Productivity

What a fantastic week! Monday began with removing the 'guts' of the reed organ that got flooded at the doctor's office. It went smoothly. Even to the UPS delivery guy's timing and getting doors opened while balancing the top unit of the organ on a two-wheeled truck. Since the loading up part went so smoothly, the unloading just had to be a challenge. Sheer ice on our garden path to the bulkhead door and the cellar. Unbelievable that it went without a slip. I've spent part of this week disassembling and readying for repairs. Monday ended with shipping out a set of keys.

Tuesday was a tuning day and trying to make a 45" Steinway upright sound better. Not just the tuning, which was no big deal, but the fact that the soundboard is shot. Really and truly had it - no crown, necessary for good sound quality and sustain. Huge cracks and the 'dealer' had screwed it all back together rather poorly. I'm afraid the owner is having some difficulty understanding that there is not much more that can be done aside from completely rebuilding the thing. Honestly, even with it's pedigree, I'd be hard-pressed to say it would be worth the cost. Some things just get too butchered.

I've been working on getting the baseboards (skirting to you UKers) finished in our upstairs hallway. In between other things, I've got it about half finished. I still have some staining to do and then some wee bits of detail work. It felt good to be doing hand sawing and hammering. Well, that is until the aches and pains of arthritis set in that evening! And in between working on the woodwork, I've been doing the ivory jewelry. I think the inventory on necklaces is up to somewhere near 36 finished and maybe another 6 ready to paint. I've made 3 pins and have 1 more blank, and my fave...a pair of earrings with purple pansies. I just created another 11 earring (pairs) ready to paint.

The best thing is that the phone has been ringing. Oh, for that to last! Tomorrow morning I'll be looking over a Vose & Sons upright and giving the owner my advice on repairs. Today brought two calls for key recovering. One, a repeat customer from California, and the other a longtime customer who is sending three sets of keys. Yep, three sets at once! Seems a school's music department was vandalized.

I finally heard from the DTA. I hadn't had chance to call and then an envelope came in the mail...Monday, I think. They are processing my application and required additional paperwork like income verification, birth certificate, current bills. The list was about 20 items long. They have to have the documentation by the 16th or my application will be null and void. I went to the post office and mailed it all on Wednesday. It should be no more than two day delivery time.

I started on our income tax forms. Mine progressed quite quickly and I have only one more form to fill out. Then it's on to simpler ones for 'A' and my mom.

And......I finished reading Piano Lessons by Noah Adams. Or should I say rereading after a many year lapse. It's the featured book for the next Music Book Group on February 22nd. Then I read a fiction book that my mom recommended called Summer's Child by LuAnne Rice. Mildly interesting. Enough to read some more of hers...until they become more than predictable. Now I'm reading the new Anita Shreve novel, Testimony. The deb jury is still out.

Busy week and it feels soooooo fine.
Scary that it's all happening between a full moon and Friday the 13th!