Just a few days ago my husband texted me the website of the Washburn Piano Auction. I totally didn't even look at the website because I thought that there was no way we would win anything or have enough money to, not to mention I am having a baby in a few months & I was thinking "practically". He came home & saw some of the opening bid prices & that there were 87 grands for sale and about 200 uprights. The second he said, "Why don't we buy you one of these for your birthday" I was totally in--I realized that my hubby was okay purchasing a piano & there was no way we were going to not try for one. He didn't realize in that very same second that his comment became a commitment, but that's how I saw it. : )
On Saturday the 20th, we went to the Mesa Warehouse for Washburn pianos & I could see in person all of the pianos that caught my interest from the pictures online. I'm SO GLAD we went, because in just a note or two you can tell if it's a good or nasty sounding piano. The touch & sound is everything. We saw some gorgeous pianos--we tried out the Yamahas, Knabes, Kawais, Steinways, Baldwins, you name it. I also found that many of the pianos that were listed online as "like new condition" actually had scratches & flaws, or even were in need of repairs on the keys or pedals. Going in person to the open times for the preview was the best thing we could have done. We were also able to give a $200 cash deposit so that we could register as a sealed bidder. Now that the auction is over, I understand that being prompted to register as a sealed bidder is what actually got me a piano. I also registered as an online bidder in case I needed to try last second to win a piano if my sealed bids didn't turn out. I found out really quick testing the waters that way, that I was not a fast enough online bidder & had I gone that route, I don't believe I would have won a piano. There were bidders sniping all the great pianos within the last 10 seconds of bidding & I wouldn't have been fast enough. I'm so glad I paid the deposit so that the auction company could manage my bids for me.
Saturday night (after the preview) I woke up for an hour and a half in the middle of the night & couldn't sleep b/c I was thinking about pianos; I had to read scriptures to calm down & relax enough to rest again. Monday I faxed in my sealed bid form. Tuesday morning I was so nervous I was eating everything in sight & had to consciously make myself work on projects while I was waiting so I woulnd't eat nervously. I also felt sick to my stomach b/c I was so worried! My sister in law took Tyson to a movie so that I could focus on the auction. At 11:00 I watched the first item up for auction get sniped at the last second from the bidder who had been winning all along. That REALLY freaked me out. I also realized that the auction closed on each item LESS than a minute after each other, even though it was supposed to be a full minute later. That really freaked me out, too. Finally my piano came up for final bids & within less than a minute the price shot up from $2550 to $2850.01. Someone tried to cheap shot me with a penny but my maximum bid was higher than theirs, so I won (the bids were supposed to go in $50 increments, but some people would try bidding $50.01 more or $51 more to win at the last second by being slightly higher than the other person trying to bid). I couldn't believe it. 
Wednesday morning I paid for the piano and called a piano moving company. I was shocked when they told me they would bring it to my house that very same day. I was expecting to get it in a few days or next week, but it is currently in my house and is really here. It's so funny, because it's real, but it still seems unreal. I spent 4 days freaking out with worry that I might not win a piano, and now I'm living the dream! My house is no longer sparkling clean, by the way, because I was so worried about the piano I couldn't be OCD about my house, and now that it's here, I just want to play it. : ) My family came over last night to check it out & Taylor sounded great on it. The piano I won is a brand new Story and Clark Prelude (5' Baby Grand). It happens to be my favorite piano in the world because it's mine. I am so grateful to have it--I can't even believe that I have this blessing. It's an answer to my prayers and I am so happy to have a musical outlet of this quality in my home. I feel like I should be paying tithing or something on it, because I feel like I've been given such a wonderful gift to own a baby grand. It looks like I'll just have to pay the Lord the tithing of my time & I will--I will play at church whenever anyone needs me to. I am so happy to have this gift in my life.
