#1 Bucket List Item: Learn to Play the Guitar - Part I

I have been wanting to play the guitar since I was in high school. My dad even gave me his old acoustic. My parents bought me a really nice guitar case for graduation. But there was one really big problem. I have tiny hands. So playing any chords on my dad's old acoustic was very difficult for me.

At the last SCBWI conference here in Austin I was talking to a local author who mentioned that she played the guitar. I said that I wanted to learn, but had small fingers. She suggested I look at Luna Guitars.

So I decided a couple of weeks ago to go to the local Guitar Center store and check out some Luna guitars. I went in there with the idea that I was going to check out some acoustic Luna Guitars. Turns out they had this gorgeous one that was on sale. And well, I enjoy a good impulse buy every now and then.

I wound up walking out of the store with a beautiful Luna Gypsy Spalt Grand Concert Acoustic Guitar. I love it! My daughter even went up into the attic to get my old guitar case down for me. Turns out, my new guitar is too big for the case. Looks like I'll be needing a new one.

Now that I have a guitar I can start working on learning it. So for the past two weeks I have been working on learning some chords My fingers hurt! Typing this is so painful at the moment, but I wouldn't change a thing. I'm getting there. Very slowly.

I still can't put a strikethrough on this item yet. I have only just begun this one. And it takes time to learn an instrument.

To date I can play several chords, A, E, D, C, G, A minor, & E minor. Mostly when I practice I've been working on switching between the chords. That's where I seem to have the most trouble. One more issue I seem to have: I need a new case. One that I can travel with. One that I can take on planes. But from what I hear they are a bit pricey. So here's to figuring that one out, and finding one that my guitar fits in.

I'll pop in every now and then and post updates as to my progress.

Krause Springs

So a couple of weeks ago my daughter and an old high school friend went to Krause Springs for the afternoon. We were slightly prepared, but also slightly unprepared. The place was packed since it was the 4th of July weekend. Everyone was there. And I mean everyone.

We did a little swimming and enjoyed the waterfalls. Getting to our spot was a little difficult since it's slow walking across a small concrete dam covered with slimy algae. I highly recommend bringing an ice chest that you can easily carry. We had one with a handle to carry over our shoulders.

There is an area to cliff jump. I declined that option as I've done that before and had no urge to do so again. I did think about jumping off the rope swing, but by the time we were done eating our lunches I was all dry and didn't feel like getting wet again just before we left. We did have fun and I will definitely go back.

Next time, however, I will be bringing some floats to relax on. Turns out it's very deep there and the best way to enjoy the water is to float on it if you are not jumping or swinging.

I will definitely be going back next year. I won't have time the rest of this summer.

Bucket List Item: Paddle Boarding

For the first item to cross off on my new bucket list I went paddle boarding with my daughter. I've been back in Austin for nearly three years now. Every time I cross the MoPac bridge over the river I see people out paddle boarding. I've been wanting to go since I first saw them. It's something that I've been wanting to do, but never gotten around to.

First off, I didn't think I had enough skill to stand up on the board and paddle at the same time. I also wasn't sure I would ever really do it. It's one of those things that looks fun, yet not necessarily something that falls into the realm of things I do.

I don't want to be that person. They say in the end you regret the things you don't do, more than the things you did. I don't want to get to the point where I find myself wishing I had done more, that I had the nerve to get on that board and paddle away.

The other weekend my daughter mentioned that she and her friends were going to go paddle boarding. I knew this was what I needed to get myself in gear and get on one of those boards. She went with her friends and then took me a couple days later when I had a day off.

I decided to leave my phone on shore, since I was worried about the balance issue. I was positive that I would drop my not-water-proof phone into the river or destroy it with water. So the pictures here are from my daughter, who actually has a water proof case on her phone and a lot less fear about dropping her phone into the water.

Turns out keeping my balance wasn't a much of a problem as I thought it was going to be. I even remembered how to paddle from canoeing as a little Girl Scout. Unfortunately there was a storm headed our way, so we didn't have as much time to be out on the water as we would have liked.

It was so peaceful out there. I could have stayed on that water for hours. I would have loved that. By the time we made it back to the dock and turned in our boards we had decided that we need to purchase our own boards in the future. This is definitely something we will do again.

If you're in the Austin area and are interested in paddle boarding we went to SUP ATX.