, well?

two things Tuesday: evolution and condoms

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Kind of different; kind of the same, no? Both of these things have people up in arms, and I just wanted to throw in my two cents; for whatever it’s worth.

Evolution:
Basically, the issue with evolution (this time), is that a local republican state representative sent out a memo stating that evolution shouldn’t be taught in schools because it is a religious deception that was derived from an ancient Jewish religious sect. Basically, his memo is stating that evolution not actually secular science, and is instead a so-called “creation scenario”, that is actually based on the “Christ hating” ancient Jews, and that it was written a couple millenia ago. Okay, let me get this straight, the Jews made up the Big Bang theory? Those crazy Jews came up with this myth to explain the beginning of the world and to explain life on earth, and they called it evolution?! Damn! They are crazy!!! OH WAIT, YOU DOUCHE, not only are you being anti-semitic (surprise), the Jews didn’t make up the Big Bang theory, and it actually isn’t a myth, it is a theory that is still pondered by scientists. You do know what scientists are, don’t you? They are people that use facts to put together ideas about things… and in this case, they continually use the facts they know about and learn about the world, and all of the stuff in it, in order to come up with a good idea of where it came from. See, the difference between a myth and theory, is that one is based on science, and one isn’t. Okay? So it’s pretty clear to me, and MANY others, that evolution is science, and is not a myth. You can believe that if you want, but leave the Jews out of it, okay? And don’t try to use this as your crazy Christian reasoning for keeping it out of schools, you anti-Semite!

Obviously, he denies writing the memo, but regardless if he actually wrote it or not, it goes without saying that people like this guy shouldn’t be allowed to have any political power; all they do is confuse those that are already ignorant. You know that there is going to be someone out there that supports this “idea”, and that is just one person too many. Also, to further illustrate his memo’s off-the-wallness, not only is he saying this about evolution, he also believes that the earth isn’t rotating, and that we aren’t actually going around the sun. I suppose sunrise and sunset are magic then, right? Ugh, people like this make me want to just bang my head on my desk and scream, WTF!?!?! The Anti-Defamation League is going after him, so I hope that he isn’t re-elected. If people like this make it into politics, that is one more reason to fear the government, right? Jesus.

Condoms:
So, NYC has a great idea; let’s make a NYC condom, and hand it out FOR FREE all over the city, in order to curtail the incidence of HIV!! Sounds good, right? It does to me!!! HELL YEAH!

But of course… “NO!”, shouts the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church came out against the condom, stating that you should practice abstinence before marriage, and practice fidelity within marriage to prevent HIV. (They’ve also preached up and down in the past about how condoms aren’t effective at preventing HIV anyway, which they are totally wrong about). Hmm… Let’s look at this from their perspective: perhaps 95000+ known cases of HIV in NYC, is evidence that they are doing such a good job of what you want already, that there is no need for something OTHER than that old abstinence/marriage shtick. Oh, 95000 sounds like a lot to you? Well, it does to me too! Perhaps what you are saying isn’t working? Oh snap!

Listen, if you don’t approve of contraception, realize that condoms do more than that, they protect against HIV! THAT is the reason this program was started… to decrease the incidence of HIV in NYC!! I am so sick of religion poking its nose in issues related to health; it is pretty clear that they have absolutely no idea that what they say and what they do actually causes more health problems. If you really cared, and if you were actually as compassionate as your religion dictates that you should be, then you would want more people to live life without suffering from chronic diseases; regardless of your views on sex. Free condoms won’t increase sex, it will allow for future sex to be SAFER sex… And that is a great thing. All I have to say is a HUGE Bravo(!!!!!) to NYC, and an even bigger BOO(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) to the Catholic Church. I would like to know: when are we, as a society, going to be mature enough to stop putting our heads in the religious sand and actually do something about sexually transmitted diseases, like HIV? We have got to get over this fear of sex, or we will NEVER get rid of HIV, and that scares me, because I truly don’t know if we are all capable of such logical thinking; enough to actually make changes and decrease disease. I do have hope when I see cities like NYC taking it seriously, though… Perhaps Atlanta will follow suit?? Come on you guys! Don’t be afraid of the church! They will get their panties all tied up in knots, while we all can have access to free condoms… it’s a win win, as far as I see it. Way to stick to your guns, NYC, and show your dedication to public health.

flickr

a look at the current living room set up

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living room beadboard primed, originally uploaded by duanecmoody.

We finally took care of priming the beadboard, and I couldn’t be happier!! The living room looks so “New England” now, and I love it. Now all we have to do, is go back and paint it for real, and we will be one step closer. I hate painting, but I love the end results.

We are also going to paint the walls above the beadboard like a celery color, and I hope that we do that soon, because I really don’t like having projects held over my head. Oh well… at least we can enjoy the beadboard white; even if it is only primer!

Hope everyone is having a great President’s Day!!! Thank GOD for working for the government on days like this!!!

britney n' k-fed, is it just me?, tragic

sweetie… what is going on??

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Britney.

Britney.

BRITNEY!!!! Bald??? While I do have to admit that you look seriously hot bald, why this sudden shedding of the locks? Were you just really hot one night and decided that it had to go (ala Napoleon Dynamite)? Did you watch V for Vendetta and feel a sudden urge to find your inner Natalie Portman, and so you picked up the clippers?? What is going on?

The reason I ask, is because there is no way that this is going to strengthen your case that you are a sound and sane person to have sole custody over your children. Seriously, K-Fed is trying his best to get a chunk of your hard earned money, as well as a wedge in the rest of your life by getting some custody of those kids… and you can’t let that happen!!! Find a good excuse as to why you decided on this new look, let us all know that you were filming a killer comeback video, and we can all salivate in anticipation of your new bald-headed comeback. Don’t let grubby K-Fed have another cent! Otherwise, you are in danger of starting to come across a little Anne Heche-ish, and we all know that you don’t want to walk down that road. The next stop on that highway is robot Katie Homles-town, and I would hate to see you end up there.

So, let me say a big congrats on the new look (seriously, you pull off bald pretty well), just be sure to let us know what was going on in that beautiful bald head of yours when you decided that the locks had to go. Hell, say you wanted to donate it to locks of love!!! Yeah!! Say that! Just don’t stick with the “I was tired of people touching me” thing that you reportedly used as your reason for cutting your hair, because that sounds a little close to a nervous breakdown to me. Perhaps you just need some R and R?? Take the boys, drop them off at mom’s for a week, and go on vacation somewhere they have sippy drinks and clear beaches… just make sure to take plenty of sunscreen for that newly shaven head… okay?

We love you, girl, and just hope that things are alright… We want you to have a glorious a comeback already!!! So take care of yourself!

listen up!, politics

hell yes!!

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I just went to CNN only to find this peice of awesomeness:

It is great to see democracy in action!!! Perhaps now a real FACT BASED look at the war can occur in the House, and we can hopefully move towards bringing our troops home. I wonder what “the decider” is thinking right now? Perhaps a little bit of, “Oh shit… I’m not going to be able to just do whatever I want anymore”? I certainly hope so!!!

Now, I know that this is a SMALL step… but it is an important one in the right direction!!!

all about me

welcome to the land of digital SLR

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That’s right.

I am a point and shoot ‘only’ boy no more. Today, I got what I have wanted for the past year and a half… A digital SLR camera… specifically, the Canon Digital Rebel XT.

Now, I know that many of you know that I like to dabble in photography, but I have always felt limited by the equipment that I had… and after having a close friend get one of these cameras (and then another, and another), I just felt like it was what I needed to stop dabbling, and actually grow as a photographer. But one thing stood in my way… money. Well, I was lucky enough to get a decent tax return this year (I STILL can’t believe it), and I splurged and got myself this awesome camera (in silver), in hopes that it will re-awaken, and further hone my photography skills and interests. I can’t wait to get into learning more about this camera, as well as what it can do with different lenses. I was lucky enough to have a great friend hook me up by giving me the starter lens that comes with the starter kit for the camera, allowing me to save about $200 and only get the body of the camera. While things are coming in from different directions… camera from online… lens from my friend… memory card from online (hasn’t arrived yet… UGH!), I am happy that I went this route, because I have saved myself a lot of money by waiting, and having a generous friend (thanks again Deb!).

This is one of the first times in my life that I have gotten a tax return that did anything more than go directly into my savings, or go directly towards paying off a big bill; so I am so excited that I was able to get this camera. Now, I can’t wait to get taking pictures with it!!! But all in due time!

Just wanted to share my joy… sometimes retail therapy, even if it is a year and a half in the making, can feel so, so sweet. Anyone want to go on a photo stroll?? I’ll be ready as soon as my memory card arrives!!!!!