Miscellany

A collection of thoughts and events of the past week.


A view of Rockport Harbor as seen from the Sandy Bay webcam on Atlantic Avenue. Rockport, where I may serve a life sentence. Or not.

I did get the keywork shipped out this past Wednesday. Another set arrives tomorrow.

I've been working on the Hardman-Duo player piano for my Marblehead customers. Going rather well and should be completed on schedule.

Dan joined me for dinner at Ellen's on Friday night. We had a good chat and joked around a lot. It's nice to get out and talk to people other than the family here.

Actually, the family doesn't really chat. Mostly they complain! Sometimes when one of us escapes to the outside world, we bring back interesting news! Hehe!

There may be a difficult situation in a couple weeks. Amanda and I are taking vacation time the week of my birthday. The newspaper doesn't like the fact that we need them to supply a substitute delivery person and has threatened that we will not have the routes after that week. I won't get into the dirty details until I see what is to happen. I probably won't know for sure until THAT Monday rolls around and I see if there are 100+ papers by the door.

Squirt the squirrel has been joined by Squeaky in eating walnuts. Scooter has also appeared but hasn't caught on to the walnut treats yet. Squirt was hilarious this morning. He found a half shell on the deck, grabbed it in his teeth, and jumped up on to a chair to sit and eat. He left the empty shell on the chair. His empty shell from last night was still on one of the loungers and Squirt got underneath the lounger, stretched as high up as he could and played with the walnut shell from underneath, bouncing it along the seat of the lounge.

We also have three chipmunks. Chip, Stubby, and Peabrain. Dale didn't return this year. Chip is the smart one. He's your typical picture postcard chipmunk. Stubby has a tail that is only a couple inches long (thus his name). Peabrain is very teeny and very dumb. He'll run right by a pile of sunflower seeds to grab single ones here and there on the deck.

Went to check out a piano at the Gloucester Stage Company. They need it tuned and weren't sure about it's dubious condition. My, my, it DOES need help. I'll go to tune it and try to fix what I can on Monday. I'm going to take the camera so be ready for a picture report.

Massachusetts has a new law beginning on July 1st. ALL residents must have health insurance or be severely penalized on their income taxes. I haven't been able to afford insurance since I move here. I had health insurance in FL. So, as required, I filled out the necessary forms for the state. Something rubbed me the wrong way....questions.....
What is your preferred spoken language? What is your preferred written language?
I say if you don't answer English you should pay a stiff fine.

But don't get me going on that one.

I filled out the forms for Amanda's insurance. Her work has decided to offer insurance to part time employees. I hope it doesn't end up costing more than she earns!

Oh yeah, back to the newspaper. Seems they cannot remember to pay us what they owe for canceled customers nor for samples we were required to deliver. They are getting a call tomorrow.

Made a big change on Friday. I took the soft cover off of my truck bed for the summer. I usually just leave it on in case of rain combined with the necessity to haul piano parts. Now, since one of us must stay home with dad, if I'm out on a job I could use the folk's minivan if I need covered hauling space.

The tourists are back. Traffic, stupid driving moves, stopping where there is NO stop sign, speeding through intersections where there are stop signs, parking nightmares! There are only three roads in to Rockport. I think we should put gates at them. Close town periodically so that the residents can enjoy a nice day! Or...."sorry, town's full, go home".

I wasted a pile of time the other night looking at Cape Ann using the satellite feature of Google. I need to do some serious exploring on foot.

Tomorrow I'll start the birthday countdown. All gifts will be accepted (sly grin). Hey LK are we still going out for lunch mid-birthday's? I'll meet you at the 750 mile mark!

Downhill Disgust

I wish I could blame recent events on a full moon. Naw, that was last Friday. At least that's what the lady at my local Mailboxes, Etc. told me.

Backtracking momentarily...I will consider the previous post resolved. I have heard nothing more. I am not so naive that more is out of the question. However, I decided to take the high and the safe road and keep my mouth (fingers) quiet. The letter is on file - just in case - but no more on that.

Merrily along I go.......

Recent bumper sticker: Work Harder....millions on welfare are depending on you.

And...we deliver newspapers to the government subsidized housing neighborhood. I am not making a blanket judgment. Some nice people live there. Some people who truly need the extra help. I have no problem with those. However....if they can't (won't) pay for a newspaper, why do they feel they are entitled to receive one? I have three customers that flat out ignore payment. The newspaper will not cancel them unless they owe an enormous amount, yet I still must deliver and try to collect. Yesterday, "the gang" were all out "playing" in the driveway. Amanda was with me and held the paper out the truck window so that someone could get it from her. No one budged. I told Amanda to drop it where we were and I politely reminded the d!#! customer that he owed for three weeks of papers.

And.....

He laughed at me.

Not to mention the bigger issue. If you are so poor that you have asked the government to pay for at least part of your expenses, why are you spending money on a newspaper? (and add to that, new car, battery powered car for your toddler, every toy imaginable left out in all weather imaginable, drugs, cigarettes, beer). More than I have...I've obviously missed out. I'm living wrong.

I wouldn't have the nerve.

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Yesterday my mom had a doctor's appointment (1:15). Routine visit. She told me that she was going to stop at the store for a couple things on her way home if she had the time. I reminded her that I was driving Amanda to work for 3 p.m. Well, the time arrived to leave with Amanda and still no mom. I don't like leaving my dad alone for too long as he can barely manage walking to and from the bath, etc. With no choice, I told dad that I would be right back and headed out. As we were driving to Amanda's job, I noticed that I was very low on gas. I made a quick check of my wallet to find only $15.00. Oh well, it would have to do. On the trip back home I stopped at the local, overpriced, tourist trap gas station to find that he was all out of regular. Only had premium and believe me, it's a premium price as well! This meant heading back to Gloucester for gas. But, as far as I knew, dad was still alone at home. Also at home was a set of keys to get working on, the player piano to work on, Amanda's health insurance paperwork and mine as well. Yikes. Better run home and get gas later.

Mom was home. And she'd stopped at the store. She says the doctor was running late. I asked why, then, had she stopped at the store afterwards? "If I didn't I'd have had to go back later", she says. "But mom, now I have to! And I've got piles of work that has to get done."

"Better you than me" was her response.

Thanks mom.

I need a really super, spectacular, nifty, joyous, big grin inspiring event.

Opinions Please

I received a rather accusatory telephone call from a piano technician. I do not wish to divulge names. I feel that verbal contact with this tech would become confrontational and I just don't do confrontational. I have composed a written response to his phone call. Please note that I had already left a message for him that I was not willing to do the job. I was polite...evidently not firm enough. Yes, this is familiar to some. Anyway, I wanted to be sure that I was concise, polite, and quite clear as to my position.

The rough draft of the letter follows and is pretty self-explanatory.

I'm not good at this so.......

PLEASE comment!



This note is in response to your phone call today.



During the past several years, I have made a point of providing quality work at reasonable costs to both you and to your dad. On many occasions I have put aside other customer's work to accommodate your requests for rush jobs. While your dad was ill, I covered any tunings that you requested, always reminding his customers that I was only a temporary replacement. I have also, whenever possible, attempted to comply when either you or your dad have requested discounted fees.



Balancing time in self-employment, particularly in a service related industry, is extremely important to success of the business and to customer satisfaction. In my efforts to provide this service I have in many instances endured your missed appointments for delivery or pick up of work. At some times this has caused considerable wasted time, effort, and travel on my part, as well as delaying the scheduling of other customers.



As I have discussed with you many times over the last few years, I never recommend speculating in the buying, rebuilding, and resale of player pianos. Despite my advice you have chosen to do so. The Wxxxx DA was completed in April 2004. It remained in relative storage in your shop for approximately three years before you arranged sale of the instrument. As in most anything mechanical, lack of use can be detrimental to optimal subsequent performance. One week prior to delivery of the Wxxxx you called asking for my assistance in delivery prep work. As I explained to you, neither my work schedule nor my personal schedule allowed for that addition.



In the Fall of 2004 you asked that I rebuild the Txxxxx player system for a Sxxxxxx upright that was intended to be your personal instrument. With that consideration, I offered the job at a price lower than I would bid to the general public. In good faith, I began the component rebuild before receiving the customary one-third deposit. Several months later, in December 2004, you paid one-half the deposit. In March 2005 you paid the other half of the deposit. The component rebuild was completed, including bench testing, one month later and you were notified. At that time you did not have the funds to finish. After storing the working components for several months they were returned to you with the understanding that there would be no further obligations. The components have now been stored for over two years, the vast majority of that time being in your workshop.



Without consideration of my schedule, or consideration of the disuse and possible disabling effects of parts storage, you chose to sell the Sxxxxx Txxxxx. A more reasonable course of action may have been to complete the instrument before taking a deposit on its sale. Considering the extended storage of the components, the apparent disregard for my business and scheduling, and the possible additional labor that could ensue due to substantial time lapse, I cannot consider this job. All components were in working order when returned to you and I chose to accept the one-third deposit as minimally sufficient to cover 300 hours of labor. In addition to the labor involved I had an investment in materials which I chose to overlook and have not entertained requesting any additional fees to cover those costs.



You and your father have told me that you have rebuilt at least one player piano approximately 7 years ago. With that knowledge, and with the completed components and drawings that were returned to your shop, you should be able to reinstall the player system.

Tuning Godzilla

Yep, folks, the monster piano. This piano is located at The Studio restaurant, Rocky Neck, Gloucester. As I recall the building used to be owned by the artist, Emile Gruppe. My memory could be wrong though. So here's a picture of the monster Chickering grand piano. It has been converted to a "piano bar". Thus the red, padded elbow rest surrounding the lid. An attempt has been made to paint the piano to look like an artist's palette. All the tables in the area around the piano are painted the same way. And in the same manner......poorly......with a large brush......gobs of paint.....that, on the piano, are chipping off. Now, it's never a good idea to mix a piano with drinks. Inevitably many drinks find their way through the hinge on the lid to the steel strings and wool felt dampers directly below. Just think what a year's worth of rum and cokes will do to steel piano wire under a great deal of tension. Then add to that the fact that I can not raise the lid on this monster unless I remove the entire elbow rest. Then add to that there is no lid prop stick so one must improvise with stainless ice buckets wedged in place! Why, oh why, do I continue to service this monster?


Because, it's old and so weird.


So, Friday is the tuning. They only called on Wednesday. It had just dawned on them that they were opening for the season Friday night. I got to Rocky Neck and the usual parking mess. I've often thought it might be nice of the restaurant to set aside an employee spot for me for the time I'm there. Hah! I drive along the narrow street looking for a close-by spot. No luck. Here's where I ended up (literally the end) parking. Gloucester Marine Railways. Where the big sign says: "Not responsible for vehicles damaged by paint overspray". Great. No painting seemed to be going on and I parked between two other trucks - just in case - less chance of total coverage at least. I hauled myself and my weighty tuning kit to the restaurant. It had been one year since the piano had been tuned. Remarkably and thankfully - not too bad. Up to pitch with just a few unisons out. I try very hard not to move any strings by much. Remember the rum and cokes? Heaven forbid any let loose with a loud snap. Already there were 4 broken just from use over last summer. Thankfully no place vital and within the area of 3 strings per note, all notes still made sound! While I was just getting started the manager walked by. "This key sticks down. I hope you can fix it." Oh yeah, sure, why not try to pry this beast open? Working with unidentified sticky substances adhering to my hands, I got enough of the case freed up and apart to get to the workings. The action would not budge out of the piano. Oh yuck. With liquid lube in hand, I aimed and squirted. Yay! I hit the right spot and the hammer returned to position (repeatedly) and thus the "key" unstuck. Phew!

Poor old abused Godzilla. An 1896 Chickering that deserves so much better than it's present existence.

Done for another year. I'll be called back again next May, I'm sure. Back to my truck and a quick photo as I left the marine railways. And I survived without getting an unwanted paint job! And finally, I drive out of Rocky Neck past The Studio. It's the brown building with the blue awnings.

Bird's Egg and Week-at-a-Glance

Well, well. dickiebo has done it once again. He went a put a photo on his blog of his grandmother. And guess what? She's wearing my bird's egg brooch.

Not really.

At least I highly doubt it.

I hope...or that would be just too spooky. Here's mine.
This pin originated in England. It belonged to the mother of my former mother-in-law. DC sent an old, leather covered jewelry box filled with her mother's "costume" jewelry to my daughter. Amanda kept a couple pieces but didn't want the rest and gave me the box with all the other jewelry. I've worn quite a bit of it. Some of the pins, in particular, are quite exquisite. I also like and wear a few sets of earrings.

Now....dickiebo says that his gran's brooch disappeared. Hmmmmm. (just kidding)

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I was to have a rather relaxing week after the long holiday weekend. I decided to redo the bath. I've been very displeased with the paint that I purchased locally and it is time to do something about it. So, prime the walls time once again. This meant removing the new wallpaper border. So much for palm trees there. Go here to see how it looked. I picked up paint samples today and have chosen a similar green, perhaps a shade lighter. This time a different paint company!

I won't get to start painting until late Friday or maybe over the weekend. I've got the player piano "guts" to work on, and a set of keys. Noontime, today, a music teacher from the local school called. They needed the Yamaha G1 on the stage tuned for a performance tonight. Talk about short notice. Tomorrow, Wednesday, I've got a Chickering grand to tune at a church in Gloucester. They have a wedding party that wants it tuned for the ceremony this weekend. Thursday I scheduled another "emergency" tuning for a piano teacher customer in Hamilton. She's got a student recital Thursday night and decided she wanted the piano tuned. After that I tune for another established customer here in Rockport.

I haven't mentioned mowing the lawn. Did that today. Yuck. I have allergies and the oak pollen has been horrendously high. The self-propelled mower with the ignition starter and the bagger wouldn't start. I hate this mower. It was purchased by my mom and dad for my mom to use. High hopes. She says it's too hard for her to maneuver. I rarely can get it to start. Supposed to be foolproof. Guess I'm the fool. Wouldn't start. Mom tried to supervise. Really wouldn't start! Mom still wanted the lawn mowed so I had to resort to the little electric mower. No self propel, no bagger, a royal pain in the you-know-where to keep avoiding the electric cord. Took twice as long and stirred up ALL THE POLLEN. Finished and took some Benadryl. I'm still sneezing and snuffling four hours later.

So.

I officially quit as a lawn caretaker. I told my folks "no more". They are going to hire the job done. Yay! (sniff)

BTW, there are more boats in the harbor. Still waiting for the bigger sailboats to fill it in. The "Appledore" has arrived for the season of taking tourists out for a sail on a schooner. You can see the schooner tied up to Tuna Wharf, just to the right of Motif No. 1 in the second photo of the Sandy Bay webcam. Just click on the small image to enlarge it.

Squirt

Okay, folks, they're finally here! What, you ask? Pictures of our latest amusement. This is a just for fun post. And I expect you to look at ALL the photos as it took a good deal of patience to get Squirt to cooperate. So here's the star of the post. Squirt the Squirrel!





He's so adorable plotting his next move. He'd really like to be able to jump to a nearby bird feeder. It doesn't work though. My dad rigged the feeder so that squirrels fall off before they can get their little paws on a perch. Squirt has tried many times and continually makes a fool of himself.










So Squirt found a new restaurant. The giant copper sunflower feeder was really meant for the birds. Squirt loves it and works so hard at getting to it that we just watch in amusement. He has learned how to open the latch to the filler door, so we have had to tape it shut with duct tape. So far he hasn't been able to peel the tape off..... I'm sure he'll master that eventually. For the time being he hangs upside down to pull sunflower seeds through the mesh front.













It has been so much fun that I thought I'd try something different. I'm calling it the "Nut on a Half Shell" feast. The next few pictures are of Squirt devouring his new favorite treat. Walnuts. Still in the shell (I do get them well started towards being cracked open for him.)





"It's mine, all mine!"













"Don't you dare try to take it from me."












"Yummmmmmmmy!"










"I can't believe I ate the whole thing. My poor tummy."

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

Hard to know exactly where to start this post. I honestly never expected to be writing this but I guess it goes to show how reading inspires!

The year was 1964. The exact date, I don't remember. I'm not a fanatic. At least not any more! I remember my mom yelling for me to come quickly and see what was on tv. It was the "Ed Sullivan Show" and there were four guys from England singing. They made quite an impression on folks here in the States. They were called "The Beatles".

After that show I began hearing them sing on the radio. My best friend and I each had a transistor radio that we could carry around with us. Just as cool as iPods! We were hooked on The Beatles. We bought records. Remember those? My first album was "Meet the Beatles". We bought everything Beatles. Magazines, collector's cards, lunch boxes, and on and on.

And......the best part was.......my birthday was (is) the same as Paul McCartney's! Yep, June 18.
Like the majority of girls around the world, I was in love! For several years my birthday cake would have written on it: Happy Birthday, Debbie and Paul. My whole family was in on the craze. Here's a page from my "Girl Scout" autograph book.


Another really cool thing was that my parent's opened our home to three British college students for the summer. Charlie, John, and Tony. Charlie is distantly related to my dad. "The boys" brought my second Beatles album. Literally. "The Second Album". The boys visited for two summers in a row and that made me one of the coolest kids around. With all the hype over the Beatles, actually having guys from England living at our house....well......

It does get even better.

We took a family vacation to England, Scotland, and Wales in June 1966. Yay! Beatles country! You notice it was in June. THE birthday month! So, what does deb want for her 11th birthday? We went to Liverpool AND the Cavern Club! Wow, what a birthday treat. And I even got to shake hands with the owner! I was ecstatic. Then we went shopping at a record store in Liverpool. I bought the British release of the album "Rubber Soul". That day ranks high on the memorable birthdays list! So here's the picture of dad and me on the stage of the Cavern Club nearly 41 years ago.

Boy, do I wish I still had all that Beatles stuff. I'd be having a blast with eBay!

Anyway, coincidence has it's weird methods. That's the reason behind this post. About a week ago I became tired of listening to my Max Morath - A Tribute to Bert Williams tape that has been repeatedly playing on my truck tape player. Thought I'd have a big change and pulled out a tape of the Rubber Soul album that Amanda made for me. Then dickiebo commented on his blog about the Beatles and, well, I had more to say than a comment on his blog would tolerate! And, BTW, Amanda likes the Beatles, too. Along with that, we both enjoy the Rolling Stones on occasion. Next she's got to hear the Moody Blues!

Under the Influence

A few days ago dickiebo posted about 5 people who have influenced his life the most. And...he encouraged readers of his blog to do likewise. So, close relatives excluded, here goes.

CORNELIA WOLFE was my 7th and 8th grade English teacher. She was a true teacher. Old school. She was boss and her students were there to learn the subject. She was fair. No favorites. At least not publicly. I hated having to read aloud as I was shy. Never raised my hand and feared being called upon. Yet she always just expected that I would do my share. No options. Then there were the dreaded oral book reports. How I suffered for days beforehand. I gave her excuses of not being prepared. Mrs. Wolfe's answer, "just let me know when you're ready". Well, the only preparation that I lacked was the nerve to get up there in front of the class! Despite the fact that she never let me off the hook, I never did get accustomed to public speaking. She could see that I loved the subject. I was a reader of almost anything (still am). It was Mrs. Wolfe that "gave permission" for me to read Tolkien's trilogy "The Lord of the Rings" when I was only 12 years old. And then watched me struggle to write a report on it that was limited to three hand-written pages! If I hadn't majored in Art, Literature would have been my field of study. Mrs. Wolfe retired the same year that I graduated high school. We stayed in touch until her death just 4 years ago.

BARBARA BALDWIN was mentioned in a previous post here. She died at 93 years old this past May 5th. Barbara was my oil painting instructor for six years. Once a week I would spend 2 hours at her studio. Although I was only 12 years old when we met, and she was 53, she treated me as an equal in maturity. I learned a lot about independent thought from Barbara. I also learned of the open mindedness and reasonable ideas of my parents. Barbara and Gene lived together. Gene was another woman. Some folks questioned whether a twelve year old should be "associating" with "them". Evidently townsfolk had talked and wondered about Barbara and Gene. Pfft. Anyway, Barbara encouraged me to pursue a career in fine arts, but insisted I should get a degree in education. Her advice was sound and I did continue on to teach in the Gloucester (MA) public schools.

A. J. PETERSON and his wife, Vivien, owned an antique store in Dunedin, FL. A. J. was my cheerleader when I decided to become self-employed. It was a scary time for me. I was recently divorced after 15 years of marriage. I hadn't worked "outside the home" for over ten years and I had to find a way to (re)become a wage earner. My ex was paying child support and 3 years of rehabilitative alimony. This amounted to about $900/month on which two of us were to live and was also supposed to cover whatever educational expenses or job training were necessary for me to obtain suitable employment. Well, it wasn't enough to do all that. So...venturing in to self-employment as a piano technician was an option. There were many moments that the thought of not having a regular paycheck reeked havoc with my need for security. A. J. was always there to talk it through with me. He was a big brother to me. I've lost track of A.J. and Vivien. They sold the antique business and moved to England. Vivien's family is all there. Last I heard they were renting part of a manor house. A.J. had just arranged transport for their daughter, Vycki's, horses from the states to England. That was in 2002.

THE SOUTHWEST CHAPTER OF THE PIANO TECHNICIAN'S GUILD had an enormous influence on my life. Never before have I met a group of people that were so welcoming and truly made me feel part of the group. Immediately. Day one. As a group of friendly competitors (yet not "competing"), we met once a month for a business meeting, refreshments, and a technical presentation. It was social and educational. Each member taught me something about being a piano technician and about being in business. Most specifically F.P. F.P. sat next to me that first meeting that I nervously attended and kept making wise-ass comments under his breath. It took me by surprise that he would be so blatantly open to someone he didn't know! I didn't know quite what to think of him! Well, turns out that I have learned more from F.P. than anyone else in piano technology. PLUS, I couldn't dream of a better friendship; one that has continued on for nearly 15 years and survived a few major differences of opinion. I know that I have a true and loyal friend in F.P. as I am to him.

MYSTERY PERSON is my number 5. I thought that I might list someone that had a negative influence on my life but that would be too easy. It would be an excuse for where I am rather than acknowledging that *I* ultimately control my decisions. Therefore position number five is left to be filled at some point in the future.

Stickers and Storms, More Work and Sidetracked

Yep, finally remembered to get down to the town hall for this year's parking and dump stickers. The resident parking sticker is a pretty blue this year. The dump sticker matches in color and is out of camera on the front of the rearview mirror. Jayne's Net Crimes bumper sticker gets center window. Then moving to the right is the Thacher Island sticker and the silly Rockport sticker.
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Went out to see the Estey organ with the prospective customers, Mr. and Mrs. P. Here's the one and only photo I managed to take................................................
just seconds before the storms hit! As I was driving in the entrance I got in a quick photo. There was an enormous clap of thunder and then the rain came down in bucketfuls. I could barely see out the truck windows and couldn't get a pic of the "chapel". Anyway, the house is over there on the left and a small addition connects it to the granite "chapel" behind. We did get the organ to play. It has a remote blower in the basement of the addition. We went exploring down there and found it tucked away in a corner. A few hesitant moments later the motor hummed and blew. We left the owner minding the blower, in case things started to smell dangerously hot, and went back up to the organ. Mrs. P plays very well and although it was weak, it sounded very nice. The foot pedals do not work for some reason. I relieved Mrs. Norton in the cellar so that she could go up and hear it being played. It was the first time she had ever heard the organ. Here's a photo of the Estey organ.
And, since the photo is so dark and it's impossible to see the bottom, there's an illustration of the organ from Gellerman's "The American Reed Organ" just below.
It must have been quite a sight as we ran back and forth between the cellar and the chapel in the downpour. The rain refused to let up! Arrangements were made for the "parties" to get in touch and make some decisions about the organ. Privately Mr. P. suggested to me that he would be willing to "donate" some work, keeping the organ in place for Mrs. Norton to enjoy. I think perhaps the thought of trying to remove it is a bit daunting. The instrument would have to be completely taken apart in order to get up a granite stairway and through the door. And yet, as most of us sentimentalists understand, Mr. P. would love to see it working well and being enjoyed in it's original home. An interesting afternoon although I do wish I had gotten those pictures!
The opportunity may still present itself as Mrs.Norton has asked that I get in touch with her about having lunch together sometime.

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The melodeon is finished! I emailed the owner/customer yesterday and I'm waiting (not too patiently) to hear back from her. It's a cute little machine that needed piles of work. It had been stored in her grandmother's attic for many years. The roof leaked. Not shown in this photo is the new rosewood veneer that I did on the top (when closed). Also, one pedal rod was missing and the other broken in two, interior linkage was missing, a key mutilated, fabric eaten away, and hinge screws ripped out. The main outward pressure spring inside the reservoir had broken. That was in addition to all the "workings" having to be restored. I should have taken a before picture - the pile of parts.

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Finally, some more keywork is coming in! It's been a two week lull. It always seems so strange when that happens. Weeks of frantic work on keys. Five or more sets per week and then all of a sudden, nothing. So the first of three incoming sets arrived today while I was playing at the farm.

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Thursday will be a day of a little work and a lot of play. Always the newspapers to deliver and then some prep work on the keys. In the afternoon we are having company. More specifically, my folks are having company, but we will have them on a tour of our "new" place. Later, if dad feels up to it, we'll be heading north to Skip's for dinner. So.......tomorrow I'm being sidetracked!



















(Couldn't resist)

Blog Screw Ups and Life

First off....dickiebo left the following comment on my last post.

Good luck with the Sierra Tango! Don't forget to take your camera. Can't get the link to the Obit.

Now...I fixed the obit link, but dickiebo's comment disappeared. More than that, the whole "comment" option and count disappeared from the end of the post. Grrrrrr. I've just gone in circles trying to fix it and it won't fix.

My apologies.

And...at the same time I get an email request to change the time of the Estey meeting by about a half an hour. This is not a favorable omen for the upcoming week.

Tomorrow has suddenly gotten busy. Fold papers, go to town hall with Mom to get new resident stickers (for in town parking) and new dump stickers, call organ owner to update the time change, call prospective owner to confirm change, call newspaper to complain about some non-pay customers, deliver papers, work on melodeon to finish, Amanda to and from work, bank, pay bills, help mom balance her checkbook (for the six month in a row).

Anyway, today was Mother's Day. Relatively quiet. Gave my Mom a card and treated her to lunch at Ellen's. Got a nice card from Amanda and she bought my lunch (and her own). Amanda and I went for a walk by Loop Pond. Here are a couple pics.

A Past in Art, More Estey, The Answer

Strange thing happened the other day. I had some spare time (okay that's not the only strange thing) and I decided to do some "googling". I checked out some names from my past. I started with a couple of professors that I had when I attended Massachusetts College of Art. Didn't find too much. A couple exhibits mentioned and my former painting instructor is evidently big into the global warming issue. Anyway, I just kept poking around for a bit. Then I thought of the woman that I had taken painting lessons from yeeeaaars ago. I was twelve years old when I start semi private lessons and stopped when I left for college. She had helped me gain membership to the Haverhill Arts Association. I was the youngest member (traditionally adults only). Her name - Barbara Baldwin. I was surprised at what I found.

She had just died. May 5, 2007. She was 93 years old. There's a nice obit here. Scroll down the page to find her.

It got me looking through my old scrap album from when I used to exhibit. How things change.

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I got an email, today, from a couple interested in taking a look at the Estey organ that I went to see just over a week ago. I've arranged to meet them at a local restaurant on Wednesday afternoon. From there they will follow me out to the Norton Farm. I'm looking forward to going back there and hope I can take some pictures as I am driving in. I am also hoping that if I do manage the pictures, that they will illustrate the feeling for the place.

So....yippee for the freebie job on Wednesday. Friday, I tune once again for the Rockport Art Association, and Saturday I'll be heading for Marblehead to remove the upper innards from a Hardman Duo player piano for rebuilding. The melodeon is almost complete and I'll take some pictures of that soon. The biggest hassle in the restoration has been reveneering the top with rosewood and getting it to match the "worn" finish of the rest of the instrument. Thank goodness some big jobs are finishing (pay off) and starting (deposit money)....trying to finish paying my property taxes!

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Remember this picture? Well, it isn't circus elephant graves! I do like that answer though.

While I was having dinner at Ellen's Harborside, Dan came in with his sister and sat at the table next to me. We were just catching up on news and the thought came to me to ask him about the mounds. Well.....Dan knows just about everything.....really. He's a very perceptive guy. So, "Hey Dan, I've got a question for you. At the top of Summit Avenue there are these weird stone mounds. What are they?"

And Dan told me.



Want to know?

Are you sure?

Remember, there used to be a hospital, years and years ago.

They are mass graves.

From an influenza epidemic in the late 1800's.

Multitasking

Sorry about the title to this post. Either creativity escapes me or there was just too much to include in one title.

So.....

For Dad.
Thursday afternoon I headed to the local Ace Hardware and Smith Lumber. I bought 3 - Pressure Treated (PT) 2X4X8s, 2 - PT 1X6X8s, 1 - PT 4X8X three quarter ply, and 3 - joist hangers. I was home and had everything unloaded by about 3 p.m. Work began on another ramp. This one is (semi) permanent and will allow my dad to get out to the car without having to deal with the stairs. Right now he can manage the ramp with his walker. Later he'll use a wheel chair. I finished the ramp construction that same afternoon and was amazed that my body would move the next morning. 3/4 pressure treated plywood is HEAVY! Here's a picture of dad's ramp.
The section of fencing at the deck end is actually a gate that swings inward. Since this picture was taken, I have also cleaned up the street end of the ramp and gotten rid of the pile of dirt. The ramp is level with the edge of the decking, although in the photo it has the illusion of being "off" a bit.

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A Friday treat.
Friday afternoon I had an appointment to look at a large Estey organ. The owner was not interested in having it restored. She wanted it to be removed to a good home. Off I trekked to find the Norton Farm. What a surprise of a place. I drove to Bayview and per my instructions turned on to Brierwood Road, just before the Bayview Fire Station. The road wound up between some new, some old, homes and joined Revere Street where I turned left. Revere Street soon became very sparsely settled and then turned to a one car width, gravel lane. Hmmmm...winding among forest and not a clue where I was yet no way to turn around even if I wanted to. The narrow dirt lane led between two wooden posts. One had a sign saying something about an alarm and the Norton Farm. WOW! The forest opened up to a sunlit acreage that was stunning. A large saltbox style home was to the left of a circular drive and a sturdy barn to the right. As a drove around to park in front of the house, I noticed the granite chapel "addition". Complete with floor to ceiling paned windows on the northeast exposure and tall, narrow stained glass windows on the southeast side.

The Estey was in the chapel, of course! Not really a chapel, just styled as such. Down narrow granite stairs into one large room, complete with massive fireplace, cathedral ceilings, and of course the organ. The room was used for entertaining during the spring and fall only as it is too hot in the summer, and no heat for the winter. The organ would need a lot of work and will have to be taken apart to get it out of the room. I'm looking for a prospective home for it. But what a lovely place hidden in the woods of Dogtown.

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A surprise for me!

When I got home from church on Sunday, I heard my neighbor call to me. Barbara, the wife of our retired police chief (coincidence, dickiebo) was heading across her lawn in my direction. She had been out garage/yard sale shopping the day before and found.........................


A chubby Statue of Liberty for me.
I'm always amazed that there are so many different versions. This one reminds me of Friar Tuck as Lady Liberty!

A Surprise

Yay, it's finally time! I can share the surprise.

But first a bit of background so you won't think I'm nuts. (pun intended)

Near the end of last summer, my friend, Jayne decided to take on the challenge of teaching her "resident" chipmunk to eat out of her hand. "Chippy" provided loads of entertainment, was a natural in front of the camera, and........trained quite well. By autumn, Jayne not only had him eating out of her hand, but off her shoulder as well. Photos on her blog joyfully showed her success winning over the newest member of the family.

Here at home, we had Chip and Dale (after the "Rescue Rangers" cartoon) and Shorty. We never took the time to train them to hand feeding, but enjoyed watching their antics and talked a lot of Chippy.

I decided that I would find a chipmunk "something" for Jayne for her birthday. Every store we went in I would look. In all the gift shops in Rockport there was no "Chippy".

The hunt for that perfect chipmunk gift got put aside when Jayne's husband died only three days before her birthday. And even weeks and weeks later I didn't know how she would feel about the Chippy stuff. Her husband had taken so many photos of Chippy with Jayne.

Then.....Jayne beat me to the "Chippy". She sent me a delightful stuffed animal. His name is Chip. I adore him! He watches over me as I sleep from his perch atop the tv in my bedroom.

So the challenge was on to find something for Jayne. I hunted and hunted once again but there was nothing.

Until..........................

The idea came to me.........................

All the photos that Jayne had posted on her blog. And one special one.
You see, I used to be an art teacher, so.......here they are, portraits of Chippy. I sent them to Jayne and she received them today so now I can publicly post them! Three 5X7 pencil sketches.....









"Fleeing"














"Dining on the Railing"











"The Hand that Feeds"








All sent for Jayne's "half" birthday. Hope she likes her birthday gift.

The Wild Life

I've been noticing the increase in wildlife this year. That also has me thinking about the differences between here on Cape Ann and "back home" in Florida. I like Florida wildlife. I don't mean 'gators. We didn't have many of those in our neighborhood! We frequently saw nifty things like possum and armadillo. The possum were naturally curious and would peer in the screen door at night. Sort of startling to see this HUGE, white, ratlike face staring at you with it's pink beady eyes. Armadillo have to be one of the strangest. Just like little, slow moving tanks until they argued with traffic. Armadillo were possibly the most often seen "road-kill".

Then, of course, the birds. My favorite was Eubie, "our" white heron. Eubie was named after Eubie Blake, the famous piano player. That's because every time I had a piano in the workshop that I was playing, Eubie (the bird) would walk right in and listen. He'd stand a bit sideways to me and tilt his head in the direction of the music.

Here's a picture of Eubie standing on the roof rack of my mini-van.

We found out that white herons really enjoy hot dogs! They will walk right in to the kitchen if you let them. We also found out that they will NOT eat giant grasshoppers. Seems that nothing will. Yep, folks, we had grasshoppers sooooo big and sooooo brightly colored that we called them "Nukers". They hatched by the thousands in the garden each June as cute little black hoppers. By July they were as big as a cat and ugly. They were bright green and red and yellow, with just a few spots of black. And guess what? They could even fly a short distance....very short, and okay, they weren't quite as big as a cat, but I challenge you to have the nerve to squish one. They liked to munch on broad-leafed plants like philodendron.

So ......more birds.....our woodpeckers were giants, too. Our street was lined with Washingtonian palms. You can see the better part of one behind Eubie. The woodpeckers loved them. Too much! These trees were about 80 years old and near the end of their life. Woodpeckers would attack them, repeatedly drilling holes around and around the trunk. The next big storm would come along and over the tree would go! Most everyone on the street had planted new palms in anticipation of the demise of the old.

Not all the critters in Florida were big. Squirrels were scrawny compared to their northern counterparts. I guess it's because they don't need insulation from the cold. Here's a picture of the squirrel that comes for breakfast each morning in Rockport. "Squirt" had finished his meal and had decided to put his butt in the dish and relax. In this picture he is watching the sparrows, and Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal, flitting to the bird feeder that is beyond his capabilities to dine from. Eventually he fell asleep with his butt in the dish.

I wish there was a way to have my camera ready and then to be able to take photos while I'm driving. Probably not a good idea, though. In the last week or so I've seen 3 wild turkeys along Nugent Stretch. Two, on separate occasions, ran across the road in front of me, and today, there was a large male turkey walking alongside the road. Yesterday, on my way home from a tuning job near the golf course in East Gloucester, a cute little bunny ran in front of me. Then of course last Fall was the large buck.

Now, all of this wildlife talk is just a preview for my next post. AND.....that post will be about the surprise.

The Keeper of the Family - Part 2

This is not a happy post. Friday night my Aunt E. died. She truly was the keeper of the family. She was the family mother and a second mom to me. I miss her so much.

My Aunt E. knew everything about the family. Not just her side, but ours as well. She could be counted on to know all the names and places.

My farthest back memory is of my aunt sitting me atop her kitchen counter to cut my hair. I'm sure that I was just a toddler at that time. Then, when I was school aged, I used to visit for 2 weeks every summer. I always brought my friend Sue with me. Aunt E and Uncle N would take us to the beach and to Lincoln Park, an amusement park. We'd go visit the zoo.

Our families were close. We'd make the four hour round trip frequently for cookouts, family gatherings, and holidays.

Later, when we moved to Florida, my aunt and uncle would come down for the season. At first they stayed at my parent's house for a couple weeks, then a month. Then they rented a small apartment for a couple seasons. It was just a few blocks from where I lived so they would stop in nearly daily while out for a walk. Then they came for longer and rented a "double wide" for many seasons.

Amanda and I were always thought of lovingly. She treated us as if I was her daughter and Amanda her granddaughter. I could always count on her. Always.

So....now we have all been north for over four years. We haven't visited as often. It's harder to get back and forth between our homes because of traffic and then of course, illness. My cousin drove my aunt and uncle up just before the holidays. That's when we got my parent's house decorated so quickly!

This past Friday my cousin called with the bad news. My aunt had a massive stroke. At first they though she might pull through it. Then on Friday night we got the news that she would die. That she only had a day, at most. Saturday morning we got another call. My Aunt E had died during the night.

We haven't heard the final arrangements. We do know that at some point there will be a service in her memory at the South Baptist Church, where she was a lifelong member. If you look back to the first "Keeper of the Family" post (March), you'll see an old picture of the inside of the church. I don't know how any of us here will get down to the service. My dad can't travel and needs someone here with him all the time. My mom won't drive it alone (nor will I). I just don't know.

A's Day

I feel verrryyy old. Today was Amanda's 25th birthday. I won't write all the standard "has it been that........" comments. I took a couple pictures but she would hate me for blogging them! You'll have to take my word for it that they came out nice. Soooo, here's just a nice "summer is coming" picture that I took many summers ago. Gee, many, many summers ago. Amanda was 10!

What does one buy for a 25 year old? She has more money banked than I think I ever have had (at one time). She buys pretty much anything she *wants*. She didn't write a birthday list. Her grandma and grandpa bought her some cool glassware...clear tumblers with turquoise fish on them. Perfect for the girl that longs to live in Florida once again. They also gave her a $50 certificate towards some furniture she needs. I got her a new fan for her room. She griped and fussed about the one she used last summer....too low to the floor so it just blew air against the side of the bed, and a control knob that kept falling off and getting lost. So now she has a nice pedestal model that swings back and forth 180 degrees (or not if you chose). Fans are a lot more expensive than I thought they'd be. At least good ones are! As a little extra I took her out to dinner. She got cards from Aunt M and Paul, Aunt E and Uncle N, me, grandma and grandpa, and of course one from "the other". Per norm now (since she turned 18) nothing from her dad. I guess at this point that is not even worth the comment that I would like to make. So I won't.

My daughter's a quarter of a century old...........YIKES!!

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Tomorrow I have a tuning job in Magnolia. Should be a fun place with a great view to watch while I listen. When the lady gave me the directions they were...."the first drive on the left after Hammond Castle. Go all the way to the end." Weird thing is that while I've been anticipating the fantastic ocean views, I can't remember the make piano! I think it's a Yamaha grand, but then the guy that booked a tuning today, for next week, said he has a Yamaha grand. Oh well. Maybe they both do. In the meantime, check out Mr. Hammond, his "castle", and his life and inventions HERE.

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BTW, the surprise is finished and ready to send. I've got to wait a bit, though. The date that I wanted it to arrive isn't going to work out as she will be out of town. I'm now planning on the surprise arriving the latter of the first week in May. Then you'll see the surprise (sort of) here.

Nummmba Foewha

See, I remembered to take the camera! Yay, Skip's is open! This is their 60th year. I've been eating there, well, forever. My folks first started going once a week in about 1952. The first place was just across the street from it's present location on Rte. 110, just east of the center of Merrimac, MA. It started as an eat-in-your-car place. About 20 years ago they added an eat-in area. We still eat in our car as some traditions are just part of the overall experience. I honestly didn't think we would get there today. My dad just started taking a time release pain med and today he was very weak, and unstable from it. He could barely get one foot in front of the other. He *did* want to go, so....it took about a half an hour to actually get him out of the house and in to the mini van. He had to get down 5 steps and that meant sitting down part way for a rest. Our retired police chief was out in his yard and came over to lend a hand and chat while dad rested. Once he was in the car, he enjoyed the trip immensely.

As long as I missed the bumps in the road, or at least warned him ahead of time.

Getting him back in the house was even more difficult. He did get in after several rest stops but my mom was real upset and called the Hospice nurse to come. My mom is going to try giving him a slightly lower dose (20mg instead of 30) of his pain med and see if it still is effective for the 12 hour pain management yet maybe not so debilitating for his mobility.

I don't think he'll be going out again.

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I think that this is on my back this week. Remember how I said that Tech S was trying to get me over to his shop about the player grand? This is the one that I sent the labeled photos to and the description on what to do. Then he called with the rather nasty comments? While I took my mom out to dinner on Wednesday evening, Tech S showed up knocking at my parent's door! My dad struggled to answer it. This made me VERY angry. Well....This week his son got in to the act and called me. This is the son who was arrested for alleged assault on his girlfriend, the renter, and firing the gun in the house. I called and left a message reiterating that I couldn't be of any further assistance and not to be bothering my folks looking for me.

Then.........the !!##!!%! non-tech key customer started up again. He had sent the keys back to me because he thought there were problems. He had marked each problem spot with a bit of blue painter's tape. I cleaned up a couple that did have a bit of residual glue, and a couple that had gotten chipped in shipping were fixed. I shipped the keys back to him and emailed him the shipping tracking number. He got the keys yesterday. Within five minutes he had left a message on my machine that he was disappointed in the key tops. That they were too rounded (or his words, rolled) on the edges and the front. So I'm irritated about this too! I emailed him this morning that that is the style of the top he chose. I can't change that.


So there.

I haven't heard back yet............Why am I sure that I will?

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And finally. Are you wondering about the title of this post? When dining at Skip's, you first place your order at the "order" window. When your number is called you pick it up at the "pick up" window. Dave (the owner and boss when I worked there) has a heavy New England accent. Thus, when he was calling out the numbers....in those days it was 1 - 50.....it was nummba one, nummba two, nummba three, and then nummba foewha.

40 Days, 40 Nights

The weather has been so lousy, I'm feeling like this will be the view from my window when I wake up in the morning. April showers for sure. On the fun side of it, yesterday I took my mom for a ride through town to look at the ocean (high tide). Actually a super high tide. Big nor'easter at the same time as an astronomical high tide with the new moon. The police had closed off T-wharf, Bearskin Neck, and Back Beach so we headed for Granite Pier. So had everyone else! Almost a traffic jam out there! I parked the truck facing the water and we watched the waves crashing along the coast and the pier (granite, thus the name). After the truck had received it's share of salt water being dumped on the hood, we headed for home. Today, Amanda and I tried the same thing. The tide was up even more today and there were big swells in the harbor. Amazingly, today we could drive out on T-Wharf even though water was periodically sloshing over the edges and flowing under some parked cars. We also drove out to the end of the Neck and had the spray coming over the truck. Today the road was closed at Front Beach as well as Back Beach. Amanda had to get home for lunch and then work so we didn't drive out to Granite Pier. I didn't take any photos of the ocean. When it's gray and dismal and there is no good light to give the surf dimension, well, frankly, it never looks as tumultuous as it appears in person.

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Today was my mom's 75th birthday. Amanda was working through dinner time so I cooked dinner for my folks and then my mom opened presents after Amanda got home tonight. I guess I was remiss....I forgot to take birthday pictures.

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Guess what? I may have mentioned this before. I can't remember and I'm not going to stop and look back at previous posts. So....if I've mentioned this before, I apologize for duplication. So...Guess what? I missed out on a tuning job last week. When I returned the call that was on my machine, the customer had already booked someone else. No problem. Well, on Saturday the customer called back. Seems the tuner he booked for 6 p.m. Friday didn't show up. Several calls were made (messages left) to find out why but were never returned. So the gig was mine if I wanted it. I go tomorrow! Oh, and the tech that was the "no-show"? Tech S.

But wait. It gets better.

Yesterday I had a message on *my* machine from Tech S.

Paraphrased...insert a good deal of demeaning attitude when "hearing" these words as you read them.

This is S at phone #, please tell Deb that if she can manage to find a moment in her busy schedule to call me.

That was it. Pffftt. Don't give me attitude if you want me to call. Okay, yes, I'm a nice person. But I certainly didn't rush to call him back. To be blunt, I'm really tired of hearing his crap. (sorry, but I couldn't think of another way to phrase it. really, I tried to think of some other word. not for very long, though!) I called him back today. I got his machine! I said, "This is Deb. I'm just returning your call."

That's it. That was at lunchtime and I haven't heard back..................yet.

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Two sets of keys shipped back today. The third is finished and a message left to arrange the "Friendly's" exchange! Two phone calls with three sets of keys on the way. I did get to work on the melodeon a little today. More work on that tomorrow and start on the piano action work from Saturday's repair job.

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Oh boy! Skip's opens for the season tomorrow! (We will go for lunch on Saturday, Amanda's next day off work. I'll take my camera.) And Ellen's opens for the season on May 1st!

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And before I forget....I've come up with a nifty surprise for a friend. I'll post about it here, with pictures, when I can. It won't be until sometime near the beginning of May, though.

Lonnnngggg Day

Phew and Yay!

As it is a Saturday, the papers had to be delivered early. So up and working at 5:30 a.m. again. Remarkably, we got done with them a half hour earlier than usual. Don't know why.

Regretfully, I woke up with a sinus headache. I hate getting these. They make my eye water and my nose drip on the affected side. And to top it off, I had the BIG repair job scheduled for this afternoon. This is the job that has been rescheduled numerous times due to weather. I just couldn't call saying I wasn't up to it. So....off I went at 1:30. I loaded absolutely everything I thought I might need for the job. Nuts, bolts, washers, one very large electric drill, two smaller ones, and my battery powered drill with three charged batteries, several drill bits encompassing the final size and a few for reaming and pilot holes, a variety of clamps including two pipe clamps, two "QuickGrip" bar clamps, two large C clamps, a hack saw, a 1/2" socket(ratchet), glue, a large screwdriver (didn't need), a mallet, and my regular toolkit. I discovered I had brought far more than I needed. The job went very easily and faster than I had anticipated. I've removed the piano action and brought it back to the shop for some work. I'll return on May 5th, put it all back together and tune.

BTW, for toting all the heavy tools, I used a suitcase on wheels. It would have worked great but for one exception......the parking area and the walk to the house were crushed rock! Wheels wouldn't wheel......had to carry it anyway. (I did leave the "spare" drills in the truck)

I've still got the headache.

Yuck.

TMTC (Part 2)

Well, I'm going to try to keep this short. Y' just never know though! I read Netcrime's blog and some recent posts have been about an online harassment case. What got me thinking was how the parents of the high schooler who is the defendant are selectively blind to the actions of their "darling child". I won't go into all the details. You can read about it here. (I hope the link works) If my child had done what this young man admits to doing, my child would be begging for the punishment of the courts rather than being subjected to the punishment at home. I don't get it. Why do some people think that they are so special and deserve "more better" than anyone else? Yeah, I know, here I go again with "some people". Anyway, it reminded me of an incident over 25 years ago.

It was my second year as a full time high school photography teacher. We had 10 35mm cameras that the students could take turns borrowing. One young man managed to leave the camera in a stranger's car. He'd been hitching a ride somewhere. It was never returned. Now we were down to 9 cameras. This made it more difficult for all the students to share those remaining cameras and get their coursework done. The department head and I discussed the options and decided that the student should not be allowed the use of the 35mm cameras, but instead finish the work using a cheaper "Instamatic". The coursework could be done just as effectively with the cheaper camera. The semester progressed as the students worked independently on 10 assignments. Reminders were issued periodically to those that were falling behind...including the young man who lost the camera. Grade time came and the young man turned in only 2 out of 10 assignments. The grades on those two photos combined with his test scores gave him a total grade of 21 (out of a possible 100).

Guess what?

His parents filed a greivance against me! Seems he had to have a passing grade in all his subjects to stay on the basketball team. I was called to the principal's office for a private meeting. Of course I was required to bring the grade book. Thankfully, the principal was a reasonable man. Especially when presented with the grades, the lack of effort, and the question...how can I justify changing a grade of 21 to a passing grade of 65? No one failed my class as long as they DID THE WORK. Two assignments out of ten isn't any effort. That was the last I heard of it and the basketball team was missing one student.

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And now TMSSTS (Part 2)

The GD Times had another big write-up outlining all of Mr. Tech P's financial problems from 2004 until the present. Seems there have been 10 lawsuits (one of which is pending) totaling approximately $80,000 in settlements against him. Three or four of those were piano related.

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And finally. Remember when I commented, last Fall, that I was getting key work from the customer rather than their technician? Well, as of today I am initiating a new policy. NO MORE.

Just got a box of keys (not all the set) from one of those customers. It's actuially the one from FL that I was suspicious knew RC. He seems to think that there was a bit of "touch up" work needed. He marked all the spots with a bit of blue painter's tape. Honestly, folks, I've taken a magnifying glass to these keys and can't for the life of me see the problem. So...I did replace a couple key fronts that look like they were chipped in shipping. I double checked the squareness and filed edges. All seems fine. They be shipped back to him next time I head for the shipper. I'm not making a special trip. His delusions will cost me $25 in shipping fees. Oh well, reputation and all...ONLY FOR THE TRADE FROM NOW ON!

The More Things Change (Part 1)

The more some stay the same....Gee does this scene look familiar? One of the three sets is the last of the previous three. I shipped two out yesterday and met a tech at the local "Friendly's" and picked up a set. Then today another came in the mail.






This is a close-up of the set that came from New Jersey today. Looks like they got *very* hot! The old plastic tops were very warped. Check out the detail photo below. I think I know who the piano belonged to...Must have been Salvador Dali. (bad joke)









I've kept this keytop....just for fun. It has to be one of the worst I've seen.





Part 2 of "The More Things Change" tomorrow.

How I Spent My Easter Weekend

And I just *thought* I'd have some free time!

The set on the bench (keytops and bushings) arrived on Thursday. Darn UPS delivered the other two sets at 7 p.m. on Friday! One set just keytops, the other in foreground keytops and backcheck leather. Click on the photo to enlarge it and you will see that the brown leather, over the green felt, sticking up on wires at the back of the keys in the front is worn out and will be replaced.

So, today I've been working from 5:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. I'm taking the rest of the evening off.

Tomorrow, Easter Sunday, I *will* go to church. I'm also cooking Easter dinner. And.......work, work, work.

Mixed Nuts

I like cashews and almonds, thank you....no really....a mix of topics tonight!

Came across this old (nearly as old as me) newspaper clipping while cleaning out the file cabinet in the workshop. I have not included the entire article because it uses full names. Take a look and read about it below.


The gentleman in the photo on the left is my dad. In the right hand photo is my mom and ME! I was seven months old in the pic. Have you heard of electronic baby monitors? You know, like Fischer-Price makes? Well, step back to the year 1955. My dad built his own. The microphone is mounted on the head of my crib (just above my mom's wrist in the pic), the amplifier and speakers were located in the bookcase downstairs (next to my dad). Pretty cool, huh? Of course it was a one of a kind...never patented as the company my dad worked for would have taken ownership of the patent, paying him $1 for the idea. That was company policy...anything, even unrelated to the company, that was developed, invented, etc. would belong to the company. I still think it's really neat.

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It's been a busy week with "outside" jobs. Tunings, repairs, and evaluations. I shipped out two sets of keys on Monday. Only one set has come in this week, but another two sets should be arriving anytime. Tomorrow, I've got to spend the afternoon shopping. The birthdays are coming up quickly. I'll have to do my dad's shopping for my mom's present. I've spent some time the past couple of days working up a media contact list for Jayne. Her publisher is wanting to get more copies of her book out to the media. I'm having a time finding one specific postal code. Once that is found then the list will be done. I'll email it to her tomorrow.

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Got reminiscing with Mom. First about the quality of the crumpets we have been buying. They're not as good as what my grandmother used to buy at Worthington's Bakery in New Bedford. Worthington's is long gone taking with it marvelous meat pies, Maid-of-Honors, chocolate filled cupcakes, and of course, crumpets. That got us thinking about the bakery where we each worked part time. Esbensen's Danish Bakery....gone, too. But the memories continue of Kransekager, Mozart cakes, Mazariner, Almond tarts, Wienerbrod, Princess cake, some delish treats that I have forgotten the name of....an almond macaroon on the bottom, a conical top of mocha buttercream dipped in dark chocolate...yummmmm. Lots of wonderful fresh breads, especially the oatmeal bread. Then there was the lunch that was always provided. Usually something like a Danish meatball sandwich with sweet and sour cucumber, or boiled cabbage and sausage rolls. I may just have to make a Mazariner soon. I have recipes for a few of the things. Mazariner are either a pie or tarts made from almond paste, eggs, and sugar with icing on the top. Although Kransekager (Danish wedding cake) is a big project, I do make a cookie version like we sold in the bakery. It is a horseshoe shaped almond paste cookie with one end dipped in dark chocolate. I can't remember the name of those.

I'm starting to gain weight just thinking about it.

Those Tax People

Yesterday, I shipped out two sets of completed keys and went to a customer's house to return keys that I had rebushed. That left today a bit open to catch up on a few things that needed doing. I've got 3 more sets of keys on the way here and also some birthday shopping that will have to get done within the next two weeks (Mom's and Amanda's) so I knew I had to cram a lot of small stuff into today. First, I got some supplies ready for my tuning/repair job tomorrow, then I did some more damaged veneer removal on the melodeon job. That stuff is really glued down well and is taking quite a bit of careful dampening and then scraping. I've almost got it all off now. Maybe another couple hours of scraping! I called the piano parts supplier and ordered more keytops and straightened up the shop a bit.

And then, this afternoon I wrote my letter to the Massachusetts Department of Revenue! Here it is........


April 3, 2007


Massachusetts Department of Revenue
Refund Review Unit
200 Arlington Street Room 4300
Chelsea MA 02150


This letter is in response to the Notice of Intent to Assess that I received at approximately 12:00 p.m. on March 28, 2007. Copies of the Notice and the Response Form are attached to this letter.

At 2:13 p.m. Thursday, March 29, 2007, I telephoned the Department of Revenue's Audit Division and spoke with Andrew. I explained to Andrew, that although I have all the records of which copies are requested, the cost involved in making those copies and sending them to the Refund Review Unit would exceed the refund amount that I am due.

Andrew explained that there would be no penalty in not providing the copies requested and that sending this explanatory letter would be appropriate.

Therefore, I will not be furnishing the copies due to the costs of photocopying and mailing exceeding the refund amount that I am due.

Respectfully,


So there it is. My be nice and polite letter in response. That's the one I'm sending. It's NOT the one I would like to have written to send. They would not look kindly upon me for what I would have liked to have written. Use your imagination.