"Life's Waitin' Up The Road For You And The Future's In Your Hands..."

My 40th birthday celebration is history, and as such, you sometimes need a day or two to reflect on what it all meant. (I also needed that long to catch up on sleep.)

Long story short, I rounded up several close friends and trekked to Manhattan to see Reckless Kelly play a show. If you know me, you know what I think about RK. If you don't know me, you can still know RK. Just go to their website or mySpace page and give them a listen. Then magnify that by 100 and you'll start understanding the energy they put into a live show. Hell, I even named this fine blog in their honor. But more on that later.

After one night of extended revelry in The Hat, the bulk of the group went back home while D-Dub and I followed the band to Lincoln for his 45th birthday celebration -- 24 hours after mine.

I could wax philosophic about all sorts of things, but instead, here are a few choice observations from the two nights on the road:

• Sharing your birthday with a handful of friends aged 26 to 45 is damned fun and more than a bit humbling. Thankfully, on this night anyhow, the younger set helped the old guys stay out of too much trouble. Thanks to the posse... I'd be proud to be yours one day.
  
• The So Long Saloon makes a damned fine bleu cheese burger.
  
• The RK boys once again proved that beyond being amazing musicians, they're all gentlemen. Your parents raised you right, fellas.
  
• The best place outside the Lone Star State to see a Reckless show is at Longhorn's. A consistently good, knowledgeable, and friendly crowd.
  
• Seeing Reckless Kelly without David Abeyta just ain't the same. Prayers to you and your family, David.
  
• Gravity isn't just a good idea, it's the law.
  
• Thankfully (for all involved), I've decided that I am a much better parent and husband than a musician or groupie. I'm still grateful that my wife lets me play rock star wannabe now and then, though.
  
• When the bus starts moving, it's time to leave.

Thanks to everyone for their well wishes and friendship. The older I get, the more it means.

*Blog post title from Wild Western Windblown Band, written by Bruce Hauser, as sung by Reckless Kelly