My dear wife Karen got me, but good, at Martinfest on Saturday.
I’d pulled from a box a cool chocolate bar with this year’s party logo on the front and handed it to her to take home.
A bit later she handed it back to me, asking if I’d noticed that “Winner” had been written on the back of said bar of candy.
Nope. She told me I should bring it up to our great friend Michelle Martin, who definitely would do something of that sort at Martinfest.
Yes, Michelle exclaimed, I’d won the Golden Ticket! Out from her car came a wrapped box.
The crowd gathered. I beamed. They urged me to unwrap the box.
I did. I struggled with the wrapping tape on the shipping carton underneath.
Quite the Golden Ticket, a new wrinkle these Martins had come up with for their 2016 fest.
And then I knew I’d been had by my dear wife Karen and Michelle.
A happy winner at Martinfest.
I am the proud new owner of a ukulele and the instructions of how to learn to play it.
The last day of January, my dear wife Karen and I had attended the Jazz Jam at Mohegan Manor, where I’d expressed hope to win a little stringed instrument in the benefit raffle. Karen had never before heard me say how I’d like to pick that little baby up. But, yes, she listened.
And now I will start an exciting new journey. I hope Karen’s ears will hold out.
What musical instrument have you always wanted to play? What song have you always wanted to learn how to play? How soon would you have figured out you’d been taken in by the Golden Ticket story?
Mark Bialczak 
What a cool story! I have a uke in the attic. I got it the 1st Christmas we lived in Hawaii. I used to play it pretty well – the only instrument I ever learned to play – but haven’t picked it up in over 30 years. Videos of you playing would be awesome 🙂
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I’m impressed that you learned, Sadie. I want to go by ear. Reading music. Yikes!
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brilliant 🙂
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Yes, she is, Rachel. ❤
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Can’t wait for your solo at the next family reunion!!
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Fortunately it’s small enough to pack in my luggage, dear SIL. ❤
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You can’t start until you get a Tom Selleck shirt.
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I have one or two candidates in my closet, Carl, thanks to past sporadic Aloha Friday requirements at the big daily.
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WOW! That’s such a cool story, AND such a cool wife you have there, Mark! I can’t wait until you post some videos of your ukulele progress. 😀 Have fun! ❤
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Yes, I’ll figure out how to selfie-video my uke attempts once I get good enough, Rachel. ❤ Thanks to my cool wife I have a shot at becoming mediocre!
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Oh cool! That should be fun!
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I hope more fun than frustrating, PJ. 😮
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An elaborate hoax.
Might I add you look vibrantly orange. Kind of like a Power Ranger costume.
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Those shirts were certainly on-point with the hometown team, Ross. Syracuse Orange fans were beeping their horns at us as they drove past all afternoon. Oh, and I left my cape home … 🙂
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Good luck! Hope you will keep us posted on your progress!
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Oh, you betcha. After enough is made, Marissa. 🙂
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Wonderful idea, Mark. Best of luck on learning to play. I look forward to hearing of progress.
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Thank you, Aud! ❤ Great to hear from you, my friend.
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I’ve tried several — flute, piano, cello — it’s just difficult for me, cello might be the least difficult. I own an heirloom ukulele, bit bigger than the one pictured, old Portuguese one. I used to let the older kids play with it, but it’s gotten frail these last ten years or so. Now it hangs on the wall 🙂
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That’s a great possession you have, Joey. Smart move to preserve it that way. Cello, that string thing heartens me.
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Good for you. I hope you have fun in your new adventure. I don’t know when or even if I would discover that I had been had. I would probably think that I was just really lucky.
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I think it’s going to be a big mountain of fun in a small package, Benson. And I was up to knowing it was Karen’s doing because she is great at being so good to me. 🙂
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Yes! Have fun! You will be great, I just know it!
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And we’ll play a song together soon enough, MBC. 🙂
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this is fantastic! what a win! i hope you can learn to play the michigan fight song on it. i can play cowbell and tambourine.
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Yes, if it’s a medley with the Maryland fight song, with no Vernon Davis stand-ins allowed for either of us,, Beth. 🙂
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It is a skill that might come in handy in a scenario I haven’t yet come up with~
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Small party. Close friends that will bear with you one song and won’t be cruel behind your back later … Right, Cindy? 🙂
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LOL This I can t wait for Terp-I look forward to a duet (I play piano) in the meantime you gave me a great laugh this morning holding that box and visualizing you learning to play it! Thanks…Gatorette
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Glad to provide a chuckle, Gatorette. The duet is on my schedule for a couple of … years down the road. 🙂
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You betcha Terp!!! Have a great weekend! Gatorette
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You, too, Gatorette. I work the closing shift today, then it’s on!
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K-be safe and have fun Terp!
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Yes! You, too, can be a Peghead! https://pegheadnation.com.
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Perfect, Mr. McKeever. You lead, I’ll follow.
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Ahhhh, the old Ukulele winning chocolate bar trick – I’ve used it myself. Ha! Not! that is too funny Mark – Karen has a great sense of humor. It is wonderful that you wish to learn how to play. May the force be with you (and Karen Ha!).
I’m not a musical kind of guy, although I like music,those who make it amaze me.
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I’ll be finding out if I can play more than the stereo and beat-keeping on the car dashboard, Paul! Yes, Karen is a winner in this way, for sure. 🙂
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