I would say that the previous week was more relaxing than this weekend was, except that last week was full of business visitors and illness. Still, this weekend was more than a little hyperactive.
We got most of our Christmas cards addressed and ready to go out … except we have to print out the Christmas letters, the Twelfth Night Party invites (tomorrow, at the office), rubber stamp them with decorations, and then mail them out.
We went out to the malls yesterday (!) and got the majority of our Christmas shopping finished. Plus we did most of our on-line stuff.
A further complexity in all of this (and, yes, I’m sure it’s a complexity that most folks would enjoy having, but this is my whine, so shaddup) was that our “big” Christmas gift this year for the family is a digital camera. And I hadn’t done any research yet.
I actually thought I was clever. As we hit the malls yesterday, I noted the digital cameras at five different places we visited, along with prices. Thus, I wouldn’t be approaching things cold, but would know the pool I’m drawing from (since I want to have this in hand for the holidays before we head out there).
I checked out Adam’s suggestions on finding a digital camera (and they are good ones, indeed), and checked out the two sites he suggested. I had a list of about fifteen cameras in the basic range (>=2MPx, <=$500) I was looking at. Go to a couple of review sites, and it should be pretty easy, right?
Four hours flipping through the Internet later … yeah, I think I’ve found something. But there was nothing that leapt out at me, the reviews were often contradictory, some of the models weren’t reviewed, and it was less of a clear-cut thing that I’d hoped.
Of course, as Adam notes, in his Rule #10:
Don’t agonize. Digital camera shopping seems to send people into a frenzy of comparison shopping and lingo spouting. You’re not picking out a nuclear reactor – it’s just a camera. And it’s more important to pick out something that’s comfortably within your budget than to spend months wondering if this is the perfect camera. Buy one and really use it. That will be the most important research you do for your next one – if there is a next one.
Yeah, true. Unfortunately, I get kind of nutso over these sorts of things.
Anyway, we’re in pretty good shape. Which is good, because Monday night I’m tied up, and then we’re into the next project …
… getting ready to drive cross-country with Katherine …