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Morongo TOUR PICTURES PUBLIC GRAND PIANO TOUR GRANT PROPOSAL NEW STUFF 07/25/10 22:24 NOPE! ! ! Netzero only worked the first time and then they wanted me to call for $2.00 a minute tech support - i guess i'll try earthlink next (?) it's really a drag not having internet at home !!!!!!! 07/20/10 20:44 I may finally have internet at home again. NETZERO . i hope so. it's really affected my routine not having it a home. FINally have the gazebo tents wind proof after losing 3 to that storm we had 3 days ago. really need the SHADE out there to hide in during 105 degree days. 06/24/10 8:11 Welded the back rail last nite and had to pound it level after it was tacked down - the heat kinda tweeked it a little. all the rest of the primeter metal attaches to this piece so it was critical to get it level and flat. also need to work on a new leg to the water system today ! oh ya here's my wika bio:LA native and UCLA Systematic Musicology Graduate Student Bob Fenger best known for his 1981 Cal State Graduate Project the "ACOUSTISIZER" which recieved wide acclaim with articles in the LA Times, Keyboard Magazine, and Experimental Musical Instrument Magazine, concieved his Public Piano Project in 2004. It was built over 2 years from parts of donated pianos and was installed in front of Linda's Health Foods in Joshua Tree CA on April 8th 2006 where it was maintained for 19 months enduring rain hail and snow. Fenger later took the Public Piano on Tour around the Morongo Basin on a 6 wheeled dolly, pushing it over 50 miles. His latest Public Piano phase includes a National Tour with a GRAND PIANO that includes a living compartment under the piano. Plans include using Facebook and TWEETER to involve motorists with hitches to hual and spread the magic of the Public Piano in a process of creating a more melodic and harmonious world. o6/23/10 8:46 WOW i got an email from my past this morning - my dear friend Kimberely from College saw the other Public Piano Guy and sent him the articles from this site. maybe somethng positive will come of this(?) maybe store front owners will be more receptive to the public piano in the future; actually during the tour i found the majority of store front owners were receptive. there was that one pizza guy at the DMV Mall that called the police. 06/22/10 7:47 Actually i counted all the locations in NYC and it's 50 pianos for 2 weeks. they could stay in tune for the majority of that time - then i guess they're donated around the hoods and they go inside somewhere. ANYWAZ ! i got my public piano tour mojo back and started back on the trailer yesterday - i had to level it so that i could use "levels" to sort out where the frame work for the floor will go. had to drill the holes for the back rail before welding it on. most of the floor-board rails i'm using are that angle-iron that has holes everywhere so bolting the floor down should be a breeze. 06/18/10 7:55 How does he keep 133 pianos tunned in 5 countrys and the 247 going in to NYC right now ? i guess i need to stress QUALITY Public Piano over quantity and my hands on initimate relationship with every piano i put out there. i'm still kinda feeling like the rugs been pulled out from under my life. 06/17/10 9:00 Saturday morning before the new piano installation i recieved an email with a link to another Public Piano Project. WOW ! WHAT AN UPSTAGE!: LUKE JERRAM:Play Me I'm Yours It's taken me almost a week to process what this all means. the whole gamit of emotions have washed over me. still, almost a week later, i'm not sure what i'm doing. part of me feels ecstatic and validated while another opposing vulcrum counter element is sad and afraid. i've sent Mr. Jerram an email i guess we'll see what we see. i suggested we collaborate on LA (???) 06/11/10 8:17 It's gotten windy and cold. i hope it's not to windy tomorrow ! 06/10/10 12:05 Ran 7 miles this morning in an hour and a half! starting to feel alot more energized. and i'm going to wait to do the fnal tunning until after the piano is at the Hospice. Electra is going to do the honor of writing the quotes on the piano there's about ten from the "Favorite Thoughts" list that would be good. 06/09/10 8:05 NO i didn't finish the piano yesterday ! i went on a 5 mile run that kicked me'arse - even got sunburned through my shirt ! so after this mornings chores first thing will be the piano. 06/08/10 8:22 Tunning nearly complete - just have the extreme registers to do. discussed the option of allowing gratuity solicitation from the new public piano given the economic tide and the fact that a violinist is soliciting at the market. overwhelmingly the people at this gathering thought if would corupt the altruistic intention. i agree and believe pianists out there will be tickled pink just to get to play period. THAT'S IT! i think i'll put the word tickled on the back of my pink hedgeman hood. 06/07/10 7:56 IT got to 103 yesterday! Tried to skype from JT but ended up going to the starbucks in Yucca and it worked great from there. Got the piano halfway tunned should have it done today or tomorrow - it's really easy to rotate the piano so that the shade blocks the sun, i hadn't planned on it working so well. 06/06/10 8:54 3RD DAY OF SUMMER HEAT ! Was able to fix the action on the Blue Boboon but still haven't started tunning it yet. it's sitting outside next to an ant FWY so i'm going to have to move it before i can tune or deal with ants crawling up my leg constantly. i'm not use to this heat yet - i get up, take a dump, brush my teeth and feel like going back to bed. i think the only thing that keeps me up is all the watering i have to do or else! gotta go H2O . 06/05/10 7:27 HOT HOT HOT! the summer is officially here ! had a really hard time getting motivated yesterday. discovered the Blue Boboon has some action issues so i'm not sure if it's going to make it to the market today - i'm working on it as soon as i finish here. kitty just screamed at the ferrell cat that's been coming in and eating her food - it's a young black thing, can't tell if it's male or female but it looks pretty young. With all this heat i gotta start watering more - even cool down spray in the middle of the day - that sure came on quick ! 06/03/10 10:11 Discovered the ants have oraganized a full assalt on the almond tree so i got to take care of that first thing today. 06/03/10 7:43 Chair's done. just need to do a little cosmetic stuff to the piano and touch up the elastomeric tarp and tune it. i may take it the long way around and take advantage of the pavement to sunfair - the extra 10 minutes of driving will probably save me an hour of tunning. 06/02/10 6:54 Finished the shade for the Blue Boboon using the elastomeric tarp and a rack system utilizing existing tubing points on the trailer. now i need to tune and do some cosmetics and it should be ready to go Friday. i think i'm going to leave the graffiti factor intact as it may give teens an alternative to liting it on fire as they did with the plastic gems on the Pink Piano. i can just paint over inappropriate slogans etc. i may even wirte a few of my favorite Grandfather and Dan Millman thoughts on it. oh ya i need to make one of the folding chairs a little higher so a little more welding left to do. 06/01/10 7:37 It's warm and perfect. JT park tunrned on the water park yesterday in celebration of memeorial day. Haven't worked on the shade factor yet for the Blue Boboon maybe today. 05/31/10 11:24 The winds a couple days ago slammed the back shop door on an extension cord and caused it to fray and short out throughing-out a breaker and shutting down the freezer with a bunch of frozen mulberrys. i hope they're ok refrozen (?) feeling really overwhelmed today with all the gerry-rigging around here. 05/30/10 6:24 It didn't get windy yesterday hardly at all instead i fell victim to my own internal forces - so i didn't get anything done except to deliver some cherrys and talk with the person who runs the village market who's attitude reminded me why i had decided to go guerrilla in this next public piano phase and have nothing to do with people in charge of things up here. "power" even just a little bit seems to make people insensitive. there i go again: 'Bobby thin skin' ! 05/29/10 6:44 So it looks like the HOSPICE is going to allow me to base out of their back lot with the Blue Boboon Piano thanks Robin. I also realized that it needs some shade so i've got an idea that requires a little more welding on the dolly. Went out and super glued down a couple of key ivorys on the Public Piano located at the Palms yesterday, also cleaned up the smudgy keyboard. AND YES it got windy again yesterday ! ! ! 05/28/10 7:45 WINDY WINDY WINDY ! i tell you this is one windy MAY! it can be nice like it is this morning but by 3 o'clock it's blowing like crazy! so i haven't started welding the framework that'll hold the plywood floor in place yet but i've decided to use angle iron (metal shaped like an L - most bed frames are made of it). i've got a variety of gages and sizes - i plan to cut and drill (on the drillpress) the bolt holes that'll hold the plywood before welding it in place. maybe today i can get started on that. 05/27/10 11:29 The TEST RIDE seemed to go GREAT ! i'd still like to ride behind it in another vehicle and see how it tracks from that angle. i'm going try and line something up. 05/27/10 7:42 TODAYS THE DAY! in just a few minutes i'll be testing the trailer to see how it tracks and holds up to dirt road bumps. took a chance getting it done yesterday with the intense winds but all's well only had one little fire. 05/26/10 9:53 Another Beautiful Day ! it got a little breezy yesterday towards the end but i was still able to get some welding done. today i need to find some orfice files to clean the torch tip so i can cut and clean up a piece of metal for one of the hitch recievers - i figure i'll need at least a couple different configurations to optimize on potential ride possibilities. this first reciever will be your standard 1 and 7/8 inch - i can't wait to get this one done and get out and try the trailer out on some of my dirt roads and see how it holds up. 05/25/10 7:36 Perfect Day yesterday and same with today so far. i was able to cut off the welds holding the hitch reciever and reposition it - i'll be welding it first thing this morning then i think i'm going to get it towable just so i can see how it tracks before moving onto the next phase which involves the perimeter metal frame work that will attach the 3/4 inch plywood floor; the under piano living compartment that will support the piano will be framed in wood and attached to this plywood. I need to tune the Blue Boboon piano but i'd really like to find a place in town where it can base out of and tune it there - i have a few friends in town but they all have bumpy hilly driveways. 05/24/10 8:24 IT RAINED yesterday for a few seconds mostly when i went into town. welded the washers in place - need to remove welds from the tow-reciever today, then reassemble and bash it into position and weld. 05/23/10 8:29 IT'S WINDY COLD WITH BIG RAIN CLOUDS! and of course i just moved the Blue Boboon Piano into position on Charley. almost took it to the village market yesterday but some heart hemoraging news took the wind out of my sails. so next weekend for sure! I've decided to go ahead and weld the attachment points that i've mocked and clamped up even though the tele-hitch is off. then i'll unbolt it and take it apart and remove the welds on the reciever, put it back together and pound it into position weld it from the top then take it apart again and weld it underneath. this is the only way i can be sure that the telescoping hitch will be in the middle - if it's not perfectly in the middle the tires will track weird and probably wear out faster . 05/21/10 10:56 After getting everything bolted in place closer scrutiny revealed the telescoping tow arm to be off by a fraction so it looks like i'm going to have to tear it all down again and start over. why do i have to do everything wrong before i get it right ? ? 05/21/10 7:41 Got the needed nut yesterday and everythings ready this morning to be welded in place - turned the frame on it's side and hit the reciever again before bolting it up - i'll hit it with a bead across the top as well. i welded it with the tubing that well telescope IN IT so if for any reason i weld to deep i could still pound it out and have a clear path for it to still SLIDE IN AND OUT - maybe that doesn't make sense but if you think about welding tubing and want something to be able to slide into it the worse thing that can happen is weld to deep from the outside into the tubing and creating a spot where the piece sliding in to it will stop and get stuck and there's no way to get to it to grind it out because it's inside the tubing. does that explain it? 05/20/10 11:20 It seems like everyday there's some wind but i went ahead and did some welding yesterday on the piano trailer project anyways. i need a nut for one of the bolts that holds the axle leaf springs to the trailer frame before i can weld it in place; also need some curved exhaust pipe sections for the apache. lots to do today ! cherrys are turning red but they really don't get sweet until they're really really almost purplish red. 05/17/10 8:09 Got the grand trailer back without incident yesterday from the festival. Picked some ringfinger sized mulberries and had to use the rest of the "tanglefoot" pest barrier on the cherry tree to stop the ants. I also skyped with my daughter for the first time - had a bit of a problem at first but then i figured it out - when things don't work it's really not very clear why they don't - why don't the promps tell you useful info instead of things like "an adapter is disconnected" i was really starting to pull out my hair ! if it had said something like "try another available network or the network you were on is down now" that would've helped me emensly ! ! my daughter lost patience with me at one point and hung up her cell babaling 'let's just do this next week' and i'm the one who drove all the way to town to talk/video call her. technology sucks when it doesn't work. it really makes you feel low and out of control and something beyond stupid maybe just "upid"! 05/16/10 7:38 The piano wasn't to badly out of tune yesterday when i returned to the festival in the morning but i remember now why i don't use it anymore for public functions - it really needs an action overhall and there's all kinds of incidental rattle buzzes and rings. i was able to get rid of one such ringing with a piece of piano ribbon woven into the strings but it was more of a band-aid than a fix. this old piano really needs to be retired to a stable environment. any suggestions out there ? CHERRY'S started getting ripe yesterday, i'll probably have a nice handful today and the mulberries are still going strong - it's really been a race this year with the birds to get any berries i think they've told all their friends and relatives; i also discovered a couple pistachios on the tree yesterday so maybe i won't have to get a male afterall- the pollen from john's grove will suffice. 05/15/10 7:30 Everything went smoothly with the piano installation yesterday out at the Joshua Tree Music Festival. Right after i finished tunning it the sound man Alex sat down and played a Liszt Piano Concerto - it sounded great ! He was very friendly, thankful and humble but his girlfriend was a bit unfriendly. Oh well ! i just wish i could grow thicker skin - it hurts my feelings when people are mean or unpleasant. oh well - play on ! 05/13/10 8:05 The sign tuned out beautiful! ! Robyn did a great job using a bunch of colors. i have to do a few finishing touches and tune the piano today but hopefully everything will be ready to go tomorrow. It's overcast today but at least there's no wind ! ! 05/12/10 6:41 I got one large piece of plywood preped for a sign yesterday in the wind - i think it's just going to read: INVENT A FREE SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE SERENDIPITOUS POOL OF SELFLESSNESS AND DISCOVER ABUNDANCE ABOUNDS AND SCARCITY THE ANOMALY 05/11/10 6:50 It got windy again yesterday and it's windy right now ! After the work on the pond yesterday my back was acting up so i had to take it easy the rest of the day. hopefully today i'll be able to prep the sign. tomorrow i have to start tunning the piano - Cal Trans recently paved Broadway from Sunfair all the way up to La Ferney so i should be able to get it to the festival without it going to far out of tune again. 05/10/10 11:33 Got all the pussy willows out of the pond - had to get in there and get squishy with the pond scum between my toes and all cutting piece by piece through 6 inch thick roots until it was all outa there. man ! that feels great ! ! i'd been putting that off forever ! ! ! Next on the blue monday distraction list is preping some plywood for the public piano signs: DONATE RESONATE FACILITATE PEACE - SERVICE IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PURPOSE - INVENT YOUR OWN SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTE TO A SERENDIPITOUS POOL OF SELFLESSNESS AND DISCOVER ABUNDANCE ABOUNDS AND THAT SCARCITY IS THE LIE ! ! ! 05/10/10 8:03 WINDY YESTERDAY but so far so good today. Need to work on the signage for the piano trailer going to the music fest and get all those pussy willows out of the pond while there's still a fish or two left! so i got a lot to keep me occupied this blue monday morning ! ! 05/08/10 8:14 All the purple plaques are on all the Public Pianos. and they were all pretty much in tune. the piano at the Palms had some ivory peeling up problems and of course i just gave the super glue i carried around to fix that problem to Ryan so i'll have to make another trip out there. 05/07/10 7:30 ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL DAY - I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR ! although i lost 5 old gold fish friends yesterday because the pond is infested with pussy willows that drink up all the water i have to go pull them all out - very messy job! Finished working on the Pink Piano yesterday for Ryan at the Art Queen - i'm finding out there's a real UPTIGHT factor living there making unhappiness for others - it's sad that some people have to be so grumpy and mean. I've decided to follow in Murray's footsteps and write letters to Anu - i'm not going to let her feel the abandonment that i felt as a child; not from me at least. it's kindofa challenge to write a letter to a 4 year old without getting nostalgic or sad - just got to focus on all the beautiful, funny and goofy things. 05/06/10 6:49 BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL DAY ! ! ! i only wish i wasn't so depressed - i'm still grieving a relationship loss - the saddest part, the part that keeps reopening the wound is the memory of her 4 year old daughter - probably because it reminds me of my mothers many affairs when i was a child and the uncomprehendable abandonment i felt when i would never see her boyfriends again after she broke up with them. all but one, a guy named Murray - he would call maybe once a year and talk to me. and of course it doesn't help that it's mothers day this sunday and i've got to send her a card and bite my tongue about it. so i'll let the card do the talking: a cartoon stork reading a procalmation wishing her a happy mothers day but sorry; NO REFUNDS OR RETURNS ! ! ! that pretty much sums it up. 05/05/10 7:31 IT'S ANOTHER INCREDIBLE DAY ! Went to the DMV yesterday to try and sort out the $479 penalty fees on the cutlass for sale. i explained everything including how their penalty acrument took advantage of people with Attention Deficit Disorder and the elderly by never sending a reminder that the vehicle wasn't non oped and instead was SECRETLY acruing exorbitant fees and penalties. they didn't care of course but they did lower the tab to $191 which just made it a $186 dollar mistake since Planned Non Operation only costs $5. i'm writing a letter to the DMV Director and the Govenator - this is an all around bad policy as it ends up forcing old cars to decompose and pollute the desert because they can't be sold without penalty ! ! 05/04/10 8:35 YESTERDAY ended up being a nice day with just a little breeze - it's perfect outside right now. just finished picking mulberries - never seen so many ! 05/03/10 8:43 SPOKE TO SOON YESTERDAY - A strong WIND came out of the NORTH and hit the new almond trees but didn't blow off any almonds. hardly ever see that wind direction ! Today it's been really nice and wind free so far but then yesterday's wind didn't kick up until around 9am. 05/02/10 7:44 PERFECT WEATHER SO FAR THIS MORNING ! Big art day yesterday. i got to the Yucca art talks to late and missed everyone. i'm still a little sore from moving all those plaster molds. Found out the music festival is in 2 weeks so - not sure if that's enough time to do the double piano trailer idea - if nothing else i'll put the little grand piano trailer there again. 04/30/10 7:32 WIND IS STILL CRAZY COLD TODAY but not so cold as to hurt the tomatoes ! picked up the rest of the slip-molds along with a few other cool art supplies yesterday. gonna start working on the multipiano trailer today after unloading the art supplies. 04/29/10 8:17 WIND IS CRAZY COLD TODAY!!!I was at the right place at the right time yesterday and was the recipient of nearly 100 plaster slip molds. everything from cherubs to unicorns, clowns and chess pieces; some are huge and pretty heavy. still have about half to still pick up. kinda hurting from all the toting yesterday - they have to be carried by hand because they're so fragile. so i'm super excited ! ! ! i've never poured a slip mold before - i know, fun fun fun ! ! ! GOT A CALL from the JT Lake festival people yesterday and told them about the two piano trailer concept and so that's coming up in may - one of the pianos is prepared so it can act like a drum accompaniment for the other piano. so that should be fun too too too ! ! ! 04/28/10 7:25 Tuned the Pink Piano yesterday that's now at the Art Queen- she still needs a little tweeking on the high and low ends but i think she'll be playable again. The winds were back yesterday and most of the night - they were so bad at the Art Queen yesterday that i couldn't tune the highs and lows. 04/27/10 9:13 Delivered the Pink Piano yesterday after modifying the dolly. i measured the wrong piano when putting the fenders on and it was a half inch to small to fit big pink. had to cut a little ridge of metal off and used a jack to expand the space between the fenders. other than that it worked fine except that it gets a little heavy setting it on the trailer hitch, not sure if i could put it on and off the hitch myself - spinets are no problem - now i'm curious if i can handle the mid-range piano that's out there still. have to check that out next. First morning of mulberries, sparrow birds were on it. they're out there right now eating the partial ripe ones. took the first basket to Anu - hung them in a bag over the front door nob - her new daddy was there - they were making breakfast. more broken bits. 04/26/10 6:44 I was woken up by a power outage this morning that for some reason turned the TV on when it came back on - pretty annoying ! and then kitty had found her way in and was sitting over on her automan taking a loud licking bath. so i got up. It was great hanging out with Robyn yesterday and eating at the Thai restuarant without incident. woulda coulda moved the pink piano yesterday but sunburst was a sunbust. maybe today. it looks like it's going to be a great day. and it looks like B's staying home for another day of strikes at her school. o4/25/10 8:52 Another beautiful day. The recipients of the pink piano tried yesterday but it didn't happen; they got hung up somewhere along the way. maybe today (?) my good friend robyn is suppose to drop by today - i hope he does - i could really use the company - i got pieces of another broken heart to sort through - so many broken bits -a reoccuring montra: "recycle everything even your broken heart". 04/24/10 8:32 It's a picture perfect day today in the Hidez ! it's warming up with loads of potential. there's a chance that the Pink Piano may find a new home today as well. alright i'm outa here and out there CARPE DIEM ! ! ! 04/23/10 23:19 I've archived the first 4 years of the blog to help speed up-loads. you can find the link at the bottom of this page. 04/23/10 6:30 BRRRRR! ! ! it was cold last nite and this morning. yesterday's rain even brought some snow way back up in the park. it's pretty clear though maybe a cloud or two and NO WIND ! My daughter is enduring her second day of teacher strikes - she stayed home yesterday and probably will today too, even though they have her classes covered with substitutes. o4/22/10 17:55 IT"S been RAINING a little bit today - the winds have died down and there's lots of clouds in the sky, and it's kinda cold too ! i spent the day going back and forth to town trying to get some new software to work and finally got it. on my way out the door now for a jog to the mountain and back. oh ya, it looks like the Pink Piano may be finding a new home at the Art Queen Music Gallery. o4/21/10 14:11 GOOD NEWS: the Public Piano at the Hospice is safe - there are some time restraints since the conference room is used for lots of things - best to call and talk to Marietta at 760 366 1308. thanks Robin. 04/21/10 9:58 THE WINDS have been at it again since yesterday afternoon - needless to say i wasn't able to do any welding but i was able to save a vulnerable trampoline sitting in harms way with some clever stakes i found at wally world. it's still blowing away out there, i can use this time to compile the materials needed to finish the frame for the gpt some of which i need to reclaim from other uses. 04/20/10 9:56 Picked up another sprayer and sprayed down the apple and orange tree with this natural remedy that uses sesame seed oil and some smelly fish extract. hopefully that will take care of the infestation otherwise i may have to try something more intense - so far i've been able to keep things organic around here but the reality is i'm in the middle of an ocean of hungry infestators. THINGS are ready for me to go out and weld the gpt today also got an email about the Hospice Piano - they saw the new plaque and have some reasonable concerns about how and if it can work as a Public Piano. hopefully we will work out the details or maybe move it to a better spot. i need to get out to the other 2 Public Pianos and put the plaques on them as well. 04/19/10 7:01 It's cloudy today and they're talking rain. got a litte work done on the gpt tow arm and reciever yesterday - may get to weld the reciever in place today. Got a major bug infestation attacking the apple tree so i may have to resort to some lethal means to save it. 04/17/10 7:55 It was nice having visitors here yesterday - one of them took lots of pictures. i got a little distressed when one of the visitors mentioned that somebody at the last MAC (Municipal Advisory Council) meeting was talking about a CHAIN-LINK art tour. if you've ever been to my place you'd know that chain-link has been one of my expressive mediums for over 20 years and i haven't seen or heard of anybody else doing it until now. i use it like a canvas and weave and wire a variety of everyday items most of which i've cleaned up out of the desert around me into a post-consumer reclamation tapestry. oh well, it seems like every good idea i have somebody eventually steals ! maybe hords will copy or steal the intention behind the public piano project and a wave of selflessness will flow out across the world. wouldn't that be nice ! people inventing ways to help and serve each other ! but for now copy the easy stuff - imitation is the highest form of flattery - i have to keep reminding myself what jimi said: "take anything you want from me, anything" even though it hurts a little - and i think it's the ego that hurts - it's to bad i haven't found away to kill it completely and save myself all this pain ! ! ! 04/15/10 8:02 Yesterday turned domestic - ended up doing laundry, making bread and vacumming. maybe today i'll get to some piano work. Tomorrow a friend is bringing her out-of-town visitors by for a tour of my place and Noah's. This is one of those busy weeks ! ! 04/14/10 7:59 Another amazing day today! got the window box in yesterday and was drawn into just starring out at the new view for hours; not only can i see all the trees in the court yard but i can see a mountain and clouds and sunshine pouring in where once there was only darkness. Today i'll finish some edging and molding around it and pry myself away to work on the GPT. at the end of the day yesterday i took a hike to the north mountain and was just amazed by all the wild flowers on the mountain lots of orange mallow. 04/13/10 8:16 It's amazing outside today! little yellow breasted birds have transformed the tree yard into an amusement park of feathery insanity darting in and out and up and around in a game of tag and dash and the songs are emenating from all directions. yesterdays rain was minimul but the winds which kicked in at 3 in the morning nite before last were atroshous - woke me up and kept me on edge until i finally put some ear plus in. even then i barely slept. Today is going to be a productive day ! i'm going to reverse the window box i put in backwards and weld some things previously mentioned on the piano unit. ok got to get out there before the winds change their minds! ! 04/11/10 8:05 Overcast and breezy again today. the sun did eventually come out for a bit yesterday and it got mildly windy. I was able to get the 220 voltage line pulled up thru the header and back out a hole i drilled just above it with a circular door hardware saw; also cut the remaining 2 studs and half the dry wall - as it is the 38 inch square piece is just hanging there waiting for the final demolition. i'd like to get it out in one piece and use the dry wall again but that's probably not going to happen. i will be able to use the studs for the top and bottom headers for the window though. if it stops blowing today i'll finish it off. PROPERY TAXS are due tomorrow - i never did find an exemption but i have until 5pm. i'm going to call and maybe even go down to the assessors office . 04/10/10 7:40 IT's gotten cold again; no sun at all out there today and no birds singing today like yesterday either. Didn't get the parts drilled yet i'm going to work on that and pulling the 220 cable up into the attic and then out the wall today. Yesterday i ended up looking at the Public Piano Project plaque mock-up and a '99 VW on my way to Burrtec to drop off recycling. The plaques are purple aluminum - they may over accentuate the "NOT FOR SALE" fact but i don't want to ever take a chance of one being sold again ! they screw on but i'm also going to J&B WELD them on to the front of the pianos where they can't be missed. 04/09/10 7:41 Finally got some work done on the grand piano trailer yesterday. i'm going to drill the telescoping hitch pieces today and weld the reciever in place and start adding the additional support network. i'll also weld the the washers that hold the leaf springs to the trailer after i bolt them in to insure they don't move while welding.THE garden window box project ran into a snag when i discovered a really big 220 cable in the wall - so i'm still trying to figure out what to do with it - probably run it out the top of the header (?) it's an amzaing day outside right now there's an orchestra of bird songs going on and one bird who keeps trying to steal old dental floss off the recepticle sculpture in the bathroom. 04/08/10 6:28 Woke up at 5:07 this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. went to the DMV yesterday to check on the Cutlass and there was a line around the block; so much for the easy wednesday theory. i'm going back early on a monday morning - wednesdays are the only day they open later at 9am. IT ended up getting breezy yesterday so i couldn't do any piano stuff - worked on the window garden box instead - may have it in today or tomorrow. got a message from my daughter that she passed her driving test so now she's out there in the world surrounded by a protective bubble of white lite in my mind; ironically the day before a friend called me about a new style vw he's trying to sell (the car my daughter wants) accept that it needs some work and it's a diesel which i just don't think is a good idea for a new driver - to many things to be thinking about - one oops with gas and it's all over !IT seems to be another perfect day outside no wind YET - maybe today i'll get some metal work done on the piano project? ? 04/07/10 7:48 It's completely still outside right now. Maybe i'll get something done on the piano project today. 04/05/10 17:13 The winds today have blown off all the plums and half of the almonds on the mature tree but didn't affect the almonds on the new trees planted on the east side of the cabin. cherry blossoms and apricots seem to be hanging in there. winds are still raging; hope it stops soon ! 04/05/10 9:06 i heard from a friend that vehicles get deleted from the DMV data base after 7 years so i may have to wait 2 yeas to sell this old Cutlass i'll find out wednesday when i get to the DMV. Had a frustrating exchange with FEDX this morning trying to get a fragile package held or delivered in town rather than destroyed on my 5 miles of dirt road. the back of those trucks are unpadded and huge so things can really pick up speed sliding around. FedX was totally unhelpful - they needed a change made from the senders and wouldn't even listen to me the sendee - how stupid is that !?!? and one person said it had to be an email and the supervisor said it had to be a phone call ! how do we kill bureaucracy studpidity ? ? rules need to be malable according to logic, situations, and conditions ! come on ! my name is on the package ! i have multiple IDs ! what's the problem here !?!?!?!? WINDS ARE BLOWING BIG TIME TODAY !! we'll see if any cherry flowers survive. yep it's definately a MONDAY ! 04/02/10 12:00 talk about goverment scams i found out this morning that the car i'm trying to sell wasn't non-oped and now i owe DMV $479 in penalties. they never even sent me a notice about renewal and the acrewing of these penalty fees. what a scam; and the sacromento number is totally automated with no human help! i'm going to have to go down there and wait around for hous to find out i owe hundreds of dollars! 04/02/10 9:15 I should switch around the percentages at the top of the blog ! i have hardly any piano stuff going on these days it seems - so many other pressing things going on like trying to find out if there's a property tax exemption for the disabled in San Bernardino - Good Morning America had a person talking about it and how the government doesn't make it easy to find this stuff out. i use to get an exemption from the state of CA but not since they went broke now i have to come up with nearly a thousand dollars a year out of my sub-poverty income which doesn't seem right. Why in this day and age don't all the subsistant data bases talk to each other and adjust for these kinds of hardship factors !?!? it's very irritating ! ! ! and being stuck on dial-up makes it frustrating as hell to try and find these things out, but at least it's better than the old days and being dependent on getting the right person on the phone or driving a hundred miles and hoping you get the right person behind the counter. i guess i could go wait in line at the library for a decent speed connection. another good reason for a wifi lap-top. so now i have 3 good reasons: 1.skyping with my daughter who i hardly ever see in person anymore. 2.uploading music and Jack Cornfield to the web-site. and 3. researching vital exemptions ! 04/01/10 11:55 It's looking pretty sunny and nice here today; last nite there were terrible winds and yesterday hail was reported in Morongo Valley. it's a little cooler than it's been but it's the perfect time of year here right now - i wish it would stay this way. it won't be long until 3 digit temps hit. i put an ad on craigs list yesterday for the '77 cutlass and today i'm working on getting the 300z ready to trailer some place visible to sell as well. this is the best time of year to sell things: the weather, the wild flowers and tax returns. 4 MORE YEARS OF BOB'S BLOG |