The Birth of Al’s Pals Band

Many have asked how our band came to be. Reflecting on it, I see it’s less a beginning and more an evolution spanning nine years. So, instead of one long tale, I’ll share our journey in a series of shorter posts. Here we stand, at the start of our story.

Part 1. The Spark that Started it All

How It All Began

My wife, Nancy, and I retired to Vero Beach in August 2015. We didn’t know a soul in town. We hadn’t even found a place to live yet. We just knew it was going to be Vero Beach.

We sold our home in Littleton, Colorado, put all our possessions in storage, and hit the road. I had a guitar with me purely by chance. The guitar quintet I played with wanted one last recording session the night before I moved, so I kept one guitar out of storage. How fortuitous that ended up being!

The Road Trip Adventure

We hit the road with stops in:

• Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico
• Austin, Texas
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• And finally, Vero Beach

We found a hotel and settled in to begin our new life.

House Hunting: Plan A and Plan B

Plan A: Check out the current houses on the market.
Plan B: Build a new house if Plan A didn’t work out.

Well, Plan A didn’t work out, so we went with Plan B. We contracted with a builder and found a condo on the beach to rent while the house was being built. We left everything in storage and moved into the condo with just the possessions we had in the car.

Exploring Florida

Nancy and I had lived in Orlando when we were first married. In the nine years we lived there, we had never visited the Florida Keys. I told her the first thing I wanted to do was take a trip to the Keys. So, we did just that.

Condo Life on Hutchinson Island

We returned to the condo about a week later. The complex was located on Hutchinson Island, just into Saint Lucie County. That’s where the high-rise buildings begin. It was September, and the complex was vacant. The snowbirds hadn’t started to return yet.

We felt like we were living in a ghost town. Big buildings and a pool all to ourselves. We started a new daily routine:

• A walk on the beach
• A dip in the pool
• Lunch
• A trip to the grocery store to get something for dinner

Meeting Wayne and Gayle

A few days into our new life, we encountered a couple at the pool. It felt like one of those old movies where people are marooned on an island and then discover other inhabitants.

Their names were Wayne and Gayle, and they were very friendly. We exchanged pleasantries and started to learn about each other’s backgrounds. While I can’t remember most of the details, one significant part of the conversation stood out.

Wayne: “What hobbies do you have?”
Me: (thinking about an answer as I hadn’t often been asked about hobbies)

Wayne, not waiting for an answer, said: “We ballroom dance. Do you dance?”

Me: “No, I don’t dance.”
Wayne: “You don’t dance? Why not?”
Me: “I never learned how to dance.”
Wayne: “What? Why not?”
Me: “I never learned to dance because I always played in the band.”
Wayne: “What do you play?”
Me: “Guitar.”
Wayne: “You need to go down to the Community Center in Vero Beach. There’s a band there that plays for our dance. You need to meet with the leader. We need more musicians.”

I got the information from Wayne and decided to check it out.

The Community Center Adventure

I told Nancy that I wanted to go down and check it out. She said she wanted to go with me. The next morning, I asked her if she was ready to go:

Nancy: “You said it was from 9 to 11.”
Me: “Yes, 9 to 11 in the morning.”
Nancy: “In the morning? Who dances in the morning?”
Me: “Apparently retired folks.”

To Be Continued…