No Upgrade Necessary

On Friday afternoon, I called a local camera store to see if they had the new Nikon I wanted in stock. I had been eyeing this new camera for months and decided I really, really wanted it. It's a great camera, one is different from and better than my other two cameras for a few reasons, and by Friday afternoon I decided those reasons were enough to pull the trigger and make the purchase. I was certain I'd have it before the weekend was over.

However, yesterday I had a shoot and did something I haven't done since the early days of my photography business. I used only one camera and one lens. Typically, during a shoot, I'll use both cameras and interchange any one of three lenses depending on the shot I am trying to get. But yesterday, I used only my Nikon D300s and a 50mm/1.4G lens. I didn't set out to do this. It just kind of happened, but I am glad it did. This reenforced something I've heard time and time again: Better equipment does not make you a better photographer.

I am pretty proud to say that with limited equipment, I was still able to capture all of the images below. It didn't hurt that I had Nicole, Steve and Maddie in front of my lens either. This family is just the best. And such good friends to boot.

So will I get this new camera? Yes, probably sometime next year. But yesterday's shoot made me step back and realize that it's not an immediate need. I can do just fine with the equipment I have and the skills I have learned over the past three-and-a-half years. Confidence is so much better than a new camera.

To Nicole, Steve and Maddie, thanks for a fun afternoon. I can't wait to do this all again with baby number two!

Manuals and Manual

First of all, I want to say thank you for the many kind comments you all left on my last post. I felt better immediately after I hit publish. And then after having read your comments, truly appreciated what great friends/readers I have. Not to mention, it was good to know that I'm certainly not alone in feeling this way every now and again.

I do have to admit though, that I felt better immediately after hitting publish for another entirely different reason as well. It meant I could play with my new camera! It was delivered as I was drafting that post. And let me tell you, it was like Christmas at that moment. I practically tackled the poor FedEx guy who delivered it. He must have thought I was crazy because he also knew I had been virtually stalking him all day. I had to sign for the package otherwise they wouldn't leave it. I was practically perched at my window when the truck pulled up not wanting to miss him. I raced downstairs to greet the guy and he's says to me:

Are you Amy?
Yes.
You've been checking this haven't you?
Yes.
More than three times?
Oh yeah, a lot more than three times.
Yeah, I know. This things goes off every time you check (he says pointing to his scanner/signature machine)
Oh really?
Yeah, you almost wore my battery out.

End scene.

But I have my camera now. I've taken a couple hundred pics since getting it and am completely and totally smitten. It's features are so much more intuitive to the way I shoot, and I can control a lot more of the manual features a lot easier. Actually all it has are manual features. There's no full-on auto setting for this camera. It can go partially auto, but it's always going to want me to make some kind of decision. That's just fine by me. I've shot full on manual for most of this past year.

I did run into a bit of a snag with it this morning. I started processing some of the many images I've taken over the past few days. You see, I'm trying to make sure I have all of the kinks worked out before tomorrow morning. I've got a photo shoot then and want to be confident enough with this camera to use it. I am but it's gonna change the way I do things. I won't get into specifics because I'll bore you all and myself to death with the details. However, I will say that it's not completely compatible with the version of photoshop that I have and that threw me for a loop this morning.

So what you'd probably wondering is, so how do your pics look. They look good. Here are just a few shots I took while walking around Millennium Park on my Friday lunch hour:

Funny side note: I was not planning on taking these dudes picture. But as I was walking by, the one in the white shirt said, "Hey! Take our picture." I said, "Why would you want me to take your picture?" He said "Because you have a camera." It seemed as good a reason as any, and since I wanted to see how my new camera took portraits, I did. The pose though, the pose was all theirs.

When I went to Millennium Park, I also took my manual. Yes, I am the girl who reads her camera manual.  I took it specifically because there is one big feature of this camera that my old one didn't have. I had no idea how to use this new setting but thanks to my manual I figured it out. So what does it do? It does this:



Now I don't plan on adding video to my repertoire. As you can tell by the shaky video above, it's not really my forte. But it's nice to have it. And the quality is so much better than the video on my point and shoot.

So yeah! I have a new camera!

Purchased In A Flash

I made what may have been a rash purchase this afternoon. Remember that lens I want so badly? Well I still want it, but don't have it. Instead, I bought a flash.

This flash is a significant upgrade to the one that is affixed to my camera. I hate my on-camera flash. I never use it. NEVER. It's garish, it's unflattering, it's way too strong and it leaves these harsh shadows. Allow Leroy to demonstrate:




Now Leroy is a very cute cat, but this flash does nothing for him. Without the flash though, there just isn't enough light. I can't hold my camera still enough, and the slightest movement by my subject is detected so my photos always go blurry. Allow Oscar to demonstrate:



My new flash is not harsh. It has a swiveling head, so instead of a pop up flash that fires directly into a person's face, this one provides a wider range of options. In fact, I don't even point theflash directly at my subject. Instead, I point it at the ceiling or some other close surface and allow the diffused light to float down to my subject. This diffused light gives a more even, balanced and true-to-the-moment photo. Allow Itchy and Oscar to demonstrate:




So much better! And actually this purchase wasn't really that rash. I have a running list of camera equipment I want to purchase/invest in. The items are even listed in order of importance. And this flash was certainly on the list - actually only a step on my importance ranking behind the lens I want and can't get at the moment. Plus, this flash was cheaper than the lens, so really it's a win-win.

With this new piece of camera equipment, I can head into my shoot this coming Friday without a care in the world. I'm covered should we need to head indoors. Now if only I could decide what to wear for the Sears family photos. Let's just say I haven't yet taken the mullet wig off the table as an option.

I hope you all have a tasty Turkey Day!

Yes, This Is All I Have

I was trying to think of something small, any short and simple lessons I have learned as of late. And really, only one thing came to mind: my new toothbrush. In the midst of much errand running this weekend, Mike and I did our grocery shopping. I hemmed and hawed for a little while in the dental aisle before finally settling on an electric toothbrush.

It's amazing. My teeth have not felt so clean since my last dentist check up. I'm set to go in for my six month check up in a few weeks and I can't wait to tell my dentist about how great my new brush is. But also, I'm kind of scared to go in. Every time she cleans my teeth, she scolds me for not flossing enough. This is after she has modeled how to floss my teeth and subsequently made my gums spew forth blood like I didn't think was possible for gums to spew forth blood. And if I'm being completely honest, I got this toothbrush in part because I hoped to impress her with my sparkling white teeth. So what's the lesson here? I'm afraid of my dentist. I think. Wait, no. That's not really a lesson.

I'm sorry. This is all I have. I write less and then when I do it's about electronic toothbrushes. But do any of you have one? Or am I alone here? Yes, toothbrushes. This is it.

At least I updated my mini photo on the right side of the page. That will be my next blog post, so rest assured it will not be another post about dental care.

How Stuff Works

The Amtrak train ride from Chicago to Detroit takes five hours. That's when the train runs on time so usually it takes longer. This past weekend, it took 5 1/2 hours on the way to Detroit and six hours to get back to Chicago.

I know this route well. I've taken it during the day and at night, during Christmas and in the dead of summer. In the past few years, my train trips have become less frequent as Mike and I usually take his car. But just because I don't take the train, it doesn't mean I'm out of practice. I know how to prepare for a train ride.

It's a long haul so I try to prepare for it all. I dress in layers. I bring food with me (train food isn't any better than plane food). I bring lots of reading materials. This time I had three magazines and two books. I of course make sure my phone is fully charged, but I only use it to call my mom so she knows when to pick me up. I'm not one to catch up with old friends in public settings.

By far though, the most important thing I bring is my iPod. Mainly because there are people on the train who like to catch up with old friends in public settings. Or people who bring radios on the train. Seriously, loud audible radios. So their owners can listen to ghetto rap. True story. Guy behind me on this last train ride on the way back.

With every train ride I find the general public more annoying and less considerate, so as of late no matter how many reading materials as I bring, I hardly read them. I need my iPod to drown out all the general rudeness surrounding me. Books just don't cut it.

I don't always want to listen to music, so I've been trying to mix up my playlist. The last few trips I've taken, I've been all about free podcasts. I've downloaded a lot of This American Life episodes, as well as Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. This last time, I also downloaded Real Time with Bill Maher as well as the The Rachel Maddow Show. But by far my favorite new podcast is called Stuff You Should Know.

Stuff You Should Know is from the Web site How Stuff Works. Two of the writers take questions readers submit to the web site and then make a podcast lasting anywhere from 5 minutes to 25 minutes about the topic. My first time listening to this podcast was on the train, but I was completely hooked from the first episode. I listed to several of the episodes I downloaded, and thanks to them learned the following:
- The government had a hand in creating the San Francisco drug culture of the 60s. (Episode: Did the CIA test LSD on unsuspecting Americans?)
- That some people use the "C" rock as evidence that the moon landing was faked. (Why do some people think the mood landings were a hoax?)
- If you invest in a 401(k) it it possible that you've invested in a piece of your own mortgage.(How mortgage-backed securities work.)
- Some scientists say that around 70,000 years ago most of the human population on earth was wiped out and had to repopulate itself from just 15,000 people. (Will we soon be extinct?)
- There are water purification facilities on earth today that are turning salt water into drinking water. (What exactly happens if we run out of water?)
- There is a garbage pile twice the size of Texas at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. (Recycling and the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.)
- Roughly 400,000 identity theft cases every year can be attributed just to pre-approved credit card applications. (How does junk mail work?)

Interesting stuff. There's a ton more. I think they record a new podcast every Tuesday and Thursday. So the next time you find yourself on a train, I highly recommend this podcast. Unless you're the type a person who likes hearing strangers catch up with old friends. Because if that is the case you'll have all the entertainment you need.

The New And Improved Me

My interest in photography as a semi-serious hobby is increasing. To aid in my thirst for knowledge of all things photographic, I've been trying to relearn Photoshop. I say relearn because I knew a little about this program for a little while. That knowledge has since escaped my brain, and I'm basically having to start from scratch.

On a recent trip to Borders, I purchased a discounted digital photography book. The beginning of the book teaches the reader about functions and settings of the camera. The second half describes different applications in and uses of Photoshop. I've found the second half of the book very useful thus far.

Photoshop does more than I could possibly learn in several sittings, so I began with the lesson I thought most useful - how to retouch photos. In other words, I'm learning how to make myself and those I love look more attractive in photo. It's as simple as a soft blur of the skin, a whitening of the eyes, the removal a blemish or two and lightening bags under the eyes. It's fantastic. Heck, I'm even making my teeth whiter without the $300 procedure.And I'm learning to Photoshop in a subtle enough way so my improvements look natural. It's kind of like good plastic surgery. But free! And painless!

To demonstrate, below are two photos of me. The first is in it's original form. And the second, gussied up with a little Photoshop magic.




















Better! And this photo also reminds me of how desperate in need I am of a good cut and color. All the Photoshop skills in the world couldn't make my current do look anywhere near as good as it does in the photos above, aka the last time I got a hair cut.

The Ups and Downs of My Day

Today was a mixed bag of sorts. I had high moments and one very low moment.

Let's start with the lows: I missed my run this morning. I got up in time to go but didn't have an MP3 player or headphones, so I convinced myself that there was no way I could run 2.5 miles at the gym without any noise distraction. I went back to bed and instead caught an earlier train to work. I was at the office and ready to work by 9 a.m., having left home at 8 a.m. I didn't get home until 7 p.m. tonight and I've still got work to do. Yuck. I've got a lot of work these days.

Speaking of work, the lowest low point of my day came at about 11 a.m. this morning. I was on my way to the printer when I paused for a moment just outside my office door, then turned on my heel and fell to the ground. And it wasn't a slow, graceful fall where something caught me on my way down and slowed my descent. It was an epic fall - a fall where I stumbled, slammed into the printer, said "oh my goodness!" on the way down and then proceeded to land on my hip and scatter the stack of paper I had been holding in my hand. I shudder to think of how cartoonish the whole thing must have looked. Thankfully I don't think anyone saw me, but they certainly heard me. People came out of their offices to see if I was OK. I'm OK, minus a bruised forearm and right hip.

What exactly caused my fall you ask? I'm not that clumsy, so this fall can officially be categorized as a wardrobe malfunction. It was the combo of black pants and shoes I was wearing. The black pants have a cuff that is just the right height to catch the heel of the shoes I was wearing. I've stumbled before while wearing this pant/shoe combo, but I always managed to catch myself. Today I did not, and as a result spent the rest of the day walking around with as wide a stance as possible while doing some modified high-footed Clydesdale step. I must have looked like an idiot, but at least I didn't fall again. And my lesson has been learned. I will not be wearing those pants with those shoes again.

And now to the good. My day may have started void of an MP3 player but I ended it with an iPod. I lost (really left) my iPod in a Macy's earlier this month. The timing was unfortunate because I lost it less than a week into my Shamrock Shuffle training. Not being able to justify the purchase of a new iPod, I purchased a gently used one off eBay. I unfortunately sent it back to the seller five days later when I realized it was never going to accept or keep a charge. I received confirmation that the seller received my iPod. I then waited to hear when I was going to receive a new one or a refund. I waited. And I waited. And I waited. In the meantime, I used Mike's MP3 player. Thank goodness for it, but his and my music selections vary. While my running mixes consist of a lot of top 40 and girly pop, generally things I like to dance to, Mike exercises to what I refer to as loud, hard, angry music. Luckily, we meet somewhere in the middle at Weezer.

I checked the shipping confirmation on my iPod today and began to get worried. USPS said it was delivered yesterday. Funny, I did not see it in my mailbox yesterday. Thankfully it was waiting by my front door when I got home from work. I can't wait to load my music and make the most ridiculous Top 40, girly pop running mix I can.

I've already decided tomorrow will be a better day than today. I plan to start tomorrow by getting my morning run in and hopefully (fingers crossed) not falling at any point during my work day.

Cats, You've Been Warned

Holy crap. I'm not going to lie. I've spent all morning playing with my new toy, and holy crap is it awesome. You know what this means? More and better photo shoots with the cats. Because I don't have enough photos of the cats already.

I just realized, this post currently makes it the third cat-related entry on this page. Whatever, call me a crazy cat lady all you want (Nicole!). I can take it.

Just As I Suspected

Mike and I did get our helicopter toys this week. I haven't played with mine yet, but Mike couldn't resist opening his as soon as he got it. Before he burnt out the motor (after 15 minutes of play - stupid cheap POS's!), he had some fun. And just as I suspected, it was the at the cats' expense.

(I'd suggest turning down the volume before you play these. The sound it set pretty loud. Also, even though only Mike can be heard laughing, please know that I was as soon as stopped recording.)

TGIF

I was going to blog about how terrible this week has been. How I haven't worked out in almost two weeks. About how I'm just now finally getting over a cold that set in shortly after my cookie baking commenced. How Mike and I slept in different rooms all week on account of all the sneezing and snoring attributed to our colds (he was sick too). How two snow storms struck Chicago and the only upside to that was testing out my new kick ass snow boots. Other than that, this week pretty much felt like a wash. It was just a blur of sneezing, sniffling, restless nights, lazy evenings, unproductive work days and a home that would not clean itself.

Then Mike and I exchanged our Christmas gifts tonight. And when I saw he got me a fancy new camera I had been molesting in electronics stores every chance I got, it all melted away. My week was over. Sure it wasn't great, but it sure as hell ended on a good note.

Home Improvements

Mike and I got a new piece of furniture this weekend. The last thing we need is a new piece of furniture. We have plenty of furniture. If anything, maybe too much furniture.

It is the after effects of combining two lives and two homes worth of furnishings. When I moved to Mike's home in August, I got rid of most of my belongings because Mike's home was far from bare bones.

He has a 55-inch TV, an L-shaped couch (with fold out queen size bed), an eight person dining/poker table, a coffee table, a queen sized bed with matching end tables and a dresser. And that's only our bedroom and the main room. The run off furniture is crammed in the second bedroom - a full size bed, book shelf, clothing storage unit and an L-shaped glass top desk.

With everything we already have I was less than thrilled when Mike told me his brother was bringing a chair for us when he came to visit this weekend. I had no idea where we'd put it. This chair would take some serious furniture rearrangement if not purging. Mike told me if we didn't want to keep it, we could always sell it. But now that we have the chair I will tell you, we are not selling it.

You see, I love this chair. This chair is not just any chair. This chair massages. And not mere isolated vibrations here and there massaging. It has settings, lots of settings. It rolls. It taps. It rolls and taps. It has gentle and hard settings. It can go wide across the shoulders or narrow across the waist. It even has a leg massage.

Right now our new piece of furniture is in the living room blocking passage to and from the couch. And it will sit there until we make room for it, and we will make room. Because after about 5 minutes in this chair I learned that I cannot (will not!) live without it.

Cycling Craze

So I went to Morocco. But no, this is not a post about Morocco. I have done what I always do with travel posts. I've made it too much in my mind. I can't think of how to say everything I want to say and sort my photos and share everything I want to share, so I've done nothing. Well not nothing. I have been doing things as of late besides stewing over how to share Morocco with the good people of the Internet.

I got a bike last weekend. Actually Mike and I both got bikes, and in the matter of four days we became people who bike. We even biked this weekend. Mike and I decided go camping in Rockford, Ill. this weekend, despite a weather forecast that said it would be anything but pleastant: a high in the upper 80s with high humidity, windy mid day and a chance of thunderstorms during the day and over night. Sadly, the weather channel was right on with its predictions. Mike tried fishing mid day, but it was too windy. We built three fires - the first two got rained out. We purchased a tent fan because as promised it was very humid. We finally called it quits when a DNR officer came by our tent this morning to inform us there had been a car break-in and theft overnight. After giving him statements about the unruly teens camping next to us the previous night, we threw up our hands in surrender and started breaking down camp... right about when the fifth round of showers started moving in. But we at least got in a quick bike ride in the previous night, so I guess even with all the rain, the weekend wasn't a total wash.

But about those Morocco photos and stories.... I'll get to them. I promise. And I think in the interest of actually getting them up, I'll probably just upload photos and keep the descriptions short. The photos pretty much speak for themselves any way. It was a great trip, full of beautiful scenery that I hope to share with you all sooner rather than later.

Centro-spific

My search for a new phone has not been easy. I have cell phone issues, with both service and selection.

My Verizon contract has been up since September. I have been casually browsing for a new phone and carrier since, but did not get serious until November. I spent a couple of weeks researching phones and finally found one. The day I went to purchase it, I was told by a sales associate that as of that morning, Sprint was no longer selling the phone. I still see Rumors in Sprint stores but figure my experience with trying to purchase one was a bad sign.

I moved on and spent another month researching phones. During down hours at work, I was surfing CNET and every major carriers Web site religiously. After deciding I was not ready for a full blown smartphone (a la the Treo or Blackberry) and music wasn't a big factor (see, Juke or Walkman), I settled on this. Many reviews said this phone was perfect for people looking for their first smartphone. I loved it mainly for it's tasks list and calendar functions. It is made by Palm after all.

With my sights set on this phone, I set out once again on my lunch hour to purchase a cell phone. I went to the Sprint store across from my office, however they only had the phone in pink. I am not a pink phone kind of girl. The sales associate also told me she didn't know of any stores in the Loop that had red Centros in stock. Instead of spending the next hour or so scouring the city streets, I went back to work and made some calls. The associate was right. None of the downtown stores had it in red. They said check back in a week.

After unsuccessful calls this weekend to stores near my home, I tried again today. At work I made three calls. No luck: Three stores, none with the phone I want. They had pink or black, but not red. Not wanting to wait another month, I went online. My Verizon bill recharges on the sixth of every month. If I didn't get this taken care of soon, I might as well wait until March so I wouldn't be paying double.

I started filling out the appropriate boxes and not long into placing my order for new service an IM chat opened up. "Jessica" walked me through my checkout and even offered me a $50 discount off my first bill just for using her throughout my purchase. And yes, I had no problems getting a red phone online. My Centro should ship tonight and be here tomorrow.

My lesson learned here is sometimes what seems too easy is just that - easy.

This has been personally a record-breaking year in terms of electronic purchases. The cell phone will complete my trifecta of electronic upgrades: cell phone, laptop and digital camera. But don't worry. I'm not getting all fancy. I'm still the same old girl with a tin foil TV antenna.

Calling All Cell Phones

I have been cell phone shopping lately. I am officially out of my Verizon contract and can quit it any time I want to. (I kind of sound like an addict.) Since I don’t hate my current phone or service (minus their poor customer service), I haven’t rushed out to get the newest, latest and greatest model. I have instead been browsing. Browsing though has lead me to one conclusion: there are too many options.

I visited an AT&T (formerly Cingular) store. I browsed to a Sprint (joined with Nextel) store. I shopped at T-Mobile. Not to mention, I have read countless reviews on CNET.com. Doing all this has been helpful, but there is too much. And I do not necessarily mean too much in terms of a providers or models, I mean there is simply too much that comes with a cell phone these days. Apparently, we as a people have evolved far beyond nine digits and a send button.

All the latest and coolest and newest phones are too advanced for me (or I’m too remedial for them). I do not need the ability to check my email on my cell phone. Frankly, I’m just not that important. And I certainly don’t want work to have the ability to reach me while I’m in the comfort of my own home - unless someone thinks it important enough to call me. I don’t want to watch TV on a mini-cell phone screen. I don’t have cable at home, so why would I feel it necessary to watch it on my phone? I don’t care to get the latest sports and news sent to me as they happen. I’m not going to download music and listen to it on my phone. I have an iPod, which I considered to a big techie purchase for me. Guess I’m not nearly as visionary as the people at Apple. Turn by turn navigations and GPS locators seem great, but these features just seem a little too Big Brother. There’s just so much. Case and point: In Japan, your cell phone can confirm if you need to pop a breath mint.

I do think these services are great, but I know I don’t ultimately need them. They seem like more ways to tune out the world. And being a girl that’s on public transit often enough, sometimes it is necessary to block out the world in my immediate surroundings. Call me old fashion, but I’d rather do that with a book than by responding to work emails. I remember when I got my current phone, the salesman talked up Verizon’s Vcast service. He showed me how clear the sound quality was and how crisp music videos looked on the screen of my new phone. You know how many times I’ve used that feature? None. You know how many times I’ve used the tip calculator? More than I can count. See, I’m a simple girl.

There are basic phones on the market, made for people like me, but they are few and far between. And those I have been able to find, the reviews are not so great. It’s as if all the phone companies have given the fresh out of school engineers and designers these phones while all the top notch guys are creating phones that will someday tele-transport people and raise their children. Again, these are just services I don’t see myself needing.

I’ll continue my search and probably make a purchase before the end of the year. Lord knows though, what ever I do buy will already be considered outdated by the time I get it home. But as long as the tip calculator works, it will be technologically advanced enough for me.

My New Toy

Since day one, I have been unable to connect to a (free) wireless Internet connection in my new digs. Today, I did. I am, as I write this. The difference that allowed me to connect today was simple. I got a laptop!

After talking about getting a fancy, new computer for months and doing some online browsing, I bought this. I am incredibly happy. And I feel very adult. It was one of the bigger purchases I've made. Getting a laptop was certainly not an inpulse buy. I have been wanting one for about a year, but only within the past few months realized it was financially feasible. The overtime I've been working as of late and the overtime that's coming to me over the next two months made this purchase easier to make.

My main reason for getting a laptop was my hatred for working on my home computer. It's a fine computer (thanks, Brian!) but after sitting at a desk for 8+ hours a day, I never had motivation to go home to return to sitting in front of a computer that faces my wall. There's something about sitting on my couch while working that makes a world of difference to me. As I've said, I have been spending a lot of time at work, and I know the end in sight is still two months away. The idea of leaving at 5 and going home to work more seems much better than staying until 8 and dodging the cleaning ladies. Oscar prefers it that way too, which is to say, as is my motivation for most things, my computer was purchased partially out of cat guilt.

The other reason I used to justify my purchase was that if I had a laptop at home I might update my blog more. Case and point, you're reading this now, right?

So while it was great to learn I can steal the Internet again (I'll be purchasing my own soon, don't worry) it's even greater to learn that this blog updating this is a whole lot easier. I hate to get anyone's hopes up, but maybe, JUST maybe, I'll be updathing this blog on more than a monthly basis. And also given that Oscar's sleeping next to me as I type, I can gather he's pretty happy about my purchase too.

Excuses, Excuses

Today I learned that 20 days of guilt is too much to take. My guilt is strictly blog-related. When I signed on to my Blogger account I saw my last post was close to a month ago. I'll say it - that's just sad.

The sad part though is that nothing remarkable happened within that span of time. (Although I do have a cool, green iPod Nano thanks to all my overtime.) I've been committed to staying on top of work, staying on top of my dishes, entertaining out-of-town friends, planning for my own out-of-town trips and dealing with a shoddy internet connection. But since the connection is free (AKA, I steal it) there's no justified complaint there.

I hope to write more frequently - but I find that hope springs eternal and brings no guarantee. I will say this, though. I plan to chronicle my adventure in Honduras in detail. After I return expect my journey to Central America in installments. I'm not sure how many blog entries that will entail. I guess it depends on the number of lessons I have to learn in Honduras. It is my hope that none of those lessons will come more than 20 days after the fact. I don't think I could handle the guilt.