In the many years I served in the military, there were a few friends whose names and memories stick out more than any other, even to this day. I will try to include photos of them in my Galleries as best I can, although I don't have photos of them all.  But they certainly deserve mention in my "book of favorite things" which is what this Site is to me.

During some of those years in the army, I had various injuries and eventually I left military service so that I could regain some degree of health. I had a couple herniated discs in my lower back, frostbite injury in a hand and foot, several other assorted injuries and a phobia of flying that has only gotten worse over the years! I had damage to my left hand from the frostbite and it keeps me from holding down the strings on my Ovation 12-string accoustic guitar. I can only play for about 10 minutes or so these days before the pain forces me to stop. Surgery on the hand in 1996 was not successful in repairing the damage. When I realized that was becoming an issue, I turned to piano and began teaching myself to play.

Currently, I own an Alesis QS7 (76-key model) synth that I wouldn't trade for anything in the world - I just love the action on the keys and the layout of the controls is easy enough for even me to use! I do more of my composing and performing on this keyboard now than with my guitar, but thankfully I can still play guitar well enough to get some of the most realistic effects that I need on the digital recordings.
   ~ John