i\'ve been putting off writing this, whatever it\'s gonna end up being, but it\'s about time i did it.. not sure what will come of it, but here we go.
i had a little while to think about and prepare for this news, or something like it. still, that has not made it one bit easier. i don\'t even think it\'s really hit me yet, and it probably won\'t fully do so until the last note is played in the wee hours in the morning on January 1st, 2008.
last thursday at the wheel house was an absolutely surreal experience, and the evening turned out to be a rollercoaster of emotions for me. it was depressing from the start - 11 people in the room as the band takes the stage does not put you in the best of moods. however, the band was soon on their way to playing what was easily one of their top 5 shows of 2007, and i left the wheel house with my face hurting from smiling so much. mike, adrian, and i headed to the casino, and all seemed right with the world.
we were pretty close to foxwoods when adrian broke the news about ron. talk about having the wind taken out of your sails. i swear i heard the noise mine and mike\'s jaws made as they hit the floor. it was an awful feeling, and definitely NOT the kind of mood you want to walk into the casino with. winning money helped subside the pain that night, but it was right back there when i woke up the next day.
i woke up and started working on the wheel house show, and i lost it a little bit. there were just so many GREAT moments in that show, it was hard to not let it get to me. when i listened back to the When The Levee Breaks > Hard Luck Harry segue, the tears started to flow. "say bye to a good guy" killed me, and that\'s when i put the quote up here under my name thingy.
it\'s hard to believe that this era is coming to an end. sure, the band will continue, and i\'m sure they\'ll be great. i really have no reason to not believe that. but as has been said several times in this thread, it\'s just gonna be different. i\'m not going to get into any sort of argument as to whether ron is a core member of this band or not, because quite frankly, there is no argument. ron, tim, and adrian have been playing together for more than half of their lives on this earth, and there is a connection there that just doesn\'t get picked up on overnight. and also, anyone who thinks that ron is *just* a bass player/vocalist to this band is VERY mistaken.
i give ron all the respect in the world for making this decision. many people don\'t realize that this is one of the hardest decisions he\'s ever had to make in his life. it is truly something that is going to change his entire life, and a lot of people don\'t have the guts to make decisions like that.
a lot of people will say the timing sucks - hey, i don\'t disagree. as wolf said, the band is playing the best they\'ve ever played RIGHT NOW. i\'m sure that didn\'t make this thing any easier for ron, but let\'s face it, there would never be a GOOD time for this. it was gonna suck no matter what.
ron, thank you. i don\'t think i need to tell you how big a part of my life this band has been, and you are an enormous part of that. it will never be the same without you, but i love you and know that you\'re gonna be a fantastic teacher and father.
people, now more than ever, this band needs your support. get out to these remaining shows in 2007 and give ron a proper send off. and come right back out in 2008 to see the new breakfast. welcome the new bass player aboard, and try to remember that it\'s not gonna work overnight. the transition is gonna take some time, so stick it out, and i\'m sure great things will eventually come from it.
i think that\'s all.
