secure in my masculinity.

Our old digital camera, an ancient steam-powered Sony Mavica that was a hand-me-down from Tamara, has finally been retired today. The battery pack is seven years old, and no longer holds a charge. Replacements are available, but they cost half as much as a new low-end digital camera with vastly increased capabilities and far more internal storage (the Mavica uses 1.44MB 3.5" disks.)

So, this morning I loaded up the kids, and headed over to Giant Electronics Conglomerate, Home of the Annoying Service Plan Push. I had a camera in mind, and their website said that they had it in stock. I wanted the Kodak EasyShare C513, which is your basic point-and-drool camera, intended for techno-illiterate soccer moms.

They had one in stock (not on display, of course, 'cause they don't really want you to go for the cheap models when they can fill their display table with the more expensive ones for you to peruse), so I asked the salesdroid to get it out of the restock dungeon and hand it to me.

Turns out they only stock one color of the C513, and it's not the most, uhm, butch color choice. I briefly contemplated getting the more expensive model after all, seeing how that one was more neutrally hued, but in the end I did the fiscally responsible thing.

So, here's our new digital camera, complete with matching protective case:



You know, the more I look at it, the more the color is actually growing on me. At least it's easy to spot on my usually cluttered desk, and most male thieves probably wouldn't touch it.