A few weeks ago, I bought a really nice Crumpler camera bag off Craigslist to take better care of my gear. I’d been bumping it around on my shoulder like my old D70, which is dented and scarred, and after one frightening near-drop situation I decided it would be wise to protect my investment. This evening I answered an ad for a Nikon 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, and Finley and I drive out to Randallstown and met a nice man in a CVS parking lot to look it over. It’s a replacement for the kit lenses that came with our cameras (Nikon 18-55 f/5.6); it’s a faster pro-level lens so it’ll last much longer than cheaper plastic and add more flexibility to our bag. My strategy is to keep my eye out for good used gear to build up our DX collection until the time when we’re ready to invest in a full-frame kit.

I’m writing this as I sip on a Texas Bock I brewed from an Austin Homebrew recipe; I’m very pleased with the flavor and the color. It worked out to be about 4.5% ABV, and it’s smooth with a hint of caramel that I like very much. It’s lighter than the IPAs I’ve been brewing which makes it more of a session instead of a sipping beer; I tend to have half a glass of IPA after dinner while I can drink a pint of this and not feel intoxicated. It’s also a friendly beer; the Belgian IPA I brewed in the spring guaranteed a dull next-morning headache while this has none. I have to try and squeeze some time in in the next week to brew the Belgian Dubbel I’ve got to be ready in time for Thanksgiving.