The Soundtrack for 2015 - Friends

On my road to recovery over the last two years, my friends have been an invaluable lifeline. I admit that during 2014, I was more likely to push people away, while during 2015, I craved companionship.

While my social calendar didn't overflowth, I did enjoy many wonderful times with great people.  First, I have to acknowledge my Squeeze family.  Despite their distance from me, I have come love them as if they were just next door.  For them, our favorite band.

Next, I've been shy about sharing my troubles.  It helps me feel less isolated and I hope it helps others who suffer from depression to feel less lonely and ashamed. Because I have been so open about my struggles, I have written a few FB posts that are alarming.  I'm pretty sure that at least one or two were accurate reflections of my suicidal state of mind, especially after I lost my job and was feeling ill due to a still-undetected bleeding ulcer.  Many people, including people I had only met a few times really comforted me.  People texted me.  One person wanted me to send her a message every couple of hours, just to make sure I was still on this mortal coil.  Who knows why near strangers reached out to me, but they did.  I can't thank them enough.

Finally, it took me halfway through 2015 to let go of the anger and disappointment I felt toward the former teaching colleagues who bailed on my in my sickness.  I'm glad to say that there are those who are still in my life and that is what is most important.  To those who left, I say

 Come back tomorrow when I will put the world of my Beamish boy into song
 

Color Me Perplexed

While 2014 has been a transformational year for me,  I end the year, questioningly shaking my head about a number of issues.  Not all of these issues are unique to 2014; some have been around for ages.

Why do so many people turn into raving idiots while sitting safely at their keyboards

If I were to make a New Year's Resolution, it would be to never, ever read the comments on a news article again.  I don't understand why news articles even need comments.  Idiotic comments are not found only attached to news articles.  I have read some moronic things attached to posts of organizations I "like" on Facebook.

I used to like a food page, but I couldn't handle everyone who complained that the posted article didn't address GMO food or was a meat recipe.  I am concerned about GMOs and I'm a vegetarian, but I cannot stand fundamentalists in either camp.  Stop being self-righteous pricks! 

Then, I read some horrible, vile comments this year.  If anyone thought for a second that racism is dead, think again. The worst had to be when some "human" called Tamir Rice an "unsupervised ghetto rat."  Who thinks like that?

Why do so many lack empathy?

   From what I can find, about one-third of all Americans live from paycheck to paycheck.   Some wealthier people do it to max out investments.  But, I suspect that middle class families who do this, do so at great risk.  One job loss or major medical issue, and they would be wiped out pretty quickly.  I'm sure they know that.  With so many people living in poverty (15 percent) or on the brink, why do we as a society accept so many policies that punish the poor for being poor?  Drug testing for welfare recipients, anti-minimum wage hike sentiments, cuts to food stamps?  This is how we treat the poor in our country. 

How did we become so apathetic?

Sixty percent of eligible voters stayed home on Election Day this year.   I get that the system is broken.  If my car wasn't working properly, it wouldn't get fixed by sitting in the driveway.  I'd have to tinker with it, or go to someone who could help me fix it.  The system isn't going to fix itself folks; it needs handy men and women who are willing to do a little work to make take it back from the oligarchs. 

Does everything have to be scented?

I own a Swifter.  I know it's not the best environmental cleaning tool out there, but I own one anyway.  I have found it impossible to buy sheets, name brand or generic brand, that are not scented. That scented stuff gives me a headache.  Today at the store, I saw dish towels that have dish detergent and scent in them.  Too many hidden chemicals.

Will there be a Detroit Difford/Tilbrook show this year?

Did we do something wrong? What can I do to fix it?  Just once, I want to see you guys sing and afterward, I go home to my own bed.  The last local show was 2008.  I'll cook, make cake, whatever - just sing in Detroit this year. 

2014 in Song Titles

It would be easy to dismiss 2014 as the worst year of my life, but I won't.  As the year winds down, I can honestly say that I am glad the events of 2014 happened "now" rather than later.  I'm not sure that I would have been strong enough to survive if I endured any more years of serious illness.   Here are the five biggest lessons I learned this year - inspired by song titles.

Labelled With Love

A line from my favorite Squeeze lines states "The past has been bottled and labelled with love."  I could be angry with crappy events from the past.  I could be furious at the destruction of public education.  I could be pissed off at people who disappeared when I got sick or bailed when I left HPS. As a matter of fact, I was mad for quite some time, up to just a few weeks ago.  I don't want to be mad, anymore than I want to be depressed, so I let it go.  I thought back to wise words my very first therapist told me, "you can only control your actions, not what other people do." I'm determined to stick those events, those people, and those old reactions of mine  in bottles and indeed label them with love.  Without all of those bottles, I would have had no idea how to save myself.

Career Opportunities

Changing careers was scary, but it is the best thing to happen to me.  I miss the kids.  I miss being in front of a classroom.  I miss Student Council (like crazy)!  It was time for me to change.

Left of Center

I am not ashamed of my political orientation.  I had, for many years, ignored the political junkie that resided inside of me.  I unleashed her by agreeing to work on the ALF-CIO election campaign this fall.  It was a thrill and I learned quite a bit about strategy and the inner workings of a campaign.  Our side lost, but this girl is going to stay politically active.

On the Road Again

I took only trip this year, but it was a big one - a bucket list trip.  The trip to the Grand Canyon was as significant to my development as a fully confident adult as my first trip to London.  Looking at the grandeur of the canyon overwhelmed me.  As I just told a friend yesterday, looking at the Grand Canyon, I realized just how short life was to spend it being miserable.  There is too much beauty to have my eyes clouded over by depression.

There is a Light That Never Goes Out

There were many times during 2014 when I considered extinguishing my own light. Something stopped my from doing that, presumably my son. Now, I feel the sunshine and the light all on my own.

Thanks for hanging out with me this year.  I worked on getting my mind in some semblance of order.  More work to be done in 2015, with some additional body work.  Why does everything I have read about depression highlight sudden weight loss as a possible symptom?  I bloody well packed on the pounds. Oh well.

Musical Magic

I did not attend as many concerts as I would have liked.  Oh well, that's the cost of austerity.  I did get to travel to see my friends Glenn Tilbrook and Simon Hanson for two concerts this fall.  That opportunity will always make my highlight reel.

Why?  Music has always been where I go to escape the world. We all need to escape from time to time.  Music moves our feet and our souls. 

My travels this fall took me to the Beachland Ballroom (where I first met Glenn) in Cleveland and to the Space in Evanston (Illionois).  I attended both shows with my friend Kriss and became friends with a couple of her friends.  That's another wonderful thing about music, it brings people together.

Hopefully, 2014 offers me a few more musical moments.

More from my setlist

Rock n' roll! It's time to turn this blog back up to 11 and add to the set list that my imaginary band would play, if I had any musical ability at all.

For a quick review, here are the first five songs my band would play:  Heartbreaker, Dreaming, Alive, This Must be the Place, and It's Too Late.

For the next five songs, my band (with me as the sexy, lead singing, guitar goddess momma) shall play:

"William, It Was Really Nothing (by The Smiths): I know, I know, Mozz is annoying, even to this vegetarian. But the guitar work (Mr. Johnny Marr) is brilliant and I quite like the lyrics.  They aren't too ponderous or over the top.  It might be the most perfect song ever by The Smiths.

"Is That Love" (by Squeeze) -Of course, I would have to do a song from my favorite band. Great lines like "My assets froze and yours have dropped" and "Legs up with a book and a drink/Now is that love makin' you think" are just too amazing to not want to sing.  Plus, there is a smashing guitar solo for me to play.

"I'm Not Down" (by The Clash) - It might seem like a weird segue way, but that's okay.  As an emotionally overwrought teenager, this was my favorite song off of London Calling, if not my favorite song period. I figure that should count for something and I get to sing this one.


"32 Flavors" (by Ani DiFranco) - I really prefer Alana Davis' cover, but no matter.  I love this song and would do it an acoustic cover of it.

"Wonderwall" (by Oasis) - I cannot get enough of this song, period.  I might even keep the acoustic guitar out to play this song that way.  This truly is a piece of genius.  Considering what a mess they are, I can't, for the life of me, fathom how the Gallagher brothers wrote a song this good.  It doesn't matter, it's on my set list.

Music

I read an article from the Guardian this morning about how powerful music is in our lives. The author talks about the tears that flow every time she hears a song that reminds her of her grandmother's death.

I get this. There are a number of songs that trigger strong emotional reactions in me.  Sometimes, a song can transport me to a time long ago.  Sometimes, there are words or lines in a song that reminds me of someone or an event.

For example, I get very emotional every time I hear Stevie Wonder's "As" It stirs my deep love for my son, especially the line "I'll be loving you always."  It makes my eyes watery because I frankly never believed that I could feel unconditional love for anyone.

On a happier note, "Labelled With Love"  will forever remind me a magical night at the Pelton Arms during the summer of 2011, a trip that started my love affair with London.

More recently, I've been a obsessed with Adele's "Turning Tables" because it reminds me of someone who hurt me in a way that resulted in the end of a relationship that I didn't want to end.

What song or songs trigger that emotional response in you?  Feel free to leave a link to a video.

London 2012 - Day 1(ish)

This summer, one of my favorite cities in the world hosted the summer Olympics.  I kind of enjoys big spectacles like the Olympics and love London, so why not combine those and have a visit. My friend Gill kindly agreed to tolerate my presence in her house for a week and even arranged for tickets to see men's beach volleyball.  I bought my plane ticket and left on August 1st.

Sadly, a few days before my trip, I came down with a cold that would dog me for the duration of my visit, keeping me coughing and tired most days.  Oh well.

The first night, took us to The Pelton Arms, a pub in Greenwich.  Despite the fact no none of the my friends live in Greenwich, this spot has become the home base thanks to our favorite singer, Glenn Tilbrook. Simon, Nic, Cathy, Sue, Neal, and Roger all met me and Gill at the pub. We didn't stay too late as Gill, Cathy, and Sue want to get back to Gill's so we could watch a Steve Poltz Stageit show. A shocking side note to my trip is that I did NOT see Squeeze perform.  It feels weird, but I'll get over it.

Just because there was no official Squeeze action for me does not mean I did not get a little Squeeze fix.  I traveled about with Cathy and Sue to find important spots in early Squeeze history.  For example, we found the house where they wrote "Cool for Cats," and the shop where Chris placed a slightly deceptive ad for a guitarist which Glenn answered. It was great fun and Cathy should be proud of her abilities as a detective as she located all these spots through Google maps and the following video

After our Squeeze pilgrimage, we met up with Simon and Nic in Shoreditch.  I wasn't there long as I needed to meet Gill close to Hyde Park for a couple of free concerts.  Sadly, I suffered an Olympic career ending boo-boo on my knee as I slipped in line, but I'll survive.

Inside Hype Park, we met Roger and turned our thoughts to food, beverage, and music. The first show was a band called Dodgy.  I had never heard of them, but the show was enjoyable and free.

There was a little time before the next act, so food and a spot in front of one the many big screen television was our next goal.  The park had been turned into a big gathering spot for people who wanted a communal experience of the games, but couldn't afford tickets.  We watched Andy Murray beat Novak Djokovic.  Needless to say, the place exploded when  he match was over. Perfect timing, as it was now time for the next act.

Again, I had never heard of the band, Cast.  They obviously had a larger following as the crowd was considerably bigger than for the first gig.  I also enjoyed their music much more, though I can't really pinpoint why.

That's all for the first day.  More to come tomorrow.

Can music save your mortal soul?

Last night, I attended my fourth Squeeze concert of the year.  For this one, I drove, all by myself, to Milwaukee to attend the annual Summerfest.  Squeeze was scheduled to take the stage at 9:30 p.m.

I took advantage of the free admission before 3:00 policy and found the stage and wandered the grounds, which were about a mile from my hotel, for a little while.  I was tired and sweaty from my drive, so I went back to my hotel to freshen up and grab a bite to eat. As usual, I wasn't very hungry, so soup, salad, and a glass of Merlot filled my belly quite nicely.

The city runs a shuttle for Summerfest, so I hopped on and met two women from South Dakota,  They had driven all that way to see Hanson (not Simon).  They, Marilyn and Ashley, were a mother-daughter team and they were really sweet.  It turns out that the Hanson brothers were staying in my hotel ( as were the ladies) and Ashley had just met the guys and of course was floating on air.

The bus arrived and I walked around for a bit with Ashley and her mom, but we quickly parted company and I wanted to head the stage where Squeeze would be performing later.  I wanted to say hello, if possible and if not, I wanted to grab a spot up front.

That was to be, as I ran into Simon Hanson (not Mmm Bop) chatting with a couple.  He saw me, called me over and introduced me to Ken and Susan. They had been to the show on Saturday in Iowa.  Ken is a drummer, so he and Simon hit it off.  The four of us wandered the grounds and then Simon needed to go check in, so I stayed on with Susan and Ken.

I had badges, from a friend, to deliver to the guys in the band, Simon was the first to get his.  So occasionally, we would head back toward the stage to see if I could find anyone, to complete my mission.  As luck would have it, who wanders around the corner but Glenn Tilbrook.  We chatted for a bit (he was eating) and he said 'I'll see you after the show."

I'll skip everything else and jump right to the show.  I decided that on this night, I wanted to just be an fan.  I took very few pictures, danced like a mad woman, and did not write down the set list.  They played the usual set, along with two new songs: "The Honey Trap" and "Top of the Form" (my personal favorite).  The audience really seemed to enjoy both of those songs.  Glenn was chatty and happy from stage and during the encore, in honor of Neil Diamond playing a few stages over, played a little "Sweet Caroline."

The wonderful show ended, the crowd went home and I went back to say hello.  Stephen, John, and Simon all stopped to talk about how the tour was going and how brutal the weather had been. Then Glenn came out, signed a few autograph, and got caught by plastic people, including one Barbie and her husband Ken.

By this time, the only people left were me (by myself), Glenn, and the plastic people.  I at least wanted to say bye to GT, so I lingered around while Barbie and her husband talked.  Barbie saw me and made a very snarky comment to me.  I will not dignify her comment by repeating it, but clearly it was meant to size me up and determine whether she should be polite to me or not.  My response led her to dismiss me, which backfired on her as GT turned down her and her husband's invitation to walk around the festival grounds with the response, "No, I really want to get back to my book."  That made me smile. So they left and I asked Glenn what he was reading.  Hitch 22, by Christopher Hitchens is his current read.  This led us to a whole conversation about writing and editing. I mentioned that I had written a novel, which elicited the most delightful expression from GT, I can't quite describe it.

He asked me genuine questions about the book.  I told him it was about a high school English teacher.  He chuckled and said, "Really , where'd that idea come from?" Smart ass.  Then we had this great conversation about editing, including how it feels when someone else goes through your work.  He shared his experience about columns he had written for a paper in the UK.  He asked what my editor had done, if she had made story suggestions and I revealed a big plot point in my story that my editor thought needed punching up.

We were interrupted by Barbie, who wanted to tell him how much the songs and words meant to her when she was a teenager and finally by someone else who wanted a picture. I had no idea what time it was.  I just knew that I didn't want to miss the shuttle and end up walking alone through an unfamiliar city.  I didn't want to go.  I never get to talk to anyone about writing. Frankly, I think he was enjoying the conversation, too. He said he'll see me Saturday and I caught the shuttle back to my hotel.

I can't wait until Saturday.  I just want to talk about writing.

What Squeeze means to me

I think that many of my non-Squeeze friends find my activities a bit...odd. I mean, I am a mom in her mid 40s who travels around to see an underrated 80s band perform old songs. They haven't put out new material and I travel by myself. I've been thinking about this for a long time now and I've come up with something. For me, Squeeze=love and community.

A long time ago, I was a very shy girl, who did not believe in herself. My parents were a touch over-protective and for the most part, my social life was very limited. I carried that girl inside of me for a long time, well into adulthood. I molded myself to whatever situation I encountered, just so I would fit in. Except for music. I kept my musical taste true to my actual self. As insecure as I was, I didn't share my music with others. I don't know why.

Since ninth grade, Squeeze has been my favorite band. I loved Chris Difford's storytelling and clever lyrics. Of course, there was Glenn Tilbrook and his voice and...well, everyone knows about my crush. They weren't hardcore enough for my more punk friends and were under the radar for other friends - underdogs. Perfect for me.

I followed them through records and attending shows when I could. I lost track of them when I became a teacher. Hell, I lost track of everything when I became a teacher. But, I found them again when they toured in 2008 and even more so when I saw Glenn perform in Cleveland in 2009. As a matter of fact, that show was a real turning point in my life. I mean, he and his band the Fluffers were so nice and I met other fanatics. I can't fully explain what it was about that night, I just knew I needed to travel and see shows.

That's what I've been doing. All along the way, I meet more people who love what I do. I have visited places that I probably wouldn't have visited. Honestly, if I hadn't gone to San Diego during this past Easter break, you know what I would have been doing? Grading papers and sitting around. Why do that? Instead, I got a tan, made new friends and talked with my favorite musicians. I learned that my lifelong crush really knows who I am as unprompted he asked my how my school year was going. I met the woman who edited my novel at a gig on Long Island. I'm going to London during the Olympics because of Squeeze.

I wouldn't have my life any other way.

California Adventures - Part II

It's taking me a few days to write these, sorry. I'm still feeling pretty tired from the trip and I've got Andrew with me this weekend, so I've had more important matters.

I woke up Tuesday to a gray, drizzly morning. Plus, It was a little chillier than expected. I met Gill up on the rooftop terrace where breakfast was served. The view was quite nice and at one angle, we would see down to the water. It was, however, too windy and chilly to linger too long. Gill suggested that we take the ferry out to a spot called Coronado Island and check out the beach. Sounded like a plan to me seeing as I had no clue as to what we would do until it was time for the gig.

First, a trip to the House of Blues to see if we could get the tickets to the show, we were a little early for that. Than a trip to the beautiful train station to print our tickets for Wednesday. The building was gorgeous - built in 1915 (I think that is what the plaque said). Glittering domes stood high guard along the main entrance. The inside was wide open, with a ceiling like the bottom of a boat. I know there is a proper name for this, I just don't know it. Spread out on the walls were brightly glazed yellow tiles that announced that the rail line was the Santa Fe.

From there, we walked to the water to catch a ferry. Our timing wasn't quite right, so that gave us time to walk down toward the Midway Museum. We didn't go on the boat, but wandered along the neighboring park. There were cool trees to climb (we both climbed them) and an enormous statue of the iconic Life magazine picture from VE Day.



That jaunt had killed enough time to catch the ferry. By this time, any remnants of chilliness had dissipated and the sun was hot atop that boat. I hadn't packed any sunblock and by the end of the day, my face was blazing red (now, peeling). Coronado Island is inhabited by a number of large expensive homes (though, not all were) and restaurants. We split a spinach salad and sweet potato fries and then tried to make our way to the other side of the island where there is a beach. The island is only a mile long, but we never quite made it to the beach, time ran out and we had to get back to get ready for the concert.

Weeks ago, I ordered a purple bra top from Victoria's Secret, with the notion that I would wear it to this show. So I put it on and my girls were on full glorious display. I got my courage together and went out, just like that. We walked two blocks to the venue, got our tickets and went in to eat, because a stamped receipt would let us jump the queue and it was our intention to stand front and center. It worked too.

We were joined by someone who knew Gill through some other people and he (Gary) was quite helpful as we entered the venue - leading us downstairs to the main floor. Front and center indeed. This gives me one of the funniest moments in the the trip. John Bentley was on the front of the stage, chatting with someone in the audience who knew him. Someone from behind my left should started shouting "Glenn! Glenn!" I turned around and said, "That's not Glenn Tilbrook!" The couple who had been shouting asked me who it was and, as uncondescendingly as possible, I set them straight.

Time for the opening act - new buddy - Steve Poltz. It was funny, the first thing he did was say, "some people came all the way from the UK for this show," meaning Gill. That was as nice as the shout out to Detroit the night before. Then he launched into a wonderful set of songs. I don't really know the names of them, but they were sung with with great passion and wonderful humor, he immediately won me over. One thing I can said, is the crowd by the bar in the back were very rude to this hometown bar, as they talked all the way through his set.

Once Steve left, the main floor began to fill-in and even get a little odd. Before Squeeze came on, a small surge pushed on us in the front. I turned around to the person whose shoulder landed into me and said, "Really? Aren't we all a little old for this pushing crap." She said someone pushed her. I girded myself and waited for the boys.

Finally, Squeeze!!!!! The band bounded out on stage and I swear that I detected a quick smile from Mr. Tilbrook as he caught sight of two friendly faces front and center. They launched into "Take Me I'm Yours." The sound was not great and it was obvious that Glenn was not quite pleased as he looked to the sound board often, giving directions. His vocals were a bit washed out and we could not hear Stephen at all. Aside from that, the band was remarkably energetic considering how jet lagged they were. The rest of the set follows:

Take Me I'm Yours
If I Didn't Love You
Tough Love
In Quintessence
Revue
Model
The Knack
Who's That
Is That Love
Points of View
Melody Motel
Heaven
Some Fantastic Place
Cool for Cats
Up the Junction
Annie Get Your Gun
Hourglass
Goodbye Girl
Another Nail in My Heart
Pulling Mussels

Encore
Slap and Tickle
Tempted
Black Coffee

As a hardcore fan, I loved the mix of deeper cuts and hits - love, love, love "In Quintessence." The crowd was a bit more muted through that section of the show, but polite. The big surprise for everyone was when Glenn didn't pick up his guitar for Tempted and led the crowd on a backing vocals sing-a-long with nothing but the mic in his hand. Stephen said later that the move was a surprise to everyone.

After the show, Steve Poltz's sound man Chris kindly led us to the after show. We thought we were on the list, but the venue couldn't find the list,so we initially figured we were out of luck. There we chatted with all the guys, except Chris, and got to meet Rissa who will also be in the Baltimore show (with me!!!!) at the end of April. I had my obligatory picture taken with Glenn. I must say, the beard is better in real life than in pictures. I suggested that it might be nice braided; he just guffawed and gave me a bit of a look.

My favorite part of the after show was that Glenn remembered me. I introduced myself and he looked incredulously at me and said "I remember you." He promptly asked me how my school year was going. More chit chat and time to leave.

Tomorrow - The Coach House.

California Adventures - Part I

My love for Squeeze takes me several places this year - first San Diego and San Juan Capistrano.

I arrived in San Diego on Monday, April 9th without any delays. My layover in Denver was painless. I caught a cab to Downtown San Diego where I would find the Gaslamp Plaza Suites and my travel companion Gill. Back a few months ago, I posted that I was thinking seriously about going to San Diego to see Squeeze because the show was taking place on my week off, so why not? The only sticking point was that I had no one to travel with me. One day, Gill, whom I met at the Rochester Castle concert last summer, sent me a message on FB and said she was going to come from London, so I immediately made my plans and we coordinated to make a great trip.

Anyway, once I arrived at the hotel, I put my things in Gill's room because mine wasn't quite ready and we went for lunch. We ate at a place called the Merk where I devoured a wild mushroom pizza. The we wandered down to the harbor to kill a little time. Very touristy but the water is beautiful and the sun was gorgeous.

We cabbed back to the hotel and by that time, my room was ready, so I went and cleaned up and rested a little. We had big plans for the evening - the first of three gigs to attend.

Last fall, Glenn Tilbrook toured the UK and brought along an American singer/songwriter named Steve Poltz. He was set to open for Squeeze the following night. The UK branch of the Squeeze family grew quite fond of him, including Gill. She contacted his sound guy, Chris Modl, about attending a Stageit concert. I guess that he has been doing these Internet shows for a while. Gill contacted the sound guy (Chris), he gave her the address and we went . Our cab arrived in an industrial park in an iffy park of town. Chris shouted Gill's name and we were ushered into the studio, which was not very big. Steve was getting something from his van and greeted us warmly. We sat on the couch as the two set up the lights, the guitars, the computer, and the camera for the show. On top of that, Steve was preparing to leave on Thursday for a five week tour of Australia, so there were calls about t-shirts, CDs, and other merchandise.

After a technical delay, the performance started. For the next 45 minutes, Steve played songs and told stories behind the songs. Gill and I quietly applauded after each song. I was a Poltz virgin up until that point, but he won me over, especially after the shout out to all the Detroiters in the house.

After the performance, Steve chatted on line with viewers for about 15 minutes. Some of those were people both Gill and I know. It quickly became quite silly and time to leave descended on all. I went to call for a cab when Steve offered to give us a lift. We asked if there were any good restaurants around as we had skipped dinner and so the three of us hopped into his very cluttered van for dinner in North Beach. There were large fuzzy animal heads (a rabbit and a teddy bear - don't ask) in the back and I kept playing with those. We arrived at a Mexican restaurant (I have since forgotten the name) that was out of this world. I ordered the tofu enchiladas with ranchero sauce, rice, and refried beans. Steve is super nice and down-to-earth. His creativity is constantly churning.

After he dropped us at our hotel, we wandered over to a bar named Croce's where I flirted with a waiter half my age. We drank, swapped stories, and laughed. All in all, a perfect first day.

Squeeeeeeze!!!!!!!!!!

Squeeze has just announced that they will be playing Coachelle on April 14t and 21st. Technically, I could attend either show and, if I sold body parts, perhaps both. But, I have a problem.

This would be yet another trip I take by myself, just like London. My normal travel buddy can't go. I suppose it's okay, but after a while I start to feel like a loser just hanging out on my own and it sure would be nice to have a little company.

My second concern revolves around the possibility of other dates. I've been hanging on to my personal days (three of them) thinking that Glenn Tilbrook might swing through for a few dates in the spring. Of course, his website shows nothing about US dates. To be honest, every time I've ever left a question for management to answer, I heard nothing. Will Squeeze have more dates?

So, now I have to decide what I'm going to do. Should I book another solo flight for myself? How long should I wait for other dates to be posted? Maybe they'll perform closer to home.

London - Day 10 - the last

I'm all packed and showered and ready to head to breakfast just as soon as the restaurant opens. I'm not really sure that my suitcase is going to close, but I'll deal with that in a bit. My cab comes at 9:00 and I'll be back with my beamish boy by 8:00 this evening. I cannot wait. I'm not looking forward to the blast of heat I'll face in Detroit. I know that, at least in my head, I've complained bitterly about London weather, but the idea of wearing a dress, tights, and boots in July really appeals to me. I know how to pack for next time. And there will be a next time!

So how did I keep myself occupied on my final full day in London? I woke up feeling highly unmotivated. I wanted to sit in my room and read all day. But, I can do that anywhere. I decided to see if I could manage to get to South London all on my own, without getting lost. Not surprising, I found myself in Greenwich in no time. There, I visited the National Maritime Museum and walked up the hill to the Royal Observatory. I did not pay to stand on the Prime Meridian line because I needed what little cash I had left for dinner and a walking tour in the evening. The view was spectacular and the sun was even shining for my visit. The museum didn't quite catch my fancy, but I think that I am suffering tourist burn-out, so I won't really state an opinion. There is a dizzying array of maritime artifacts in the museum, some of them quite old.

I spent my evening on a "walk." Well, it would have been a walk if not for the torrential rains that poured down upon us. The walk was to be The Literary London Pub Walk. But the rain was so awful that we quickly landed in a pub where our tour guide delivered all sorts of delicious literary gossip. There were two other American teachers on the tour and we drank wine and complained bitterly about the attacks we are currently enduring. One was from Wisconsin and one was from NYC. I rode the Tube for a bit with a French teacher from Carcassonne. Even there, teachers are treated poorly, with the government trying to increase class size.

That's it. My whole trip. I shall never forget this experience. I truly can't believe I came here on my own. I even lost weight! How perfect is that?

London - more of the magical mystery tour

When I last left you, breathlessly waiting for my next installment, I had spent the evening at an old punk bar. The rest of my trip goes as such:

Day Five

A glorious sunny day with perfect temperatures. I wish I could have captured this weather in a bottle and pulled it out whenever I wanted. Anyway, I spent the morning wandering through Borough market. It's a little like Eastern Market, but bigger. I could have easily gotten lost there, but I had plans - a groundling ticket to see Much Ado About Nothing at the rebuilt Globe. Before my trip, I hadn't had the time to read the play, and because I like surprises, I even blew off Sparknotes. I am very glad that I went in ignorant. The play was a wonderful little romp. I stood up against the stage at stage left, so my view was blocked from time to time. I stood next the a high school principal from New Zealand and his wife. My only regret was that I left my camera at the hotel. My confirmation email stated no cameras. I took a couple of shots with my global phone, but I haven't been able to upload them. I took a break that evening as I rushed back to Skype with my beamish boy.

Day Six

Rain, with a smattering of Mitzi sunshine. I spent the whole day with my new friend Mitzi. We walked through Soho, a ritzy shopping part of town, and a naughty bit of town. We stopped in used record stores. We shopped at more street markets. The day started at St. Paul's in the driving rain, so we did not climb the stairs to the top of the cathedral. It was an endless blast, marred only by the newly formed blisters on my heels from my new shoes. Oh well. We ate dinner at a fab vegan Chinese restaurant and ended the day at a pub in Chalk Farm with Simon and Nic. They cleverly helped me devise a plan to bring Andrew to London, instead of Paris. I would stay in Wales with Mitzi. Then we would move to London, where Andrew would ride in the cab of the Tube with Simon (so sayeth Nic). We could travel to Paris for a couple of days and see the Eiffel Tower and come back to London. Sounds like a plan.

Day Seven

A bit of a wash out. I made it to the National Gallery. The museum is packed with beautiful works, most of it old. I do prefer more modern and less religious pieces. Still, I was very impressed with the Impressionists I saw, plus several Van Goghs, and (my favorite) Cezanne. As I left, the skies opened up and left a deluge on the city, so I took my sore feet back to the hotel.

Day Eight

I dumped the painful shoes and headed Kensingston way. I found the Royal Albert Hall and picked up a few rocks for my son. Then I headed to the Museum of Natural History where I played mommy by proxy and took pictures of fossils and rocks. The building was beautiful and I would love to bring Andrew here. The number of people is completely overwhelming. In the evening, I tried to take the Jack the Ripper tour, but the guide didn't show up. The pouring rain must have had something to do with that.

Day Nine

Can you tell I'm running out of steam. I miss my son desperately and I'm actually ready to get back to routine and move into my new place. I spent the morning, which was sunny at St. Paul's. By the time I got there, I realized that I was touristed out, so I headed to some suggested shopping areas. On the tube from St. Paul's, I discovered something in my hair. I plucked it out, but that rotten little bee stung me, right at my hairline, before I flung it to the ground. While shopping, nothing caught my fancy. I must have been tired. I headed back to Camden and did some serious damage, including a pair of brown Doc Martens and a pair of purple Doc Martens boots. I've been told that one can ever have too many pairs of Doc Martens, so now I have three pairs. Fish and chips for dinner at Oliver's was okay. The portion was huge and I'm afraid I wasted a lot of food. By this point, I was whipped and ready to turn in, so back to Skype with Andrew and sweet sleep.

I'll save the last day for tomorrow.

London - a post from the rain

I've been so busy that I've not written about the other days of the trip. Tonight's on-again, off-again rain will prevent me from going on my intended pub walk, so I might as well write.

Day Three
I went to a concert, not a big deal.

Wait, this is the whole reason I came to London - to see Squeeze perform at Rochester Castle!!!!!!

Simon and his wife Nic picked me as I "hitchhiked" along the road and we headed off on our hour long journey. The scenery wasn't particularly striking, so Nic and I chatted pretty much the whole way. We parked a long way from the venue and walked, maybe two miles. The weather was cloudy and cold. I was wearing a long tank top dress, my jean jacket, and sandals. I was fairly miserable for a while. Once we got to the actual castle, we ran into other members of the Squeeze family: Sue, Garry, Val, Gill, and Mitzi. Rumor had it that the sound check would be open to the public. Before that happened, the ladies (and Garry) wandered down to a restaurant just down the gate from the castle. Most order food, but Nic and packed a lunch, so neither of us ate and just order half-pints. Back to the castle ground where I met Tami and her friend Diane and to the start of the sound check. The sound check was interesting in that portions of it were silent, audible only to the guys via their headsets. Once they turned on the sound, there were Italian teenage tourists who were both mocking the band and dancing to them. I did not hit anybody, I promise. We ate on the lawn, drank red wine (and I was fine), and then bellied up to the barrier in order to secure our spot in the very front.

The Lightening Seeds opened the night with an acoustic show. There was one song I knew (the name of which is now gone) and I tried really hard, but I damn near fell asleep during their set. I was, however, fully awake for the main act. From the opening chords of "Black Coffee in Bed," I danced and sang with other Squeeze fanatics. Finally, I felt like I wasn't just taking people to indulge me in my musical fantasy. I was surrounded by like-minded friends.

The show ended and Simon and Nic had to work in the morning, so we took the long walk back to the car. By this time, my toes were nicely frozen. I dozed on and off in the back seat. We talked about the Casey Anthony verdict and we listened to BBC.

My only mild regret - these were the only Squeeze shows of late where I did not get a picture with Glenn :(

Day Four

I love the Tate Modern. No, let me restate that. I LOVE THE TATE MODERN!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was beautiful: the Miro exhibit, the Lichtenstein paintings, everything. It was on this day that I seriously believed that I could live in a city like London. The choice of cultural events is mind-boggling. Lunch was out-of-control delicious: fettuccine with wild mushrooms, red chard, and aged Pecorino. Wash that down with a chardonnay and top it off with two scoops of sea salt caramel ice cream and caramel sauce. Oh yeah!

That evening, I went to a pub called the Hope and Anchor to meet Mitzi and see her friends the Glamweazels. She had put my name on the guest list (a first in my life) and I got there a little late. The band was quite good, but the set was short. I met yet another Squeeze fan - Jim. Mitzi had to leave early, but she put Jim in charge of making sure I was safely returned to my train, which he did.

London - Days 2

I was so worried that I'd sleep in super late on Tuesday. Everytime I've ever flown to Europe, the first full night's sleep usually lasts until noon the next day. Plus, I was really wired after the show at the Pelton Arms, so I'm sure I didn't fall asleep until 1 or 1:30. Tuesday saw me wake up around 7:00. That gave me plenty of time for a leisurely morning. I took breakfast in the coffee shop attached to the hotel. The continental breakfast is all carbs: croissant or pain au chocolat, corn flakes, juice or coffee/tea, and toast. It fills my belly and I returned to my room to wait for maintenance to come adjust the shower temperature, which was ice cold. Once fixed, I showered and headed out the door.

On Tuesday, I intended to go to the Tate Modern. I got distracted before I started on my quest; I saw the Tower Bridge off in the not too far distance, so I just walked in that general direction. I eventually got there and walked around the Tower grounds. The weather was quite chilly and I wasn't dressed appropriately (the story of my London trip), so I didn't go to the top of the bridge. I told myself I'd wander back on a sunnier day.

The evening was spent with my erstwhile host Simon who took me to Greenwich (via boat) for a quick Squeeze tour. First the plague commemorating Squeeze's first gig and then to the Anchor and Hope where Glenn had been doing Tuesday gigs for almost two years. There, we had a bit to eat and drink. We then zoomed into central London (this time on train) for a peek at Big Ben, Parliament, Piccadilly, Trafalgar, and the National Gallery.

Back to the hotel to rest up for the next day and Rochester!

London Day 1

The one thing I haven't really been able to do is blog about London. Well, it's Sunday night, it's been raining off and on all day, and my heels are blistered to tears. Tonight is as good as any to write about my first six days in London.

Day 1

I am happy to say that my flight arrived a half-hour early. After a long, but delightful lay-over in Philly (thanks Erica, Marty, and Finn), I was very anxious to get to London. Immigration and customs were a breeze. I figured that my journey to the hotel would be the same because my FB friend, Simon, had given me excellent instructions on how to navigate the Tube from Heathrow to my hotel. The only problem was my luggage. Of course, I had over-packed. Of course, there were no lifts at a couple of the stations. Thankfully, angelic gentlemen helped me carry my bag to the top of the stairs. On the way home, I will be taking a cab to the airport.

Once I checked into my lift-free hotel, I zoomed to the post office to exchange some traveler's cheques. Apparently, the post office here offers every service possible: utility payments, money exchange, bank accounts. Anyway, Simon had said that he would be by my hotel around 4:30 for food and drinks, so I rushed back to shower and change. When he got there, he had a little surprise for me: a Squeeze gig at the Pelton Arms. It is a small, intimate setting. We first grabbed a little food at the Cutty Sark and then back to the pub, where the guys were running through a quick sound check. Glenn caught my eye, gave me a big, surprised, happy face. After the sound check, he stopped to chat for just a minute - big hug and kiss greeting. Then, the crowd started to fill in. I began to meet many of the names I had been seeing on Facebook and the Glenn listserve forever: Mitzi, Mark, David. I was feeling a little jet-lagged and shy, so I just soaked up the atmosphere. The wait wasn't long. The band ripped into a vigorous set and I was lucky enough to be directly up front, about four feet from Chris Difford's nose. I can't even tell you all of what they played. The best for me was Labeled With Love - which I had never heard because they don't play it in the States. I pointed that fact out to Glenn and he agreed immediately. That was probably the best Squeeze gig I had ever experienced.

I'm kind of tired right now, so I'll play a little catch up tomorrow.

Glenn Tilbrook - Evanston April 4

Last night I fed my need for a Glenn Tilbrook/Squeeze fix. My girlfriend Laurie and I drove to Evanston, Illinois to catch an acoustic show from Glenn at a venue called Space. We both took the day off and Laurie drove.

The GPS on her phone eventually took us along Lakeshore Drive and needless to say, we grew envious of the vibrancy that emanated from every pore of Chicago. We arrived at our hotel before the room was available and our stomachs rumbling for food. Luckily, there was a pub directly across. It was called Tommy Nevin's and it will crop up later in my story. From lunch, we walked three blocks into the shopping district and looked for the venue. We also stopped in a jewelry shop. I bought a swish pair of sterling silver hoop (large) earrings and Laurie bought a beautiful necklace. The time told us it was finally time to check in at the hotel, so we walked back.

I showered and read while Laurie napped. Finally, it was time to head out for dinner and then to the show. We chose to eat at Union Pizzeria, which is attached to the show venue. We dined on a delicious thin crust pizza with basil pesto, broccoli, red onion, sun-dried tomato, and goat cheese. Yummy! No time or room for dessert, the doors were opening and we had general admission tickets.

We wandered to the first row on the right of the stage. Our seats placed us in a way that we would have to watch Glenn's backside for the whole show. I chatted with the couple next to us, Adam and Olga, and then Glenn came on.

He started with an explanation that United had lost his luggage and his two guitars. He then launched into a delightful 25 minute set that went as follows:

1. Monkey Up the Tree
2. Take Me I'm Yours
3. This is Where You Ain't
4. Chatline Larry (apparently about one of his oldest boys and his phone habits)
5. Wild World (covering that great Cat Stevens songs)
6. Tongue Like a Knife
7. Oh Well
8. Vanity Fair
9. If I Didn't Love You
10. Untouchable
11. Harper Valley PTA
12. Introvert
13. Another Nail
14. Good-bye Girl (on electric guitar with assistance on the acoustic from a guy in the audience)
15. Cool for Cats (delivered in a droll, spoken word manner)
16. Best of Times
17. Tempted
18. Some Fantastic Place
19. Is That Love?
20. Vicky Verky
21. The Truth
22. Annie, Get You Gun
23. Up the Junction
24. Slap and Tickle
25. Pulling Mussels

End of show - just wonderful. As always, he came out and chatted to everyone. I told him that I was coming to England to see the Rochester Castle show. I posed for pictures and then, we left. Happily, the night doesn't end here.

We returned to our hotel and quickly decided to grab a drink at the pub across the street, Tommy Nevins. We take a seat, grab drinks, and who walks (now with his luggage) into the bar? Glenn and an old friend. Glenn turns and sees me, comes over, asks what we're drinking, and invites us to an empty table that is larger than our table. Over the next two hours, we chat, throw popcorn at each other (he could catch it, I could not), drink, and laugh. Someone gave him a gift bag that include a large hollow chocolate thing and a small metal mallet to crack it open. Out tumbled more chocolate delights that no one wanted. When asked what he was going to do with the hammer, he had no clue. I urged him to pull a Spinal Tap with it, which elicited a big laugh.

He had to get up the next morning at 7 to fly to New York, so we parted company around 1:00 a.m. It was a great night.

Ravinia - July 10

The second leg of our journey took us to Chicago land, more precisely to Ravinia Music Festival in Highland Park. The drive from Columbus was much easier though double the time.

Ravinia is unlike any outdoor theatre I have ever encountered. We were practically the only people without several coolers and lawn chairs. It appears that most people attend concerts here with the intention of hanging out with friends on the vast lawn. I was stunned by what people were allowed to bring onto the grounds. People had small tables, lawn chairs, and one guy was carrying a full case of beer.

Once again Squeeze opened, though I wasn't surprised by this seeing as Cheap Trick is from Chicago. The set list was exactly the same as the night before, except there was time for one encore - "Pulling Mussels." The guys were far more animated tonight than in Columbus. Chris was performing his customary Chris shuffle, John was all over the stage, and again Glenn was channeling Jimi Hendrix and at one point rubbed the guitar strings on the microphone stand.

Sartorially speaking, Glenn and Chris were in the same outfits as the night before, John was dressed in purple, Simon was Simon, and Stephen treated the crowd to his spectacles and a fetching red smoking jacket.

My seats were way far at the back of the pavilion, but not for long. By the end of "Annie Get Your Gun," we had moved to the third row from the stage. Much better than being in the third to last row.

It seems, however, that at Ravinia, security frowns at people dancing in the pavilion. Two women behind in me in my "new" seats were sternly lectured and security gave me a look, too. Well, once we got to "Good-Bye Girl," I paid that directive no mind and stood up to dance, and it seemed that Chris was urging me as he looked squarely at me, and motioned with his hands to stand up. I was, of course, promptly reprimanded and I think by this time Glenn had noticed. Two songs later, three people in the middle started dancing and once security pounced on the , one of the offenders was quite snippy and was removed.

The next song was to be "Cool for Cats." Before it started Chris said something to the effect of he saw the one fellow get tossed and that everyone should stand up and dance. We did for the rest of the show and there was nothing security could do!

Well, I have to head home tomorrow, though I wish that I could attend the Cleveland show. Now I'm thinking about Hamilton in August.

Night 1 - Spot the Difference Tour Squeeze

It's that time when I get to act on my favorite obsession, Glenn Tilbrook and Squeeze. They started the US leg of the Spot the Difference last night, Friday July 9 at the LC Ampitheatre in Columbus, Ohio. As usual, Laurie was Thelma to my Louise and of course we had VIP meet and greet tickets.

We pulled out of Hamtramck a little before 1:00. The ride down was harrowing at times due to the torrential rains that seems to follow us. It slowed down our travel considerably and I was (as I am wont to do) growing worried that we would miss the 5:15 deadline ominously conveyed in the VIP confirmation e-mail I had received a few days earlier. All my worries were for naught as Laurie safely delivered us to the Renaissance Downtown Columbus Hotel with 45 minutes to spare.

We quickly checked in, ran up to the room for a little freshening up, and a costume change. We were told that the venue was walking distance from the hotel, so we started afoot, but the weather turned foul once again and we opted for a cab.

We arrived 15 minutes before the 5:15 deadline and grabbed our tickets from will call. Sadly, the venue knew nothing about the meet and greet. They tried to find out and asked us to wait. So we waited. And waited. And waited. And waited. We waited an hour before a representative from the band finally came to retrieve us. She apologized profusely while taking us backstage.

As we hit the backstage area, the guys were finishing "If It's Love" in the sound check. The rain had stopped at this point. The band wandered back and immediately I could spot the difference between and Glenn Tilbrook meet and greet and a Squeeze meet and greet. A Glenn meet and greet is pretty free-wheeling while the one I experienced felt more constrained, even though no one was pushing us along. Perhaps it seemed less loose simply because it was the first night of the tour.

That said, there were several funny moments that stick out to me. The first occurred while chatting with Simon and Chris. Simon asked if I had a raincoat and I said no,but I had an umbrella. During this very brief and innocuous exchange, Chris gave Simon a slightly horrified look and said, "I thought you just asked her if she had a wanker."

I looked down at my skirt and replied, "I don't have one of those either."

Simon then insisted on telling me that a wanker is actually a bottle opener and that should I be in London, I should go in a pub and announce that I need a wanker. I told him that I was sure that every man in the bar would gladly volunteer.

The next funny moment happened shortly after Chris abruptly left. I asked where he had gone,. The band representative explained that he had gone to throw out the first pitch at the baseball at the stadium down the block. That wasn't what I heard. I swear she said he went to throw up. Glenn and John Bentley both chimed in that they had heard the same thing.

Finally, I asked Glenn and John if they would have a chance to watch the World Cup final on Sunday. Absolutely, they both smiled. John asked me who I thought would win and I said Holland and he agreed. This prompted Glenn to ask me if I had heard about the octopus in Germany that had accurately picked many of the games, including the game Germany lost to Spain. Something about the octopus (or squid) squirming around on something. Anyway, the octopus has chosen Spain as the champs.

Naturally, they had to leave, so we left to go find a spot in the general admission crowd. From the number of t-shirts, it was clear that this was a Cheap Trick crowd. The sun really broke through the clouds as the boys came on the stage and launched into "Black Coffee in Bed." Despite the heat, they were all properly attired in suits: Glenn in that lovely brown pin stripe suit her wore on Regis, Chris looked very chic in black with his shades, Stephen was dapper in a blue suit, Simon wore a vest, and John delivered the bass dressed in gray, topped with a fedora.

The rest of show was peppered with songs I hadn't heard live like "When the Hangover Strikes" and a D & T song "When Hope Fell Down." The complete 17 song set is at the end of this post. They were tight and on fire. Glenn played like the guitar god he is, duly impressing many of the nearby Cheap Trick fans. In the middle of his solo for "It's So Dirty" the two guys next to me turned to each other and said "this guy is fucking great."

As the opening act, they had no encore, so it's off to Chicago.

Play List
Black Coffee in Bed
Take Me I'm Yours
Annie Take Your Gun
When the Hangover Strikes
Loving You Tonight
If It's Love
It's So Dirty
Goodbye Girl
When Hope Fell Down
If I Didn't Love You
Cool for Cats
Is That Love
Someone Else's Heart
Up the Junction
Hourglass
Slap and Tickle
Tempted