super girlfriend.

Long ago (seven years) and far away (Boone, NC), I bought a church organ for $35 at a yard sale. Some of you may be surprised to hear this, because nothing that you've ever heard about me indicated that I might be in the market for a second-hand organ. In fact, you're pretty sure that I can't read music and don't play any musical instruments at all. You think to yourself that the only interest I've ever shown in playing music at all is to be interested in boys who...oh.

So now you know why I bought a church organ. It was a well-received gift, and I came out like Super Girlfriend. I love coming out like Super Girlfriend. When my boyfriend starts conversations with "Guess what Sandra bought me!", it's a good day.

Not that long ago (last month) and pretty near here (like ten miles away), I bought an electric bass guitar and a guitar amplifier for $80 at a Red Cross yard sale. I came out like Super Girlfriend. We could have gotten half off the price if one of us had given blood, but honestly, we felt like we were stealing it as it was. I sorta wish we had done it anyway, just so I could say that I bought a bass for $20 and a pint of blood. Do you know anyone who can say that? Me neither.

The bass had no strings, which is better for puppets than it is for guitars. As we were driving the new bass home, Josh decided that he wouldn't tell anyone about it until he had bought strings for it and gotten it fixed. He would just stroll into band practice one day with a shiny new guitar. Twenty minutes later, he said, "Guess what Sandra bought me!" to the first person he saw. He's a crappy secret-keeper.

Later, he said "Guess what Sandra bought me!" to his dad, the man completely and utterly responsible for his sons' obsessions with rock and roll. His padre was very impressed, and later bought Josh a case and a set of strings, demolishing the bass' hopes of ever being a real, live boy. The case cost more than the instrument. His parents congratulated me that all those years of yard saling had finally paid off. I smiled knowingly as I thought about the church organ and felt like Super-Duper Girlfriend.

That night, Josh strung the bass and played it unplugged for half an hour. I watched him get to know it. He periodically remarked about how it was easier to play than his old bass and how it sounded really good. I admired the deep red finish, the color being pretty much the only thing I can appreciate about a musical instrument. Then I admired the bass player, who was so cute and so happy because of his Super Girlfriend.

Why does Kermit drink Bavaria? 'Cause it's green, silly.