March 8: Drum Set

I've mentioned over the last few blogs that my son's birthday was coming up, so the evening prior I set out to complete a task that I've never faced before...assembling a child's drum set. But, not just any drum set. No. This was the First Act Discovery 4-pc. drum set. Let me just stop right here and note that I'm no musician myself. I had a short stint in my teen years during which I, like every teen-age boy, wanted to be in a rock band. Fame. Fortune. And, especially, chicks! Despite some guitar lessons and a semi-passionate effort to practice what the instructor taught me, that career did not pan out. Besides my inability to sustain a commitment towards picking and strumming, I've never had any experience with drums. Not one. I mean, sure, as a kid, I had the baby drum with lights and sounds, and even my own child-size drum set, but I just played with them. I had no responsibility whatsoever to put the darn things together. So, here I was. Box open, parts spread across the living room floor, and my wife listening intently to ensure the kids don't come running down the stairs while I try to figure out the instructions to the darn thing. Which, by the way, were practically useless, as it was all text, no visuals. I probably would have completed the assembly faster by just guessing where each part went. I shouldn't complain too much, though, as the instructions, and my wife's patience, did finally get us an assembled drum set. And, that was the easy part. Having gotten the set together, we both realized that the banging of drums would soon echo throughout the house, likely nonstop over the next few weeks.