Camcorder

I am in heaven here, people. Pure nirvana, I tell ya.

About a year or two ago our camcorder inexplicably stopped working. It was four or five years old (maybe six?) and it just petered out. I went as far as asking Quantum Void to see if he could fix it, and when he recommended just getting a new one, I stuck it in our coat closet and willfully forgot about it. A new one? That camcorder had set us back well over a thousand dollars. No, we were not going to replace it; who needed one?

Well, I do, it turns out. Our old camcorder broke down before Elisabeth was born and lately I have been feeling remorseful that this incredibly precocious stage she is in right now hasn't been captured on moving film. Not only that, but our piles of old home video footage has been unplayable since our old camcorder served to both record and play the mini DV tapes the camcorder used.

So, I bit the bullet and took it in to a local camera shop to ask about repairs. The clerk said it would be at least $210 to repair it. Minimum. I gulped. Um, OK. Well, how much is a new one?

$250, said the clerk.

Sold! Seriously, $250? A fraction of what we paid for our old, clunky camcorder however long ago it was. Our new Canon ZR 800, the bottom of the barrel, as far as camcorders go, is compact and lightweight and, best of all, it works.

I need one more cord before I can download video to my Dell, but as soon as I have it I am sure I'll be sharing some of the treasurers I unearthed this morning while sorting laundry. Like Madeleine opening Christmas presents at sixteen months old. Or Hank's arrival home from the hospital. And, taken just last night, the big kids showing off their ice skating skills. I can't wait!