[pianotech] Getting started...

[Ron Nossaman]

paul bruesch wrote:
  > One more caution... I have No Solicitor signs on my doors, 
as well as
> further notes to not leave ur crap (stated a little more delicately, 
> though firmly!) I have gone door-knocking for a political candidate and 
> been gotten very mad at by a person with a No Solicitors sign. Ever 
> since then I have taken that to mean not to intrude for any reason 
> unless I'm a friend or have a tuning appointment.

Sage advice. You never know who's going to answer that door. I 
don't have signs up, because they obviously don't work. Even 
"Beware of Owner" is useless. When I was a captive of the Air 
Force, I once put a sign on my door saying "Out of order. Do 
NOT inquire within." I had more than twenty people that day 
knock on the door to inquire what the sign meant. Yes, I won 
the bet.  So after the near infinite police, fire department, 
internet yellow page, promotional pen, insurance, and 
invisible man (March of Mimes, I presume) phone solicitations 
on both the business land line, and my cell I now get, I have 
no patience left for porch drummers. Many years ago I answered 
the door to a couple of highly motivated, glowing eyed, 
squeaky clean, 145lb Jehovah's witnesses who wished to (by 
committee action?) save what may have somehow remained of my 
immortal soul with a selection of brochures and other 
publications. I watched the show until the first intermission 
(that requiring a response from the subject, necessitating a 
lull in the pitch), and declined their most generous offer. 
"I'm sorry, I can't", I said. "It's against my religion." 
"Huh?", they said, which struck me as a tad outside the 
structure of the official recitation. "No, I'm a Pagan, and we 
can't really have anything to do with this sort of stuff. 
Sorry." "A Pagan?", they said in stereo, taking a step back 
and withdrawing the extended literature. "Yes", I said, "I 
used to have a membership card, but I think I lost it in the 
fire at the last meeting." Another synchronized two steps 
back, into the grass just off the porch, eyes widening, as all 
printed material vanished as if by magic into their packs. 
"Just as well though", I said, "It was getting sort of hard to 
read from all the blood." And that's how I came to be all 
alone on my porch one beautiful spring day.

True. I have witnesses, but they may still be in 
Chloropromazine therapy.
Ron N