It all started with an episode of 'Roseanne'.....

We've all seen it. Roseanne... a television staple in our homes. Most everyone knows it. Especially my girls. Well there is a certain episode that has snowballed into real life... wanna know how THAT happened?? Grab a chair. The hook.... brings you back, I ain't tellin' you no lies....

There's an episode where Rosanne and Dan's high school buddy, Ray 'Sting Ray' Wilson (aptly portrayed by John Popper of The Blues Travelers) comes to Chicago with his band. You see, Dan and Sting Ray were in a band together in high school. Dan went on to be a family man and Sting Ray went on the road...

It's always been one of my favorite ones, too. Jackie is so goofy, thinking Sting Ray wrote the lines, 'When I saw through the voice of a trusted friend who needed to humor me and tell me lies' just for her because she couldn't go to the prom with him.. 'No! I REALLY did have a cold!!' so years later she thinks 'Run Around' was about her... LOVE Laurie Metcalf as Jackie... funny chick. Jackie makes a big deal about it and Ray has to tell her that it, indeed, was NOT about her so she chooses another BT song and she says 'C'mom... that HAD to be about me!!' To shut her up, Ray(John Popper) says, 'Yes, Jackie... it was about you'. Even though it wasn't.. she makes a scene, Roseanne shoves her out and Ray and Roseanne have a heart to heart about how she feels bad that Dan and his music went the wayside so he could care for his family. Ray convinces Roseanne that Dan has the better gig and all is good. John Goodman/Dan gets to sing 'Sweet Home Chicago' with his old band (which is QUITE good, I might add) and we never see Ray 'Sting Ray' Wilson again.

Enter that notorious Twitter again. Just because I know some 'people' in Seattle that would be considered 'famous' by musical standards, my children think I know everybody in a band... So, my kids, being the freaks they are, ask me to tweet the likes of people like AC/DC (which I don't.. lmao) and Candlebox(which I do). One day, my 8 year old says, 'Mom? Could you tweet John Popper and tell him that The Blues Travelers(especially John Popper) are my new favorite band??' I did, for two reasons. 1) I follow The Blues Travelers (with a follow back, I might add) and 2) she was sitting RIGHT here when she asked. Oh... the powers of children! He not only Twittered her back (oh the hook.. brings you back...I ain't tellin' you no lies) but he called her here at the house while the band was playing at the Snoqualmie Casino. She would have me Twitter him while they were touring this summer and he would send her silly little Twitters that kept her laughing. She had to keep him informed of her harmonica status (she got a brand new Hohner Marine Band harmonica in the key of 'D' so she can play 'Hook' along with her 'four' CD) and the best Twitter she sent was a version of one of the lyrics in 'Run Around'... Lily says: JP! You rock to the point I can no longer take! (taken from the line: 'I love you to the point you can no longer take'). Silly Lily! JP's reply?? 'Lily's not silly and soon we'll hang out... really!'

Really? You mean hang out with the man himself?? What? A few Twitters later and here we are, fresh off the phone. We've been invited to his home for music, lunch and shenanigans. I swear on all that is holy, John Popper is, in fact, the sweetest, kindest rocker on the face of the earth. If I wasn't married...... and I am dead serious when I say that... I know... the flames of Hell are lapping at my ankles...

Anyway, after they giggled and chatted on the phone, it was my turn! I had to tell him how this all started... that one episode of Roseanne... the hook... it brings you back... on this you can rely.