leave the girl on the skateboard outside--dear.

How long has this been going on ? 27 years you say ? And you are hoping I can help you out ? Waiting all of your life, you say ? So you're 27 then ? oh you're 45 and she's 18. Ah ok the picture is crystal clear now..but as a disclaimer i'm not counselor to the love lorn. or is it love forelorn ? She has a boyfriend. She's had other boyfriends. but she keeps you in the wings. You wanted to be an astronaut but now you'll settle for being a helicopter pilot just to prove what again? oh that you love her. How quickly that escaped me though it was your initial statement. You concern me...how can we wrap this up quickly ? You don't have much time. It has to happen immediately you say...(two weeks ago)... Yes ok you want a Steinway in your house. Do you have a house ? You don't. Can you move in with me ? Well..I do have a Steinway so good guess on your part...good educated guess you say ? Yes you would have to leave the 18 year old. I mean you'd have to let her have her dairy farmer boyfriend, as you describe him..because she seems to well...whatever boyfriends and girlfriends do. Gertrude Henle, piano instructor.

Yes David, I do sense your sincerity, based on proximity.

pink exclamation marks wont get you too far.

David--Had a bit of a tad of a bit of a revelation this morning (unedited so who kowns what's coming next)...and it reminded me of how i often do things the day of...and there's always something waiting when i do that if i give my name...well you already have the name so that part's done...but here's the revelation. The 18 year old as you say..someone you brought up yourself since she was 10...and you hoped she'd become your fair lady..(fat chance of that in her current state)..is now shot gunned up to the dairy farmer and smiling like a chess-y cat..over the outcome of her adventure in the hay fields. You know I told you all about that..that she's been practicin on you so she has her resume...for her future ..right there...4 kids (twins twice)...add the dairy farmer and you've got a floor mopper ...exactly what you didn't want...and were worried about..but alas....it's happened...and you can have your piano lessons now...after all...see how things work out ? not nearly 70 David...as you know...i only achieved the beauty in my late 40's..about the time your little former 18 year old will be taking care of oh...say 20 grandchildren...see...how it works out...and I bet she'll still be smilin..cuz after all ..the goal was to get a goat..in the first place. Now David...you're not a goat are you ? Welcome to the world of the Steinway...where Chopin gave us the introduction to decent fingerings...and thoughts of forlorn would be lovers...who wished to go back to miserable childhood...and then discovered ..it was a bunch of foolishness...but David...let me return to my intial word to you...this child can't love..she's too busy being a child...a child with a diary farmer and one hot in the oven...(or two cuz she's lookin pretty big to me)...and you no longer have to ponder if she will amount to something...by God...she's already achieved it and your fatherly duties are over...SMILE DAVID...Chopin...awaits....and David...I ( as an old woman of nearly 70) learned my etudes on a regular wonderful Japanese piano...called a Yamaha...it was a G ..not a C....i preferred the creamy sound...as opposed to the needle in the eyeball giggly sound..Yamaha was still working on the craft back in those days...:-) !! No rain ...here. Gertrude

D,Yes--I am also working on the Brahms' Waltzes. Pick one or two or browse..You will find that several will feel good in your hands.Until we try them, cordially yours, G.

men...yeah i look for men...i'm not happy unless i'm in love..the steinway (usta be yamaha) brings em around..never fails..start with church the small one in forest falls..yep we have one up there..i can go sats and suns if i want to..two churches we got...movin up there tomorrow...because trash day is thursday..and wednesday i trash bags..it snowed yesterday..dad needs to go to wash dc but i told him to take one of his minister buddies instead of me...he's that independent and that gung ho on my selling the mountain place..i started renting up there in the fall of '91 when i went INTO THE WOODS....aka produced the Sondheim musical at the University..in the spring..It was great..i practiced all summer in '92..started the doctorate in orchestral conducting at USC..hated the commute...we had an earthquake..a real one which affected out buildings...Landers/Big Bear..I waited a while..I taught some piano...continued to do that at the Univ...but began to cut back on productions and numerous trips down the canyon road..I wanted to get married..I wanted something serious...I went to church..the big one with the singles' club..bingo..it was a good idea...at the time...dropped the rental..bought a house in the flats..got re-involed in another way...for two years..knowing this marriage was gonna happen..i do ok with medical people..to this day i can't really tell you why it didn't last except i think there's someone else out there...loved living with the spanish ambiance of the old nixon estate...in san clemente...loved walking the beach..listening to elton john..using my walkie talkie to see if the hubby was on the pier..or what...loved the life...one thing led to another and it ended...you wanna know this stuff ? no you don't...use home phones ..don't use cell phones to listen to my schubert sample with jim maddelena...marvelously developed singer at this stage in his life...i want to return to boston...i wonder if i'll do it...time will tell..no hard feelings to those of you who have recently officially gotten married....marriage is a great way to live...i intend to repeat it..in good time....and it's OUT OF THE WOODS for me...now...If i'm damned smack lucky...I'll be able to get some good summer practice in whilst selling my cabin myself ...to either someone from Phoenix (as before) or someone from LA..who likes to hike and isn't afraid of bear or mountain lions...at this point i think i'm afraid of both...great call from my Pittsfield friend yesterday...The Berkshires still exist...as does Boston..as does Maine.