On to happier things.

On January 30, I get my piano. The restorers are almost done (they have been e-mailing me photos of the progress, I need to get some photographic printing paper and print them all out - I plan to make a notebook of the information I have surrounding the piano's history and renovation and keep that, and someday when the piano goes to another home (HOPEFULLY it will outlive me), it will go with the piano).

This shop is the one that is doing the work - they came highly recommended and given the amount of attention they've paid to us during the restoration - all the updates - I think the recommendation is warranted. (And what a great career that must be. Restoring something to beauty and function again, being able to work with your hands, and then getting to see the joy of the people when you deliver their rejuvenated piano)

They tell me it is a Steinway model "L," which apparently means something to people who know Steinways. I'm just excited to be getting my grandfather's piano, and to have it to play.

The latest set shows the case, all refinished, with the pedals all polished up and more beautiful than I remember them ever looking, and the soundboard back in the piano, and that cast iron thing that holds the strings (I don't remember the name of it now) in and all strung up...so it's nearly done. (Other photos sent at the same time show them working with the hammers and reattaching them to the keys).

One thing I do need to do between now and then is a bit of furniture-shifting to make room for it. I am considering doing one of two things:

1. Simply shifting the furniture to open up the space I had originally thought of for it

vs.

2. Moving as much of the furniture out of the room (temporarily) as possible, and asking the restorer's advice as to the best location for the piano, and then putting back what furniture will "go" after it gets moved into place. This is because my original location is actually close to one of the two floor registers in the room, and I know being exposed to hot or cold air isn't so great for pianos - I could close off the register but the room gets chilly enough in winter as it is. There IS another spot it would go but that might make the rest of the room a bit tight, and I might have to give away/sell my nice big comfy upholstered chair as there might no longer be room for it in that configuration.

The biggest item is my futon sofa but fortunately I have felt pads on its feet so I ought to be able to slide it on my own. (The two Big Allegedly-Strong Men I know that I'd feel comfortable asking to come and help me both have back issues, so I don't think I want to ask them to help me move it.) Everything else is light enough (well, the bookcases will be once I take the books off) that I can move them myself.

But I have a little while to think about it. I don't think I'm going to do the shifting or moving right away, especially not if I go with option 2, because then I'd spend most of January having to sit on the floor to watch TV or have my bookcases all piled up in some other room.