I was at a karaoke bar with a bunch of friends the other night, and I noticed a guy I remembered seeing the last time I was there so he is likely always there.  He looked to be in his upper 40's, had pro wresting hair (bald on top and long in the back), and he just hung out drinking Coors Lights and keeping the DJ company all night, off and on singing a song, usually by the Eagles.

At one point the DJ called for a guy to sing who was nowhere to be found, and my buddy, Choo Choo Train, said "That's karaoke abandonment!"  It was.  And that is high crime where Choo Choo and I come from . . .

After last call, wrestling hair guy went up to sing the last song of the evening, "Faithfully" by Journey.  Now, this is a rather cornball song, but on this particular evening it was the perfect one to play.  I remember playing that song on my sister's CD player because I didn't have one yet, reading along with the lyrics, and wondering how a little weasel like Steve Perry could sing like that.  The whole bar must have some fond memories because they were all singing along arm-in-arm, swaying back-and-forth the way drunks often do.  This particular song also hit me hard because as Steve sang about being apart not being easy on his love affair, I was reminded of the fact that I have been doing the long distance relationship thing for the last 2 years, still seeing each other around once a month, but with just 2 months to go until we're together for good, it's harder than ever.

Thanks for listening and for "stand (ing) by me" all these years, 7 Readers.

And now, an 8-year-old Filipino girl absolutely crushing "Faithfully" by Journey.

Well, What DId We Learn This St. Patrick's Day Weekend?

1. It's way better to hear a 90's cover band than hear a bunch of shitty Irish music. Nobody actually likes to hear that crap, do they? Everyone would rather hear Greenday, Nirvana, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, and Smashing Pumpkins than listen to "Danny Boy."

2. If you're nice to your cabbie, he'll pull into a gas station so you can get a diet Pepsi and some chips.

3. If you get off the sauce for a bit and have a diet Pepsi and some chips, you can stay out a little longer.

4. Sing-a-longs at a party are great fun when you have talented people playing guitar and piano and an astrophysicist on harmonica.

5. If a guy is trying to close the deal with a chick, and she grabs your nuts on the way to the bathroom, that's a pretty good sign that your buddy will score. However, she might not be girlfriend material.