Eddie,

$50 an hour isn't a bad income for this kind of activity, and there are a lot of so-called professionals out there that wish they made that much. The next time, you'll be more prepared, know what to expect, and the job will be easier. Last night's job was supposed to be four hours, but ended up at nearly five hours. Only had time for one break, kept the dancefloor filled with seniors and at the end of the night, the pay envelope had a $35 tip enclosed. Additionally, I booked six jobs at the same location for next year.

A friend of mine used to play a Baby Grand Yamaha at Mars Supermarkets four days a week. He got $150 for three hours, didn't have to sing and the job was from 2 till 5 p.m. during the week. He had this gravy train for three years, and while he often complained about the job, saying it was boring, when it all ended, he had a tough time replacing that income from other gig sources. Keep in mind one of my father's old sayings "There's only one thing money can't buy--poverty. You can rent all the other stuff."

As for the Kickapoo Joy Juice, email me your snail-mail address and I'll send you a bottle within the next week.

Enjoy,

Gary