It's no longer a question: as of January 17, 2026, I think I am once again a physical media girlie.
Kathleen and I visited The Turning Point yesterday as part of our Saturday adventure to see what was in store. This second-hand shop has been around for a bit more than 40 years, but neither of us had been inside.
It turns out that I am more interested in getting music on CD than I thought I was! After browsing the racks (most priced $5-$10), I purchased 6 CDs, including:
- The Trinity Session (1988) - Cowboy Junkies
- Glee (1997) - Bran Van 3000
- Silent Alarm (2005) - Bloc Party
- Future Politics (2017) - Austra
- Swansong For You (2000) - The Gentle Waves
- Becoming X (1996) - Sneaker Pimps
Just as I had with Butch earlier in the week, I promptly ripped them as FLACs and added them to my collection.
Most interested in finding DVDs, Kathleen was able to find:
- This is Wonderland Season 1 (2004)
- The Tudors Season 2 (2008)
So just as quickly as we began asking the question as to whether we were going to become an "owns physical media" household, it seems that we did!
New Pentax ES II
While we were out and about yesterday in the (unexpected) morning snow, I also gave my new Pentax ES ["Electro-Spotmatic"] II (1973) its first test roll. The results are here: "The New One's Not Entirely Reliable!".
I had wanted the ES II because I have quite a few Takumar lenses that I really like the results from, but very much prefer to use cameras with onboard metering. Especially with aperture priority. Although it's much more acute in winter, even when the weather is pleasant, I find that pulling a meter(ing app on my phone) from my purse for each photo incompatible with how I prefer to make photos.
Overall, the ES II performed admirably. The metering is accurate and it's a pleasure to use.
Unfortunately, aperture priority mode is a little unreliable. For three of the frames on the roll of 24, the meter read the lighting accurately (as shown by the needle), but somewhere between the reading and the shutter, communication broke down and the shutter remained open much longer than it should have.
After removing the roll for development, I played around with the camera further at home and, sure enough, it continued to happen at irregular intervals.
Such is life! Since the meter works well, I can still use it manually. Since I paid $60 for the camera and working copies aren't exactly common at that price, I am quite happy with the purchase overall.
This isn't the first time I've had an aperture priority camera from the first half of the 1970s with this problem. One of my Nikkormat ELs decided that it would be a good idea to begin showing that problem while Kathleen and I were in Halifax in 2023. How inconvenient!
ELs?
Yes! The Nik(k)o(r)mat EL is my single favourite film camera. It comes down to having aperture priority usable with Nikon's pre-Ai lenses, which are my favourite series of lenses!
Unfortunately, the EL has a (well-earned) reputation for being, shall we say, a little repair resistant, so there are very few technicians who will touch them. Over the years, when I come across them on eBay with a working meter at a good price (i.e. $50, or at least below $100), I'll make a purchase.
Make-Aheads & New Recipes
The past week was my first full work week where my office day breakfasts were the vegan egg-and-cheese sandwiches I made ahead of time.
It worked out super well and I am very happy with the way it all went. I will be making more of them today for the week ahead.
For Kathleen and I, our Sunday meal has often been the one where we try something new. It doesn't have to be complex or even all that fancy, but it's just something we try so that we might find a new staple.
Today's dinner will be these Quick Peanut Soba Noodles, but we'll be adding a little crisped-up tofu for the protein.
January 18, 2026