We all tend to think of “tech-y” people as infallible when it comes to gizmos, but even though I’m in a tech business, I’ve made my share of gaffes.
Take the other day, for example.
My blogging friend Katybeth asked me if I had any interesting photos of fall foliage that I could send her. Her trees don’t turn color as early as ours do because she’s farther north, yet she wanted to include an autumn-like picture on her blog.
It was gorgeous outside, so I decided to take a quick stroll around the neighborhood and see what I could find — and yes, you can interpret that to mean I was procrastinating! It was Sunday, after all, and who can work when fall beckons?
So I picked up my camera and off I went; however, as soon as I turned my trusty digital on, I realized something was amiss. The following message popped up:
‘Pictures will be recorded to built-in memory.’
Hmm, obviously I didn’t have my SD card installed. I checked and sure enough, the slot was empty.
Okay, where’s the card?
I tried the usual places before recalling that I’d taken it to Wal-Mart recently to print off some pictures for my son’s memory book. That meant the SD card was still in my jeans pocket for I know that’s where I put it when I finished at the kiosk.
But wait — didn’t I wash those jeans?
Racing upstairs, I dug in the pocket of the first pair my hands could reach. There was the SD card. It looked okay and didn’t feel wet. But still. . . .
With a hope and a prayer, I slipped it into my computer.
Miracle of miracles, all of my photos and videos were intact. Displayable. Just as I’d left them.
Wow!
I can’t figure out how they managed to remain unscathed. I mean, those jeans were washed, line dried, and ironed, for Pete’s sake.
But I’m not complaining. That SD card contained images from a segment of time I can’t capture again.
Pictures are memories, and memories are priceless.
So learn from my mistake and don’t wash your storage media!
Have you ever done anything this stupid? How did it turn out?
Musings by an ND Domer's Mom 
It’s amazing that your card survived that crazy journey and your pictures were all intact!
I’ve washed my fair share of things I wish I hadn’t. None of them came through as unscathed as your SD card.
I still can’t figure out HOW it managed to be safe! Looking back, I kind of remember feeling something hard with the iron when I was ironing my jeans, but I just blew it off, thinking it must have run over a seam. Little did I know!
We were both very lucky. Loved the pictures. I have washed a SD card but unfortunately did not have the same results you did..maybe it’s in the detergent? I use Tide. 🙂
I don’t even remember what I used to wash them; that was bad enough, but the ironing?? No way that should have happened!
I’m glad your pictures survived. You are very lucky!
I washed my cell phone a while back. That was pretty stupid. I had to get a new one because it never dried out properly. (And because it wasn’t functioning, I had to manually enter all of my phone book data into the new phone.)
Yep, pretty stupid 🙂
Oh, cell phones are very sensitive, Janna! I just hate the thought of having to manually enter all data into a new one. Bet you won’t do that again — isn’t it funny how careless we get with our stuff? I accidentally dropped my son’s old Nintendo hand-held device into the tank of the toilet (long story), and needless to say, it was ruined!
You don’t have enough space for me to write all the dumb stuff I’ve done LOL
My 6 kids and husband are survivors….Hee….Hee! I don’t think you’ve done a stupid thing though….you’re just a busy mother!
Oh you’re being too kind to say that, Tanya! I guess the Lord was with me because there’s no way I can see for those pictures and videos to have survived washing AND ironing! I kept checking the jeans to make sure I’d washed them and yep, afraid I did. Busy, yes; careless, sad-to-say, yes again!
Oh Deb, I definitely can relate! This sounds like something I would do. So glad your pictures survived.
Me, too, Kathy! Many of them were from a Web Design project I’m working on; others were from a visit to Notre Dame to see my son (I even had videos of the Band doing its Band-thing!). Suffice it to say they were pretty priceless! It’s a miracle they survived.
Great! thanks for the share!
Arron
Thanks for visiting; thanks for commenting!