My organ saga

We had the strangest anniversary this last week.  (Casey and I are celebrating 16 years by the way).  It all started a year and a half ago when we bought (for $150), this beauty.  I was learning how to play the organ and Casey found this one on Craigslist and brought it home for me.  It was really quite a miraculous find because it happened to play exactly like the one at the church.  I spent HOURS practicing it.  Some Sundays, that practice paid off huge...others...not so much.  It seems that no matter how much you practice and no matter how perfect you think you have a song, those dreaded nerves can foul you up at the worst moments.  :)  

Anyway, about 3 weeks ago, this organ died.  The power supply fried and was not able to be replaced.  (apparently, this is quite common with old organs built in the 70s.)  I was devastated because I am now playing the organ in sacrament meeting through the summer on a weekly basis.  How was I supposed to practice?  

I made it through those 3 weeks just fine by going to the church every day to practice instead.  Thankfully, we were able to find another organ on Craigslist.  It was a bit more expensive and a bit larger but it also plays just like the one at the church.  As a result, it was time to get rid of this, my first cherished organ.  

As luck would have it, the new organ was scheduled to arrive on our anniversary.  So, Casey took half a day off and helped bring in the new one while removing the old one.  Our big anniversary activity was a trip to the dump.  Romantic, I know!  The folks at the dump were a bit perplexed that we wanted to unload an entire organ.  It was quite a sight.

With a bit of pushing and pulling, we were able to hoist the organ over the railing and down into the garbage. It was a sad moment for me because this instrument was more than just a piece of junk.  We turned our backs to the garbage pit and the next thing we knew, the guy driving the gigantic tractor spotted the organ.  His testosterone kicked in and he felt the need to crush it.  Hearing the loud crunch, we turned around in horror to see this:

Oh, the humanity!  Countless hours had been spent playing this instrument...and now, here it lay, in pieces.  

 My husband thought it was hilarious.  I didn't agree.  We did go out to lunch afterwards and then to a movie so our anniversary was not just going to the dump.  The best part of the day was that I got to come home and play with this lovely thing:

Here is to many, many, many more hours sitting at this bench, cranking out hymns that are too difficult for me and that I have to learn in a week!  May the Ward be patient with me as I continue to try and master the organ.  And may this organ last me more than a year and a half !!!