Wednesday 5 April 2017

5 April 2017

Hi everyone.

Got all the cleaning finished today. Looks good (and smells much better too!)

We've got the jet-dryers going overnight again, and within a day or so the shop will be habitable.

Actually, I've worked out of some pretty dubious buildings in Sydney over the years, and I reckon that this poor old flood-drenched shop is probably cleaner and dryer than many of those!  Guitar World, Annandale was an electrical death-trap. How I made it out alive is still a source of wonder.

My dear, upset and struggling, eccentric landlord Ken (who lost a lot of personal stuff stored out in the back sheds)  is going to re-furbish the building, the splendid old "Molesworth House", and I'm intending to make my little part of it look just the same as it ever was.

I've been there for almost 13 years now, I see no reason to change!

I walked through the streets of Lismore today, to say "hi" and see how some of the other folk I know were doing. Awful shit everywhere, but lots of them are already bouncing back!

The toy shop on Keen Street (which incorporates North Coast Hobbies, from where I get all my glue and exacto knife blades etc.) lost a lot of stock, but saved more than they lost (yay!) and they will start trading again next week. Several clothes shops, various other specialist stores, more than a few cafes, and quite a few others have already started trading again.

I spoke to our fellow musician Garry Pinkerton, who runs Lismore Jewel Centre on Molesworth Street, and they're aiming to re-open Friday! Garry's shop had lots of nice timberwork display cabinets, many of which are either ruined or quite a bit warped. I should have mentioned that musicians are also often a bit "warped" and that this damage might not be such a problem, but then realised that musicians don't buy a lot of jewellery (the occasional diamond earring notwithstanding). Garry is a very splendid chap - if you need an engagement ring, or even just a watch battery, see him first.

Several cafes up and running again. More to come.

Interesting that the Telstra shop was completely fucked. This modern electro-psycho nonsense probably got tripped at the first drop of moisture. A single spark. I could be wrong, but that's how it always seemed to be when we were connected to Telstra via copper wires. Not sure that their Sputnik-phone is all that better either. We may have to hold hands and try to manifest some kind of telepathy. If you've already done that out at Nimbin, please let us know!

But more than a few Lismore businesses are already cranking up after a day or two. This is inspiring, and hopefully will inspire other shop owners, who were perhaps teetering on the brink of whether to start up again or not, to dive once again back into the pool. We will support you!

OK, that's my Lismore rant for the week. We're doing ok.

Tomorrow's blog will be specifically about my shop and, not inconsequentially, your guitars. Which are fine.

I only did three journal entries in the first four years, but I'm starting to like this! before you know it, you'll never get me off the thing!

See you tomorrow.

AK