erm...

So remember that time when Sunday was daylight savings time in most of the civilized world? Well, I somehow missed that memo.

Perhaps I just ruined the punch line for the story I am about to share, but here goes anyway.

*Beep*Beep*Beep*

Oh how I loathe the alarm clock, but I have made a goal to start getting up earlier. I obeyed the alarm clock (aka phone) yesterday. Got up, started the shower to get it warm, possibly turned the heat up a bit, to create a sauna-like bathroom, etc.

I have been accused of taking long showers, but I really was trying hard to be on time for church today, because usually I'm late. So when I was almost ready, and saw my bathroom clock reading 9:30am, I went into super duper quick mode, and made it out the door ten minutes later. This Sunday was a bit more complicated, as the Old Time ensemble was playing for the North Carolina Music Educators conference at three in Winston-Salem, which meant I would get to lug the mandolin around church (it's almost cold now! boo.) and then high-tail it out there to find the conference center in downtown Winston. Then back to the Friend's house for dinner, then the CES fireside, and then home to a starving Max the Cat. And as I've already digressed, as I was driving home at about 10pm last night, there was a little black kitten on the side of Freeman Mill. I was [this close] to stopping and saving the poor beastie. But I thought that 1) Max the Cat would loathe me even more and 2) Cousin Paul would increase his 'cat lady' commentary to my life. [His most recent was asking if I wanted another cat for Christmas. Bless his heart.]

Okay, back to the story.

I finish getting ready in record speed. Get out the door. Get to church in a decent time, though about ten minutes late. I make the last turn, slow down to enter the parking lot, and see that there are. no. cars.

See, there are three wards that meet in the building. This is up from two when I first moved here. They haven't quite learned how to share the building. It's not like its been two years or anythings. (cough. cough.) As such, the east side of the building is my ward's side. Granted, there were a few rebellious car parkers, but the normally full lot, was mostly vacant. It was then I began to suspect something. But hey, I got a pull through spot! Sweet!

I grab the mandolin, and my church bag, lock the car and rush in as quick as my heels allow.

I hide the mandolin in the foyer so I don't have to carry it in the Chapel, walk in. And find. no one.

I thought stake conference was the 20th. What the heck is going on?

And then, a little fact wiggles into the fore of my brain.

Crap.

Well, at least I was early for church once.

I wandered the halls for a full fifty minutes, in my successful attempt to avoid being asked to give a prayer (don't tell me you've never done that - okay, maybe not for fifty minutes....) and enjoyed the rest of my meetings.

new member of the family

I would like to introduce the newest member of my family:

Manny, the Mandolin. 

Okay, that's really not his name, but I thought it was punny.

But look at his beeyootiful backside.

I thought he was purty, too.

I forget what the guy said the wood was, but I think the style of the back is not very common. I will say that the model is one of a kind - a prototype that will be downgraded in materials to meet a certain price point. Which of course appealed to my 'I-like-to-be-different'-ness.

But, besides all the nice aesthetic appeal, it has quite a lovely, resonant sound. Including the one I played last semester, I've only really played four mandolins in my life. There was a nice rich toned mahagony, and a super lacquered one; this was a nice balance between the two styles.

I'm currently playing scales, and working on getting the individual notes to sound. This whole string, well, let's just say I prefer holes to strings. So much more intuitive!

And for those concerned about my oboe-ing, I have a standing rule that I cannot practice mandolin till I have practiced the oboe. I only broke that rule once, when my new strap came in the mail.