Welcome to my blog!
A bit about me: I was born to immigrants from Latvia, who left Latvia during the Russian land grab after World War II. I grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and moved to Florida with my parents in 1972. I spent a long career at Parks and Recreation in Lee County, Florida. Then, in 2016, I left the crowded, expensive, and hurricane-prone lifestyle of Southwest Florida for the calmer Northeast Alabama.
I’ve always loved music since I was a kid, but I never learned an instrument or music theory. Just before the COVID outbreak, I decided to learn the ukulele. I joined my local ukulele group, the Ukesters, and realized how much I didn’t know about strumming simple chords. That inspired me to start studying the ukulele on the Uketropolis website, using Ukulele in the classroom, which was designed for kids, before rejoining the group. After COVID, I returned to the Ukesters and began a long journey to play and understand music using the ukulele.
About two years ago, I noticed a big lump and soreness in my thumb (left hand). It turned out to be arthritis, and in October 2025, I had a basal joint replacement surgery on my thumb.
That’s where I start this blog. I’m just eight weeks out of surgery and six weeks into hand/thumb therapy. While the constant pain is gone, my coordination and strength are also gone. I’m continuing my home therapy twice a day, trying to keep and improve my functionality.
I’m using this period of recovery as a ukulele/music reboot. I’ve picked up a lot of things in the last few years, but sometimes not quite the correct way to do those things. Now, I’m trying to get back to the basics, taking my time and making sure I’m doing it correctly. I can’t rush it because my hand gets tired fast— often it needs a break after just one song.
Also, I’ll often be talking about what’s going on in our country with the buffoon president and his followers. I know this isn’t really about music, but it’s a way for me to vent and share my thoughts on someone I think is delusional, mean, and a general jackass, Trump.
Johnny Uke 