On May 12, I was rear-ended and pushed into the opposite lane of traffic just in time to meet a cement truck head-on. My car was totaled, I was banged up good. I was airlifted to the city trauma center at Temple University Hospital. I was bleeding to death from inside my mouth and my arm was broken in two places. It took them 3 hours to put my face back together and 5 hours to put a titanium plate in my arm and screw it all together. The good news is, I'm going to be fine. My face is already almost as handsome as it was before, and the arm is in a cast until June 30. Everything points to getting back to 100% by July. I'm OK with that.

So my good pal and musical partner came over last night to see what I can still do. I am happy to report that I can still play my 1956 Harmony Lap Steel Guitar and my 2004 Max Special Washtub Bass. And, I can still sing. So happy day. I figure in a couple of weeks, I'll be able to turn my wrist within the cast enough to play banjo too… maybe even dobro.

I'm going to do physical therapy too. We're going to start even before the cast comes off. I'm hoping I can continue to play with medium strings. Actually, I always have had trouble with bar chords and medium strings… With therapy and some luck, I should get all my strength back.

So, now you know.

Let me just take a moment to say that my Emily is the greatest gal a boy could have. She has taken complete care of me since I got out of the hospital on the 17th, without a single complaint. I am one lucky boy. She feeds me, cleans me, makes my coffee, everything. Boy, do I love her.

Anyhow, I'm doing fine, and pleased to get back to music in any capacity. I'm going to work on one of those tripods with noisemakers on it like JAB/Gutbucketeer/JimBunch has. A tripod with a crossbar, and tape kazoo, slide whistle, duck call, etc. My 6 piece band gets back to business on Monday, so I'm looking to make as much noise as I can. My lips still aren't healed up enough to play harmonica.

Any other advice?