Well now, there seems to have been some activity on this thread I was not aware of. Forgive me if I'm a little out of breath, I just returned from a run. Well that would be my latest "beer run" but I have a fresh 18 pack of Budlights to help get me through this post. Sadly my beer drinking habit goes against everything my SongRamp buddy Dave Rice tried to warn me about; but I have just returned from a trip to Nashville where my buddies "KevMO" and "Philboy" were bad examples for me. In fact; they not only drank my beer but they hid their bottles of bourbon in the freezer so I couldn't find them.
Oh my, what a trip we had. We began planning for this trip last February and it seemed so far off in the future I didn't think I would have to ever worry about packing or making that long assed drive from Ohio to Nashville. However; the time passed quickly and the next thing I knew I was in Cinci trying to get across the Ohio River on a bridge they were doing construction work on. It wasn't bad going down to Nashville because it was a Saturday and I left home at 4:30am and got to Cinci early enough there was little traffic. However on my return trip the traffic was much worse and it took me nearly 2 hours to cross that bridge. I got impatient and thought about jumping off the bridge a couple of times to end it all; but as I was about to exit my vehicle the lane of traffic I was in moved forward a cars length and I had to get back in my seat and move forward. S.O.B.
I didn't have to worry about performing any songs like Philboy and KevMo did because I don't perform anymore. I was never very good at performing in my earlier years but after years of smoking and drinking beer I now suck at it worse than ever before. In fact the last time I performed I did receive a lot of tips but they were all to make me stop playing and not for my ability to play my songs. S.O.B.
The plans for my trip and my normal procrastination ended when my Army buddy "Mackboy" called me to suggest he drive up to Nashville from Atlanta and I drive down a couple of days early so we could meet up and continue our reunions from the past 45 years. We both got out in 1973 and along with another Army buddy "Markboy" we met every year for a reunion (mostly in Memphis because we loved the music on Beale Street) until we lost Markboy in 2001. That's what we did and I suggested meeting at the Motel 6 connected to the recently opened club "Broken Spoke" that Philboy remembers from his business travels through Nashville back in the 90's. Philboy and I have stayed there before during a previous Nashville visit but the Broken Spoke had been closed for years do to a fire. They recently reopened the club and once again have live music, meaning singer/songwriters. We were happy to stay some place with an attached bar to get a bite to eat, drink some beer, and stagger back to our rooms. However; a cop did drive by and threaten to arrest us for "drunk walking with attempt to crawl". However because we were Vet's he let us go. Ha!!! (just teasin).
On Sunday I got a call from MAB wondering if I was in town or not. Please realize I have an old flip top cell phone that is not connected to the internet at all. It wasn't until I got home I saw I had numerous emails from MAB wondering if I was in town or not and why I did'nt answer his emails. I didn't have a smart phone like most people and I had no idea he had been emailing me; also I rarely check my cell phone so I didn't even realize he had left me numerous phone calls for me to answer. However; MAB called me on Sunday around 8:00 and woke my drunk ass up, so we finally connected and MAB was kind enough to come over and pick Mackboy and myself up and take us out for lunch. That would be only one of many times MAB went out of his way to show me and the boys a great time.
The next morning (Monday) was supposed to be the day I left home to begin my journey; but I was already in town and the boys (KevMO and Philboy) were not scheduled to arrive until later that afternoon (the Kid from Texas was not able to make the trip). Mackboy and I went out for breakfast and said our "good-byes" for another year and another trip. I called MAB and he told me to come over to his and Tina's house; which I did. After a cup of coffee with MAB and a short visit, MAB wanted to go out for lunch. He took me to one of his favorite hang-outs and he ordered beef tips with noodles, mashed potatoes, and green beans. S.O.B. I was really sorry I had a late breakfast because his meal looked so good; but I did manage to put down a tasty bar-be-que pulled pork sandwich. It was very good.
We got back to MAB and Tina's but it was getting into late afternoon and the guys were about to come into town. We had rented a large house for a week from some friends of MAB. I left MAB and made my trip across Nashville to meet the guys. While driving across town I got a call from KevMo that the security code the landlord gave us would not open the front door. We went over the code but it would still not open the door for him. KevMo walked to the back of the house, took a few steps to the back deck and tried the sliding glass door. S.O.B. It was not locked so he entered the house and walked to the front room to unlock the main door. On his way back to the kitchen area (with the sliding glass door) he walked into the kitchen to find a young kid entering the sliding glass door. KevMo says the kid was as surprised as he was and the kid's eyes got as big as silver dollars. He and the buddy behind him took off in different directions and we never saw them again. I arrived shortly after and that caused a lot of confusion for us. The owners were leaving that very same day for a trip to London and I thought they had left early in the morning so I didn't call them, thinking they may be asleep crossing the Atlantic ocean so I sent her a text message. Turns out they were at the Nashville airport and she got back with me. Of course they were concerned about intruders and suggested we call the police. I didn't want to get that involved and suggested they do that if they wanted to; which they did. By the time the cops arrived Philboy was there and we had KevMo settled down by pouring a few shots of bourbon down him (I'm only teasing). The truth is; we didn't feel threatened at all and the kids had obviously been there before enjoying watching TV in the air-conditioning and drinking the bottled water in the fridge. However they did no damage at all from their pervious visits so we were not concerned at all. The guys made a trip to the grocery and KevMo fixed a great Chinese meal for when MAB, Tina, JaLinda, and Charles showed up that evening. It was a low keyed evening and we ended things early. The next day the maintenance man showed up to put on new locks and screens where they had been damaged.
I may be over my alotted words allowed for a post so maybe I should break this post up. I'll be back.
OD