Music, etc.

So this photo doesn't actually have anything to do with today, but since I didn't take any good photos today and they have been such a hit...Well, it's a shot I took at St. André yesterday as the organ concert was sort of ramping up.

I spent the day mostly at home. I did have an adventure to the post office while trying to mail some stuff internationally, which turned out to be a sort of spectacular demonstration of either my incompetence or theirs...but probably both.

When I walked in, I looked around and decided I should probably get in line. Then I was promptly yelled at to use the automated machine. Having had several frustrating experiences in France that were based around the apparent unwillingness of French people to use automated services when they could otherwise be helped by a person, I got out of line and made a brave attempt.

The machine, predictably, spoke French. Probably better than I do. I navigated my way through the buttons -- yes, I want to send it to somewhere other than my own zip code in France. Yes, I want it to go outside of France. No, it's not a "priority business document" -- wait, that's my only option? The crazy machine printed me an 0,85 cent label for the 0,40 cent post card I was trying to send. I just kind of looked at it, and then I stuck it on the post card. Also, I laughed. Believe me, it looks absurd. I felt like repeating that process was probably ridiculous. I also felt that if I walked to the counter with a post card with a giant "priority business" label on it, I would be judged ridiculous. But since I didn't have a choice, I got back in line.

Where I was promptly told to use the machine again, and then interrogated when I resisted. I was given a sour look by the lady at the counter, and I continued to wait in line. When I got to the front of the line, I told her I had some things to mail internationally, and she looked at me like I was an idiot, and sold me a book of stamps. If she had bothered to just tell me what postage cost at the beginning, I would have been a lot less confused.

My next hurdle was finding a mail box. Who would have thought that there wouldn't be a mail drop inside a post office? It turned out to be outside and around the corner. Go figure. At least now I sort of know how to mail things. Or something.

The rest of my day has been spent reading about guitar chord theory and construction, trying to learn some new shapes, and listening to a lot of Conor Oberst and Ben Gibbard. Trying not to be heartbroken that Ben Gibbard got married this weekend (I mean, seriously -- he'll probably never write a good breakup song again. Plus, it's Zooey Deschanel, whose very presence makes M. Ward's awesome guitaring lame) and sort of attempting to write a song. I came to the conclusion that song-writing is hard, but worth my time and effort.

Maria has expressed an interest in learning the guitar, and I've been trying to teach her as best as I know how. It's hard for me to figure out what I learned at which points in my life, and whether I even learned the right things. I am glad I had such an early exposure to music (thanks, parents). It's hard to imagine NOT playing music, whether I'm any good at it or not.