It’s gotten to around 36 degrees at night, and today was blustery as all heck.  I’ve resigned myself to a heating bill in excess of $150 for the next couple of months; guess I’ll be packing home lunches to compensate.  There’s a lot to get used to in this colder climate: having to keep a jacket or sweater nearby at all times, picking the fallen leaves off the windshield, keeping the windows and doors completely closed through the night.

It’s still fun =)

Tom and the gang back in Honolulu put forth some herculean effort to get the child’s pet to San Diego by Christmas.  They are a stellar bunch, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t that anxious to see the mutt leave.  Yes, he barks for no apparent reason, and yes, he has a habit of vomiting onto the carpet, but gosh.  He’s so damned cute!

I toted Tracy and my child to the airport to fetch said mutt after a fabulous afternoon/evening spent in the company of Melissa and Matt, and la sis-o Steph.  San Clemente is a swank little city with the right amount of snoot mixed with SoCal charm.  Steph knew exactly where to grab a latte, where to buy organic herbal tea, and where to find ambrosian scents in a sweet little soap shop in the downtown area.  Just don’t get your nails done there, k?  I’m still pithy about the stupid wench who hacked my manicure to bits =(

Have I mentioned that I adore my sis-o?  All that talent, all that charisma, all…that…energy…

Melissa seemed relaxed and content as she interacted with Cyd, who adores her (and not just because she has awesome dogs).  And hey, we managed to get to mid-pier before that rattling wave insisted we head back to shore!  Hehehe.  Xanax mini-moment!

The fact that I get to hang with my ’ster, and meet up with fine folk like Melissa and Steph in exotic little cities along the Pacific Coast are completely stellar reasons to be here.  The past couple of months have been an exceptional adventure.  I may never be comfortable driving at top speed on the freeways but I don’t care.  I’m closer to people I admire and love, and that makes this place heavenly.

New pics are up on Flickr, taken with my cell phone so sorry about the quality!

U2 has been my favorite band since I first saw their video for “Sunday, Bloody Sunday” on that newfangled video channel called MTV back in the early 80’s.  But when I got to Aloha Stadium this past Saturday, ready to roll up my sleeves and work the U2/Pearl Jam concert, the only people I wanted to see were these.  Because, like…they are the awesomest bunch of roadies I’ve ever had the damned pleasure to work with.

So with the first downbeat, I rushed away from my makeshift office in the press boxes to witness, both on stage and on huge video screens, my buddy Rocko Reedy and the Journey road crew making their Hawaii stadium performance debut.

It was stellar.  It was the kind of stellar that makes you all giddy inside.  The band was tight; they sounded like they’d been doing this for years.  After a musical prelude that had the crowd looking toward the stage saying, “Whoa, good stuff,” the Devils launched into Eleanor Rigby…a really rockin’, really fab, really awesome Eleanor Rigby.  I stood by the window and thought, “Yep.  Perfect.  Just perfect.”

I didn’t get to see Rocko in person, though.  When I finally got to his office it was deserted, packed up at the end of the show.  Tom and I circled the stage as the local crew was breaking things down, but we didn’t see him or Jake Berry, another old friend from previous stadium shows.  It was a real drag…I had wanted to gush at Rocko and say things like, ”OMFG!”  “DUUUUUUUUDE!” and “You truly are the devil incarnate…”

I met that other dude, though.  The one named Bono.