My eBay purchase

What's this? My new toy. The purchase from eBay that I have been waiting a week for. It took it's trip across the entire country to be in my trembling little hands.
I almost didn't get it. I struggled with the decision while Hubby was in the other room. 'Should I get it? I can't decide!' From him, I heard thousands of 'Buy it...buy it now!'









What is it? Does this help??









How about this...?

It's my BRAND NEW CLARINET!!!!

I'm so excited. I haven't played in probably 14 years. I played all through school. Starting in 5th grade, when I really wanted to play the flute, but the band director said that my lips were the wrong shape. That the air I was blowing out was not going down into the mouthpiece, but hitting the center of my top lip and going outwards, to the sides!! Later, I found this to be pretty much a lie. I discovered that everyone wanted to play the flute and they needed more clarinetists. Also, when my sister started playing the flute, I had no difficulty getting it to make music. Despite wanting to play the flute, I embraced the clarinet, and did so well that I was first chair through 5th grade and into 6th grade until that fateful day when I broke my pinky finger. The 2nd chair had challenged me, and after a few weeks the director decided that, since there was another way to play the notes I needed my right pinky for, that it was fair for her to challenge. The problem was that he didn't show me that option in enough time for me to retrain my brain...I continued to try playing with my splinted finger...down to 2nd chair I went. After that, I just never came back. Into junior high, I didn't like the band director and I was a tween...not caring about band. I was last chair (out of about 13!). High school brought on my love of color guard, so playing wasn't as important, but I did enjoy it more, and settled in at the middle...as with most things in my life!

My clarinet was traded in for a saxophone for my sister...she played for 2 weeks!

I was able to make my parents feel bad enough to buy me a new clarinet...when I was 21!!

I don't know where they got it, but it had some damaged pads...eaten by moths!! I paid quite a bit of money to have it fixed...only to have the moths return, because the guy didn't fumigate the case, as he was supposed to!! After years of being wrapped in plastic with cedar blocks, I decided to see how much it would be these days to have it fixed. If you're wondering...it's in the neighborhood of $500!!!

I forget about ebay sometimes, but when I was reminded by a friend, I thought...'what the heck!' I did some research and found a new clarinet ...as in, still wrapped in plastic -brand new!!...was one-fifth the price...WITH shipping!

So, now, I just need a day off to see if I can still play!! Just 5 days of work, one birthday party, and one work meeting left before I get that day off!!