Actually, this is kind of a comedy.
Due to 5 "kids" in the immediate family (all rapidly approaching 50 if not over that age aleady), and attached spouses (I'm one), grandchildren, and great grandchildren - my wife's family always does a name-drawing thing for Christmas presents. Traditionally done at Thanksgiving dinner. It only applies to those 18 years old and over - so the little kids still get to rake in tons of stuff that comes from all us adults.
This year was a bit different. We had to write three things we want on our nametags before throwing them in the bowl for choosing. OK, not nametags (we DO know each others names
), but those name things at the tables that shows who's supposed to sit where... This was done after dinner (and MANY drinks), so I couldn't come up with any ideas at all. I'm more of a "I don't want/need anything, so just come over and hang out" kind of guy.
On my card I wrote "Peace, Love, and Understanding - what's so funny about that?" My wife and a couple of her brothers thought that was humorous and then we found out it really was a serious question - just so whoever got our names would have an idea of what to buy.
So, I put on mine - a set of Ric strings for my 360/12v64.
A week ago I find out my mother-in-law got my name. And that's really cool with me. Shortly after I bought that Ric we went up there (Lakewood/Cleveland) for me to debut it in public at a jam. My wife had told me that her Mom really loved the Beatles and the Byrds too, but I really didn't know to what extent. So I'm sitting in their dining room practicing TTT, MTM, and IFAWLB and my mother-in-law comes in to listen. The whole rest of that weekend she keeps telling me how she can't get those songs out of her head, and I have to come back soon an play them again, etc. That was in September.
OK, back to the post-Thanksgiving aftermath...
A week or so later I get an e-mail from my M-I-L asking about the strings I want. She'd gone to a little local store, and that manager there told her "Ric doesn't make strings" and he asked her if I needed "acoustic or electric strings - and medium or light gauge?" Fwiw, I've been to that store too, and their selection of *anything* is Really pitiful.
I wrote back explaining the whole scenario and gave her some online places that stock the real thing, as well as why I wouldn't settle for less. I thought that would be enough.
So, a couple days ago she writes back saying she saw a duo playing guitars at her church and talked to them afterwards - asking about strings I wanted... One guy was (supposedly) "quite an expert" too - said he owns 3 Rics! Well, he told her to go to Guitar Center (probably 10-20 miles away in North Olmstead) and they'll have good strings. Obviously this "expert Ric owner" doesn't know what he's talking about either.
I had to write her back and tell her (again) to just use one of the online addresses I gave her before - and don't waste gas driving to stores or even waste time calling all the stores in the phonebook because NONE of them will have real Ric strings.
Told my wife last night that I appreciate her effort, but maybe she should just send me $13 and I'll order them myself.
This morning I sent her the address to North Coast. Maybe that'll help. We'll see I guess.
