Parrothead Ramblings

Photo compliments of Pabla. I stole it, but it's still nice to acknowledge from whom you stole something.

Yesterday was regular slice o' paradise at Margaritaville Glendale. It really doesn't get much better, pholks! Here's the rundown:

5:45AM: Show up at Margaritaville to support Mike and the restaurant on Channel 3's Good Morning Arizona. GMA's Brad Perry was as much fun and as nice a guy in person as he portrays himself on TV. He's truly a what you see is what you get person. Of course, we had to do that annoying "GOOD MORNING ARIZONA" yell, which is surprisingly not annoying in the least when you're the one doing the yelling.

6:30AM: Free breakfast and cocktails, compliments of Margaritaville. Those pholks can cook. Hello, Bloody Mary and Tequila Sunrise, goodbye brain cells.

7:00 to 9:00: Hang out at Margaritaville as props for various TV shots for Channels 3 and 10. Make sure you have a complimentary cocktail or beer in hand just in case the camera finds you. Repeatedly sing Matt Wahl's There's no way you can drink all day unless you start in the morning.

9:00 to 11:00: TV folks head out to other stories, but Margaritaville continues to say "Thank you, Parrotheads" by plying us with free drinks until last call around 11:00AM.

11:00-12:00 Who cares if they're no longer free? Bring us another round of Land Sharks! Go out and watch Mac McAnally do his sound check.

Noon to 4:00PM: Tailgate party! Bum a cheeseburger off new friends Becky and Andrea, and Becky's fiance, Kevin? I think? Bum beer off Scott, chips and salsa off Bob R, and who's thay guy over there? Why, it's Alonzo! And look over there, it's Bob What's My Name Karwin! Then, suddenly standing beside me watching Karwin play the parking lot was Michael Marriott, who entertains us when we all phlock to the Hamburger Works in central Phoenix. Next thing you know, it's a jam session! Beat some young people's asses at Beer Pong, and then drink all the beer anyway.

4:00 - 6:30 Pile into the Westgate for the show. We'd heard there was going to be an opening act, but it never materialized. It was just Jimmy and Mac, and nobody seemed to mind. You always hope when you attend a live event that something special will happen. Well,last night it did. A few verses in to Son of A Son of A Sailor, the sound suddenly and unexpectedly went out. Not to worry though, the crowd soldiered on wihout missing so much as a single word. Jimmy and Mac laughingly played on, though they could not be heard, and when the sound came back several seconds later, they were exactly where they were supposed to be. What a moment! I even heard the Radio Margaritaville DJ making reference to it today. I got a call from Tommy afterwards all the way from Houston. He could actually hear the Flamingo Queens on Radio Margaritaville. That tells you how close to the stage we all were!

6:30-8:30 Continue to bum beer and food in the parking lot while Karwin continues to jam and entertain, accompanied now and then by those brave enough to grab a guitar, namely Steve-O and his son Jesse.

8:30-9:30 Somehow manage to arrive home safely despite being dead on our feet from a very long but mega-fun day.

10:00 Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z-Z

1:30 Wake up with enough acid in my stomach to dissolve a bulldozer. Oh, well, it's the price we pay for the life we choose sometimes. A little baking soda and water, and I was right as rain.

All day today: Drink massive quantities of water.......
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