... 9 ...

Returned to work. Big count ... nothing special. There were some complaints about the new schedual. It seems as if they are forcing full timers to take weekend days off to accomidate the part timers. This at first may seem to be a good thing, but weekends are the busier more profitable days.

Went the whole day and no one realized that I had new glasses.

Got in a little more practise on Bliss.

... 10 ...

Had breakfast with Sylvia and discussed the possibility of her moving into an apartment. She's been thinking about it for a while. Even has a place picked out. This conversation is nothing new, but I dealt better with it this time. The first time I freaked but then I had just moved into Yoko's downsizing at least 2/3s of my worldly possessions. I wasn't prepared to do it again so soon.

Drove home and we just chilled trying to recover from all the driving we did. Praticed on the new dulcimer ... wish I had another week.

... 11 ...

Had a pleasent suprise with Yoko being able to take the day off, so we were able to leave for my stepmother's earlier. We ran errands both hear and there and had a pleasent dinner with Sylvia. I was the model of patence as I resisted tearing into my dulcimer and cigar box guitar. I waited until both Yoko and Sy could be there. The dulcimer is a beaut! More details can be found at http://asylumraiders.com/weddingdulcimer.htm The cigar box guitar was not what I had hoped it to be . I mean it's cool and it will take a little bit of fiddling to figure it out. But I had hoped to be able to use it to learn chromatic dulcimer and while it is chromatic it's a different beastie.

A funny aside ... when we entered in the house we heard whistling around the divider in the front of the kitchen. It was sort of electrical and we looked all around for the source but couldn't find it. Turned out to be Sylvia's hearing aids in an Altoid's box.

Maybe you had to be there.

... 12 ...

A minor correction. Bliss did not arrive as reported ... I was going off the fact that the tracking number had said so. When I called Sylvia she could not find it on her doorstep. Nor any notation. I could feel my stomach just scrunch up into a tight Celtic knot. Yoko reminded me that UPS/FEDEX use sticky notices on the door, but USPS puts them in the mailbox. I called back Sylvia and had her check. Sure enough, there it was. The knot released a little. Sy had a car service that morning, so she signed it and stuck it on the door with a note that read, "Please leave package ... Emergancy ... Hospital." That worked.

So Bliss arrived. My horriscope for today said that my worries were over. Seemed so my dulcimer was safe and my glasses were ready. Went up and picked them up. It's good to see again. They have magnetic sunglasses clips. It's nice to have sunglasses for driving again. I had forgotten how nice it is. Got home and the manoline hard case I ordered came in. Relly nice, but it looks real tight.

Dave S. gave us two bottles of wine, one a champagne from a local winery they don't make anymore. Very kind of him and Deb gave Yoko a set of purple dishes.

... 13 ...

Unlucky 13. Today Bliss (my wedding dulcimer) arrived ... at Sylva's door. In ten days, this has happened twice. I guess Harp had my address on hand and mailed it to her house ... Now I have lost 2 days of practise and will of have to of waited week and a half.

It just adds to the stress. Sort of had a melt down last night. Just got real down. We had a neat idea when we first got the notion of getting hitched in Memphis. We found out you could make recordings at THE Sun Studio. You know the same one that Elvis and Johnny Cash recorded at. So we checked into it. I was told they only record songs ... like kareoke for the $35 quoted. But for $75 an hour you can record. It took 6 months to make the arrangements and I found out there was a 2 hour minimum. Chaching! $150. I needed a case and got a soft case for a deal from Sharon Jackson. Chaching!$175. Then I found out if I take my dulcimer on the plane that it is another $160 and that I will have to order a hard case ($40.)

This whole thing has grown so and beyond the simple concept of recording something for Yoko on or honeymoon. I mean it is not meant to be distributed. I have no illusions of my ability. I have so much to learn. I have a hard time with the concept that anybody would like my playing well enough to want to listen. Yoko doesn't count because she is hardly a impartial audience. I play because there is something satisfying about making music. It has only been in maybe the last 3 years that I have tried to improve my playing and actually make it sound like something. I told Danny I was half tempted just to back out. Both he and Yoko have been supportive, and I thank them for that. They both have reminded me that I am not there because I am doing serious work. I'm there for a once in a lifetime experiance. For the bragging rights to say, "I have stood where Elvis and Johnny stood and we all made music. I am there for some fun. Thanks ... that helpped.

... 14 ...

Day 14: Another hard day at work with another day to follow. I am exhausted. Harp David Lynch) sent my wedding dulcimer today and it should be here Thursday. Tomorrow after work I will check with the UPS store and see can be done. It looks like the airline wants $160 extra to take the dulcimer on the site. We checked our reservations at the Madison in Memphis. Yoko had dinner with her former roomate, Allison. Allison was kind enough to give us a wedding gift of Corning Ware. We also got a belated Valentine from Sylvia, my stepmother. She as always was so generous and gave us a check to have a nice dinner with. Thank you Sy. And thank you Boy, for reading this.

COUNTDOWN ... 15 ...

Okay ... a month since my last post ... long enough that I forgot not only my password ... but my user name. Sheesh!

It is 15 days until the big day. Just 15 days until I ... we say, "I do." We have had the start of little things. Blowflies in the grand scheme of things. But up till now things had been going pretty smooth ... almost smooth as silk. We had looked at the list of things to do and there were little things ... most of them were in the works. Problems seemed to straighten them selfs out.

Day's end 17th day ... We were settling in for a long winter's nap, I had just drifted to Slumberland. Then BANG!I woke with a start. I could not remember if I had taken the Sunday we come into port off. I had woken Yoko and she asked what was the matter. I, of course explained and she in turned was sure I had. However coming from a long line of worry warts and getting it honestly from my Mother, I couldn't let go. I looked through my papers. I tried to check through the cast portal. No luck. I even got Yoko up to do it. Still no luck. I could not sleep at all.

Day 16 ... I stumbled through work. Checked with Renee (the best manager we have) about my vacation schedual and she sent a e-mail to the schedualing manager. Plodded through work. Got home and had an email from Harp. He is building my wedding dulcimer but had a mishap with the soundholes so instead of being being sent last week (and because of President's Day) will be overnighted tommorow an hopefully will arrive Wed. This means some one will have to stay home to sign for it. Yoko is going to try and work from home that day. As I was printing up the luggage reqirements for Northwest Airlines, I discovered my dulcimer will be 2" too long to take on as carry on ... and it will run me $160 extra dollars for the privliage of having my dulcimer manhandled. I also had to order a hard case for it. I will have to refit a mandolin case. We called to see about the chances of hanging our suit/wedding dress and when directed to tickets arlready purchased, we were told that there was no one there to answer our questions and we were directed to the website. We (She) call back and clicked on the purchase tickets option. Bingo!There was Judy right there to take our money ... ahh ... I ment questions. Not only did we find out the answer to our questions, but that our flight time had been moved up ... I'm sure they would of got around to telling us.

Today a hard day at work ... for both of us. I found out that the schedual is okay and that my case is om the way and should come maybe Thurs.

These are petty little things ... I mean it's not like being an Olympic hopeful and finding out that Bryant Gumble thinks it's laughable that you are considered an athlete, let alone a world class athlete. And things are straighteningn out. Together we find solutions. True Yoko is having a bad time sleeping. But all I can think of is this. Things are getting frustrating ... but how much worse would it be if we had a big wedding. I am very grateful for small blessings and even smaller weddings.