Hello again, Friends.  The Farm Bureau party went very well and I look forward to receiving the check soon.  I have plans, you see.  It’s taken far too long but as soon as humanly possible I’m going to start recording what will be my first solo album.  It won’t be the first that I’ve recorded, but it will be the first to see the light of day.  The first one turned out to be little more than a lesson in what not to do.. and who not to count on.  Ok, I’ll tell you.  In 1997 a beer drinking buddy of mine with a knack for embellishing the truth said he would finance a solo record for me.  I had recorded with various bands over the years but, like now, I wanted to do something of my own.  My friend insisted on being the executive producer and I agreed because, why not?  Halfway through the project he found himself smitten with a local singer/songtress and informed me that what started as a solo album for me would now be a duo effort.  I could have five songs and she would get five songs.  When it was over we would put a band together and take over the world, naturally.  He was full of crap, of course.  The lady in question knew it well before I did but went along because, like me, she had some songs she wanted to record but had no money to do it herself.  Oh yeah, he went about telling everyone that they were a couple, which wasn’t true at all.  In fact, during the recording process she struck up a relationship with the owner of the studio.  When our patron found out he went ballistic and pulled the plug on the whole thing.  I took what tapes I had and tried complete the project at another studio but was told by the engineer that the overall quality of the previous recordings was subpar and the best thing to do was start all over.  At the time I could not pay for it and, truth be told, the whole experience left me with little desire to record again.  It took years but I found my way back in to the studio with Big John Miller and, later, The Hi-Balls.  Now, it’s my time again.  I’m going to record songs that were written 20 years ago and resurrect some that should have been released 20 years ago.  Bye bye, bad memories.