Looks like I may have to keep her...

[Dan Hintz]

This past Friday was my birthday, and SWMBO has been conspiring with fellow turner Mike Cruz for the last couple of months to put together my present (maybe she felt the need to top her birthday present from me, a 64GB Verizon iPad2 ;)). I was beginning to get worried... late night phone calls, whispering, exchange of various phone numbers with other guys... if I was the jealous type, it wouldn't have been a pretty picture.

Late Friday she presents me with a card and says my present fit inside... hmmm, I inquired if it was a bow for her to wear later that evening, but the question went unanswered, so I dug in.

She reserved for me two days of one-on-one tutelage with Bill Grumbine in late September :D

I think I'll hang onto her a little while longer...

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

You will be up in my neck of the woods. Maybe the three of us can catch dinner when you are here. Keep me posted. You will have a lot of fun with Bill. He has a tremendous sense of humor and you will spend all day turning. You might get spoiled on his Robust lathe.
faust

[Tony De Masi]

Congrats Dan. Any yes, I knew about it also.:D As Faust said be prepared to turn all day long. And here is the best part.. I've already talked to Bill about you coming up to his place, AND I told him that you are an engineer. You know how he loves engineers.....:eek:

Have fun and an big congrats.

[Russell Eaton]

Dan she is a keeper for sure. Can she call MY wife..

[Dan Hintz]

AND I told him that you are an engineer. You know how he loves engineers.....:eek:
Aaaaghhhhh... why don't you just stab me in the back now and get it over with?! ;) So much for going in there with a clean slate... :p

[charlie knighton]

congratulations, i know you are looking forward to it

[Steve Schlumpf]

Congrats Dan!! That's quite the birthday present! Hope you take a few photos during your turning session so that the rest of us can enjoy your present with you!! Have fun and Happy Belated Birthday!!

[Dan Hintz]

Hmmm, interesting idea, Steve... Amy will be coming with me, but I don't believe she has plans to hang around for the turning sessions themselves (friends in the area... it appears she used to live in Kutztown, go figure). The both of us will be having dinner with him Friday evening, and of course he provides lunch both days, so there will be a bit of downtime to take "in-progress" pics. If I bring my camera, I'll need to remember to take along a Ziploc bag to keep it in :)

[Bob Bergstrom]

Well I guess it wasn't the one with the bow you were hoping for, but not bad for a second choice. Have fun and hope your wife behaves while you are gone.:rolleyes::rolleyes:

[Peter Elliott]

Congrats Dan. Any yes, I knew about it also.:D As Faust said be prepared to turn all day long. And here is the best part.. I've already talked to Bill about you coming up to his place, AND I told him that you are an engineer. You know how he loves engineers.....:eek:

Have fun and an big congrats.


I must missed the hush hush during my power nap in the red sox room.. Congrats Dan

[Gary Conklin]

Does she have a sister? Congrats, that is on my hit list...someday.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Congrats Dan on a great birthday present. Yep she's a keeper.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Excellent birthday gift Dan! I am envious.

[Jeff Nicol]

Dan, Sounds like fun and some good turning will be done and lessons learned! My bride would not know the first thing about getting me anything like that, but I think it is by choice and she thinks that there really is nothing I don't already know about everything! I get named as the "know it all" pretty much on a daily basis for some smart alec remark now and then! But I know she would keep me if I paid for my own turning lessons, but I would have to buy some sort of sparkly thing to smooth over the whole thing!

Great gift and have a great time,

Jeff

[Dan Hintz]

Well, this may happen sooner rather than later... it seems Amy got her schedule wrong, so she's having to bump up the date. Looks like we're now talking about Labor Day weekend.

I won't complain about doing it sooner, especially when my other option was to wait until next year :(

[Tony De Masi]

The sooner the better. So to speak.

[Mike Cruz]

Whew, you fell for it. I was beginning to think you would catch on to our little trist! Hehe, happy birthday, Dan. See, not all birthday presents come in long thin boxes...Enjoy. And make sure your lathe is up for a LOT of turning when you return. You'll want to apply all you learn. Shucks, you'll be WAY ahead of me when you get back. I guess I'll have two mentors in October...

[Mike Cruz]

Hmmmmm, sounds like you need a camera man. Wonder what I'm doing that weekend....hmmmmm

Hey, so much for the guys weekend away, huh? But then again, none of us would commit would we?

[Kathy Marshall]

Congrats Dan! What a great b-day gift!

[Dan Hintz]

Whew, you fell for it. I was beginning to think you would catch on to our little trist!
Well, she did say that due to the schedule change the only room she could get had two Queen beds... hmmmmm. MIIIIIKKKEEEE!!!!!! ;)


Hmmmmm, sounds like you need a camera man. Wonder what I'm doing that weekend....hmmmmm
Bill said Amy was welcome to come in and take notes for me while I'm working, but I don't think she loves me that much... :p


Hey, so much for the guys weekend away, huh? But then again, none of us would commit would we?
I guess when Amy heard me grumbling that I wasn't going to get up there within any reasonable time she took it upon herself to fix that.

[Rob Cunningham]

Wow, what a great gift. Bill Grumbine and David Ellsworth are both on my maybe, possibly, someday list.
I learned a lot just from watching "Turned Bowls Made Easy", I can only imagine how much you'll learn in two days one on one.

[Dan Hintz]

I'm a bit frustrated at this point... not to go into details, but work has decided that I may need to spend some time in Utah (anyone want to meet up for dinner?) next week to ensure a subcontractor's work is acceptable. I've informed the powers that be I must be home in time or the lessons (and hopefully not be worn out so much that I can't keep my eyes open), and I think they've agreed to at least that much. They'll likely send me back out after I get back from the lessons, however, so it's going to be a fun few weeks :-/

Just bad timing all around.

[Mike Cruz]

I'll take your place, Dan. Of course, I won't make Amy come along with me...

[Mike Cruz]

Despite what she thinks of me, I think she's a gem.

[Grant Wilkinson]

I've taken 2 - two day sessions with Bill and would go back in a minute if the finances would permit it. You will love it Dan. Start writing your questions now. I didn't and forgot to ask Bill some of the things that had been troubling me. Luckily, he is only an email away.

[Dan Hintz]

Start writing your questions now. I didn't and forgot to ask Bill some of the things that had been troubling me
Good point... I have a number of questions rolling around in my brainpan (noisily, I might add), but in the heat of the moment I would likely forget half of them. Time to start making my list.

[Mike Cruz]

Do they all start with "why"? Hehe. Sorry, that was for Tony...

[Dan Hintz]

Do they all start with "why"? Hehe. Sorry, that was for Tony...
I don't think "why" is a problem... I think "I don't do it that way" or "That makes no sense" would be an issue, though...

[Peter Elliott]

Grumbine just announce that he is "selling seats" for the Dan-Show..

"Come see how I can turn :rolleyes: a talented Engineer into a proficient turner in only 2 days.

But wait there is more....

Mike, Tony and Peter will be serving free popcorn..."

and I quote from the seminar we all went to at Tony's club.... "You Engineers have a special place in my heart" B.G.

[Tony De Masi]

Dan, did you ask your bosses why?

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Dan,
As the other guys will surely tell you, there is no real need to prepare for Bill except to want to learn to turn. He will very quickly establish your current strengths and weaknesses and go from there. The fun part of Bill, other than his sense of humor and easy way, is the fact that he does not lecture a lot. You won't do a lot of classroom work, mostly hands on turning. Expect to fall in love with his Robust lathe. Between now and there, enjoy the anticipation. It's like waiting for a vacation except when the vacation is over, it is over. What you learn from Bill will last forever.
faust

[Dan Hintz]

Dan, did you ask your bosses why?
You betcha! The more info I have, the better the information I can provide in return. If I know the real reason for going out there, I will pay attention to different details.

For example, during the Apple Valley session I was trying to figure out when/why Bill was keeping his hand off of the top of the gouge. When I raised the point to you guys, you said it was simply to provide a clearer view to the audience, not for any technical reason. Had I known that from the beginning, I wouldn't have bothered trying to determine the when/why and could have concentrated on other details, like his stance.

Teaching is a two-way street that requires feedback, not simply "Do as I do and accept it". I would not expect an instructor to treat a master turner the same as a beginner... you would either bore the master or confuse the beginner. The lesson can be fine-tuned by understanding what the student doesn't know and can't do, what he can do but doesn't understand the finer points of, and what the student truly grasps.

[Tony De Masi]

I think Amy should stay and video your time with Bill.

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, "why" isn't a bad question. Just pulling you leg about the "engineer" thing... I have to say, though, "just do as I say" many times has its reasons. I know that it doesn't compute with you, but it is often better and easier to just have someone do something in a certain way without any explanation. But, I too, am a "why" guy. If I understand the "why", it is often easier to apply the action. I think there are a couple different "why" scenarios. The one you just gave is a perfect example of watching and wondering. But when someone specifically says "do X" and the reply is "why?", it is often off putting...even if not mean to be. I know you well enough to know that if you ask me "why", it is because you want the information to process and learn. Someone who doesn't really know you might think that it is a questioning of reason, or a set up for whether or not you are going to do it. And often what is difficult is when you get two opposite brains...the one person (you) who questions "why" to understand and learn, and the other (maybe an instructor) who doesn't care "why"...that is just the way it is either done or how I want you to do it...or maybe they don't know why, but they know that is how it is to be done.

Tony, he said he should keep her...not that he needs to keep her with him at all times. Besides, she's giving him an AWESOME birthday present. She shouldn't have to pay double for it by being bored out of her gourd.

[Tony De Masi]

Oh, I understand what he said Mike. I just think it would/could be fun to watch the video too. IYKWIM :D

[Dan Hintz]

"Why?" as a full question is as bad as "Because..." as a complete answer.

[Mike Cruz]

Dan, you are certainly correct with that.

Tony, you are SO bad. And while I'm at it...Dan, just remember that he's got what I would only assume is a 10mm strapped to his side...and that ain't no bowl gouge!