I am involved with temperamental musicians. Fickle diva-men. I have booked a band for my costume party next week. Not a REAL band, not Dave Matthews, or Aerosmith, or Journey. It's a middle-aged, wanna-be rockers, gotta schedule a practice in between work, kids, and soccer practice kind of band. What could possibly be so difficult about dealing with these guys? Christ I'm Chuck, they are called or should I say, "Christ, I'm a pain in the ass" (of course, if that were the band's actual name, my buddy Chuck would then be excluded and that would hardly be fair would it?).

Earlier this evening, I was informed that - Houston, there was a problem. The drummer wasn't going to play the gig because the bass player will not be in town. Apparently, drummers don't like to play without a bass player. It just doesn't sound good. Go figure. I had to get on the horn and stroke the drummer's gentle ego, entice him with promises, compliment him and reassure him that all would be well. Eventually, Chuck stepped up and found a replacement bassist. Crisis averted.

So now all we need to do is provide the drummer with a private dressing room, personalized robes for all of the band members, a vase of pink flowers on the drum stand, and a bowl of all orange M&Ms and we shouldn't have any problem.

The show must go on!!