Good point Scott,
this is the best way to do it.

Doug, I am no teacher, and I surely could use one. However, the two years I spent at a music school, showed me this: Excercises are needed, but they were boring me to death.
So I went the other route, I did the minimum on excersises, and just had fun playing songs I liked. Something I heard on the radio, older songs I had on tape, whatever I liked.
At first, I sounded like someone who lost fingers in a minefield in Bosnia. So what? Tried more and more, and more again.

Now I can (with the generous help of an arranger of course, lack of exercises means left hand is still almost crippled), play along and sometimes in unison to others, without showing that much ignorance of music theory. At least people recognise the songs, and sing along...
As for the songs I like, sometimes, I can't walk straight from too much alcohol, but I can still play them well, they are engraved in my mind now.
Practice, practice, practice....It can lead to perfection, just practice songs you like.
Off to work, bye