Stop reading treble clef for a decade...

I used to play violin up into high school, but was always solidly mediocre at it, so I gave up in the interest of other classes.  12 years later, and I broke down and ordered a cheap mandolin to try and learn to play while I'm here (much to the dismay of my tentmates, I'm sure.)

(Yes, flannel penguin sheets. I can't help how awesome I am.) 

The silly thing actually looks fairly decent, but the g-string (giggle) leaves a little to be desired. It just doesn't seem to resonate quite like the rest.  I'll probably mess with things a little, but I've got a feeling it's just the way the low notes are going to be on this thing.

Anywho, the couple hours I spend plucking around with it (after a good half-hour to tune it... double strings are fun...) were a great exercise in frustration. Not only are the calluses needed to play tiny thin strings long gone (12 years will do that,) but my brain seems to have forgotten which finger goes where on what string to make the note that the little dot on the paper is supposed to be.  I described it to one of my tentmates as feeling like somebody took apart that really complex lego set I put together years ago, and I lost the instructions for.  I know how it's supposed to go, and my brain remembers bits and pieces, but it can't quite put them all in the right order.

I'm hoping that by the time I go home, I'll at least be able to play more than "Drunken Sailor" (seriously... that took like 5 minutes to get down, and it's like cheating... until you go the right tempo anyway.)  Regardless, it's something to pass the time, and at least I didn't drop much cash on the instrument in case something happens to it.