On 05/26 04:50 , r j wrote: > What do you do to keep your hands in good shape? Buy one of these: http://ironmind-store.com/Trainer-Captains-of-Crush-Hand-Gripper/productinfo/1250/ Put it in your car. On your drive to work, squeeze it in your hand (squeeze and hold for 15 seconds, then relax; invert it in your hand, change to the other hand, alternate these different modes of squeezing it but do it for at least a few repetitions on each hand). This will stretch out your tendons and muscles first thing in the morning, and will prevent the pain. Don't jump into it too quickly; if you're not accustomed to it, you may feel like you're getting worse at first. It will get better after that. Believe it or not, if you're a man of ordinary strength, squeezing 100 pounds in your hand is ordinary. It may take a little while to get used to using your muscles that way; but you can do it. If you're really concerned about your grip strength, start off with one of the lighter models. Do not buy one of the crappy plastic or chrome-plated ones they sell at most fitness stores. Those things will break if you use them more than a few times. Buy the good ones from Ironmind, they last forever. -- Carl Soderstrom Systems Administrator Real-Time Enterprises www.real-time.com