Butts and Ashes: Wuv, Twu Wuv

Bob has been playing his guitar every night for the last few nights. It's part of a deal we've made. Before he buys yet another guitar, he has to start playing what he has already. Every day. No excuses. No wasting time on other less important things. Just play. So, he's in the other room playing which brought up so many memories.

I was 14 years old when I met Ron for the first time in 1972. My brother-in-law and sister owned a string of record stores and Ron worked at one of them. I would go into the stores to do inventory which meant we got to hang out all day. Ron told me he was in a band called Bluebird with three other guys, Carl, Victor and Bob. Being the total 14 year old groupie that I was, I started inviting them over to play for pool parties at my parents house. Ron, Carl and Victor would always show up but it was almost a year before I met Bob. Seems he had a girlfriend and couldn't be bothered with some stinking 14 year old weirdo girl wanting free entertainment for her pool parties. Whatever dude.

14 year old weirdo me sitting under the Hardy Park Bridge in Cayucos

wearing my awesome hippie jacket because that's how I rolled. Pretty sure that patch on my jeans wasn't actually covering a hole. Don't ask because who knows. I was a 14 year old weirdo.

Anyway, during that first year I was friends with Bluebird minus Bob Hansen, me and the boys got pretty tight. We hung out quite often at my parents house, swimming, playing music, eating my folks food like a pack of wolverines. We drove Tweedy Blvd because that was the thing to do, grabbed pizzas and watched Don Kirshners Midnight Special on the weekends. Some of my girlfriends were also hanging out with my new found friends so it was a pretty great year. Then things changed.

Ron, Carl and Victor trying to hide from the paparazzi. Also, my dad and his best friend, Lou.

Look at my dad's face! I can't stop laughing. I have no idea why he was so miffed about his 14 year old daughter hanging out with a bunch of older guys in a band. God bless you Dad for not murdering my friends or sending me to a convent.

My girlfriend Lauren and I wanted to go to the Azalea Festival in our town. Carl was going to take us but I insisted he had to bring someone for Lauren. I mean, we needed four people for the rides. Whatever. It just so happened that Bob Hansen who didn't have time for weirdo me a year before had been dumped by his high school whatever she was. I mean, I could tell you what I heard she was but that just wouldn't be right now that I'm a grandma and all. But you know what she was. Yeah, that's right. Anyway, it was 6 days before my 15th birthday and I was really excited to go on this double-date but it wasn't really a date. It was a friend date.

When the doorbell rang, Lauren and I grabbed our jackets and ran to answer it. I opened the door first and saw Carl standing there with this dude with enormous mutton chops standing behind him. Mutton chop guy had longer hair, was wearing blue cords and a white t-shirt with a ridiculously uncomfortable looking half-smile on his face. Carl introduced mutton chop guy as the infamous Bob Hansen as Lauren and I stepped out on the porch. The rest of the evening is pretty much a blur to me other than I told Lauren later that night when we got home that I was going to marry Bob Hansen. She laughed at me and called me stupid which only made me jump up and down on the bed singing, "I'm gonna marry Bob Hansen! I'm gonna marry Bob Hansen!" Lauren would remind me of this foolishness on my wedding day, 4 years later.

I mean, come on, what parent wouldn't want some hippie, mutton chop, bike riding, bass playing, 20 year old chasing after their 15 year old daughter? God bless my parents!