I think I can! I think I can! I think I can!

Well I finally got that snow day I have been fussing about. One problem though no snow! Although I am sure that there must have been slick spots on the roadways I look out my front door and NOTHING. Oh well I have plenty of things to do but before I get to caught up in the craziness of a snow day I thought I would head on over to blog land and see what happens.

Well it all started very innocently . Last year at school (the one I teach at) one of my teaching friends Mr. Jeff brought in his guitar. He would sit in the lobby and play on his break or travel around to various classrooms. I noticed one afternoon as I was strolling through the halls he was sitting in the lobby just playing away. I stopped in AWE and realized how relaxing an acoustic guitar could be. I was amazed the calming affect that came over me and begged him to follow me around all day and just play some light background music. Needless to say the main people at the board of education didn't feel that I needed background music in order to teach students and that my mental health would just have to suffer. So I went right on teaching without that much needed relaxing background music. Occasionally Mr. Jeff would find me and follow me around for a couple of minutes but that wasn't enough. I thought to my self I have a small amount of musical talent. After all I took piano lessons for a couple of months until she kicked me out stating that I didn't have a long enough attention span that a 15 minute lesson was just way to long. Although that wonderful teacher did suggest 5 minute lessons my mom just didn't go for it so my piano playing abilities went unnoticed. Although as a child I would hear a commercial on TV and walk to the piano and pick out the tune I still can't play an entire song or anything just little snippets. Also, I played the saxophone in middle school and high school so I could at one time read music. Surely picking up the guitar shouldn't be that hard right!

So the journey began. I started hinting that I wanted a guitar for Christmas because I needed something to fill that lack of spare time. I had made up my mind I was 31 years old and I needed a hobby. So on Christmas morning I awoke waiting. Neil my wonderful husband had gotten me everything I had asked for a zoom lens for my 35mm and a story book to create on line I was so excited (oh yeah by the way I haven't finished the storybook either). But no guitar! We went to my moms house where I just knew there would be a new guitar under the tree with my name on it but nothing. I was let down how could I possibly start playing the guitar without a guitar. Then when I least expected it there it was pulled from a dark bedroom my new guitar. I was so excited I couldn't hardly stand it. Of course it was severely out of tune and I didn't have a clue what to do with it. But it was mine nonetheless black and shiny and ready to play. I took it home in its little case and picked around on it for about two weeks after Christmas then the illness reared its ugly head and I was back to the doctor and a short stay in the hospital I went. That beautiful shiny black guitar went unnoticed in the corner of my living room. I did pick it up a couple of times and tried to learn some chords but for the most part it sat. There was so much going on last year I never picked it up from teaching, to grad classes, to coaching, to being sick and in and out of the hospital that prized possession just sit there just waiting to be played. After I had surgery in July I thought here is the spare time I needed to learn something and still nothing happened. Finally in October Neil's cousin Jeff came to visit and there she sit in the corner doing nothing. He asked who's guitar is that Neil and I both looked at each other and Neil quickly said its hers but according to her it doesn't work. I told Jeff that I had gotten it for Christmas and that it was severely out of tune but if he could get it to work then well it would have to be a miracle. In ten minutes he had it tuned to perfection and was even playing some songs. The next thing I knew he was trying to teach me this was my chance but like before I just didn't have the time to pick it up after that night so there it went back into the corner.

I had failed miserably I had wanted to be able to play one song by Christmas and I had nothing. I pick it up in December when we got out for winter break but I was too busy then to. What am I going to do I have a brand new guitar and nothing I can't play a single thing. But there is hope! For Christmas my brother-in-law got a new electric guitar and he is slowly learning how to play. He came over this weekend with his electric tuner and got mine back in tune and promises me there is still hope. He's telling me about this DVD he got and how he will pass it on when he is done with it. He also brought me a stand to sit it on because you shouldn't lean them against the wall because it causes pressure on the neck of the instrument. Now she is out in the open just as pretty as you please and I feel obligated to learn something. I actually picked it up for about an hour this morning and my fingers are killing me but I think I can learn to play at least one song today even if it only has 2 chords I think I can do it. I am determined on this the first snow day of the year. Wish me luck!

There she is much prettier in real life but beautiful nonetheless!!