Friday the 13th

I have been wanting a tripod for my camera for a long time and today I finally broke down and got one. I asked some of the guys at the fotoklub if they had any recommendations, and they all agreed that the best was Manfrotto...an Italian brand. I was stressed about their price, but after I went to the InFoto downtown, they showed me a great Manfrotto that is compact, durable, and it was on sale. I had my camera with me so I could try it out. I liked that it was a simple set-up, could get pretty high, and it is possible to buy head attchements, for example, if I get a heavier camera one day or want to stick a flash and umbrella on it. I'm not that much of an advanced photographer, so I think this one is going to serve me just fine...probably for the rest of my life! Now I just need to get to know my camera a little better so that I can take great night photography and time-lapsed photos. I have the users manual around here somewhere....