Update On My Camera Decision

After thinking long and hard for many days, battling back and forth with myself about which camera to buy, I finally reached a decision, pulled the trigger, and purchased a camera last night.

I decided to go with the Canon Powershot SX40 HS.
Blame the Moon. Taunting me for so long to take pictures of it, and me always trying with my measly 5X optical zoom to capture its glory in vain. I just couldn't pass up the extravagance of a 35X optical zoom (among many, many other great features on this camera). Also, I found a really good deal for the camera including accessories online. And honestly, it really isn't as big as those mammoth DSLRs...I think I just worked myself up about it, since it was definitely bigger than any little point and shoot I have owned. I can't wait to start playing around with it and figure out the best settings for when I go to Europe - which by the way, is now only a month away...ahhhhhh!!!!!!

Jeanine: 1
Moon:    0

To DSLR or Not to DSLR....

That is the question. Whether tis' wiser to purchase a less expensive mirror-less compact, or spend an outrageous fortune...

I have decided that I want to upgrade my little Canon point and shoot to something a bit nicer for my trip to Europe. My first instinct was to go for the best (entry level) DSLR on the market. But, as I researched the top cameras out there, it became apparent to me that it may be foolish to invest so much money for something that is just a casual passion. I am not looking to make a return on my camera by selling my pictures. I am really not going to be using my pictures for anything other than my own enjoyment (and the enjoyment of my family and friends, of course), and although I love the art of taking pictures and playing around with the settings and effects, it is ultimately not a serious enough hobby to warrant such a purchase. There is also the unappealing thought of lugging  a bulky piece of equipment around Europe with me. I would either be wearing this giant thing around my neck or wearing a camera bag, and I know I would always be worrying about bashing my camera into things, and that is definitely not the way I want to spend my time while hopping around Holland, Belgium, and France.

Still, the allure of a "fancy" camera nagged at me. Of course, the big draw with a DSLR is the option of changing lenses. That idea was very attractive to me, until I talked some sense into myself again. Lenses, of course, are one of the main components that make the camera high quality - and they don't come cheap. Lenses are quite often more expensive than the whole camera itself, and unless I am going to make some money on it, or at least get my money's worth out of all these expensive lenses- I really don't see the point.

So, there it is. I talked myself out of purchasing a DSLR....comforted by the fact that I could always get one if I really, really wanted one, and that by that point it would be better than what's on the market today anyway.
Fortunately for me, the more I research, the more I find that the non DSLR cameras are getting to be more and more DSLR quality every day. So, so long Canon Rebel T2i, T3i, and Nikon D5100. I will save the extra hundreds I would have spent on you for a rainy day....or spend it in Europe. ;)

Now that I have decided against a DSLR, I have narrowed my choices down to two cameras; the Canon Powershot SX40 HS, or the Sony Cybershot HX9V. I am seriously torn between these two. The Canon has a staggering 35X optical zoom, and it does allow for filters to be used with the lens. But, it is still pretty bulky and awkward...and the bulkiness was, as mentioned, one of the turn offs for me when I considered the DSLRs. I really don't want to lug the thing around - not just in Europe, but anywhere.

The Sony was brought to my attention by my brother. My brother is one of the smartest guys I know- without being biased and without exaggeration. He, like myself, wants to buy the top of the line in pretty much anything, especially anything tech related. We get this need for superiority from our mom. She always had top of the line - from gadgets, to our Ethan Allen furniture, to our cars, to clothes and so on. She had a couple of extremely expensive Konica Minolta cameras - which we still have, and are still quality, but are obviously antiquated at this point in time, not to mention huge and heavy, but I digress...My brother really knows his stuff, especially where cars (he isn't general manager of a car dealership for nothing) and cameras are concerned, so I value his advice much more than any online reviews. He had recently bought a DSLR and returned it after a little use. The size was an annoyance for him as well. He told me that he had researched and found that the Sony (Sony, by the way actually has bought out Konica Minolta) was among the best on the market - and it was small enough to fit in his pocket! The specs are very close to the Canon. They even use the same CMOS sensor. The HX9V also has a patented panorama technology that allows you to simply sweep the camera from side to side to get an amazing panoramic picture.  Also, it has a wide angle lens, like the Canon, which was a big concern for me. The only potential downfall I had with the Sony was that it didn't have as much zoom (which is clearly why it is so much more compact), it does have a really great 16X optical zoom, which is nothing to sneeze at...but obviously it is not as impressive as a 35X optical zoom. As silly as it may be, that is my hang up.
"I want to be able to take pictures of the moon!" I said, to which my brother sensibly replied;
"Jeanine, how many times are you going to take pictures of the moon and how many times are you going to take pictures of friends and family?"
Point taken.
But I never said I was always sensible and rational. I told him that there were at least 20 times in recent memory where I have wanted to take a picture of the moon! ;)

I spoke with Lenny about the choices I was trying to make, including my stubborn, ridiculous hang up on shooting the moon - and he brought up a good compromise, he suggested we get a digital telescope at some point. I promptly looked up prices and images of the moon (and planets) taken from digital telescopes and found that they were pretty friggin' amazing. However, it would not be instant gratification as we most likely wouldn't be getting this digital telescope anytime soon...so, I remain utterly confused about which camera to purchase. I will let you know which one I eventually choose. It's a fun conundrum to have though, isn't it?

A Pleasant Surprise

I am usually one to hope for the best and expect the worst. Not in any extremely negative way...I would just say I'm optimistically cautious. So, naturally, I was needlessly worried about having given myself enough time to have my passport renewed. The travel.state.gov site told me that the current processing time for renewing a passport was 4-6 weeks, and I was cutting it kinda close by sending in my renewal application about 9 weeks before my trip.

Of course there was also the alarming notion that I messed up my application. I had all but convinced myself I had not followed the strict guidelines correctly, and would surely be receiving notification of my failure any day- to make my renewal deadline that much shorter i.e., even more nerve racking. I obsessively checked the passport site to see the status of my renewal, and was always met with the same vague, not so informative or reassuring message: "processing". So, I called the number listed on the passport site to speak to a real, live person. Surely a real, live person would be able to elaborate even just a little bit more on the status of my passport, right? Wrong. I was informed that I would have to send a hand written letter with my questions to get any specific answers. Ugh.

Welp, two weeks after I had sent in my passport renewal application I got a text from Lenny saying I had received official government mail. I knew it. I screwed up. The only good thing is that it was only two weeks in. I texted Lenny back that I was probably denied my passport, and could he please open up the envelope and tell me what it was? A moment later his reply was "hint: the pic is cute!"

I had been so resigned to the fact that I was going to be denied, that I didn't even entertain the idea that I would receive my passport so soon! It hadn't even been a full two weeks, let alone two business weeks, yet when I opened the envelope there it was- my new passport, in all it's official government document glory. Looking just as important and official as ever. Crises averted. I can follow directions after all! I can now rest easy knowing I can officially travel to my foreign destinations. It was a good day.

Come on with the rain, I've a smile on my face...

Just a little something that popped into my head...

My best friend Becky was in Orlando this past weekend. Now, Orlando isn't exactly next door. It's actually about 3 hours away from where I live. However, when the distance between you and your best friend is about 1,500 miles away and you only get to see each other every 6 months or so, you go out of your way to meet up no matter what. Even if it's only for a few hours.

Since Becky was staying smack dab in the middle of theme park paradise, we had many choices for fun places to go. We narrowed those places down to two Disney theme parks; Epcot or Hollywood Studios- (Which I will always call "MGM", just like I never stopped calling the Boston Garden "The Garden")We finally decided on MGM...errr... Hollywood Studios.

I recommend going to places like Disney with your best friend. I mean, if you already have a blast in regular, humdrum, every day life, then naturally when going to one of the happiest places on Earth, your fun increases ten fold. Add in the love of taking billions of pics, most which include cheesy poses, and/or taking the time to try some trick photography, and you are beyond being in your element. But now I am rambling, so I digress....

While on a beer break somewhere between seeing "The Voyage of the Little Mermaid" and the "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" play area, Becky and I studied our map of the park- scouring for attractions that we wanted to see. Right away my eyes fell on "The Great Movie Ride"- a ride that whisked you through the most memorable moments of many great films throughout the years. That obviously had my name all over it, and was targeted as our next ride to go on.

Like all attractions in Disney parks, we had a bit of a line to wait in before getting on the ride. Luckily, while you wait they pacify you by playing the old movie trailers of all the movies that are highlighted on the ride. One of the movies being "Singin' in the Rain". One of my all time favorites. Even just watching the trailer filled me with the kind of happiness that is so warm and comfortable- so familiar it brings a tear to your eyes. That wonderful feeling...just from the trailer!

So tonight, after the Patriots game (Super Bowl bound yahoooo!!!!!) I went to good ole' youtube and looked up probably one of the most famous scenes in cinematic history- the singin' in the rain scene. Pure euphoria. I really don't think there is any movie that can fill me with the absolute childlike joy that the singin' in the rain scene does. Maybe, and this is a big maybe, The Sound of Music comes close.

Anyway, after I got my fill of happiness and my guaranteed teary eyes, I got to thinking...Where is that magic in cinema now? I know there have been some amazing movies in recent time, but there really was something special, something elusive, something that can never be replicated again about that specific period. Was it the film in place of the exponentially expanding video technology of today? The Technicolor? The black and white? The music? The dancing? The talent? Probably all of it. It is bittersweet that the enchantment in a film like Singin' in the Rain will probably never be duplicated again. It makes me feel kinda sad that I was not around to take part in the romance of living in that time, though I am grateful to be able to watch these great films and feel a small part of it. Maybe though, if things were as magical now in movies as then...we wouldn't be able to appreciate those wonderful moments as much. Or maybe, 60 years from now, people will be feeling the same way I am about a movie like Chicago or Titanic and lamenting the fact that they were not around to live in such a time. But at this moment, after watching that beautiful and genuinely genius singing and dancing in the rain...I'm quite sure that is not going to be the case. Hollywood's "Golden Age" was called the golden age for a reason. I'm just happy we have some kind of access to that glorious, and wonderful space in time.

Thoughts About Amsterdam

Now I know I am officially old. Everytime someone finds out that one of the countries I am visiting will be Holland...more specifically that one of my main stops in Holland will be Amsterdam, the first thing they inquire about is if I plan on smoking weed, since it is legal to smoke in the coffee shops and all. My lame answer? "I don't know...maybe."

Young Jeanine wants to kick my ass. Who would go to Amsterdam without the number one intention of smoking it up? Old, fuddy duddy, post 20's Jeanine, I guess. I am much more interested in the architecture, the history, the culture, the food. I am very curious to try some Indonesian cuisine. I am also making it a point to try "Stroopwafels" which is supposedly two very thin waffle like layers stuck together with some super delicious, really bad for you, sugary sweet gooey goodness. That is at the top of my "food I need to try there" list.

I also love the fact that Amsterdam is similar to Venice- my favorite city in the world. I am eager to see if it can even remotely rival the charm of the amazingly beautiful "Queen of the Adriatic", but I seriously doubt it.
You know, now that I think about it, I also have no desire to wander into the red light district. At all. It kind of scares me actually!But I digress...More than just Amsterdam, I can't wait to see the windmills and the country side and hopefully...the tulips! And I am totally planning on buying some wooden shoes. I have wanted a pair since I was a toddler and watched Shirley Temple clog dance her little child star ass off in the movie "Heidi."

So there are my thoughts on visiting Holland. If I smoke, I smoke. (It is not even really, really legal there...there are some very strange laws regarding the smoking and distribution of marijuana.) If I don't smoke, it is no big deal. I am more interested in the country itself.
 Don't even get me started on how much I want to see and do and taste in France...and Belgium! This should certainly be an amazing trip.

Another Travel Adventure Looming

So, I am very excited. I am going to be traveling out of the country again- Holland, Belgium, and France! Everything is booked, everything is set. In some ways I don't think it has really set in yet that I am going to be embarking on another adventure into foreign lands. Maybe it's just too far away at the moment, and seems like a distant, hazy plan. That must be it.

As it turns out, my passport expired this month - January 2012. Getting a new passport picture has already been an adventure. I figured I would just go to Walgreens, as I knew that they took passport photos and that it was much more convenient for me to get to than anywhere else. FAIL. It took 4 people and about 45 minutes to figure out how to take a picture with the right dimensions and print it out. At one point I was helping them navigate their own system, but unfortunately they still could not grasp what they were doing. They took my picture about 5 times until finally a manager (that I had asked for from the very start) came up and finished the transaction in probably under 30 seconds. Gotta love incompetence.

Anyway, I can't wait to add my stories on here- and I again feel so fortunate to have the opportunity to see all these amazing places, and experience all these different cultures. I love adventures!!!!

Simply Richard

*I wish I could remember the rest of this story..this is a draft that I was writing a few years ago, so I figured I would post it, even though it is not even near complete, and I can't recall the details as precisely as I could have back then, so I dare not try and finish it. For what it is, though, it's funny.*

I know I have led a very interesting and action packed life thus far, peppered with a colorful cast of characters along the way. I realize that I tend to attract many adventures and lots of..."unique" people. I was once told by a friend;

"As far as crazy people go, you are like the flame and they are the moth - I have never seen anything like it, weird people just gravitate toward you!"

It's a very true statement, and honestly, I would have it no other way (as long as they aren't violent, or dangerously crazy people..which none have been to date)


So, let me get on with my point to all of this....which is that after this weekend, I don't think anyone can ever surprise or shock me again...I don't think I'll ever quite be the same. After all, this was the weekend I met Richard.

Let me elaborate; Lenny, Steve and I were invited to have dinner at an acquaintance of Lenny's. His name is Ron.
Ron is a character himself. A rather jovial fellow in his mid 40's, who it seems has had a bit of a wild past. He since has "grown up" as he puts it. He has settled down and appears to have found strength in being an avid Christian. He married a sweet little Brazilian lady named Elsa who also has the same religious zeal as himself. They reside a few towns over from us in a cute little home that is also occupied by Elsa's daughter Isabella....and the aforementioned Richard.

None of us had the slightest clue what this evening would entail. We certainly weren't warned about Richard (which I think makes it all the better actually) and went into this whole evening rather blindly.

So upon arrival at Ron's house, Lenny, Steve and I stood in the hallway of his home saying our hello's to his wife and being introduced to Isabella, Elsa's daughter - just then a rather large man emerged from another room and in a booming voice he exclaimed;

"HEY!!! I THOUGHT I HEARD A BUNCH OF PEOPLE OUT HERE...OF COURSE I HAD TO COME OUT AND SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON!"

His movements were erratic and jerky, he was wide-eyed and seemed rather pleasant. "Maybe he just has a lack of volume control"  I thought at first.

He discovered that we were from Boston right off the bat and, as he hailed from Brooklyn, a friendly rivaled raucous ensued....complete with him shouting the very cliche'd "PAAHHHK THA CAAAHHHH IN HAAAAAAVID YAAAHHHHHD" at us.
He then proceeded to the living room where he sat down on the couch and cracked open a can of cheese wiz.
As we got a tour of the house he would intermittently hear random shouting from him emanating from the living room. Usually in the form of swears.

Eventually we all migrated over to the living room. Richard sat now with TWO cans of Cheese Wiz on either side of him and a sleeve of crackers. He put on the UFC fights and seemed very content. Somehow we all got engaged in a discussion

* I am adding what I remember from that night. Richard told us that had been in and out of jail for years. He was a notorious thief, as well as a tough guy..and he had been through it all and done every drug imaginable..  Apparently if he was arrested one more time he would be sentenced to life in prison.
He told us he had been heading down the wrong path until one day he saw God. Literally talked with him, interacted with him, felt him... and from then on, he was a changed man. Ron, an old friend of his, took him into his home, and he was given a new chance at living an honest life. He said he was writing a book titled; "Simply Richard". I would definitely buy it if it ever comes out. That's all I can remember....though I will never, ever forget Richard. How could I?