I was in BestBuy yesterday shopping for a new AC adapter for my laptop. Did you know those damn things run like $120.00????? Anyway…I managed to find a deal on an open-box item for $69.99, which is still too much in my opinion.

After I found that and some ink cartridges I did some browsing – usually a mistake for me in any store – and found myself at the digital camera display checking out the little point-and-shoot gadgets. Wow. It had obviously been a while since I had looked at the specs on any of these. 7MP some of them have!! And my Nikon D70 that I love and use for my “serious” work has six. (Actually, for my serious work I’m more likely to use the N80 or Mamiya 645…old-fashioned film cameras, both.)

Being the cheapskate savvy shopper that I am, the $129.99 price tag on one of them caught my eye – the Nikon Coolpix L4. Only 4MP, yes, but this thing has 15 scene modes, an 18x zoom AND a macro setting! And its a Nikon. I was sold. I did do a little homework and comparison shopping, however, and in the end decided that camera had the best set of features for the price. So…today I picked one up on eBay, new in the box, for a little over $100.00.

I can’t WAIT for it to get here! This may be just the jumpstart I need to get shooting again…

A while back my Google homepage had a Quote of the Day that went something like, If you think no one knows you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

People know I’m alive.  At the moment, however, they’re all screening their phone calls, and mine are the ones that go to voice mail.  Am I that big of a pest?  Really??  I’d rather someone told me instead of ignoring me, because right now my feelings are hurt and I feel like nobody gives a damn.  Outside of work, I think I could relocate tomorrow to a different solar system and no one would notice until I DID miss a car payment.  Even then it wouldn’t be anyone important.

Out of curiosity, I’m going to drop out of sight for a while and see how long it DOES take for people to notice.  I’m not calling anyone, I’m not sending any email, any text messages or any IMs.  So, Matt, Jeremy and Allison, among others – here’s the Jamie reprieve you’ve been waiting for.  How long will it take YOU?

In a way this goes back to my Dr. Suess post of a few days ago, and npanth’s comment about “say what you mean.”

Over the past several days I’ve traded several (rather flirty) emails with a guy on a matchmaking site that shall remain, for now, anonymous.

At any rate…after the flirty email exchange I got down to business and asked the recipient if he was interested in perhaps chatting on the phone or meeting for coffee.  His response?  “I’m kind of down on women right now.”

REALLY?!?  Is that so?  Then what, pray tell, are you doing trolling around on this site?  I realize I’m speaking generally, but most people don’t hang out on matchmaking sites if they’re not in the market to meet someone.

Either tell it like it is or shut the hell up.

I think I’m adopting Dr. Seuss’ quote as my new motto.

This guy was a lot wiser than he’s given credit for…

Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

Apparently my attempt at surfing has had an unintended consequence:  earaches.  Both my ears hurt so badly that I can’t sleep.  I’ve had a stuffy nose for the past couple of days anyway, and right now when I try to blow my nose it feels like my brains are trying to come out my ears.  Sorry for that mental image…

Have you ever felt like you’ve hurt someone, or made them angry, but you’re not sure what, or how, or even if?  I’m going through something like this right now with a friend.  At least I hope we’re still friends.

I don’t know how, or why, or if, because this person won’t communicate with me.  I’ve emailed, called, IM’d and text messaged, all to no avail.  Well, you say, maybe they’re busy.  Please don’t get me wrong…I understand busy.  I do.  But I don’t understand complete and total radio silence…it takes perhaps sixty seconds to type a quick email and click SEND.  I don’t understand how I can be expected to read someone else’s mind, either, especially when my crystal ball won’t be out of the shop until next week. AND, I flatly, irrevocably refuse to barter in the currency of hints with another adult, having left junior high school more than twenty years ago.

So, I ask, where does that leave me?  Do I value this person enough to expend some more energy trying to get to the bottom of this, or is it time to just say, “Hey, fuck you” and dropkick them out of my life?  Would they even notice, either way?  That’s the question that hurts…

Much like waterskiing and golf, its much harder than it looks!!

I just returned from my first lesson. I achieved several nice bruises, sand between my teeth and a stomach full of seawater, but not much surfing. But…in between spitting out saltwater and gasping for breath, my blonde, blue-eyed, Austrailian instructor made for some very nice scenery!!

I’m tired…

1. …of you hurting my feelings, whether you mean to or not.
2. …of crying because of you.
3. …of wondering what goes on in your mind.
4. …of your poor manners.
5. …of wondering what it is I’ve done, when it should be you asking that.
6. …of doing all the work, all the maintenance, with very little return.
7. …of feeling unimportant.
8. …of your crumbs.
9. …of you being a constant distraction.
10. …of being held back.

I’m just so very tired.  Actually, make that exhausted.

I’ve arrived safely in San Diego, after a long flight with three screaming toddlers and six hours without my lipstick.  The first day of my training was mind-numblingly boring, but short.  It’s now 2:38 in the afternoon, and I’m off to the zoo!!

Today this could turn into a long list, so bear with me…

• Never using a turn signal. For anything. This behaviour seems particularly rampant in metro Atlanta. Dammit people…what do you think those things were installed for??
• Threatening to blow up airplanes in midflight, the repercussions of which have  separated millions of women from their lip gloss.
• Waiters who sit down at your table to take your order. Dude…that’s just a little too familiar, thanks.
• Attempting to communicate with me through hints. For the love of God, how many times do I have to say this? It doesn’t work…it really just pisses me off.
• Ignoring email and phone messages. That’s just rude. And I don’t give a damn how busy you are…it takes sixty seconds or less to click on “reply” and type a few words. You know who you are.

OK, so that wasn’t terribly long. But its too bad the people its meant for never read here…