Nyckelharpa and Major Award

 

Today was a very, very, very good day. I worked on campus, and at lunch Hardingfele and I went down to the Library Mall, where a guest artist was giving nyckelharpa lessons. There was some sort of party going on down there, with loud music and free ice cream and Hippeas and sidewalk art.

I said it was a shame about the loud music, but the nyckelharpa teacher thought it would help people who were shy, since nobody could hear them. Hardingfele said I should go first. The nyckelharpa is a bowed instruments with keys from Sweden.

I got the hang of it quickly enough to play "Mary Had a Little Lamb," and the teacher was duly impressed. Then Hardinfele took her turn.

She said she found it difficult. Then we had arepas from a food cart for lunch, as well as our free ice cream, and when we came back, look who was playing the nyckelharpa!

It's Bucky Badger! He shook Hardingfele's hand and kissed it like a gentleman, but when he shook my hand, he pretended I wouldn't let go when really he was the one who wouldn't let go, and we kind of danced around. I was laughing so much!

Later in the afternoon my boss, my coworker, our chair, Richard Bonomo, and a couple of my committee peeps sat with me at a table at the awards event. The food was good, and there were free drinks, but I just had water - best not to get drunk before public speaking! My one buddy also won, and he went first and didn't give a speech or anything. I was third, and I gave a very brief speech just thanking everyone. In fact, everyone did but the last awardee, who for some reason thanked nobody but read a very long poem that didn't have much to do with anything. I got a plaque, and then Rich gave me a gift bag. The others were all very curious to see what was in it... and it was a Major Award! 

This only makes sense if you have seen the movie A Christmas Story, so if you don't get the joke, go watch the movie right now - I'll wait. I'm told that I have to bring this award with me to a committee meeting tomorrow because everyone will want to see it. If you can't tell what it is, it is a night light of the famous Leg Lamp. Wow, what a day! It was almost like the day Travalon and I got married, with so many people wishing me well. And just like a wedding, there was dancing - with Bucky Badger!

Famous Hat