I'm gonna make it- thanks to Whit!

Today I had my first ever full service massage from Whitney at the spa she works at. It was awesome and she can really work the knots out- surprising how much strength she has for someone so little! It was quiet and peaceful and I thought how nice it is that she has this talent and how great it must be to have a job where you help people decompress and feel relaxed. I was in a rush today (kinda ruining why I was there in the first place!) so I didn't take the time to enjoy the whole "spa" experience, but next time I might just stay all day- come join me and we'll drink fresh lemon water and sit with cucumbers over our eyes! Thanks again Whit- you're the best!

I am OWNED!

Last week I was talking to a nine year old boy after his soccer practice and when I asked him how it went he said "I OWN the field!" There was no question, no doubt in his ability. I am sure he confidently ran onto the field, attacking the ball and running madly for the net, never once questioning his right to mastering the field.

I thought of this confident young man this morning when I timidly went into the camera store today to get some help with my camera. Eight years ago TBG bought me a SLR Nikon to take to Europe and it was love at first sight- of the pictures that is. I was comfortable with it, loved having the film developed and rushing to the store to see how many pictures turned out. It was my constant companion- until tragedy struck. One day while at Disneyland it was stolen! I went with TBG to Sammy's to purchase a new camera- and this is where I started to lose control of the field. He convinced me I needed to have another Nikon SLR only this time a digital- just think, he kept telling me, you can look at the picture right away and see if you like it and if it turned out. To me that's like finding out what sex baby you're having before it's born- where's the anticipation of waiting to see how things turn out? So I reluctantly started taking digital pictures- I know you're all thinking I'm going to say how much I loved being able to see what I took and only ordering the prints I wanted, but I still miss the film. And I now have just under 5,000 pictures on my computer just waiting for me to figure out how to send them by some sort of magic through the air to the store where I can go pick them up only to realize I sent the wrong file.

So I digress from my lack of ownership of the field. Last year while at Sammy's again with TBG while he was purchasing a work camera he caught sight of the new Nikon SLR- it was as if a light came down from the heavens and illuminated it. He was sure it was just what I needed to get even better pictures- while gifting my old camera to a daughter in need of one. Sweet of him, I thought, but then I started to panic- but the salesman assured me that it would work almost- almost being the important word here- the same as my old one. So off we went with the new camera and all the hopes of an easy transition- hope is such an ugly word at times.

Now, I need to digress a bit here again- I am totally and hopelessly electronically challenged. If I cannot simply plug something in, turn it on, and have it work I melt into a puddle. I have to have my children set the ringer on my phone (bless you Whitney for being so close and helping your mother in her many, many times of need), change the wallpaper on my computer, and set my tivo. I have gotten better, but tonight for instance I hooked my ipod to my computer and the next thing I knew ALL the music was simply gone- vanished somewhere in space. Whitney came, looked at me and sternly said "What were you doing and what button did you push?" It wouldn't even let her put any music back on- so she restored the settings and I've been putting music back on all night.

So now back to the camera. I have been totally frustrated by this camera for the last year. It simply does not work the same way as my old one- I get some good pictures, some fuzzy ones , some dark as night. I set the camera on the counter in the store today and with tears in my eyes said "I think this camera is too much for me and I'm never going to "own" it". The very nice and patient man explained several settings I had wrong and told me I would learn to love it- I told him like had to come first and that was pretty far away. Of course TBG told me all this would have been taken care of if I would have taken a few classes at Sammy's, so I told him it had been kinda hard fitting things like that in this last year what with weddings, babies, moving offices, so on and so on and this was all his fault to begin with because he couldn't wait to find out the sex of a baby. At this point he realized I was in electronic meltdown and it would probably be best to go back to his office. He's a smart guy.

This weekend I am going with my friend Karen to San Francisco for a photo editing and digital picture class- she already owns the field- that I hope will shed some more light on the magic of this digital process. I just know that by the end of the weekend I will be just like that little guy and I'll be owning the field. Ah hope, don't you just love it?

Dear Sophie-

Dear Sophie,

I am distraught- I miss you and I'm so sad you aren't here to rub my tummy. If you come back soon I will share another sucker with you- let's try chocolate this time!


Hugs and Kisses- Trixie