::Leader Board:: Ahnko Honu Takes The Lead Chapter 19!

gyosh said:

"Out There" is much different than it used to be.

Change is what it is, but there is a much surlier vibe to the thread nowadays.

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Mandalyn said:

Peter Moss played a set for the banjo band tonight. He is an awesome player! I'm looking forward to his workshop tomorrow.

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bbycrts said:

After Halloween Emma found a way to donate all her candy to soldiers overseas...she didn't keep any of it. We struggled to figure out birthday presents for her this year - we are looking into gifts that give her a craft to do that she can give away to someone who needs it. She loves to make things and she loves to give to others...

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mailman said:

Miss Mim has a book on dream interpretation; she could help!

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gyosh said:

Pete Howlet: post vicitim of the day.

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bbycrts said:

Okay, our fantastic weekend in Leavenworth, Washington:

1) Started not so fantastic. We got a bit of a late start and by the time we got to the other side of Portland (during rush hour) we'd been on the road for 75 minutes to go 15 miles. Raining hard and traffic was epic. Leavenworth is about 300 miles Northeast of Portland and the forecast was for snow and freezing rain. We opted to go through the Columbia River Gorge instead of through the Cascades - the Washington passes were looking pretty nasty. It did leave one pass on the Eastern side of the mountains, but the weather was supposed to be better for that...

2) We made it...at midnight. Leavenworth is a Bavarian-themed village that is STINKING CUTE. We stayed at a Pension - a small, family-owned hotel. The place was absolutely charming, and the beds were amazing. Leavenworth was covered in the first snow of the season. We borrowed my mom's RAV4 so we would have an all-wheel-drive car. No problems at all there. The town just looked like a gingerbread village with a thick coating of frosting.

3) We finally met our hosts at breakfast on Saturday. The nicest couple in the entire world. Gary wears lederhosen all the time to keep in the theme, Michele wears dirndls. They go to Germany every other year to buy new decorations for the hotel and to renew their wardrobe. Michele brought us soft boiled eggs as part of breakfast - each egg was wearing a crocheted egg cozy shaped like a chicken. Hilarious - they said a local woman made them for them and they just couldn't not use them.

4) Explored the town all day Saturday. Went to the Nutcracker museum - you would be surprised how interesting a museum dedicated to nutcrackers can be! They have a nutcracker there dated to about AD 200 and another that was found in Romania, probably dropped by a crusader heading for the Holy Land. Really cool.

5) Food? Amazing. We stuck to the German-themed restaurants, of course. Just phenomenal.

6) We were sad to go on Sunday morning - by then it was raining hard and the snow was disappearing. It was like the town brought it out just for our day there.

7) And all this brings me to the best story of the weekend. So, while we were filling out our registration paperwork on Saturday I commented to Sheryl that Ben would just love the pen she was using. (Ben is a fanatic for pens - he already has 5 fountain pens that he can give the history of). Michele - one of the owners - commented that she just loves pens too. She said she has a nice fountain pen that she has never been able to get to work right for her. She asked if we would ask Ben for a recommendation for a new one. I texted him and he sent me PARAGRAPHS of recommendations and links to what he would recommend. She was tickled to get the recommendations and immediately tracked down Gary (they've been married 49 years) to tell him to put it on her Christmas list.

Fast forward to the next morning, breakfast time. Michele came to our table with a little box and said, "This is a little awkward, because I don't know if it's a present for your son - if it's broken it's not much of a present, but if he can get it to work I would like him to have the pen that I have had trouble with." We assured her he would be absolutely delighted with it and she was happy as can be to think of a young person (he's 18) who loves pens and handwriting getting her pen and trying to make it work.

We brought it home to him and, as predicted, he was over the moon. The reason it was so exciting? It's a Mont Blanc fountain pen - the value of the pen was somewhat more than we paid for the lodging and breakfast for the entire weekend. He spent hours cleaning it and tinkering with it and got it working perfectly and we have an extremely happy boy now. His first writing project with the new pen was to write a thank-you letter to Michele.

So - to conclude a long story - it was an amazing weekend. If/when we go back to Leavenworth, you can bet we won't even consider anywhere but the Pension Anna for our lodging.

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salukulady said:

How's your BS?

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bbycrts said:

Oahu cases are awesome. Same as Ko'olau cases but with a bit looser dimensions to fit a wider range of ukes. I have had a couple - they're really nice.

I need to get around to selling my old Ko'olau case some day here...

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Mim said:

So, I am practicing for my country store gig off and on. I need a couple more songs under my belt. BUT...

MY NEW PICKUP IS SO FREEING!

(I had holes pre-drilled in my Gary Gill for a pickup and he even made a dowel that would pop out of the bottom so it would be ready for a pickup... THEN... it popped out at the sideshow and was lose ever since!
It was a sign)

SO Mike and Tookta are next to me at MUF and they had a MiSi and Tookta helped me put it in (that woman is amazing, I love her so much) and she showed me some really cool tips and tricks.
But anyway, I LOVE IT!

I realize I wont be a slave to standing still for the mic for the uke which pleases me!

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hoosierhiver said:

The rest of the world caught up with UU.

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sukie said:

Here is my opinion...not that you asked...
If you have an expensive ukulele you should insure it yourself. I do. It's only $30 a year.
My husband is an attorney. Yes, His job puts food on my table. BUT a handshake deal I made with someone turned into a flippin' 5 page contract. Thee seems to be no sense of fair play/honesty in this world any more. Besides...I can't imagine any builder not having insurance.

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sukie said:

Here is my opinion...not that you asked...
If you have an expensive ukulele you should insure it yourself. I do. It's only $30 a year.
My husband is an attorney. Yes, His job puts food on my table. BUT a handshake deal I made with someone turned into a flippin' 5 page contract. Thee seems to be no sense of fair play/honesty in this world any more. Besides...I can't imagine any builder not having insurance.

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sukie said:

Here is my opinion...not that you asked...
If you have an expensive ukulele you should insure it yourself. I do. It's only $30 a year.
My husband is an attorney. Yes, His job puts food on my table. BUT a handshake deal I made with someone turned into a flippin' 5 page contract. Thee seems to be no sense of fair play/honesty in this world any more. Besides...I can't imagine any builder not having insurance.

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gyosh said:

Where do I inquire about uke insurance?

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mailman said:

She needs to learn to knit! There's all kinds of places to donate hand knit items....

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