Great Day!

Sometimes you just have a great day and for some reason you feel social enough to want to share it with anyone and everyone. Last Friday I was a special guest on Fender's Den of Sin on CrossFire Radio. As an independent DJ Fender is himself both impressive and unimposing. He's a welcoming sort and that goes a long way with what he does. He and I actually go some years back. In fact he was the one who gave me the stage name "Animal" when he saw me playing and noticed the Muppets Animal mounted to my drums.

It's been some years and I do still play out, but those days are few and far between now. I'm okay with that. I feel as if I've done pretty much everything I've ever wanted to do as a drummer. The only thing I haven't done is play to an audience of 40,000 or more. If the chance ever presents itself I'll jump on it. No matter what kind of music it is. Even polka! Come on. The world is waiting for a Lawrence Welk revival.

As I entered Fender's studio the red "on air" light gave a friendly warning and I had no idea what to expect. I met his co-host, an impressive ex-military soldier who you never would have guessed had given any number of years to the service; a rocker they call McLovin - and the guy is full on fun. He brings Fender's show something that can take it to a commercial level.

When I took my seat before the mic and gave it a few checks it wasn't long before I met the show's producer Bruno, a rocker himself who gives the show a sense of the professional. So I was all set. The only thing I had prepared for was talking about the magazine (ROCKnROLL GraphiX) and promoting the contributors who've helped make it so wonderful. But just as the show started there was one thing I never could have anticipated...

My mother!

For those of you who tuned in you already know what happened. The next hour or so was spent with both hosts showering me with a barrage of embarrassing questions, which I had the pleasure of answering directly before my mother's ears. Of course there was no solace as they equally questioned my mother about my upbringing and the items she may have found under my mattress. There was great joy on their faces as she laughed and I ached to find a hole to crawl into. A highlight I'm sure they will most likely use in a promo jingle was when Fender was saying goodbye to my mother and she very proudly stated, "enjoy your sin!"

Despite my embarrassment I've been assured the spontaneous call from my mother only helped my cause. It seems to be true, so I am very glad of it. In short, thanks to Fender and McLovin for having me in the Den - to hammer me with embarrassment.

Nearly a week has passed since the show and I'm still getting positive feedback from it. A week can clear one's head, especially if one is focused on the daily grind. A typical day for me involves waking, going straight to work on the magazine/site; working a full 9 hour/day 40 hour/week job; working on lettering for various clients; attempting to promote the magazine in any way I can find; recruiting new talent and contributors; and all this while trying to fit in time with the woman I share my life with.

Man, when I look back at that I realize how much she tolerates. Not a lot of guy's girlfriends would put up with their men talking to porn stars. And that makes today an exceptionally great day. Someone once said it's the simple things that make life worth living. Hell. That's got to be true.

I started my work early today. I promised my Baby Girl she would have me for a whole two days all to herself and I intend to keep that promise. She was sound asleep for a good three to four hours while I got all my work done. And on that, everything just went right. No major setbacks. Everything smooth.

We headed out and did a few errands. Nothing too stressful. Then, as we drove casually though Crestwood, Kentucky, we came upon a commercial garage and my eyes widened with excitement. To my astonishment sat a fully restored 1968 Pontiac GTO. Beautiful! And close by was a classic red Thunderbird (I can't quite place its year). Two powerful Pontiacs side by side. It was a miracle. We pulled into the shop's lot and I introduced myself to the mechanic and we bantered for a while. This, again, is where I am impressed with my girlfriend's tolerance. No girly girl wants to sit and wait while her man talks shop and takes pictures of machines she only thinks of as vehicles to get you from point A to point B.

Well, after all this her only reward was a nice dinner. Okay. Not a great dinner but nice. Hey, there was steak. How can you not have steak after seeing two classic Pontiacs?

I'm not much for the sentimental, so I'm sure you'll believe when I say, Yes. It is the simple things that make life worth living.