P/M and Me

Pat and my old P/M from LAPD (2) days, Stevie.


As much as I wish I had a stellar solo career in bagpiping or was an admired piping teacher with many successful students or lead a band into competition victory, I am and always have been a corps player. One of the ranks. A sporran in the crowd. Granted you need us to make a band, but I am not a leader. Just a player in the circle. Nothing wrong with that. My obit will include "He played pipes in bands in Scotland, California, New York and an island off the Carolinas." (I use the latter as a place holder since I have not done that yet and it may insure I don't drop dead directly after writing this entry.) It could go on to say "He also struggled with reading books, but managed to finish Anna Karenina in under a year. He was a lifetime member of Weight Watchers but died with over 2 pounds over goal and he liked fish markets but was too intimidated by the fast cooking time to actually cook any fish on his own." Something like that. But this was not my point!

My point is an old Pipe Major of mine was coming to New York with his fiancee and called me to meet up. I will still take commands from any of my old PMs so I jumped. It was great to see Stevie and meet Amy. I really liked her instantly and a thumbs up to her! Stevie and I played together in the Los Angeles Police Pipe Band many moons ago. We were a very good Grade 2 band in no small credit to Stevie's ability to set up a band and get a wide range of skill to sound amazing together. I give him a lot of credit for that. He and his bride to be have started MM Bagpipe Enterprises, a reed making and piping instruction business.


With Amy, who is totally great. Stevie, you are a lucky devil.

We met for drinks at a O'Lunney's Irish Pub in midtown. You can take the boy out of Ireland... This is Stevie's milieu! I had to leave for dinner with Nancy, but later we met them at O'Neills on 3rd Ave. It was raining again and there was a massive session going on inside. For some reason I strayed (like stopping drinkin?!) but Irish and Scottish folk music is my blood and I was in love tonight again hearing it live. There is nothing like it. And I have to say a real pub setting makes it magic.

Beautiful Nancy acting the fool at the session. She will kill me if you knows I printed these, but they are so great I could not resist. Plus I will know whether she is a Man. Hat. In. blog reader or not!!



My life is grand.