Hop in my handy time machine and go back with me to August 10, 2003.
We arrive at the Expo Mart in Monroeville. There is a wad of money burning a great big hole in my pocket...but not for long! This is a computer show we are entering! My son wants a new laptop, with good reason, his old one is dying a slow, miserable and painful death. First order of business is to get him a new one. He finds a Gateway with *GASP* a 30 gig hard drive. He must have it. I spend too much time purchasing it for him. The laptop that I had fallen in love with for myself has been sold. :( I must now search the show for something similar, or wait to have one shipped. I find a similar one (not quite as nice, but similar). I purchase it. I now have a new best friend. But, what is this?! I still have much money left! Even the purchase of yet more computer equipment does not deplete my supply.
Procede with me across the road to the mall. While there, I discover that there is a Guitar Store in the annex. I simply must go there. I restrain myself from purchasing yet another strat. The place seems to have one to fit every budget. I instead purchase strings for the two that I already own..."Blackie" and "Matthias". Yes, I name my guitars. You got a problem with that?! I also own an acoustic which I have afectionately named "Klaus." My 12-string, named "Gregg" and my hand made classical, "Mildred", are both missing. If someone does not soon tell me what he did with them, heads are gonna roll! But that is an entirely different story, which I just am not in the mood to tell.
My money spent, I arrive home to put the strings on my two five string strats. :) Problems arise. I discover that upon snapping the "E" string on "Blackie" a little washer thingee around the tuning peg also must have come off. I have no idea where it could be. I cannot re-string "Blackie" until I buy a replacement part or think of a way to temporarily fix it. OK, so I'll re-string "Matthias" instead. But what is this?! There is some sort of clamp thingee across the top of the strings. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to get it off! Oh, the frustration....
Back to the present. I hope this clarifies a few things. I am now saving this entry as a word pad document...
