leastbest - but still one of the best
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Banjos and Roller Coasters
posted Saturday, 2 April 2005
I had a very hectic day yesterday. My daughter wanted to go to the IX (International Exposition) Center for their Indoor Amusement Park. Since I have a serious aversion to any ride that spins or goes up in the air I told her to bring a friend. She had a discount ticket for the family so why not.
I took my daughter and her friend to lunch and read the discount ticket and noticed (in fine print) that the discount was for after five. I'm not cheap but six dollars a person is real money so I told them we'd find something to do for a couple of hours.
A couple of days earlier my father-in-law showed me his banjo (that my wife and I bought him years ago) and an instructional dvd that he had purchased. The video was great and it was nice to spend some time with him. I decided to buy a banjo and learn with him.
So there we were with nothing to do. I told the kids that there was nothing more fun than banjo shopping (with this they rolled their eyes) and off we went.
As with anything I do I had analysed this to death. I had gone to tens of banjo pages and knew more about banjos than any sane person should. We went to a few music stores with the kids pounding on the keyboards while I perused the banjos. Finally I found it. There was a beautiful Deering banjo that I would have to take home. I haggled with the salesman until I got a good price, then demanded a free gig bag. Banjo in hand we were off to the Indoor Amusement Park.
It worked out perfectly as we got there right at five. I paid the five dollars for parking and walked to the gate. I showed the discount coupon to the woman and she punched in the price, $48. I protested saying that with the discount it should be $36. She pointed to a speck on the coupon and told me to read it. I put on my bifocals and saw a bigger speck. She rubbed a yellow highlighter on it, handed me a magnifying glass and under a bright light I saw One Coupon Per Person. The look on my face must have frightened her as she told me that if I went to the office they might help.
I walked over to the office and told the woman my problem and she pointed to the speck and said it was plainly written. I explained that I seldom carried a portable electron microscope with me to read the fine print. Then she asked if I was a Christian? I thought it an odd question until she showed me discount coupons for Christian Day. I took the coupons and went back to the gate. The price was now $40 ($45 w/parking) and I was already tired.
The kids were excited and headed for the rides. I stood taking video and reading a great book, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movies Actor by Bruce Campbell. The wait for the rides was horrendous and I grabbed a chair from the food court and dragged it behind me like a bag lady until a security guard came up and told me I couldn't carry it with me. I asked him his boss's name he told me and I told him that I'd been given permission by that very person and that he should call him. I gave him my phone and told him to call him. He said it was okay with him and that he didn't want any trouble.
I dragged my chair, video camera and book with me looking like Steve Martin in The Jerk. The sound was so loud and overwhelming that I was getting a headache. After the second ride the kids were hungry and I bought them some pizza for the same amount of cash I would have spent buying them each a prime rib dinner.
The kids had a great time and by nine I was exhausted and sonically shell-shocked. I got the kids some food on the way home and sat up until one trying to figure out the rolls on a banjo. I'm going to have fun with this thing.
I took my daughter and her friend to lunch and read the discount ticket and noticed (in fine print) that the discount was for after five. I'm not cheap but six dollars a person is real money so I told them we'd find something to do for a couple of hours.
A couple of days earlier my father-in-law showed me his banjo (that my wife and I bought him years ago) and an instructional dvd that he had purchased. The video was great and it was nice to spend some time with him. I decided to buy a banjo and learn with him.
So there we were with nothing to do. I told the kids that there was nothing more fun than banjo shopping (with this they rolled their eyes) and off we went.
As with anything I do I had analysed this to death. I had gone to tens of banjo pages and knew more about banjos than any sane person should. We went to a few music stores with the kids pounding on the keyboards while I perused the banjos. Finally I found it. There was a beautiful Deering banjo that I would have to take home. I haggled with the salesman until I got a good price, then demanded a free gig bag. Banjo in hand we were off to the Indoor Amusement Park.
It worked out perfectly as we got there right at five. I paid the five dollars for parking and walked to the gate. I showed the discount coupon to the woman and she punched in the price, $48. I protested saying that with the discount it should be $36. She pointed to a speck on the coupon and told me to read it. I put on my bifocals and saw a bigger speck. She rubbed a yellow highlighter on it, handed me a magnifying glass and under a bright light I saw One Coupon Per Person. The look on my face must have frightened her as she told me that if I went to the office they might help.
I walked over to the office and told the woman my problem and she pointed to the speck and said it was plainly written. I explained that I seldom carried a portable electron microscope with me to read the fine print. Then she asked if I was a Christian? I thought it an odd question until she showed me discount coupons for Christian Day. I took the coupons and went back to the gate. The price was now $40 ($45 w/parking) and I was already tired.
The kids were excited and headed for the rides. I stood taking video and reading a great book, If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movies Actor by Bruce Campbell. The wait for the rides was horrendous and I grabbed a chair from the food court and dragged it behind me like a bag lady until a security guard came up and told me I couldn't carry it with me. I asked him his boss's name he told me and I told him that I'd been given permission by that very person and that he should call him. I gave him my phone and told him to call him. He said it was okay with him and that he didn't want any trouble.
I dragged my chair, video camera and book with me looking like Steve Martin in The Jerk. The sound was so loud and overwhelming that I was getting a headache. After the second ride the kids were hungry and I bought them some pizza for the same amount of cash I would have spent buying them each a prime rib dinner.
The kids had a great time and by nine I was exhausted and sonically shell-shocked. I got the kids some food on the way home and sat up until one trying to figure out the rolls on a banjo. I'm going to have fun with this thing.
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