These Days

There has been a bit of grumbling. Not many of us in our little sub-group of blogland have been keeping up with posting. Dickiebo has been very busy at it, particularly since 'B' was out of town for a little while. Some folks have been on vacations, others have computer problems, some just seem quiet. Actually, this doesn't seem to be exclusive to our corner of blogland. I am a member of six 'mailing lists' or online 'groups'. Those have been slow, too. For me there seems to be a gloom of a foggy night hanging over.

These days I seem to only work. It doesn't seem that I get much accomplished but I guess I do. It's just more stuff gets added to the list. There's still a regular stream of key work, but it's not as abundant as in June or July. Tunings trickle in. However, I'm getting more and more calls from people wanting to sell their pianos rather than maintain them. Bad economy. I work the two days at Tuck's and those really tire me. My feet ache, my shoulders ache, my wrists and neck, too. My left wrist and index finger are especially nasty lately and I'm once again trying a wrist brace. I'm working on the endless 'to-do' list around the house. Today, I trimmed some stray branches from the linden tree and one of the huge oaks. This weekend we are to have some heavy rain and wind, so I thought I'd better get that trimming off the list. Of course, trimming then meant loading the truck and hauling the debris to the dump. I've started preparing the new cabinet doors for my mom's bathroom sink base for her to paint. I need to call the plumber to fix a slowly dripping solder joint in the hot water line before it becomes a major problem. Fortunately, it just drips to the cellar floor. I'll have him take care of replacing that trap under our bathroom sink while he's here. Remember that problem from maybe a year or so ago? The trap that was 'hard' plumbed that shouldn't be? I was going to fix it myself, but quite frankly, I haven't the ambition to be scrunching myself under the sink cutting away the existing mess. Then there's the street light near our house. It had been cycling on and off for a month, then finally stayed off. Two weeks ago, I called the power company and was quite elated when the truck showed up the next night in the pitch black.(yeah, it doesn't take much to please me) The power company guy, up high in the bucket of the truck, fiddled around with the light. Then he was back in the truck and drove off. Still the light was out. After daybreak the next morning, I took a look. The entire lamp was missing. All we have now is the pathetically skinny arm with two stubs of wires hanging out there up the pole. Going to have to call the power company again. That should be good for at least a half hour of 'on hold'.

On to other things. Clustrmaps let me know that my current map will be archived on or about the 28th of this month and a new map will be started. Just thought I'd let you know.

Dickiebo lifted my spirits today with an award. You can see it in the sidebar, under my dickiebouquet!

I drove us all up to Skip's last week. It was pointed out by a reader (guess who) that I had never posted a photo of Skip's. I did post a pic of the sign a couple years ago. Anyway, it's not much to look at, building-wise, but here it is.Originally, the order and pick-up windows were outside and all dining was either in your car or at picnic tables. He's upgraded over the years and moved indoors. We still eat in our car. Tradition, you understand. The owners live upstairs. At normal mealtimes the parking lot is crammed full. This picture was taken mid afternoon. We don't like waiting in line!

And finally, these days. I'm fed up with our government, the economy, the lack of values, the mess. I'm furious that I must pay for corporate and individual greed. I have no mansion, no big salary, no massive risky investments. I have lived always hoping for the best yet considering the what-if's. I haven't spent and borrowed frivolously. I shouldn't have to bail out those that have. The current economic bailout proposal for the US will cost every adult and child in this country over $2300.00 each. Yes, I understand the consequences of no government assistance, but that still doesn't mean that I have to think it is fair or reasonable to expect the average hard-working individual to accept it.

Sorry about the politics.

Now please excuse me while I run up my credit card debt, travel the world and live in high style, and let someone else worry about it. You'll be happy to pay it all off for me, won't you?