Scattered

With almost a month under my belt staying home with the kids, I have to say the first thing I have noticed is how incredibly scattered I am. And I mean SCATTERED. I am used to quiet time by myself where I can actually focus on one or maybe two things at once. I thought I was a decent multi-tasker, but it is a completely different ball game when you have a baby crying hysterically, a toddler pulling on your shirt yelling, and everything colliding all the time. This segway’s nicely into the perfect example of what happens when you are scattered, and thankfully, things worked out for the best…

I have waited patiently for well over two years for the new Canon 24-70mm 2.8L lens to come out – the original was release in ’02, you would figure it is any day. The problem was my children won’t magically stop growing up while I wait for the new version. Prior to getting the 5D Mark II, it wasn’t a big deal, as I wouldn’t see the full potential of that lens on my 40D due to the cropped sensor. Once I upgraded my camera and borrowed my brothers 16-35L lens, it became very clear that the L lenses were worth every cent. So I agonized. And agonized. There is a rebate offered at Canon right now, I had $200 worth of gift certificates at Amazon, and I needed to get something, as I couldn’t wait yet another year for that lens. I decided to pull the trigger and buy it, even if it gave me heartburn knowing that a new lens could be right around the corner.

Enter screaming children. As I was placing the order, chaos ensued in our household. I quickly went through the motions and hit the button to purchase.

And then it happened.

Two hours later, I got the email telling me that my order was fulfilled and is shipping right now! That’s awesome! When I looked at the confirmation mail, I realized that it was shipping to my work address AT MICROSOFT. Oh S**T!!. This isn’t a normal company, where I could call and ask for them to hold the package and I will just come pick it up. Microsoft has thousands and thousands of employees and an entire mail service that is basically serving a company the size of a city. I am out of the system. There is no way I could get that package.

I call the third party company that sold me the lens, they told me that they can’t do anything about shipping addresses, it has to go through Amazon. So I call Amazon and they call the third party back, but because the company already sent it, we would have to wait for it to return and then re-order it. Except I bought it with gift certificates and apparently that complicates things. Anyway, I won’t bore you with all the details, but after several hours on the phone, talking to a ton of different people, the company put an intercept on the package and it was being sent back to the shipper where I would receive a refund and then I could re-order it.

And then it happened again.

The day after I placed the order, the Canon rumors site started receiving intel that the 5D Mark III is right around the corner and there is a high likelihood that the kit lens that will be shipped with it will be the new 24-70L. HULLO dream combo – that is what I have been waiting over two years for!!! And the whole reason I had heartburn about buying that lens in the first place!! ONE DAY AFTER I ORDERED THE LENS. *Sigh*

I still have the issue of the announce coming out who-knows-when and then it will take awhile before it is actually available. If it is anything like what I have experienced so far, Gavin will be two by the time I can get my hands on it.

So now my mind is turning … I really would like a L lens to shoot my kids, I can’t stomach getting the 24-70 knowing that it really is just around the corner. My brother took his 16-35 back… oooo, the 16-35. There is some slight overlap with the 24-70, but not too much. I have loved that lens every time I have used it. For my zoom lenses I would love to cover 16-200, so that would put me with the 16-36, 24-70, and then 70-200.

My husband is a wonderful man, well I actually think he just wanted me to shut up about cameras and lenses, but he agreed to let me go over budget to get the additional lens (I started budgeting for the new camera and lens two years ago).

And here is the newest member of my camera family, whom I love VERY much, and I am now in no hurry to get the Mark III and new 24-70, though today the latest rumors have it coming out in April: