Chuck Yarborough is a columnist and editor at The Plain Dealer, Ohio's largest daily newspaper. He's been there for 15 years, 13 of which were spent as editor of Friday! Magazine, the paper's weekend arts and entertainment arm. A native Texan, Chuck came to Ohio under rather unusual circumstances. In between his poker games, volleyball matches, golf leagues, darts team sessions and, of course Bad Habit gigs and practices, we finally made him sit down long enough to explain it in his own words.

Q: OK, so, explain in your own words how the heck a boy from East Texas (hence the nickname guitarist Bob Schneider laid on him, East of Dallas, or Dallas, for short) came to be in Cleveland.

A: Well, I was working at the Houston Chronicle and was royally ticked at my editor. That happens a lot to journalists. Anyway, we had just been to see "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" for the bazillionth time. Have you ever noticed the paper Janet is holding in the rain scene? Right, The Plain Dealer. I'm an Army brat, and I've lived everywhere from Alaska to Florida, but I'd never even flown over Ohio. So I did what any rational person would do: I sent 'em a resume. Two months later, I was working here.

Q: What sort of things have you done with the paper?

A: Well, the highlight was without a doubt last year's monthlong trip to Iraq. I saw things no one should ever see, but as an embedded journalist, I got to experience the camaraderie of combat. There's nothing like AK-47 fire as your nightly lullaby to make you appreciate the armed individual next to you.

Q: How did that help prepare you for membership in Bad Habit?

A: Have you ever stood behind Bob after a meal of cabbage and kielbasa? Man, talk about hazardous duty. I only wish I'd been able to keep my gas mask.

Q: Aren't you worried about him taking revenge on you for that comment?

A: Nah. I've been married for 28 years. I've got nothing to live for.

Q: Obviously, you have a death wish. I know your Lovely Bride.

A: Yeah, Liz is one of a kind, a very special person. It takes someone like her to put up with me and my lame attempts at humor. All kidding aside, she's great. And she's so supportive of this band thing, too.

Q: So, Chuck. How did you get in this band, anyway?

A: That's actually a big question. I can't sing. Can't play. Can't even lift heavy objects. I would say I'm the comic relief except Dennis is funnier. Maybe my function is to be the kid everybody points at and goes, "Whew! Thank God I'm not HIM!"

Q: How'd you get into music?

A: I started taking drum lessons in the sixth grade at Davy Crockett Elementary in Greenville, Texas. Wanna hear a ratamacue?

Q: We'll pass. But after elementary school?

A: I stayed in school band all through high school. A word about that: Everybody called us band geeks and the football players studs. Well, the football players traveled to games with each other. We went on long bus trips at night with the baton twirlers and flag corps girls. Let me just say that 80 percent of my high school was either married with kids or just had kids by the time we graduated.

Q: Good lord. Where'd you go to high school?

A: Walton's Mountain in Virginia. Really. It was pretty cool. The only down side is that everybody - and I mean EVERYBODY - was a Washington Redskins fan, and I'm a true-blue Cowboys fan. Shoot, our preacher even kicked us out of the church on Sundays.

Q: So back to music...

A: Oh, yeah, right. Anyway, I played drums in a band during and right after high school. We went through a series of names, but out biggie was Pegasus. Unfortunately, some of the wits around Nelson County and Charlottesville dubbed us Pegasucks. We were a good high school garage band, but that's about it.

Q: Any particular happy memories about Pegasus?

A: Well, yeah. I remember we blew every fuse in the school one night during a show. And then there was the time they let me sing. The tune was "Proud Mary". It was the last time anyone put a mic in front of me for a long, long time.

Q: And then?

A: And then my father got out of the Army and went home to Texas. I left the band, followed him and went to college there. That's where I met Liz. She was my boss at the college paper, so I married her and she's still my boss.

Q: What about music?

A: I made a little money playing drums in a country band. They were really good to me. One night, we played a little club in Pasadena and had a blast. We were supposed to go back the next night. I did, and found the door locked. I took that as a sign. I sold the kit and set about becoming a journalist.

Q: So how'd you get back into it, and specifically with Bad Habit?

A: I begged them to let me play drums on some of the songs Pegasus did back in the '70s. Dennis wanted to play guitar, anyway, and Bob wanted to keep Dennis happy. Dale I think got pushed into letting me do it.

Q: Any regrets?

A: Not on my part. I'm having the time of my life. Now, if I could only get my own microphone again, life would be perfect. I really am working on singing. Wanna hear?

Q: Um, no. I just ate.

A: Left a good job in the city / working for the man every night and day...