Not What It Used To Be

A visit to Guitar Center isn't a simple as it used to be.  A couple years ago, the kids would just grimace as soon as I announce that I will need to do a quick stop to pick up guitar strings or parts.  Now that I have a full rhythm section formed by both kids, Guitar Center had moved from category of something-only-dad-likes to yes-we-want-to-go.  Even on vacation, Sam wanted to find the local GC because he gets this sudden urge to play some drums.  And yesterday, after dim sum in Arcadia, our planned GC Pasadena pit stop turned into an all-afternoon West Hollywood expedition -- hitting the Sunset Blvd GC, the Sam Ash Drum Shop just to the east and the Sam Ash Guitar Shop across the street.  Although we didn't find the EMG PJ bass pickups we were looking for, we did find some drum practice pads -- both items in the shopping list of my rhythm section.  I walked away without buying anything for myself but with the satisfaction that a visit to Guitar Center is more fun than it used to be.