Of Ukuleles and Airstreams: Ramblings

I don't think of my family as odd. But every now and then I make mention of some detail at work and get a look like they think I am making it up. Yes, I really do have a first cousin (once removed) who leads a senior citizen ukulele band. I had the pleasure of seeing the YesterUkes recently at an Airstream rally near Table Rock.

Their ages span several decades, and their repertoire a century or two, at least. This was the second of their gigs I've attended, and they have definitely taken it up a notch, with one member providing sound effects to accompany "How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?" and another performing an impressive falsetto rendition of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."

When I hear some of their stories, I'm inclined to disbelief myself, like the one about the octogenarian whose wife finally made him give up his airplane for a motorcycle. Or was it the other way around?

They are definitely a fun and unusual bunch, and well worth a watch. If you visit their blog (there's even an imbedded video or two), you can see their schedule, which runs out to late 2010. Who knew there was such a demand for ukulele groups? And did I mention they occasionally feature kazoos?

But what I came here to talk about was Airstreams. The YesterUkes played against a backdrop of Airstreams of every size and variety, and it reawakened my hankering for a silver bubble of my own again. I won't be in the market anytime soon, but my husband says I can have one, as long as he gets to plant a hedge maze in the back yard. I think that's a fair deal.

As for my weird family, unfortunately, I don't even think we make the top ten. My cousin the ukulelist (is that a word?) put it in perspective: Her husband has a cousin who refurbishes computers for Tibetan nuns.

Top that.