<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.3157" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><STRONG><U><FONT size=6>The Life and Times of a piano</FONT></U></STRONG></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>By Rob Goodale, RPT - </STRONG></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Las Vegas, NV</STRONG></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Story & Clark 5' 3" grand #120923, 1927  $900.00 in the window.  We deliver!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Daily practice at least an hour.  Scales, theory book, lessons.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mistakes, start over, too fast, wrong note, where is my pencil?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Recital next week, am I ready?  Getting better now.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Years pass, seasonal tunings, pins hold tight.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sounds good now, keep practicing.  </FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Johnny wants to quit, mom says no.  Someday you will thank me, you'll see.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Give me an hour or no radio show!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Johnny goes to war over there.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Piano is silent, waits for victory.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Home coming, family, a new generation.  Mom, can we have the piano?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Rock and Roll, I Love Lucy, Good Golly Miss Molly!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>All tuned up, cleaning, regulation.  Here's the bill Mam.  Remember, twice a year!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Time for your lesson, this is middle C.  Tap your foot slowly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>An hour a day!  Good job!  S</FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>it up straight!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Back when I was your age...</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Look, all growing up!  Piano is older.  Suzy goes to the prom.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>No time for lessons, college you know.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Bob Dylan, protest, Give Peace a Chance, we have lift off.  My Fellow Americans!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Strings silent again, pitch goes flat, dust on the soundboard.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Disco, Star Wars, time to clean house.  Hey, I'll give you $500 for it.  Are you kidding?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Call the tuner, it's only a couple of bad notes.  This bench seems wobbly.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hammer shaping, regulation, these pins are a little loose.  What does that mean?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I think I paid too much.  It looks bad, maybe I'll paint it myself.  Good lord!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Time to practice, your lesson is next week!  Ahhh mom...  Don't argue!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I'll call the tuner.  </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>What do you mean it needs a "pitch raise"?  I had it tuned only four years ago!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Mrs. Jones, might I suggest a better instrument?  See the cracks?  Hear the buzz?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>If he learns to play this one I'll buy him a better one!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Goo Goo Dolls, Microsoft, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>READ MY LIPS!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Okay, I'll get rid of it.  He prefers football.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>FOR SALE - BEST OFFER</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>What a deal.  Honey, look what I bought!  Happy Birthday!  What?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sorry Mr. Miller, the pins are loose.  The strings are rusted and the board is cracked.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The bridges are splitting, the hammers are worn, the legs are loose and the bushings are gone.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The wippens are shot, the action is bad, the dampers need replacement.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>CONGRATULATIONS MR. & MRS. MILLER!  You'll love your new piano.  We'll haul off the old one for free.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>"I'll take one last look" says RPT.  Nope, I think she's a gonner.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Sad and silent, the keys softly weep.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Eighty years of history, time to sleep.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Taking up space, no hope, the patent is terminal.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>PARTY! - Where's my sledge?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>How about "Monster Truck Night"?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Maybe a nice piano fire, we'll get a keg.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Where is my video camera?  I'm thinking <U>You Tube</U>!</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Final chords echo in the face of time.</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>