On an early Tuesday morning, in December, 2008, I spotted an eye-catching Fresno Bee Online ad for an estate auction that listed a “Steiney” (?) grand piano among an Allen theater harpsichord organ; rare, old bound books, some sewing machines, and random furniture. Naturally, the piano grabbed my instant attention. Only weeks before I had missed checking out a Steinway “A” that sold for a meager sum on the auction block. I could have kicked myself for ignoring an Internet advertisement that listed a “piano” without further description. Had I known the instrument was indeed a Steinway, I would have pursued it with the force of aggression known only to soldiers doing battle.

Meanwhile Rebecca McGregor had called to tell me that her friend and neighbor, Gloria Larsen had passed away and left behind two grand pianos: a Steinway and Baldwin.

“Do you want to hear something that will make you really sick?” She said.

I couldn’t imagine what she was going to impart that would make me sicker, knowing that I had overlooked a Steinway that could have been within my reach...