Dear friends,

I am very excited to be starting a new career.
(Don't worry, I will still be playing and giving lessons)

Some of you know that apart from being a bass player, I am also a competitive swimmer. I have been doing this all my life and was quite successful in high school, swam on a division I team in college, and have competed in Masters Swimming (age group swimming for adults) for many years and have placed in races at the national level. Apart from playing bass, the sport of swimming has been a major passion for me for my whole life.

I will now begin a new career as a swim coach. Not one, but two adult teams have hired me to coach them. I'll be doing this for about 10 to 15 hours a week and the schedule was carefully worked out so that it will not interfere with any gigs or lessons (or my own swim training).

This is a great new opportunity for me and the only downside is that I won't have as much time to hang out here with all you great people.

Congratulations on an excellent opportunity.

I love swimming, I wish my lifestyle allowed me to do it both regularly and competitively.

Very cool and good luck in your new endeavor! I like swimming and it is very good low impact exercise. I wish I had more time for it.

Congratulations!! I coached football for years... coaching is very rewarding... Have fun....!!!!

Very cool Jeremy. And very rewarding. Whenever I'm walking across a ball field and someone yells "Hey Coach!" I still turn around.

Best of luck in your new career, Coach.

Good luck J!

This is great! I became aware of this a few days ago when I had called Jeremy about possibly subbing for me on a gig. Turns out I'm going to do that gig anyway.

It's always nice when one can be compensated for something they have such a passion.

Wally

That's awesome Jeremy. That is very rare that a person gets to do two things they love to do and are passionate about for a living.

Wish you the best...not that you'll get to read this anytime soon!

It is a fortunate person indeed that can manage to combine their passions and employment.

Good luck.

Sweet

You rock, man- get paid to do not one but two things you love...

Oh yeah! You are a lucky guy, paid to do what you would do anyway.
I am not having as much fun as I did once forcing computers to behave, but at 57 it is a bit late to try to become something else (or isn't?).
I would be so happy to earn a living with something music related.

Michele, it's never too late. I'm older than you are.

About 6 years ago I started another new career as a computer textbook editor but unfortunately the three companies that I worked for (in succession) no longer exist and couldn't find another one, which is why I decided to pursue my latest direction.

There's always something new on the horizon for you, Jeremy. Congrats. Sounds like fun.

Yet another member of Club 57!

So far we have:
- Picker
- Eric Iverson
- jlrush (?)
- Michele
- me

1952-53 must have been a particularly fruitful period...at least, in regard to future bass players.

We'll have to have a big online party or something in 3 years.

(Sorry, Jeremy. Didn't mean to hijack your thread.)

57 makes me think of Heinz. There are enough of us here, by our ages, that should get this.

Wally

You all still have a ways to go to ketchup to me and Wally.

Very cool. I used to swim. Grace passed level 1 and 2 of swimming lessons this Sumer. She loves it.

1953 saw the debut of the Fender Stratocaster, the Chevy Corvette Stingray, Playboy magazine, and me. And a number of you all, apparently.

J., I'm not a good swimmer but just this summer I've gotten up the nerve finally to ask my wife, who is a certified swim instructor, to help me. I'm loving it and am just a bit envious that you get to spend so much time in the water. Enjoy!

HHHmmmmm, I see a pattern.
Good on you JC! Just please, no speedo bass guitar photos.

Brocko

Oy!

Congratulations Jeremy, you're living the dream. All the best to you.

Nancy - yes, I'm 57 for a few more months. Somebody pass the Geritol please.

OK, here's the Speedo picture.
Except that it's a TYR Tracer Light which goes from neck to ankles and cost $400.

Congrats, Jeremy. Enjoy! I hope it's good fun, and rewarding.

Maybe one day I'll follow in Wally's footsteps and try to go from running to triathlons. I know who to turn to for some tips from the left coast about the swimming!

Peace.
--SW

But not in my current footsteps as I'm now learning to walk without the crutches!

Wally

Straight up or on the rocks?

Do they still make Geritol?

Yeppers. Good way to get your iron and your B vitamins...as well as a buzz! From Wikipedia:

Geritol is a US trademarked name for various supplements, past and present.[1] Geritol was introduced as an alcohol-based, iron and B vitamin tonic by Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in August 1950 and primarily marketed as such into the 1970s. Geritol was folded into Pharmaceuticals' 1957 acquisition of J. B. Williams Co., founded in 1885.[2] J. B. Williams Co. was later bought out by Nabisco in 1971. Since 1982, the Geritol product name has been owned by the multinational pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline.

Geritol is currently a brand name for several vitamin complexes plus iron or multimineral products in both liquid form and tablets, containing from 9.5 to 18 mg of iron per daily dose.[3] The name conveys a connection with aging, as in "geriatric." The product has been promoted from almost the beginning of the mass media era as a cure for "iron-poor tired blood". In the early 20th century, some medical doctors and other health professionals felt that much of the tiredness often associated with old age was due to iron deficiency anemia.[citation needed]

The earlier Geritol liquid formulation was advertised as "twice the iron in a pound of calf's liver," and daily doses contained ca 50–100 mg of iron as ferric ammonium citrate. The Geritol tonic also contained ca 12% alcohol and some B vitamins.