After over a year of wishing, pleading, begging, wishing, and dealing, this broke and starving artist FINALLY got his dream lens - a 100-400 IS USM L lens!
It was a nightmare to get, but. Totally worth it.
Could NOT fall asleep last night, too excited. Finally faded out at about 3 am. Woke up at 6:15. Got dressed, woke up the whole family (wife needed to give me a ride, as we only have one vehicle, and she needed it) and made the 20 minute drive to the ferry. Got on the ferry and had a 2 hour crossing in the pouring rain. On the plus side, I got to see a pod of Orcas frolic and breach along side the ferry. 
Got to the other side, met the seller, checked out the lens, and it's MINT. I mean, there's not a blemish on this thing anywhere. It looks like it just came out of a retail shop this morning. Not even a smudge on the tripod mount.
I give the seller my sheckles, sign a bill of sale, and try to get on the ferry I just got off 5 minutes prior. People are still unloading, and I'm told "nope, tickets went off sale a minute ago. They would NOT let me get on the ferry, and told me - rudely - I'd have to wait 2 hours and 45 minutes to get on the 1PM sailing!
I'll skip over the part of the story where I gave the customer service people a real piece of my mind (putting it very nicely) and waited forever for the next ferry. NO whales on the way back, of course. :/
By the time I got home, it was 3 PM, and most of the day was gone. So, REALLY looking forward to getting out tomorrow and shooting something exciting.
Anyways. As the sig now reflects, I'm a PROUD member of the 100-400L club. Sorry for the thread, but, after a YEAR of trying, I finally made it happen. And for an amateur photog trying to scrape together every dollar I can find, a $1,400 lens is A LOT.
Happy shooting, all!
