I Like "Tough"

What you're looking at up there is one of my two spearmint plants. Fortunately for me, mint is an extremely hardy critter, tough to kill. This little guy and the one beside him, out of the frame, were very tall and bushy and full of dark green leaves that perfumed the air when you just brushed them gently. Gorgeous. And then they came to live with me -- and then I set them in the hallway, thinking the skylight would be great for them. I was wrong. They rapidly grew spindly and pale and began losing their leaves and I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't even notice for all too long. Bipped right past them, day after day, and never even looked. (sigh)

Well, when I realized I was in the process of committing involuntary mint slaughter, I whipped them back into the kitchen, pinched off all the spindly and dying stuff, watered them well and humbly begged them for forgiveness. I guess they're okay with that because they have begun to thrive again on the windowsill by the table. They're still not as dark green as they used to be but they've certainly improved over the sad state to which I'd reduced them. Provided I don't lapse into black thumb mode again, they'll progress beautifully.

I so admire their toughness that I decided they were an apt illustration for the batteries in my camera. I know -- that seems like a ludicrous leap of logic but stick with me here. I'll explain.

Back when I got my first digicam, the little refurbished Kodak, I was going through double AA batteries like they were popcorn. I think digicams were greedier then but maybe I'm wrong. I hate to think how many batteries I tossed before I found out they would still operate things like clocks and tape recorders even after the camera had sucked them down. By the time I got my beloved Nikon CoolPix, I'd graduated to rechargeable batteries and I ran two sets of Rayovacs for a couple of years without any problems. Along toward the last, I felt as though the batteries were not holding their charge as long but, by golly, they worked hard for the duration.

Then, when I got my current Canon Powershot (thank you, Cecil), I did a lot of research and ended up ordering a double set of Sanyo's Eneloops, along with the charger. That was in February of last year. The first set didn't run out until yesterday, a good year and a half after they were first popped into the camera! Mind you, that's with almost daily use for over a year. This past six months I haven't shot as many pictures but, still, I think the time span is pretty impressive.

Besides the fact that they're sturdy and long-lived (hence my mint analogy), these are what are called "precharged" batteries. They're ready to go right out of their bubble pack. So I've just recharged the first set and stored them away in their little container and fully expect them to be still amply charged when this second set runs down next year -- or whenever.

Wolfie, if I remember correctly, you were investing in -- I think -- Rayovac Hybrids at the same time. I think the hybrids are virtually the same as the Eneloops. What has been your experience with them? Just so folks know there are choices. Heck, by now there are probably even more precharged battery brands out there.

Just for the record, I'm not being paid by Sanyo to brag on their Eneloops -- but they wouldn't hurt my feelings if they sent me chocolate. Dark chocolate, please. Sanyo? Can you hear me now? Tap, tap. Darn. I don't think this thing is on.