Learning Clawhammer, #1.5 - Where Did my Stuff Go?

I didn't think I'd be back adding to this journal so soon, but here I am.

I didn't get to practice much at all last night, and it really bummed me out. You see, back when I first got the banjo; for some reason I took the arm rest off. I've moved 3 times since I purchased it and I knew the rest was packed away in the some boxes that my parents were letting me store at their place. I stopped over on my way home from work to get it.

After picking up the rest, 3 tin whistles and a handmade bamboo flute that plays the same as a tin whistle; some other odd items and a drive home I find myself getting ready to put the rest back on. I pick up the banjo and BOIIUNGGGNGNGNG. 5th string broke right at the tailpiece where it twists around on itself to create the loop. No worries, I got extra strings in my bag.

I was wrong, no new strings; they must have gotten bored being zipped up in a gig bag and walked off. No hope of getting to the music store before they close and I'm in no mood to try to deal with the bigbox music store to find out if they can help; so I decide to try to fix up the string best I can.

After about 45 minutes of searching for my needlenose pliers (I've got at least 3 sets) and my leatherman tool, I finally find one pair.  The others, including my leatherman, must have walked off with the strings? They must be having a party somewhere.

Luckily I had just enough extra string on the tuner peg that I could comfortably fashion some sort of loop and have enough on the tuner peg to make the string act like it should. During the process of trying to deal with the wire string, I managed to drop the pliers on my bare foot, pointy side first, about 3 times. (You try twisting a wire with a pair of pliers, holding a flashlight, and trying to fend off a psychotic cat whose only goal at the time is to rip the string out of your hands!)

I also figured out how to stab my thumb with the raw broken end of that wire string as well. Today, its just a little tiny red dot, no swelling or anything - but my entire thumb feels like its going to fall off. It must have gone deep and hit a tendon or something. I don't know.

Back to last night: I got to practice for about 15 minutes before the lady came home. Then I had to go work on getting dinner fixed and stuff.

Today: I don't trust my repair job,  there is a chance I might be able to make it down to the shop on my lunch break today. If not, I might not be back in business until after the first of the year - if thats the case I hope the string lasts long enough.

Learning Clawhammer, #1 - A New Shiny, and the Return of the Claw