The Choice Is Yours

Coming soon!  A brand new blog!  I am having a smart young girl from Etsy design it as we speak.  

Yes, I fell prey to all the pretty blogs out there.  

I fought it for awhile.

I told myself if I had fabulous, inviting content that friends would read my blog because of my storytelling, not because of her aesthetics.

I am a marketer so this was tricky for me.  I love the colors....the widgets....the fonts!

But I am slowly realizing that, "Gosh, I enjoy writing" and now that I know I am vested in this hobby.... I can invest in her.

Get ready for interactive fun!  I even hope to have survey capability.

That being said of course I needed a fancy new SLR camera.  

What respectable blog doesn't?  It's amazing I could articulate a story thus far without one.  

I have been saving my pennies, you know.

Saving them for 2010.  The year of Tracy (in a roundabout sort of way).   

In January, I will visit California to meet Michelle's new baby and a few weeks later I cruise the open ocean in celebration of Claudia's 40th birthday (Yikes!), in March I will honor my sister's 30th and Mom's 60th in Vegas, later that month we'll do our annual Disney trip with Jason's family, The First Sunday in May is my debut at the Kentucky Derby (hat design is in the works), later that month we celebrate my brother in law's 30th and we round out September with a gala in honor of Jason's 40th.  

If you are a reader paying close attention to detail you will see vacation openings in October, November and December.  Feel free to contact me with invitations.  November may be tricky.  We always have family in town for an extended visit.

Back to the pennies.  

They were dipped into it.

Last Thursday I called all my friends asking if anyone had a "fancy" camera I could borrow.  You know, the ones that you carry around your neck with a thick strap, have changeable lenses, 12 megapixels or more and you actually have to look through the peephole to take a picture?

  I was offered a camera to play around with, but declined when I was told that Wolf Camera was going out of business and the whole store was 60% off.  That will beat any Internet pricing.

I gently tossed my new photography subjects into the car and buckled them in.

The store was packed. 

 I purposely left my wallet and stroller in the car, forcing this to be a painless, short encounter. 

I can't pinpoint why, but I assume that when I have a child on hip and one on my leg that I deserve immediate attention.  I actually find the only place I am not granted it is at the local post office.

I uncover my biggest smile and veer around a couple of gentleman.  "Excuse me, Mark, is it?  Yes, do you by chance have a Canon D5 or dare I ask D20?  

I expect an answer in the negative seeing as merchandise is flying off the shelves before my eyes.  

Mark responds, "I have one Canon D30 left."

Now, I know this little gem is upwards of $1500.  Dare I look at her?  What is the real cost?  

A downgraded cabin on the swelling ocean in February?

One less Cirque De Soleil show in Sin City?

A mediocre hat at the equestrian event of the year?

"Yes, sir, I will take a look."  

As he modeled the functionality of the camera all I could think of was getting down onto the floor. 

 I wanted nothing more than to be flat on my stomach, adjusting the lense, testing the lighting and encouraging my seated subject to pose!

"I'll take her!"

Yep,  a sale based solely on the emotion I created myself.

But wait.  Not entirely.

1.  She was only $639!  She was previously on sale and then another 60% off that!

2.  She came with 18 (2 hour) camera courses at another Wolf location that include filtering, lighting, etc.  all aimed at "getting you out of automatic" and taking advantage of the camera's true utility!

3.  He had one FULL KIT left, which means I had a lense, camera strap and plethora of other accessories all allowing the creation of:

Tracy Parrott--- Photographer Extraordinare.

Hours later, I put the girls down to sleep and tore into the size 2 font 100 page manual.  I decided it was best to bypass the "quick start" for this particular piece of extravagance.  I needed all the detail I could get.  

The battery and CF card were installed, lense attached, covers removed, strap around my neck and countless minutes were spent assuming my position.  It was the squatting posture where I really felt the part!

I powered her on.

She didn't comply.

I powered her on again.

She didn't comply.

I rechecked the manual and "quick start."

I invited Jason to try it.

I could see nothing in my immediate line of vision except the receipt.

LIQUIDATION.  ALL SALES FINAL.

It was a fitful night's sleep waiting to return to Wolf Camera in the morning.

As I entered the facility, I decided the sensitivity of this situation demanded not only my brightest smile, but heck, I better throw a warm wave to Mark as well.

My upbeat entrance coupled with me politely asking Mark to turn on my new camera surely had the patrons questioning my intelligence.

Whatever it takes. 

Not surprisingly, he couldn't turn her on.  After a long process of trying new batteries and other technical acts, he did what was right.  

He called his liquidation manager, who, in turn, called the bank.  Apparently this location was being foreclosed.

I knew it was a wing and a prayer for the bank to return their call, especially for the low price of $639.  Low price, in their opinion, of course.

For 5 days I assured myself that a reputable company who embraces the old adage of customer service would do the right thing for me.  

Mark had 2 days off during this time and sat on the phone with the bank for over an hour trying to get me a resolution each day.

He called yesterday to tell me that they had another D30 waiting for me in Plano.  Simply drive out there and trade.

I must have done something right to deserve this outcome.

I asked Mark for his boss's name and his boss above that and so on.  

But, wait.  Let me make sure he intends to stay with company before I write my glowing review.  

He said they are trying to find a job for him, but he isn't sure of where or what the salary will be.  

My heart sunk.  

Mark was looking for a job on his days off and still sat on the phone with the bank for me.

Mark could've turned me away that morning and said, "Sorry, all sales final."

Mark is living in uncertainty like so many others today.  

He has every reason to choose bitterness and toss his loyalty to the wind, but Mark wakes up everyday and chooses otherwise.

What choice did you make today?