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Hiya folks! Just thought I'd pass through and post a "hi" to everyone. I'm still alive and kicking. No recording since my album was finished in January. I retired in March and enjoying doing what I want to do for a change. Only one problem with doing NOTHING ---- I never know when I'm through......... Completed 5 months of NO-SMOKING........ smoked 46 years.... earned C.O.P.D. and now I'm through with the habit. Think about them everyday........ desperately want one, but know I can't do that. They were killing me. If I can quit, anyone can. I loved my cigarettes!!!! But they weren't my friend. They double-crossed me! Such is life. Wife and I got us a new doggie. Our Maltese passed away in 2007 after we had him for 12 years. If you want to see what the new one looks like, go HERE! Just updated my BIAB and RealBand. Maybe when the weather gets cooler, I'll record something...... maybe not........ dunno........ Need to at least practice or I'll forget everything I know. Take care, everyone!!
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Glad to hear your doing well, and doing what you want. Congrats on the quit smoking deal! Stay the course!
Looking forward to more Ray tunes
HP Win 11 12 gig ram, Mac mini Sonoma with 16 gig of ram, BiaB/RB 2026, Reaper 7, Harrison Mixbus 11 , Presonus Audiobox USB96
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Hi Ray,
Good to see you back, Buddy. Starting to worry when we hadn't heard from you for a while. Congrats on staying off the coffin nails!!
Cheers,
Keith
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Welcome back, Ray. Always nice to see you. I'm very glad you quit smoking, and yes, after over a year, I still desperately want a cigarette every now and again, but I promise you, it will get easier. Take life easy, enjoy and relax, but don't let it slip by you, enjoy it all you can.  Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Great to hear from you, Ray! Congrats on retiring, I hope to be retiring early from my business next year if I can perduade my partners to buy me out, but I have a feeling the distaff side will be making lists for me each day so I don't think it's going to be all songwriting and recording...  I'm so glad to hear you quit the fags (that means cigarettes here in the UK), those things are costly as well as deadly. Now you can show how much money you've saved and spend it on studio gear!  As you say over the pond, don't be a stranger y'hear?  John
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Hi Ray
I was wondering where you had got to,it's nice to hear you are doing well.
Not smoking is great,I quit 3 years ago and yes I still get the urge to have one.
I don't think it ever goes away,it just gets more manageable.
C.O.P.D,yeah,got that as well as a couple of other nasties,now you know how
important it is not to smoke.
Come back soon,and post something for us.
Best Wishes to you all
Alan
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Hi, Ray! Good to hear from you and know that all's well. I haven't been around much myself until the last few weeks (personal issues). Hang in there with the no smoking - try a spot of hypnosis, it helps wonders (I should know, I am a hypnotherapist among other things)
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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Hi, Ray -
Good to hear from you. I listen to your CD every now and then and really enjoy it! And just think, now that you've quit the cowboy killers, you'll have more money for GAS.*
* Gear Acquisition Syndrome
John Laptop-HP Omen I7 Win11Pro 32GB 12TB SSD Desktop-ASUS-I7 Win10Pro 32GB 12TB SATA BB2026/UMC204HD&404HD/Casios/Cakewalk/Reaper/Studio One/Notion/Dorico/Noteworthy/NI/Halion/IK http://www.sus4chord.com (under rehosting/construction)
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Hi Ray,
Good to hear from you again.
Enjoy your retirement.
Congrats on the quitting smoking.
I'm about to do it again. I'm also a COPD guy.
REMEMBER...There's no such things as "just one cigarette" for a long-time smoker.
When I stopped last year, for 3 months, (the longest stop in 52 years!) I decided to have "just one".
One is too many...and a thousand is not enough.
Take it a day at a time.
I'll put you in my prayers.
Mick
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Good to see your name in there again Ray. Stay with the music. It’s your best friend. When I quit smoking (they were .15 cents a pack) and they would sell you just one cigarette for one penny at that time. I quit because they were 15 cents a pack and they were going up to 16 cents.
I had problems when I did something for the first time since I quit. I went fishing two years later and wanted a cigarette because I always smoked while fishing. I just let it pass and from then on I never had any more problems when I went fishing.
After I had gone and done all the things I did when I smoked and let each pass, smoking was history for me. I tell you this so you know it will pass. Very nice looking dog. It looks like a small deer to me with those long ears.
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Ditto to the friendly posts above, Ray.
Keep your faith in Him who created all things and you won't need anything else.
--Mac
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Whaddya say, Ray - welcome back!
Stick with the no-smokes rule. It will pay off.
I'm trying to remember the last collab that I did with you - what was the name of it? I had laid down some country licks on electric guitar. I was trying to find it the other day to no avail. You were collaborating with someone else on the song as well.
Anyway, welcome back!
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Ray, Good to see you back on the forum!  Cool dog - non smoker?
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Hey Ray, welcome "home"
RE smoking - what Mac said, it worked for me.
--=-- My credo: If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing - just ask my missus, she'll tell ya  --=--You're only paranoid if you're wrong!
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Hiya Ray, good to see ye again. I smoked the pipe for 30 yrs + I enjoyed it and the doc said it wasn't really doing me that much harm.
However my other doctor ( wife ) forced me to give after I had a stroke a few years ago. I didn't stop when SHE told me to as we were going through a lot of stress at the time. I kept it secret until one day I decided to quit myself. I'd been out for messages & on the way home stopped in a quiet parking space & threw my pipes & tobacco into the trees. That was that.
Gettin' too darned expensive here in the uk anyways. Nearly $10 for a packet of 20 cigarettes & I think it's about £4 ( $ 8 ) an oz of pipe tobacco.
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Good to see you Ray.......I think about you every now and then. I'm still benefiting from your tutorials. Now there is a hobby for your retirement time, new tutorials on Real Band, Real Tracks, etc. Might even make some money hehehe.
God bless
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As a hypnotherapist, I can confirm what Graham wrote above. The time is right when YOU are ready to stop. HTH
Follow That Dream Sam Karaoke King -------------------- Turning that corner again - I have to keep following that dream, no matter what
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always good when longtime friends resurface looking forward to your future post
Lenovo YOGA 900 Window s 10 Home 64bit M4 pro Mac mini 1tb HD 24GB mem casio wk7500 presonus audiobox i2 usb interface
casio wk-7500
biab & realband 2025 everything pk both with Current builds
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Hi Ray, it's good to know that you are still kicking. Keep looking up!
Don S
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Put me in that number, I'm also happy to hear from your Ray. Don't stay away so long this time.
Later,
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