Amazonian

Did I mention that I lost the cable for my solar charger? Did I mention I had a solar charger?

So let's back up a smidge: When I started making plans for this trip to Mexico, I bought a Freeloader sun charger to help keep my iPhone and iPod and iPad functional. (The link isn't the precise device I bought, but it's the same company.) It seemed to make sense. If there's one thing Mexico has, it's plenty of sun, right? (And if there's one thing the resort does not have an overabundance of, it's power outlets.)

Obviously, I needed to test it first, so I set it up on the dashboard of my car and then plugged my phone into it, and it seemed to be working. Yay! And then a couple of days ago, I realized I didn't know where the cord was. I looked everywhere. Even took the floor mats out of the car. Everywhere. I swear, I didn't take it out of the car, but it's not there now. Boo.

So yesterday, I finally gave up looking for it. I googled the charger, found the company that makes it, and lo! They sell the charger and the iPhone/iPod/iPad adapter separately. Yay! Except that the company is based in the UK, so shipping is kind of egregious. Replacing the cord and adapter were going to cost me about $30, which is darned near the price of a whole new device. Plus also? Shipping from the UK doesn't really fill me with confidence on the likelihood of stuff arriving before Penny and I leave.

I hit pause on that process and shimmied on over to Amazon. Hey! Solar chargers by the pound! Including one that's only $10. I figured, what the heck; it's cheaper than the new cable, and if it doesn't work, it's not like I won't have the AC charger with me; I'll just have to be sure to rotate the devices so they stay charged.

And while I was placing an order at Amazon anyway, I might as well pick up the macro filter set for my camera. After all, I'm going to be taking a buttload of pictures while I'm in Mexico, and this filter set is a fantastically cheap way to get closer to your subject without shelling out for a macro lens.

While I was buying camera gear, I distinctly remember last time (and at several points since) wishing I had a tripod so I could take longer exposure shots without worrying about my hand shaking... Yay, Gorillapod!

Then, I figured, if I was going to be using a tripod, I might as well get a remote so I didn't have to fidget with hand-shake from pressing the button. (The corded remote I found wasn't available on Amazon Prime, so there's a slight chance it won't arrive in time -- but since it cost less than $5 after shipping and its customer reviews are solidly high, I feel okay about it. Vacation isn't the only time I want a remote.)

As long as I was trolling Amazon anyway, I also loaded up a cart with some stuff for our new nephew (Matt's sister had her baby last week) and a couple of little things for our niece to celebrate her brother...

Yeah, Amazon.Com kind of owns my soul.