What's the Best, and Worst, Thing in Your Life Right Now?

[Anderton]

I'd like to try an experiment, and get into some more substantive topics about how you're doing...not just as names in a forum, but as people. I'm interested in your gig, your day-to-day life, how you're recovering from the pandemic (if you are), your future plans...the sort of stuff we all go through. The only ground rule for this question is NO mentioning people! I know a lot of you will say the best or worst thing is your spouse or kid . Just so y'all won't be shy, I'll kick it off.

 

The worst thing is that my house in Santa Fe is in foreclosure, and I'm going to lose it. This is a result of my dead ex-wife leaving behind a trail of debt, broken promises, and unfortunately, engaging in extortion and embezzlement. I was counting on selling the house to provide some financial security, but that's not going to happen. I'll never be able to retire...although I wasn't really planning on that anyway. I like what I do Which brings me to...

 

The best thing is the self-published eBooks I'm writing. I had this idea for a software program-based model of how to publish tech eBooks in the modern world, pitched it to Hal Leonard, and they claimed to be all excited about it and ready to move forward. So I spent a year of my life writing a series of books on home recording. For whatever reason (maybe because they got bought by a bigger company?), they defaulted to paper, which I told them was doomed - no one wants to pay paperback prices for books that are obsolete within minutes of being printed. I would literally have made more money if I had spent that year flipping burgers at McDonald's.

 

But I remained convinced the model made sense, and PreSonus was gracious enough to let me try a proof of concept with them. Well, the proof of concept was very successful, Sweetwater took notice, and now I'll be publishing MI-oriented, tech-related eBooks through Sweetwater. It's a gamble - selling books is different from selling the products Sweetwater usually sells - but I figure if they can't do it, no one can. Besides, I still have PreSonus as a fallback, because I'll be continuing to sell Studio One-oriented books through them. They're the best publishers I've worked with yet, probably because they're not publishers. They have crazy/radical marketing ideas, like "Hey! If people know something exists, and know what it is, maybe that will help sales. Let's give it a try."

 

If the eBooks are successful, then I'll be able to set up an electronics lab again, do more R&D, and come up with more cool stuff. At least that's the plan

[Theo Verelst]

So you're talking about electronic manual pages that automatically update, or music examples in a DIY mixing book that change over time with fashion?

 

Theo V

[Notes_Norton]

Actually I have nothing to really complain about. I'm a lucky guy. (No kids, no pool, no pets, no debts, no regrets.)

 

The worst:

 

I really, really miss gigging. But I'm getting bookings for next winter season, so it isn't all that bad.

 

The best:

 

I haven't made any money with it yet, but I've got 22 pictures on AdobeStock now https://stock.adobe.com/contributor/210337243/Bob and a lot more to upload (once I edit them to make them as good as they can be).

 

In other words, life is good (the perfect way to spend the time of day).

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[Nowarezman]

Just wondering how all the SSS peeps are doing.

 

The worst thing is that my house in Santa Fe is in foreclosure, and I'm going to lose it. This is a result of my dead ex-wife leaving behind a trail of debt, broken promises, and unfortunately, engaging in extortion and embezzlement. I was counting on selling the house to provide some financial security, but that's not going to happen. I'll never be able to retire...although I wasn't really planning on that anyway. I like what I do Which brings me to...

 

The best thing is the self-published eBooks I'm writing.

 

If the eBooks are successful, then I'll be able to set up an electronics lab again, do more R&D, and come up with more cool stuff. At least that's the plan

 

Yow, so sorry to hear about the foreclosure and ex-difficulties! Sometimes people in your situation can manage to buy the property back from the bank/mortgage company - not always possible, but it happens.

 

I've noticed your productivity lately online - go, man, go - all very good stuff. You know you have a good presence in videos - I would watch tutorials of your making, no question. And I bet a lot of other people would, too.

 

The good and bad of it in my world....well (bad first) on the health front I'm going to be dealing with cancer for the foreseeable. What a bore. On the good side, we're going to be a grandparents for the first time in October, so we're over the moon on that. I promise I won't post photos and all that And my business has been pretty much COVID-proof. Nice as that is, I'd rather retire sooner than later so I can do music stuff all day (after chores, yes, Dear!) A couple of ships need to come in before I actually retire - one seems to be on the way into port by year-end but I try not to count chickens before they're fried.

 

Nat

[Anderton]

So you're talking about electronic manual pages that automatically update, or music examples in a DIY mixing book that change over time with fashion?

 

The books don't update automatically, I need to revise them manually. For example, when Studio One switched from version 4 to version 5, the UI for the effects was different, so I replaced all the screen shots of the effects with updated ones. Also, version 5 had more features, which were also added to the book.

 

The reason updating works is because most of the book doesn't need to be changed, but elements can be revised or added that keep the book current. All the Studio One books have been revised at least once, and one went on to a new edition.

 

The Achilles heel of all tech books is obsolescence, so they have a shelf life of maybe a year. These books follow a software model - new buyers always get the latest versions, existing owners get "point" updates for free, and pay for totally new editions at a reduced price.

[Chip McDonald]

THE BEST:

 

Finding out I can almost get by doing lessons online.

 

I'm not in my car for an hour every day in bumper to bumper traffic, I don't have to encounter the Routine Office Strip Environment (although I'm losing money on an empty office I'm in a lease with for another year). When a student doesn't show up I can walk outside with the dog, go make green tea - or post here.

 

And I'm having to get a forced crash course lesson in setting up a little Black Magic ATEM Mini switcher with a couple of GoPros, trying to integrate it's macro system with MIDI (maybe, since I can't afford the Elgato StreamDeck that would be the sensible way to go). Used it as an excuse to throw stimulus check money at an M1 Mac Mini, forced to interface with the Apple ecosystem for real for the first time. Which is good - because Microsoft is actively, rapidly making using Windows 10 like a horror show rendition of the Apple ethos, and at least Apple did it right.

 

If Windows is going to do things like hide the control panel, without warning routinely shut my computer down to do updates, force more and more Corporate Products into my life - they're pushing off to the Other Corporation that *does that a lot better*. So the stimulus check helped out, and timed with the M1 Mac Mini release worked out well: I'm glad I'm not facing what now appears to be an endless morass of Windows 10 "improvements", and I'm learning new tv production skills, so to speak.

 

The worst:

 

Having to do lessons online.

 

In constant fear of attrition ruining me. But also I could have done without the hassle of negotiating the ins and outs of video production in a hurry (Black Magic has a "chroma key" button on their controller; but in the software it's labeled "ON AIR" - ok... that wasn't.... vexing... at all..... grrr...).

 

I have a 3 monitor setup for my PC that works well, I've had Reaper configured forever to make use of the screens. But now I've got the HDMI input on my main screen in front of me hooked up to the Mac Mini, so in order to use it I have to reach over my keyboard controller and wind my wrist underneath to manually switch it from DVI>HDMI. Then switched the USB splitter so I can use my precious and expensive Kensington track ball over... and keyboard.

 

THE WORST:

 

do I commit to using the Mac Mini on my main screen in front of me, relegating my PC to the adjacent screens? A demotion for my (sort of) trusty PC....? spent the past year maneuvering an ancient 2009 MacBook onto my desk amid the various cables and detritus, and now I've substituted that with having to jump up and physically switch the monitor settings.

 

In other words - am I switching to ... switching to Apple as my main machine....? Oh, the hidden horrors of the pandemic.....

 

/ I know multiple monitor setups are passe now in the age of Cheap Giant 4K tvs. I just can't bring myself to spend $250 on a big tv right after the Heeyooge Computer Purchase.

// The best: I'll start trying to see if I can get by with Reaper on Mac, but also it will be good to have a clean slate in which to try to work out what my *needed* plugins are, trying to keep it streamlined, without wrecking my PC setup

/// The Worst: I know some plugins won't be M1 silcon ready? Waves Scheps OmniChannel, Valhalla Reverb, ...but I suppose there won't be a Steven Slate Drums 4 for Apple silicon? Addictive Drums? EZDrummer?

//// The best: because of the aforementioned, I have a good reason to just accept the Generically Perfect kits in Logic Pro X....?

[Chip McDonald]

Sweetwater took notice, and now I'll be publishing MI-oriented, tech-related eBooks through Sweetwater.

 

 

1) Radio Shack is gone.

2) A lot of people learned a lot from Radio Shack "1,001 Experiment" spring-loaded P2P kits.

3) A lot of people build pedals. A lot of people fiddle with rewiring guitars.

 

 

You should make a proposal to Chuck:

 

Craig Anderton "Ander-tone Experiment Kits":

 

1) Op Amp kit: 4555, LM745, OPA, 075, etc., + some different resistor values, trim pot substitute

2) Fuzz kit: 3 different types of transistors, trim pots

3) Eq/Drive kit: emphasis on filter types?

4) BBD/pitch: "?"

 

 

Same cheap-cardboard+spring terminal construction board as Radio Shack kits, printed with color-coded blocks, that would fit into an equally cheap *box that it comes in* with a toggle switch+ 1/4" in/out.

 

The thing here is that you, Craig, are probably best suited to design the layout of something like this that would allow a few different permutations with the same components/spring terminal board. Your experience in writing books, manuals, makes you uniquely qualified to make a clever design out of a minimalist form factor. "Build 10 different pedals".

 

I think you could get such things mass produced, parts and packaged in China for less than $10, and Sweetwater could sell them for something like $30. You and Chuck Surack could create a legacy of continuing the Electronic Circuit Experiment Kit being the impetus for people learning about electronics, filling a void left by Radio Shack. I could easily see such a thing becoming an underground following, a cool factor of making accessible to more people something most people could try to make and tweak to their unique combination to put on their pedal board. And if they really want to, they could stuff it into a larger, optional metal pedal box.

 

 

This really seems like something your name and expertise, combined with Sweetwater and Chuck Surack could make happen.

[Anderton]

think you could get such things mass produced, parts and packaged in China for less than $10, and Sweetwater could sell them for something like $30. You and Chuck Surack could create a legacy of continuing the Electronic Circuit Experiment Kit being the impetus for people learning about electronics, filling a void left by Radio Shack. I could easily see such a thing becoming an underground following, a cool factor of making accessible to more people something most people could try to make and tweak to their unique combination to put on their pedal board. And if they really want to, they could stuff it into a larger, optional metal pedal box.

 

Very interesting idea...that would make a great follow-up to "Electronic Projects for Musicians." We'll see how the book venture goes. In a way, the books I'm doing now are kind of stealth project books, particularly the one on Studio One that goes into how to build your own multi-effects using the program's FX Chains.

 

Thanks! I'll add another best thing: This forum And at least we don't have a Chip shortage here!

[RABid]

A lot of people are supplementing their income with ebooks on Amazon. It is definitely not a dead market. Once you get a rep it is pretty easy to sale, and you already have that.

 

Best and worst, those two are tied together for me.

 

Worst - physical age. Mentally I am still pretty much a teenager. Eager to try things like skate boarding and zip lining. But, my knees are showing their age and don't hold up. My balance is much worse. I can enjoy my cruiser skate board as long as I am going, but when I try to stop and get off that is when the problems start. I've hit the ground hard a few times. No broken bones but some pretty deep bruises. Bowling and tennis, rotator cup acts up. Hiking or even tread mill, the knees. My mind wants adventure. My body wants to be a couch potato.

 

Best - retirement. Because of a head injury I retired 3 years earlier than I planned and it put me in a bit of a financial bind. But overall I am doing okay. Much better than many. I have all the music instruments I need to keep me entertained the rest of my life. I have a flute, banjo and didgeridoo that I have yet to learn. Hobbies like music and photography keep me going. I try to keep my mind active with things like The Great Courses Plus, learning German, and trying to learn yoyo and magic tricks. There is a new hobby around every corner.

[BMD]

Best - Reading books

 

Worst - A complete lack of interest in writing songs

[Mighty Motif Max]

Best - last week I had 9 employers reach out to me within three days, three interviews and three job offers in a day and a half, and I'll get to work with my favorite former worship director for a whole week at a church camp this summer on keys, as well as teaching cooking classes and a steady weekly gig at a local restaurant for summer plus some web development work. Also my two Icelandic Sheepdogs - I have new puppy and she will be a handful but a fun aspect of being home for summer. Can't wait to start working and training with her. She'll be a smart cookie like her mom, and a silly and happy girl.

 

Worst - Losing 8 people to COVID in the past year, having neck/back and hand control injuries from an accident last year, and being five months into trying to track down and isolate the cause of severe memory loss (7 years worth gone in a week, though thankfully limited to a few specific areas).

[Greg Mein]

Best: Clearly at the top of the list for me is being 9 days away from my 30th anniversary working as an electronic technician at Collins Aerospace. I've had an amazing career here working on some of the most cutting edge and advanced electronic systems and devices known to man. My degree has paid for itself many times over and now I'll be retiring early in July.

 

Worst: My wife (who will retire from her geriatric psychiatry position at the end of June) had a 3 level cervical fusion operation on her neck April 1st. It was a difficult but successful operation and she'll be out of the neck brace soon. Recently however she's been having bouts of vertigo accompanied by a rise in blood pressure. Hopefully we can get that figured out.

[Anderton]

The good and bad of it in my world....well (bad first) on the health front I'm going to be dealing with cancer for the foreseeable. What a bore.

 

Good luck! These days cancer is often fixable. Had an interesting situation with a friend in his late 70s who had prostate cancer. It was incredibly non-aggressive, and the guy asked the doctor what he should do. The doctor said, "nothing - it's progressing so slowly, we'll have to figure out what to do if you live to be 130." You never know how things will turn out, and sometimes, you get lucky.

[Anderton]

Worst - A complete lack of interest in writing songs

 

Sometimes you write songs, sometimes you don't. I've had fallow periods before, the irony being that doing a cover of "Black Market Daydreams" ended the longest one! And I've been writing songs ever since. Maybe I stole your mojo somehow...or, try covering one of my songs, and see if the reverse process works

[Chip McDonald]

Very interesting idea...that would make a great follow-up to "Electronic Projects for Musicians." We'll see how the book venture goes. In a way, the books I'm doing now are kind of stealth project books, particularly the one on Studio One that goes into how to build your own multi-effects using the program's FX Chains.

 

Well, I'm just thinking right now must be "peak pedal" time, I can't imagine people being more hyped about buying pedals this much again!

 

And at least we don't have a Chip shortage here!

 

I'm everywhere. At the gas station "insert chip here", "chip machine down", "only accept chip", "use chip".... then Bill Gates is trying to put me in vaccines, and "Chips in demand as factory burns down", and of course now the big tech news is "Apple changes chip" (... as I'm changing to Apple...? Wha?)

 

 

But seriously, "Ander-tone 10-in-1 Guitar Pedal Experiment Kit", you make the rounds on all of the YouTube guitar influencer channels, and yeah - it becomes the new "Electronic Projects for Musicians"....

[Chip McDonald]

A lot of people are supplementing their income with ebooks on Amazon. It is definitely not a dead market. Once you get a rep it is pretty easy to sale, and you already have that.

 

I had been writing - for many years - a bunch of short stories based around living in apocalyptic scenarios. Then, hahaha, irony of ironies... we're living in an apocalyptic scenario. Reality becomes more surreal than fiction. If only I'd seen this coming (I did...) maybe I would have hurried up before now. If I were to have a tombstone, it would say "too early with ideas".

 

Eager to try things like skate boarding and zip lining. But, my knees are showing their age and don't hold up. My balance is much worse. I can enjoy my cruiser skate board as long as I am going, but when I try to stop and get off that is when the problems start. I've hit the ground hard a few times.

 

It would figure my town would get it's first real skatepark since I was 12 at the age of 50. Little did I know you *can* forget skateboarding. Got too excited second time there, fell to the flat bottom of a 12' deep bowl from about 7' feet up. Thought I'd broken my hip, arm, ribs. Even after the shock wore off, thought I wouldn't be able to get out of the bowl with my right arm not really working, not being able to walk too well. Get to my car, and I almost couldn't move my arm forward enough to shift gears; hurt to press the gas pedal. Took half a year really to be able to raise my arm beyond shoulder level, and even years later the closer I get to my 10,000 daily steps the more my acetibular/hip joint hurts. I was lucky.

 

 

Learning to skateboard with in 100% of my present ability is psychologically beyond me at the moment. Tony Hawk is my age, and he's doing 540s and still slamming hard over and over, gets back up - I don't have that kind of constitution or pain threshold. There is a way to have fun within limits, but it's *hard* to stay below that limit. I've given up real mountain biking for the same reason, it's too easy to get out in the woods and feel exhilarated - and end up pushing the limit.

 

The maturity, and discipline of the psychology of being *safe* with an extreme sport is something I need to conquer. Like the guitar students I'm continually having to cojole "go SLOWER!!!". I'm a hypocrite, but with more dangerous hobbies.

 

 

Bowling and tennis, rotator cup acts up.

 

I got into bowling heavily for about a year, and then tennis. And on bikes, both shoulders have managed to not make it past trees at 20 mph+ through the years. At one point in the late 2000's I couldn't lift my arms without my shoulders hurting; again, deliberately laying off aggravating them was super challenging, but now they're pretty much normal (save the year I had my "Sudden Gravity Refresher Course" at the skatepark.

 

 

//////////////

 

One thing that was "best" in my life right before the pandemic was making myself simply walk everyday down at the Savannah river. Very nice public works project had made a walkway along the river for a few miles - and despite being very scenic, I'd only see 1 or 2 people everyday walking there. Sometimes nobody.

 

Then COVID happened.

 

....and everybody decided to start walking/running there. I haven't been there since 2019 because it's effectively impossible not to be drafting somebody's breath, or having multiple joggers run by huffing and puffing. Outdoors, but many chances to inhale infection. Always a crowd of people there now. It's like all it took was for a few people to see some guy walking along there and it occurring to them "hey.... that looks .... very pleasant!". For that matter at the football field adjacent to my house, they're always having volleyball tournaments, and the 10 soccer fields down the road are always active, where as 2 years ago it was just weekend football games at the stadium and the occasional soccer league match.

 

I see many, many more people out walking in my neighborhood now, and down at the river - an order of magnitude. I would guess it's the same everywhere, people stuck at home, bored, ending up going for a walk outside. A positive of this situation may be that more people end up getting a passable amount of physical exercise due to this effect. I'm very sure COVID has made a large portion of the U.S. population more conscious of exercise outside.

[area51recording]

Best thing: That's easy. My beautiful wife, we've been married 3+ years now and I love her more everyday.....

Worst thing: Haven't played a gig in over a year, but that's changing later this month......

[Anderton]

Best thing: That's easy. My beautiful wife, we've been married 3+ years now and I love her more everyday.....

 

Sorry, we need a do-over As it said in the first post, "The only ground rule for this question is NO mentioning people! I know a lot of you will say the best or worst thing is your spouse or kid :)"

 

Nonetheless...glad to hear it's working out for you!!

[KuruPrionz]

The worst thing is I am having a foot reconstruction surgery on my right foot. It is an inherited sub-standard foot.

 

The best thing is the surgeon is one of the best at foot reconstruction surgeries in the world and eventually I'll have a good foot.

[Anderton]

The best thing is the surgeon is one of the best at foot reconstruction surgeries in the world and eventually I'll have a good foot.

 

Renowned psychic James Brown already anticipated this.

 

 

[video:youtube]

[KuruPrionz]

The best thing is the surgeon is one of the best at foot reconstruction surgeries in the world and eventually I'll have a good foot.

 

Renowned psychic James Brown already anticipated this.

 

 

[video:youtube]

 

More importantly, he knew where to put the "Uhh!"

That is an important contribution to American music.

[area51recording]

Best thing: That's easy. My beautiful wife, we've been married 3+ years now and I love her more everyday.....

 

Sorry, we need a do-over As it said in the first post, "The only ground rule for this question is NO mentioning people! I know a lot of you will say the best or worst thing is your spouse or kid :)"

 

Nonetheless...glad to hear it's working out for you!!

 

Sorry......not sorry, but, you know.......hey, I've been a maverick my whole life......not gonna stop now, I'm too old.......

[Nowarezman]

The good and bad of it in my world....well (bad first) on the health front I'm going to be dealing with cancer for the foreseeable. What a bore.

 

Good luck! These days cancer is often fixable. Had an interesting situation with a friend in his late 70s who had prostate cancer. It was incredibly non-aggressive, and the guy asked the doctor what he should do. The doctor said, "nothing - it's progressing so slowly, we'll have to figure out what to do if you live to be 130." You never know how things will turn out, and sometimes, you get lucky.

 

Thx Craig - there's a quote from Churchill cited in Erik Larson's recommendable book "The Splendid and the Vile". From the dark days of the bombardment of London - ......"Churchill likened a man's life to a walk down a passage lined with closed windows. 'As you reach each window, an unknown hand opens it and the light it lets in only increases by contrast the darkness of the end of the passage.'" Reported in memoirs of one of the tired guests as stated by Churchill around 2am, socializing with guests after dinner, "with the gramophone turned on..in the many-colored dressing-gown, with a sandwich in one hand and watercress in the other, he trotted round and round the hall, giving occasional little skips to the tune of the gramophone."

 

My version of the ailment is not so slow as your friend's...but I'm dancing anyway...put a record on and hand me the watercress - or maybe whisky, a tad.

 

nat

[Theo Verelst]

So you're talking about electronic manual pages that automatically update, or music examples in a DIY mixing book that change over time with fashion?

 

The books don't update automatically, I need to revise them manually. For example, when Studio One switched from version 4 to version 5, the UI for the effects was different, so I replaced all the screen shots of the effects with updated ones. Also, version 5 had more features, which were also added to the book.

 

Sensible.

 

To return to the question, but just in short because I'm in between my processing phases 5 and 6, where 6 gives me (in this EWF) close to perect digital audio to enjoy, my achievement at this pointin time is I got close to making CDs and high defintion audio from the renowned artists sound good on my big monitoring system, in spite of digitalness. That's a lot of processing to recognize and convert studio track and mix bands to the things that reconstruct well through a digital to analog converter. Year and years of work.

 

I feel sorry for myself that I didn't get a move done to San Francisco after I graduated in '91 as I had wanted to, life hasn't been much to my satisfaction or deep enjoyment as it might have been.

 

Theo V.

[The Real MC]

Worst: a year ago I lost a great job due to covid lockdown. I've been unemployed for almost a year.

 

Best: I found the dream job (even better than the previous job), will be relocating to new destination, and all the pieces of my retirement plan are coming together.

[Marzzz]

[video:youtube]

[JDBlackhawk]

Worst thing in life, after seeming to survive catching covid which she got during Christmas-my siblings somehow exposed her to it stupidly, mom passed away March 23rd rather suddenly. she was 92, but was doing fine up until then, and seemed to be recovering-but it attacked her lungs and heart and couldn't fight back. and left us with nothing but debt which I am in the middle of right now, for reasons not so important anymore.

 

The best-mom had an operatic voice (naturally without lessons) and was an artist- she studied both singing locally and art with a famous artist now gone and in his studio named Paul Ortlip-who before a huge condo corporation bought out his property on the cliffs of Fort Lee we would play as kids with beautiful scenery of NY across the river, and gardens and woods all over his property. Now its a high-rise development, why I hate developers but that's another story.

 

I'd hear her singing when I was a little kid although she sacrificed a shot at the Met to bring my brother and me up-would pretty much have had to be in residence there in NY and we lived across the river in NJ. This is why my brother and me both made, and are making successful careers in our respective musical lives -no big fame but making a living. I was a music director for 30 years in a little town behind the Meadowlands called Moonachie-I loved it, wonderful people and town, while perfoming locally as a drummer and keyboard player and I joke while springsteen was down the street making do in the meadowlands, which I never got to see as I was working too, just not quite the same venues.....! Also very positive-my brother is performing regularly at the NJ shore, work is picking up again and he has a very interesting resume-and connected with Vinnie Lopez, works with him every chance he can. also Paul Whistler a great bluesman also old buddy of Springsteen, recorded with them and Jason Federici among others in that area very proud of him-was at the E-Street band's induction into the R and Roll Hall of Fame and has performed there and will be again in August. I am trying to get some things started here at the "tail-end" I hope of this pandemic-have a few musical friends out here in the Pocono woodlands where I retired, did a long-standing virtual music lesson with a friend out in Arizona, learned plenty about video, lighting etc from that. And Craig Anderton, I've been following your publications and Electronic Musican articles for many years, gave me alot of valuable insight over the years, and quite a few electronics projects-without electrocuting myself! hang in there-always darkest before dawn..

[pinkfloydcramer]

Best: Making headway on some musical goals I set out to master, or at least improve on, at the start of the pandemic: playing the foot pedals on my A100, playing both jazz (chromatic) and diatonic (country and blues) harmonica, memorizing all 31 pages of Rhapsody In Blue and playing it in a way that vaguely resembles music (started learning it 14 years ago). I'll never be confused with Jimmy Smith, or Toots, or Yuja Wang, but I am nearing the point where I can incorporate all the above into my gigs- my sole source of income. The 1st 2 things I intend to combine into a bizarre 1- man show, the last one is just so I can get local notoriety as "that guy that plays Rhapsody In Blue". Not sure how the notoriety is shaping up, but at least my efforts have earned a $20 tip, to date

 

Also, I'm still hanging on to my Saturday gig at the American Legion. It's 9 O' Clock on a Saturday, and the regular crowd eats raisin bran...

 

 

Worst: Got bumped from a gig today to make room for a dobro player. At least he's a good one, lol. And I'm still hanging on to my Saturday night gig at the American Legion

[pinkfloydcramer]

Worst thing in life, after seeming to survive catching covid which she got during Christmas-my siblings somehow exposed her to it stupidly, mom passed away March 23rd rather suddenly. she was 92, but was doing fine up until then, and seemed to be recovering-but it attacked her lungs and heart and couldn't fight back. and left us with nothing but debt which I am in the middle of right now, for reasons not so important anymore.

 

My condolences JD..I too lost my mother during the pandemic, although not from COVID.

[Anderton]

My condolences JD..I too lost my mother during the pandemic, although not from COVID.

 

It's always so tough to lose parents. You know it's going to happen at some point, but...