A musical family

First, there's this.



As an aside, did you know that there are, like, 14 verses to that song, about the teapot going to China, Mexico, the opera, the jungle, fox hunting, to space, etc? At least in Jack's current favorite book (given to him by Grandpa Alan) there are. And the anthropomorphic teapot (complete with shoes) is accompanied on all his adventures by two tea-drinking kids. We read the book, and sing the book, about 4 times a day, currently. It's just about time to 'misplace' the book for a while, I think.

Second, we are now the proud owners of a quality 'Ukraina' brand piano. We got it for free from some friends who are leaving, who got it for free when Heather's piano teacher told her that she found a piano that was theirs if they would just pay to get it out of the deceased's apartment. So they generously said it was ours if we would just pay to now get it out of THEIR aparment. They live in the next building over from us, so it's a matter of two flights down and five flights up...with a piano.

The first moving company quoted us $530 for the job. Probably twice what the piano is actually worth. WE then found another place, and Larissa called for Katherine to get a quote. 700 Hryvna, or about $150. Better. So yesterday two guys showed up at 9:00 to move the piano. Two guys. They looked at the piano and asked how much we had been quoted for the job. 700, we said. Oh, who told you that, they asked. Well, a woman at your company did, I answered. Well, of course, she didn't know the type of piano. This piano is more expensive to move. well played, I thought. We had planned to give them 800 Hryvna to include a nice tip, so when he said it would be 900 to move this type of piano, I countered with an offer of 800. Done.

Honestly, though, two people. They looped a wide strap (the type used to tie down loads on a truck with that racheting winch-type thing) under the piano, looped the ends around their shoulders, and were off. They made a lot of rest stops, but seriously. The piano is heavy.

After watching them work, we decided an extra 100 was called for, and gave them their 900. And now we have a piano.





and so we expect to be doing lots of this for the foreseeable future.