Thursday, December 27, 2007

Summing up Christmas 2007

The Family and friends have been thoroughly briefed and updated, delicious feasts that have not been seen in months have been consumed, Presents and cookies that were wrapped and prepared with care have all been opened and consumed.

Even though the Economy and Media would tell us differently, The Wambach family (like most American Families) enjoyed a very bountiful Christmas and received a majority of the gifts that were on their lists.

Franky J got his new 80 GB Ipod, a major upgrade from his second generation Ipod; my mother received a new Ipod Nano as well as a Digital Camera of her own: The Canon Powershot SD870IS. She will have fun mastering it and taking pictures while on-campus. And my grandmother Marie, joined the 21st Century by receiving a cell-phone. It will take her a little bit to get used to it, but she will get the hang of it. Franky J’s present to all the Family Members was quite impressive, a photo calendar from Flickr of the Frank’s adventure in Glacier. I got my father the new Senseo one touch coffee maker, simply because I will more than likely use it as much as he does. A major gift of the Holiday this year was coffee. My brother gave my folks coffee from Tilly’s Bean in S. Minneapolis, while I gave my Aunt Andrea and her Husband Andrew three of Peace Coffee’s most popular blends (MPR, Twin Cities, and Medium Sumatran). Our house has been enjoying the Peace Coffee as well this winter.

I too received a majority of the items on my list. An item a look forward to diving into was the AIA Guide to the Twin Cities by Larry Millet ; one of my favorite urban historians, that I got from my Aunt Andrea while her Husband Andrew gave me Battlestar Galactica: Razor on DVD. I also gave a gift to myself this year with the first component of the new computer I am building (after the Beast decided to knock my graphics card out of commission): The Antec Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply.

I found a great deal @ ZipZoomfly.com and had the fortune of having it delivered on Christmas Eve. Now I must watch the deal sites for prices to drop on the other crucial components: Processor, Motherboard, Memory, Graphics Card, Hard Drive, and possibly a new DVD-R drive. Franky J gave me The Orange Box: Half Life – 2, Episode 1, and Episode 2 and Team Fortress 2; I look forward to playing this and other killer apps once the project is complete.

But the most surprising present was from my folks, they gave me money: Money to put towards a new camera, computer, GPS device, or whatever else I need. For a long time I have thought about breaking into the DSLR market with either a Canon Digital Rebel XTI or the Nikon D40X; both are similarly equipped and priced starting now in the low $600 range. However, I am hesitant to make that plunge when a camera that is a step below the DSLR’s such as the Canon S3IS or the Canon S5IS both very well equipped but would be a much improvement over my existing point and shoot.

So, now comes the hard part of researching, reading reviews, and venturing out into the world of consumer electronics to find what I am seeking. Wish me luck, and I hope everyone in the blogosphere had a wonderful Christmas and is looking forward to a great 08.

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