Wouldacouldashoulda

Notes from the Berkshires, Day 25

Lenox Coffee, 7.08 a.m.

I actually beat the barista to work today. This is #2, who seems not to understand the concept of having the shop up and running at the appointed time; open at 7 means showing up at 7, evidently. #1 barista seems to get it, though – the days he opens, the place is humming already by the time I show up on the doorstep. What this place needs is another good coffee shop just down the street. It would be viable during the summer months, no doubt, but over the non-tourist season, not so much I’m afraid.

The work was interesting yesterday, beginning in the main room at Manor House with tuning and regulating work, and continuing in the conductor’s room at the Shed, where I discovered an interesting problem, or rather, Steve helped me to discover it after I called him for help. I was on the right track in my thinking, but hadn’t the experience to look at one other possible source of the trouble. This is a theme of the summer, to be sure: gaining diagnostic experience at a rate far surpassing anything possible outside of perhaps working at a dealership, and probably not even there. Doubleplus valuable. Continued in the theatre in the afternoon, after a session with the team on a problem with the damper setup in the Hamburg D at Ozawa Hall.

Took advantage of an opportunity for dining last night that I hope will remain viable for the remainder of the summer. With bills due and the next installment of the stipend a couple of weeks off, I’m glad to save any shekels I can. Returned to the apartment, read for awhile, talked to V, and crashed shortly after. I’m feeling the need to get started on some business-work in the evenings, but the energy is hard to come by after our longish days. I also should be taking advantage of having the Stick with me and try to get into a practice routine of sorts. “Should” – what a dangerous word. What it really boils down to is that I need to be bringing in an income almost immediately upon my return to Illinois, and any preparatory work that can be done while I’m here must be done.

#2 is now loudly eating his breakfast at an available table in the café; very near an unfortunate patron who is braving the noisy onslaught heroically. Me, I’m outta here.