I knew Michael and his family (read: grandmother, mom, grandfather) were going over to Tama to do some gambling. Originally, not thinking about fathers day (I had forgotten that Sunday was), I mentioned that I wanted to go. This was like Thursday night last week I think. Well, he mentioned it was a father’s day thing, so I said don’t worry about it, I understand, completely, don’t even bring it up (because I DID understand completely).

Imagine my surprise when I wake up from my nap Sunday (yes, I nap, during the late morning because I’m up most of the night most days until 3 or 4 , working on something, then back up around 8), get myself straightened up (smoke, all that), and he calls me, asking if I still wanted to go. Of Course!! I’d never been to Tama, and, while it’s not exactly a thrill a minute, it’s not the worst either.. I ended up losing $90, Mike won $50, his mom won $200, and, I’m not sure about his grandfather.

So, on the way back, we talk about his mac, what’s wrong with it, the fact that it’s just not working right. I tell ‘im to bring it over that night and I’ll look @ it. We go back to his place, and partake in pizza (I still could swear his mom said $200, not $500, but hey, I could be wrong;)).

From there, Tony runs me back home, and we wait for Michael to partake in the latest Entourage episode (HBO short series, great show). Michael shows up and , well that’s it.

We all knew the plans for Monday, in fact it was hard NOT to know them. Everybody was meeting @ Michael’s place on Monday afternoon around 4pm, we were going to Des Moines in 2 cars and it would be a hell of a good time. In fact, it WAS just that, a HELL of a good time. However, I’m going a bit ahead of myself here.

Mike and Tony went home around midnight (they had to work), and I sat there looking at his poor, depressed iMac sitting on my floor, so I started tinkering with it. Lo and behold, he was right, it wouldn’t start properly. Well, that led me to figure out just how I could do it, I grabbed a copy of tiger from one of my usual torrent haunts (he lost his copy), and start working to get the thing put back together.

The next thing I know, it’s 8am Monday morning, and I STILL haven’t slept. Imagine my surprise there. Well, give me a task like this to do, and I’ll sit and do it forever, seriously! I called him, told him what was going on, he said he’d call on his break, so I laid down, and tried to sleep. Damnit if my phone didn’t keep going off, waking me up though, so I just got up, and went right back to working on the beast.

Eventually, it’s noon, and, well, STILL no sleep for this wolf (seriously). At that point, I just said "screwit, I need sleep". I laid down on the couch, and crashed until about 1:30 when Tony showed up.

So, going on about 2 hours of sleep, I shower, get my ass moving a bit, run across the street for some wake me up shit, and get ready for phase two of the best Monday EVER known to me ;).

430 rolls around, we’re all there, but waiting on Andi. Typically (for a female;)), she was late, showering, doing the makeup thing, you know the drill. No worries, we STILL got there, and STILL got there in plenty of time to get dinner.

On the way to Des Moines, we stopped in Iowa Falls, at the Walmart you can "see from the freeway" , which is actually a good 10-15 minutes down the road (no, you can’t see it from the freeway), because , well, Patrick needed his glasses.

Finally, we get to Keysters at around 715, all checked in, paid, and most of us (everyone but Michael and Andi) head across the street for grub. The vivarin is kicking in about now, so I order something to absorb it. One thing we ALL know about Eric (or at least we do now;)) is that he’s a slow eater. Well, this was no exception, and, Tony wasn’t having any of it. He tried like mad to get Eric to hurry up, so that he wouldn’t miss the opening act, which, only got Eric more determined to eat slower, KNOWING it was pissing Tony off;) . That’s just the kind of person Eric is. Had Tony said nothing, we probably would have been out of there close to 8, but hey, I didn’t care, the openers were nobodies anyways ;).

So, we walk into the bar @ 830, hear the rest of Shurman (the opening act), and, I go up and order my first drink of the night. God DAMN if their prices weren’t outrageous. $4.25 for a bloody C&C (as opposed to $2.25 here). Oh well, I figure I’ll cut down that night anyways (yeah right;)).

Shurman stops at 9′ish, and everyone migrates from where I’m at to Michael’s table, which, I was being nice and staying away from, because of a certain individual’s distaste of me (my final thoughts on that one a bit later, and they’re not bad;)). Eventually, they all walk back over, and Michael comes over briefly. Apparently, he didn’t want to leave Eric over there too long with her, which we all understood completely.

FINALLY, Roger and the Peacemakers show up around 930, and it’s just a non stop blur. I pick up my second drink, and just go all out. I HAVE pictures, but my USB cord is messed up , so I’m going to end up picking up a card reader here next week sometime, and they’ll be on the site then. Patience , and you shall see the Rogue’s gallery of pictures I have

Around 10, Roger declares the bar’s having 2:1 specials, and I was ALL over that. For the rest of the night, I was lovin those 4.25 C&C’s, because they were cheaper than they are here. The setlist was just blazing awesome, they played buffalo which I’d never heard live, Captain Suburbia, which, just rocks live, psychosis, which, while I’m not a HUGE fan of does indeed kick the ass live!

Close(r) to midnight, they do the farewell thing, and we all end up hanging around. The BEST part about these guys is the after show. Yeah, Roger puts on a hell of a show live, but afterwards, well, they come out and chat with the fans if they have time. Only difference is I don’t think we let Roger MAKE it from the bus back to the bar, he got mobbed outside the bus by the IA fans (and a couple of the Icemakers).

Roger is about the most down to earth person I’ve met, he’ll talk to anyone about anything, and he loves to talk (well, and drink). You can’t help but love his style, and his band.

On the way back, Andi got a flat, I got the call from Eric who was riding with them, and Tony and myself went out to fix it. I wasn’t much help (hey, I’m just me, a dumb computer nerd, remember), but I could at least hold the donut on, despite all the things said about me (yes, they got back to me) by one individual mere hours before. We got the tire put back on, Tony went home, and the rest of us went to Mike’s place, parting ways.

Yesterday is more of a blur, mainly because I AGAIN woke up at 930, after going to bed at 5am. Damn my insomnia/phone. Oh well, I got pleeenty of sleep Tuesday night, and I’m about to head there again, after one more entry. Great show, great trip, HELL of an event people, let’s try to do it AGAIN next time (oh, and I want a piece of whoever says I can’t go AGAIN, that just flat out wasn’t right, given the fact that I more than pulled my own weight, both times I’ve gone).

Peace,

-=T=-