Fiction author Brad Whittington is the wizard’s age and his kids are the age of the wizard’s kids and sometimes I see him when I’m having lunch with the wizard and the princess at Cafe Malta. We always ask Brad to join us at our table. He usually does. Friday was one of those days. We ordered 6 appetizers and 3 bottles of wine before we ordered lunch. (This is what it means to go to lunch with the wizard on a Friday.) Watching the wine disappear from the bottles is like watching the sand decline in an hourglass. Brad saves his most interesting stuff for that moment when the sand is halfway down in hourglass number three.

He said, “You’ve heard Hendrix do Purple Haze.”

“Of course.”

“I’m going to send you a link to the Roto-Rooter version of it.”

“Cool.”

For the uninitiated, Purple Haze is a signature song of Jimi Hendrix. The Roto-Rooter version of it – beneath the Hendrix version below – is a barbershop quartet interpretation of that song using trombones and stuff. Lyrics? They’re a celebration of the very drugs that would claim Jimi’s life a few months after this song was recorded.

Purple Haze was in my brain.
Lately things don’t seem the same.
Actin’ funny but I don’t know why.
‘scuse me while I kiss the sky.

Purple Haze all around.
Don’t know if I’m coming up or down.
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is, that girl put a spell on me.

Purple Haze was in my eyes.
Don’t know if it’s day or night.
You’ve got me blowing, blowing my mind.
Is it tomorrow or just the end of time?