Rumor's Jam-Sonya Adair's 50th Birthday Party

With:

Sippie Bynum-Vocals (1,2)
Karl Hudson-Vocals and Guitar (3-5)
Mike Clair-Guitar
Tommy Bruner-Guitar
Jeremiah Murphy-Bass
Randy Burghdoff-Guitar

Setlist:

Bring It On Home
The Twist
Take It Easy
Sister Golden Hair
All My Loving

Sonya is the bartender at Rumors.  She's been doing the jams ever since I came out of retirement to play music again.   Anyway, I got there early but so did about four other drummers and I waited in the wings till Terry picked me to back Ernest up on his two song medley.  I think it was Ernest that made that request for me to back him up.  Then Karl came up to do a couple of songs before I headed out to hang with Julie for a couple hours.  It wasn't so much of a secret we were together but I finally changed my status from single to in a relationship with her on Saturday, technically, I gave December 2nd as the official day she mentioned she was ready.  Even back then, it was slow going and there are times I do notice that she's still not sure if she's totally ready.  I cannot rush her into this, I have to let her decide if she wants to grow closer together with me.  I know both of us had a couple bad relationship tries in the past so it has to be a day by day thing.  And taking it slow.  I'm all for it.

I know where she's coming from.  I've been single for so long that I tend to come and go in my own way and leave everybody behind for a while.  I admit I wasn't the best boyfriend when it came to my last go at being with somebody.   The thrill of being with somebody at the start and then the growing pains of trying to learn to live with each other.   And then the disagreements, the fights and then the breakup, and the pain of heartbreak.   Hell, I never want to go through with that again, I want somebody that I grow together with and not fight them every step of the way.  It took me five years to even consider seeing or dating anybody.  And then I started going to Julie's bands an supporting her a couple years ago.  Somehow she looked at me differently than anybody else and then started being interested in me enough to wonder if and when I would ask her out.  When she couldn't wait anymore she asked me out.  And then we fell in love with each other.

I find myself not wanting to leave her when I do visit her.  I think it helps when her furbabies love me a lot.  That's probably the reason why she was attracted to me, with me watching Franklin the dog and her two cats when she was in California.   And then I'm sitting there chatting with Franklin and talking about how much we miss her.  I have bargain hunts to plan and then drop them when she wants to get together.  I'm sure I can adapt somewhat to her vegan ways and have been gradually moving over to less meat consumption.  If eating plant induced food is the way to go to her heart that I'll do my best to change my eating habits. She is a good cook and has gone out of her way to make me feel at home when I do see her.  All the musicians in town know that she means a lot to me.  She loves everybody and I know she loves me in her own way too.  I appreciate everything she does for me, I love to hold her tight, love it when she kisses me.  She has managed to chip away decades of anger and depression from me and inspired me to the point that the gigs and bands I play in, sound 100 times better than I was angry and pissed off.   Julie has really made a difference in this life.   I hope that someday that she'll overcome the bad experiences of previous guys that didn't treat her the way she should be treated.  I'll never replace Kyle, but I hope to live to see the day that I can make her proud.  I'm not good at love but I really want her to be my last true love.  If' it's possible.  I told her than in the times we weren't talking in the summer, she was always on my mind and I wasn't interested in anybody else.  I loved her then, and I love her now.

NOTES:  Greg And Brenda Mein was there and I didn't jam with them, Mike Lint had the honor.  They did Stop Draggin My Heart Around and The Weight, but Mike never heard the latter song and I was out in the audience trying to help him on the breaks....This was the first time that I got to jam with Randy Burghdoff, from Rare Earth.  Once again no Rare Earth songs were played, at least not the ones I was familiar with...On a sad note, the reunion between Tommy and Brenda wasn't meant to be.   I feel bad for the both of them, I was really hoping things would work for the best for them.

Saturday: I spent the afternoon with Julie and we took Franklin out to the park and walked for a bit. Then she made supper and we spent an hour exercising watching a movie and then we went over a few songs before the Wed Night Acoustic showcase.   One of the songs I was working on was Tommy's song A Brief Shining Moment, kind of a dark depressing number that he didn't use for his new album but I thought I would write the music since the lyrics was there.  Little did I know that the words ring true for him.

(River City Drifters)

Friday Night: Mike Serbousek's band  River City  Drifters played at Hot Shots in front of 10 people. I sat on a couple numbers, Johnny B Goode and one other.  Mike was nice enough to give me ten dollars for my two songs.  He didn't have to do that but Julie remarked he should have done that when I filled in for him when he broke his finger last September at the last Mad Dogs show

As for Dreams Of Arcadia, the duo of Julie and Ryan, two bars have closed up shop, Knuckleheads in Anamosa and The Frog in Czech Village and The Winery next to Stuff  Etc canceled their February appearance. But their Saturday Feb 2 gig at Solon and the the 9th at Coralville Legion are still on.  I promised Julie that I would  be at the Solon Legion Hall gig and by pass the Waubeek Jam.  As well as the Feb 1 Aces And Eights Gig and the 9th Coralville Legion. Not sure how long Ryan will be here for the duration but I am sure she'll find some gigs.  But not on Feb 17.  That's our next date.