TIMING IS EVERYTHING

What the *&%#$ am I thinkin? After all this talk about Everyday Earnest Effort what's timing got to do with anything. Not a whole helluva lot actually, but it was definitely on my side last Friday night.

Music as you know has a very special place in my life, and this past week we went to see one of my all-time favorite bands: Bad Company. I dig these guys and have seen em numerous times over the years. But I especially didn't want to miss this opportunity because 1) it'd been awhile since the original lineup performed together, and 2) unlike in their heyday when they were sellin out huge arenas, they were playin at a relatively small venue; a hotel/casino in not so far away Indio CA.

For us it's about a 100 mile drive, one which on a Friday night however can easily take every bit of two hours. We got on the road around 4:30, the concert was scheduled to begin at 8:00. Sure enough the traffic sucked! We finally arrived at about 7:15, checked in and got up to the room just in time to settle in and unwind.

In typical tailgate fashion I brought along a small ice chest with a couple of cold ones. Hey this ain't Vegas, beers are five bucks a pop on the casino floor and twice that inside the show. Anyhow we're in the room, I'm twistin one open and my wife asks me if I would go get some fresh ice for margaritas (OK so it's not that small of an ice chest). I politely tell her that as soon as I finish this first beer I'll go grab some. Beer downed, thirst quenched, I grab the ice bucket and fling open the door. Who walks past at that very instant? Mr. Paul *%^$# Rodgers of Bad Company.

Now I know I said I dig these guys, but Paul in particular is someone I've personally admired from afar for a long long time. Easily top 10 on my list of rock n' roll royalty. So we make eye contact, cordially acknowledge one another, shake hands, and off he goes. "Honey! You'll never guest who I just met, Paul Rodgers!" "Cool" she says, "did ya get the ice?"

In short it was an incredible night. The show was great, the band in top form, and my close friend Paul, well, that rich baritone voice of his is as iconic and soulful as ever. He's still beltin em out after all these years. See ya next time. Till then, keeep it up.