Temporarily Blinded...

So, yesterday found me to be the recipient of a package in my hot little hands.

Lest you think it was an anonymous giftie from the world at large, it was actually something I ordered, so I was sort of expecting it (although I'd just got the tracking email in my inbox that morning, and it couldn't give me any info on when it had been picked up, where it currently was, or when it was to be expectd...so, it was a bit of a surprise, and believe me, if I would have know it was coming, I would have baked it a cake...although, I hardly need the extra calories) From REI as a matter of fact...cause' they dropped me a little note to give me some %% off of their outlet store. I don't necessarily need anything outside-ish right now, but as I was looking through one of their catalogs...I saw a cool head lamp.

Yeah. Cool probably isn't the word one would necessarily associate with headlamps per se, but it is Black Diamond Brand (don't I sound all cool and like I know what I'm talking about? I mean, Rich gave me a rather large carabeener decades ago and I was all swooning and starry eyed and saying things like. "it says diamond on it" and he looked at me raised one eye brow and said, "yeah, well...that's the best climbing gear out there...I have a lot of Black Diamond things" drat the girlie.) Um yeah, and so...Rich and I did a lot of hiking around in the rocks last year at night. We were taking photos people...please.

And, as you can imagine, it's not always a full moon here in Arizona at night, and I seem to have this weird idea about myself that I'm not very sure footed...mostly because I slipped on some loose rock and fell on Rich causing both of us to bounce off a cactus. Ok...I'm kidding...but, the sure footedness thing is rooted deeply in there. AND...Rich had this cool headlamp he kindly let me use last year, because the boy is like a mountain goat and hardly even needs to see to be able to hike (and I mean that in the best of ways...) I was instantly jealous both because of my need to accessorize and the fact that the headlamp totally illuminates exactly what you need it to on the path, saving the embarrassment of sliding down a rock pile using only one's face...and I wanted one immediately. Although the thing is, I kind of kept forgetting about it. Until Rich would take his headlamp out and justforfun, flash it in my eyes. Apparently the boy likes to hear the high pitched shriek that accompanies someones retinas burning out by super bright LED bulbs coupled with someone fumbling around with their hands out in front of them for quite some time afterwards.

Good times.

Anyway, as I was looking through their catalog and you can now see the necessity for me to get my own headlamp so that I can temporarily blind Rich for fun, um...I mean, so for safety's sake, we could both possess one of these wonderful items when skulking around the rocks at night. So, I went to their online outlet store and stumbled upon one that wasn't pictured in the paper catalog...and how cute is it? Because when hiking I refuse to look like crap. No matter how sweaty or red faced I get. Yeah...well, at least my accessories are all cute, because really...if I'm gonna be caught dead in a headlamp, it's gotta' be a little stylish.

Right?

It's all purple and green with flowers all over it. Swoon...nevermind that it has 4 different settings including strobe (I might add, just in case we want to throw an impromptu rave...I mean, we can both dance like no tomorrow, well, as long as we don't look directly at each other, because then we'd both go blind from the LED's and probably fall down...but, we need not to forget one important thing here...both Rich and I grew up during the 80's and we both went to a lot of dance clubs, and in the 80's you didn't ever actually look at your dance partner...or touch them for that matter...and we both have the fine art of the aloof sulk look down) because along with being so fun, a headlamp really does need to be functional...I mean, I do have to use it!

So, I excitedly opened the package I got yesterday, and immediately cut my finger open and started to bleed all over the damned place. Seriously. And this thing actually had a perforated cut-out thing on the back, so it should have been simple. Yeah, well...I've got the large gash in my finger to prove it. Anywho...I opened it, and needed to put the batteries into the thing...which almost made me break the plastic lamp part...and then somehow the light switch position had been turned to on. So, I put the batteries in this thing and instantly blinded myself. Yup...I was staggering around all bloody and blinded...I was like a zombie. Only not as pale (well, OK, you got me there, I'm Irish, all I am is mostly pale) or moany, or hungry for the flesh of humans...

I finally regained my eyesight sometime later, and figured out how (from the rather large instruction booklet to accompany this particular product) to push the little on button just right half way down and change the settings on the lamp from Bright, Brighter, Brightest, Strobe...Strobe is really a battery saving thing apparently or some emergency thing (I should probably read that booklet again) but you know a girls gotta dance. I also kind of bought it for another reason as well...You see, Rich invited me to go to Anza Borrego with him at the end of the month. This will be my first vacation in too long of a time, and my first official trip in the Airstream...

I am so excited.

Very excited.

So, I figure I need to be properly outfitted really. I can't possibly be seen without the right gear...I have a few things already clothing wise (I know this just shocks you to no end) I'm really just trying to do my part. You know the bulk of our days we'll be out hiking around, taking photos and whatnot...and I'm not sure what I'll be doing at night, but at least I'll be able to see...

Oh and dance.

Definitely dance...

Don't forget...today is the last day you can enter the giveaway for Valentine's Day from Wednesday's post...I will post the winner tomorrow!!