Museum For Making Music, Queen of Ninjago

It has been a much hotter summer this year and much more humid for a longer period of time. It made us want to do something indoors rather than outdoors when we found ourselves with a few extra hours on our Friday afternoon/date a week after surgery.

We went to the Museum of Making Music inside the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) building.

We saw lots of different musical instruments. 

Some were even available for us to try to play.

I was drawn to the pianos because that is the instrument I play.

Glen is a trombone player.

He also was an accordion player in his youth--thanks to his mom who bought two accordions from a traveling salesman. Two of his sisters, Bonnie and Barbara, learned to play the accordion also.

I got a kick out of the pee wee harmonica (in the middle of the photo on top of the white tag).

The green piano was used to entertain the troops.

This is a versatile piano that has a record player built in one side and a radio built in the other side.

It surely would have taken a lot of effort to get 150 grand pianos ready for a concert. 

There's my other instrument--the organ.

Each Sunday I ponder on the words of the sacrament hymn and as I do so, I imagine playing the organ in my mind. I played the organ for so many years at church that I find myself missing it--especially I miss playing the sacrament hymns.

The displays were interesting, but our favorite part of the museum was watching video clips of various instruments being played throughout the world. Lots of them we have never heard of or seen before.

Glen surprised me when he said he wanted to go to Legoland for dinner after we were finished at the museum. He was so glad to be out and about after being cooped up in the house most of the week that he wanted to stay out of the house and go somewhere we could walk around.

Despite the heat, I consented to go along with his idea. After all, the museum is on the very street where we park our car and then walk into Legoland for free. We are going to be sad when our season passes expire.

We had tried two other times to eat at our favorite restaurant there and it was closed both times. I guess that's what happens when we arrive too close to closing time. This time the restaurant was open.

After our meal, I insisted we go on the Ninjago ride even though Glen claimed he didn't want to ride it that day. I knew he was dying to try and beat me at the game I can somehow dominate in. I don't know how it happens. But it has happened over and over and over again.

Let me point out a few things before I continue with my story:

• Glen is very competitive. I am not.
• Glen is very coordinated. I am not.
• Glen is very athletic. I am not.
• Glen likes games like this. I do not.
• Glen enjoys video/arcade games. I do not.
• Glen is a guy and guys like shooting things. I do not.

The object of the ride/game is use your hand to shoot fireballs at various villains and things on the screen while wearing 3D glasses.

One might think Glen had a disadvantage because he was wearing a huge pillow sling, but keep in mind he is left-handed. There was nothing wrong with his dominant left arm and hand. 

Notice the intent look on his face. Notice the look of pure enjoyment on my face. Notice the score...

The poor man gets so frustrated when I beat him by a landslide. He usually insists we repeat the ride and then repeat it again as he tries unsuccessfully to beat my score.

This time I took pity on the guy and told him I recognize his handicap (sling on his non-dominant arm) and I would be willing to make the competition a little more evenly matched.

Since he was using his left hand (his dominant hand), I told him I would use my left hand as well (my non-dominant hand) and then it would be a fair competition. HA!!

As a lefty, he's always been pretty good at using both his hands. As a righty, I've never been good at using my left hand. But, I was willing to give it a go and see what happened.

Here is picture proof I kept my end of the bargain and used my left hand. Once again notice three things.

Notice the intent look on his face. Notice the look of pure enjoyment on my face. Notice the score...

HA!!! Who knew I was so ambidextrous!!

Let's just say after two games Glen called it good for that day. Let's just also say--for the record--and to be fair to him--he has scored higher than me one time. And I'm sure he will score higher than me another time or two or three.

But until then, I'm going to enjoy my winning streak. (Spoken from a very non-competitive person who, once in a great while, really enjoys beating a very competitive person.)

Well, that was a fun little diversion on date night. Next day we were back at it having our weekly planning meeting with the assistants followed by a visit from former missionary Chaylen Odette.

She found a t-shirt with Glen's favorite saying on it and wore it for his enjoyment.

It is definitely "another day in paradise" each and every day living in Southern California. One of the missionaries made the little artwork saying that we have sitting on the desk in the mission office.

We have seen more cars on fire since living here than we have our whole life up until this point. It's crazy!!

Who knew a Mission President would need to pull up Morse Code Translator while reading his weekly Monday letters. One elder is a bit of a smart aleck and has been sending the most random letters where Glen takes the time to crack his codes to figure out what he wrote.

He never writes anything substantial. The missionaries are supposed to give an accounting for their week. I feel it is being disrespectful, but Glen has much more love and patience than I do about it. He seems to enjoy outsmarting the elder by figuring out his various codes and meanings. I give him credit for that.

We delayed our dinner and Family Home Evening with the senior missionaries by a week because of Glen's surgery. Glen said we could have done it the week before. He is right. We could have done it because he had recovered so quickly, but I was glad we waited a week.

Here's my attempt to be in the photo.

Glen loved the card Steven and Patricia Morgan (our tripping buddies from Albuquerque) sent with a get well message inside.

How well they know him.

How true this is...unless you're serving a mission. Sports and other things pretty much get put on the shelf for a while. There are more spiritual things on our minds these days.