Eye on the prize

Okay y’all, I need a hobby something SERIOUS. I will never be able to enjoy being single (have I mentioned I have ADD and need constant entertainment in order to function? No? Well I do. So there’s that.) if I don’t have something to occupy my time. Lately, I’ve been Netflixing something FIERCE, but sitting on my couch watching The Office* and whatever random movie I’ve chosen every night is just not going to keep Miss LRC sa-tis-fied.

Well, unless . . . Jim Halpert? Want to come watch with me?

No?

Okay then, photography it is.

So lately, I have been eyeing this little beauty:

*drools*

I’m sorry, what were we talking about?

OH YEAH. Hobbies.

I need one.

And since I have access to all this camera equipment at work because part of my job is photography, I’ve taken a vested interest in it. When you get a great shot? It feels AWESOME. You just want to show it to, like, EVERYBODY.

But here’s my dilemma.

I’m broke.

On the one hand, I feel selfish for wanting a $1000 camera when I have access to perfectly good camera equipment at work, especially when I’m just scraping by every month and I DON’T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO EVEN GO SHOPPING. THE HORROR.

But on the other hand? This is something I am really passionate about, and I think with some time and practice I could be pretty decent at it.

GOOD, even.

Plus, if I use my work camera every weekend, I run the risk of damaging something, and I’d much rather damage my OWN property rather than face the wrath of my she-devil boss.

Plus, it’s nice to have something and be able to say, that’s MINE. You know?

Not to say that I grew up poor. Not at all. My family was probably actually UPPER middle class. But I was not a spoiled child. I got most of my clothes on sale. I hardly ever asked for anything. I got used to having things that weren’t as nice as some of the other kids’ things.

WELL NOW, I WANT SOMETHING NICE, DAMN IT.

My parents don’t understand, as it’s an interest they do not share. My mom regularly goes on ridiculous shopping sprees, and my dad will spend $300 on a pair of boots and over $1000 on a hunting bow, so their opinions on the subject are moot.

Plus, my hobby won’t murder defenseless animals.

I have a couple hundred dollars to put toward it. And I know I can finance it interest-free over two years, which, after buying a lens and paying taxes, etc., would only amount to be about $40 or $50 a month. $40 or $50 a month that I should probably be putting in savings, but you know what? I think my happiness and well-being is worth scrimping and saving for. If I can do something, and do it well, and ENJOY doing it?

That’s worth not being able to have home phone service or designer clothing. Any day of the week.

* I just started watching The Office, from the beginning so no I didn’t watch the latest episode so pls don’t try to discuss it with me kthx, so now I am part of That Group. Anyhoods, I was feeling nostalgic (read: INCREDIBLY BORED AND LONELY) so I tried to fire up my old DOS version of Wheel of Fortune, circa 1987 (YOU KNOW YOU ENVY MY SOCIAL LIFE) and MY FLOPPY DRIVE CEASED OPERATION. Tragic, I know, as we ALL use our floppy drives on a daily basis (that’s what she said). So I googled that shit, and found a TOTALLY FREE version of it here. I KNOW, RIGHT? (This is sarcasm, as, really, who the hell would PAY for this crap?)

(Me.)

This is relevant, I promise.

So away I go, into the land of 80’s terrible quality video gaming based on a mediocre television game show with a REDHEAD VANNA WHITE (WTF?), I enter my name, and who does the computer choose as my opponents?

Happy Friday, everyone!