Ok, let me just begin by saying that I KNOW I am not here often, but I feel that I have enough friends here to take liberties with my lurkiness.......that said......In January I attended my daughter's wedding. At that time I mentioned that I was planning to take my clarinet home to Baja. My DH......loving and thoughtful guy that he is.....asks if perhaps we should have it looked at by a pro and see if any damage had incurred during the 4 years it had lain in wait for me. So we have the horn examined and he (DH) decides that for the $140 it would take to fix the horn we could get one someplace like ebay. I told him that my horn was fine as is, I don't play it that often, obviously. So.....I leave to run an errand.....upon my return, I find my DH grinning maniacly and waving a printout......"we got a brand new horn...and it was only $252!!!". He was so happy........I didn't have the heart to tell him that not all clarinets are created equal, so I just made sure that the return policy was ok and waited 4 days for delivery (he had paid extra for quick delivery, naturally.) The horn finally arrives.......meanwhile.......DH has been "tootling" around with MY clarinet and has decided that it would be the perfect thing for HIM to play. So he does what he always does when he is interested in something.......he researches........and researches.......and resear.......well.......you get the idea. "My New Horn" is totally unplayable, stiff, dull sounding, and flat! I thank DH profusely and tell him that I am sending it back. He says "that's great honey, I know what I did wrong........I have got bids out on a few more clarinets on ebay and I will find the perfect one for you and one for ME". The world tilted a little for me at that point because I know my DH very well.......verrrrry well. It is now April and we are the proud owners of 5.........count them folks........FIVE clarinets. DH is now a certified expert, not only in clarinets and their history, but reeds, mouthpieces, ligatures and Benny Goodman! He practices a minimum of 2 hours a day, our 5 clarinets have amoung them 9 mouthpieces and dozens of reeds, both regular and plastic. DH can extemporize for HOURS over the various points, both good and bad, about wooden clarinets versus composite, metal ligatures vs plastic or rubber, long open mouthpieces vs short closed. As I am typing this.....my beloved is feverishly bent over HIS keyboard, he is in a bidding war for a Van Dorn 5RV, a 10 pack of #3 reeds and a "Fake" book for jazz favorites written in Bflat.....and so it goes.
For those of you who may be asking yourselves "what does this obviously sane woman see in this lunatic???" I can only reply.... when DH decided that I was something he REALLY WANTED...... well.......my world has been TILTED before.
For those of you who may be asking yourselves "what does this obviously sane woman see in this lunatic???" I can only reply.... when DH decided that I was something he REALLY WANTED...... well.......my world has been TILTED before.
