Tuesday, April 6, 2010

New Toy

Last year it was a bigger and better Nikon; the year before a Laptop...after that I can't remember. Seems about once a year I snag a new toy. Twenty Ten is panning out to be no different. I also figure I can snag many a new toy to compare to a Cessna, Ron's BIG toy.

Now keep in mind these are not frivolous, "gee, while I am in town I think I'll pick one up," purchases. Plenty of thought and consumerism goes into the buy.

The camera: I have been a lover of cameras since I was little. First camera was at age six. Do you know how many pictures I took of my dolls and stuffed animals? I still have the Kodak, in its original box.

Some of my early work, circa. '62





And 1965, Susan - at the lake, obviously ready for action. I also have one of Tim and Judy. I know where the Kodak Brownie is but it would require some serious digging in the upstairs cubby hole. Not that important!




My Dad was a photographer/filmmaker and so was my brother, before bean counting. Cameras were all around us and to have the right tools at our finger tips was always in the forefront. For years I had a top of the line 35mm Nikon F3. It went on the shelf, along with the lenses and filters, when my Dad bought a high end Sony Digital for me (and Tom) about 10 years ago. Gotta love those Dads! Good bye to film, good bye cost and of course, the mystery of wondering what the pictures would turn out like at the local film processor.

So before the wedding cruise in '09 Ron bought me a belated Christmas present (gotta love those Rons) as he was laid up with the infamous shoulder escapade. A DSLR Nikon and lenses. I had been watching the sales, reading the mags and reports, checking online but capturing the first born son's wedding in St. Thomas cinched the deal. I love the camera and wouldn't think of not having one in my toy box.

The Laptop: Now thinking back to the year 2008 is huge stretch for me but it was a big of enough purchase to have been burned in the cranium . The primary incentive was to write. But more importantly to be able write on a machine that worked and wasn't plugged up with kid crap. Most of the time I had to perform brain surgery on the CPU before I could use it. So to have my own computer, that no one else used (password controlled was a must!!) and to be able to sit in the living room, where there is no TV and write - surf - write - surf and more surf was too good to be true. I had to have a laptop! It is my most used toy ever. Anyone thinking about expanding their arsenal in the cyber world: a laptop is a must. Immaterial that it may have be the culprit on my nagging back issue, and now weirdo rays shooting out from the battery, it is the best toy ever, even when it becomes possessed and needs to be exorcised. Which I think, cycles with the moon!!

The 2010 toy was bought about 3 weeks ago and quite a shift from the last two years. Tomorrow I tell you of this big buy (the most expensive one yet). You will be surprised at what it is.

Any guesses??

4 comments:

Nicole Reid said...

I already know your big purchase as the Ronster told me. But I won't spoil the surprise for everyone else. I'd love to have an old camera for display. If you ever see one at a garage sale or on the "boulevard" let me know! Dad bought me my first camera too.

Karlyn Frantsen said...

Can't wait to find out!!!!

Susan said...

Not sure how I missed yesterday's post - especially since I was in it! Never saw that photo before....but I remember the swimsuit! I have always been a camera fan, too - can still remember my first one - can see it in my mind but do not remember what the model was called. I do know it was a Kodak. What else? My first SLR was a Minolta - which I got in college and followed up with a class in developing my own photos. Still have the second hand darkroom equipment I bought - I ALWAYS wanted a darkroom setup but that was never to be - at least not yet.

Susan said...

Based on your date stamp, I realize - this was the summer I broke my arms. Obviously photo was "pre-incident."

Real reason for a second comment: my favorite part of this blog entry was your handwritten caption on the artistic shot of your Schwinn: "good old bike."