Billy Joel, has always been a part of "My Life"(pardon the pun). He'd be there on my radio, cd player and lately my Ipod. I have super memories of many happy hours spent in pubs singing along to his songs when I should have been studying or at lectures. Last Thursday, all those memories came flooding back, when I, together with 16 000 other pub crawlers, from the Eighties, saw him live for the first time ever in South Africa. He is the first artist not to gush about how great South Africa is and how wonderful it was to be here - instead he told us how great he is. We lapped it up! And he was fantastic. As you can see from my pics some of the fans dressed the part. Piano Man and Uptown Girl, along with 8 of their pals travelled all the way from Pietermartizburg to see this show and I'm sure they weren't disappointed. For a sixtysomething, he rocked the house. Performed most of his big hits, My Life, Innocent Man, New York State of Mind, Anthony's Song, You May Be Right and a whole lot more. Something for everybody. He played a grand piano which rotated on the stage between songs, so that his back wasn't to the same side of the audience for the duration of the show. A camera was placed on the end of the piano keyboard, showing his fingering which they projected onto the big screens. Posted a pic, crappy quality I know, but it gives you the idea. Gosh he can play the piano! The highlight of the show was when he picked up the electric guitar, asked his guitar technician to sing and together they belted out Highway to Hell by AC/DC. BJ broke it down on that guitar - now that impressed me! Another highlight was his delivery of Innocent Man. He stood alone in front of the piano arms raised clicking his fingers - a beautiful motion. He closed the show with Piano Man - best sing a long ever. Ahhhhhhhh. It was great. I left the show with a lot of joy in my heart and a slightly hoarse voice.

It is said that if you send your wishes and dreams out into the Universe, and your intentions are clear and pure, your wishes, and desires will happen. So..... I am very clearly asking the Universe for a miracle. And that miracle is to somehow make it happen for me to go to the final U2 Vertigo concert on 9 December in Hawaii. It would be a dream come true for me, because, not only is it the final U2 concert for this tour, but also because Pearl Jam will be opening for them. And.........I have just discovered Pearl Jam!! (Thank you Barb!) Once again, I ask, where was I in the 90's?!? Their music makes me want to scream and sweat. U2 make me want scream, sweat and rejoice. Watching both live, on the same stage, on the same night is going to be awesome and amazing. An intense experience for sure.

It's a big dream this. I have checked out the tour package prices and a one week hotel stay with a GA ticket would set me back about R25 000 and that's before I've paid for an airticket! Also Hawaii is about as far away from Johannesburg as you can get. At least 36 hours of non stop travelling. But........I live in faith and hope.

U2 have launched a competition on their website in which you can win a trip to this final show. Shall give it a go. Hey, God helps those who help themselves! mmm wish me luck.

I have friends who are incredibly talented musicians, one of them Marcus, is an awesome guitar player. I was invited to watch him and his brother perform at a charity event. It was great. One of the performers, called Tony Cox, was amazing amazing amazing. Turns out that he is a highly respected musician in guitar circles, both here and internationally. He was born in Zimbabwe and now lives in SA. He played three numbers and I was riveted. So much so that a lady from another table came over to ask me if I had enjoyed his performance. She said, my face beemed as I watched him. Seriously - he was incredible. I had no idea that you could get a guitar to make some of the sounds he was producing. Apparantley his style is that of "fingerpicking" which speaks for itself I suppose. He played Henry Mancini's Walk of the baby Elephant from the Pink Panther movies. This is the guitar he played. It's custom made from all kinds of exotic wood. Who would have thought, that what once was a tree, could make such a beautiful racket.

Unbelievable - his fingers glided across the strings. I noticed that his fingernails on his right hand were long and manicured, like a woman's. A bit of a turnoff that but I suppose he needs them for the fingerpickin!

Do you like my new template? I'm tired of pink. Thought I'd change to green in celebration of spring and all that. It's softer on the eye. I'm slowly coming out of hibernation. I have not been in the mood to blog or go out much lately. Guess I've been a little bit depressed or down or blue or whatever ...... BUT, I feel the fog lifting and I find I want to do stuff.
Exercise is always a good place to start, and I have been going for walks with my doggie Buttercup everday. And as usual I wonder why I didn't get into this habit much much sooner. There is nothing quite like the joy of your doggie when they hear the leash and chain clink clink and they realise, it's walkies time. Buttercup just about platzes. At first I was dragging her around, because she didn't understand this walking thing and now she takes me for a WALK and I mean a WALK. I was completely out of breath after our last one. Great exercise and a great way to get up to speed with what and who and how is happening in the neighbourhood.
Sadly my kitty Bianca passed away a few weeks ago. She was fourteen years old and had a lung and heart condition. I miss her in a bad way. My wonderful friend Barb in America sent me a sympathy card. It was just about the nicest thing I have ever received. Don't get much of that here. If a pet dies, you get on with it, pull yourself together and stuff like that. And receiving that card and knowing that somebody else gets as sad about their pets illness or dying as you do touched me deeply.