And The Whole Groupie Thing Begins

Happy Monday, y'all! I hope everyone had a fun and restful weekend. Me? Aw, thanks for asking.

Fun? Yes. Restful? NEVAH!

You may remember a Dallas-area band I spoke about called the Badenders. Well, they are really starting to see some rewards for their efforts. Their cd is doing well. They are getting gigs more and more often, and they played at SXSW in Austin last week to a full-house and great reviews. Things are clickin' right along for Dan, Will, Guydon and Chris. Yay!

Last night I headed out to the House of Blues to see our little boys, er young men, being the opening act for Ben Jelen. Not a shabby gig. I had not heard of Ben Jelen before, but I was impressed enough to throw down $11 for a cd that has been playing in a constant loop in my computer today. He's quite a talent.

So, I pull up to the valet and lo and behold the little guy who parked my car about had an orgasm because as he said "these cars rock!" I was afraid for my little car's life - and had visions of the scene with the car-parkers in "Ferris Bueller," but was relieved to see my new baby parked right up front with the Porches, the Cadillac STS's and the other grownup cars. I've gotta admit - that's pretty dang cool - to see that they know good taste and reward it by parking it right up front. And no, there weren't a bunch of extra mileage on it. Oh, did I mention I bought a new car a couple of weeks ago when all hell was breaking loose in my life? No stress there...but I digress.

I bought a ticket and headed for the door when I was asked to open my purse, presumably to screen for concealed weapons and liquor. (whew, glad I didn't pack that half-gallon of vodka or my 357) To my chagrin, the woman pulled me aside as if I was a common criminal and made me hand over my - I can't believe I'm even writing this - Sharpies! My sharpies! O. M. G. How would I live without my groupie supplies? What did they think I gonna do with those? Actually, she ended up being pretty nice and explained that for the shows where the audience is pretty young, they have to confiscate sharpies, etc to curb the graffiti. Yeah, I guess I do look a little shady at times - and twitch when I have the opportunity to tag the ladies room stall doors with "CruiserMel Was Here." Evs.

Let me get this off my chest: who is dressing today's youth? And by youth, I mean 18-25 yr olds who will run this country of ours in our old age. Seriously. Do they own mirrors? Let's begin with their hair. How is it they can make their hair look so dirty? Do they cut their hair with razor blades or garden shears or do they just pull it until it breaks? And what's with letting it hang in their faces to the point where they actually can't see to walk? Or there are the others who, on this warm spring night, were wearing knit ski caps with their tshirts and shorts. Mmmmkay. If they weren't wearing shorts - they were wearing those low-rise, hip-hugger, skin-tight pants that I'm sure haven't been washed in weeks. Girls and boys. I have yet to see a human butt look halfway decent in these pants. And that low-rise just makes their bodies look like stretched noodles on really short legs. Ugh. I've become my mother. This called for a trip to the bar to clear my head of these unattractive visions.

Anyhoo, moving on.

Dan and company only got to play about 30 minutes, but it was fun to see how they've developed their live show and are really looking comfy cozy on stage now. They've even got some new songs that I'm anxiously awaiting release on cd when they do get in the studio again.

The guys did great and the crowd was into it. I even saw some lighters go up over head, old school style, among the cellphone lights.

But the fun didn't end there.

During Ben Jelen's set, Dan came rushing over to me, breathless.

Dan: "The whole groupie thing is starting!"
CM: "That's great!"
Dan: "No! I'm not ready!"
CM: "What happened? What do you mean?"
Dan: "I got, like, 5 phone numbers up at the bar."
CM: "That's a problem, how?"
Dan: "No, that's cool. But I was just standing there and this girl comes up and grabs my balls and is, like, all 'you're so precious' and well, I'm not ready for that!"
CM: *snicker*

Be careful what you wish for, Dan.

Acoustic Atlanta

I know what you're saying...."Cruiser, where the hell have you been hiding?"

In plain sight, kiddies, in plain sight. It's just that all effin' hell broke out over the past couple of weeks and I just couldn't get myself to the computer for much more than work and yadda yadda yadda...okay, so I've been neglectful. There, I said it. We okay now?

So, it's been over a week since CruiserMel and Co. put on a show in a barn with puppets, naked lumberjacks and Nordic dancing...

Nah, just testing y'all.

Actually, our presentation of An Acoustic Evening With Kasim Sulton in Atlanta was a smashing success. Oh, it was harrrrrd work, but the end-result was a resounding "attawaytogo!" The theatre was a mess when we arrived, but Carrie from Groupie Gear! put her decorating hat on and threw together a beautiful set that will look awesome on the final DVD. She also handled ticket sales, selling merch, and was mistress of the excel spreadsheet. Her husband Dave took over duties of HD camera dude extraordinaire, manning two cameras and supervising one other. My lil bro Doug from RundgrenRadio.com played venue-scout, publicist, pimp, and Master of Ceremonies, while yours truly was CEO of Talent Accommodations, merch maiden and interviewer for the DVD (to be made available in a few weeks, just in case you were wanting a copy, and you know you do).

None of these "music promoter" jobs were easy, seeing as how not a one of us actually live in Atlanta, but Atlanta was the chosen locale and our little team rose to the occasion to present a fabulous night of music for our guests and I think our stars really dug it, too.

One of my duties as CEO of Talent Accommodations was to feed da boys backstage. Now you just put that judgemental smirk away. We're talkin' party trays, people. Party trays!

So, I headed out to the local wrap sandwich shop for a couple of party trays. When I arrived at 2:10, I was told that they close at 3:00 and couldn't possibly get two party trays put together in time. Being in a city I was not at all familiar with, I had to think fast. Matching wits against sandwich artists such as these was....well, judge for yourselves.

(Glancing at the catering menu, seeing that a party tray consists of 5 delicious wrap sandwiches, sliced in quarters, and placed neatly on a party tray...)

CruiserMel: You can't make two party trays in 50 minutes?
Sandwich Dude: No way. Ain't gonna happen. We have to close at 3:00.
CruiserMel: *pause* Okay. Can you make 5 sandwiches for me?
Sandwich Dude: Uh, yeah.
CruiserMel: Can you slice them in quarters?
Sandwich Dude: Uh, yeah.
CruiserMel: Can you put them on a tray?
Sandwich Dude: Sure! No problem.

........
CruiserMel: Now, can you make 5 more sandwiches for me?
Sandwich Dude: Uh, yeah.
CruiserMel: Can you slice them in quarters?
Sandwich Dude: Uh, yeah.

CruiserMel: Can you put them on a tray?
Sandwich Dude: Sure! Not a problem.

*crickets*

Done deal, Lucille. And within 30 minutes, I had two party trays in hand, though they apparently were NOT party trays. Evs.

We started off with a local musician, Alec Roeser, who proved he really does have the talent and charm to move an audience with his wonderful music. And his dark dark eyes and boyish good looks (well, he is only 18) won over the hearts of the females in attendance. Check him out. Cute huh?
And then......
...it was time for Kasim and his band to take the stage. It was amazing! Kas has put together a new solo show for this tour and there were some very nice surprises in the setlist. To say I was thrilled to be witnessing the taping of his DVD would be an understatement. Surprised? I thought not.

Anyway - it was a magical evening, great fun and we (RundgrenRadio and Groupie Gear) will soon be the proud parents of a bouncing baby DVD!

This might be the start of a new sideline for CruiserMel and that's pretty darn exciting.

Jimmy And Ben: A Love Story

Cruising The Videos on a Friday Night

Just because I am totally bored right now, I just did a quick cruise through youtube and found what I thought was the funniest Super Bowl commercial this year. I haven't seen it since the game, but if this kid was running for president, I'd have the yard signs and stickers on my butt. Enjoy!

CruiserMel's in the Music Biz Now?

I've joined in the music promotion biz with my pals Doug, from RundgrenRadio.com and Carrie and Dave from GroupieGear to present a very special acoustic evening with Kasim Sulton in Atlanta, Georgia for March 1st.

Not only is it a night of music and fine storytelling by my friend, Kasim, but he will be joined on stage by Doug Kennedy and another guest or two, TBA. And an up-n-comer named Alec Roeser will open the night with his smooth Todd-inspired stylings.

Can we make it even better? Hell to the yeah, we can! This show will be shot in HD for a DVD, to eventually be sold on Kasim's website.

And just for grins and to make it even more special, attendees will get a limited edition tshirt and get a signed DVD.

Check out the video Doug made to go along with his interview with Kas last week. If you look close enough, you'll see your's truly in it. I guess I'm now immortalized in youtube.

If you live anywhere near the Atlanta area, I strongly urge you to check out Alec and Kas on March 1, 2008. See ya there! Get your tickets here!

I Felt Like Jessie's Girl

Here I am again, falling at your mercy for forgiveness. Frankly, even I wouldn't forgive me for being such an absent blogger. I am stripping my uniform of my blogger merit badge right here before you.

Now. Let's see if I can start working on getting it back. K?

Life here has been as stressful as can be. My muscles are pulled tighter than piano wire. Lots going on - nothing all that exciting, but it's lots, I tell ya.

So when Saturday rolled around and I had accomplished all of my to-do's, I decided to reward myself with a trip to Fort Worth's famous Billy Bob's Texas honky-tonk.

What? A rocker chick going to a honky-tonk, you may ask? Why yes, when it's filled with a bunch of pre-menopausal women screaming and swooning over one of my guilty pleasures - Mr. Rick Springfield!!!!

O. M. G. Where has he been hiding? Hubbada hubbada.

I don't know how old he is now, but my best guess is mid-50's. Lemme tell ya, it didn't show even a little bit. He was grindin' it out, smokin' on the guitar (did I know he actually played before?), and walking from tabletop to tabletop whilst women with hot flashes were pawing at his sweaty physique. He never missed a step.

Apparently, it's routine for women to bring tightly bundled long-stem roses to Mr. Springfield. He graciously accepts these bundles only to whirl around and strum the guitar strings with them. Rose petals flew like confetti in Times Square! It was pretty cool, but I would've been pissed if I'd spent that kind of dinero only to have it made into instant potpourri before my eyes. Oh well - by the looks of the faces of these women, it must be akin to an orgasm. Seriously.

Hell, even I got sucked into the frenzy when he stood on my table, a mere 12 inches away from me. I climbed up on my chair, reached forward and he grabbed both of my hands and sang something in my general direction. It was a mere 2.3 seconds, but long enough for me to get a good dose of his sweat on my paws. I seriously thought about licking him because isn't it true that if you lick something, it belongs to you? I thought it over and decided that I really didn't want him for my very own...I just wanted to borrow him. And there's no set rule about that.

What fun it was to revisit my youth for a couple of hours that night. I was so jacked up on the hormone surge when I got home that I kitchen danced until 4:00 in the AM.

Greatest. Feeling. Ever.

Guest-Hosting on RundgrenRadio.com

Yeah, if you're reading this on or before January 29th, that stupid voice on the RundgrenRadio show that auto-starts when you load this blog, is moi.

I was bestowed with the honor (or was it dishonor?) of guest-hosting for my little bro Dougie Doug last Wednesday night. I interviewed Atom Ellis, the bassist who filled-in for Kasim Sulton during the New Cars tours in 2006-2007. That's him above. Cute, huh ladies?

Atom is a very quick wit, but was a real sweetheart as he took it easy on me, knowing I was a newbie (duh - it was so obvious) at the online radio game. Thank you, Atom.

Of course, if you give it a listen you'll be intrigued by Mr. Ellis. I know I was. He's had a pretty cool musical history and I was glad I had done my homework as he's been all over the place. He's played in some groovy bands. One of his bands was named Psychefunkapus. (Does anyone else want to call that Snuffaluffagus?) He's even played with Link Wray. How cool is that? Wray is considered one of the top 100 guitarists ever. Ever.

And of course, he's played with Todd in The New Cars. He's no slouch.

I had too much fun - especially when the red wine kicked in and I got my DJ groove on. DougieDoug had better look out. I'm not sayin'...I'm just sayin'.

Thanks Doug and Atom - hugs all around!

Say What? *evil grin*

Who's Your Sex and the City Match?

My Result: Samantha

Rrowr! What would life be without you? Brazen, intelligent, and not afraid to say whatever (and we mean whatever) is on your mind, when it comes to being fearless — you're the real thing. While some things that come out of your mouth may make your friends a little uncomfortable, it's fun to stir the pot sometimes and get a reaction. And that's half the reason you do it!

At first glance you come across as quite the wild child, but you're not just a sexpot. Your closest friends get to find out that you've got a big heart underneath those hot, hot clothes and a great head on your shoulders. With that killer combo, there's no way you won't get everything you want. What a firecracker!

Take this test >

Peer Pressure Strikes Again

Okay, so we all know that I got my name because of my love of all things cruise-related. You didn't? Well, yeah. Catch up, okay?

So tonight, under pressure from yet another person who has reminded me of my recent blog-slackin', I sat at the computer and tried to channel my muse.

Unfortch, all I could muster was phonin' it in by way of one of those internet quizzes. So lame, I know, but it's the peer pressure, ya know?

Usually, these things come up with something like "You will be a cult leader" or "CruiserMel will marry John Mayer in 2032 at 3:00 pm at the drive-in." You know, stuff that could really happen.

So okay - really. Take a gander at this. Can you imagine anything more un-CruiserMel-like?

In what alternate dimension would CruiserMel be most comfortable?

In a dimension where... The love boat is the only show that was ever or will ever be made

'In what alternate dimension would you be most comfortable?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Another Year Bites The Dust

2007 is coming to a close and it's time to make some resolutions for 2008. WTF? I hate those things. Resolutions last about a week and ya usually have to pay for them for life, in the form of an auto-draft for a gym membership. So - phooey! I think I'm just going to resolve to continue with the good stuff and jettison all the crapola from 2007. Ya hear me, crapola from 2007? Go on! Git!

In total, 2007 was one helluva year, in a great way. I had more fun this year than I had in some of my college years. Then again, I had to study during those times and that really sorta sucked, so perhaps those weren't the bestest. My 20's were cool, but I was just getting my feet wet. But since I grew beyond my 20's (okay, beyond my 30's - evs) it's been getting better and better. At least that's how I remember it and isn't that what matters? I mean, this blog really is all about me, isn't it? Shut it.

Then again, my short-term memory is probably starting to blur some things. It's all good as long as it looks good from my point of view. So I intend to carry on with enjoying life as it comes along and let the not-so-great stuff run off. I guess that's a resolution of sorts.

I had a helluva week last week, lemmetellya. First there was the Island of Misfit Toys gathering on the 24th and then Christmas with the CruiserMel Clan and that was quickly followed by 5 days of month-end/year-end work to do in a mere 3 days. I was one beaten chica, people.

BUT - there was tons-o-fun to be had, even after the holiday, y'all. On Thursday, I got a call from Doug with RundgrenRadio who was on vacation and wanted me to pinch-hit for him and host the radio show that night. Thanks for the time to prep, Doug. Luckily, I only had to host the second hour of the show - the easy part. Starting around minute 58, I took the helm and we looked back a la New Years Eve special at the past musical guests and played some music by each one and pimped their latest recorded efforts. To say I sounded like a pro would certainly be an untruth - at least at the beginning - but a couple of diet cokes* later and I was ready to usurp Doug's power, change his password to BlogTalkRadio and take over the show for good. Luckily for him, I've since lost his password. Pity. Give it a listen if you wanna. Click over there on the right in the blue box and after Doug does a prerecorded interview and some other stuff (not that it's not interesting, mind you) you will hear yours truly saying "um" and "uh" about 1000 times. I rock. In my own mind.

So - here's my wish for all y'all in 2008: May your days be filled with smiles and good friends. May your days be safe and warm. And may you be healthy and hearty. Big ole hugs comin' your way......

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

*my special recipe

CruiserDog Must Be Cajun

Okay, I don't know what happened with that SNL video, my lovely chitlins. If I'd known it was actually removed, I would certainly have not teased you like a 9th grade virgin. My bad.

Let's see what's happened since we last met..... oh yes, Christmas and all it's trimmings! Did y'all have some fun and frolic? Was it a white Christmas where you live? Did you get some goodies or just coal in your stocking?

For me? Overall it was great - a couple of days off from the wear-n-tear that is daily living. But nottoomuchtomysuprise, I was disappointed by the gifts I received from my family. Yes, my family. I got two Nascar books and a big worthless die-cast model of Jeff Gordon's racecar. Honestly, what am I to do? How does one express that perhaps enough is enough? Yes, I was a Jeffhead extraordinaire up until perhaps 3 years ago when I got other things to do and grew up a bit. I still watch my round-n-round racing when I get a chance, but the world doesn't stop for a Nascar race anymore. Oh well, I've got a whole year to get that message across in my gentle, yet pointed manner, don't I?

My nephew (14)appears to be the only one with working ears, as he bought me the most insightful gift of all of them. An iTunes gift card. Now, was that so hard?

But, I guess the whole point of Christmas is to be with family and friends and come out of your comfort zone by telling these people how much you appreciate having them in your life. And that did happen. And it was wonderful.

But let me tell you a story about Christmas Eve. You'll indulge me? No? Tough.

I've been a bit stressed lately and decided to pull away from the usual and decided to have some friends over for an impromptu supper of chili and cornbread. Perhaps it wasn't Christmas-y, but perhaps we were like the Island of Misfit Toys - just a few folks who either had no place to go or no place we wanted to go. I admit I was diggin' it and it might become tradition at Casa de CruiserMel in the future.

One of the snacky foods we had was some boudin from Louisiana. (I'd tried it for the first time during my New Orleans trip and practically made love to it upon first taste.) We were gettin' after it way into the night but had left a good portion on the dish when we (humans) went into the kitchen to refill our adult beverages.

Bad idea.

Upon return to the den where we had enjoyed a bit of the boudin on crackers and had unfortunately left said dish of boudin and crackers on a low coffee table, we found CruiserDog lapping up the last morsels of that ricey, spicy goodness.

My first thought was "Uh oh, I hope I can find a good carpet cleaner." Then my thoughts raced to "I wonder how much this is going to cost at the vet."

Luckily, CruiserDog has an iron-clad stomach...and a taste for the Cajun. I adopted him from east Texas, but perhaps he came from way further east, like Louisiana.

That CruiserDog. Always making me laugh. Love ya, CruiserDog. Don't ever change.

Tell Us About Your Balls, Pete

Merry Christmas, my chitlins. And to all, a good night.

Feeling Grinchy or Tiny Timmy?

I may be the only living soul who actually likes doing those "getting to know you" email quizzes. Or at least the only living soul who admits to liking them. The following quiz crossed my path yesterday and since it's seasonal, and therefore different, I thought I'd share my answers with you guys. Also, I'm in Christmas burnout-mode and feeling a little Scroogey, so I couldn't think of anything blogworthy tonight. Feel free to take one or all of the questions on for yourself, but leave me a comment. We share around here. That's how we roll.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends.Okay, here's what you're supposed to do, and try not to be a SCROOGE!!!Just copy (not forward) this entire email and paste into a new e-mail thatyou can send. Change all the answers so that they apply to you. Then sendthis to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person that sent itto you... 'Tis the Season to be NICE!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper and pretty bows mainly.

2. Real tree or artificial? It's all about the faux, baby.

3. When do you put up the tree? During the Cowboy game on T-giving.

4. When do you take the tree down? When I get tired of looking at it...Jan 1.

5. Do you like eggnog? I do. But only in small doses. Spiked, of course. I mean, seriously! What would be the point?

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My first car - with a giant green bow on top.

7.You have a nativity scene? Yes, but who knows where it is!

8. Easiest person to buy for? My teenaged nephew - electronics and gift cards!

9. Hardest person to buy for? My mother.

10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Cocoa mix with Jeff Gordon's pic on it. Can ya believe that shit? And she's FAMILY.

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? I actually love those dumb Christmas update letters and try to get one out to people every couple of years...but with the way it's sneaking up so fast this time, I may just go with the email idea. Me likey.

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? "Elf"

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Dec. 20th. Well, fancy that - today is Dec. 20th. Great.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Enough with the guilt here!

15 . Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Beef tenderloin

16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? I have clear lights, but I like both equally. You know, how mental patients like shiny things.

17. Favorite Christmas song? Tied: Little Saint Nick / Do You Hear What I Hear?

18. Travel for Christmas or stay at home? Yes, 2 week cruise through the Mediteranean sea with my sexy sweetheart, winning in the casino, and dining on fine food and wine..... oh wait, that's just in my head. Nevermind. I guess I'll hang around Dallas.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? Yes, if I sing the Rudolph song in my head. It's kind of like figuring out if a month has 30 or 31 days or "I" before "E."

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? Angel that my parents gave me when I bought my house. I love her! She makes me cry.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? AGAIN with the presents. I guess sometimes it's a little of both.....and of course, it gets drug out into January, too, depending on which friends I see less regularly than others.

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Traffic!

Some Of These Guys Look Familiar

Here's how ya do it, men. This is your public service announcement. You can thank me later.

Apparently, I'm BI Now

Aw, here we go again...CruiserMel disappears for awhile and y'all start talkin' trash about me. Don't think it goes unnoticed either. But I won't take it in a negative light, rather as good PR. There's no such thing as bad publicity. But enough about that, let's talk about me.

Where to begin? Ah yes - Todd.

*GASP* Did I say Todd?

Why yes I did say Todd. Imagine that.

Dat's right, my peeps, T the G came to Dallas to play the House of Blues and I was in Todd Heaven. I'd seen this particular show (well, different drummer) in Vegas earlier this year and let's just say I was a-buzz with excitement because Todd rarely comes around these parts. There were a bunch of friends I know from the int-a-net fan sites who came from miles around, including the little bro I never had, Doug from RundgrenRadio.com and his lovely bride. We'd met back in May at a New Cars show in Louisiana and I was thrilled to have them as house guests.

It was crazy insane and the fatigue I'm still feeling from my "Adventures in Utopia" (you wouldn't understand that reference unless you were a Toddhead, so don't be hard on yourself) has been completely worth it.

I can't tell you a whole lotta details or I'd have to kill you, but it was a whirlwind of fun. Wanna see some photos? No? Well, tough.

Dat's right, my chitlins....that's CruiserMel gettin' her snuggle on with Todd. *strut strut*

And yup, that would be Kas in a couple of the pictures, too. Oh, did I forget to mention him? My bad. Hee hee. *blush*

After their stop in Dallas, the band headed for Austin while my partner in crime, L, and I drove on ahead to New Orleans for just a tad bit of fun. New Orleans is kinda boring. Not much to do there. But we discovered this street called Bourbon and let's just say there was mucho flowing of the spirits (both liquid and voodoo) and most is a blur.

What I do remember is the lights going out in our hotel room, which was haunted btw, going to a bar named Utopia (see above Todd reference), dancing with a guy with a grill, having some shrimp bisque to die for, numerous Skyy & diet cokes, drinking the most loaded daiquiri in history and demanding more vodka be added to it, making out with a complete stranger in a bar (uh, yeah, the daiquiri was kickin' in about that time), getting my friggin' life saved by L as I was completely out of my mind and heading to a dark alley to get more of my make-out on with said complete stranger, and then it fades to black.

The next morning L informed me that I was bi. I searched the history in my brain and said I remembered making out with that guy but what the fuck else did I do after that?!?!?

She couldn't contain her laughter and informed me that "bi" stood for bad influence. Whatever. I've been called worse.

Then we went to Harrah's for a little pre-lunch gambling and I found a magical quarter that quickly went into my shoe and hasn't left there since. It helped me more than double my money in a short time and then we were off to lunch at Mother's (go there, no kidding) and to meet little bro Doug (he drove in from Alabama sans bride to see our next Todd show at the New Orleans House of Blues). Our little family was complete. Awww.

After some pre-show cocktailing and whorin' up, we went to the venue and witnessed yet another awesome show by T the G. Even better than Dallas. Wanna see some photos? No? Well, tough.

I gave Kasim a little token birthday gift, a collectors' item of sorts in the form of a RundgrenRadio.com tshirt, designed by Doug, just for the Texas shows.

He seemed thrilled. Or was that me? Is it getting hot in here?

All too soon, Doug, L and I were back on Bourbon Street, fancy that, tearing it up, eating Lucky Dogs, and carrying on like it was all about us. And it was all about us. Always is. And we tell eachother that all the time, too. It's a family thing, ya know. Deal.

There's way more, but like I said, I'd have to kill ya and you don't want me going off on you, now that I've got da voodoo on my side. Seriously, they've got that stuff down there in N'awlins! Creepy.

LET ME JUST SAY THAT IT WAS ONE OF MY FAVORITE NIGHTS OF MY LIFE. 'NUFF SAID.

Sadly, the sun started coming up and we had to go our separate ways. Eight hours back to Dallas with dirty restrooms, boudin, Doug E. Fresh songs, road hallucinations and all.

Tickets to see Todd: $90
Gasoline to New Orleans: $100
Number of private jokes between friends: 3,612
Alcoholic beverages: 2700

Hours of sleep between Saturday and Saturday: 4
Seeing Todd and Kasim again: Priceless