When I was looking for a place to get my camera repaired (before I knew it would not be cost-effective to do so), Lou Ann had recommended Penn Camera. I went there today to check on the status of the Canon Powershot S3 IS (“hi, when will you have this in stock?”).

Once I explained the situation we were in (new parents needing to compulsively take pictures of their baby like an addict needs crack), the staff their at Penn Camera went waaaaayyyyy out of their way to help me. They placed an order for the S3 so that I’d get one when it came in, and then they rented me a little point-and-shoot for at the low price of $10/week until the other camera arrives. What makes this even more remarkable is the fact that they don’t normally do rentals out of this store. They made it convenient for me instead of making me go to their DC location that does rentals.

The guy who helped me at their Vienna location was Chip. He was fabulous. It’s not often that I experience truly outstanding customer service. But today was an exception. My mission today was totally accomplished in exactly the manner I’d hoped it would be, and I couldn’t be happier.

Oh, and we gave Simon cereal for the first time today, and thanks to Chip and Penn Camera, I have the photos and video to prove it. More later!