Monday, March 26, 2007

Best news this

year:


My digital camera

is not dead!


Question:
How long does it take for a digital camera that was left to soak in a tub of soapy water for the duration of an episode of Will & Grace to dry out and function like a digital camera that was never left to soak in a tub of soapy water for the duration of an episode of Will & Grace?

Answer:
18 day, apparently.


After two and a half weeks, I guess the interior of the camera finally dried out completely, and the circuits were not fried. The camera began to function and take photos about a week ago, but the screen in back did not work. I could still used to regular view-finder to take snapshots, but I never knew what the camera was set on, and I was unable to make any adjustments; the screen was necessary for that. On Tuesday, during a three-day field trip with my kids, the screen just decided to come on, and it has been on ever since. Two and a half weeks after putting the camera in the laundry, it is working as well as ever. I can vouch for Canon: They make a durable camera. Maybe I should send them a letter detailing my experience.


On the final night of the field trip, about $200 dollars was stolen from our trip money (possibly the security guard, cooking or cleaning staff) while we slept. Otherwise, we had an amazing time at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre. Luckily, we’d already paid for everything we needed: food, accommodation, transportation and fees. Unfortunately, the remaining money was going to be left as a donation to the Centre to assist with the care of the abducted, harmed, abandoned or orphaned animals.


I think I previously blogged about developing a fear of heights. I was never afraid of going higher in my younger years, but now going up makes me quite uneasy and nauseated. I’ve always been pretty good at facing my fears and not letting them control me and keep me from doing things that I really want to do. At Zika Forest, along Entebbe Road, there is a tower that visitors can climb to get a view above the canopy of trees. I HAD TO GO UP IT. I just had to. I trembled ands sweat my way up the rungs of the steel ladder to the top platform of the tower. My friend, Kat, instructed as I went up, “Always make sure that you always have three parts of your body in contact with the ladder: two hands, one foot; or two feet, one hand.” I felt so weak when I got to the top, and the sway of the tower did not make me feel any more comfortable. I never stood on the top platform; sitting was good enough for me. The important thing was that I made to the top. The view from the top was spectacular!





triumph


3 comments:

Dave2 said...

Sweet! It always surprises me how resilient electronics can be... unfortunately their toughness seems to be random. Sometimes disastrous incidents don't end up doing harm... whereas a little misstep that shouldn't cause any damage ends up destroying the thing.

Anonymous said...

I'm really happy to hear that your camera is fine. Funny thing, now I have a fear of heights. But the pics look great.

Kiko said...

Thank God for Google - I finally managed to track you down. Hope you're well. Still waiting for a reply to my email.

Martin