<div>Haha...!  Your letter reminds me of a gambling strategy a friend of mine once offered up to me.  He said, "Only gamble with your winnings.  See, first you win...then you..."</div> <div> </div> <div>If I had EXTRA money at the other times of the year to do any of the things you suggest...</div> <div> </div> <div>Not to complain.  This is easily my best year ever, and each year gets better and better.  I've only been doing this for 10 years and we have tuners on every street corner around here.  </div> <div> </div> <div>But I could sell some stuff...I wonder how much I could get for the cat?  (That would reduce my monthly nut, too.  No cat litter expenses, food, vet, etc.)</div> <div> </div> <div>Tom<BR><BR><B><I>"John M. Formsma" <john@formsmapiano.com></I></B> wrote:</div> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <META content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)" name=Generator> <STYLE> v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);} .shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);} </STYLE> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:SmartTagType name="City" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="place" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType><o:SmartTagType name="PersonName" namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"></o:SmartTagType> <STYLE> st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) } </STYLE> <STYLE>  </STYLE> <DIV class=Section1> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Sell some stuff - like an ETD and you’ll have some extra money. Selling my Verituner earlier this year paid for my convention trip and allowed me to buy some tools that were more needed than it was.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Yes, it’s the bottom of the cycle here too. Usually January is my best month. Irregular income earners like us should save some of our money for the lean times of the year. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">For instance, I pay myself 75% of my gross income. The rest stays in the business account to cover taxes, tools, and supplies. This way, we’re not scraping around for $$ when we need to purchase some tools or some other business item.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Then, I have $700/month drafted into my emergency fund (money market account). I have a 6-month emergency fund so I can live for a while without earning an income should that ever happen. (Or, if there’s a medical emergency or whatever.) Also, part of that $700/month is being saved for my next car purchase. We typically pay around $400/month for a car loan, so why not pay ourselves that every month so we actually have the CASH to PAY FOR a car when it’s needed? I kind of like the idea of saving $2K or more of interest. You can buy a lot of tools then. ;-)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">OK, off me soapbox….<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">JF<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <DIV style="BORDER-RIGHT: medium none; PADDING-RIGHT: 0in; BORDER-TOP: medium none; PADDING-LEFT: 4pt; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0in; BORDER-LEFT: blue 1.5pt solid; PADDING-TOP: 0in; BORDER-BOTTOM: medium none"> <DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <HR tabIndex=-1 align=center width="100%" SIZE=2> </SPAN></FONT></DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> pianotech-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:pianotech-bounces@ptg.org] <B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">On Behalf Of </SPAN></B>Tom Sivak<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Saturday, July 15, 2006 8:17 AM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Pianotech List</st1:PersonName><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> RE: Fujan lever/lightweight tuning levers</SPAN></FONT><FONT size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I have a McLanahan (I think...?...I can never remember the Irish name) lever that I bought at the national institute 3 years ago in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City>.  It's not light, but so well-balanced that I feel the same way: it's easier to move from pin to pin because all the weight is in the handle.  My cheapie antique lever is the same, though...being a light-weight hammer it's also easier to move from pin to pin than my Schaff.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">I'm not posing any of this as anti-Fujan propaganda.  I fully intend to, at some point, try out the Fujan.  And I fully expect to like it.  That's why I'm not trying it out now.  I don't have $180 to spend right now.  (I don't know about your area, but July 4th is the bottom of the cycle here in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City>.  Peaks at Christmas time, wanes till July 4th.)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <DIV> <div class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-LEFT: 5.25pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Tom<BR><BR><BR><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV> <div class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></div></DIV></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>