Gimme, Gimme!

Photos.

You remember photos?

I was resistant to the whole digital camera thing for quite a while because I knew, I KNEW that if we went digital, we'd never get our photos printed and scrapbooked. I KNEW we'd get lazy if we didn't have roll of spent film begging to be taken to the Mart for developing. I KNEW my mom would never see another photo of her grandchildren. Yep.

And I was right.

The hubby found a deal on a Kodak EasyShare Z760; A WICKED good deal. It was too good a deal to pass up even though we had an old Mac OS 9 that couldn't store more than 3 photos at a time. Even though we only had stone-age slower-than-a-drunken-slug dial-up connectivity. Even though we already owned a wonderful waterproof Pentax Zoom 90-WR that fit my hand like it was made for me - a Pentax that took beautiful pictures. Even though my chronological photo-albums were up-to-date and well maintained.

Sigh.

But he's a cunning one, that husband of mine. He made/let me play with the camera. I started to see how fun it was to take a photo and see it immediately and say, "Gag, that's awful!" and hit delete. No more wasted film.

It. was. fun!

HOWEVER, it was also small and the pics were trapped in the camera because we had nowhere else to put them. I was darned if I was going to go to a store and stand at some stupid machine pushing buttons and selecting pics there. What if the evil beast ate my storage card? I wasn't going to do it, uh-uh, no way! Not even after I was categorically reassured that it was quick and easy and safe. Nope. Ain't gonna happen! (Sometimes I'm just a wee bit resistant to change...)

Soooooooooo, Mulletman bought me a new, sleek iMac OS 10.4.9 with lots of "free" accompanying doo-dads (I still don't know what THEY do!) AND we signed on with the Folks to share a cable internet connection.

Suddenly a new world was opened to me, a world full of loooooooong phone calls and techs who don't speak English!

But it got better after those first few frustrating weeks of wrestling with modems and routers and wireless frequencies. (Really, it did!) And we started to enjoy the camera.

Now I have several CDs full of photos, my camera is full of photos and my computer is full of photos. I keep meaning to get them printed a few at a time and putting them in the hallowed Photo-Album-of-Grooviness, but it hasn't happened. Even all the incredibly lovely pics from Funsocksgirl's wedding to J-Man are still waiting to be printed.

If I pause to think about it for too long, I get depressed.

I want my photos printed. I want them out and displayed so everyone can see them. And then, just when I was about to give up hope, along comes another contest. THE PERFECT CONTEST:

5 Minutes For Mom is giving away a 9" Digital Photo Frame. Is that groovy, or what?

I could really use one of these to constantly show off our latest pics - It's kinda like a digital refrigerator door!

Anyway, I've entered the contest to win. I sure hope my answering machine works when she calls me!

OK...and while we're talking about stuff we need/want...

ANNOUNCEMENT: WE NEED YOUR MONEY!!!

I need your money. Well, to be more precise, the American Lung Association needs your money.

I have mild asthma, several of my friends/acquaintances have severe asthma, a dear friend died of lung cancer and my aunt-in-law died of emphysema. I have too many friends who are addicted to cigarettes and can't seem to quit, and every day I see and smell the pollution spewed from the giant chimneys of the paper mills.

"Maine, the way life ought to be."

I want to be a part of the solution, so in mid-June Mulletman and I are going to ride in the Trek Across Maine, a bike-riding fundraiser for Maine's chapter of the American Lung Association. We'll be riding 180 miles over three days time with the hopes of raising $1,000 each to fight lung disease.

If you'd like to help with a tax-deductable contribution toward our goal, we'd be most grateful!

You can contribute at Groovy's Fundraising Page

or Mulletman's Fundraising Page

(Since we're both REQUIRED to raise $450, please contribute to the scanter of the two funds!)

God Bless You all,
Groovy