I supplemented these with a pair of similar rectangular pieces that would allow me to raise or lower the surface of the wood used as the surface on which the items would sit while allowing access to the keyboard itself. I could use some leftover Velcro to strap the pieces together. (I’m going to raise the level a couple of inches and will take that opportunity to change out the Velcro to a stronger version – I just don’t trust what I have on there currently!)
But darned if the thing didn’t work just as I’d hoped.
As with so many projects I work on, I sometimes wonder if what I achieve is really worth the bother and the expense. But upon further reflection, I generally decide that in addition to getting to the desired result, the tinkering itself is very enjoyable. I look back and regret that I wrongly convinced myself at an early age that math was definitely not my thing. All the aptitude tests told me I was wrong, but there you have it. I would later have need to overcome my preconceived notions about myself and actually learn calculus, and actually did reasonably well with it. Pity, I might have made a pretty good engineer! Ah, the path not taken.
First the keyboard, next the garage lighting!
Yeah, I own a house in the San Francisco Bay area. I just missed the anniversary of the date I purchased it, Nov. 1, 1981, and I hope it isn't too upset with me. Perhaps having a section of my website dedicated to this fine bit of paradise will make it feel better. Probably not as much as if I cleaned it up real nice, but it's a start.
Shin the Homeowner
The Tinkerer
Wow, last month I must have sounded desperate! I felt overwhelmed by how far behind I was keeping house. I realize that a good part of it is that I simply have other things to do besides daily necessities (necessities like keeping house, taking my walks, grocery shopping, going to a myriad of medical appointments and, next up, taxes.) Like recording music (see my music section) and reading and writing. These are things which a few years back I would have deemed to be just for fun and put them off, but I came to the realization that looking at them that way would only ensure that I never did them.
So I’ve simply placed them ahead in the cue, and keeping house is now suffering. But not much. I’m finding that once clean surface areas are now piled high with stuff that was cluttering other areas it should not have been in the first place. But in the end, I just don’t really care. I’ve noticed that I’ve been spending less time on housekeeping lately, and for a time, that’ll just have to do. If Better Homes and Gardens decides they want to do an article on me, well, I’ll rethink things, but until then, as the saying goes, it is what it is.
Moving on, I’ve noticed one small but important thing about my garage. The light, one of those things that is actually two of those long fluorescent bulbs, is very unreliable. Right now, the bulbs need replacing. Or more likely, the whole fixture needs replacing, with something more reliable, easier to maintain, and probably more energy efficient. Why do fluorescent bulbs even exist? Maybe 50 years ago there was a good reason, but with all the technology improvements we’ve devised I’m sure we must have come up with something better to replace them. Ah, another trip to the hardware store!
I love such trips. So often I’ve walked in with a problem but had no clear way to solve it. Recently I needed to move my keyboard to a part of the living room closer to my computer, but where the whole setup would stick too far into the usable space. The problem was that the table on which the speakers and music stand sat had to be behind the instrument itself. The solution came from, of all places, the store’s supply of kitchen accessories. Racks designed to hold dishes and other such supplies had the perfect size, shape, and were of made of metal on the inside so they would hold the required weight.
Last Update: March 5, 2026
The John Shinnick Web Site
My latest contraption.
This section includes the house, the yard, the garage, the car and environs.
