A flute is born

 Today is my 63rd birthday and today a flute is born. Now, really, this new flute was made in a factory far away but one could say a flute is really born when someone makes it their own by buying and playing the thing.

I'd checked with the music store last week and they were out of Yamaha student flutes. "We're getting some in next week, or maybe the week after". I called on Monday and they were still not in yet, so I called today, Wednesday, and "We just got them in yesterday". I said it was my birthday and I could not think of a better day to buy a new flute. 

I had to ride my bike over to the post office and FedEx first, to drop off some packages. And I'd forgotten to put my lock in the bike back so after that I had to touch bases here at the shop anyway to pick it up. 

So I left here at 5, and rode over to Whole Foods where I picked up a bottle of black coffee, a bottle of yogurt drink, and one of those little packages of salami and cheese. I locked the bike up there and got on the good old #22 bus and during the hour's ride to the music store, I had my food and drink. 

It was about 6:40 when I got to the music store, and they had a nice new Yamaha model 222 there for me. The gal opened the box and yep it's a flute all right. 

I have an older model, a 221 I overpaid for from a guy on Craig's List and it's a bit clanky. In fact, the exercises in the Trevor Wye book 1 sounded suspiciously sad until I figured out that one screw needed adjusting so a certain pad would come down when it should, and making the exercises sound in a major key, as they should. There's other stuff wrong too, but nothing else that I can tell affects the playing. 

I'd thought though: I really ought to treat myself to a brand-new flute, even though they're north of $1200 by the time you factor in the tax. That was the price on every web page, including theirs. So I was really surprised when, when they were out of them, the gal at the music store had told me they sell them for $700 or so. 

I thought, Yeah, sure, well, I'll make sure to bring enough money and if the $700 or so is for a lightly used rental, I might consider that. (I know that West Valley Music recently bought out a failed music store, including a newish fleet of rental instruments that music store had just bought.) 

But hope, it was a hair under $740 and I peeled off $740 and got a bit of change, and in no time was walking back to the bus stop with my new flute, in its case, which is in a box, under my arm. 

I got back to Whole Foods, got a few things and some meat loaf and potatoes from the hot bar and ate, and rode back here.