I knocked out several sousaphones today, but I also ran some errands having to do with heavy equipment repair (ordered pulleys, bearings, and other parts arrived) as well as taking care of some plumbing repair in an outbuilding here at blokeplace. Simply installing an additional cutoff valve allowed me to delay a somewhat major repair, but gave me access to some pipe on down the line that needed to distribute water onto the property here and there. (A 30 gallon hot water tank - in an out building - epically failed…It was due, and I found a used one that belonged to a friend that’s only a 5 gallon. I realized that I rarely use very much hot water, and that it should do nicely - as well as save on the utility bill, so I’m going to swap out the 30 for a 5, when I get back from that trip. My friend sold it to me for $25 bucks.
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I also found out that the last two schools’ instruments are not needed until August 7th, so I’m going to keep pushing, but I’m not going to keep killing myself.
the trip to Wisconsin:
My Matrix is in really good shape now, but we are taking a relative with us, and they have a automatic transmission GM car that’s about the same size, is only a year old, and offers about the same gas mileage. In case we have to deal with a wreck somewhere or road construction, an automatic transmission is a lot easier on my left leg, so we will be taking that car.
I’m looking forward to getting the last of these piles of instruments back to the schools, and I suppose I’m eager to get paid for all of this work…but mostly I’m eager to have the burden off my shoulders for the summer. I end up being too tired to even shower at night, and then get up the next morning realizing that it’s time to do some more filthy work on some filthy instruments, and don’t really see the point of showering in the morning… so I’m tending to only really get clean every two or three days. I’m tired of being grubby all the time – except when I’m delivering instruments, or going to play a gig somewhere. According to the long range forecast, it appears that “global climate change“ might be coming to an end in a couple of days here, though – of course – we’re headed north where temperatures should range from about 59 to 79.
I’m sure there will be some band directors who have emergency repairs, and a few others who didn’t even bring their instruments in for the summer who will want us to perform magic for them, but I don’t allow others’ lack of foresight to become my emergencies. I’ll do for those people what I can.
There are several nice instruments here that I would like to turn into money, and – as expressed in past threads – I sure would like to spiff up a few of my own as well. Last winter was pretty much a waste, so I’m going to try to avoid going under the knife again this winter.
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