Friday, April 20, 2007

Cameras and Rain Pants and Rain

Camera -- Wil has a point -- I should just see if I have a driver for my digital camera (or if one magically downloads, as they tend to do).  Of course, my real problem isn't that I can't find the disk -- I know where the disk probably is.  My real problem is that I lost the batteries and charger.  (I can find the batteries and charger for a digital camera I bought, like, ten years ago.  It has one whole Megapixel resolution and is bigger than a VHS tape -- and my computer fails to recognize it -- but at least I can charge the damn NiCads.)  Anyway, I'm going to have to investigate buying some new batteries (these were them nickel-metal-hydride ones -- I don't even know if those are still state of the art rechargables).  Seeing as Sony no longer makes my camera or my batteries, I have a feeling this is going to end with my buying a new camera.  I lie.  It will end when, after I've bought a new camera, I find the batteries and charger.

(Oh, and no, my sister (and her husband) aren't coming on the Alaska trip.  My sister prefers to vacation in places more like Hawaii.)

Rain Pants -- they fit!  Hooray!  (This was one of my diet goals.)  Those damn pants which I bought a couple years ago (right around when I bought the camera, come to think of it) that I haven't been able to get into since.  I am very happy about this.  (My ski pants, however, which I bought back when I was 25 pounds heavier -- not so much.  What with the suspenders, I look like a clown in them.) 

Rain.  OK, so, remember how I took my condo off the market because there's this crack in my ceiling and it's more serious than we thought so they have to patch the roof and rip out my walls and solve the leak and all that other stuff?  Well, it rained today.  And the crack in my ceiling split.  And rain came in.  On the piano.  (I discovered this tonight while trying on my activewear.  I took pictures.  Film camera.)  Phone call to some neighbors to act as witnesses and help me move (and dry) the piano (no water got inside, thank goodness).  Phone call to Management Company Emergency Line and boy, did my rep call me RIGHT BACK -- promising someone would be out tomorrow to put a temporary fix on that thing so it stops raining in my living room.  She suggested I tape some plastic on the ceiling in the meantime -- but my ceilings are kinda high and I can't reach it even standing on a chair.  It stopped raining (so far) and I just put a big trash bag on the carpet right UNDER the split in the ceiling and I'll just hope that'll take care of things until the contractor can get out here tomorrow.

I should get some sleep -- who knows how early she'll have some guy show up at my door with duct tape and a tarp.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope you get your ceiling fixed soon!  Glad it didn't ruin the piano.
Pam

Anonymous said...

First off, credit where credit is due: Congratulations on the continuing success of your diet. And many happy future weigh-ins with additional goals being met.

Condolences on the water damage to your piano (I am so envious that you have a piano). I, too, have been suffering the rain inside where it doesn't belong. In my case it's all over the place and roof repairs will cost on the order of a new economy car. Very much of a Catch-22 when you have no income. :(

Finally, I submit for your consideration the Pentax Optio WP. It is a waterproof, splashproof, dustproof 5 megapixel with a 3X optical zoom (ignore "digital zoom" claims -- it's useless) with a street price of less then $300 complete with everything you need to get started. By waterproof, we're talking a max depth of 3 meters for no more than 30 minutes, but I don't recommend use as an underwater dive or snorkel camera without a housing. Take it sailing, kayaking, to a water park or for that romantic stroll on the beach in the rain -- no worries, mate! Another nice feature is the lens is completely enclosed withing the camera case, meaning it cannot get sand or grit into the focusing mechanism so long as the seals are intact for the outer cover. Scratch the outer cover and the factory can fix it for a nominal sum because it's only a neoprene seal and a piece of polycarbonate. Your expensive Zeiss lens remains unscathed! No bigger than a pack of Virginia Slims and weighs very little. I carry one in my vest pocket most of the time these days. Battery life is OK, charger is fast and I always carry a spare battery with the camera.  Check out the specifications for yourself -- and then do some price comparisons to find your best deal -- this link was just one of many:

http://www.labellecameras.com/products.cfm/
Digital----------Video/Digital-Cameras/Underwater-Digital-Systems/
Pentax-Optio-WP-WaterproofSplashproof-IMP-259.html#spec