Since I have been working so hard these past months Management green lighted a big gift, Canon EF-S 17-85mm f/4-5.6 Image Stabilized USM SLR Lens, and it should be arriving sometime tomorrow with a lens hood to make me look 28% cooler or dorkier depending on how you look at it.

What has me all giggles about this lens is not just the IS, great for my shaky hands, but the field of view which is equivalent to a 27.2-136mm lens. There is black-magic math to convert a EF-S lens to EF, something involving 1.6x crop factors which a photog buddy of mine tried to explain but all I heard was a gentle hum followed by, “..great for walking around and with a good flash you’ll pretty much be set.” Color me sold! This along with a pair of bluetooth headphones which should show up early next week (listen to music on the laptop and answer the phone!) it is shaping up to be a spoiled time of year.

To offset my rampant greed we sponsored four kids from the local social services organization and over bought their wish lists. Nothing make me choke up quicker or make me feel worse about splurging on myself than a six year old asking for mittens and a hat “because it is cold”. Damn.