That Obscure Object of Fred's Desire

As everyone who has ever worked with him will attest, our man Fred Weihs does nothing by halves.

We're not saying he's obsessive. But when Fred started cycling, his warmup route was Almonte/Ottawa (104 km) in mid July. When Fred started Karate, he insisted on doing three sessions per week (and permanently disabled his knee). When Fred started canoeing, his "little one hour jaunt" down the Mississippi lasted all day and involved a portage that would have put BOTH Lewis and Clarke into rehab.

We are delighted to report that Fred's latest not-obsession involves risk to neither life nor limb. A classically trained pianist in his youth, Fred has been casting longing eyes for the last two years on harpsichords, those delightful plucked keyboard instruments most widely used in Renaissance and Baroque music. With typical Weihs-ian dedication, he researched the market, sought the advice of Ottawa's leading harpsichordists, interviewed several potential teachers, and last week traveled to Rehoboth, Massachusetts, where he spent six glorious hours in musical communion with some of the finest harpsichords in North America.

The beautiful instrument pictured above is a fine example of the object of Fred's affection. Fred is now agonizing over whether or not to buy. To us, it's a no-brainer: we'd love to see Fred cultivate an interest that does not involve the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome, repetitive stress injury, heatstroke, cardiac arrest, exhaustion, or confronting Chuck Norris. Fred, however, remains ambivalent. We've decided to bring the issue to you, Constant Readers, whose counsel never errs.

Should Fred Buy The Harpsichord?