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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi folks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, I most sincerely hope that it =
never comes to
THIS for any of you about a hurricane.....but. some years ago, before =
starting
to do piano work, I was in the Navy and stationed at the armed forced =
School of
Music near Norfolk, VA. As the Chief Master-at-Arms, part of my job was =
keeping
and updating existing contingency plans for any and all disasters. =
</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>We had a significant number of vertical =
pianos in
the building, especially in small practice rooms on the first floor, =
which was
barely ten or tweleve feet above sea level. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I suggested that we get sturdy wooden =
beams and
rope to use in hauling the pianos upstairs in the event of an =
approraching major
hurricane. My concept was dismissed with the airy remark that it would =
just as
easy to buy new ones. I was outraged and horrified.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Well, looking back on that years later, =
I realize
that those "pianos" that I was so intent upon saving were mostly little =
more
than "piano shaped objects" that would best be left to a merciful death =
by
drowning. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I do not mean to make light of the =
great
difficulties and dangers than come with these storms. But, just maybe, =
it does
provide a new perspective on the old notion of walking the =
plank.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Robin Blankenship</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Matoaca, VA</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>P.S., If any of the other members of =
this list have
any experiences at the old SOM, it would be great to hear your
stories.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>