---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment Joe, Thanks for giving us a glimpse of your day, and reminding many or most of us why being self-employed is such a great thing...but will we say that on September 15th??? Playing hooky is good for the soul, isn't it? Dave Stahl In a message dated 8/14/03 9:09:25 PM Pacific Daylight Time, joegarrett@earthlink.net writes: > I thought I'd share my day with Y'all!<G>: > I live about half way between Portland and Tillamook, (on The Coast). > Because of that, I do quite a few tunings in the small towns, on the > Northern Oregon Coast. I always consider it a "mini-vacation", even though > most of the pianos are worse than PSOs. Most have not seen service of any > kind, for years! And, the coastal sea air doesn't help. Even though I do > quite a few at the coast, it is more often than not, difficult to fill a > day, there. Such was today!<G> > I had one tuning, in the morning. A repeat client with a 6' Chickering, > 1922. It's in need of a lot of things, but generally adequate and tunes up > nicely. > Anyway, one tuning, then the rest of the day to either come back to the > shop or take some time for myself. Life has been rather cruel, these last > few months, so I opted to "play hookie"!<G> (One of the nice "perks" of > working in this business!) The Plan: Hang out on the beach, have lunch and > read The Five Lectures!<G> > The drive to Tillamook, on Hiway 6, is typical of the many mountain > roads that cross The Coast Range to the wonderfully beautiful Pacific Ocean. > It's kind of windie, tricky in spots and ALWAYS has a belligerent, "Smokey" > lurking about! (He got me twice in one day! Yikes! And that was in a fully > loaded VW Bus!) There's only one "passing lane" area on the whole 45 mile > trip. I left a bit early, this morning, in anticipation of "playing hookie". > Good thing I did, as the great gurus of Highway Matters decided to do some > paving! (Guess where? The "passing lane" area!)(Following Winebuggos is > sooooo much fun!)(Just love that warm tar on my German "Roller Skate"! Not!) > Driving Hiway 6 is quite nice, with plenty of Flora, consisting of Fir, > Cedar, Spruce, Alder and assorted underbrush. Very Green and almost > constant, except for the occasional "Clear Cut" that momentarily ruins my > mood. > Finally arrived at my morning client, 15 minutes late. On The Coast, that's > usually not a big thing, as they tend to be pretty laid back. Today was no > exception. <G> > Because it was a repeat tuning client, the piano was no problem. > Finished just about noon. > Headed for the local Safeway store to do some shopping and get some lunch. > MMMMM! One of my favorite sandwiches is a "Foccacia". Add to that a carton > of excellent Tillamook Milk, a large dollop of potato salad and an apple and > I'm in hog heaven! > Hopped in the "German Roller Skate" and drove North on Hiway 101, > through several small towns and stopped at a place called Manhattan Beach. A > short walk through sand dunes Flora, (shore pines, blackberry bushes, > manzanita bushes, etc.), and down a dune to the beach! The sand is very soft > and walking through it is like having divers boots on.<G> Oh well, I do need > the excersize! A short stroll down the dunes/beach to a few chunks of > driftwood/logs, 20-30 feet from the surf. Good place to plant it, for lunch. > Spread out my lunch and proceed to devour it, post haste! Started reading > The Five Lectures. I got through the Preface and was just about to Conklin's > Lecture and.....Snooze time. With the soft sand as a bed, the warm sun as a > blanket and the sound of the surf.....ZZZZZZZZZ! > Woke up after about an hour and spent the next hour or two just gazing out > to sea, watching the Crabbers and assorted beach frolickers. Wow! What a > day!<G> Oh, for an extra special "Dessert", I picked Wild Blackberries on > the way back to the car! (I've got the stains to prove it! <G>) > Hopped back in the "German Roller Skate" and continued North on Hiway > 101 to the intersection, (Near Seaside), to Hiway 26, (East), for the > return, circuitous though it may be, trip. Hiway 26 is a better road with > numerous "passing lanes" and a better "layout". Still has the cousin of the > other "Smokey" lurking about though! :-( No, he didn't get me today.) > Finally got home around 7pm. Greeted by "The Fur-Ball", aka "Spooky", (given > name), or "Spook", (when she's being weird. Which is most of the time.) Her > usual small little meuw was all I got out of her. She's not much of a > talker. Lets me know that she recognizes the fact that I've been gone and > that's it. (The Initial Plan was for her to keep the field mice out of the > shop! Not! She goes out and brings them in to play with and then let's them > go! grrrr! <G> > Well, that was my day, "Playing Hooky"! I feel much better now. Ready to > get back at it, in earnest, tomorrow. > I hope you all have the opportunity to "play hooky" occasionally, it's > good for the Soul! > Best Regards, > Joe Garrett, RPT, (Oregon) > Captain, Tool Police ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: https://www.moypiano.com/ptg/pianotech.php/attachments/7d/13/d8/a3/attachment.htm ---------------------- multipart/alternative attachment--
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