My name is Mike and I am an addict...

[drummer5359]

Hi Folks,

My name is also Mike. (That should help to confuse things from the start.)

I'm originally from Pittsburgh (Go Steelers! Go Penguins!)

I now live in Chevy Chase Maryland outside of DC. I suffered two stokes last year. I returned to work, but realized that 14 hour work-days were not in my future any more. I'm recently retired from being the president of the local region of a national company. My girlfriend and I are going to be touring the country in a motorhome in the near future.

My playing has suffered a great deal due to the strokes, now my playing is more about physical therapy.

I'm a totally gear-head and have become a bit of a collector. (I used to consider myself a serious player who sort of collected, now I'm a serious collector who sort of plays.)


This is my current snare drum arsenal

2007 Ahead Black on Brass 6" x 13"

2009 Ahead Black on Brass 6" x 14"

1990s Ayotte Drumsmith Stainless steel 5 1/2" x 13"

2004 DW Solid Shell Natural Satin 5" x 14"

2008 DW 10 ply maple Broken Glass 5" x 14"

2008 DW Edge Broken Glass 6" x 13"

2009 DW Super Solid Shell Broken Glass 5 1/2" x 14"

2008 Fibes maple White Marine Pearl 5 1/2" x 14"

1970s Gretsch model 4160 Chrome Over Brass 5" x 14"

1981 Gretsch model 4160 Chrome Over Brass 5" x 14"

2006 Gretsch Catalina Birch Chestnut Fade Lacquer 5 1/2" x 14"

2007 Gretsch Nickel over steel 5" x 14"

1990s Legend Maple 6 1/2" x 14" with die cast hoops Natural Lacquer finish.

1970s Ludwig Acrolite 5" x 14"

2000s Ludwig Acrolite 5" x 14" Black Galaxie finish.

2000s Ludwig Classic Maple 3" x 13" Natural Lacquer finish.

2000s Ludwig Classic Maple 6 1/2" x 14" Natural Lacquer.

2009 Ludwig Black Beauty 5" x 14"

2009 Ludwig Supraphonic 5" x 14"

2009 Ludwig Classic Maple 5" x 14" Natural Lacquer.

2009 Mapex Big Cat 8" x 14" blue lacquer with "Big Beat" logo signed by Jimmy Chamberlin.

1988 Noble & Cooley 7" x 14" solid shell maple Red Lacquer finish.

2000s Pearl Free Floating Brass Piccolo 3 1/2" x 14"

2007 Pearl Chad Smith 5 1/2" x 14"

1990s Remo Black Piccolo 3" x 13"

1963 Slingerland 5 1/2" x 14" Dark Blue Sparkle finish.

1970s Slingerland Chrome over Brass 5 1/2" x 14"

1976 Slingerland Buddy Rich model 5 1/2" x 14" Blackrome finish.

1990s Slingerland Radio King Solid Maple 6 1/2" x 14" natural lacquer finish with die cast hoops and bread and butter lugs.

2009 Sonor Force 3007 Dark Blue lacquer 5 1/2" x 14".

I've never gotten in on the ground floor of a forum before, I think it's sort of cool.

[mtarrani]

Welcome Mike. Montgomery County eh? I am formerly from Bowie in PG County. Great collection!

[drummer5359]

That's not to far away at all. Now you are a Floridian? I lived in south Florida for twelve years. (I miss the weather.)

What took you you south?

"Great collection!" Thank you. Yours is amazing.

[mtarrani]

(12-08-2009 07:10 PM)drummer5359 Wrote:  That's not to far away at all. Now you are a Floridian? I lived in south Florida for twelve years. (I miss the weather.)

What took you you south?

"Great collection!" Thank you. Yours is amazing.

Half Floridian and half Californian. I came out here from CA 5 years ago to semi-retire. The downturn made that impossible. Will probably move back to CA at some point.

[drummer5359]

I'll do some kind of work for spending money down the road. Our RV adventure is mainly to figure out where we want to land next.

[Kevin_S]

(12-08-2009 07:34 PM)drummer5359 Wrote:  I'll do some kind of work for spending money down the road. Our RV adventure is mainly to figure out where we want to land next.

The RV thing sounds like "living the dream". That's awesome. One day when all the kids have moved out I may look into it..

[drummer5359]

As I said in my intro, I had two strokes last year. I had a pretty high pressure job and it was flat out killing me. My Girlfriend was the director of listener reaseach for NPR until she was "restructured" out of a job.

We have some assets that allow us to do this, and why not? I'm 50, in semi-lousy health and she is 59. If we waited ten more years we might not get to do it at all.