A good omen, but a sad loss too.

First things first: the good omen. I spent most of the day lounging around, getting to grips with some new music software. (The fruits of this may even end up getting posted here. If they're any good.) Then headed out to this fine pub for a quiet pint or two. Bumped into my pal the Osh and listened to him talk to some folks about Munster's recent defeat in the rugby. Since I know absolutely nothing about rugby, I kept my mouth shut (for once).

At least, I kept my mouth shut until one of the bar staff came up and informed me that I'd won this week's bonus ball. In other words, we'd had a sweep in the pub earlier this week, everyone contributed 2 euro and whoever picked the correct bonus number in this week's lottery won the pot. Which made yours truly 90 euros richer; not a bad thing in the week before payday. At which point I let out a class of a victorious whoop. (Not so much as to drown out the fine trad session that was in progress, but victorious and whooping enough for the day that was in it.)

Needless to say, I immediately had to buy drinks for the three friends I was in company with, as well as a couple of members of the bar staff, but hey: it's nice to win sometimes, isn't it? Which I suppose (or I hope) bodes well for this brand new blog I'm after starting. (The bonus number was 7, btw.)

The sad loss, however, is most unfortunate - I mean the death, earlier today, of Papa Denny - the bold Denny Doherty of the Mamas and the Papas. (His own website is inaccessible as of this writing, no doubt because plenty of folks want to offer their condolences.)

Hope time serves him well: everyone remembers Papa John for writing the bulk of the tunes, Mama Cass for being the best singer, Mama Michelle for being the prettiest - but Denny sang a pretty good wedge of the male leads, and his fine tenor voice is ringing out, even now, as I write. Farewell, then, sir.

I left the pub early, plonking a nice note down so my friends could enjoy another round out of my winnings, but it's a joy to dial up a couple of old MATP tunes and have a listen in memory of the man himself. Try likewise yourself, you'll be glad you did.