12/24/1990

Isn't she beautiful?! I know you're thinking, "Seriously? Do you really need another camera?" Here's my reasoning. I sent my Sears Special SX-70 to Tracy of Prickly Pear Bloom a couple weeks ago, so since I subtracted one camera from my collection, that meant I could add another! I've always wanted a white Model 2, and now I've got one. I found her on ebay for quite a good deal and she's without a scratch, and smells of vanilla, but not just "of vanilla", I think she was made of vanilla. It's the loveliest vanilla smell, but it's heavy. My camera closet smells like vanilla now. (Yes, I have a closet.) But wait. There's more.

She arrived last Saturday. I tore into the package and beneath all the pastel pink and blue packing peanuts, there she was, stowed in an old Ziploc bag. I pulled her out, smelled the vanilla, took a big whiff and ran into the other room to show my husband who pretended to care - he really did - and then I opened her up and admired. About a half hour later, I went back into the kitchen to take care of the packing detritus, and that's when I noticed the old Ziploc bag had black writing on it. I held it up and the crinkled plastic read, "Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 12/24/1990". I stared at it for probably too long and then realized two things: #1 This bag was 19 years old! I was in 7th grade when this bag began its life. #2: My lovely new camera was just transported in a chicken sack. I kind of gagged. I hate raw chicken, and I'm not a big fan of it cooked, and my precious white SX-70 began its life with me in a 19-year old chicken sack. I began to realize a lot of things at this moment, like the fact that I just bought a camera from someone who reused a plastic bag that had raw chicken in it. Gross. The good thing is that it has already made me think twice about throwing away a Ziploc. Everyone always says that plastic bags last forever in landfills, but now I really get it. This bag was 19 years old and still in ok shape. Ironically, we always made fun of my mom when she would wash and reuse Ziplocs. Unfortunately, I am not to the point where I will start washing out Ziplocs, but I am reusing ones that I put cheese or bread in. That being said, I'm sure you have already guessed the fate of "Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts 12/24/1990" bag. I tossed it after I showed it to my husband. I was not about to reuse a raw chicken bag from 1990.

To make up for my new camera being stored in the chicken bag, she is now wrapped up in this pretty fall-like fabric and sitting on the top of my camera shelf. She's much happier this way.