nailed

256:365

I have carted my camera, and its many lenses, up mountains and down. To Europe, across the US, and through my own backyard. It's been in the rain, it's been on sandy beaches, it's been down in dew-covered grass and out in the burning sun for hours. It's been through hell and back with nary a scratch.

Until today, when a 4 foot fall onto the cold, hard cafeteria floor at Zoe's school took out my beloved 17-55 f/2.8. My heart sank.

I think it may be fixable. The focus ring is still smooth as silk. The glass looks fine. The zoom? Yeah, not so much. All jammed up.

I have taken this camera, and this lens, this workhorse, use-it-for-98%-of-my-photography-lens, nearly everywhere, and it was felled by a Girl Scout meeting.

I did manage to not scream in agony and writhe around in pain on the floor, clutching my beloved. I think that may have freaked out the girls. I also managed to refrain from crying, although I sure felt like it.

That was the first thing I told M tonight, when we talked (he's in Paris now). I explained how it happened (all my fault...it involved extra large American and Girl Scout flags and extra long flagpoles and a camera strap getting entangled) and told him I felt sick about it. He asked which lens it was (damn! he knows I have multiple lenses!). I told him the truth. It's The Expensive One. He didn't bat an eye or even flinch. "Well, take it in to Schiller's and see if they can fix it." Good man, M.

I suppose in all my years of shooting, and all my bumps and bruises and near misses, that it was bound to happen sometime. My favorite photography forum is chock full of horror stories, most that nearly make me cry as if the gear were my own. I've been lucky to escape catastrophe thus far.

I just wish it'd have happened to the 18-200 is all. That loss would be a little more palatable.

(In other news, my first Girl Scout meeting as co-troop leader went pretty well, except for the lens casualty. Yeah, I needed a beer afterwards, and possibly a Xanax, and was exhausted as hell, but all in all it went well. We even earned ourselves a couple badges tonight. Don't be too impressed by that...apparently when you're a Daisy earning badges is about as easy as tying your shoe. "Make new friends, but keep the ooooold. One is silver and the other goooold.")