My Surprise, With a Side of Serendipity

It wasn’t until I sent an e-mail out with this little anecdote yesterday that I realized there is something a lot of people don’t know about me.  So let me tell you the anecdote, and reveal a little something about mah-self.
Over the weekend, E. and I played copious amounts of Rock Band at his friend’s house. (Um, hi, what’s that? It’s coming out for PS2??? Neat!)  E.’s very adorable statement that I looked “like a natural” holding the guitar stirred a little nostalgia up in me. 
See, I played the guiter.  For 7 years.  I started in 5th grade when my parents gave me the choice of joining band or learning an instrument privately that wasn’t part of band.  I chose the guitar, mainly because I was told we absolutely could not put a piano in the house.  (I still want to learn piano, btw)  I started on acoustic, spent some time on electric, and was finally persuaded by my teacher to try classical guitar.  Not to toot my own horn too much, but in 8th grade my teacher was willing to refer me to study classical guitar in the University of Akron’s music program.  I declined, because being me, I was turning into a perfectionist and practicing was just making me cry from the pressure I was putting on myself.
So in high school I continued to dabble in guitar but mostly put it aside to learn to play clarinet (and humorously enough, join band).  I learned clarinet in a summer and by the fall was 2nd chair (only to my best friend who had an advantage I think with her stunning wooden, hand crafted clarinet–plus she was even more of a perfectionist than me). 
I went off to college and theater caught my attention. I may have schleped one or more of the guitars with me–I honestly don’t recall.  At some point my folks sold the acoustic.  I sold the electric to a boyfriend.  I still have the classical because it is lovely and somewhat valuable.
Sunday I began turning the idea around in my head about getting an electric again and brushing up.  I will forever have tiny hands and fingers that make heavy duty chords and lightening fast changes difficult.  But I know my notes, and I still remember the chord sequence for Smoke on the Water (and the bass line for I Heard It Through The Grapevine!). 
I e-mailed the ex on the very, very odd chance he might still have the guitar.  He does, and just THAT DAY (yesterday) had been cleaning & contemplating selling it.
After the holiday, my little blue Fender-esque baby is coming home.  With the original amplifier, plus a chord book he threw in at no extra charge.  I could use some lessons again I think, and discipline more than anything.  And it will need a whole new set of strings (which yes, I seem to remember how to change).  But it will be ready to rock in 2008.  

Crying, Screaming, Peeing My Pants a Little

In a good way.

What a beautiful thing to see before beddy time. (admittedly, I’m still struggling with Heath Ledger as the Joker–I mean Nicholson was cheesers, but he was NICHOLSON!)