As for nowadays, well, is VERY rare to see me WITHOUT a guitar in my hands when I have free time...I'm not sure how many hours that is..just pull out the songbooks and folders and play...and play...and play....Oy, my fingertips are so hard that I once (accidentally) sliced the end with an X-Acto knife (clumsy art student)--no blood, no scar, no cut! BTW do people fingers REALLY bleed if they play too much? I've heard it a lot, but I've never seen it...

--Mbo