checking in

[Libre]

Hey everyone.
I've been taking a break - in case anyone was wondering about me.
A break from the forum, and a break from playing.
I've had some physical problems that I'm sure nobody wants to hear about - not that serious - but they've interfered with my practice and also my playing at the MET.
Well, since you asked:
1- left pinky is screwed up. I did post about it. Thought I had broken it at first - still not right. I can play on it but it hurts. I'm convinced I hurt it practicing Un Sueno En La Floresta. A real knuckle buster.
Doctors are cluless about it. I need a different doctor.
2- hearing is buggered. Comes and goes. Thought I was losing my hearing. Messes up all sounds - especially guitar. And voices. And everything. It's okay now - as I said, it comes and goes. Doctors are clueless about it. Had it checked by an audiologist and an ENT guy. They noted some hearing loss first time, then on 2nd exam found nothing.

So, I was at the MET about 6 weeks ago, doing my usual there, finger was hurting, hearing was totally out of kilter, nobody listening, making no money, starting to think - maybe I should pack it in. Been here a looonnnnnngggg time. So I did. I'll be back though - gotta get these probs resolved. I haven't been sitting around feeling sorry for myself - been playing golf. And enjoying it. Finger doesn't hurt when I'm golfing - and hearing isn't that essential. If anyone yells "FORE" and I don't hear them, well, I guess I'll be playing for the BIG GUY next. I wonder what to play for God. I like Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring - seems appropriate, but he may wonder what a Jew is doing playing that, and I just don't like Hava Nagila all that much.

So, just wanted to let everyone know I'm still in this world. Couple of folks emailed me to inquire, and I really appreciate that.
Thanks

[Faya]

Hey Libre!!!

i was wondering what happened to ya!

i know how it feels to "Pack everything up"..........i feel for ya man.

Glad to see you're still alive!:cool:

By the way..............For some reason people forget that Jesus WAS a Jew!!!

Give me a shout anytime dude!

Take care.

[brian richardson]

hey marc-

i was wondering where you were
but, i figured you
had your reasons.

man, i don't know what's going on but,
everybody seems to be falling apart lately.
gsi fan, jubi, faya, you, me....

the strange thing is lemmy from motorhead
still has his hearing!! go figure.

glad yer back marc!

funny what you said about playing for God.
i saw a bumper sticker that said, 'My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter'
i wondered, "you work for norm abram's of 'this old house'
and 'the new yankee workshop' fame?"

well, anyway, glad you're still around

[brian richardson]

who's stalking who now faya???
:twisted:

[Great Googly Moogly]

i saw a bumper sticker that said, 'My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter'My favorite bumper sticker is the one that says "Dear Lord, please protect me from your people."

Welcome back Marc!

And I was just wondering yesterday whatever happened to GSI Fan. What's the deal?

[Faya]

the funniest bumper-sticker i've seen on this subject was one that said,....
"Jesus was a Buddhist!"................
:lol::lol:

oh.........you best not be stalkin' me dude!!!!!:twisted::twisted:

[Faya]

well............as you can see Libre.
nothing new around here.....................same ol' stuff and people "High-Jacking" others threads........:D:rolleyes:;)

[Todd]

Great to see you here Marc!!!!

Im sending you all my positive energy to help you heal those
ears and that darn finger!!
You'll get through it man. Try to stay positive. Seems like you are.
Hang in there man!
TK

[Richard]

Welcome back, Marc!
My favorite religious bumper sticker is: Jesus loves you. Everyone else thinks you're an as*hole.

[thraex]

Seeing the other posters, I include myself in wondering about you, but refrained from publicly asking because I thought you had your reasons, specially getting "fresh air" out of the guitar world.

I opened the forum today and was wondering again what might have happened to you..

About your problems...I am sure you will get over them, you are that type of person, I am sure.

I have had pinky pain sometimes in my life, specially when I poised myself to play violoncello, then sometimes I get it with guitar, but is seldom.
Maybe I became a girly player (although most women guitarists seem more on the technical macho side...) but if it hurst or is too uncomfortable, I find other solutions or I just don't play the piece if musically gets compromised. Like the incredible virtuoso, Gonzalo Salazar told me in a masterclass: "first is my well being and health, then the rest"

Ears?? I was born with ear problems, recurrent otitis, so I just take special care of them, never listen to music with earplugs etc, they are quite sensitive (I wish they were "sensitive" for my music dictation courses, though ;) ) and even after extensive ear exams doctors say they are healthy...doctors and music.....

If God is that good, he will have good taste, therefore, our God Bach will always be suitable. Now, I will need to think what should an atheist (me) play in that circumstance :confused:

Anyway, good to see you back!

[Eric Pinson]

Hey Marc:

Sometimes we just need a break. :)

For as much passion you and all the rest of us have for the instrument, you will come back better than ever after some rest! I know you will.

Besides you may find some successful golfer that bought a Hauser I, didn't like the color, and wants to sell it for 50 bucks. Now that is worth taking some time off.

Rest up my friend,

Eric

[Libre]

Faya, Brian, Locust, Todd, Richard, Thraex, Eric, Sandra, Dominic:
Just want to say, it's great having such friends, and knowing there are people that care about me.
I intend to come back with a vengence!
I keep putting off going to a hand surgeon - but it looks inevitable. The hearing is okay for now - they can't find any problem - but they're not inside my head.
Ahhh - this getting old sucks. Why didn't anyone tell me that when I was a kid? Actually, they did - but who listens?

[JoeAlders]

Hello Marc,

Indeed, Welcome back to this Forum! When reading the response of a lot of the members it will, I hope, encourage you further to contribute to our Forum. We need you!!
But this is, of course my very personal opinion.

About Thraex’s response :

‘….Ears?? I was born with ear problems, recurrent otitis, so I just take special care of them, never listen to music with earplugs etc, they are quite sensitive (I wish they were "sensitive" for my music dictation courses, though ) and even after extensive ear exams doctors say they are healthy...doctors and music.....’

I agree with this statement of Threax, and my opinion is that you should consult
a GP anyway and tell your problems to him, not just consulting an ‘ audiologist’

‘….Maybe I became a girly player …’

What on earth do you mean by this Thraex? (I do not want to hijack this thread).

And:

‘… If God is that good, he will have good taste…’

Hmmmmmmffffff….

Joe.

[Pepe Vergara]

Hi Libre:

I am glad you checked in. I am sad you may not be able to play guitar. That is the second bad news I got this week. First, a gypsy friend who is a fantastic player, and now you. I am almost quitting too. Not enough money to pay for the bills. Too bad, when I started getting some professional recognition by professional players.
To add to the comments before, heard two expressions that called my attention:
1 - "Thanks God, I do not believe in God", and
2- " I do not believe in God because I can see Him" . This last one was Sir Issac Newton, a very devote Christian, who according to Steve Colbert, predicted that according to the laws of physics, the world was going to end at certain date. I am not sure the date, but it could be Dec. 31 of 2012 (the same date the Mayan predicted in their calendar).

Marc: Please get well. I want to be able to take a picture of you and me in front of the MET.

[Great Googly Moogly]

"Jesus was a Buddhist!"YOU'RE KIDDING!! WAS HE?!?! Here I had people trying to convince me he was a gun-carrying republican! Who knew? :)

[Faya]

YOU'RE KIDDING!! WAS HE?!?! Here I had people trying to convince me he was a gun-carrying republican! Who knew? :)

:lol::lol:......i know!!............what's up with that???;)

[Faya]

Pepe my friend!

It's because the world no longer has room for those who play or do things 100% from their Heart & Soul with feeling and passion.........it only has room for the mechanical man who explains everything away with logic as if it is some kind of magical spell..........

Don't worry ..............all will come to what is supposed to be!
that's the beauty of Life.;)

[Libre]

Hi Libre:
Marc: Please get well. I want to be able to take a picture of you and me in front of the MET.
Email me when you're coming, and I'll make a special trip there to meet you.

Joe:
I went first to my regular doctor, he sent me to a specialist - an ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor. It was he that examined me, stuck lights and scoped into my ears, and performed what is called an "emissions" test (basically low intensity sounds sent to you through earphones). He said I had a hearing impairment. He sent me to the audiologist, who did more stuff like the emissions test, but more elaborate, and also measured the speed of sounds from the ears to the brain.
To quote the old famous, whacky baseball player Dizzy Dean:
"They examined my brain and found nothing".

On the good side, the problem has seemed to have abated for now.
I'd describe it as, extrmeme sensitivity to certain frequencies, and insensitivity to other frequencies. And distortion over all ranges.

For example, when I was shopping for my last guitar about 5 months ago, I was trying one and I thought, hell, this guitar is totally unbalanced. The A string is 2x as loud as any other string. I mean, the sound of it pierced my ears. While the rest of the strings seemd to produce little volume. Then I realized it wasn't the guitar, it was me (a realization many of us have at one point or another, but ususally for other reasons).

[rdubb]

hey marc!

I took a break from the gsi forum as well....well, i'd admit, partially b/c the new forum software tripped me out (mmm, flashbacks..hehe) and I secretly wished for the old janky bbs that I had known and loved. I've since grown more fond of it though.

I'm sure I've posted about this MANY times, but I have had a (at times) serious recurring problem in my left hand pinky. Sidelined me for nearly a year twice since the initial injury in 2003. It sucks, but stay positive. My hand is doing ALOT better now, it just a lot of patience and postiive thinking. The 'holistic' method has worked well for me (yoga, alexander, chiropractics, etc.). The nerves and the tissues/tendons/musculature of the hand and arm do take a long time to heal. for me, it was mostly mental though, I had to completely change how I practice and play, and approach learning new music.

i have tinnitus too, but that's from going to too many techno parties when I was in college.