<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" http-equiv=Content-Type> <META name=GENERATOR content="MSHTML 8.00.6001.19222"> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Bill,</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Great advise.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I haven't been bit yet, but have had a few come close.  But they always make me nervous. I've have had quite a few licks in the face while down on the floor though. That's not as painful, but is quite annoying sometimes.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gotta love the comments customers will say when you walk in.  Just 3 days ago, as I entered the home, she had 3 or 4 dogs barking quite a bit and she said to me, yes I have several dogs, they'll bark alot, but they won't bother you.....to which I think...says who.  I seriously wonder how they think we tune these things?</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I had another a couple weeks ago where the dogs had been outside, but a bad storm was moving in, I was trying to finish tuning unisons and get on my way, and she brought her 2 or 4 large dogs in the house and put them in their cages in the next room to me.  As I decended the scale from C8, I came in the range of D6 or 7 and I struck a chord with the dogs. Must have been one of those partials above human hearing that set them off, but off they went.  I tried to finish that note, but was near impossible.  So I just paused for a moment to let them calm down.  Of course they started up when I did, so I paused again.  Finally someone came down the stairs and went in to set with them for the remaining 15 min. or so until I completed the piano. Every so often, I'd hear them start up, and a "shhhh" from the room next door.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>You had mentioned pets getting into your case.  I'll have to keep your caution to the customer in mind from now on, with the chemicals and such that we carry.  I have had one time where the dog, while I wasn't looking started snooping in my open case on the floor, just as I turned I saw him walk off with something (rolled up temperment strip or felt mute or something).  He walked down the hall, so instead of following, I calmly called the client in from the next room and mentioned that the dog had walked off with something (assuring her it was no big deal and I wasn't upset or anything), and as she approached from the other room, the dog returned and placed one of his toys in my box, in the same place he took my mute from.  Aw...how sweet. Take a gift, give a gift!  <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>I got my mute back, but yup, you gotta watch 'em!</FONT></DIV></FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Little boys especially are curious about all the shiny tools and gadgets in the case. I usually stop and acknowledge them and their curiousity, show them a couple things, and they usually are shy enough then to back off, since what they wanted was to snoop in private while I was busy.  Occaisionally, they will persist and I have to make sure mom keeps a closer eye on the tike.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>What I'm most fearful of is them getting into a broken string piece or picking up cutters. This one little dude last week went straight for the starrett string cutters.  I quickly warned him "that one will bite!"</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Love the little ones, but gotta keep them safe!</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Richard W. Bushey<BR>Richard's Piano Service<BR><A href="http://www.RichardsPianoService.com">www.RichardsPianoService.com</A><BR><A href="mailto:Rbushey@RichardsPianoService.com">Rbushey@RichardsPianoService.com</A><BR>573-765-9903</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE style="BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px" dir=ltr> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial; BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A title=pianofritz50@aol.com href="mailto:pianofritz50@aol.com">Bill Fritz</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech@ptg.org</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Friday, April 20, 2012 7:48 AM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: [pianotech] A new use for piano benches</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV><FONT color=black size=2 face=arial> <DIV><FONT face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dogs & cats can be a pain in the rear, when one is trying to tune... and one never knows what the little (or big) squirt will do.  Same w/ little kids.  I love kids & dogs, but not while I'm focused on tuning.</FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So when I come to a house, I'll pet the dog for a bit if it seems friendly...  "I came here to pet you, not tune any piano!"</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And then I tell the customer a story:  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>"We carry sharp tools & nasty chemicals to keep pianos working their best.  I keep my chemicals capped & sealed when not in use, and tools generally in the case.  But a Tuner I know was in the middle of a job and didn't see the curious cat come over and start licking some nasty stuff.  The cat got real sick and had to go to the vet for moderate level care.  I just want you to know about this, so we can protect them (incl kids)."</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>At that point 99% of the owners move their pet (or kid) into another room w/ a gate, and I can peacefully & efficiently work on their piano.  They sometimes thank me for my cautiousness.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Bill Fritz, St Louis</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> <TABLE> <TBODY> <TR vAlign=top> <TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000; PADDING-TOP: 1px" noWrap>From:</TD> <TD style="FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000">paul bruesch <paul@bruesch.net></TD></TR> <TR vAlign=top> <TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000; PADDING-TOP: 1px">To:</TD> <TD style="FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000">pianotech@ptg.org</TD></TR> <TR vAlign=top> <TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000; PADDING-TOP: 1px">Subject:</TD> <TD style="FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000">Re: [pianotech] A new use for piano benches</TD></TR> <TR vAlign=top> <TD style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 1px; PADDING-LEFT: 9px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000; PADDING-TOP: 1px">Date:</TD> <TD style="FONT: 11px arial; BACKGROUND: #f9f9f9; COLOR: #000000">Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:29:39 -0500</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV> <DIV id=AOLMsgPart_17_e860150a-17ba-4609-b2a2-3fc524a4dbd2> </DIV> <DIV>I'll say it. I do not like pit bulls. And I'm tempering my language. </DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></FONT>  <br><hr>I am using the Free version of <a href="http://www.spamfighter.com/len">SPAMfighter</a>.<br />SPAMfighter has removed 736 of my spam emails to date.<br /><br />Do you have a <a href="http://www.spamfighter.com/SLOW-PCfighter?cid=sigen">slow PC?</a> Try free scan! </BODY></HTML>