Sounds like you had a busy day Bill.

My wife and I went up north this weekend. We left Friday after work. We opened one of 2 cottages that we own with my wife's 4 other siblings and started the spring cleaning on it. It's a 2 hour drive - 140 miles to get up there.

We went for a nice walk this morning after a night of partying last night with neighbor's up the road. I was a tad hungover... Glad to be done with the walking although, it did help...some... Got the cottage by the road half cleaned and decided to come home so we didn't get home to late today. Going back in a couple of weeks to do the other half then a week later to start on the next cottage by the lake.

It was cold up there but, it sure was nice getting away from the same old thing. We love going up there!

Thanks, Jerry, it was. I had a day of relaxation on Saturday but wrote that post. Today, I did my taxes and will have to fork out a bundle on Thursday (I never do send it in until I have to) to the Obama regime and his ridiculous deficit spending. Glad to hear that the congressman from your state is being hounded out. I hope this path toward Socialism and a bankrupt nation can be reversed with the elections in November.

Well, no, you are paying a bundle in taxes thanks to the Bush regime, who changed the tax laws so that working people like you have to pay all the taxes, while those of us who make our money from investments do not have to pay any.

Thank you for being a sucker!

Jeez, Bill, this is supposed to be an apolitical forum. That was pretty inflammatory. There are other places to discuss the causes of your tax burden.

Paying quarterlies and contributing something/more to a SEP IRA or other retirement account would allow you to deal with this in a way that works better for you.

I earned more in 09 than in 08, paid my quarterlies on time, put money in retirement (lowering my tax bracket) and got money back as a result. If you don't put it in something tax free, you'll get hosed, for sure.

Today I went and scoped out a job on a 50 year old Knight upright in pretty good shape, then watched the rain fall as I went about household tasks.

Sunday started at 7am with a concert tuning on the D and the B both, on stage for recitals later that day. Then tuned 3 Boston 118's. By this time, it's 11am and time for lunch. Then tuned 3 more Boston 118's and walked to the performance hall for a 1 hour piano recital played by one of the piano majors. Then tuned 2 more 118's for a total of ten pianos all day, and home by 5pm.

Thanks Dave but most of the "bundle" I have to pay is in this year's estimated. I have all that you mentioned and investments too. When you don't get it taken out of a paycheck (and never see it to begin with) but have to actually write a check for it , it always hurts more.

I have 3 concert tunings to do tomorrow, 4 tunings on Thursday and 5 on Friday. That should keep me out of trouble for a little while. Nah!

First a Story & Clark console, not tuned for 15 years. Pitch raise and tune.
Next a Baldwin Hamilton last tuned in 1987. Pitch raise and tune
Last a Baldwin spinet 35 years old and never been tuned. 3 passes and fine tune. I told her if she waited another 35,I would be 90 and might not remember how to get to her house.
I just don't get these people that have pianos but never keep them up.

Many of them seem to be uneducated about pianos. They don't play them, they most certainly don't understand their piano let alone tuning and often times, don't care either even after we take the time to explain it for the trillionth time.

I can't remember how to get to some of their houses now. Does that mean I'm in trouble already at 53?

Screwed 0ut of my first tuning today. They even called last night to remind ME and to tell me, if nobody was home, a key would be under the mat. Man, I looked under everything around there from pop cans, to 12 packs, pots, plants, bushes, mats, walked around to other doors, checked them all too and NOTHING. They hire jazz artists when they come into town to perform privately at their home charging anywhere from $150 -$500 a head depending on the artist. OH WELL! I will try and get them later on today if that is possible... Their concert is tonight.

That sucks, Jerry!

Today I tune 3 Bohemias, 2 uprights and 1 grand. They will have gone fairly far south by now, as they are all less than a couple of years old and not one of them has been tuned in the last year. Pitch raises here we come!

"Concert prep" - 9' Knabe and 6' Baldwin to be tuned together for duets. The kicker is that I could only work during a single 75 min. lunch break at the performance space - a ballet studio... talk about staying focused!

Finish the day with an Everett studio.

Ron Koval
chicagoland

Well, I managed to get at that piano after I finished my other concert tunings today. The pianist will be happy now. I just got home. He said: "I was home in my basement listening to Jazz. I didn't hear the doorbell and I forgot to leave the door open."

He usually doesn't do that so he's forgiven this time.

I call them if they don't answer the door, thinking maybe they are in the shower or whatever. I also get both cell and home phone #'s, just in case they are on the way home. I hate not homes.

Since I am a new Associate with the PTG, I spent a couple of hours practicing my aural tuning skills. Needless to say, I have a long way to go!

Starting a long awaited vacation. Turkey season comes in Sat. and I haven't been off since last year!

Among other pianos, nothing special, just a couple of Kawai grands and a Steinway L but it was a 1891 Steinway vertical that was purchased for $200 that is worth commenting about. Remarkably good condition and still a fine musical instrument! One treble string had been replaced, one bass damper and about a dozen of the high treble hammers, otherwise, all original material and a great sound!

I spent far less time tuning it than I usually do. It confirmed for me that the hammer technique I use (now for over 30 years) is the most mechanically correct as opposed to the way that so many technicians "fight" with the piano the whole way through. A Steinway vertical does what you tell it to do if you know how to speak to it properly. Otherwise, it will bite you!

Touched up the regulation and tuned a 1928 Steinway D.

I had a funny thing happen today. First, I tuned 4 pianos at a club. On the way home, I had arranged to stop by and pick up an action from a customer's piano. It's going to be a hammer replacement job. I had set things up with the husband, who is the piano player. The wife was there, but not the husband. I got the action and put it in the car. She knew that she was suppose to pay a deposit, and offered to write a check. She asked how much it would be. When I told her, she let out a loud curse. She said "we can't afford this piano". I'm guessing that she hadn't been informed how much they were spending. She was nicer after that, but there were a couple tense moments, for me at least. The thing is, that as these things go, it's really not that much money. I guess it was a shock though. I bet he heard about it later.

I once had a Japanese couple arguing the whole time I was tuning. It got pretty loud. I didn't understand them, but I got the feeling he was peeved because she called me to tune the piano.

A 7' 1903 Bechstein in the Berkeley Hills (BDB probably knows Marin Ave. This is one steep road!), Kawai k-5 upright, Kawai RX 2 grand, and a Bohemia 125 upright. Nice pianos all day. Tomorrow offers two regulars and three unknowns...:-/

Called a client in Atlanta where we shipped a partial rebuilding last month to check on the piano...from the car. Cell phones (headset) have changed my life...

Arrived at 1030 am in Battle Creek (one hour drive) and tuned a Kawai GE Grand. Did the church down the street's Acrosonic, which is amazingly stable and always just where I left it pitch-wise (for a sanctuary piano I normally wouldn't recommend an Acrosonic, but this one takes the prize!)...Drove 30 miles to Hastings MI, and tuned a Wurlitzer PE Grand, changed the wicks etc. Hopped on the freeway and drove to Kalamazoo (my town) and sold a full Dampp Chaser and two tunings to a customer who wants to preserve her heirloom Acrosonic (another Acro, I know!). Followed up with a client who teaches music locally, tuned her D.H. Baldwin grand (which plays amazingly well for what it is!)

5 appts today...now home for a couple days to work around the shop. I try for 5-6 appts per day, four days per week...

Cheers all! Off to zzzzzzzzzz

RPD

RPD. I agree that cell phones have changed our lives quite a bit. You can put on the head set and make calls during drives. It use to be dead time, as far as getting anything done. Also, I use the map feature on my Blackberry all the time. I use to get some bizarre directions from people out in the country around here. It's so much nicer now.

Dave, I have a friend in Berkeley, and have been up Marin Dr. Funny. I was out a few years ago and spent over a week in his basement rebuilding the action on his Steinway.

Today I walked away from a piano, which I seldom do. The guy wasn't there, but had someone let me in. It was an old thing that needed so much more than a tuning. I just looked at it, and thought "not worth the pain".

I tune the very last pianos at the end of Marin, actually over the hill from the top.

Yeah, I have a Blackberry too. Jane and I went in with our old cell phones to have them "upgraded" at our carrier. Then, teenagers with matching tee-shirts accosted us...mostly college girls...and a little while later we both had signed up for the fiscal reaming, and we both left with Blackberrys and a promise of a 650 dollar bill the next month before rebates...

I love the little thing...and got the idea of a Blackberry after the PTG Journal article a few months back...love it...but its amazing how GOOD those sales girls are...sheesh!...and all we'd planned was to tweak our old flip phones...

Oh well, its an adventure...and the GPS function is worth the price of admission alone.

RD

I had a nice day today too.

9 AM tuned a Baldwin spinet in a home. I had raised it 1/2-3/4 tone to pitch about 4 months back. Raised it back up to pitch again today but not nearly as much so.

2. Tuned a CRAPPY Steinway console. Dang those pianos make me mad!!!! Creeps all over the place, won't stay put no matter what! Glad to be done with it. POS.

3. Tuned a Steinway A. Eh?

4. Tuned a Kimball 7' something grand. POS.

Ate lunch and was home by 2 PM.

Groovy baby, it's the weekend!

Most notable of today's tunings was a tiny Weber grand from the early 1990's. Of all the Young Chang grands I tune, this being the smallest, this is the nicest one. Clear tone, tuning pins do what I command them to do, and a happy customer.

Oh, and I stopped at Dick's Sporting Goods to use the gift card I received at Christmas. Bought a gap wedge for my golf bag. The least expensive club I've ever purchased...only $3.49 after the gift card. FORE!

Day off today. I took the kayak out for the first time this year. Alligator count = 7. Here's a pic of one on the bank. He's only about 6 feet long and scooted into the water just after I took this pic. Most of the smaller gators will get in the water when you get too close, while the bigger ones (9-12 ft) will stare you down as you paddle past.

Geez Bob!!! Instead of Gator aide, (or however they spell that) you're gator bait!

Tuned in a night club and a cathedral.