A Somber Day

I stayed home from work today, after leaving work early yesterday, due to a cold-like illness. I slept little last night because I found it difficult to breathe through my nose. After waking this morning, I worked on my photography and organizing my pictures for a couple of hours. Then it was time for me to get myself dressed and presentable in order to attend the funeral.

I attended the funeral for my preacher's wife. She's the first person that I've both been close to and cared about to die. The church was packed, and some people were left to stand in another room (like myself) or were forced to sit outside in seats facing the church. Throughout the service tears fell from my eyes despite my best attempts to dam them behind my eyelids. Thinking about her death still causes me to tear up, but I try to take comfort knowing that she is in heaven where she will no longer feel the pain of cancer.

Tomorrow I hope to finish cleaning the two remaining algae-covered aquariums in my room. I also hope to be able to rest and continue working on organizing my photos.

I can't wait to get my Canon Digital Rebel XTi later this summer. I think that my photography will greatly improve with a more professional camera. I had a little difficulty deciding whether to go with the XT or the newer and improved XTi. I decided on the XTi for three reasons: it has 2 more megapixels than the 8 MP XT, it has a 2.5 inch screen compared to the XT's 1.8 inch screen, and I think I would regret not spending the extra $200 for the better camera. I want to get the Lowepro Slingshot AW 200 case/backpack in order to house my camera. I like this one because the design will allow me to access the camera without going through the trouble of removing the backpack first.