Happy Samhain!

It is a beautiful, cool, crisp day here on Samhain and whether you are going to a party, performing a ritual, going trick or treating, or just staying home and watching TV, I wish you a happy and safe holiday.

I have been a bit sick, lately, so I might just stay home and hand out candy to any ghouls or goblins that happen by.

Also, at midnight, begins the National Novel Writing Month. I will be participating this year, so I will probably be posting very little here or on the various forums I frequent. So, I haven't disappeared. I will just be spending my free time on my novel.

So, have a Happy Halloween and, for Christians, a blessed All Saints Day.

You may also check out my blog on Christianforums for other updates.

A Tiger Cub is Created

Lately, The Cub Scouts have been heavily recruiting in our local schools. My son, Boo, has been bugging us to join for the past several weeks. I was reluctant for several reasons: 1) Problems with accusations of the Scouts of being exclusive of gay and atheist members; 2) The current political climate necessitates a more skeptical view of the U.S. govt. and the scouts seem too pro-govt. to me at times; 3) My son is already involved in soccer and swim lessons and bell choir and isn't that enough? 4) My wife and I are getting weary of our second full-time jobs as taxi drivers for our kids.

Well, all of these reasons pale in the face of a first grader that really wants to do something that may be useful, so last week he went to his first meeting. He loved it and so, he joined. He says he likes it better than soccer.

So, we'll see how it goes. At least it gives us something to think about other than out daughter's violin.

The Continuing Violin Saga

We returned our daughter's First Act violin today, and nobody is happy. I would like to give praise to Fred Meyer though for accepting the return, with no receipt, and without the original packaging.

So, after turning in a violin, which our daughter loved, and which had no problems that we could see, particularly for a beginner instrument for an 11 year old, my wife took our daughter to the music store recommended by her school to get a replacement.

They came home with a Scherl and Roth. (NOTE: This link is the closest I could find to her model, which was R300E3. I'm not sure what difference the 'H' makes).

This instrument is not very gently used. It has scratches and scuffs, and it looks like someone tried to scratch some wording in the back. It costs almost three times as much as the brand new, perfectly working one we turned in. Also, the rent-to-own agreement heavily disadvantages the renter (i.e.: us).

Now, I must ask myself: Is this violin worth three of the ones we took back? I seriously hesitate to answer in the affirmative. In fact, if we indeed continued in the rent-to-own contract, we would pay far more than the cost of three First Act violins. I'd rather buy a First Act, wear it out, buy another one, wear it out, and buy another one, and wear it out. However, we went this route at the urging of our daughter's orchestra conductor.

I flat out am not going to pay well over half a thousand bucks for a violin that has graffiti scratched on it. We already paid for 3 months rental, and I fully intend on getting something else before we have to pay a fourth.