BILL BLOG
Wednesday September 6, 2023
Wednesday be on us. 88 for a high and maybe some severe weather today. Eyes on the forecast. Still better than being in the Caribbean right now where tropical storm Lee is expected to turn into a Category 4 hurricane.
YESTERDAY
I wrote with Adam Pope for the first time in a while. He and his wife Amy have been out touring big time all summer with more to come. They’re just great folks, and terrific duo and have recorded three songs that we’ve written together on their brand new CD that he gave me a copy of yesterday.
Our mutual friend Darin Aldridge of Darin & Brooke Aldridge put the musicians together and produced a heck of an album for Adam and Amy. One song, “Tonight I’m Playing Patsy” has turned out to be the opening song for all their shows he told me yesterday. Amy was on the Outer Banks of North Carolina as just the two of us wrote a wonderful gospel song idea Adam brought with him in his back pocket. And as soon as we wrote the last note, he was on his way to join his wife and two kids.
I get to be around some really creative and talented folks and a lot of them turn out to be the kind of folks you root for and love to hang with. I certainly feel that way about these two. Fun day rhyming yesterday.
WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY
Some kind of day at the White House yesterday as one of my best friends Steve Dean was at the White House yesterday for a Medal of Honor ceremony for Captain Larry Taylor.
Steve wrote Captain Taylor’s heroic story of saving men in Viet Nam as a chopper pilot in the Army for our Freedom Sings organization into a song. And Steve wound up in the White House yesterday to sing that song and honor Captain Taylor titled “No Man Left Behind”.
Our good friend with Freedom Sings Bobbie Allison Standifer who really makes Freedom Sings run smoothly was there for that honor as well.
What a great thing. It’s a wonderful tribute to Captain Taylor and it’s a wonderful honor for Steve, Bobbie, and our entire Freedom Sings USA organization. Pretty amazing stuff.
Oh, and yes this is the same ceremony that the President left before it was over. And that’s yet another story.
ANOTHER GOOD FRIEND
I spent some long overdue time on the phone with my longtime friend Roger Naylor out in Arizona last night after reading that Roger almost dies from what started as a hiatal hernia but developed into something much more serious that had in the hospital for a couple of weeks fighting for his life. I was shocked to say the least after reading of his struggle. I had no idea.
I first got to know my friend as a stand-up comedian in Cincinnati who became part of a large morning radio show that I was a big part of. He’s a brilliant writer and wrote so many comedy bits and sketches that I used on my morning show, and I learned a lot about how to write and craft funny stuff from him.
Roger is a Hall of Fame writer for the state of Arizona tourism. He’s an avid hiker and writes about all things Arizona brilliantly. He’s taken me hiking out there on more than one occasion leading the way up into the gorgeous red rocks of Sedona.
And he took me on one hike that led to the Devils Bridge and took this great photo that’s been my desktop pictures ever since he snapped it.
We spent some time talking about how short life is, and how blessed our two lives have been…and they have. And even though my friend thought he was going to die he told me that he came to peace with it knowing he did not have many regrets. That’s the way we should all live.
His wife Michele had a lot to do with his recovery from his near death experience. God bless ya Michele. The good news is my friend is still with me and his many fans who read his books and go hear his talks about the state he loves so dearly are relieved as well. Just one more reminder to myself to never ever take a day for granted.
SPEAKING OF WHICH
Jimmy Buffet has two sisters. One of them is Lulu Buffett who runs “Lulu’s” in Gulf Shores. A great restaurant, entertainment venue and marina that sits on the intercoastal where I’ve played many times. Yesterday in the press she wrote a heartfelt note about her brother who we lost. She said his last words that he whispered to her was “have fun”. Man, he sure did.
Today on the internet radio station Radio Trop Rock, my friends Eric and Gina Babin who run that station will be doing a tribute to Jimmy with a lot stories from friends about Jimmy including one from me. Just click the link and it will take you right there if you’re interested in listening.
HEALTH NOTES
An elementary school in Maryland reinstated a mask mandate for third graders yesterday. The school has an uptick in COVID cases.
A longevity expert says beans could be the secret ingredient to living longer. (Of course if we do we’ll have an emission problem that could put another hole in the danged Ozone…so…)
A British Study says that Vitamin D may reduce heart attacks and other cardiovascular events.
REALLY GOOD QUESTION HERE!
DEER PITTSBURGH
Pittsburgh has a LOT of deer in their parks. A LOT. So many that they are issuing permits to 30 archers to help them downsize the population in two city parks. You don’t often see Robin Hoods shooting deer with a bow and arrow in a city park.
Of course, some deer are apparently not worrying about their aim a whole lot…like this doe that dozed off.
HEADLINE OF THE DAY
Identical Twins Have Worn Matching Outfits Every Day For 23 Years. That’s not just a tad weird is it? They’re 69 years old now and live in the UK. Wonder which one proposed the idea and which one thought “what a great idea!”
TODAY
I’m online writing with my Maryland friend Rick Lang this morning who’s new CD “Blue Collar Gospel” is getting closer and closer to being released. I have a couple of tunes on this one including the title track that the two of us co-wrote with Jerry Salley. And that song also features the Oak Ridge Boys! Can’t wait until it’s released. So we’ll see what we can come up with this morning.
Then tonight I'll be behind home plate again for a little baseball.
Have a great Wednesday!
Comments
Post a Comment