I planned on going to a Barbara Ehrenreich reading/signing tonight, but changed my mind when I heard her latest book is a political satire. I'm feeling especially down about our country right now - normal ills + side effects of election mudslinging. I don't need to hear any more about all the problems facing America. Yes, we're all screwed. I got that memo.

So I was sitting at my desk and watching sunlight come through the blinds. "Whoa," I thought. "It's evening and I'm home. The sun is still out and..." I ran to my bedroom to 1) put my jeans back on and 2) retrieve the new camera.

*I wear gauchos at home. They are the official sponsor of Amanda Relaxing At Home 2008. (Also 2005, 2006, and 2007).

Camera around my neck, I walked around the neighborhood. I hit up Central and Morningside Parks. Three older people on the sidewalk asked if I'd take a picture of them. Of course, I agreed. One kid on Frederick Douglass and 112th yelled, "Take that camera away from here, white ho!" before I got out of earshot. It took everything in me not to saunter back over to him and "Oh snap!" with my camera.

The manual focus is pretty intuitive. I didn't view each shot after taking it, like I normally do on my point and shoot. The consequence? A few beautiful shots lost in blur. Oh, well. There will be other jaunts, even if I have to stop spending so much time in bookstores to go on them.