Re-Tuning

After the saga of getting the piano here - the one that cost more in storage fees than it is worth on the market but I don't care because it was The Sr Boy's father's not the p-i-t-a b-i-l's so score one for the good guys but who's counting?? - ummm, yes - after getting that piano here, it had to 'settle in'. 'Settling in' when one is a piano is sort like what a cat does only without the kneading paws and finicky eating. 'Settling in' means getting used to the new, dessicated environment after living in the West Coast Temperate Marine one (thanks a lot Social Studies 9) of ocean breezes and dampness.

I knew it needed tuning - the p-i-t-a wouldn't have wasted perfectly good booze and whatever money on something so silly as piano tuning - but it needed a few months to settle in. When even I could hear how out of tune it was, recommendations were garnered, phone calls made and today Mr. van P arrived to do magic.

Magic, as The Jr Girl's Friend commented, is very loud. And very discordant. The Sr Boy is definitely out of the building as he wouldn't have lasted 5 minutes. I hung about and got a crash course in a lot of things I have already forgotten and the beginning of a new vocabulary: temper (not what you think), una corda, 440hz. The Jr Boy blew in and recruitment to a choir was attempted by Mr. van P. Don't know how successful but he'll get another try at that and furthering my piano tuning education in about three months. The poor piano was so far out of tune, re-tuning has to be done in stages.

Does that sound like anyone else's life?

I am about to take my clean (thanks, Mum) rowing callused hands over there and make music.

Without wincing.

Score!!!

Still breathing

And furthermore,

- When driving to the Coast over the second highest mountain pass in the province at any time of year, expect winter conditions. The 6" of slush last weekend was nasty enough for me and terrible for the 3 flipped over vehicles in the opposite lane. The second highest mountain pass, people - a pass that is higher than the highest "mountain" in Great Britain.

- Books on cd make trips to the Coast easier. Inspector Morse needs more attention than I expected but A Room with a View does not and is quite surprisingly funny.

- Poppa's cottage looks very spiffy in its new roof. I hate to admit that my father was right about improving the appearance.

- My windows are replaced but the finishing is not finished. As I volunteered to be the alternate employment site, I can't blame anyone else (Rats!). It looks pretty damgood as it is and today the light switch got installed so I can stop pouring I mean making dinner in the dark.

- Drywalling makes appalling amounts of dust. I have vaccuumed more in the last two weeks than the last two ummmmmmm...... Well, little (ok, BIG!) while.

- Yesterday, Toronto got tornadoes and the East Coast is about to be landed upon by the remainders of Hurricane Bill. Hope they get the weather sorted out before I get there in 2 weeks because it's all about me, right????

- Last night, we got thunder and lightning and more fires started. Not that I'm keeping score.

- Friends with swimming pools when it is 36 stinking degrees are as gemstones. Friends who know where to go for walks in woods with cedar trees in this town are as magi.

- There will be time spent with family over the next week as The Jr Girl and Her Man arrive tomorrow and we have tickets together with The Jr Boy and His Lady to do this. Poppa arrives on Friday next for a couple of nights which may include planning this year's Road Trip.

- The rowing coaches' weeks off match my trip Down East eggzackly. How cool is that? Apparently autumn rowing requires a few more layers and gumboots. (Good thing I didn't toss out the bag of those I found in the garage). TJG has a walking tour of Toronto planned for me so I guess I won't be entirely devoid of exercise while away.

- Isn't TO a bit big for a walking tour? Maybe it's not the whole city?

- In preparation for familial invasion, I mean arrivals, not to mention training for walking tour, I have to get vaccuuming and making beds and buying wine and beer..... maybe some food.....

Still breathing....

Lammas Notes

Some harvest from the past month:

- weeding a labyrinth is hard on the knees and back but good for the soul.
- raise one's children properly and they will take care of evacuating one's home should that be necessary (it wasn't but it was good to have it done. Now both Jrs have had a shot at it - maybe I should move before I have to do it myself??)
- my father (age 87) can work two roofers (combined ages ~ 70) to a standstill. (Exchange of excellence between Rfr 1 and Rfr 2 after watching my father: Rfr 1: "Ya know "Fred" (Rfr 3 and not on this job) should see this guy work." Rfr 2: "Fred's eyeballs couldn't move that fast!")
- 33 degrees inside the house is too hot to do anything except sit in the basement ripping address labels from bike magazines (circa 1983 - 2004, 11 issues/year. You do the math...)
- rowing gets better when one does it 5 days/week.
- - - rowing will get even better when I make some heel blocks so I can actually use the foot plate to push from.
- booking airline tickets early for The Wedding of The Year in PEI = quite good ticket prices. Who knew??
- knitting in 33 degrees is not to be thought of.
- nor, surprisingly, is drinking gin or white wine or beer unless that's all I'm having for dinner in which case one beer seems to be enough.
- I should be losing weight.
- I am not.
- friends are still the best investment (after the aforementioned children) - I am so blessed.
- I am a reasonably good poet.
- when I write more, I get better. (see above note about rowing 5/7 days/week, Missy!!)
- guys in the house doing window replacement who said they'd be done in 2 - 3 weeks are going to be done in 2 - 3 weeks. After the last "Men in the House" debacle, I am impressed.
- taking out 12 trees makes the house look very exposed but now I can star watch on the front steps (while escaping the fragging hot house because there are no trees for shade ... and no trees filling up the eavestroughs with 'combustibles')
- firefighters and helicopter crews. If you have to ask, you don't live in BC this summer.

Still breathing
and my suitcase is still in my car.....