Yesterday would have been my favourite uncle's birthday. Uncle Colin, my mum's big brother, who she adored, and who was more of a father to me than an uncle, would have been 58. He died at 41, in 1990, from a paracetamol and alcohol overdose, following the breakup of his second marriage. Just two hours before his birthday started, at 10pm on Saturday evening, another granddaughter was born, and though I'm happy she's here safely, it would have been lovely if she had waited two more hours, and arrived on his birthday! Mind, we have so many birthdays in June in our family, he was probably willing her on to arrive on one of the few 'unoccupied' days, and fill up the calendar even more! Some of my favourite memories of him:
- Teaching me to recreate the "nee nah nee nah" of the emergency services sirens on my Major Morgan
- Buying me recorders for Christmas at least twice, then listening to me mangle various Christmas carols when he rang to say Merry Christmas
- Climbing out of the kitchen window pretending I'd upset him, then walking along the balcony and back in the front door, when I thought he'd really gone home
- Teaching me to tip the cereal bowl up and drink the remaining milk that way instead of spoon by spoon
- Showing me that putting knee length socks on is easier if you roll them down to the ankle before pulling them on, then unroll them instead of fighting to get your foot in te whole length of them
Today would have been my brothers 29th birthday. He was born at only 24 weeks, and weighed less than 2lb. Ben was born, christened, and died in the space of 18 hours, and all we have to remember him is a pressed flower from the funeral, and his birth and death certificates. With the advances in medical technology, if he had been born now, he would almost certainly have survived.
Ben was only 18 months younger than me, and I often wonder what it would have been like to grow up as a big sister, rather than an only child. Would he have looked like me? Would we have had the same interests, got on well, fought like cat and dog? Would he be married or settled down now, with children of his own? Perhaps he'd have gone to university, and been the first in our family to do that ... the 'what if' questions just keep coming.
I'm glad I had the day off today, it's been tough in some ways, and good in others. Definitely a day for my own thoughts and memories, on the whole though.
Yay! Mum and I just went for a long walk around the lake and the nature reserve. The swans on the nature reserve were out with their five cygnets, who are now old enough to eat the bread we were throwing ... so sweet!
Best of all though, the brood of seven ducklings that we saw last week, then were missing the following day when the poor little one got eaten by the pike before our eyes, were all present and correct! That still means at least one got eaten, as we saw it happen, but it's not as sad as I thought! No pics, as i was to busy feeding them, but they're there!
It's hot and sunny,but not unbearably so, I have the whole day off, good music playing, and the ducklings are alive! What a great day this is so far ....!
I'm sunburned. It hurts. When *exactly* did I stop being able to tan at the drop of a hat and never *ever* burn, no matter how hot it was, or how long I was out? And to add insult to injury, I have an array of differently tanned and burnt bits on my shoulders, neck and back, from the different strappy tops I've worn every day this week! Humph! Roll on winter, I never have these problems then!
Look at this little duckling - cute, isn't he? Yesterday afternoon he was merrily swimming around the pond with his mum and six siblings, and I sat and watched them for ages, sitting on the grass beside the pond. They had their fill of bread, and were enjoying the summer sun, as was I.
Today there was one duckling. We walked around the whole of the pond, and there was just this one. Seconds after I took this photo, which was tricky, because he was swimming so fast, and I couldn't focus, he was pulled under the water and eaten by the resident pike. Mum and I were so shocked we were still wondering exactly what had happened, when a teenage boy of about 14 came up with his fishing gear and asked if we'd seen any fish in that spot. We'd seen a few carp, so we said yes, and he sat down and started chatting. When we asked if there were any other fish in the lake, he said that there was a pike, which all the local anglers are trying to catch, and we mentioned the duckling, and the fact that since yesterday afternoon the pike had obviously had all seven ducklings. Apparently, there is an outlet pipe from the river to the lake, and when the river (tidal) is high enough, small fish, including young pike can get through to the lake. Of course, if the level drops, or they stay long enough to grow bigger, they end up stuck in the lake, which certainly helps explain why there are rarely any ducklings most years.
I'm really sad now, especially as although I know that many years, the ducklings and moorhen chicks don't make it, I've never actually *watched* one be eaten, or seen a brood of seven one day and the last one get eaten 24 hours later. :-( I wish I hadn't gone for the walk today now, though the kid did promise that if he catches the pike, it's destined for the barbecue! That made me feel slightly better!
Sometimes, I really hate nature!
Blogger is being a pain, and won't play nicely with me where photos are concerned tonight, so here's a link to the slideshow of my Bon Jovi pics from last Sunday. Just click the little pic below to go there and then click play! Thanks for looking!
I was right near the back of the bowl, so many of the pics are taken off the big screen, hence the blurriness ... there's only so much my zoom can do!
OK, so Sunday 11th June was the day I achieved, quite literally, my aim in life. I'd been holding on to my tickets for Bon Jovi since September, and originally Clare (my oldest friend) and I had planned to spend the weekend in London, going to Wembley for the concert. Yeah, that changed slightly when the concert was moved to the National Bowl at Milton Keynes. We decided to just drive up on Sunday morning, and got there at midday, after a two hour drive. A nice leisurely lunch at a very nice pub, and then we made our way to the Bowl to start queuing. There were several thousand people there already, and we eventually found the right queue (General Admission, for us) and waited about an hour before the gates were opened. A quick bag check and we were in, then on to the merchandise stand, where I bought a T-shirt and keyring, having already bought my tour programme outside. Next stop, the toilets (portakabins, and they rocked ... no, they really *rocked* as people moved in and out of them!) and the ice cream van, for the most expensive '99' we'd ever had, at £2.50 each! Worth it though, as it was 82 degrees! We made our way into the Bowl, and selected a good spot on the slopes near the back, where we could see the stage and big screens clearly, despite being a fair way away. It was only 3pm, and so we laid on the grass listening to the music playing over the sound system, people watching, and soaking up the sun. At 5:45pm the first opening act came on - a Leeds band called 'Spin' who weren't bad, but at 6 i took the oportunity to go out to the toilets and get us both some food, knowing that Nickelback were due on at 6:30. I got back in five minutes before they came on stage. I only knew two of their songs before Sunday ('Someday' and 'How You Remind Me') but was really impressed by the rest of their setlist, as well as Chad Kroeger's sense of humour, and obvious appreciation for the fans. It was also nice that he was very complimentary about all the band members and backstage crew of Bon Jovi, and expressed his appreciation for them all after Nickelback supported Bon Jovi for the last month of their tour, in Europe. I thought it was great that a band as well known in their own right would not only tour as a supporting act, but actually seem to have enjoyed it, when they could probably have sold out a lot of the same venues as a headline act. Nickelback warmed the crowd up nicely, and the atmosphere was electric by 8pm, when Bon Jovi walked out onto the stage. I was finding it hard to believe I could be standing just a couple of hundred yards from the group I consider my musical heroes, but as they went straight into 'Keep On Rocking In The Free World', it became incredibly real. I'd been expecting them to open with 'Last Man Standing', as they have done on most of their European concerts this tour, and it was a nice surprise that they switched things around from the beginning, as I had a feeling I was going to be in for a few surprises at this point.
Straight into 'You Give Love A Bad Name' - an oldie but a goodie, and the crowd were really into it now. I was singing along at the top of my (terrible!) voice, comfortable in the knowledge that the other 65,000 people would drown me out, and although I didn't know the lyrics to the next two songs ('Wild In The Streets' and 'Captain Crash And The Beauty Queen From Mars') off by heart, I sang along where I could, and enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere the rest of the time.
It was all very surreal being surrounded by roughly three and a half times the population of my entire town, and knowing that probably 90% of them were as crazy about Bon Jovi as I am. I was all too aware that I was experiencing something special, and during a few of the songs I actually felt quite emotional. Music does that to me a lot, and I saw on the big screen at times that there were actually people crying ... to quote Mary Poppins, that's going a bit too far, don't you think?
One of my favourites next, 'Born To Be My Baby' from the 'New Jersey' album, and then into 'Story Of My Life' from 'Have A Nice Day', the 2005 album that this tour is promoting. Then a lovely interlude with Jon thanking the fans for not returning their Wembley tickets for refunds, and being willing to make the trek to Milton Keynes. In his words 'We'll be back there, don't you worry. We'll be back there if I have to build it myself. I want to thank you guys especially, because you came, you made the trek out here, you didn't return your tickets. You said "to hell with it, we don't need no arch, we've come to see a band play." From the bottom of my heart, thank you. This is for you ... it's called 'Bounce'. "
And straight into 'Bounce' with it's upbeat lyrics, and fast beat. The fact that it was accompanied on the big screen with shots of a crowd member waving a banner saying "F*ck Wembley" made it all the more apt, given Jon's speech. One of my all-time favourites came next, 'I'll Sleep When I'm Dead', interspersed with a cover of 'Dancing In The Streets', which went down tremendously with the crowd. Another old one next, 'Runaway' from 1982 - their first big hit. It's not a favourite of mine, but it sure did sound good at that volume, and in that setting!
I just have to take a moment here to say that while I've always had a bit of a thing for Jon, I thought there was no way he could possible look that good in the flesh ... how wrong could a girl be? He has the energy, the looks, and the body of a man of 24, not 44 ... and yes, I *so* would ....LOL.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, lusting after Jon ... I mean, writing a review. Jon did a little speech about how Runaway is an old song, then said that it's "not old, just older ..." leading predictably into "Just Older', another favourite of mine. By this time, though she only knew a few Bon Jovi songs, Clare was definitely becoming a convert ... !
A special treat next, with 'In These Arms', the rocking but romantic ballad. Firstly because the first half of the song was sung by David Bryan, the keyboardist, who also wrote a lot of the lyrics, and that was great in itself - one thing I love about Bon Jovi is that all four main members can sing, and frequently get the opportunity to do so, thus mixing it up a little. While David sang, Jon used the catwalk out from the stage into the crowd to get close to the Golden Circle and fan club standing areas at the front of the stage, and make a few lucky girls' nights, when he smiled at them, spoke to them, or for the really lucky ones, actually touched their hands. Around half way through the song he took over the lead vocals from David and returned to the stage for the rest of the song.
Two more tracks from the 'Have A Nice Day' album next. The title track, upbeat and bouncy, but actually written about George Bush and his apparent "I'm gonna do what I want and screw you, have a nice day ...!" attitude. Then the latest single to be released from 'HAND'. the catchy 'Who Says You Can't Go Home', probably my favourite track on the album, and one that has recently been reworked and released as a country song in the States, featuring Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles as co-lead vocalist with Jon. Interestingly it's topped the Billboard country chart for a couple of weeks, making Bon Jovi the first ever rock band to top the country chart in the USA!
Next up was another bouncy one, 'It's My Life', the Frank Sinatra inspired track from five or six years ago. Another one from 'HAND' next, and one that I'm personally not keen on, 'Bells Of Freedom'.
A nice slow ballad next, and a fantastic surprise for me, and I think many of the crowd too. Probably their best known ballad, 'Always' hasn't been heard much at concerts in recent years, as Jon can't always hit the high notes, but this night we were lucky. We got it, for possibly the first time on the tour, although it was the slower and more acoustic reworking found on the 'This Left Feels Right' album from a few years ago. Not as good (in my opinion) as the original version, but a treat to hear it at all, and a nice change of pace for a few minutes.
Having said that 'Always' was an unexpected treat, next up was something that I had been expecting, but which still absolutely wonderful when it actually happened. This tour, guitarist Richie Sambora has been singing 'I'll Be There For You' most nights, and although I knew about it, as did many other fans, the crowd still went mental when Jon introduced Richie. It's a beautiful song, and Richie has a rich and powerful voice that works in perfect harmony with Jon's, or as in this case, as the sole vocalist on this song. I could have cried, with the emotion that Richie put into the lyrics, though perhaps his recent divorce from Heather Locklear contributed to the fact that the lyrics seemed particularly poignant that night.
'Everyday' was next, which was a nice return to the up-tempo songs which were setting the tone for most of the concert. Then came another of my personal favourites, 'Bad Medicine', which seemed to last forever, as it had an interlude where Jon introduced all the band members to the crowd. Drummer Tico Torres, David Bryan on keyboards, Richie Sambora on the guitar, and Hugh McDonald on bass, are the normal band, while for this tour guitarist Bobby Bandiera, and keyboardist Jeff Kazee, both 'on permanent loan from Southside Johnny and the Asbury Dukes' according to Jon, join the Bon Jovi guys. I have to say, despite it being my first time seeing them live, they sounded amazing as a 7 piece band instead of the usual 5. 'Bad Medicine' was also turned into a medley, with a cover of Lulu's 'Shout' which really brought the crowd back to full interaction mode after a couple of recent slow songs, and the pause when the band memberd were introduced. One funny moment was when Jon nearly repeated a mistake he made at Manchester's concert a week before, where he forgot to introduce David Bryan. He remembered this time, but had obviously almost forgotten, as he said,laughing, "I almost did it again"...
Following on from 'Bad Medicine' was 'Raise Your Hands' which had the entire crowd pumping their hands in the air, and then the song I had been waiting for. My all time favourite song, and I would venture to guess that many people in the crowd felt the same, from the ecstatic reaction that erupted when the disctinctive opening chords of 'Livin' On A Prayer' sounded. This song, with it's tale of dock worker Tommy, recently laid off when the union went on strike, and Gina, who 'works the diner all day' has over the years given me hope, made me cry, and when played at full pub volume in the presence of friends, just flat out made my day, and it was now that I had to multi task. Singing along, while phoning Daniel to listen to it, and trying to record it with my digital camera was not easy, but I'm proud to say I managed it. It's been my favourite song for about 12 years now, and is even more so now, for each time I hear it I'm reminded of Sunday evening, a perfect summer afternoon with one of my best friends, and being at my first Bon Jovi concert.
Predictably enough, it was after LOAP that Jon thanked the fans, and said goodnight, though we knew there would be at least one encore, and maybe even two. After all, this was the concert that unti the surprise introduction of a Hull date two days after the Milton Keynes one, was the last concert on the European leg of the HAND tour, and which despite being moved from Wembley, was seenby the band and the fans as "The big one". We weren't disappointed, as the stage lit up again, and the guys came back out, to go straight into "Blood On Blood', the tale of three childhood friends who "cut each others hands, and held tight to a promise only brothers understand". This song more than any other that night reminded me of how lucky I am to have been there with Clare, who I've known for 25 years now, and who despite the fact that I don't see nearly enough of her, I would be there for in a heartbeat if she needed me. The crowd were really rocking again now, and when the introduction to 'Wanted Dead Or Alive' started, I think there was a bigger roar of delight that at any point until then. After 'Wanted' came yet another special song, when they played 'These Days', from the album of the same name that was immensely well received in the UK and panned in the States, It's been rare this tour to have anything from that album played, in fact I believe it hadn't happened until Sunday, so it was a wee bit special. Time for the stage to darken once more, though this time we knew there was another encore coming, as Jon hadn't repeated his goodbyes!
When it did come, a few minutes later, we were treated to one more track from 'HAND', which was 'Last Man Standing', the song that has been first on the setlist for almost every European concert this tour. Last, but definitely not least, a rousing rendition of 'Keep The Faith', turned into a medly with 'Sympathy For The Devil' When it finished, Jon said goodnight and thanked us all, then they walked off stage and the lights went out. For me, I felt incredibly sad that the past two hours and forty minutes had actually ended, yet almost disbelieving of the fact that it had happened at all. I'd just had the single best day of my life, and fulfilled my ambition in life, with my best friend beside me ... it doesn't get better than that.
We left the car park at 11pm, and drove 20 miles in 55 minutes, thanks to the traffic leaving Milton Keynes. Arriving home at 1:30am, I was on too much of a high to even think about sleep until 5:30am, and am only now coming back to earth. I saw Bon Jovi live ... what more could I ask?
Wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. WOW. No, really .... WOW! Nearly 36 hours after I got home from the Bon Jovi concert on Sunday night, and I'm still on a complete high. I got to spend the whole day with one of my favourite people in the world, who I don't see nearly enough of, *and* achieve what was literally my goal in life ... see Bon Jovi live. It just doesn't get any better than that.
More details, including pics and a concert review later, when my brain can actually form coherent thoughts again.
Wow. Just .... wow.
I'm going to see BON JOVI today! In 12 hours or so they'll be coming on stage and in an hour and a half my friend is arriving to pick me up!! I have sunglasses, sun cream and most importantly, the tickets and empty memory cards for my camera, so I'm hoping to get lots of good shots!
The compilation CDs are done, with all my favourite songs, to get us in the Jovi mood, and the directions to Milton Keynes (and back again, LOL) are printed and laminated. The bottled water is about to come out of the freezer, and I'm ready! I really can't believe I'm actually seeing my all time favourite music group *ever*, live ... somebody wake me up, because I'm surely dreaming!!
According to the Bon Jovi forum, and the people who were at last night's Milton Keynes concert, they *rocked*, with a great setlist, and fantastic atmosphere. Hopefully it'll be the same tonight :-)
I'm on holiday at the moment, on day 8 of sixteen days off. It started out pretty well, with a trip to Thorpe Park last Sunday, then turned into a mundane week at home - nice not to have to work, but pretty boring, ya know?
After a bit of a bump in the road (more accurately to my head, when I bashed it against my wardrobe last night getting ready to go out!) yesterday became a good day when I went out with ten colleagues for a retirement meal. Great company, lots of gossip, great food at a lovely local pub, with a rather cute Australian waiter as well ... nicely rounded off by getting back in my friends car to come home and "Summer of 69" coming on the radio - my second favourite song of all time!
I just bought my water, sun cream and sunglasses for tomorrow ... the day I shall achieve what is almost my life's ambition ... that's right, I'm off to Milton Keynes Bowl with my bested friend to see Bon Jovi!!! I'm on a real high already, and about to make a CD of my favourite Bon Jovi songs, to listen to in the car. Should be a great day, and I shall share pics on Monday!
Approximately 32 hours til showtime!
Before I got my laptop and bought an iPod, I used to listen to all my mp3s on my computer, left to play them all at random until told otherwise, but since using the laptop, with it's tiny speakers that really aren't up to much, at least for listening to music, I've gone back to listening to my local radio station.
On a whim, I just looked up how to connect an iPod to a home stereo system, found I had the necessary cable in the drawer (yes, *that* drawer ... you know the one ... the one we all have with cables that came with electrical devices, but we don't know exactly what they're for, maybe a spare plug or two, and in my case, half a dozen spare mice and headphones!)
The upshot is that I now have all my favourite songs playing wonderfully through my stereo, at a volume that semi-successfully disguises my singing along! Today just got *so* much better :-)
