Last weekend both of you and I decided to go outside and do some burning. JD and I loaded up the wheelbarrow from the garage where we had quite a bit of scrap wood and wheeled it outback. JD, you helped me create a tee pee with the wood and crumpled up some paper so that we could light it up.
It caught quick and we ended up burning wood for about 4 hours. While the fire burned Adam played in his sandbox with his shovels and trucks. We all played football and soccer while coming back to the fire to warm up every so often.After the fire was extinguished we came inside. You both LOVE to color. I have probably written about this before and if I haven't, I should have. You both can sit at the table with our jar of markers and just color forever. JD, you have been sounding out words better and better each day, and writing the letters down as you go. Adam you scribble and scribble with all sorts of colors and say, "Daddy, see" about 100 times for each drawing you make!
JD, last weekend you also wanted to learn how to tie you shoes. One of the mornings you came over to me and said,
"Dad, can you teach me how to tie my shoes today?" This was the same way you asked me how to ride your bike, and three hours later you learned how to ride. Same thing for the shoes. You concentrated very hard and it payed off quite quickly!We also had Chad, Ash, Chris, Tara, and Chad and Caden over for dinner last weekend. Mom made her famous lasagna and other people brought salad and dessert. The food was great and the company even better. We are going to try and get into a routine with our friends about having Sunday dinners a few times a month. We're all very busy, but typically things slow down a bit in the winter.
This weekend was very special for JD and I. It was finally time to watch Bruce at the Garden in Boston! JD you and I went down to Nana's on Sunday morning and arrived just before 11 am. Grampie's new dog, "Brick" was there. He is a little boxer. This is the first time you have ever really dealt with a puppy. He was very cute and loved to play. He thought you were a little puppy and jumped on you and tackled your legs! You didn't like when he nipped you but you dealt with it very well! Brick will be a nice new addition to the family!
Grammie and Grampie came over later in the day for lunch. It was nice to chat with Grampie about the Celtics and Patriots. He used to have season tickets when the Celts were great in the 80's so it was fun to get his take on how he likes them now. Grammie is so getting frail, but she was in good spirits. She wanted to help Nana clean up but her body had other ideas. I know this was weighing on her mind. You sat with Grammie and Nana and went though a toy catalog and discussed Christmas gifts! You enjoyed this and we enjoyed watching you!
Finally 3:30 rolled around and it was time to pick up Cauf and Denise to head into Boston. We met Brown and Benoit at the T and went in from there. We arrived first at Hurricane O'Reilly's. They were pumping The Boss out the door and there looked to be tables inside, so we went in and planted ourselves here for a few hours. You had an awesome time talking to Jeff, Benoit and Cauf. You couldn't get over the HUGE TV they had on the wall. This was a long time for you in one restaurant and you enjoyed every minute.
Later in the night I got a call from my cousin Kim who was with Tiff and Uncle Don right next door at Boston Beer Works. We paid up and went next door to say hello to them. After talking with them we found that they had seats in the very row in front of us!! Donnie is the biggest fan I know and certainly contributed to my initial interest in Bruce. It is always great to catch up and spend time with them.
From there it was time to find our seats. We were seated way up in the nose bleed section of the Garden but you loved riding up all of the escalators. You really wanted to get a concert shirt on this night, but I had a hard time justifying 35 bucks for a kids T shirt! Grampie and Tiff gave you money to put towards the shirt and you were so happy to pick it out. Bruce switches up his set lists each night but the first song is currently your favorite, Radio Nowhere. We had to wait in line for the shirt for quite a while and as we were waiting you said, "C'mon Dad, I don't want to miss Radio Nowhere!" I assured you that we had plenty of time.
After visiting Donnie, Kim and Tiff at their close by seats, we took ours and waited for the show to begin. Just as we sat down and started to talk about the Celtic banners on the ceiling, the whole place went black! All of sudden we heard Bruce say, "Is there anybody alive out there?!!" You climbed up to stand on your seat so you could see but you looked a little scared. I don't think I realized how overwhelming it would initially be for you. Twenty thousand people, two giant screens, and truly loud rock and roll music. You mentioned how loud it was but you loosened up by song three, your other favorite, "Lonesome Day." Though out the whole show you clapped and clapped.
In the bars, on the street, and in the Garden people kept coming up to you and saying how cool it was that you where there. They would ask what your favorite song was and you would rattle off the names to three or four. Most people were so surprised and you couldn't figure out why. Honestly, I couldn't either.
I know that anyone can listen to whatever type of music they want to but I sometimes I don't get why everyone doesn't listen to Bruce. The message, the power, the realism, that's what people should get out of music.
I know that other bands have this too, but none as pure as Springsteen. I am always searching and listening to new stuff and haven't stumbled across anything even close, maybe U2, but... Anyway, I wanted to share this with you (and hopefully Addie) before Bruce gets too old and stops touring. I know that there's a strong possibility you wont even remember that night, but maybe you'll remember the feeling of being at your first rock show with your Dad..After the show you laughed and laughed with the boys on the train back to Riverside Station. I watched you and could tell that you had such a nice time. There was nothing you weren't included in all night long by everyone you encountered. By the time we got back to Nans you were dead asleep. I put you in bed and just before you went to sleep you said, "Daddy, I had so much fun tonight." So did I, J.
Novemeber 18, 2007 JD's first Rock n Roll show Setlist:
Radio Nowhere
No Surrender
Lonesome Day
Gypsy Biker
Magic
Reason to Believe
Jackson Cage
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
The Promised Land
I'll Work For Your Love
Tunnel of Love
Working on the Highway
Devil's Arcade
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Girls in Their Summer Clothes
Jungleland
Born to Run
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
