Bought a camera.

It's so fucking cold down there. There's snow outside, no heating in the basement, and a steady cold draft coming out of the corridor. I brought the portable heater down, but I could barely feel it unless I sat right beside it.

I went to Home Depot and bought two more powerful ones. Then I went looking for a video camera.

The salesman asked what I wanted to film. I stood there for a few seconds trying to think how to explain it, then told him I was fixing up an old house and wanted to record the work. He showed me a Sony Hi8 camcorder. I bought it with a stack of tapes.

He suggested a tripod when I said I'd mostly be filming on my own. I'm glad he thought of it. I hadn't.

I'm going to set it up facing the opening and run it from the wall adapter. I want to keep recording day and night, though I'll have to change the tapes as they fill up. I'll set an alarm so I don't forget. There'll be gaps while I change them, but it's better than relying on me to stay awake and watch.

I've tried it in the kitchen and played the tape back. Picture and sound both work. I need to read a bit more of the manual before I take it downstairs.