Thanks to all of you who gave your input about working on the cruise ships. I was starting to make inquiries in that direction even though I was hearing rumors about unfavorable working conditions. Now that I got it "straight from the horse's mouth (you guys)," that idea is "Gone With the Wind" for me!

Regards my remark about "music not being fun anymore," I meant for working musicians out there in the "battlefield" (the venues). Now there is mountains of paperwork involving each job, traffic to get through, tons of equipment to carry, inattentive/unappreciative/rude/musically illiterate audiences, contemporary music that sounds like a washing machine on steroids and impossible to play without 1/2 dozen sequencer programs running simultaneously, etc.

I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist for those wondering where I'm coming from! The only real enjoyment I get nowadays from music is sitting at the piano and playing my heart out for myself. I wouldn't give that up for the world!