Bill, only YOU will know when it's time to hang it up. In my case, I was working 6 to 7 days a week, often doing doubles, and not just the NH circuit. I also filled in for guys that had regular nite club and restaurant jobs when they wanted to take another, higher paying job, or had health issues. I loved every minute of it, and yes, there were times when I got somewhat tired of playing Leroy Brown, Brown Eye Girl, etc..., but I just jazzed them up a bit, switched to different right hand voices, etc..., which help maintain what little sanity I have.

If my health had not gone to Hell, I would still be out there nearly every day of the week, but now my lungs are shot, which effects my vocals a bit, and my back is disintegrating, which makes sitting in one position for one to three hours nearly impossible. I went to three surgeons, and all told me that there was nothing that could surgically be done, and surgical intervention was way to risky and could result in paralysis from the waist down. I have to live with the pain.

Fortunately, I knew this day would come and I have been preparing for it for the past 30 years, by stashing money into a retirement program that I established for myself three decades ago. Smartest move I ever made.

So, now that I no longer work every day and night, what do I do with all that free time. Well, I have a massive front lawn that needs mowing, which I'll do today with the tractor. It also has 7 rock gardens, all of which require some minor maintenance. With the yard work, I do what I physically can, then take a break, mix up a tall Green Coconut Margaretta and when I feel like it, go back to the task at hand.

I also spend a fair amount of time on my sailboat, even when it's not in the water. Today, I caulked a couple small leaks where bolts enter the cabin, and hopefully, that will solve the minor leak problem I have. In two weeks, the boat goes in the water, I'll reinstall the sails, put on the Bimini top, bring the bedding onboard (sheets, pillow cases, blankets), put the radar back in place, and reinstall the electronics. Next, the bar and pantry will be stocked, the refrigerator cleaned out, and I'll take the boat out on a shakedown cruise of a day or two. If nothing breaks, which I hope is the case, then I'll pack a seabag with clothes, add some frozen foods to the fridge, plus a couple bags of ice, then put up the sails and head down Chesapeake Bay, stopping when I feel like it, playing music in some of the marina restaurants and bars to make some fuel money, and do some fishing and crabbing at locations where I anchor for the night.

Of course, cruising comes at a price - I'll have to pay someone to mow the lawn every week, and with a front lawn of 2.5 acres, that carries a price tag of about $80 a week until August, when the grass doesn't grow nearly as fast and it only has to be mowed every other week. When October rolls around, I have two choices, either put the boat on the marina parking lot and winterize it, or, if my health allows, put up the sails and point the bow of the boat south, not stopping until the winter temperature and my age are the same (75), which seem like the most logical thing to do. At that point, I'll be living aboard the sailboat, which has all the neat things I have at home, but on a much smaller scale. And, again, if my health allows, I'll play music a few nights a week at the Marina and restaurant Tiki Bars, which will help supplement my cruising expenses. If I don't stay in marinas, I can live aboard the boat for about $500 to $600 a month, and that includes food and booze. If I opt to spend some time in the comfort of a marina, add another $750 a month for slip rent, water and electric.

Good luck, Bill,

Gary