Great Big Sea @ House Of Blues Hollywood

Last evening, I traveled to the House Of Blues in Hollywood to see Great Big Sea. It was a long drive broken up by stopping in the San Clemente Ripcurl outlet and a walk around Seal Beach. The HOB had a really nice layout for concerts with an upper (reserved) deck and raised areas away from the stage, so everyone could get a stage view. GBS was great as always. In the encore, Alan Doyle said the just played song was co-written with Russell Crowe, and then Russell walked onstage to join GBS for a few songs. Everyone had their cell phone cameras clicking away.

Road Trip to NY For Great Big Sea – Sunday Pt2

Bailey assisted the dinner cleanup by pre-washing the dishes.

Road Trip to NY For Great Big Sea - Sunday

Sunday was a bit more muted. The past few days caught up to us. we traveled downtown to see The Egg, and then a museum. We had steaks for dinner (thanks for grilling, Andy) and surprised Tracy with a birthday cake.

Road Trip to NY For Great Big Sea - Saturday

Saturday, we traveled to walk/hike a local ridge. Outstanding views and trickling waterfalls. The leaves just started to turn on a few trees. Then it was on to the IrishFest 2000 (why named 2000?!?!) after lunch at Tracy’s place.

Far fewer people at this festival compared to Ottawa. Greenwich Meantime put on a good show, then Great Big Sea took the stage. We staked out about 25 feet from the stage (again, far fewer people than Ottawa). The acoustics were weak but the boys performed well. Worth the travel. Tracy and Andy left after GBS finished, so Bill & I took in a bit of Gaelic Storm. Another great discovery!

Road Trip to NY For Great Big Sea - Thursday/Friday

I flew Wednesday evening, arriving in Syracuse to work for Thursday. I like being a virtual person for work. Friday, Bill and I drove to Tracy’s place in Albany. We learned to verify Google maps! I previously used Yahoo maps to get to Tracy’s place but Google had us in the next town. Tracy, Andy, and Bailey greeted us. Preparations were underway for a wine tasting party with about 10+ guests. Tracy managed to get the first wine spill when checking the bottom of an already opened bottle. Kerri was the recipient of the spilled wine, but the blouse was saved with a quick wash. Good conversation, wine, cheese, and laughs.

Patty Griffin At The Belly Up

Patty Griffin played at the Belly Up this evening. Sold out, but I got a strategic spot at the bar. Patty came on stage earlier than expected; usually, artists make the crowd wait way too long. Thanks, Patty. A great performance. I expected to hear more of her more popular songs but the Ray Charles song Lonesome Me was worth the price of admission. Obviously, Patty had run out of songs by the second encore so she came out for a solo piece. Great tune but did not get the name.

Visiting Leah

I traveled to visit Leah in Oakland this past weekend. As usual, Leah never fails to challenge me, question me, and tire me out. I got to meet Finley, her new Westie. The 3 of us visited some of Leah’s friends Saturday morning. Patrick and Susanne had a larger dog, Roxy, and a cement pond in the backyard. Finley and Roxy played, with Finley having to work really hard to jump over the 3+-inch grass. The dogs stopped for a drink in the pond, and Finley misjudging and ending up with a swim instead! Everyone laughed except Finley. Then it was time to shop and prep for the evening parties. Groceries, then to a specialty cheese shop. Lots of samples. Party #1 began at 4pm for family and close friends. Leah’s parents, Mr. & Mrs. Tang, always make me feel welcome. I remembered a few of the guests from the 2000 millennium party. Great spring rolls. Yum. Part #2 began at 8pm with Finley going home with Mr. & Mrs. Tang. The little tike was worn out – guess that happens when your legs are 4 inches long. Great conversation and stories throughout the evening. First question: how do you know Leah? (Trick answer haha). Philippe and Hanna remembered me from an earlier Leah visit. Philippe has been up Half Dome 15-20 times with an ascent of 4 hours, on pace with a jog. We won’t ever hike together. I felt so bad when at the end of the evening Philippe gave me a hug goodnight and I said ‘good evening, Miguel’. I had just said good evening to Miguel 5 minutes ago! Ever wish you could reverse time? I also had a great conversation with Pat. The conversation covered several topics: Vancouver, dreams (the sleeping kind), travel, and growth. Pat is working on a book destined to be a best seller. I cannot divulge the topics, but as Pat was describing it I was remembering my past relationships. Everyone will relate to it. Pat will be on Oprah. Sunday was a walk to the farmers market, with a breakfast crepe. Yum. We then looked at a highly priced home in a desirable neighborhood called RockRidge. Back to Leah’s for a late lunch and then off to the airport.