Hey, I'm back! How'd that happen? I just left the Starry Plough after hearing Dave Swan and his mates sing: they did a three-song set during one of the band breaks tonight, and can they sing! Wyo, it's a capella, of course. Terrific voices, great harmonies. The trio's name is "Oak, Ash & Thorn," and they're doing a benefit concert for Cygnus Research and Education Saturday, Jan. 8, at the First Unitarian Church of Oakand. You can get details at their website: www.oakashthorn.com.

Umm, Dave, isn't Cygnus Latin for Swan? Umm...your favorite charity, you say? Heh, heh...okay, I'll keep it quiet.

...I had just said goodnight to Dave and Pam and Pam's Ma and Da and Dave's partners Tom and Greg when all of a sudden here I am, leaning against a door, listening to WyoWoman pleading for a poke (gawd, as beautiful as she is, guys, does she hafta beg? Me? Sorry, my wife has spies everywhere. I really caught it for last night's Lambada, even though Wyo ran off after Don and his quesadillas halfway through our dance)...door, did I say? Catspaw, you found another of these or did you just bring it over from the pub?

--seed