'Virtual Partner': Gateway to Extramarital Affair.

I swear to you I have gotten better about spending money. I'm so careful now. I watch every cent and I now realize there is no such thing as 'just $20' and I realize going to Target is a dangerous endeavor I should try to avoid.

However, our taxes came back from our extremely [fingers] creative [/fingers] accountant and Logan and I made a joint decision to each take a small amount of money we can spend on whatever we'd like.

Logan's decided to get a fancy GPS/Heart rate monitor for running. "It can tell you WHERE YOU ARE! Babe! I get a virtual partner and that's not cheating since I'm only running! It's so cool!"

Boooooorinnnnnng. But he's into it. It's his hobby.

I'd decided to buy a new storm door for the house and new wood blinds for the kids bedrooms and a long overdue haircut and highlighting. For the love of God a haircut. I need a haircut in the worst way. My hair is currently so bad that the best hair day I've had in a long time was this morning immediately after I got out of bed. When I showered and tried to re-dry it, the moment was gone. Back to ugly hair.

But then, I keep going back to something. Something I've wanted for a very long time. The Digital Rebel 300D. I have always loved taking pictures and I've taken some nice ones with my film Rebel and it's something I've been sad about since I got the SD110. My pictures...suck.

It's like going back to a point and shoot and I hate not having control over my photographs.

I'm not an excellent photographer by any means but when I get a great shot, I'm happy. When I look through our photo albums, there are some shots that are so good they melt my heart and make me ache for the babies I was photographing. With my original Rebel SLR the pictures I wanted to take sometimes showed up on the film as I pictured them when I shot the picture. Of course, film is expensive and processing the film, at $15-$25 a roll was ridiculously expensive. Especially considering it takes me about 10 shots to get one worthwhile photo.

So I decided to go digital. With the SD110, I can see the shots I'm getting and I'm not wasting money on pointless prints of shots taken while trying to get it just right. However, I rarely get the shot I imagined by the time I'm finished. I'm frustrated by my pictures and my inability to catch the image I want. Except at the bar. At the bar the images are exactly as I remember them. But I'm also drunk at the bar so I don't know if that's how I want to chronicle the growth of my family. Through a crappy point and shoot haze.

On the one hand I feel horribly guilty for wanting such a luxurious and selfish item. On the other hand, my kids are only this age once and when I think of all the cherished family images I'm missing out on with my inadequate point and shoot digital. I want to catch all these moments. And honestly, taking pictures is a hobby of mine and I'm willing to skip at least another year of professional haircuts and color for this luxury item.

Besides, it's my hobby and while Logan's hobby involves a 'Virtual Partner', mine involves the chronicling of our family's history. I think it's a worthwhile thing.

In the mean time, I'm obsessing like a maniac. So much so that here's my desktop (courtesy of Logan).

Wish me luck.