Preference for camera types. My father was a newspaper photographer for many years, and he gave his his first Nikon FM when I was 8, been a long expensive road ever sense. But it's really hard to beat an F mount when I can use 40 year old cameras with new lenses and vice versa.
As a fellow North Carolinian, the window tint is one of the best things you can do. I went 5% on the back, and 20% on the front and I coldn't be happier, there has been a HUGE difference in the temp between inside and out with all of the high 90 degree days we ave been having lately.