Not sure why a leave this board up but I guess once or twice a month someone posts something so one why spoil it for those that use it.

Life is a downer right now.  

I totally f$%#ed up my right wrist.  I think it started from playing with a thick pick with too tight a grip.  Then I started riding a bike with my kid as he just started riding a two-wheeler.  It puts a lots of weight on my wrist.  It doesn't hurt when I ride but when I try to play mando or even use a computer mouse, my whole forearm hurts bad.  I'm guessing many many months off before I even know if I'll ever be able to play again.

Work sucks.  I won't post details as I don't consider it ethical.  I just hope I have a job in six months with the way the world is changing.

I've been working from home one day a week so I'm done with work early enough to take my kid to his karate lesson.  It's nice that I can get work done undisturbed.  I start at 6:45 in the morning and I'm done at 3:00.  But it's quiet, lonely, and I feel isolated like the world has just moved on without me.

I'm lucky in one way, I got a wife and kid that want me around.  My kid looks up to me.  I just have to keeping telling myself I'm doing it for him.

Video of my kid the first day he was riding a two wheeler on his own without help staring up.  The other to kids are from the neighborhood.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIiuudt8zro

Video of my kid's Karate Yellow Belt Graduation

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COKZQrNaK90

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKv8cxWQkKA

Sorry to hear life's been dumpin' on ya lately, it's gettin' to be a bitch across the board I'm afraid. Hope yer situation smoothes out for ya eventually.

I use a very thick pick and haven't had any probs, though I do have those same kinda tweaks in the left hand. Just figured it went with the territory when playin' so much, I usually lay off when it tells me to.

May as well keep the board up if it ain't a hassle, suprised it hasn't taken off more with all te same-ole-same-ole drivel at the cafe. Guess newbies gotta start somewhere, but sheeeeeesh!

I am also sorry to hear that life has been dumping on you. I have been through times like that and it isn't fun.

I have moved away from acoustic music lately and hardly touch the mandolin (or banjo), so I don't have much to contribute, but I do peek in now and then to see what is going on. Best to you, and keep the faith.

Well, work may just be paranoia on my part but it's impossible to tell.  I have a large number of fans at the director and even VP level of my org who like my work.  It's just a question of how long there is work they want done here.  I might be fine for another 20 years or internal projects may dry up in a few months.  It's the uncertainty that kills you.

My wrist/forearm is feeling just a tad better in day-to-day activities but I know I'll be in trouble if I try to play.  I'll just have to give it a few months and see what happens.  

--Last edited by kvk on 2008-07-07 13:58:50 --

Hope your right hand gets better soon.  I do check here for new posts from time to time.

kvk

Sorry to hear about the hand.  Hope it gets better.  I took some time off from playing just due in part to "life is really busy at this time".  

I stop by the site to check and see if there are any new posts so I vote to keep the site going.  

If you need anything, give a shout.

Sorry to hear about your life situation.  I empathize with you and really do feel your pain.

I'm having similar doldrums. My wife is on me to get a "real job" because I presently own my own business working as an insurance underwriter and its causing marital problems. With the  current mortgage crisis  hitting the Vegas market hard, my workload has decreased. Alot of the stuff I do look at are foreclosures and vacant.  Anyway, she wants me to go back to the corporate world for benefits and a steady paycheck. One reason I quit the corporate world was because of the stress. I've been laid off 4 times in the last 6 years  of  my insurance career and I just got tired of it.

After years of self teaching myself the mandolin, I found a decent mandolin teacher.  He taught me for several months until I started to loose interest. I haven't seen him in months and my daily practice routine over the last four years of playing is mostly a once a week practice session, if I feel up to it. I just don't care wheter I improve my playing anymore. Once was an obsession is now a chore. I rarely go to the Cafe anymore. Its so tedious and the same crap. All the good members have left and now its the same stuff rehashed to the point of shear borddom.

What's the answer? I don't know but it seems we are in an '08 funk. Hopefully things will get better for everyone.  

--Last edited by gnelson651 on 2008-07-09 17:37:33 --

Played two songs, about eight minutes yesterday.  Longest I've been able to play in a couple months.

Hopefully you will be able to build up from there. Best of luck; I'll keep you in my thoughts.