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Main => Gospel Music Lounge => Topic started by: malthumb on May 26, 2011, 06:08:52 AM
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Spent about 6 hours last night running the Shop Vac just to stay ahead of the water flooding my basement. Now, let me make this perfectly clear.....putting this in perspective with what's going on in Memphis and what has occurred in Joplin, this is as significant as a pimple on an elephant's butt. But it is still a very disruptive event for my little family.
It's been raining like crazy in the Detroit area for the past couple weeks. I think the drainage systems are just at capacity now. We had a ridiculously powerful storm yesterday. Expressways and major roads that were not already closed for construction were congested and flooded. I drove through at least 6 or 7 DEEP pools of water on my way home from work. When I got home , one of my kids mentioned seeing "a little water near the basement staircase". When I went down to look, I could see that water was seeping in from the floor drain. One good thing......it was clear (ie, not sewage). The sump pump wasn't running. It was overwhelmed.
So I hooked up the Shop Vac on top of the wash room utility sink so that I could easily dump it when it filled. It's a 14 gallon capacity Shop Vac. I must have filled it a couple hundred times in the 6 or so hours I spent running it. When I went to bed about 1 am, I still had at least 4 inches in the deepest areas.
After a couple hours of Shop Vac, the kids came down and started a bucket brigade. I thought I had been making progress until my 14 year old says "Dad, the water's starting to rise in your room". "My room" is my music room. Home to 6 of my basses, two speaker cabs, two amps, and countless other goodies. Shut off Shop Vac and start Operation Save The Instruments. My 14 yr old, definitely meaning to do the right thing, grabbed both of my Alembics. Just for reference, know that I could probably sell the cheaper of the two for $5,000 without any trouble. Just as I yelled from the wash room "Don't worry about the Alembics, I'll get them", I heard him go "Whoa! That was close". He had slipped on something floating in the water and almost did a face plant with a bass in each hand. Luckily he regained his balance and both basses stayed safe and dry. So now all my gear is spread out all over the house. Worse case scenario, though is that a couple of my hard cases may have gotten a little water logged.
I'm in the process now of calling all the tool rental places to see if I can rent a pump. Long day ahead, I imagine.
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Oh no. :(
I hate when stuff hits this close to home.
Can you store your music stuff elsewhere "just in case"?
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On the one hand, I'm glad that your family and instruments are safe. On the other hand, I'm sorry that you had to experience that in the first place.
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You own basses worth $5000????
I...am...speechless! :-X :o
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pray for ya bro
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Praying for you, bro.
Been there myself, several times.
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Oh no. :(
I hate when stuff hits this close to home.
Can you store your music stuff elsewhere "just in case"?
My house is available for your instruments ...
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i mean I too am also glad you are able to handle it thus far
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My house is available for your instruments ...
I don't play bass, but I can learn. ;D
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OH WOW!!!!! I know the feeling man...
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Layla, lordlvr: Thanks
Fenix: Yes
PhBrown: No
Update.....The issue turned out to be a convergence of issues. The heavy rains over the past several weeks have taxed the sewage systems, so they backed up. FORTUNATELY in our case the water that backed up was clean water. The sump pump shoulda caught it, but it conked out.
Had a plumber replace it. Between having an operational sump pump and a rented gas powered water pump, we've gotten the water out. Now it's cleanup time.
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Your dog is pretty creepy in that pic. :-\
And again, I'm soooo sorry you have to go through this. :( But grateful it's not worse.
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PhBrown: No
ROFL!!!
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Your dog is pretty creepy in that pic. :-\
It's part of my photo series "Nemo Sleeping in Stupid Positions". He is really asleep in that picture. This is what I wake up to some mornings.
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It's part of my photo series "Nemo Sleeping in Stupid Positions". He is really asleep in that picture. This is what I wake up to some mornings.
Can you post more pics of the beast's strange sleeping positions?
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Yes, more Nemo, please!!
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Fenix, Layla,
Be careful what you ask for ;)
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Can you store your music stuff elsewhere "just in case"?
Things are gradually approaching normal EXCEPT my gear placement. I'll need to address that fa-sho today. I have one speaker cabinet in the foyer next to the front door. Door can't open fully with that there. Another speaker cabinet in the hallway leading to the kitchen. My "bass tree" is in front of the recliner with three basses on it. One bass is on the chaise in the sunroom and the other two are in a double bag on the air hockey table.
My music room is the only room impacted that had carpeting, and we haven't pulled it up yet. Requires moving a heavy computer desk and a large entertainment center I use to store accessories, cords, CDs an DVDs. Waiting for the disaster recovery folks to come in so we can let them do it. We're way down the priority list, 'cause a lot of folks actually had raw sewage backing up. I may have to just chin it and rip it out myself.
When everything gets back to "normal", I'll probably hang my instruments from the wall.
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Fenix, Layla,
Be careful what you ask for ;)
Seriously though, i don't know how you can live with that beast in the house.
I bet the thought that runs through its mind all day is: "Hmm, Big hamburger and Medium hamburger just brought a new hamburger into the house. I would eat them, except Big hamburger feeds me. One day though..."
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Ey Fenix stop it pls :D :D :D
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Seriously though, i don't know how you can live with that beast in the house.
I bet the thought that runs through its mind all day is: "Hmm, Big hamburger and Medium hamburger just brought a new hamburger into the house. I would eat them, except Big hamburger feeds me. One day though..."
I think that's what runs through his mind when squirrels dare to trespass in our yard. If he had opposable thumbs and could open cans and doors, our usefulness would be greatly reduced.
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You own basses worth $5000????
I...am...speechless! :-X :o
Fenix,
Here is my "bass tree" in it's current temporary location. The bass facing you is an Alembic Series I that I bought from Stanley Clarke for $5,000 in 2000. The list price for a new one order today would be $16,500. Since NOBODY pays list, it would actually go for about $13,000. My 5 string Alembic Series II would be worth more. For the record, I paid nowhere near that for the 5 string when I bought it in 2000. The brand has just had some serious price increases since 2000, so used values have also shot up. Both are worth WAAAY more than I actually paid for them.
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss348/martinjlm/Alembic%20Basses/5eaec3dc.jpg)
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Lord have mercy! Are the prices of these things justified????
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Lord have mercy! Are the prices of these things justified????
Like beauty, value is in the eyes, hands, and mind of the beholder. The two I have are worth TO ME every penny I paid for them. I WOULD NOT have paid list price then or today for them. I have already been offered more than I paid for my 5 string and turned it down, so it was apparently worth it to me and the guy who offered.
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Don't mind me. :) The most i have ever spent on a musical instrument is $400, and that was for my current guitar. I guess this is why i find the idea of spending $5000 on an instrument scandalous. :)
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Fenix,
Just to keep from double-hijacking my own thread ;D let me link you to a couple ooooollllddd threads that get into the whole "when is an expensive instrument worth it?" discussion.
Detailed back-story on my Stanley Clarke Alembic
http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,68938.msg716485.html#msg716485 (http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,68938.msg716485.html#msg716485)
Discussion on a number of high end bass brands and what people think about / are willing to pay for them
http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,29913.msg215885.html#msg215885 (http://www.learngospelmusic.com/forums/index.php/topic,29913.msg215885.html#msg215885)
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Seriously though, i don't know how you can live with that beast in the house.
I bet the thought that runs through its mind all day is: "Hmm, Big hamburger and Medium hamburger just brought a new hamburger into the house. I would eat them, except Big hamburger feeds me. One day though..."
Nothing to do this Memorial Day, eh? :D
Wait, and I realize this will sound like a Vonne question but, do they celebrate Memorial Day where you are? :-\
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Nothing to do this Memorial Day, eh? :D
Wait, and I realize this will sound like a Vonne question but, do they celebrate Memorial Day where you are? :-\
Nah! Its a bank holiday today. :) Not celebrating anything, just a day where all banks and other businesses are closed.
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Nah! Its a bank holiday today. :) Not celebrating anything, just a day where all banks and other businesses are closed.
Ah, gotcha!
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Don't mind me. :) The most i have ever spent on a musical instrument is $400, and that was for my current guitar. I guess this is why i find the idea of spending $5000 on an instrument scandalous. :)
Wait'll you meet some violinists, cellists, and upright bass players. We're talking mortgageable items here.
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Fenix,
Here is my "bass tree" in it's current temporary location. The bass facing you is an Alembic Series I that I bought from Stanley Clarke for $5,000 in 2000. The list price for a new one order today would be $16,500. Since NOBODY pays list, it would actually go for about $13,000. My 5 string Alembic Series II would be worth more. For the record, I paid nowhere near that for the 5 string when I bought it in 2000. The brand has just had some serious price increases since 2000, so used values have also shot up. Both are worth WAAAY more than I actually paid for them.
Well, you know I'm not interested in the basses, but the framed picture did catch my eye. Who's in it? What's the occasion? And where's Nemo??? We want pics! We want pics! We want pics! We want pics!!!
Nothing to do this Memorial Day, eh? :D
Wait, and I realize this will sound like a Vonne question but, do they celebrate Memorial Day where you are? :-\
#dead
:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
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Well, you know I'm not interested in the basses, but the framed picture did catch my eye. Who's in it? What's the occasion? And where's Nemo??? We want pics! We want pics! We want pics! We want pics!!!
OK....three hi-jacks in one thread!!! A new LGM record! The picture (given to me by my mom for my birthday a couple years ago) is a gathering of prominent jazz musicians in Harlem in 1958.
Here's link to the Wiki that describes the events leading to the photo and details who is in it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Great_Day_in_Harlem)
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Ahhhhhh Harlem. I was so close. I thought Brooklyn. Harlem was a fleeting second guess, but I really thought it was Brooklyn. I guess if I had known it was a musicians' gathering, I would've gone with Harlem. Anyway, GREAT GIFT!!! Your mom rocks. Off to read the link....
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UPDATES: Decided we will need to reconstruct the basement. This will be a lonnng project.
Here's my music room AFTER getting my gear out and getting the water out.
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss348/martinjlm/617df0a3.jpg)
and then same angle after ripping out the carpet and the drywall
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss348/martinjlm/c1d55c92.jpg)
We've decide that this room will be reconstructed as a game room. We'll put the big screen projection TV in here with the XBox and the Wii.
So all my music gear will go out into the larger part of the basement. This is, ironically, the part of the basement that flooded first and worst. I've already taken precautions for the potential of a reoccurrence.....
(http://i590.photobucket.com/albums/ss348/martinjlm/55591cb0.jpg)
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I was scared during the story that the bass was going under. Glad to see they survived. God bless you and your fam!