Fretting fingers are starting to develop thick rhino-like hide. Index finger on right hand, likewise.

40 minute daily practice is becoming easier to endure. Fingers are still sore from holding down strings on frets, but is becoming much easier to hold them in place with no unnecessary vibrations from loose string. Notes are coming out clear and consistent.

Practice currently entails the following:

Turn guitar with auto tuner to EADG on both open strings and on 12th fret.
Practice plucking each string in clear consistent fashion moving up three frets and back three frets for 1/2, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd positions (Grand total of 76 possible finger positions, usually playing string 10-15 times for each position.)

Haven't even attempted to learn any bass lines yet. Coordination is just not there to shift between strings in steady fashion yet. Need more strength in fingers to build up speed.

Found a possible lead on personal instruction close to home. Local music shop in Swissvale offers instruction for all levels. $60 a month for 1/2 a week of personal lessons. That comes to be about 12-15 bucks a week depending on if there are 4 or 5 weeks in a month. Sounds like a good deal. Going to stop in on Saturday to see if I can set up classes for myself but in the mean time, will keep working on strengthening fingers, hands, and memorizing the fretboard.

Surprisingly I've managed to undertake this and still have managed to balance other things in life without becoming a bass hermit. Working on finishing an AMV project with Sarah for Tekkoshocon. Once that is done has some craft projects for the table to work on. Finished a story project this week and am still doing the usual rockin' out with Sarah on the XBox360 and starting to move forward in the life of Niko Bellic on GTAIV.

The important thing I'm learning is to be balanced. I can undertake this and not have it become the center of my universe that requires my undivided attention. (which sometimes happens when I undertake something new.) Bass practice time is bass practice time. Hockey time is hockey time. Creative time is creative time. Gaming time is gaming time. No one thing is more important than the other and they all are only things that help enhance the really important things in life - Sarah, family, work, etc.

Speaking of Sarah, she has been absolutely wonderful about helping me work this new thing into my life. She's been very supportive and encouraging and that means the world to me. Every day I think I couldn't be any luckier to have her in my life, she goes and does yet another wonderful thing to remind me why I feel that way. I can't wait until October 17th.

Okay, I'm up too late. Need to start getting ready for bed. Further updates pending as new progress is made.