Busy Times

[typo corrected]

I have a good exkyoos for my lack of postage lately.
I have been busy.

In addition to my four-per-week workout schedule, I have finally started on a major project at church.
The church project is the installation of new speakers in the auditorium/sanctuary.
The planned installation location for the new equipment was/is in the front wall on each side of the stage/platform.
Putting the speakers in this location required that we cut a large hole in the wall, build a sturdy shelf behind the hole, set the speaker on the shelf, and cover the hole and speaker with a nice piece of cloth.
Times two.
Two speakers, two holes, two shelves, two cover cloths, etc.

Because this plan required such major surgery on the front wall(s) of the church building, I was reluctant to begin without the Bishop's/pastor's assistance.
He gave the approval many months ago.
And the board of trustees authorized me to purchase the equipment at that time (2007).
But I was timid about banging holes in the church building walls on my own.
I kept waiting for someone with more experience and authority to work with me.
But everyone was too busy or forgot . (until I reminded them, then they forgot again.)
So.... the project dragged on and on with no progress.
Weeks became months and months became years.

Finally, I promised myself that THIS YEAR I would begin and finish this project - on my own, if need be.
Well, it turned out to be if need be.
The other brethren who were willing and good to do the work around the property, were busy repairing the basement after our flood. (a water pipe broke in the basement and flooded the entire room with about three inches of water.)
I helped a little in the basement work but not nearly as much as some of the other men.

Anyway, the speaker project was mine, it seemed.
I am the sound guy, so speakers and such stuff are my area of responsibility (my "place in the body" some might say).
Not complaining here, just stating the facts.

So, after much procrastination, I set a day that I would drive over to the building and begin measuring and cutting.
I started building the "picture frames" for the cloth covers two weeks ago and put the cloth on them last week.
I cut one of the holes in the wall last Thursday and built the shelf Friday.
Due to my advanced age (I guess), I can only work between two to four hours before I become tired (and working on, and going up and down, a step ladder for most of the party is even more tiring).
I knew from past experience that the first part of a multi-part project was always educational and exploratory, thus it took longer than the same group of tasks would take if one had to do them on a regular basis.
The second hole/shelf took about half as long.

So.... yesterday morning I installed the second speaker, hooked their assigned wires to each of them and did a brief sound test.
The first motive was to see if they worked at all. (they had been sealed in their shipping boxes for a year and a half...)
The second motive was to see how they sounded.
The third motive was to see if they provided the desired coverage for the room.

The results of the tests are in.
The new speakers each work.
Woo hoo.
The new speakers (from Carvin) sound MUCH BETTER than the old one (a Bose).
Woo hoo.
The frequency balance and coverage of the new speakers is MUCH BETTER than the old one.
I sat in several locations while a music sample was playing - front corners, rear corners, front center, rear center, middle outsides, center middles, the sound room, etc. - and the sound coverage of all frequencies was even and balanced throughout the room.
Better high frequencies, better low frequencies.
Woo hoo.

All that is left to do is to climb up into the attic and connect the wires from the old speakers to the new speakers.
Hopefully that can be accomplished this week.
I am very excitedly.