. . . two weeks later . . .

. . . mr. bernina repairman called . . .

. . . the verdict? . . .

. . . let us have 

a moment of silence 

for the one on the left . . . 

. . . $400 to fix 

a 29-year-old serger 

would, apparently, 

be throwing good money 

after bad . . . 

. . . but, the good news is . . . 

. . . the one in red is alive and well . . . 

. . . complete with test stitches 

on muslin . . .

. . . and new felt spool cushions . . . 

. . .which, as you can see, 

had been missing 

for quite some time . . . 

. . . what you don't see 

are the new motor brushes, 

which had, over the past 33 years, 

worn down to nearly nothing . . . 

. . . what you don't hear 

is the chewing out i got 

from mr. bernina repairman . . . 

. . . "don't you ever go that long 

without service again" . . . 

{it had only been not quite three years}

. . . "you ran this machine 

practically dry" . . . 

. . . "never take this machine anywhere

 but a bernina store" . . .

{whoopsie!} 

. . . "tsk tsk tsk" . . . 

. . . i felt like a scolded child . . . 

. . . he also recommended 

that i cover the air intake vent 

for a little while . . . 

. . . with a warning 

of possible black specks 

from the new brushes . . . 

. . . "yessir" mr. bernina repairman . . . 

. . . "how do you feel about 

a piece of old dishtowel 

and blue painters tape?" . . . 

. . . i have to say 

bernie seriously is sewing 

like a million bucks . . . 

. . . but for a much lower price . . .

. . . thanks, mr. bernina repairman ~ aka Len . . .