I Guess That's Why They Call It

When we (finally) got cable TV, back when I was 13 or 14, I watched a lot of VH-1. (Yeah, you would expect MTV, wouldn't you? But remember, I was also the kid who listened to Richard Marx and Elton John at a time when my generational peers were hot for New Kids on the Block. We can debate later who had the better taste.) The above, one of the videos on pretty regular rotation at the time, meaning that it more-or-less helped define the music video in my impressionable brain.

At any rate, that Patty Smyth song came on in the car as I was driving over the Santa Cruz Mountains this Sunday with my two youngest siblings. I was shocked, perhaps a tiny bit ashamed (lie), to find that I still knew all the lyrics and could belt it out with the best of them. I guess some things just don't leave you, do they?

By the way, I totally lay some of the blame on songs like this, and VH-1 in general, for my screwed-up vision of how love is supposed to be. Nah, phooey.

On another note: I've started a bucket list for the Bay Area (and West Coast in general, I guess, since Disneyland is on there). It's kind of nice to have a list of "goals" to accomplish, even if I know already I won't get around to all of them. I'll keep adding to the list as I remember things (or get reminded of them), and be crossing things off as I do them. If there's a relevant blog post, I'll probably link to it, too. Feel free to make suggestions as you see fit, and I may add them.

Calling All Camera Nerds

I need a new one. A new camera, that is. And I'd like suggestions, if you have them.

Things I'm looking for:

1. I tend to prefer Canon as a brand. They're pretty solid, and I'm used to how the settings work ... but that doesn't mean I won't take other brands into consideration.
   
2. I'd prefer it to have a view finder (you know — that little window that old-style film cameras have). It saves battery, and doesn't make me feel like a dope that has to look at a big screen to get a proper shot.
   
3. It'd be nice if it was under $200. Like, closer to $100. I'm po' and trying to save money for my September PacNW trip. I'll save up for the fancy $1,000 SLR another time.

Beyond the need to buy the camera, and the cost of taking my car in to get an oil change/general tune-up (and an assessment of whether or not she can safely make another 2000-mile road trip), I'm going to try to take August easy. Cheap and easy. There aren't any plans, really, besides the knitting class I'm going to be teaching.

Did I mention that yet? Oops. By the way, I'm teaching a sock knitting class next August, at SF Knitting Supply, out in the Sunset. The first 3-week session starts August 8 (holy crap! that's coming up!), so sign up! Or tell your friends to sign up! And if you can't make it this session, I'll may be teaching it all over again sometime near the end of September.