Really, RL people? Good grief!

leaf_light , don't get excited, but it is at the brill beta's.

So today was Take Your Ukelele To Work Day in my office. My friend who is keen to get one too is off to buy hers on the weekend and wanted to have a look at mine. As yet, I do not own a ukulele case because there is a ukulele drought in Sydney and the accessories are selling out even faster than the instruments. But I still have the little asymmetrical cardboard box it came in, so I packed it into that and set off on my walk to work.

My neighbour was bringing his bin in as I left. "Is that a sword?" he asked, nodding at the box.

"No," I replied, "It's a ukulele."

I got to work. "Is that a gun?" asked the friendly security guard (NB with ONLY INTEREST, not a hint of 'You might need to check that in'!)

"No," I replied, "It's a ukulele."

I took the lift up to my office and ran into my editor in chief.

"Is that a mini guitar?" she asked (she is v sane).

"Very close! It's a ukulele!"

The day passed with general pleasantness, at the end, I packed my things and went to walk home with some of the other late-leavers who park their cars up towards my street. We made it some little way before my bestie in the group said:

"B, I'm sure it's not, but for all the world it looks as though you are carting a machine gun about under your arm."

"Why does everyone automatically assume I'm likely to carry deadly weaponry?" I asked.

She gave me A Look. "Do you really need me to answer that?"

I suppose it's reassuring in a way that they all believe I would be not only a well-accoutred assassin, but one likely to use her powers only for good, not evil.


ETA OMG! Just realised what day it is, HAPPY BIRTHDAY oldenuf2nb ! You are a thing of beauty and a joy forever! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with pressies and hugs!

Really, RL people? Good grief!

leaf_light , don't get excited, but it is at the brill beta's.

So today was Take Your Ukelele To Work Day in my office. My friend who is keen to get one too is off to buy hers on the weekend and wanted to have a look at mine. As yet, I do not own a ukulele case because there is a ukulele drought in Sydney and the accessories are selling out even faster than the instruments. But I still have the little asymmetrical cardboard box it came in, so I packed it into that and set off on my walk to work.

My neighbour was bringing his bin in as I left. "Is that a sword?" he asked, nodding at the box.

"No," I replied, "It's a ukulele."

I got to work. "Is that a gun?" asked the friendly security guard (NB with ONLY INTEREST, not a hint of 'You might need to check that in'!)

"No," I replied, "It's a ukulele."

I took the lift up to my office and ran into my editor in chief.

"Is that a mini guitar?" she asked (she is v sane).

"Very close! It's a ukulele!"

The day passed with general pleasantness, at the end, I packed my things and went to walk home with some of the other late-leavers who park their cars up towards my street. We made it some little way before my bestie in the group said:

"B, I'm sure it's not, but for all the world it looks as though you are carting a machine gun about under your arm."

"Why does everyone automatically assume I'm likely to carry deadly weaponry?" I asked.

She gave me A Look. "Do you really need me to answer that?"

I suppose it's reassuring in a way that they all believe I would be not only a well-accoutred assassin, but one likely to use her powers only for good, not evil.


ETA OMG! Just realised what day it is, HAPPY BIRTHDAY oldenuf2nb ! You are a thing of beauty and a joy forever! I hope you have a wonderful day filled with pressies and hugs!

Don't judge me!

Weekends are for ukulele buying!*

This time it was at the local musician's market (a well-run little private shop, not, alas, an actual market, which would be at night, and have harps* and mandolins, and be unutterably cool!) where the owner had told me he was expecting hard cases for tenor ukuleles any day now.

I popped in on spec, and while the cases were not in yet, he showed me the same type in a soprano size and I approved. But …

'Could I take a look at a soprano ukulele?' I asked. 'My little hands are finding it a stretch to manage some of the fingerings at the same time I am learning them, so a smaller one might be easier until I have learned more chords.'

'Good plan!' the owner replied, and started to show me through a few nice models.

Less than 15 minutes later I left with a lovely and teeny new ukulele, in its own rectangular case!

I had a mission of mercy to deliver hot chocolate to pseudicide , and then headed on home, crossing busy King St behind a couple who then headed down the same side street I was going to and got into their rather silly car. I had to duck around the passenger door that the chap had left open across the pavement and he only noticed after I was already ducking, but he sang out 'Sorry', so I smiled back.

When I went to cross the next street, their car was already in motion and coming in my direction. I waited, for I am polite. The car rolled to a stop in front of me and the man in the passenger seat rolled down his window. 'Excuse me?' he asked.

I was expecting to be asked for directions. Instead, he pointed at the case and said 'Is that a flute? Or a saxaphone?'

'It's a ukulele!' I said. 'A soprano ukulele.'

'We were both wrong!' he declared, laughing.

I grinned and waved at him and his girlfriend as they drove off, and walked home, smiling, happy that strangers see me as a natural arty musical type, and not the homicidal maniac my nearest and dearest do.



*I originally wrote that Saturday was for ukulele buying, and then realised that I have only had my tenor for six days, not seven, so my progress is not as dire as I had thought!

Don't judge me!

Weekends are for ukulele buying!*

This time it was at the local musician's market (a well-run little private shop, not, alas, an actual market, which would be at night, and have harps* and mandolins, and be unutterably cool!) where the owner had told me he was expecting hard cases for tenor ukuleles any day now.

I popped in on spec, and while the cases were not in yet, he showed me the same type in a soprano size and I approved. But …

'Could I take a look at a soprano ukulele?' I asked. 'My little hands are finding it a stretch to manage some of the fingerings at the same time I am learning them, so a smaller one might be easier until I have learned more chords.'

'Good plan!' the owner replied, and started to show me through a few nice models.

Less than 15 minutes later I left with a lovely and teeny new ukulele, in its own rectangular case!

I had a mission of mercy to deliver hot chocolate to pseudicide , and then headed on home, crossing busy King St behind a couple who then headed down the same side street I was going to and got into their rather silly car. I had to duck around the passenger door that the chap had left open across the pavement and he only noticed after I was already ducking, but he sang out 'Sorry', so I smiled back.

When I went to cross the next street, their car was already in motion and coming in my direction. I waited, for I am polite. The car rolled to a stop in front of me and the man in the passenger seat rolled down his window. 'Excuse me?' he asked.

I was expecting to be asked for directions. Instead, he pointed at the case and said 'Is that a flute? Or a saxaphone?'

'It's a ukulele!' I said. 'A soprano ukulele.'

'We were both wrong!' he declared, laughing.

I grinned and waved at him and his girlfriend as they drove off, and walked home, smiling, happy that strangers see me as a natural arty musical type, and not the homicidal maniac my nearest and dearest do.



*I originally wrote that Saturday was for ukulele buying, and then realised that I have only had my tenor for six days, not seven, so my progress is not as dire as I had thought!

Just in time!

I had a moment of functional thought! HAPPY BIRTHDAY nenne ! You dear and darling woman! I hope that people are making an appropriately enormous fuss over you and that presents are appearing regularly.

And jolinar_rosha ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I hope that you are surrounded by cake and all good things!

We are meant to be in Canberra tonight, but aren't, because Mr B has had a lung infection and it's meant to get down to 1°C there tonight. He is over the infection, but still coughing wildly whenever it gets too cold. And Canberra has dry air, while he's a subtropical petal. Of course, having stayed home for his health, Sydney is only 6°C and there's sod-all humidity here tonight. Happily, Silverstone is on and Webber qualified in P1!

Just in time!

I had a moment of functional thought! HAPPY BIRTHDAY nenne ! You dear and darling woman! I hope that people are making an appropriately enormous fuss over you and that presents are appearing regularly.

And jolinar_rosha ! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I hope that you are surrounded by cake and all good things!

We are meant to be in Canberra tonight, but aren't, because Mr B has had a lung infection and it's meant to get down to 1°C there tonight. He is over the infection, but still coughing wildly whenever it gets too cold. And Canberra has dry air, while he's a subtropical petal. Of course, having stayed home for his health, Sydney is only 6°C and there's sod-all humidity here tonight. Happily, Silverstone is on and Webber qualified in P1!