I Am One Lucky Mutha

Imagine my surprise when I received a gift card for Christmas from my 17 year old son. He had cleverly written on the card holder that the value was $5.00, and for that I would have been grateful. YES, I WOULD HAVE. But how freakin' amazing to learn that it was actually for much, much more. Knowing how I had been longing for a new camera, Brendan had very generously and thoughtfully gotten me a gift card to Best Buy.  Wow!

His timing was even more perfect because I recently made the decision to smack boring days in the face and embrace the notion that even the most mundane tasks could be fun if I only treat them as grand events. Not earth-shattering, headline-making, or overly dramatic; no parades or floats required. But I've missed many chances to capture things that I would love to see again. I can't count the number of times I've seen something or been somewhere and thought, "Damn, I wish I had a picture of THAT!" And cell phone cameras don't quite cut it. So why not create an event out of nothing? What the hell is wrong with wearing a sombrero to make tamales, pretending to make out with a scarecrow, or having pictures taken while ugly, useless veins are pulled from your leg? Nothing. Nothing, at all.

I bought my new camera last week. It's a Sony, it's small and sleek and came as part of a 'bundle'--and I love it.

In my rush to get home and charge it, the picture of the unopened camera and other stuff was taken in my car.

My camera has a new home in my purse. I am taking it EVERYWHERE. So far, we (I haven't given the camera a name yet) have spent time in the rain together, visited the beach, gone grocery and shoe shopping, stopped at a coffee place, gone to work, visited other undisclosed locations with undisclosed people, and filled up at the gas station. Oh, and we stopped at the post office...but it didn't go well. The handsome man behind the counter spotted me and I decided to go back another time when I can hide behind a line of people and take covert pictures of him. In the meantime, I have pictures galore. And every picture has a little story...if it doesn't, you can bet I'll make something up.

It's very possible that Brendan will rue the day he gave me the gift card. But I love my new camera. And I love Brendan. He's a hard worker, and doing this for me is that much more meaningful...because-and this is a secret-he also likes his money. Every time I look at it I think of him and his generosity and his guts. Guts because deep down he knows that with the camera comes the very real possibility that I will, once again, embarrass him like no other mother can.

(Don't worry Trina and Patrick...you'll be discussed at a later date!)

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