Desert Trip radio On Now

Sirius Channel 26 is 100% artists from the Desert Trip.  If you don't know what I am talking about The Desert Trip takes place over the next two weekends in Indio, CA at the venue that also hosts Cochella.  The groups performing are Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, Paul McCartney, The Who and Roger Waters, formerly of Pink Floyd.

Marty (husband) played golf with one of the kids that will be working concessions at the three day event.  He said the concessionaires  would all be sleeping on one big tent- I am very happy we have a hotel package.  A great big tent party does not sound like fun to me....

The concessionaire did tell Marty that concert attendees need to buy whatever they want as soon as they see it as they expect to sell out everything quickly.  So I am changing our plans to go over to the venue as soon as it opens on Friday so we can buy a bunch of stuff.  I have been to concerts and the lines to buy stuff are horrifying.....You can stand in line for an hour to buy a tee shirt and when you finally get to the front they have sold out the one you want.  I am imagining that everyone attending this concert will want a tee shirt to prove they were there.

I have heard that to get within a mile of the venue you have to have a wrist band that is activated.  Depending on your seat you may also need to have a lanyard with your actual seat assignment.

Today I will touch on the two artists/ groups for Night number 1,  Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

Bob Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, born May 24, 1941 in Minnesota.  Same birthday as my brother, just not the same year.  Dylan's top selling albums were:
1.  Blood on the Tracks, 1975
2.  Desire, 1976
3.  Love and Theft, 2001

His top selling singles were:
1.  Like a Rolling Stone, made it to number 2 in 1965
2.  Rainy Day Women 12 and 35, made it to number 2 in 1966
3.  Positively 4th Street, made it to number 7, 1965
4.  Lay Lady Lay, number 7 in 1969
5. Knockin' on Heaven's Door, number 12 in 1973
6.  I Want You, number 20 in 1966

Dylan sold a load of albums, I see anywhere from 35 million to 100 million depending on who is counting.  Dylan won a Grammy, A Golden Globe, an Academy Award and is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Wow- I think my post may be a little long today...Rolling Stones- Also on night number 1.  Top Albums:
1.  Sticky Fingers- 1971
2.  Exile on Mail Street-1972
3.  Let It Bleed- 1969
4.  Beggars Banquet- 1968
5.  Some Girls-

Chart topping singles include:
1.  Miss you, number 1 in 1978
2.  Angie, number 1 in 1973
3.  Brown Sugar, number 1 in 1971
4.  Honky Tonk Women, number 1 in 1969
5.  Ruby Tuesday, number 1 in 1967
6.  Paint It Black, number 1 in 1966
7.  Get Off Of My Cloud, number 1 in 1965
8.  I Can't Get No Satisfaction, number 1 in 1965
9.  Start Me Up, number 2 in 1981
10.  19th Nervous Breakdown, number 2 in 1966
11.  Emotional Rescue, number 3 in 1980
12.  Jumpin' Jack Flash, number 3 in 1968

Rumors are that there will be some collaborations of the different artists and that there may be some appearances by acts not listed.  I have heard that Eric Clapton may be joining The Rolling Stones, who really knows.  I am just watching the buzz.....


The Times They are a Changin' By Bob Dylan
"Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'."

Coming Soon:

• Desert Trip Realized
• Tribute to Papou
• Kitchen Reno
• Garage--

Love, Ya-Ya

Halloween is 41 days away, Desert Trip is in TWO weeks

Estimated Reading Time.....3 minutes, 13 seconds

I did order the Halloween costumes for the G kids as I told you I would.  They arrived and we have had a dress rehearsal.  Good thing that we did because one the the G girls decided that now she wants earrings and when we ordered she was adamant that she did not want earrings.  So the earrings are ordered.

We will have one Ninja on Halloween---

One the the G boys did not have the right shoes, so I ordered those also.  The costumes were a huge hit and I can't wait for the real events.  I hope that the kids will have plenty of opportunities to wear their outfits after the photos are taken in mid October. If you have not thought about costumes you might want to get with it.  This year we will have four really special costumes.  I was worried about two of them and they all four turned out really fun.

We will have a Queen this Halloween but she needs some earrings....

Kitchen Renovation Update:  Just an FYI- Double your expected budget

• The reno is underway at least paying for the reno is underway.  
• I wrote a big check to the cabinet guy- he is scheduled to start work on Nov 1.
• I still need to pick the cabinet hardware.
• The installer is scheduled for the demo and the floor and backsplash installation.

I am looking for a lumpy subway tile.

• I am struggling with the tile selection.  I have a little too much resale on my mind instead of picking what I would like if we were here for the long haul.  

Fake wood floor- made from tile

• Appliances have been selected but I do want Marty to take a look before I say "go" because as you know he is the cook around here.  I did not go crazy on the appliances as we know we will not be here for more than 5 or 6 more years?????Then downsize???
• I still need to schedule the paint contractor.
• I am acting as the general contractor so wish me luck.  The expense seems to not be worth it to hire a general for such a small job, so I am scheduling each thing and will try to make it all happen when they are promising that it will.
• I have to have all of my stuff out of the kitchen before the reno starts.  All cabinets empty.  Maybe we should just throw everything away and start with all new stuff....just up the budget a hair....

Halloween in Ya-Ya's dining room

Ya-Ya's Halloween dining room

Fall Decorating is kind of completed.  I think I just ran out of steam.  Maybe it was when I had my teeth cleaned and they said I had a cavity--- really- I have not had one for at least 15 years.  I had it repaired yesterday and it wasn't that bad but don't you just hate it when they tell you there is something wrong.  I am such a huge dentist wimp.  I go religiously every 6 months for a tooth cleaning but I dread hearing that there is anything that is not right.  Then I obsess over it until it is completed.  I have told you before that I have a couple of loony tendencies and this is one of them.

Ya-Ya's Halloween chandelier- dining room

I will include a couple of pictures so you can see what I have been working on.

Cart made by Marty many years ago- I love to decorate it for every season

We went to see "Sully".  The movie about the airplane landing on the Hudson River.  It was troubling for me to see and emotional.  I was a little shook up after seeing it.  I guess I should stick to chick flicks with a love story and a happy ending.  

I went to see Cabaret last week and I did not like the "new"version.  Very dark.  I don't remember the old version being such a downer.

This week I am seeing Bridget Jones Baby which looks like it is a really funny one.  I will report back next week.  I also want to go see the Beatles documentary--- I may have to go alone- no one seems to be too excited to see it except me.

Coachella

It is  two weeks until we leave for the Desert Trip. If you do not know what the Desert Trip is one of our kids is calling it "Old Chella".  It takes place in the same venue as Choachella but it has some of the greatest bands of our era.  The first night it is Bob Dylan followed by The Rolling Stones, night two is Neil Young followed by Paul McCartney and night three is The Who followed by Roger Waters(formerly with Pink Floyd). Listen to Sirius Channel 26.  They talk about Desert Trip a lot.  

I hope you are making it happen.  And thank you to my Florida buddy for getting me inspired to make something happen.   xxxooo and I hope to see you soon...

Coming Soon:

• Decorating outdoors for fall
• A Tribute to Papou, a Greek Remembered
• The Desert Trip
• My Favorite concerts

Love, Ya-Ya

Top 5 Albums

I am in a little bit of a music phase right now.

The girls were just visiting so we had a Taylor Swift marathon.  The girls were dancing and singing at the top of their lungs and we had the music cranked up almost to max.  The girls had made magic wands with ribbons and washi tape that they could twirl around as they were dancing.  Marty went in the other room- he kept telling us to turn it down and that made us crank it up.  We told him just to go to the other room.

I have told you we are going to the Desert Trip in the Fall.  To say that I am excited is an understatement.  I actually started looking at the Lyrics from the artists that are performing so you might get a little sick of The Beatles, Rolling Stones, C,S,N and Y, The Who, Bob Dylan and Roger Waters.

We were listening to one of the Syrius channels recently and the DJ (do we still call them a DJ?) was talking about her favorite five albums of all time.  It made me think really hard- how do you choose you top albums of your lifetime or of all time??

It might be obvious but I have to choose a couple of Beatles- My top two would be Rubber Soul and Abbey Road.  We were at lunch in the spring  and there was a musician that played “I’ve Just Seen a Face”.  My DIL did not know that song,  I said it’s on Rubber Soul- She said what is Rubber Soul?  I was a little scared but of course I told her all about Rubber Soul right away.

Then I picked one of my favorite albums from college, Tapestry by Carole King.  Every song is a great one. 

Now it gets harder, just two to go.  Déjà vu- Crosby, Stills,  Nash and Young.  Reminds me of spring break,  freshman year of college.  I think we played it all the way to our destination and all the way back.  Hila- do you remember??

Okay,  one to go- now it is really hard,  do I pick the obvious- like Thriller, Eagles Hell Freezes Over, Beach Boys Pet Sounds??? I pick Hell Freezes Over.  We were at dinner with friends talking about music and favorite albums and I said Hell Freezes Over.  Our friend  told me that choosing an album that is kind of a Greatest Hits album is cheating.  So I guess I am cheating!

My Top Five:

1.        Rubber Soul- The Beatles

2.       Abbey Road- The Beatles

3.       Tapestry-Carole King

4.       Déjà vu-Crosby, Stills and Nash

5.       Hell Freezes Over- The Eagles

What is in your Top Five.? Ask your kids, see if they have been influenced by your music.  Talk about the albums with friends – it is a really lively conversation topic.

Here are a few factiods to help you.  I have looked up the top albums of all time.  There is a bit of controversy on if it is The Eagles Greatest Hits or Michael Jackson's Thriller.  I am combining two lists and here are other top selling albums:
Led Zeppelin IV
Pink Floyd- The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon
AC/DC-Back in Black
Billy Joel- Greatest Hits
Whitney Houston- The Bodyguard
Garth Brooks-Double Live
Shania Twain-Come On Over
Fleetwood Mac- Rumours

Can you name the top selling group and artists of all time????
1.  THE BEATLES- by a landslide
2.  Elvis
3.  Michael Jackson
4.  Madonna
5.  Elton John
6.  Garth Brooks
7.  Led Zeppelin
8.  Eagles
9.  Mariah Carey
10.  Celine Dion

Do you notice how there are not any current artists on this list????
This is NOT my list.  I do not even like a few of these artists.

"I've just seen a face I can't forget the  time or place ,
where we just met,
she's just a girl for me and I want all the world to see we've met"...........The Beatles, Rubber Soul, US version.

Keep singing and you might want to play a Beatles song or two,  They have held up pretty well to the test of time.

Coming soon:
How Long til Fall?
California Dreamin'
Catalog Obsessions

Love, Ya-Ya