LaBo's Musings!

An "Ugly Win"

2008-09-08T09:08:00.001-07:00

Wow, check out this WILD celebration after squeaking by San Diego State. You'll be pleased to know that I didn't break anything at the house whilst watching this exemplary exhibition of football prowess. I sure hope things get a lot better by next Saturday or it will be one long day at the house that Rockne built. Heading off to Chicago on business Wednesday-Friday and then to South Bend for the weekend and the scUM game. Mom got Camie back t0 Rexburg for the start of her Junior year at BYU-Idaho and will be visiting Kristie the week after I get back.

Ole Rocky Top

2008-08-27T11:19:00.000-07:00

We had a fun time going to Tennessee this past weekend for the races at Bristol and to visit Grandma & Grandpa Porter. After arriving in ATL we headed straight to Frontera where we met Josh & Sterling for dinner. Later that evening it was off to Waffle House before retiring. Grandma & Grandpa met us Friday afternoon at Wal-Mart where we dropped off JoAnn and did our shopping for the races. The races were a blast and mom had fun visiting everyone and quilt shopping in old town Murfeesboro.

Next week mom goes with Camie up to Rexburg dropping her off at BYU-Idaho to start her junior year (how fast it's going)!

I'm in Chicago in business the week of September 8 and plan on going to South Bend for the ND-Michigan football game that weekend.

JoAnn is back on the road the following week heading to Birmingham for Kristie & Chris's sealing and to see the grandkids.

Busy, busy, busy...love you all!

-Dad

Think Fast....It's Steely Dan

2008-08-05T12:59:00.000-07:00

So much to say, where to start. I've been a fan of Steely Dan since the 70's and they are one of the few bands that I've never been able to see in concert. Mom & I caught their show last night at Honda Center and I will remember it for a number of positive reasons (complete horn section, backing vocalists, best live drumming I've seen in years and finally seeing them LIVE); I will also remember it for a number of less than positive reasons (large number of instrumentals and not touching ANYTHING off of the "Can't Buy a Thrill" album). I think I can speak for Jo as well in that as we get older our tolerance for those folks who should know better in terms of their actions isn't very great...(we saw a lot of "older folks" acting like idiots)! Anyway, I guess I can now cross Steely Dan off my "bucket list" and for those of you who enjoy the finer details here is the set-list.

Orchestra intro:
Everyone's Gone to the Movies
Fez (instrumental)

Royal Scam

I Got the News

Show Biz Kids

Bodhisattva

Two Against Nature

Hey Nineteen

Godwhacker

Home at Last
New Frontier

Gaucho

Babylon Sisters

Parker's Band

Josie

Aja

Love is Like an Itching in My Heart (Supremes cover + band intro)

Peg

My Old School

Encore:

Don't Take me Alive

Kid Charlemagne

Orchestra outro:

Last Tango In Paris (instrumental)

Chapter 12: Dover to LA (July 25):

2008-08-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Those British have perfected the art of queuing. One line to print boarding passes, another to check luggage, another to check for liquids, another to check passports, another to X-ray carry-on luggage and yet another one to scan footwear. Then you wait in one huge common area until about 45 minutes before your flight when your gate is assigned and a massive throng makes out at once for it like the wildebeest migration across the Serengeti. Then as you queue to board they pick out “random” passengers for additional screening (of course your mom was selected). Anyway, we made it and 25 hours since we awoke in Dover, England 4360 Edenwild Lane is a welcome ending place for our journey after 15 days, 5000 miles in the air and 2000 nautical miles by sea. Photos are of our dining room servers and JoAnn’s soon to be popular “Pigeon Toe Tap” dance which will be featured on this years “Dancing with the Stars”!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: CSN: “Just a Song Before I Go”
Smashing Pumpkins: “Farewell and Goodnight”
Towel Fun: Our own Bed!!!

Chapter 11: Amsterdam (July 24):

2008-08-03T07:45:00.000-07:00

We entered Amsterdam through a lock system before docking in downtown across from the main train station. The city reminds me of Venice as it is a series of canals instead of streets in the older part of town. For the most part people get around on bicycles and use the ferries and water taxis.

Mom & I had the opted for a tour of the Anne Frank House in lieu of walking the Red Light District or visiting the Coffee Shops (lol). Pictures weren’t allowed inside the house itself but they had a statue of Anne outside. Inside the house the original diary is on display as well as the preserved secret rooms where the family lived in seclusion until being discovered and deported to concentration camps. Amsterdam had a Van Gogh Museum but we were only in port for about six hours and couldn’t fit it in, maybe next time. This is another place we’d like to visit with more time to see it all. The tour bus dropped us off downtown and a three block walk through the Red Light District was about enough for mom. I got some good photos of “Coffee” Shops for the Blog though!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Peter Gabriel: “Secret World”
Towel Fun: None to be had, the room stewards were paid out their tips this morning so I guess no incentive for them?

Chapter 10: Fun Days at Sea (July 22-23):

2008-08-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

After four straight port days the back to back “Fun Days at Sea” were a welcome respite. We did spa treatments both days, a massage with private hot tub the first day and a Lime & Ginger exfoliation with full body massage the second day.

We did Supper Club again on Tuesday as we had that booked from the beginning of the cruise and we ate the same thing as the previous evening (it was that good)!

I treated mom to her 30th Anniversary present during our two days at sea as well. I got her a Tag Heuer watch with a blue mother of pearl face embedded with diamonds, figured that anybody that can put up with me for that long deserves something nice!

They did the Grand Gala Buffet during our two days at sea. The ice sculptures were excellent but the food presentations weren’t as nice as other cruises we’ve been on. I took pictures for you to enjoy though, after which we went off to bed and didn’t stick around to partake.

Nothing else to report other than it was a restful two days free from the cares of the world which unfortunately doesn’t happen often enough in our lives.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Morrissey: “Lazy Sunbathers”
Todd Rundgren: “A Dream Goes On Forever”
Towel Fun: Stingray & Frog

Chapter 9: Tallin (July 21):

2008-08-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

We got one of our three hours back overnight which was nice! The ship docked at 8:00 and we took a walking tour of the old medieval town of Tallin, Estonia. If the city skyline and central square look familiar it’s because the city was used as a mock-up for the palace city in the Shrek movies. Jo & I took in several sites as photo stops, although none are world renowned this is a place we’d both like to see again when we have more time to enjoy it. The old town is surrounded by a brick wall and is a maze of corridors and cobblestone streets leading to a wide open city centre. Throughout its history Tallin has been under German, Finnish & Russian rule gaining it’s independence in 1991 and was a catalyst for the fall of the old Soviet Union. You’ll see photos from inside the “domed church” where families Coats of Arms are displayed. These where carved from wood, adorned with jewels and hung in the church when the last of each family was killed off by the Russians. As much as 40% of the population was deported to Siberia during Soviet rule. It’s nice to see the city thriving (as a modern city surrounds old town Tallin) while it honors its roots and history. As we walked out of town back to the ship we passed a section of handicrafts (amazing hand sewn clothing goods). We left town by the round gate called “Stout Margaret” where we saw a lady walking a long haired dachshund so of course I approached her and got a picture! We discovered a treat while walking around Tallin, cinnamon and sugar coated almonds, cooked right before your eyes. Luckily for us they had a stand set-up on the pier and we got another bag before boarding, the seal on the bag said “In Almonds We Trust”, how can you argue with that logic?

Once we got on board we went to the dining room to check out the menu and well, YUCK! We were lucky enough to get one of the last two reservations to the “Supper Club” where five course gourmet meals are served. While it does cost $30 a plate the quality of food would cost you five times that in LaLa land. Check out the pictures, awesome presentation and tastes as good as it looks. We had filet with lobster tail as main courses. The appetizers were incredible as well, jumbo shrimp cocktails topped with avocado, French onion soup, lobster bisque and beautiful salads. Desserts were as tasty as they looked as well…yum yum, anyway after two days of “dog food” in Russia it sure was nice to eat a meal of this caliber.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Counting Crows: “Perfect Blue Buildings”
Towel Fun: Rabbit

Chapter 8: St. Petersburg Day #2 (July 20):

2008-08-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

Natasha was right about the weather, day two was rainy and low 60’s, but luckily most of our outdoor activities were yesterday. The day started out with a short bus ride to an authentic souvenir store and we watched folks buy up Faberge Eggs, Matryoska Dolls & Russian Fur Hats (yes I had to buy one too – check out the picture). Outside we saw a lady walking a dachshund wearing a raincoat so I jumped off the bus and chased her down the block to get a photo in the pouring rain (not sure what the rest of our tour group on the bus thought but us true doxie lovers know no limits of our affection)!

Back on the bus the next stop was the Peter & Paul Fortress which was the origin of St. Petersburg. It’s an island complex on the Neva River comprised of eleven structures. It was within this complex that the Romanov’s ruled and were buried as well as political prisoners housed and tortured including the son of Peter the Great who didn’t share his father’s political views. The golden spired cathedral is pictured inside and out and can be viewed from most points within the city.

After a short bus ride it was on to Palace Square where I was the only one to get off the bus in a downpour to film Rossi’s Arch with the bronze statues above it as well as The Alexander Column. It is here that military parades and important celebrations occur.
On our way to the Hermitage we stopped by the Church of the Spilled Blood for another photo opportunity. This Greek Orthodox Cathedral is one of the most recognizable landmarks in all of Russia and was the place where Alexander II was murdered. The exterior is embellished by 7,000 square meters of mosaic portraits of the saints, while the central mosaic depicts scenes from the Old Testament. The five colorful domes are covered by jeweler’s enamel. Unfortunately it was pouring the rain during our photo stop as I can only imagine how great the pictures would have been yesterday in the sunshine.

Before lunch we went to The State Museum (Hermitage) where we enjoyed some of the finest artwork assembled in a single place. I’ve got pictures of a Michelangelo’s statue “Young Boy Crouching” as well as two Leonardo da Vinci paintings. The Hermitage also houses works by Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Degas and Van Gogh. I was overwhelmed by the National Gallery in London and the Pergamon in Berlin but the Hermitage was hands down the highlight of the entire trip. If you’re interested I’d encourage you to look up the museum on the internet and check out some of the works displayed there.

Following the Heritage visit we bused to a small venue where we were served another traditional Russian lunch of borsht (beet root soup) and fish…another growling stomach heading back to the ship for sure and I took pictures of the scrumptious feast for you all to enjoy. The building we were served in was a small museum and the ceiling was adorned with several religious carvings of Christ’s life (see pictures). While we dined a folkloric performance was presented…funky instruments with a man in tight tights singing along as accompaniment.

Following lunch the day ended with a visit to Yusupov Palace where the assassination of the Monk Rasputin took place (check out the creepy wax figures). The original pieces of artwork contained within this palace were moved to the Hermitage after the revolution in the early 1900’s. After two days of non-stop activities mom & I were certainly worn out but glad we experienced all that we were privileged to see and do. According to our Travel Agent who was on board Carnival did this cruise in 2002 as a single trial and it took them this long to align tours and get permission from the Russian government to include St. Petersburg in it’s Baltic itineraries. Ours was the first of four sailings this year and hopefully will be offered in the future.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Beatles: “Back In the U.S.S.R.” (I know, how predictable)
Towel Fun: Swan

Chapter 7: St. Petersburg Day #1 (July 19):

2008-08-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

What was expected to be the highlight of our trip certainly was (as was the physical toll – we lost another hour traveling from Helsinki and are now 11 hours off PST (Cali time). By the time we finished with St. Petersburg we had gone three consecutive evenings with less than six hours sleep but it was certainly worth it.

We docked at 7:00 a.m. and the first ordeal was to clear Russian immigration. There was not a cruise terminal per se (although we were told one was under construction) so our docking point was in the middle of a freight shipyard with crates and heavy machinery surrounding us; not very picturesque but gave you a slice of what real Russian life was all about. The entrance to our docking point was lined with run down military ships of the old Soviet Navy, some half submerged. It must have been true that the government spent all their resources on military endeavors at the expense of the common people. Some things in there culture have changed drastically since the break-up of the former Soviet Union and some things have not (like militaristic presence everywhere and a general mistrust of foreigners). After about 45 minutes of queuing we cleared immigration and boarded our tour bus for the first of two complete days of guided sightseeing. Our first stop took about an hours drive outside of St. Petersburg itself and was to Peterhof, former summer residence of the Russian tsars. The building inside was covered in brilliant paintings and tapestries as well as incredible grand rooms where receptions and gatherings were held by the old aristocracy. As impressive as the inside was the outside grounds were unbelievable, over 150 fountains and numerous private gardens adorned with statues and cascades. Some of the pictures taken from the exterior of the Grand Palace are overlooking the “Grand Cascade” which has the largest fountain ensemble in the world (you’ll be able to identify it quite easily)!

We boarded the bus and headed back into St. Petersburg itself for a traditional Russian lunch. Suffice to say we were VERY hungry when we got back to the ship! The picture from the first days lunch was of a sort of pancake adorned with sour cream and fish eggs (I tasted them, Jo did not). Lunch came with vodka which smelled like jet fuel, most folks in our group didn’t drink the vodka but gave their ration to another group who thought it would be great fun to see how much they could consume; we didn’t see them again after lunch.

We then went on an hour long canal-river cruise to take in the sights of St. Petersburg from water. The weather on the first day of the tour was fabulous, about 70 degrees with bright sun. Our guide said that St. Petersburg gets about 40 days of sunshine a year and we were lucky enough to experience one of them…as you read on our luck wouldn’t last!
You could tell this to be true as just about everywhere we went people were laying about sunbathing. Natasha (our guide) summed up the weather situation in St. Petersburg with the saying: “we have nine months of expectations and three months of disappointment”.

The canal-river tour was neat and a little boy stood over the first bridge we passed under waving wildly (the lad in the orange shirt in the pictures), we thought how odd. He then ran from bridge to bridge over the entire hour, some were pretty long distances but he made it to each one. Our entire tour covered several miles of canals through very crowded city streets and he didn’t miss a one of the bridges. After the tour he met us at the pier and everyone gave him a Euro or two, he must have made over $100 total from the entire group…enterprising and entertaining!

We ended the sightseeing portion of our day by taking in Nevsky Prospect, Russia’s most famous street for its magnificent palaces and shops. We saw many wedding parties out in the streets as it’s customary to travel around the city for photo stops in full wedding attire at the various sights. In this general area we walked to Decembrists Square where the Peter the Great equestrian statue is located.

Our tour ended about 4:00 on day one and we headed back to the ship to grab a much needed bite to eat and get changed for an evening of Russian ballet. We went to the State Opera and Ballet Theatre of St. Petersburg Conservatoire where we got to see a performance of Swan Lake complete with a full orchestra. It was very nice but the theatre itself was very warm (they don’t have and really don’t need central AC) and we were very tired so the three hour performance was a bit much. Mom & I made it back to the ship around midnight and headed to bed in preparation for day two of our sightseeing excursion which was to begin at 7:00 sharp.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: David Bowie: “Sound & Vision”
Towel Fun: Pigeon

Chapter 6: Helsinki (July 18):

2008-08-02T14:27:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Helsinki to bright sunshine and warmer temperatures (what a novel concept for a vacation)! Jo & I started off the day by taking a shuttle to the city and exploring it on our own. We started by walking to the Rock Church which wasn’t open yet but walking around to the front of it for a photo stop we noticed a young lady in the church lobby trying to coax a pigeon (no I’m not making this up) out of the building. So with mom heading for the high ground I help the girl shoo the pigeon out of the church. For my labors she let me into the building to take a picture. Pretty cool structure cut into a large rock formation hence the name. We went to the city center where we took in the sites on palace square but the real highlight was the open air market down by the pier. We treated ourselves to some fresh raspberry crepes…delicious as the picture looks! In the afternoon we took a tour of Suomenlinna Fortress which is an interconnected series of six islets guarding the approach to the city by sea. It was neat and we got to see the lighthouse and museum on the fortress as well as stop by a coffee shop for pastry. There was a small beach that the locals use by taking the ferry across the bay and hang out at during the summer months. We were told that the water temperature was 64 degrees and people were actually swimming in it (let me tell you, the water was COLD and as a side light, what is it with European men wearing Speedos?). The sea actually freezes over in the winter and the locals from the island and city drive across the ice four months of the year (guess that Ice Road Truckers Show is real). While walking around the fortress we saw a woman walking a long haired dachshund and took a picture (we miss our three little wieners, well at least I do)! After the island tour it was back to the ship with no Teemu Selanne sightings in Helsinki!

Well the story doesn’t end (more bird fun for mom); we get back to ship to find a sea gull on our private deck that can’t seem to figure out how to escape over the glass partition. Based on the amount of gull droppings he was there for quite some time…the beauty of the blog is that you can take a picture of EVERYTHING…enjoy! Our Cabin Steward came to the rescue and with bare hands (pretty bold strategy) picked up the gull and set him free just as the ship was leaving harbor for St. Petersburg!

Before dinner I bought your mom a Matryoska doll set from the gift shop; they are stacking dolls carved out of wood and the authentic ones are hand painted. The set we purchased has a Christmas – wintry pictorial and consists of ten individual pieces that I’m sure Jo will be proudly displaying in our China cabinet.

Another Carnival dining story for the greatest hits…after dinner I order the “Cherries Jubilee” which arrives with a single cherry…the comment card post cruise will suggest a NEW dessert selection called “Cherry Jubilee”!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Genesis: “Home By the Sea”
Towel Fun: Sea Gull (gotta hand it to the Cabin Steward, that’s pretty timely)

Chapter 5: Fun Day at Sea (July 17):

2008-08-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

We had to set the clocks ahead another hour this evening so now we’re ten hours ahead of LA which also made for another short night. Mom and I went to the spa for a stone massage which was interesting to say the least. They apply oil & heated stones to various muscles on your body and massage you with smooth stones while others are resting on you. We both have red marks in unmentionable places from the hot stones, very relaxing though but probably won’t do this treatment again. We bought a few Russian decorated eggs at the ship store and are looking forward to the dolls being auditioned tomorrow evening after we leave port in Helsinki. Its formal night so I’m off to nap before the dress-up fun (yuck, nothing like being uncomfortable eating a huge dinner worried about spilling on your nicest attire). And a blog moment added after the fact for your pleasure; Carnival has improved the picture process to the point that they’re developed a few hours after taking (vs. a day later). Following dinner mom & I go to look at our “formal portrait” amongst the crowd and somebody “drops the daisy from HELL” in the middle of the crowd. Now you know me, I’d claim it if it were my prodigious blast but whoever gave birth to this was indeed one sick puppy…people were holding their noses in the check-out line…I hope the smell comes out of our clothes (my Hugo Boss suit is still weeping as you read this)!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: The Smiths: “Stretch Out and Wait”
Towel Fun: Monkey

Chapter 4: Berlin (July 16):

2008-08-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

After a very short night exacerbated by setting our clocks ahead an hour we docked at Warnermunde, Germany. Our shore tour was “Berlin on Your Own” where Carnival got us from the ship to the train for the three hour ride to a station outside of Berlin and gave us a map and the name of the station (yes a different one than we arrived at) to meet back at seven hours later for the three hour return ride. The train ride was fine as mom & I slept and listened to our iPods. Funny train story, just before arriving in Berlin we visited the facilities as it costs .5 Euros for public restrooms in the city and guess what happens when you flush? That’s right, the bottom of the drain opens up to the tracks below and a light mist of water flushes the remnants down the tube. Moral of the story, don’t walk along the train tracks in Germany!

Upon arriving outside of Berlin we get off the train and need to figure out how to buy a bus / train pass for the day with all signage in Deutsche. We finally had to go inside the terminal and buy our tickets from a manned booth where there was a single worker for a huge line of tourists…oh well forty minutes wasted and lesson learnt! I can say that the train – public transportation system in Berlin is fantastic, clean, well marked & efficient, what more can you ask for?

We started off by going to the Pergamon Museum which houses the famous Pergamon Alter from ancient Greece. The pictures don’t do the antiquities justice. The exhibits ranged from several hundred years BC to about 500 AD. There was a special Babylon exhibit on-site which we also toured featuring several mummies and other relics of that ancient culture. We were actually pretty lucky to see this exhibit as it was in Berlin from May to October of this year before moving on to another European museum. The pictures we were allowed to take were of Pergamon Altar, Assyrian Palace, The Ishtar Gate and several statues of Greek gods & goddesses. We left the Pergamon and walked next door to the Artes Museum which houses Europe’s most complete collection of Egyptian artifacts. The most impressive piece is the bust of Nefertiti from the 4th century.

We left the museum district just as the rain began to fall (as always our timing is impeccable)! We started our trek down the Unter den Linden towards the Brandenburg Tor (Gate) by stopping at a nice German Restaurant for lunch. We ate schnitzel, sausages, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes and apple strudel for dessert. We spent the next few hours walking in the rain taking in the Brandenburg Tor and Reichstag. You can FEEL the history, eerie to say the least, the rain just added to the aura. We saved the Berlin Wall for last and it was well worth the trip to get there. They’re erecting a memorial and museum at the spot where the last standing piece of the wall still exists. I did my best to capture it in pictures but again the feeling you get of being in a place where so much history (good and bad) took place is nearly impossible.

Completely drenched, cold and spent we jumped on the uptown train to our station for the trip back to Warnermunde and our ship. I can speak for the both of us in saying that Berlin is one of those places you can’t see all of in one day and we’ll certainly try and make it back there some day.

A quick note on the song “A Place In the Rain” for today, well obviously it rained but Joe Jackson moved to Berlin for a year while he recorded the album “Rain” which your mom & I caught on tour (read past blog entry). The CD came with a bonus disc of Joe standing in front of several places in Berlin that influenced his writing, the last track entitled “A Place in the Rain” which was the last song he played in LA to end the tour, surreal for me if no other but that’s the story behind the story.

And I can’t retire without two quick Carnival notes, we got $200 stateroom credit back for our “trouble” at Heathrow posted earlier so “good on you” for that one. With half the ship going to Berlin on various tours and arriving back very late Carnival had “open seating” in the formal dining rooms while a German themed deck party was going on with an “oompa” (polka) band and local brewery fare. So with the fewest possible diners to feed they had the best food, not complaining as we got Filet Mignon while most of the rest of the passengers where eating sausages or sleeping…cheap…cheap…cheap! Off to bed and a fun day at sea tomorrow to rest up for four consecutive port days.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Joe Jackson: “A Place In the Rain”
The Cure: “Jumping Someone Else’s Train”
Towel Fun: Heart

Chapter 3: Copenhagen (July 15):

2008-07-31T21:02:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Copenhagen at 8:00 a.m. for our first port of call. Mom & I didn’t have any pre-booked shore excursions and walked the mile from the ship into the center of the city. The most famous landmark of Copenhagen is the mermaid statue and we still don’t get it? Its weather worn brass and about three feet tall, you’d have thought it was the Mona Lisa as the crowd to get a picture was a mob scene. On the way back several tour buses were lined up to letting off tourists to get a picture. If you’re reading this before seeing the photos I’m sure you’ve already jumped ahead to get a peek at the masterpiece! We walked to a 16th century castle called the Rosenborg Slot where Denmark’s royalty lived whilst ruling the nation. Several armed (machine-guns) guards were posted at the basement treasury where crowns and other jewels were displayed. I apologize for the glare in the pictures as our new camera is smarter than I am and I left the book in California. The good news is I figured it out for the following sites (who’d have thunk it, a lightning bolt icon would mean flash)! The rest of the day we toured the center city visiting several churches and statue sites. In the absolute center of the city was an open air market where we spent the few kroner we had on Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream for lunch. All the streets are cobblestone and our feet were killing us by day’s end. Most of the townspeople get around by bike and every major thoroughfare has a bike lane. We saw women in dresses and businessmen in suites biking to work, now that’s something you don’t see every day in So Cal! Copenhagen was nice but truth be told it was a little underwhelming in terms of things to do (which probably explained why the most popular shore excursion was Tivoli Gardens – an amusement park). The meaning behind today’s musical vibe was the fact we got lost going back to the ship and after a brief panic attack got our bearings straight and headed in the right direction (no thanks to the street signs, or lack thereof). After a long day of walking we had dinner and skipped the late show for bed and a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call to catch the train for Berlin.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: U2: “Where the Streets Have No Name”
Towel Fun: Seal

Chapter 2: Sailing Away (July 13-14):

2008-07-31T20:54:00.000-07:00

The bus ride from London to the port of Dover was uneventful (a good thing) and I must give Carnival its props as the embarkation process at the port was the best of any cruise we’ve ever been on. We dropped our bags outside our hotel room in London and never touched them again until they were delivered to our stateroom onboard BEFORE dinner. We cleared the queues at the terminal and boarded immediately with the entire process taking less then 20 minutes, why isn’t it like that all the time? Mom and I took a nap before the always popular Muster Drill and then booked our spa appointments. Some people cruise to booze it up, some to gamble, we cruise to spa! Here’s a picture of our ship the Carnival Splendor which is on its inaugural voyage (which we keep hearing on an hourly basis from our portly Cruise Director). The ship is now the largest in the Carnival fleet and is really quite nice as you can imagine being brand new. The White Cliffs of Dover send us on our way…bon voyage!

Mom & I did a seaweed wrap and full body massage, absolutely fabulous, I’m actually starting to feel like I’m on vacation! We’re sitting on the deck in our stateroom overlooking the sea, it late afternoon and we’re in our robes, me blogging and mom reading a book. If there was an illustration in the dictionary for the word contentment our picture would surely accompany it!

Later in the afternoon we did an art auction and they had a hand signed Picasso up for bid…I was only $130,000 short of owning that baby! Who comes on a cruise to buy a piece of art like that? They also had original Salvador Dali and Peter Maxx works, lots of folks looking, nobody buying but the free champaign disappeared pretty quick.

Musical vibe for the Chapter: Robin Trower: “Sailing”
Towel Fun: Dog & Elephant

Chapter 1: London (July 10-12):

2008-07-31T20:30:00.000-07:00

And so it begins…over a year in the making and after countless hours of personal and collective preparation the day of our departure had arrived…July 10, 2008! Jo & I had managed to pack into two large suitcases and one garment bag for our 15 day adventure when the first incredible event took place, ALL the luggage fit into the MINI Cooper! So it’s off to LAX with the allure of London and the Northern Europe awaiting.

We’re HERE…Heathrow airport in London, and yes it’s every bit as bad as you’ve heard. After 11 hours in the air, minimal sleep on the cross-continental red-eye, small seats (and I heard the Virgin - Atlantic was a great airline - travel agents an honest lot they are) horrible airplane food and some unsettling turbulence the LaBoskys have landed! Oh well, we’re officially on vacation so let the fun begin…hey where’s the Carnival Agent to meet us outside customs? Three hours later, no cell service, no Carnival Agent, $70 US and a communal bus ride we hit our hotel in central London.
Good thing we packed all those summer clothes for our vacation as its low 60’s and raining but that doesn’t stop us from going out and exploring. We are staying at the Park Plaza Hotel – County Square which is absolutely dead centre (catch my British accent) downtown, a block from the River Thames and a courtyard away from the London Eye. I’d love to show you a bunch of really cool pictures from our first day out but I forgot the camera in the hotel room. We walked around for about three hours to get the lay of the land and plan Saturday’s activities, ate some awful “authentic” Italian food, got rained on and hit the hotel for some much needed sleep.

What a difference a day (and a little sleep) makes! Before the adventure details I must digress into English breakfast (at least that’s what they call it) fare; baked beans, do you believe it, baked beans for breakfast, I could go on & on about runny eggs and raw bacon and sausage in form only but let’s talk about something much more appetizing, the sights and sounds of London!

Mom & I started off by walking to Buckingham Palace for the ceremonial changing of the guard. We got there early enough to get a position against the fence and as you can tell by the pictures it was a good thing we did as the crowd was large and energetic. The palace itself will be opened up for tours starting in August (maybe next time I suppose) but the grounds and building itself were truly incredible. Check out the gold coat of arms on the rod iron fencing. We then walked down Pall Mall Street through the Admiralty Arch (see picture) to the National Gallery. Jo & I spent the next three hours taking in the paintings and sketches from the 1200’s-1900’s. Really incredible pieces, Monet, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, da Vinci, they’re all here. No photography allowed in the gallery and we saw a security man make an oriental tourist clear his camera memory, hilarious, go figure a Japanese man with a camera! By this time we’re completely exhausted and sitting in Trafalgar Square with our stomachs growling but what to our wondering eyes should appear but a Subway restaurant (woo hoo real American food)! So $30 and after watching a crazy man get arrested inside the adjoining internet café we sit down in Trafalgar Square to enjoy lunch with the pigeons, did I mention how much your mom HATES birds, I think it’s her fascination with that Hitchcock movie but her shrieks and attempted kicking of the flying turd-houses was worth the price of admission! The odd picture later in the blog of mom “tapping her toes” near a pigeon is the best recreation I could get her to do for all of your entertainment!

After lunch we walked back past Westminster Abbey, the Churchill Statue, Parliament Square and Big Ben towards the London Eye. It’s all so beautiful and the pictures really don’t do it justice. We get to the London Eye which is a HUGE Ferris-wheel looking structure composed of 32 capsules each able to contain 25 people. If it’s one thing the English have down to an art form its “queuing” (for us ugly Americans that can best be translated into “waiting in line”). So we queue 45 minutes for our 30 minute trip around the London Eye but it was certainly worth the wait as the views (and pictures) were incredible.

We arrive back at the hotel just in time to get ready for a night out at the theatre (catch that British accent again)! I love Dudley Moore’s character in Arthur: The best thing about waiters is you ask them for things and they bring them to you, isn’t it GREAT!
Well our hotel concierge scored us 6th row center seats for “Wicked” so with plenty of time to spare JoAnn & I take off to the Apollo Theatre in the Soho district. It’s about an hour from curtain when we arrive at the Apollo only to discover that “Rain Man” is playing there and not “Wicked”. So with the thoughts of killing the concierge after eating $300 worth of prime “Wicked” tickets we find a gentleman in a currency exchange window who tells us to cross the street and take the 38 bus to Victoria Station and the Apollo-Victoria Theatre is across the street. Well, we made it with 20 minutes to spare and the show was every bit as good as we heard it was in LA where it has played since last Fall in Hollywood. After the performance we walked back to the hotel and stopped for a romantic dinner at McDonalds before retiring for the evening. Amazing how good McDonalds tastes when there is nothing else available…off to bed!

Musical vibe for the Chapter: The Clash: “London Calling”
Towel Fun: Not yet…good things come to those who wait!

Todd Rundgren...Key Club and Coach House

2008-07-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

Mom & I went to the Hollywood show @ the Key Club on West Sunset Strip. I thought Jo would hate it but we stood center stage 2nd row and had a ball. Read on for Dad's adventures the following evening...

Set List (both nights):

Love In Action
Walls Came Down
Black Maria
Open My Eyes
Lunatic Fringe
I Saw The Light
Mad
Afraid
Mercenary
Gun
Courage
Weakness
Strike
Pissin
Today
Bardo
Mountaintop
Panic
Manup
_ _ _ _

Couldn't I Just Tell You
Just One Victory

Observations (Key Club):
* Small but energetic crowd.
* Morgansterns played a nice 7 song acoustic set and a fair bit of the crowd up front were there to see them.
* Minor sound / technical issues throughout (like that's something new at a Todd gig)!
* Jessie is a beast and really carried the set.
* Prairie Prince good as always, seemed disinterested throughout and absolutely no interaction with new bass player Rachel Haden.
* Rachel Haden was better than expected (although I had low expectations after reading previous posts).
* Matt Bolten, O.K., not much to say other than the keyboard part / intro to "Today" was taped while he played rhythm?
* Other than "Love In Action" same group of older material from the last few tours.
* "Lunatic Fringe", I don't get it...well played but really what's the point?
* New material was better than expected, best songs for me were: "Bardo", "Courage" & "Mad".
* "The Wheel" was on the set-list and not played.
* Todd said the new album was complete and would be released "electronically" soon, not sure what that means for releasing an actual CD with liner notes, etc.
* Would have been nice to have had CD's to buy at the show (like Liars).
* Todd came on at 10:10 and the encore ended promptly at midnight.
* Souvenirs = lame (Todd made some comment about it not being the last time he'd ask us to but some cheap shit from China) pretty funny actually!
* All in all a good evening of music, thanks to Todd (60 and still going strong)!!!!

Observations (Coach House):

* I showed up the night of the show without a ticket thinking it was festival seating only to walk into a clone of the C&W Bar from the Blues Brothers movie. The place is row after row of picnic tables with round bar stools surrounding and no "dance floor" in front of the stage.

* This "Billy Bob" who could have passed for Charlie Daniels twin brother (complete with cowboy hat) is seating folks.

* I lucked into a side table seven seats back from the stage and met three guys from San Diego and a couple from OC. As we looked around the room we noticed several rooms overlooking the stage from the second floor, one of which was empty. One of the "trouble-makers" from San Diego approaches Billy Bob and inquires as to how one procures such accommodations. He returns to our table and says for ten bucks a piece the six of us can have the VIP room - SOLD!

* The VIP room happens to be across the hall from the bands dressing room and the rest is history.

* The back-up band was a 3 piece from Wales called Freeman with an LP coming out soon (they weren't bad). My new found friend the trouble-maker befriends them (never underestimate the power of buying a young man a beer) and they squeeze into our VIP room for the Todd set.

* We got to met Todd and the band before and after the show which was pretty cool because we slipped in with the "paying" meet and greet guests.

* The new material was much better the second time around and being in an air conditioned VIP room didn't hurt the atmosphere either.

* So it comes time for the encore and the band leaves stage goes up the steps and are standing in the hall when I took my shot...I stuck my head out the door and kindly asked Todd for "The Wheel", and he kindly looked me in the eyes and said "No way!"....priceless I tell you....he laughed at me, oh well you can't blame a guy for trying.

This will be the last Blog entry until we return from our vacation in Europe...until then Love, Peace & Harmony to all!!!!

San Diego...FINALLY!

2008-06-07T09:29:00.000-07:00

While this was the second of the Cure shows I attended my ticket was from last October when the tour was postponed to complete the new album (which STILL isn't out)! The set-list didn't contain as many surprises as the Shrine show (as expected) but the crowd was absolutely out of control. The band really seemed to feed off the crowd and I hadn't seen Robert this "chatty" between songs in any other show I've attended. Best songs for me were "Shake Dog Shake", "The Blood", "Play for Today" & and a SMOKING version of "A Forest". My itinerary of driving home after the show, showering and speeding to LAX to catch a flight to Chicago on no sleep to get to HQ for meetings wasn't the most pleasurable experience and made me realize I'm not 20 anymore...no more ALL-NIGHTERS for me (well unless the Cure comes around again). Here's the set-list, enjoy and get well wishes to Jon Anderson who is struggling with acute respiratory failure at 62.

Main Set:
Plainsong
Prayers For Rain
A Night Like This
The Walk
The End of the World
Lovesong
To Wish Impossible Things
Pictures Of You
Lullaby
Fascination Street
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
The Perfect Boy
Hot Hot Hot
The Only One
The Blood
Sleep When I'm Dead
Push
Inbetween Days
Just Like Heaven
Primary
Shake Dog Shake
The Baby Screams
One Hundred Years
Disintegration

1st Encore:
Boys Don't Cry
Jumping Someone Else's Train
Grinding Halt
10:15 Saturday Night
Killing An Arab
2nd Encore:
Lovecats
Let's Go To Bed
Freakshow
Close To Me
Why Can't I Be You?
3rd Encore:
Play For Today
A Forest (extended intro).

Dressing Up - an evening with The Cure - June 1, 2008

2008-06-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

I knew that this evening had the potential to be something special when the gig got booked as a Fan Club event in an intimate arena but....WOW! I'm trying not to over senstionalize but having read several reviews on various web sites this morning with quotes like "life changing event" and "best concert I've ever seen in my life" it does make me appreciate exactly what I saw last night and that the show was truly that incredible! The concert lasted nearly three hours and contained mostly songs that weren't played at the Hollywood Bowl the previous night (where mostly the "hits" were played whereas tonight we got more obscure songs and frankly the ones you'd really want to hear if you were a long time fan). Of the Cure tours I've seen (Wild Mood Swings, Bloodflowers & Curiosa) this show was by far the best in terms of range and depth of songs played. The main set-list started and ended with "Bloodflowers" material and had a heavy dose of "Head on the Door" & "Disintegration" material as well. My personal highlights were "Kyoto Song", "Primary", "Push" & "The Baby Screams". The final of three encores was "Faith" which was played for the 1st time this tour. I'm heading to San Diego Tuesday night for the show at SDSU and then off to Chicago on business so the Blog will be updated over the weekend. While I'm looking forward to tomorrow evening there is no way it will be match last night, but here's hoping for "Charlotte Sometimes", "Doing the Unstuck" or "Shake Dog Shake"!

Set-List:

Out of this World - Bloodflowers

Pictures of You - Disintegration

Fascination Street - Disintegration

alt.end - The Cure

A Strange Day - Pornography

The End of the World - The Cure

The Baby Screams - Head on the Door

Lovesong - Disintegration

Sleep When I'm Dead - new song from upcoming album

From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea - Wish

Lullaby - Disintegration

The Perfect Boy - new song from upcoming album

Kyoto Song - Head on the Door

The Only One - new single to be on the upcoming album

Push - Head on the Door

How Beautiful You Are - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

Inbetween Days - Head on the Door

Just Like Heaven - Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me

Primary - Faith

Us or Them - The Cure

Signal to Noise - Join the Dots ("B" side)

One Hundred Years - Pornography

Bloodflowers - Bloodflowers

Encore #1:

Plainsong - Disintegration

Disintegration - Disintegration

Encore #2:

Three Imaginary Boys - Three Imaginary Boys

Fire in Cairo - Three Imaginary Boys

Boys Don't Cry - Boys Don't Cry

Jumping Someone Elses Train - Boys Don't Cry

Grinding Halt - Boys Don't Cry

10:15 Saturday Night - Boys Don't Cry

Killing an Arab - Boys Don't Cry

Encore #3:

Faith - Faith

The new arrival...

2008-05-26T16:53:00.001-07:00

While JoAnn & I were at the Tyler Mall last week getting new glasses we wandered by the pet store and what do you think we saw...that's right a lovely little Dachshund puppy. After a few days of contemplation we decided that a new addition to the family was in order and we celebrated Memorial Day by going to pick-up Chloe. So far Sammy & Bella aren't quite sure what to make of the new pup but we're hoping after a short adjustment period they'll get along. She's a long hair minnie which is rare and she's got slight brown markings on her paws. We don't know whether or not to breed her yet and we have several months to make that decision. In the mean time it's off to clean up a "poopy" crate...our goal is three weeks to complete housebreaking, we'll keep you posted! Here's a few photos of the little cutie!

Steppin' Out with Joe (& Jo)

2008-05-14T10:09:00.000-07:00

Mom and I went to the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown LA last night to catch the Joe Jackson show. Really cool place (built in the '30s and in it's time was the premiere venue in downtown LA for stage show productions) in a really horrible part of town (now known as the "Fashion District" which is bustling by day and covered up by night). This was the last night of the US tour and Joe didn't disappoint. Had seen Joe solo several times in the past but this tour was a three piece with piano in lieu of lead guitar. For those of you who enjoy the finer points the set-list was:

1. Steppin' Out
2. Invisible Man
3. Not Here, Not Now
4. Rush Across The Road
5. Dirty Martini
6. Stranger Than Fiction
7. On Your Radio
8. Solo (So Low)
9. The Uptown Train
10. Chinatown/Caravan (Duke Ellington cover)
11. Scary Monsters (David Bowie cover)
12. It's Different For Girls
13. Good Bad Boy
14. You Can't Get What You Want
15. One More Time
16. A Place In The Rain

encore:
17. Is She Really Going Out With Him?
18. A Slow Song

The LaBosky's are FINALLY Going Green!

2008-05-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

I've never owned a Toyota product in my life which is pretty odd given most of my working life over the past decade has been spent trying to convince "ugly American" workers to embrace Japanese quality improvement methodology. I guess the straw that broke the camels back is the environmental piece (oh yeah, that $4+ gas maybe came into play as well)! Between the sustainability efforts at work with Unilever (improving our carbon footprint through CO2 emission reduction and water conservation) and using recycled shopping bags at the grocery store (thanks to Sterling for that one) it was time to make the leap. So here are the pix, mom and dad are now driving a Prius. Pretty cool features, back-up camera, blue tooth technology for hands free cell use, key less entry and ignition (kind of freaky actually) and the dual engine (electric and gas). I'm sure we'll enjoy it once we figure out how to actually use the features but in the meantime it sure looks nice sitting in the driveway! Go GREEN or Go Home!!!!

I'll try and do better...

2008-05-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

Hello family and friends I'm going to try and make a go of this new technology after all. Thanks to Kristie for getting me set-up and I'd encourage the rest of the family to do the same. We've got a big summer planned with our 30th anniversary trip to Europe (I'll try and publish pix and thoughts throughout the experience) as your mom & I are very excited. Two Cure shows coming up in June (grow up, me NEVER), mosh pit here I come! Todd in July, Bristol in August and then it's the BEST time of the year COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON. I do promise to keep the posts clean following the ND games (lol). I am OUT...

A day at the track...

2008-03-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Old School Jeff Burton won the Food City 500, the old man schooled 'em!