Have you ever had a patch of time where life is just overwhelming? Bills increase, money decreases. The house is a disaster and the car breaks down. That is my life right now. Literally, I have .39 cents in my checking account and $2 in my savings, to last me till payday. Life as I know it has officially blown up around me and the ruble is starting to fall in on top of me.

However, it's in times like this that we need to step back and try desperately, valiantly, to find the good. So that's what I did last night. I sat down on my couch and I made a list of things that were good and fun in my life. And of all the things like friends and family, the one that made me smile the brightest was something that happened to me about two weeks ago.

I got a text from my friend Jonathan telling me that his favorite blue-grass band, The Calamity Cubes, was playing a small concert at one of the parks here in Lawrence. You might recall me mentioning them in my last blog as well. Anyway, since Jon has introduced me to them I've become a real fan of their music. The concert was 10 bucks, and at the time I just happen to have 10 bucks, so I toodled down to the park and prepared myself to listen to some blue-grass and hang out with a good friend.

I wasn't exactly sure what to expect when I began walking up the path to where the concert was held. Jon was the only person I was going to know, and for those of you that know me best, I'm pretty shy and quiet until I get really comfortable around you.

After sending him about forty text messages saying, "I'm here, where are you?" I finally located him and moved up closer to the stage.

Jon is my connection to the music community. He knows everyone in the local blue-grass community! The minute I got up there, I hear him singing along with the very talented Allison Olessa. I love listening to him when he really gets to talking about the people he knows and the music they play. His quote about Miss Allison Olessa was "she has a voice that could slit your throat". And while that is quite graphic, after listening to her for a bit, I had to agree with him. She was magnificent.

After her, we listened to Dead Man Flats. And I got more background on each member of the band. I loved watching the bass player. And I don't mean like a bass guitar, I mean an orchestral bass, an upright bass. The guy playing that was really going to town, singing and smacking that thing like nobody's business. And about half way through their set, a man came up and began playing the harmonica, and let me tell you, for such a small instrument, it's amazing what someone can do with it.

We really are missing out on a huge chunk of musical talent by only listening to what is fed to us over the radio or what we can buy at our local chain music store. I bet the guy in the grass hat playing the harmonica will never be inducted in to the Music Hall of Fame, but he had more soul, passion and talent during his five minutes on stage than half the people that have their pictures up in that museum.

After Dead Man Flats played there was a bit of a break where people just mingled and shared in a beer or two. It was about this time the clouds started to roll in, and we all began to wonder if the forecasted rain was truly about to hit.

I stood there watching the weather, the river, the people and the dogs all doing what they do best. And for the first time in awhile I was just relaxed and let myself have a good time. I didn't worry about what other people thought, or what clothes I was wearing or what my hair looked like. I didn't care, and neither did anyone else. Everyone was just having a good time.

Soon it was time for Calamity Cubes to play. I grabbed a beverage and went out to stand near the stage. I'm definitely one of those people that loves to be near the band when at a concert of any kind. And they are a great band to be near. The lead singer Brooke, has this deep raw voice that I just love. It definitely sounds like he's lived the kind of life he sings about. And the banjo player, Joey, well let's just say he plays till his fingers bleed, literally. I took pictures of him at a show once, and his banjo is splattered with fresh blood. Really amazing!

Within the first few minutes of their set it began to rain. Some ran off to get umbrellas and some went to huddle under the picnic area roof. But I, and a hand full of other people, including Jonathan, just let the rain fall as we danced and sang along with the band. The Cubes went through all the songs I love and I sang to every one of them. It was about when they started to play their song Daughter of the Devil that the rain really started to pour. It was like nature was playing along with them. Just at all the right parts you'd see a bolt of lightening and then a clap of thunder. Some people were moving around covering speakers with plastic, but the band just kept playing and I just kept on dancing in the rain.

When I left that evening I sat, soaking wet in my car with a feeling that I had just had the best time of my entire life.

So now, when I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of my own mistakes, I stop dwelling on the negative and mundane and I remember that night. It doesn't fix the problems, but it makes me smile.

Mental Note: Thank Jonathan for that initial text message.

* Check The Calamity Cubes out at www.myspace.com/thecalamitycubes.