Gary...
You and Zuki are most likely the hardest workin' men in the NH business. (Of course Zuki is just a "kid" compared to you )The accolades are well deserved and sincere.

Between the physical problems, especially your splitting hands, and all the time you spend helping folks online and on the phone...I never could figure out how you found the time to do all the jobs you have been doing.

I don't get the comments about my voice that you get...cuz, well... I don't have your voice. Mostly they just talk about how good looking I am.

Thanks for the report...and good luck in your semi-retirement.

Eddie

Gary,
I DO know exactly how you feel. I've never done anything as rewarding as playing at Nursing Homes. Unfortunately I can't do much of it now, as I'm working every night, but I still get out to a few, for me more than them.
Also to back up what you said, just tonight I played a song where I really felt like I picked my tail off on a couple of rides. Then I took a break and as I walked by the first table, a lady said "you are a wonderful singer". I wanted to say "I play good too and doesn't my new keyboard sound good" but of course I just smiled and said thank you so much.
What a great business to be in, huh?
Don

Very moving. Nearly all of us 'seasoned' citizens can relate. I made the decision to only play once a week when I resumed gigging, and I won't violate that. It's still fun, I still feel involved, but it still leaves me time to enjoy other things. You are soooooo lucky to have another great love (besides family) in your life (sailing) and that is so important during this kind of transition. The absolute worse cases of 'post employment depression' are among those who have no other interests (and won't pursue any).

Good luck with your new 'schedule change'. Now get back there on that PSR-help desk .

chas

Gary how are your hands doing? I have the same or similar problem and if you would care to email me and let me know your latest treatments, what works what doesn't.
qqqwq at hotmail
thanks
Mike

[This message has been edited by mikeathome1 (edited 11-07-2009).]

Thanks everyone for the wonderful complements. I sincerely hope to spend more time sailing, working on some projects around the house, and this January my wife and I are heading south for a four-week trip, which will include the Shreveport Jam. Next year's schedule is about half of my 2009 schedule, and I fully intend to keep it that way.

As for my hands, after spending $7,000 out of pocket with 14 doctors and getting nowhere, I got very lucky. While performing at a nearby retirement community earlier this year a resident asked why I was wearing a white cotton glove on my right hand. This was at the end of the performance and by that time a slight trickle of blood had penetrated the glove. He asked if he could look at my hand, I removed the glove and he said "My wife's hands looked just like that until she began taking vitamin D. After three weeks on vitamin D it went away and never came back."

While at the time I thought this was not MY problem, my loving wife browbeat me into taking vitamin D three times a day. Within a month my hands were completely healed. Keep in mind that at one point a hand surgeon said if the fingertips got any worse he was seriously considering amputation of at least three fingertips.

Ironically, I had never been tested for vitamin levels--EVER! As it turns out, even after taking three pills a day my vitamin D level was still borderline low at 30. Now I take five pills a day and it remains at 50.

While vitamin D, also called the sunshine vitamin, is normally absorbed through the skin by exposure to sunlight, as we age the process is not very effective. It's also not effective when we live in northern climates where most of the time our skin is covered with clothing during the colder months, and sunblock during summer.

Thanks again everyone, and I hope to see many of you in Shreveport.

Gary

Gary, you are an inspiration to us all. You have entertained people for years and your honest and knowledgeable advise is second to none.

I agree that a good voice really helps me stand out in the crowd and I realize my playing ability only makes my situation all the betrer. Thanks for your advice and support all of these years. Keep it up. Good luck and God blees.

How much or what size vitamin D should I take, do you have a specific brand?

Mike,

I take five of the 1,000 International Unit tablets daily, which I purchase at BJ's Wholesale Club. They're very inexpensive and the results, at least for me, have been excellent.

Gary

I'm on the vitamin D too...I take two 1000 IU tablets a day, plus, I also take 1000 mg Vitamin C (time release) twice a day.

I haven't had a cold or flu in about 10 years, or more.

My Doc says I wouldn't have got along so well after the surgery but that my immune system was in such good shape.

You are what you eat.

Good to see you found the cure, Gary...I know you were pretty concerned about your hands.

I can only imagine how relieved you are.

Ian

Thanks Gary. I went out and bought some today.