Uh-oh, she has a camera.

I did it.
I bought a digital camera.
No snickers, no snorts allowed. Some of us take our time with these things. I plan to get an iPod by 2009. It was a purchase for "one of these days."
One of these days came a week ago Wednesday when a frantic message screamed over my voice mail (yes, I DO have a cellphone) that my niece was entering the world early. Nails fresh from a manicure, I went into hyperdrive and left town in record time. By the time I called my boss, decided whether to fly or drive, packed, drove to the rental place, had my car break down on the way to the rental place, get to the rental place ten minutes after it closed, batted my eyes into a rental car anyway, filled it up with gas, and stopped in a retail store only to point to a camera and say "I want THAT one", it took me only two hours and forty-five minutes from getting the message to leaving my nearby city.
Because, after all, one cannot take pictures of one's first niece or nephew with a DISPOSABLE camera. How tacky. I arrived two states away six hours later and made permanent friends with the nurses by sharing the Dunkin Donuts I picked up on the way. The night shift doesn't always get a lot of thanks.
Ok and my car kind of broke down on the way to the rental. But you can see how all these things FLYING through my mind did not lead me to check my gas gauge. And anyway, I'm pretty sure it's really the fuel pump's fault, or maybe the fuel filter. Nevermind, a nice realtor helped me on my way so it doesn't amount to anything.
My niece is ADORABLE. And, I am her favorite aunt. Since I am currently her ONLY aunt, I am smug in my uncontested status for some time to come.
Here are pictures of my niece with various proud relatives, along with "4th of July smalltown style." I did something I've never done before this year: I drove to the airfield with half the town, sat on the hood of my car, and indulged in one of my favorite holiday pastimes (fireworks put a silly grin on my face) - solo. No family around, friends had their own family in, others worried at the weather - so, I climbed into my '89 named Jezebel and took myself to see the show. Independence Day, indeed.