Michelle, talk to a female friend in the real estate business, my guess is they encounter such situations routinely. BTW, thanks for demonstrating a broader purpose for our discussion group. best regards, Mark Cramer Brandon University c/o Denis Brassard Banff Centre for the Arts -----Original Message----- From: Michelle L Stranges [mailto:stranges@Oswego.EDU] Sent: Monday, April 22, 2002 1:48 PM To: caut list Subject: uncomfy Hello folks.. I have a weird comment/question/situation and well... I guess I'm primarily talking to the women in the trade. ( No offense, guys..) :) I had a very uncomfortable situation this past weekend. Here's some info on me. I'm young. I'm female. I love pianos. I had a tuning at this guys house ( who my landlord helped me get, through his work... he's a salesman for security systems, and he met this guy once.) This guy has a Steinway B, and gives concerts alot in his home, blah, blah, blah... Primo customer, eh?? My landlord gave me his name and asked me to call him. ( how many of you have called someone instead of them calling you??) A couple of weeks ago I call him. We talked about his pianos, his new house, his problems with his hand.... ETCETCETC... ( phone conversation lasted about 45 minutes) An appointment is made. He lives in an upscale neighborhood, and hey... he's got a Steinway B!! Nice gig I think... I get there yesterday and well...... I take a look at the Steinway and then go and see the Hardman upright he has in this newly purchased house which is an utter mess. Instead of tuning the Hardman ( which needed it) I spent the time fixing all of the action clicks this thing was afflicted with.) It was pretty clicky. It was bothering him a bit. He had just purchased this big house, and was nice enough to show me around , and of course I went all over the place looking at the house. ( HUGE red flag, I know I know.. my trust and personality will get me in trouble someday, I know..) After I had started on the piano, he stayed with me and I answered all of his questions about the instrument and told him what I was doing and why... he was very interested.. And then... " your the kind of woman I have always been looking for, Michelle.. " And more stuff about how it's great that I am into pianos as much as he is. Did I happen to mention folks, that this guy is certifiably loony. CRAZY and in his 70's?? I think he's REALLY weird and LONELY. He was interested to know that I know alot of musicians in the area and that well.. I could start introducing them to him to get them to play at his home recitals on his Steinway... He mentioned a concert that he had gone to, and I the ass, mentioned that I was most likely going to be going to the Beethovan series at blahblahblah... seeing my old college piano teacher play... ( I know I know... reg flag # 2) He then says he wants me to go , we could hang out, and that I could introduce him to the pianist... I told him I might be out of town that weekend though... ( I sure will be now.) AHHHHHH... I'll stop now. There's other stuff, but this guys has my business card, my phone number.. He wants me to come back and tune the upright. ( 135 cents flat). He would like me to take care of his Steinway. I am a very friendly person, and I like people until they do something to bother me.. But i really just don't want to back to this guys house. Maybe I should not be so damn chummy with 70 year old men who are crazy.. PLease help with your suggestions on how I can stop feeling sick to my stomach when I think of the thought of going to this guys place again. OH!!! Around the time I was leaving another CRAZY person came to his house. She was drunk I think...and ugh....CRAZY - well she wants me to tune her piano to. I gave her one of my cards. What the hell do I do in a situation like that??? By the way I was acting, he would have NO IDEA that I was feeling this way but after I got out of there, I could not wait to get home, and man was I pissed. ******I was there from 10 am until 4 pm.******* I'm so embarrassed to post this, but I need some advice. :( Michelle stranges@oswego.edu PS- he called me later on that night, appologizing about that lady showing up and again how he would like for me to attend that concert that I WAS going to go to.
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