Whew. Long ass weekend. Long ass week.

Rick's was awesome on Feb 21st. Great crowd. Great club. We sounded really tight.  My brother Nick Muce came and got up and sang Good Lovin and Lovelight >>> What I Got with us. It was great to get him up on the big stage with us again. I wish I had blogged about it last week but I was sick and never got around to it and now after this weekend it seems mute to talk to much about it now.

My friend Scott Guinen in Maine, where the RV sat since the summer called and asked if I would help him and his girl rent a trailer to tow her Corvette from the Cape up to Starks. Since they have done so much for me and since I needed to get the RV back to fix it up for Maine 2009 I offered to bring it up to them on Saturday night. Pokey graciously offered to go with me to drive the RV back. So the plan was to leave on Saturday afternoon. We played at Bogart's on Friday night with JBZ, everything went nice and smooth. Packed house, great gig. I had just pulled the trailer up to load out at 1:10am when I got a text message from Nick telling me his younger sister Rosalie had died in car accident that day. By some weird twist of fate she happened to live in Portland Maine and thats where he was. So what was supposed to be a mellow trip to Maine and back to see Scott turned into much more than that. The ride up, on the 3 year anni of my fathers passing,  was a little crazy towing the Vette, even gettign it on the trailer was a bit of a chore. Although we didn't complain much knowing our friend Nick's situation. Very stressful last 50 miles to Starks on the backroads with frost heaves ect, my arms and shoulders are still aching. We arrived at Scotts at 10pm or so. Chatted for awhile, got some sleep, and headed back on the road around noon on Sunday after unloadign the car and trailer. Pokey in the RV and me in my truck. We parted ways in Augusta, Pokey drove the RV all the way back without me (huge! thanks again Poke.)  and I headed to Portland to be with Nick and to attend a memorial service that night. It really is one of the saddest and most heartbreaking situations I have ever encountered. A loving single mom of a 10 year old boy taken way too soon in life.  We can take solace in the fact that Nick, his wife Amanda and his family are incredibly kind, strong and wonderful people and her son will never ever feel not loved and will always have people looking out for him no matter what...... but that certainly does not make it any easier. I love ya Nicky and I am incredibly sad for you and all of your family, the pain never goes away but it will get easier I hope. Rest in peace Rosalie.

in band news (which i know at this time is insignificant but i have to put it out here) : we are out on the last Saturday of every month at Bogarts, not out of the venue itself, he just found someone that fits better the last Saturday's of every month and wants to establish it before spring/summer when we stop doing it. I will try to book one more for this year. Honestly, he told me right after I had talked with Nick that night and I couldn't even see straight much less talk about dates and bands. Insignificant to say the least.

Mike