Sorry it took so long to make this journal entry. Work has been pretty hectic and I've come home brain dead. I still try to put in a minimum of 45 minutes practice to maintain what I've done so far. I'm hoping things settle down soon so I can continue my climb.

Of all things that I deal with – comparing my progress to others has been the hardest thing to remove from my mind. I frequently find myself looking at the accomplishments of others and seeing how I stack up. If I come up short I immediately wonder if I'm doing the right things. Is two hours enough practice time? Do I need more long tones? Dozens of questions like this pop into my head and sometimes lead me to wonder if I should have stuck with the sax. On the really bad days I wonder where I would be if I had put all this work into it rather than starting from scratch with trumpet. One listen to Miles Davis, Donald Byrd and Terence Blanchard quickly remind me of why I picked it up to begin with. To me that is a good sign.

Thank God for a good teacher and a support group of friends who understand what I'm trying to do. I've been told numerous times that I am working on the right things and I hear a word that I might as well tattoo on my forehead… patience. Or as my friend Lou constantly tells me — enjoy the trip.