Well the bass...

needed some repairs, used instruments usually find a way to bite you one way or another, so its at the shop for an endpin (that's the piece at the bottom of the bass used to raise and lower the instrument and hold the tailpiece/string assembly in place. Oh well, I knew it was coming and once again I'm reminded to enjoy things but not to make idols of them because they all, no matter how good they seem at the moment, pass away. Point taken.