...just taking a few minutes to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and of course, a Happy New Year. Our household has been busier than a pair of booster cables at the close of a redneck funeral, so to speak. It would take too long to elaborate, so just trust me. Ironically, I ended up with two interesting gifts that in a way, I thought I'd never own. As an "experienced" 35mm photo-nut, I always said I'd never bother with a DSLR camera. Simply put, there's no reason this day in age to have a bulky reflex mirror behemoth hanging from your neck. However, I could not help but notice the crisp and stunning photos that such things render. Canon, one of my most disliked brands has been dumping their older T3 with a non-stabilized lens for the bargain price of $299. By using her "Optimum" points, Debbie was able to shave almost $175 from that, ringing it in at around $125 plus tax...ok SOLD !! So far so good, and yes I'm impressed...
A few sample photos...
Next up, some more irony; Even though I've been using the tried and true Yeast+Sugar method of carbonation for homemade Root Beer, my sons gifted me with a SodaStream Jet. It's a CO2 carbonation Gizmo that I'm kind of taking a liking to...
It comes with enough CO2 to Fizz up about 60 litres of soda. The flavoring is a little expensive, as is the CO2 refill, but there are alternatives. All in all, it's a bit of a fun distraction...so far, I've only made a litre of Root Beer, and while it lacks the yeasty goodness of my normal homemade, it's otherwise quite satisfying. I'll certainly take the time to explore making my own flavouring, and alternate CO2 sources. This should take me well into the New Year :)