Funny Experience

[afuller5]

Hi all,

I had a funny experience at the assisted-living facilty where I play. As some of you may recall from other posts, I play a Yamaha 415 (D-85 outside USA) there. Since around July or August, every time I played the organ I would smell something 'hot"--that is, like something electrical may be getting to hot. (It was similar to the smell when my power supply fan in my PC died.) However, the organ seemed to be playing normally. This past week, the residents were a little late in arriving. As usual I began to smell the odor. It wasn't until I got ready to play, that I realized the organ was still off. So, after investigating, I determined the source of the smell was the (table) lamp that was on the organ to light the music. The lamp has a plastic shade which had been in contact with the bulb. The bulb had slowly been melting the plastic, and I had been smelling the fumes from it. Needless to say, I relieved that it was not the organ.

Later,

Allen

[jbird604]

Allen,

A good bit of troubleshooting there! Yes, lucky it wasn't the organ burning up.

John

[wombat11]

I had been booked,in my capacity as solo organist,by a local agency to play at a `wheel tappers and shunters` club(railway) some miles away.

I had never been to this club before,but after some research I knew aproximately where it was.

It was a cold,damp and misty autumn night as,in the dark,I pulled off the road and made my way down this uneven track,eventually arriving at somewhere that looked like a clubhouse. I went inside,and introduced myself to the fella behind the bar,who was the person who had booked me and would(I hoped)eventually pay me.

As I set up,I couldn`t help but notice the sparcity of the audience-there were a couple of fellas playing darts,a couple(who were obviously on their first date as I don`t think even an eruption from a volcano could have bothered them(or got them unentwined!)a fella sitting behind a newspaper,at the bar,and all I could see was a wisp of smoke lazily drifting upwards(it was pre the smoking in public places ban)and a party in the corner,deep in conversation So,I eventually(somewhat nervously)I started playing,and afterward my first offering, gave some introduction `patter`. This fell on `deaf ears` and as the evening progressed I,rather sarcastically,jumped from the organ bench,after each rendition,and started clapping and asking for more-giving the now vacant organ seat,some praise! No-one appeared to be even remotely interested-oh,it was terribly hard work.

I had seriously considered cutting my wrists(or my throat)but I doubt if even that would have raised much concern!

So,the night went on like this to the interval,when the fella came from behing the bar and told me it was such a miserable night(I presume he was talking about the weather conditions outside)that he would pay me in full,and I should pack up?!

I soon had my equipment back in my car and was `homeward bound`-I think the barman was the only person I had social intercourse with(except mysel)that night!

A few days later,the agent `phoned me up and was I more than surprised to hear that the barman said to him,"that organist you sent `went down a storm`-we want him back!"

Needless to say,I declined!

Wombat 11(he would do almost anything to support his wife and children!!)