FreeCycle Miracle

So, we have a new addition to our family. And this is it:




Isn't she beautiful?

Okay, if I'm going to be completely honest with you, I should admit that there are some scratch marks that you can't really see in this lighting, and it's way out of tune. But considering the fact that this piano was free, I think it was still a good deal. Right?

Anyway, the story here actually begins a couple weeks ago when I was hanging out with several of my friends. They were talking about how someone was giving away a piano on freecycle, this community board that they subscribe to. I'd heard about freecycle, but it mostly sounded like people trying to get rid of their junk, so I hadn't bothered joining yet. But when I heard that they were occasionally giving away free pianos, I decided maybe it was worth investigating. My friends, for the record, didn't want the piano for various reasons-- not nice enough, not enough space in their apartments, etc.

So the next week (last week) I actually got around to signing up for freecycle. The local version is run by a woman in the ward, so that was easy to do. And (I kid you not) the very next day, someone posted that they had a piano to give away. I was in hysterics I was so excited. I emailed him right away and asked if I could come see it and then I told Craig that maybe we were going to get a piano.

Now this is where things suddenly got weird. Because Craig was totally apprehensive about taking it! He pointed out that it was probably in pretty bad shape, and it would be really hard to move, and since when did I want a piano, anyway??? I told him that I had to at least look at it, that it couldn't be that hard to move because people did it all the time, and of course I wanted a piano. I may not play much, but I love to sing, and it really helps if you have a piano to plunk out the tunes and make sure you're doing it right. And hello-- you NEED a piano for warming up!

Craig wasn't convinced. I think he thought this was an Impulse Buy, which, according to Craig, is always wrong. (Although if it's free, does it still count as an impulse buy?) I finally had to explain that I'd always wanted a piano, but didn't see much point in talking or even thinking about it, because they were so expensive. When would we ever get around to buying one? But every house should have one. Sort of like a computer. When I told my Dad this theory, he laughed out loud and told me that I didn't get this notion from him. Yes, we have my Mom to thank for that one. (Thanks, Mom. Really.)

But all of this arguing didn't really matter, because I waited all day and never heard back from the guy. I figured someone else had already gotten it.

Fortunately, I checked my email one last time before going to bed. They still had it. They said I could come and look at it. Tomorrow.

I was too excited to sleep that night.

The next day I went to see the piano, and it was beautiful. Not perfect, no, but still beautiful. And then my mind was made up.

Craig said I had to do all the work, so I did. I called people and got lots of men from the ward to help out. I reserved a van from U-Haul and even drove it to Haymarket (I did let Craig drive it back). And I watched and smiled a whole lot while the men struggled and heaved to get the piano from there to here.

And now it's done and I couldn't be happier about it. And Craig has already been playing the piano, and I think he's pretty darn pleased with the whole thing, too, even though he won't quite admit it. (I was right! I was right! I was right!)

Sometimes my life goes so well for me. Free piano, who would have ever guessed?