Injury Report HNT

One doesn't expect injuries from the actual playing of a musical instrument. Sure, violinists often have to cut short their career due to the gross contortions their left arm has to endure to play, though proper training in their youth should be able to prevent that. Many a brass player has heard horror stories of marching band practices where someone zigged when they should have zagged, and they end up with a mouth full of mouthpiece, resulting in split lips, or even worse, missing teeth! Guitarists and violinists are always at risk of a string breaking in mid-performance, with the offending string snapping up and cutting some flesh, or maybe poking out an eye. There's many other similar situations, but not really due to normal playing circumstances.

I, myself, have gotten muscle cramps from playing bass guitar without warming up. Not something you think you'd have to do, but muscles are muscles. My fingertips have developed calluses from guitar strings (but that's a good thing). I've even split my lip wide open from getting hit by a rogue music stand (it's sort of a gross picture, so consider yourself warned...).

But as I mentioned in my last post, something happened to me for the first time in about 40 years of playing brass instruments. During intermission, I noticed that I had developed a blister on my upper lip! I've never done that! Not during 5-hr long gigs. Not during weekend-long chamber music orgies. And certainly not during a concert! But there was no mistake. I had a monster blister, right where my mouthpiece sits. Bernstein did it to me! I still had a second half of a concert to play, but it wasn't terribly taxing, so I suffered through it. I still hadn't seen it in a mirror, but I could feel it growing, even after the concert, knowing that it wasn't long before it would engulf my entire lip.

Know how, if you get a small grain of sand in your shoe, or a sesame seed stuck between your teeth, it always feels so much bigger than what it actually is? Well, same thing here. It may not look like much, but damn, it hurt like a bugger! You may not be able to see it well here, so click it to big it! And don't judge me--from MY side of things, it was HUGE!!!

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"50 years: here's a time when you have to separate yourself from what other people expect of you, and do what you love. Because if you find yourself 50 years old and you aren't doing what you love, then what's the point?"

~Jim Carrey

This week's Mystery Guest is celebrating her birthday (which should cut down on your guesses). If you don't know her already, she'll be revealed here Thursday afternoon!
Gotta reveal early here today. Our birthday girl is Evening! Stop by to wish her a Happy Birthday (and check out her birthday suit!) She's private, but you can click here to request an invite.

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Some good pictures over at "...the Other HNT" this week, as usual (don't forget--NSFW!). Next week will be the 3rd anniversary of OHNT, so if you'd like to celebrate by sending in something for over there, feel free! I hope to have the biggest turn-out yet next week!

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I've mulled it over, and decided NOT to do an Easter theme. The ideas for a theme were universally messy...