The Damn Millionaires have put up a clip of Brand New Year.

It was six hours before my wedding when Al, Chris, AB and Vince sat me down in front of Vince’s computer and let me listen to the song their band had made to celebrate our marriage. Every lyric has Al’s wink in it (“I knew it all,” a prime example), because she’s so damn clever. I listened and cried and hugged everybody and held onto my copy.

People got together and wrote a song, and that’s just the most amazing thing. Al sent me an email recently saying that if she ever didn’t sound impressed enough with the fact that I wrote a book, she now wants me to know she understands just how hard it is to create something. I don’t know how people get together and make music. I really don’t know how one person can hear their part in all of it, and how together you take little pieces and build them into one pretty thing. And then you work on it for months and months and it’s catchy and you’re humming it at the grocery store and then it’s on a CD and then it’s on the internet and then it’s on the radio. Getting a book published seems so A to B to C. But making music? It’s so much more impressive.

Back to the first time I heard this song. Once some of my tears had dried, we moved the song to my iPod and had it sent down to stee’s hotel room so he could hear it. There’s a picture of him shining his shoes, listening to the song. His head is down, but he’s smiling.

And that night, just after midnight, when everybody was hugging each other, we played it for everyone.

So, anyway, the clip is up, and it’s making me smile this morning.

And now for something that has nothing to do with this.

[scripty]
SATURDAY NIGHT. POOL HALL.

stee
Hey, Pam. Do you have a skirt like that girl’s over there?

pamie
That one? No.

stee
Are you sure? Not in that pattern, or those colors, or anything like it?

pamie
No. I have skirts, but not in that pattern.

stee
Good. Doesn’t it look like that show Vegetable Soup?

pamie
Oh, my God. That’s exactly what it looks like.

stee
I know, right?

pamie
That’s hilarious. It just needs a big afro and some platform shoes.

stee
Hey, Dan.

dan
Yes, stee.

stee
Do you remember that show Vegetable Soup?

dan
No, but who are we making fun of?

stee
Ha! I… how did you know it to make fun of someone?

dan
When are we not, Stee? When are we not?
[/scripty]