Today was the day I was supposed to return to work after holiday break, but instead I've been stuck at home with the fun of sinus pressure and the yellow-green globbies that accompany a sinus infection. I'd been so proud of myself all semester that I'd managed to avoid a sinus infection (I get about 4-6 a year, typically), and then I'd been astonished that my Christmas break hadn't been marred by illness like it is nearly every year (when the adrenaline of the semester stops producing in overdrive as the semester stress load goes to null). To be perfectly honest, I was thrilled about going back to work and seeing what the new year has in store for me, as opposed to having a day to think of the pros and cons of mucinex vs. drugstore brand and banana vs. rootbeer popsicles. But, tomorrow is another day, and I'm hoping I'll be feeling better after a visit to the docotor in the am.
Beyond my sinuses, the biggest plague of the week has been the sad death of my beloved camera, the Canon Powershot SD850IS Digital Elph. The day we left for Christmas with family, I was taking a shot of all the boxes stacked and ready to go, when Canon leaped from my hands, and landed, horrifically, face-first on the laminate floor. At first, I thought nothing had happened. But when I took the shot again, I realized it was blurry. The telescoping lens (at a 4xIS, 5.8-23.2mm 1:2.8-5.5 - I really don't know what these numbers mean except "better than the zoom in my current price range") looked like a mad hatter cake. I immediately called our local camera repair shop, where I was given a rundown in economics: "Lady, it costs a qualified camera technician to repair your camera the same money as Canon pays their workers in a foreign country for a week or even a month." In other words, these little point-and-shoot guys are made to get broken, and they're made to get replaced.
This was not a happy day for me. I have a long history with cameras, and I thought I'd finally finished chasing perfection. In 1999, I was given my first non-disposable camera, a Canon Elph 370Z. It was the most awesome thing on the market - it was sleek, compact, took amazing photos, and used "Advanced Photo System" film -that is, until digitals arrived on the scene when I was in college. From there, I got my first Nikon Coolpix, and then upgraded to another Coolpix (calling my parents, telling them my camera was "broken," when in reality, there was a newer, slimmer model and my batteries were dead). And then, finally one year on my "Christmas registry" was the ultimate in perfection: the Canon Powershot SD850IS Digital Elph. It was the younger sister of my long-loved 370Z, and the camera that I knew would never need upgrading.
Until I broke the damned thing.
After seeking out a second opinion, I had to face the truth that repair, though an option, was going to cost as much as a new, entry-level point and shoot. My SD850 was not exactly entry-level, and though it's two or three years old, it's still a league above Canon's new entry-level cameras. I decided that the only thing that would make me happy would be simply replacing my SD850 (even after Andrew spent an afternoon trying to tempt me with the new, sleek, pretty digis on the market). I spent a week of my life scouring eBay and losing every auction I entered (but I did score a lovely strand of pearls for .99 from China, so I suppose my week of eBaying did at least provide one win). I don't know why people like that site - I don't think there is a single deal to be found, and the joy of shopping is finding what you want at a good price, not seeing what you want slip through your fingers at extreme inflation. And though I'll probably be visiting eBay to sell my broken camera (who knew there's a market for broken cameras?), I finally gave up.
So, Rest in Peace, Canon Powershot SD850IS Digital Elph.
And welcome (though begrudgingly) Canon Powershort SD780IS Digital Elph. Sure, it's skinny, and sleek, but I'm really going to miss my zoom.
Having a good husband makes my loss bearable though. Understanding that there was really no better camera than the Canon Powershot SD850IS, he said, "Honey, but think of it this way - at least now you won't have to choose between your camera and your blackberry, because they'll both fit in your purse."
What a man, what a man. He knows how difficult the choices in my life really are.
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