WOW

OK, so we went to the "Vertigo" concert that U2 gave & it wasnt very good. "Very good" doesn't actually do it much justice. It would actually be fairer to say that it was bloody brilliant. To be part of some 40 000 odd people all singing along to "One Tree Hill" would have to be one of the most moving experiences I have ever had short of the time I ate a dodgy chicken dish at the Victoria Street Market & was crook for 3 weeks, but thats another story, & not a pleasant one.

This is Self & Herself outside the stadium. We hired a van & took both ourselves, Morticia & her two rug rats along. We got there nice & early, & the nice security guards were most helpful in showing us where to go to get to the "Wobbly Walk" carparks. Both Herself & Morticia have the magic cards. This put us within 200 metres of the main gate that we had to go in to.

A picnic lunch that herself had constructed took care of some of the 3 odd hours that we had to kill before show time. A good book took care of the rest for us, but was a little harder for 2 teenagers that arent quite so good at the "Hurry up & wait" thing. Another nice security guard, (Love those guys), let us into the corporate tent area so we could use the toilets there.


After pledging our firstborn at the souvenir stands for a programme ($35.00) & a T shirt each ($45.00) We finally got inside to our seats. Seeing the queues at the food stands made me very glad that herself had gone to the effort of bringing our own. This is the view we had of the stage, so we had pretty good seats I thought. If we wanted a better view, there was always the big screens at each top corner of the set.

Before U2, we had to suffer through 45 minutes of a non descript rap artist called Kanye West, who uses as backing classical instruments such as violins, violas & a harp as backing. An original idea, but one that just somehow doesnt quite seem to jell. The best part of his set, other than it finishing, was the female Negro vocalist he had as a backup singer. Damn she could sing.


















This was the scene shortly before the lights went down & U2 started rockin


This is the stage area once the boys were doin their thing & what a thing. As a muso, I can generally tell if a recording is from a live performance or not just from the instrumentals. Some bands have a tendency to pad numbers out with protracted instrumentals so they dont have to play as many numbers. Not these boys. They get on stage & just fairly rip in to it all.

There is something magical about the combination of Bono's vocals & The Edge's guitar work, especially live , that just makes the hair stand on the back of the neck. Ok, so we had to have Bono's customary little speech about ending world poverty & I'm sure that they could contribute to that by lowering the prices at the stands a bit, but hey it was all good. Midway through one track, not quite sure which one, because the fumes from the herbal tobacco being smoked around me were sorta taking effect, Bono asked everyone to take out their cell phones, light em up & wave em around. Damn that looked good. Then they gave a number to text your full name to.

During one of the two encores, they started scrolling a few of the selected names across the big screen & guess what ? There in lights & capital letters across the top of the big screen at the U2 concert was yours truly's name. AND afterwards, I got a text message from Bono as well. OK, so it was just a form message directing me to his web site for world hunger , & Ok so every other person who texted in probably got the same message, but that aint the point. I can still casually drop it into the conversation at work Monday, along the lines of, "Well, when Bono sent me a text message...."

At the start of the second number , he took a few minutes to thank us all for waiting. That was really nice to hear, & all I can say is "Damn it was worth it, every minute & dollar of it." All I have to do now is make an appointment with my bank manager & drag my eldest son along...

Uhmmmmmm.....

I'm not actually gonna comment on this picture

Well, what a day

This is my new set of wheels. Its a 1992 Isuzu Mu with a turbo charged 2.8 litre diesel motor & a manual gearbox. Its got a few minor things wrong with it, but I dont care. I love it to bits already. Herself & me drove down to Rotorua this morning to get it. it wasnt a terribly pleasant day, but it didnt really matter.

We called in to have lunch with Morty & family on the way home. Its always good to see them & its starting to get exciting, as its down to days now until the U2 concert. Nushka as usual did the canine meet & greet thing with her usual style & grace, with only one small lapse when she prostituted herself for a portion of Apricot Danish.

The good bits hadnt finished, because when we got home, there was a message on the answer phone telling us that herself had won a raffle at the Hospital, the prize being a nights accommodation, dinner & breakfast at Hotel du Vin. Lovely... Get to see the grand kids etc tomorrow sio that will be good as well.. More later

Parallel Parking

This picture really does give a whole new perspective to the process of safely parking a motor vehicle doesnt it ??

I'm glad I dont need American help

It's far too costly. In the news tonight , they interviewed veterans marching in the US equivalent of our ANZAC Day parades. The subject in question was American involvement in Iraq. One old chap, who probably only saw action in the nearest bordello he could find, poked his chicken chest out & said, "Waaalll, we wupped the Japs & now I guess its our turn to wup these guys." This was in response to being told that Coalition fatalities are approaching the 3000 mark & injuries the 22000 mark. Another geriatric redneck had this to say after being told that the civilian casualties are nearly impossible to estimate.. "Waalll (do ALL American opinions start with "Waaalll") They brought it on themselves you know." I wont tell you my reaction to THAT gem. Suffice it to say that herself started chasing me round the lounge waving a bar of soap in determined fashion. I guess Saddam Hussein could probably find cold comfort in the old saying,"We're gonna hang yuh right after we give yuh a fair trial. "

Does it really matter who fires the bullet or sets off the bomb ? Dead is dead for chrissakes. I find a certain measure of cold comfort in the news that the Democrats are taking over the Senate. Now theres another thing you shouldn't get me started on. The American political system. Even Americans that I know dont really understand it. I guess thats why a lot of them have emigrated to New Zealand.

Don't get me wrong here. I actually do know some nice Americans. Its just that I dont really want their military forces "helping" me. THAT looks like a costly & extremely protracted arrangement, & i'm not sure I want it.

I've been here...

But do you think I could find this shop ?? Searched in vain I have on numerous occasions for it & now a friend sends me porno........ photographic proof of its existence... Not fair really is it ?

We knocked the bastard off

Two days, two people, two wheelbarrows, seven previously unheard blues Cd's & a lot of sweat, & consumption of bulk alcohol, but we did it. Yes folks, this is an epic story of a couples triumph over adversity, hard work & a hell of a lot of firewood. Yup, its all neatly stacked away & ready for winter, although with the weather the way it is at the moment it is our personal opinion that winter aint all that very far away. As well as the wood, I also managed to get the netting on the rack for the beans to grow on . Damn do I need a soak in the spa at this point, but herself is riveted to the telly watching the All Blacks giving the Froggies an absolute trouncing. I suppose it will make up in part for them bombing the Rainbow Warrior.. A bas le DGSE. Gros merde ils sont etre.

Thats basically the weekend screwed. Once the rugby has finished, it'll be a soak in the spa, cos herself is hurting as well. Then I think I will flash up the Barby & cook tea there because neither of us can be stuffed washing dishes, so its burnt offerings for tea tonight. What is it about mercilessly incinerating perfectly good meat that appeals to us blokes? I guess it must be some form of atavistic memory of chummy nights around a fire in a cave long long ago. I dunno. Anyway Ed & I are to share the crappy late run week about from now on. That is I suppose till the next emergency crops up & I have to change round yet again. Must be some kind of lesson I'm supposed to learn from it about getting comfortable & complacent, but I'm buggered if I know what it is.

Anyway loyal readers, I hope your week is a cruisy & enjoyable one. Depending on what i end up doing , I guess I will write soon. Take care, & please leave a comment if you want to. Would be nice to have a name or two for some of you viewers.. Later...

Le peche de jour

unfortunately wasn't this fine fellow, but he & some of his friends did keep us company tonight. You see, Herself & I finally managed a night out for a leisurely unhurried & extremely delicious meal at the Old Thames Restaurant. We have been there on odd occasions over the years with indifferent at best results, but tonight we had a lovely meal. Nice , relaxed & unhurried, with really lovely food with himself in the pic looking over our shoulders. he is a good 8'' long, & a very handsome fellow. cant help wondering how he would look in a nice crisp batter, served with a plate of chips though... And uhmmmm, still haven't had any replys to my somewhat generous offer regarding the woodpile...

I havent blogged a lot lately

It isnt because I dont love you all, its just that a lot has been happening. I have also been on a really shit run workwise, getting home late & not seeing herself very much at all. Was out & about in all that shocking weather in Auckland yesterday, but made it home safe & sound alright . Hopefully will fill you in on how my week has been sometime over the weekend. That is, if I survive stacking the 10 to 12 cubic metres of firewood that we had delivered yesterday. Any volunteers to help ? I will provide food, cold alcohol, encouragement, exhortation, good music & a soak in a hot spa pool when we have finished. Its only gotta be stacked about 20 metres away in my wood shed & its all flat concrete to get there.. Catch ya later..

Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon

We went & saw my Mum this afternoon. She was actually pretty good today. She actually told me she loved me for the first time in a while. Herself raided the garden for some flowers to take for her. This is what she came up with. Pretty neat huh? Herself is justifiably proud of what she can produce from her little gardens. I spent the morning burning rubbish & emptying & refilling the spa pool cos the water was starting to get a bit on the stale side. Now its hurry up & wait for it to heat up so that we can throw our tired old bodies into it.

Had a lovely day yesterday visiting with Morticia & Pugsley, Wednesday being away at a family gathering. Didnt get to see Tommy though. Nushie did condescend to allow me to feed her chicken & donuts, which I suppose is something I guess.... Its always nice to see Morty & we are all looking forward to U2 soon.......

Leave them alone for God sake

It's a very sad world we live in when Sir Paul McCartney and his wife are facing divorce and all anyone seems to want to do is make jokes about her false leg. Personally, I think it's prosthetic.

News reports have confirmed that Paul McCartney has separated from his wife Heather Mills-McCartney. Mrs Mills-McCartney is said to be distraught over the split. "He has been my crutch for so long"!

She said in an earlier briefing, "I have no idea why this has happened, I'm really stumped"

"She's running around in circles", according to a close friend, "she will need all the support she can get. It's not like its easy to walk out on a relationship like this"

After his break up with Heather, Paul was asked if he would ever consider going down on one knee again. Paul said he would prefer it if we called her Heather.

It is not known whether a pre-nuptial agreement was signed prior to the marriage. Paul McCartney is one of the richest men in the world, and if an agreement has been signed it is believed that she won't have a leg to stand on.

Rumours abound over the split which have suggested that infidelity may have been the cause. "She's terrible" a source stated, "always trying to get her leg over".

Another source has suggested that her battle with alcoholism was the cause. "Macca couldn't handle it anymore" a friend said, "he would get home at night and find her legless"

Many have attributed this to a problem which started with the present that Paul bought her prior to the wedding. He gave her a new prosthetic leg for Christmas but that was just a stocking-filler.

A miner in Africa has an accident and loses a leg. He says to his mate "I'm stuffed, who will want a one legged gold digger?" His mate says "try Paul McCartney"

Finally a poem by Sir Paul McCartney:
I lay upon a grassy bank
My hands were all a quiver
I slowly removed her suspender belt and her leg fell in the river

These jokes are funny but lets spare a thought for Paul please. Now she has left him, he's going to struggle to find another woman who can fill her shoe