The Desert Trip- we did it!!!

The Desert Trip- Rolling Stones, Paul ,Neil and Dylan days 1 and 2

Estimated reading time 3 minutes, 51 seconds.....

This shot is looking West towards general admission seats- the opposite end of the venue from the stage.

I really was not sure what to expect, except huge crowds.  When we arrived at the venue the first time I was amazed at how huge it was.  We came early to make sure we could buy good stuff and so we parked ourselves in one of the lounges and we snagged a couch and met some people from NY and Calgary, Canada.  After a few hours we mosied into our floor seats. 

Marty on the couch where we parked for a couple of hours pre concert- not too shabby- until the crowds figured it out---

This is a shot from the general admission before the general admission people are in place.

I have never seen anything like the huge stage with three gigantic screens behind them.  Through the course of the three days we walked back to General admission to see how far it really was.....so far and there were speakers everywhere and more huge screens.

This is a view from the front of the venue- gigantic...

The first night kicked off with Bob Dylan.  He was awful. Never talked to the audience and played really boring videos instead of having Dylan on the screens.  He was on the screen at the beginning and then just videos of scenery- not Dylan but it really did not matter because you could not understand anything.  We went back to the lounge but now there was nowhere to sit and hardly standing room- a wall of people.

I know this an awful pic but that is Bob Dylan- he never really looked at the crowd.

The Rolling Stones were next and Mick Jagger is unbelievable.  He runs around like a 20 year old and is even tinier than you expect.  They played a bunch of their hits...Marty and I both thought we took pictures of the Stones but we have nothing on our phones.  I may have erased by accident.  The Stones played "Come Together" by The Beatles and it was really cool.  Paul was in the audience on night 1.  I am not good with the phone camera and you were not allowed to take in any camera with a removable lens.

I saw a great tee shirt on a woman in the shuttle line that said "Never Underestimate a Grandmother who listens to Mick Jagger".  She was so cute....

Paul

Then the Mile plus trek from our reserved section to the shuttle to the Marriott.... Along with I am not sure how many people.  Some waited in shuttle lines for three hours.  We were lucky,  all that happened to us was that our shuttle driver did not know how to find the Marriott so we missed the turn and had to double back--- really--- we were so done with the shuttle.

Donuts at the Rock and Roll Brunch

Night two was Neil and Paul so I wanted to really rest before our trek back to the venue.  We had brunch at the hotel and we took some pics- the brunch was really cool with a rock and roll theme.  We left the hotel later and went right to our seats.  This driver knew a shortcut to the venue but it is still a traffic jam when you get within a couple of miles of the venue.  They decided to reroute all of the reserved floor seat people so we had to walk further and no benefit of pedicabs like we had on day one.  Paved walk ways but super far.  Neil was spectacular.  It was a toss up on my favorites but Neil was one of them.

Neil Young had a really cool stage set with a bunch of tee pees....

Neil sounded perfect and played a bunch of his hits and a few new ones.  But they all sounded good.  We knew he would talk environment and save the world and he did but not too lecturey.  Marty said that he was one angry man.  But he sure can sing like the old days.  he did not sing Old Man, Southern Man or Cinnamon Girl- nothing from the CSNY days and no Buffalo Springfield...But he got an A plus.

Neil Young

Paul was next and of course I was excited to see him again.  He was a little off, very hoarse voice.  He had played a couple of times earlier in the week and I think the dusty atmosphere was hard on the artists.  Then in about the middle Neil joined Paul for a couple of songs and kinda saved Paul.  I could not see the middle screen and I saw on the videos that there was a lot of Beatle stuff of the middle screen- I could only see the screen right in front of me- 5.1 inches does not allow you to see too much especially when there are giant people in front of you and a few people that stood on chairs the entire time...  Neil won on night two----  Paul sang "I Wanna Be Your Man" that I think Lennon and McCartney wrote for the Rolling Stones.  He also sang "I've Just Seen a Face" from Rubber Soul and I really love that one....plus most of his regulars--- I did hear some gripes that he did not sing Yesterday--- but you can't have everything--- he sang two wife tributes to the current wife and "Maybe I'm Amazed" for Linda....Review the set list,  there are some weak spots--- at least in my opinion and we did not have the advantage of seeing a set list for anybody so we did not really know what would be in store for any of the artists....

Sir Paul

I will add a bunch more pictures tomorrow- Marty and I are not that good with our phones- Both of us messed up on Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones- I have some bad pics but you will not want to see them.  Tomorrow I will blog about The Who- night three and the photography exhibit.

This was the concert of a lifetime and I am so glad that we did it.  It was exhausting and super hot but we were some of the lucky 85,000 that got to be there.  I did not meet a single person from Arizona but I did meet a couple from Sweden, a woman from Australia, a bunch of Canadians and of course Americans from all over.  It was an experience and we were so fortunate.  There is still one more weekend with the same lineup, if you get a chance you should do it.... It may never happen again.

Rockin' in A Free World by Neil Young

"There's colors on the street
Red, white and blue
People shufflin' their feet
People sleepin' in their shoes
But there's a warnin' sign on the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forget it any way I can.

Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world
Keep on rockin' in the free world,
Keep on rockin' in the free world."

Stay tuned for more tomorrow or Wednesday.....so much more to tell you.

Love, Ya-Ya

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 decorating outside....started....

Estimated Reading Time.....3 minutes, 6 seconds

First things first- replenish the planters on the front patio and the guest room patio.  Summer is brutal here in Arizona.  I am lucky that anything survived.  I have kept about 80% alive but they all look a little sickly.  So Home Depot here I come.

Front window banner

The second thing I do is string a banner up across my front window.  The Halloween sign has been around for a couple of years and each year I add a few new embellishments.  I added the fabric banner and then the lights on the sides with more fabric ties.  It just seems to brighten things up a bit.

I have a couple of fake Jack O Lanterns that will be lit to welcome the trick or treaters.

I need a few mums from Home Depot and I really need a couple of new pots.  I was about to move one of the super, old terra cotta pots and it crumbled as I was trying to lift it up.  So it was in pieces- time to let it go.

Front window with Halloween fans hanging below the banner

I used to do the hay bales but they seem to attract insects or maybe they bring them along.  It never gets cold enough to kill flying things or crawling things until November or even December so I am not even going to give hay bales a try this year.

The biggest job outdoors are the lights.  I have a neighbor who puts up thousands of lights for Halloween.  I am directly across the street from her so I started doing a few lights myself.  Last year the only time it rained the entire year was when I had the lights strung and they kept blowing out.  So I am going to be uber careful this year and not plug them in until nighttime and then unplug them in the morning.  I am not sure if my new strategy will work but it is worth a try.  Last year we had hundreds of trick or treaters.  My neighbors house is a big draw and then they just land over here because I am across the street and I did have a few hundred lights strung.

My favorite cart filled with fake pumpkins, cart made by Marty

Oh my- since I started roughing out this posting my neighbor has started doing her lights.  I walked out to get the paper this morning really early and her house was all lit up for Halloween.  Marty said she must have done it yesterday--- really- my lights were on the dining room table and this morning I decided that I can't get to it until after we go to the Desert Trip so our house is a little desolate and will be that way for at least another week.

Projects in Motion:

1. Advent Food Project-continue to accumulate food for the food boxes to be delivered to food bank by Dec 24.  Encourage all friends and family to start their own boxes
2. Christmas Book Project- All books are ordered, need to gift wrap, ribbon and tag when they are all at the house.  Some of the books I ordered will not arrive until October, on their release date.  I know a couple of friends who also do the Christmas Book Project- Get those books ordered- I tried to do a few a day and just got it finished.  
3. Burlap Book Project- In process, watch for photos
4. Gratitude Book- On my desk upstairs...I want to have it ready before Thanksgiving this year
5. Birthday Book for one of the G kids- in process- need to finish
6. Halloween cards- Need to get the photos in the new costumes, then order and mail
7. Kitchen reno-  finalize tile orders, hire painter, end of October empty kitchen---this will be the awful part.  We finalized the appliance order today.  Lucky I took Marty to see the appliances because he did not like the range hood I selected.  So we changed range hoods and all other appliances were a go--- Paid for and ordered...

Ya-Ya's Book shelf: Please note Ya-Ya likes to read beachy books in the spring and summer and then after Halloween I like to read Christmas fiction--- all happy stuff- nothing heavy....

Robyn Carr- The Life She Wants

Jill Shalvis- The Trouble With Mistletoe

RaeAnn Thayne-Snowfall On Haven Point

Maybe I'm Amazed by Paul Mc Cartney- appearing at The Desert Trip next week on Saturday night---- Yahoo- just a few more days!!!

"Maybe I'm amazed at the way you love me all the time
Maybe I'm afraid of the way I love you
Maybe I'm amazed at the the way you pulled me out of time
And hung me on a line
Maybe I'm amazed at the way I really need you"

Coming Soon:

• Tribute to Papou
• The Desert Trip Realized
• Neighbors Craft A Thon
• Burlap Book Project
• The Kitchen Reno
• Friend Decorate for Halloween too and they let me take pictures
• Garage Makeover

Love, Ya-Ya

Soccer Opening Day and Flag Football Week 2

Estimated Reading time....1  minute, 22 seconds.... a quick one

Okay Scottsdale, it is still hot.  Today soccer was at 10 AM and flag football was at 1:00 PM.  It was 95 degrees when we got done with our 1:00 game and I was drenched,  We do not even have humidity but it sure felt like it today.

The soccer team is a bunch of four and almost five year olds.  We played a team today of 6 year olds, some of them were a full head taller.  Our kids hung in there and our G son scored a goal.  Yahoo.

We definitely won for the cutest team.  A bunch of our players are back from Spring season and they are the nicest group of parents.

Two of the boys decided to play goalie at once and the coach quickly put a stop to that so the result was one goalie at a time.

Then on to Flag Football.

I needed to get out of the chair to get better pics but here are a few fun ones.  We scored twice today.  Better than last week.  The boys are improving and seem to be having fun.

Playing defense in flag football on a hot Arizona day.

Wow- they look older than 7 today.

One week from today will be Day 2 of the Desert Trip.  Neil Young starts the evening off so we are hoping that the weather is at least a tiny bit cooler.  Indio, CA is not on a heat island like Phoenix so it should cool down when the sun goes down.  Tune in to Sirius Channel 26 starting on Monday to hear exclusively  artists appearing at The Desert Trip.....Can't wait!!!

Heart Of Gold....by Neil Young
"I want to live,
I want to give
I've been a miner for a heart of gold.
It's these expressions
I never give
That keep me searching for a heart of gold.

And I'm getting old.
Keep me searching for a heart of gold
And I'm getting old."

Coming Soon:

• Desert Trip Realized
• Probably a lot of lead in's to the Desert Trip- I am not excited or anything
• Tribute to Papou- a Greek Remembered
• Friends Houses decorated for fall
• The Garage 
• The Kitchen Reno
• October Wishes 
• Outdoor decorating for fall

Love, Ya-Ya

Prelude to The Desert Trip, My favorite concerts.......

Estimated Reading Time.....2 minutes, 7 seconds

Wow- this is a very hard one.  I have been to a lot of concerts and many performers I have seen numerous times.....so my repeats are at the top of my list,  they include:

1.  Paul McCartney- You knew he would be my number 1.  I never saw The Beatles but I have seen Paul a bunch of times and I will see him again next week.  Please sing my favorite songs, In My Life, I've Just Seen a Face, Here Comes the Sun......and on and on it goes

2.  The Eagles- Also seen numerous times- I am still very sad about the passing of Glenn Frey.  I cried like a crazy person when a band played Take It East at Cheeseburger in Paradise in Maui.  Sorry to my kids for making a fool of myself.

3.  Jimmy Buffett- Not necessarily for his singing ability but this is one of the most fun shows you will ever attend.  I have seen Jimmy a dozen times??? Maybe more....If you have never been,  first learn the songs so you can scream sing them along with the crowd....And you might want to have a few beers just to fit in with the rest of the scream singers....

4.  Garth Brooks- The first time I saw Garth I did not know a single song.  I was a little frustrated that my clients were so crazy over him.  After attending the concert I bought some of his music and became a Garth lover.  He is really special and I have seen him a few times.

5.  Dixie Chicks- They are very good musicians and vocalists, and they have great words.  I have been lucky enough to see them twice.

Almost made the list:
The Beach Boys- first saw when I was 12 years old and a bunch of times after
The Supremes-first saw when I was 12 and then saw Diana Ross when she was solo
John Mellencamp
Neil Young
Bob Seger
James Taylor
Carole King
The Temptations
The Four Tops
Janet Jackson
James Gang

Wish I could have seen:
Bruce Springsteen- we had tickets to one of his concerts and one of our kids broke his jaw in an at home accident and had to be wired....so we missed the concert.  I am not a huge Bruce fan....but still disappointed as I have heard his concerts are phenomenal.
Elvis
Michael Jackson
Queen
Tom Petty- I wish he would tour near here

Concerts that I did not like at all:
Neil Diamond- Sorry Dan and Rosemary
Jimmy Page and Robert Plant
George Straight-boring
Madonna- no comment
Sly and The Family Stone- could not understand any of the songs--- they were completely out of it.
Bread- really can you believe I went to Bread----

There were loads of others that do not make the strong like or dislike list and I am sure that I am missing a few of my loves.

Next week we will see:
Bob Dylan
The Rolling Stones-never seen them

Neil Young
Paul McCartney- just a few more days to see my all time favorite.....
The Who- this will also be a first for us
Roger Waters from Pink Floyd--- I don't really like Pink Floyd so I am not sure how this will be for me.

Rumors are that Eric Clapton will be joining The Rolling Stones next week--- but who knows if any rumors are true.  If I were an old rock star I would want to perform at this concert....right??

"Cinnamon Girl" by Neil Young----next week.....Neil Young on Saturday night!!!

"I wanna live with a cinnamon girl
 I could be happy the rest of my life
 With a cinnamon girl
 A dreamer of pictures

 I run in the night
 You see us together
 Chasing the moonlight
 My cinnamon girl"

Sirius channel 26 is playing only Desert Trip artists next week.  If you want to hear the prelude to the concert.  I heard today that this is the highest grossing concert of all time at $150,000,000.  Wow that is a big number.....Stay tuned and I will give you a first hand view of it all......

Coming Soon:

• Tribute to Papou
• Fall Decorating Outside
• The Desert Trip Realized
• Neighbors Craft A Thon
• Burlap Book Project
• The Kitchen Reno
• Friends Decorate for fall
• Garage Makeover
• View from a bike in Arizona

Love, Ya-Ya

The Burlap Book Project and a Halloween Book

Estimated reading time 2 minutes...17 seconds

I saw a project on stonegableblog.com about covering a hardbound book with burlap.  Her instructions are very clear and straightforward.  So I have had "to buy burlap" on my list for a while.

Finally,  I went to Hobby Lobby and they had the most luscious burlap in a lot of different patterns with polka dots in black, chevrons, fleur de lis, alphabets, plain black and burlap beige with just a hint of glimmer.  So I ought a few yards and some new Mod Podge and I am ready to start the project.  For instructions,  please go to stonegableblog.com and look in her tutorials.  It is right there if you have an interest in making some of these.

My plan is to cover a few and use them a backdrops for my other decor items.  The black and burlap color scheme will fit into many of my decor items.  I love black and have a lot of burlap these days as accents.

I will share some pics when I get the books completed.  So stay tuned.

I have completed this Halloween book project so I thought I would share a few pics.  This book will be the destination for photos of the Gkids in costume or pumpkin patch or anything Halloweeny or Octobery.  It is actually a box that holds a fold out so you take it apart to look at it.  There are also a number of spots where you lift the tab to see what is inside, like the black cat below with the washi tape...it is a lift and see what is inside tab.

The inside accordion 

The box closed....

I finished ordering my Christmas books for the Gkids.  If you missed my blog about it---I buy 24 books for each family ( in my case there are two).  I wrap the Christmas books and then put a number on each book, so that the kids know which book to open on December 1, December 2, etc.  When the bin is empty it is Christmas.  Each night they read a book about Christmas and enjoy the family togetherness.  This is the fourth year for this project so it was hard to find books that are not repeats and two of the G kids can read so I took that into account and tried to find books that are right for their age and reading ability.

A bunch of my Christmas book project books

The kids love silly books and I thought Santa's Underwear was perfect.

Another of the books from The Christmas Book Project

Are you feeling as busy as I am?  I think my list just keeps growing and it never shrinks even though I try to accomplish a number of things every day.  I will freely admit that when I first started blogging I felt like I needed to do it everyday.So my reading came to almost a complete stop.  Now I am back to reading three or four books a week and blogging less.  I hope you will still find a few minutes to "take a look at my life"---- Oh my gosh that is a Neil Young lyric....Old Man.  I think I just used that song....scary

You can never have too many princesses

Costumes from years past

Pinball Wizard by The Who

"He's a pinball wizard
There has to be a twist
A pinball wizard's
Got such a supple wrist

How do you think he does it?
I don't know
What makes him so good?"

It is just a little over a week until The Desert Trip.  The Who are on Sunday night......

Coming Soon:

• The Desert Trip Realized
• The Kitchen reno
• Decorating for fall outdoors
• Neighbors Craft A Thon
• A few friends houses decorated for fall
• Tribute to Papou
• Garage Makeover

Love, Ya-Ya