Question for the LADIES.

[Stan47]

I went back to work with my funeral-bugler job on Nov 12, which was coincidentally my 62d birthday. Doing four to five days a week on that job, and I'm busy on the trumpet in a handful of bands and a small orchestra. The bugle work is the only playing that pays regularly, but the other stuff can be fun and keeps me in touch with friends, particularly friends who get paying gigs.

Today one of the bands played Christmas music for the holiday party of the local National Guard HQ. It was musical wallpaper, but great socializing. LAST Sunday, I was called upon to play a funeral on Smith Island, in the very southern-most end of MD. The trip each way was over 3 hours of driving, plus a 40-minute passenger ferry. I don't get paid a mileage allowance on that job, but the food we ate on the island (prepared by the family & friends of the deceased) was extraordinary. Fresh seafood, home cooked.

My body tells me I could be taking things a little easier, but I am trying to tough it out through New Years', since there is so much musical activity this time of year. I will take January at a much more leisurely pace. The playing isn't so bad, but the driving and (especially on the funeral jobs) the amount of standing gets to me.

Still no word on Annie, but every dog rescue person we've met is convinced that she has survived and we'll be reunited with her. Meanwhile, Peggy is looking around at another rescue dog. She wants a "snuggle dog" like Annie, and if we and Annie are reunited, we'll just be a three dog household again.

I haven't put much thought into replacing the trailer, but Peg has made it clear that we ARE going to travel again by RV. The HHR I bought to replace the Suburban would make a nice dinghy vehicle, so we'll probably shop for a class C MH.