Now I say with all due respect that Keith Richards has an accent that i found to be uhh, err, well, absolutely unintelligible... it's TRUE! Still, I was amazed that Art and Keith could trade un-decipherable anticdotes and both crack up laughing simultaneously... incredible.

in the middle of all of this, I was trying to judge whether or not my smoking a cigarette backstage would be allowed.. I scanned the area and saw no smokers and no butts on the floor.. just then i noticed that Keith also had out a cigarette and was fumbling through his pockets for a lighter... the roadies also picked up on this and started to search their storage drawers.. it's as if a light exploded in my head (sorry, pun intended).. without any conscious thought, I extended my arm and flicked my Bic.. lit that cigarette and got a thankful nod from Sir Keith... we smoked together and no one said a thing.

the thought occurred to me then and there, "mom would be oh so proud right now", and somehow I know that wherever she is... she's laughing her arss off right about now!