FriendBurst Blog

I didn’t seek permission to leave early.  I just told the boss.

“I need to leave a bit early tonight so I can go pick up my ukulele.”

I’m guessing this was the one and only time my manager, a long time retail veteran, has had this excuse been used by one of his employees as a reason to leave early.

It’s inventory time and he’d been on the job from more than 12 hours straight.  He just kind of looked at me blankly.  Confused.  Ukulele? What?

“I’m getting a brand new one!” I continued to inform him.

“Is this some kind of code for something else?” he shook his head, bewildered by the idea of his top salesman informing him of a need to leave early to pick up a ukulele.

I went on to relate the story I shared a couple blogs ago about the amazing customer service I received from Guitarville and the Oscar-Schmidt Ukulele company.  In a rapid fire anecdote, I thought this outrageous example of outstanding customer service would inspire my boss.  We are a retail company too, after all.  After I was done telling the story, he just said, “Go. Go.”

See, I’m finally getting comfortable enough in my position at my new company to share with my co-workers more of who I am outside the workplace, as weird as that may be.

Guitarville was cool enough to have a staff member stay behind an extra 10 minutes past closing, an unavoidable delay on my part caused by unpredictable bus schedules.

I got it.  A new ukulele.

Now, I’d normally be posting a new video here of me playing the new uke.  Two problems with doing that right now.  First, with brand new strings, the new uke won’t hold it’s tuning for more than a few minutes, so it kinda sounds like crap right now.  Second, I promised a fellow Gang-of-Ten FriendBurster that I would write her a song.  See, I’ve had a bit of writer’s block lately when it comes to new music, and I thought posting a quick contest wherein the winner would pick a topic for a new song from me would be helpful.  I’m sure most of you missed it, as it was a late-night (West coast) post in the bulletins.

I’ve got the melody down.  My problem is coming up with the lyrics to a song entitled “Some People’s Kids”

I have, at least, a photo to share from my adventure today.   I did not have my ukulele case at work when I got Guitarville’s call today.  How to transport my new uke home?  Try doing THIS with one of those big-ole GUITARS!  The ukulele: a bicycle friendly instrument!