I am looking to buy a new digital camera. My old one still works very well, but it is time I upgrade. My Sony Mavica FD71 has been good for me, especially for E Bay for which it was originally intended. It uses a floppy disc which is very convenient to pop in my computer. The low pixels were fine for computer photos, now I want to take good clear sharp photos.

I have been looking at the Canon PowerShot SD550 with 7.1 Mega Pixels and the S-80 PowerShot at 8.1 Mega Pixels. The SD550 sells for $449 and the S-80 sells for $549 at the box stores in this area. They can be had on- line and/or E Bay for about $100 less. Paying for the shipping offsets the Sales Tax I would have to pay here.

Both cameras are very small and compact and have a lot of good features. Let me state here and now, I don't know much about camera's, but I am getting to know these 2 models just from reading about them and handling them. I was at first looking at the Nikon CoolPix, then I became aware of the Canon's. The difference between the SD550 and the S-80 is the wide angle lens on the S-80, it's 28--100 mm which is a 35 mm film equivalent and on the SD550 it is 37--111 mm which is a 35 mm film equivalent. The 7.1 pixels on the SD550 and the 8.1 pixels on the S-80 probably wouldn't make much difference on the quality of the photos. It is the 28mm lens that I like and I am leaning toward the S-80. The size and the weight is not much of a difference between the 2 camera's. Both of the camera's are the latest models for this year. They both have a 2 1/2" screen which is a 1/2" bigger than the older models.

Anyone have any feedback on these or any other small digitals or what I should be looking for in a camera, please leave a comment. What digital camera are you using and how do you like it?

Here it is Thanksgiving morning and the temps are down into the low 30's. Last night while I was playing chef and making the traditional stuffing for today's meal, the snow was coming down fast and furious. It was only laying on the grass and cars. This morning there are remnants of the snow on the same places. What I enjoy about the turn of cold weather is that I keep my Corona's on the back porch and they get as cold as the beer at Molly's Publick House. I like that!

You know it's the little things in life that make me happy. For instance, limes at the Shopper's Food Warehouse were only 10 cents each. We need those limes for the Corona's, makes them go down better. I was also at the Wine Warehouse on Lock Raven Blvd yesterday. What a F+++ing madhouse that was. They had 5 people outside directing traffic for a parking place. My wife asked me to stop and pick up wine and beer for today and this weekend. Our favorite red wine is Cabernet and I choose 3 bottles and 1 bottle of a favorite white wine, Cavit Pinot Grigio. I have been on a kick lately for the Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet and that is one of the Reds I bought. This is a good red wine if you haven't tried it yet. There have been some good Australian Cab wines coming from down under so I bought 2 of them. One is Gumdale which has been around for awhile and the other Cab was a new one I haven't tried yet. It is Waltzing Vine Cab and is a new wine to our market here. Both Gumdale and Waltzing Vine come from the same area, South Eastern Australia. The prices on these newer wines are usually a good bargain. I will find out if it is a bargain after I taste them.

The Cavit Pinot Grigio being a white wine has a fresh and fruity taste and is good anytime of the year. The Mondavi Cab is a drier wine with a great flavor. Today most of my family and I will be having the traditional Turkey dinner with the trimmings including the Baltimore Sauerkraut.

The Corona's with fresh lime early before dinner and the wines before and during dinner. I am looking forward to it.

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone

Sunday morning my buddy Mike and I headed downtown to the Ravens Game. My brother who usually goes couldn't make it this time around. We always go early so we can drink lots of beer and eat some good food. This Sunday we were down at the Cross St. Market which just finished a nice overhaul on the building. Nick's Seafood and Bars are located on South Charles St. and Cross St. We arrived just before 10 a.m. and we were glad we did. It was getting crowded even then, but we found a couple of seats at the raw bar and sat there and quaffed $1.00 Natty Bohs. Then we ate plates of raw oysters which went down good with the Natty Bohs. They serve all kinds of beer some in 32 oz. cups. By 11 o'clock the place was a sea of purple with some yellow mixed in. Expectation were high for the Ravens to beat the Steelers and everyone got along just fine while drinking and eating.

Mike and I each ordered one of Nick's fish sandwiches. I couldn't believe how big they were. It couldn't have been too big as they disappeared in a hurry. The sandwiches were excellent. The fun part of all this is not just the food and beer (although it is a big part) was meeting and talking to all the other Ravens fans. Yes, even some Steelers fans. Leaving Nick's we left to go tailgating with some other friends for more beer and then off to M & T Stadium to watch the Ravens and Steelers.

It was a long game as most by now know and we won in overtime with a fieldgoal by Matt Stover. It wasn't the prettiest game but a win is a win. The Ravens finally scored a touchdown, we beat a quality team and a rival. The walk back to our car was a happy one.

I had a great time at the Baltimore Bloggers Happy Hour last night. I want to thank Mike and Kisch for being great hosts. I liked the Wifey blouse. It was good to meet everyone again and some new faces. Molly Goatwax was a pleasure to meet and talk to. I liked the Public House and yes the beer is cold. I will be back.

Baltimore Bloggers know how to have a good time and I am fortunate to be a part of this group. Looking forward to the next get together and to see how much beer we can consume. Yeah!!

The CMA (Country Music Awards) are on tonight. While I am not a big country fan, I do like to listen to country once in a while. I am rooting for Keith Urban to win the Entertainer of the Year Award. He has a very good chance of getting this Oscar like award of Country Music.

Several years ago a buddy and I were on a flight to Nashville Tennessee to see a Tennessee Titans football game. I am a dyed in the wool Ravens fan, but my son who lives in Tenn is a Titans fan. We fly to Nashville every year to get together. I have not missed a Ravens Vs Titans game played in Tenn yet. While on the flight I struck up a conversation with this guy and 2 of his friends. The flight isn't very long, about 2 hours, and we were there before you knew it. My son and his friend picked us up at the Airport and off to the hotel we went. Being a Saturday we had a bunch of time to kill, so one of the first places we went to was Tootsies Honky Tonk. Tootsies is world famous for having new young talent there before they became famous. We were drinking beers and watching the entertainment and just enjoying the music, all this at 10 a.m. We decided to hit a few more joints then go to the nearby Opry Mills Mall, which is humongus.

Getting to the Mall we decided to get something to eat and I wanted to hit the Bass Pro Shop there. Walking down the corridors of the Mall we came upon a small studio that records some of the Country Music acts and you can go in and watch the goings on. While there the host introduced a new and up and coming singer by the name of Keith Urban. I really never heard of him before, but I knew him. Keith Urban was the guy and his friends I talked to while on the flight to Nashville. Holy Shit, I couldn't believe it, here he was on the stage performing. What a strange co-incidence this was. First meeting him on the plane and then just happened to be where he was performing. He was good, and everyone gave him a big hand when he finished. Me included.

Keith Urban is now a super star and I wish him all the luck in the world to win the Entertainer Of The Year Award tonight. Go Keith Go.

Today looks like a good day to take off from work early and do some Antiquing. I like to go around to the different Antique, and Consignment Shops and see what I can find for my collection or to sell. Baltimore and the surrounding area can be a fun place to find something you want. It is all in the hunt. That is the true fun of it, whether it be something for your collection or a decorative piece for you house. If you are looking for a piece of furniture for that special place in you home Baltimore will be a good place to find it.

If you know what you are looking for and know the value, unless it is rare, it can be had for a good price. When I go into some of the shops and see the prices they are asking, I just shake my head and move on. On the other hand, if you find that special piece and you have been looking a long time for it, and you know it is scarace, then pay the price. You just might not be able to find it again.

If you are a collector of anything it is fun to go and look for something you want and find it. You are considered a collector if you own more than two of anything. That is what I mean by the hunt. I travel the East Coast at times looking for what I want. Some of my favorite places are in New England. Taking a long weekend, let's say from Friday to Monday I hit quite a bit of territory. I leave at 3 a.m. and I am in New Hampshire at about 9 a.m. hitting the shops and Antiques Malls as they open. You must be an early riser to do this. After hitting New Hampshire all day, I head off to Maine where I spend the night and hit the shops there in the morning. From Maine it is off the Massachusetts, and then by Monday I am into Connecticut. I am usually home by early Monday evening.

You get to meet a lot of nice people, some I have known for awhile. You get to eat some of the best food and of course Lobsters. Oh, yeah don't forget the beer. You get to know where to go for the food and where it is not expensive. It is a fun time and you always find something you want. It also makes you feel good when you are back home.

Just some rambling and musings of the Double Dogged Guy.

It has been 2 months in coming, but here it is, my own Blog. It had to be done. I couldn't put if off any longer. I wonder how many mistakes I will make? I know it's about time I did it. Just so I can relate better to my Blogging friends in Baltimore and surrounding areas. I hope in time to make friends from all over.

I can thank Jessica (Live In Love) for helping me to pick my name for this Blog. I mentioned to her a few of the names to use and she said Double Dogged was the one she liked the best. It was my 1st choice also. So, Thank You Jessica the beer is on me.

The name Double Dogged came about because of my 2 dogs. I am an early riser as is one of my dogs, sometimes she gets up too early. My other dog sleeps in and doesn't get up early. With the early riser, I will let her out, feed her, and let her out again to do her business. Then I can grab a fresh cup of coffee and let her back in, the rest of morning is mine. This can take anywhere from 25 minutes to 45 minutes except when I get Double Dogged. Just as I am getting ready to relax and get on the computer or read the paper, dog # 2 gets up and I have to do the whole routine over again. This is what I call Double Dogged.

I don't expect to post every day, but I will get my licks in. LOL