The Real Memphis Mike (don't settle for imitations)

Feeling inspired to write today, so this is what you're getting... My mind has been, as I'm sure you've already guessed, on music today. Same as any other day. It's my raison d'etre , if you will. A wiser man would have walked away from it by now, but luckily, I'm not a wiser man. I find too much joy in it to simply walk away because I'm not earning great Mammonian piles of cash from it. Every day in music is, to me, a new adventure. No matter what the weather is like outside, or how my body feels, or what is going on around me, my head is filled with music. New ideas, new spins on old ideas, a different arrangement, different voicings, there's always something to keep me happily occupied. I'm working on putting together a new trio. This one might make some money...then again, it might not. Either way, it's giving me a lot to do; coming up with arrangements, plotting the course I want this venture to take, exploring potential venues, etc. Alw...

For those of you not in or familiar with the glamorous life of show biz, a door gig is where the act gets paid whatever is collected at the door (or a portion of it), aka the cover charge. In a large venue with a built in crowd, this can be a nice payday for the act. The reality though, is less wonderful. 20 or so years ago, I used to play a joint called Kangaroo's. It was a large venue and there were easily 400-500 people there on any given weekend night. When we discussed our deal with the manager, I suggested giving us a buck a head. He was more than happy with that. We usually made at least $500 a night out of the deal, it was close to my house, the drinks were free, and all was well in the universe. Mind you, this was one of 4 or 5 shows we'd do every week. We actually made some decent jack for making music. Things have changed. A lot of venues now go for the 'showcase' type show. This means 3 or 4 acts sharing the bill for one night. I understand the idea - it...

What does these 3 guys have in common? I went for what I thought was routine blood work a week or so ago. I figured, "No biggy" . I get this done once a year, as I'm on regular medication for my heart condition and high blood pressure. Doc wants to make sure we're not wrecking my liver in the process of keeping my ticker working. Well, the next day I heard from my doc. She had some news that I didn't particularly want to hear. Bottom line, I now have  Wilford Brimley Syndrome (WBS), aka Type 2 Diabete s. OK...no one calls it that but me...just remember - humor is how I deal with things. On a more positive note, the rest of my blood work was amazingly good! I really shouldn't be too surprised. I'm 48, overweight, and while I try to take care of myself, I can do better. Also, I had a few episodes of dizzy spells over the summer. I attributed them to the weather. The first one, I was painting a house and thought I had heat stroke. The second time, ...