Dave,

Warning! Threadjack still in progress...

You're not sticking anything where you weren't invited... [Linked Image]

I have many talents... As you mentioned before. Everyone wants me to do things for them but no one feels they need to pay me for it. Heck, my last job was a friends house that caught fire and I can't really ask for any money... 84 Lumber is supplying things for free... It happened at Christmas, etc.

I could play Bass Guitar in any band around here, in fact I play in two now (and I'm the sound-engineer, the roadie crew, the maintenance man, etc.) I make about $50 per gig in one, and nothing in the other. Counting loading-up, unloading and setting up the PA and equipment, I average about 10 hours per gig. $5 per hour even sucks for a musician. By the time I pay gas and bar tab... Well, you can guess there's not much left.

I'm a world class bass player, really. I can play bass better than I can do anything. If I moved to a City, that is what I would want to pursue... However... Many years of this business has caused Carpal-Tunnel Syndrome in both wrists, Trigger Finger in both index fingers, and Arthritis in almost every knuckle. Playing the bass is quickly becoming something of my past.

Glad to Have Life : A song I wrote about 15 years ago. I'm the lead singer and lead guitarist (solo).

Theme for a Cop Show : A song I wrote whimsically. All instruments are MIDI and composed with Noteworthy Composer. Think of it as a combination of Miami Vice, Hawaii 5-0, and Chips.

I'm currently designing an ultralight airplane. No simple plane either, using a NACA 6515 Airfoil, Leading edge slots, Full-Span Junkers flaperons, Inverted NACA 6515 for the tail-plane, full-flying rudder...

I'm shooting for a CL of 3.0 and the smallest wing possible. 22.5' span and 3.75' chord. 27 mph stall, 55 cruise, 64 Vne... Take-off in 100 feet or less (I have a really small field). 254 lbs dry, single seat, 5 gallons of fuel, 25 to 30 HP, Steel-tube (EMT?) and fabric.

BTW, is EMT made of chromoly steel?

Pretty much a ZenithAir CH701 in ultralight form. (FAR part 103)... but I digress...

It's really just a brain exercise since I doubt I'll ever have the dough to follow through, but still fun to do.

Spreadsheets are fun and easy, but impossible to copyright. Guess I need to learn visual basic, C++, or something similar, then I could sell them.

But here's reality:

Tomorrow, my only plan and goal is to see if I have enough gas to get to the store, and take my loan dollar bill and buy a lottery ticket (I've only bought a few in my life).

God will have to do the rest.

[This message has been edited by sparky66wv (edited 01-20-2005).]

-Virgil
Residential/Commercial Inspector
5 Star Inspections
Member IAEI