This was a big night for me.

I’ve said it before, but it’s amazing how the universe opens up and things begin to unfold for you once you commit yourself wholeheartedly to something.

I spent most of my afternoon putting a demo CD together, complete with lyric sheets, music charts and everything. Even branded it with a cool CD cover (below). Why?

Because tonight I had dinner with a veteran music producer who’s worked with the likes of Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Ricky Nelson, Oleta Adams, Columbia, RCA, Epic, and Prince Records, and even my new favorite, Amy Kuney.

And now she’s my new friend, Mandi Martin…

For three hours tonight we talked about life and music, Sam Cooke and birth of soul, Ray Charles and the blues, country, and rock’n'roll, working with Ricky Nelson, Brian Wilson, and Jimmy Buffett, and even being professional laugh-er for struggling comedians.

Mandi has this infectious laugh that can turn even the most grumpy scowls into grins. Not the “tee hee hee” type with your mouth covered. No sir, I’m talking about a full-blown belly laugh that can only come from deep within your soul.

And I needed some laughs after getting myself thoroughly lost yet again in Culver City — the most confusing of all towns in California.

No streets go straight. Everything twists and winds into each other so as to allow only the locals passage through their sacred city. Streets randomly change names, disappear, then reappear a block over. I think the civil engineer who designed this place was on some strong acid when he laid out the street system here.

Finally arriving after circling 2 blocks for 30 minutes, Mandi cracked me up with a big smile and a good belly laugh, and I knew I was in for a good night. She was very easy to talk to. It felt like we’d known each other for years.

Let’s just hope she liked my demo…

(Note to self: buy a GPS for your car.)