2002-04-15 / 3:27 p.m.

(post-midnight on a Saturday evening)

We are driving down the river road when we notice a car parked off the shoulder – its hazard lights blinking like stars in the pitch-black night.

We pull up behind the car and GB flashes his brights. The light picks up the features of a couple standing next to the car. He is leaning against the car, she is searching in her bag for something. I immediately recognize the woman as Madonna and nudge GB…

We get out of the car and offer our assistance. It seems the car has broken down and Madge can’t find her cell phone and now she and her pal are stranded on this river road, post-midnight on a Saturday evening.

We offer them a ride into town and in the car Maddy tells me they don’t have a place to stay so I tell them they can stay with us.

And it seems that we are living with the band in a fourplex.

The next morning the neighbors are loud and wake us up early – before six a.m. -- but Madonna is OK with this. Indeed she’s very chatty and friendly and tells us all about her new boyfriend Nick. Seems she ditched Guy Ritchie a long time ago and her last husband has passed away.

She wants to know all about GB and I – how we met and so forth – and she is exceedingly friendly and polite when she learns the Band has set up a brunch breakfast downstairs and invited everyone to come over and meet the famous pop star.

Just another day in the life, I suppose.

last night ... tonight