Posted by Paul Evans on February 27, 2003 at 17:55:30:
In Reply to: Proof that there is a God! posted by Martin Cochran on February 27, 2003 at 12:05:03:
A similar thing happened to me once.  The day that my very first professional tuba arrived (a Nirschl 4/4) I took it to the University of Utah music building to try it out.  There was no case and it was raining, but in my eagerness to play the thing I was less than cautious.  On my way down the stairs from the outside to the practice rooms, my feet came out from under me and I ended up at the bottom of the stairs in a heap, tuba and all.  
After muttering a curse and wiping away tears at my own stupidity, I looked over the horn and could not find a ding.  I hurried into the practice room and tried to play, but unfortunately the first valve stem was slightly bent.  I had to wait a whole day to get it fixed and try out the horn, a very small price to pay!
Paul