Our last week of Summer – at least here in the States

And we’re packing it in at a hectic pace.

Tonight its O.A.R. (with Luke and Anika) at the Hampton Beach Casino and tomorrow night is our least Wednesday show with Jeff since we’re off to Greece on Saturday ! We had Trinity and Kai for the weekend and went out on the motorboat - there were thunderstorms all around, but we kept moving ahead of them -- going from Bakers to Marblehead to Salem to Misery and managed to get in a great day on the water.

Sophie and I went down to Gillette Stadium to catch the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street band – (it’s been a summer for Jersey girls). On the drive down, we thought it was going to turn out badly .. we were running moderately late and traffic SUCKED sand we were sure we were going to miss the opening. But then the skies opened up with torrential rain and lightning – and presented a completely new problem – would we get soaked, zapped – or would the show get canceled. We hung out in the car until the worst of the lightning passed and we then hoofed across the three miles of parking lots into Gillette

Needless to say – we weren’t late because Bruce didn’t go on ‘til 9:15 (once all the rain was completely over and that age was dried out). Some of the crowd was saying that he might have to stop at 11:00 (sound ordinance and all) so we were bummed. Then we got to our seats out on the field at about the 50 yard line, and they looked as though they were positioned so the stage would be mostly obstructed by the big white tent they had erected over the soundboard. Undaunted, we found a much bette spot on the other side of the section at the front area so we hung out in the front of the section further up off to the side.

And then it got better and better and better .. Bruce played for three straight hours - he ignored the house lights when they came up at 11:30 – (which is hard to do at Gillette because light up everything like its noontime)

The security guys were moving a lot of people out of the area, but they let us stay where we were -- which was essentially an upgrade -- so we had a great view of the stage and danced all night long. Little Steven, Max and Nils all ROCKED !

Bruce blew the roof off and played some stuff I haven’t heard live from him in the last four shows I’ve seen - Rosalita, Spirit in the night, 10^th avenue freeze out .. It was an awesome show

Setlist:


Summertime Blues
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Lonesome Day
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Tunnel of Love
Little Latin Lupe Lu
Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?
Hungry Heart
Who'll Stop the Rain
Youngstown
Murder Incorporated
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands

Encore:

I'm Goin' Down
Jungleland
Born to Run
Glory Days
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Rosalita

Bouzouki Time

Not much has been going on recently. Steve showed up, the Mercedes got fixed, and I completed my bamboo goal. I also started bouzouki lessons. That was one fun thing. There is this guy, Dimitri in Messini, who taught Panayoti (the current police man) how to play bouzouki. I went to check it out on friday, and he gave me a one hour lesson for 25 euro and two books for 10 euro. He said I learned as much in that lesson as some kids do in 10. He also gave me a bouzouki to practice with at home.



I practiced a lot and one guy passed by and said I was really good, as I was playing on the balcony. I went back to day, and now I am at the 1 month mark after only 2 hours of lessons. It is pretty awesome. Also, last night my soccer ball went in the water at the platia for the third time that week. Luckily we rescued it (also for the third time). The ball is three years old now and I think it is time to get a new one. Here I go now.

This Time My Idea Works (Well, Somewhat)

Sunday night was Thea Voula and Theo Giorgos 50th wedding anniversary. We had a huge dinner at Elena in Finikounda. Alexandros and Stephanos came and are now in Homatada along with little Martha and her parents. There were more crazy dancing people at the party and Stephanos and Achilleas were hooked on their DS games. It was a long night.

The next day Alexandros came to our house in Pylos and we took him with us to Divari and met up with everyone else. Now, my idea kicks in. Using my crazy yahoo whackjob brain I decide to go with Pops and cut down two pieces of bamboo to make a soccer goal with at the beach. We took the two pieces and put them in the sand a bit into the water. My idea worked and we played lots of soccer. The only problem was that we didn't have a crossbar so we couldn't tell what was too high or not, and the wind kept blowing the ball far away. We got lots of pictures and video. We couldn't put the bamboo on top of the Buick so we have to get new ones when the Mercedes is fixed. Also, that afternoon I changed my hot air balloon into a parachute and dropped it from the balcony a couple of times. It was really fun. By the time you get here mom, dad, luke, and anika, I'll be the next Einstein. By the way thats only 11 days.

YAY!!!

A Little Hot Air, and the Brain of a Crazy Yahoo Wackjob Mad Scientist Who is Bored

Yesterday I tried to make a hot air balloon. I failed terribly, but it was fun. Yiayia and pops almost died laughing. First, I took one of pops old cut up undershirts and sewed it together to make a little balloon. I then took the basket Yiayia keeps her clothespins in and tied it to the balloon with a candle resting in it. Yiayia was afraid it would burn up and I was afraid it would fly away. Yiayia thought I was crazy.
The cloth didn't hold the hot air so next I tried a plastic bag. It started to fill up and then melted. I tried another one and burnt a hole in it. Then I saw some tinfoil and lined the plastic bag with tinfoil and added two more candles. The tinfoil made it too heavy so I stopped. Now I am going to try to make a soccer goal out of bamboo and I am pretty sure it will work. I am also on the lookout for mylar balloons to use for my hot air balloon. Wish me luck.

ps. dad if you find some mylar of kevlar bring it over.

Just in Time

As I said earlier, Wednesday morning we left for Athens to pick up the Buick. We got up at 8 and boarded a bus to Athens at 9. We took the bus because Alexi's car was in the shop and pops didn't trust the Mercedes. I hated the bus. It was almost as bad as the trip over. It was about an hour to Kalamata and another 4 to Athens. I almost got sick because we were going around sharp corners and I couldn't see forward. I will never ride a bus again.

Leaving Kalamata we saw a fire in one of the fields. There was aton of smoke. I got some really good pictures. Upon reaching Athens we took a cab to see on of Yiayia's Aunts and her grandchildren. I went and played hoops and some soccer with her grandson Costadino. It was fun. We stayed the night in Titi's place because she was on vaca. We got up at 7:30 to be at the shipping office at 9. We signed some papers and then some guy took us to the port to get the car. At the port we waited at a little cantee with a bunch of smoking bums. Luckily it was really windy and the smoke was blown away. We waited for about 2 hours and then we went looking to see if we could find the car. We found it in a lot, but didn't think stealing it was a good idea. About a half hour later, a guy came and told us it would be 1 hour till we could get the car. So we waited, and waited, and waited, for about 1 hour and a half. He came back and said 5 minutes more. So we waited 30 minutes and he came back with the key. We walked into the lot, got the car, put in our bags (and yiayia) and drove away to see yiayia's uncle in Halkida, 1 hour away. After about a half hour I got hungry so we stopped at a McDonalds and grabbed a double cheeseburger and a chocolate shake.

We got to the house at Halkida and the Uncle was sleeping so we stayed outside and played cards. We went out to dinner in the town and met up with some of yiayia's relatives. At the restaraunt I spotted one of the ladies who got stuck in Paris with us. We said hi and then finished dinner. We stayed the night and left at 2:30. It took us 5 and a half hours to get home and then we slept. It's a good thing we got the Buick because the next day the clutch on the Mercedes got stuck and pops barely made it to the mechanic. The next to days we met up with thea sophie at the pool and I played with Achilea (but on the beach because he doesn't know the pool is there and his mom doesn't want to be at the pool all the time).

Partied Out

Sunday night Thea Sophie (from Messini) had a party at her house and everyone was there. Early on everyone was relaxed and there was some music playing softly in the background. Then, halfway through dinner, theo Jimmy decides to turn up the music and then everyone started dancing and they were all like (yes dad, I said "LIKE") half drunk and dancing like crazy people. It was kind of funny. The bad part is I only took about 5 pics because the battery was really low. Most of the time I played with Achilea and Agyelos. Thea Sophie and Achilea got here on Sun. and they say hi.

Yesterday while Yiayia, pops, and Maria and Jimmy were at a funeral, I stayed with thea Sophie and helped her get the wireless set up. Dad, the one you gave her didn't work so she had to get a new one for her house. We didn't have a car so we had to got to the stinky pylos beach and then I went to sailing, which again was to windy to sail -- and Coach Stephan said there was no wind in Europe. Today we went to Divari (fishy beach) and caught a couple of fish for din din. There weren't that much, only enough to fill one of those styrofoam coffe cups. The dumb fish aren't there but there were quite a few.

Tomorrow we are going on a three day trip to Athens to pick up the Buick on Thurs. We are going to leave it there for when Dad Mom Luke and Anika come. Can't wait to see you guys.

Waterlogged

It was an all on-the–water weekend. We went out Friday on the motorboat while Lucas, Anika and Grace went the JYC dance. We got chased back into the harbor when a squall blew through so we holed up at the dock while the wind gusted up to 40 kts. Once it subsided we went for one more quick spin before the thunder and lightning chased us back to the mooring and home for the night.

Saturday was Crocker race day. The race has been a drifter for the past of couple years, but this year we had some wind. It turned out to be a beautiful sailing day, and there was plenty of breeze so they didn’t have to shorten the traditional course (Gales – Newcombes – Easter Point – Gales - Newcombes – Gales).

We carried the asym on three of the five legs (or at least tried to carry it) and were just a couple of minutes behind a very well sailed Temdeh for 2^nd place in our class and collected a little more silver for Aquila.

Sunday it was back to the motorboat for a day trip up to Wingaersheek with the Camp family.

It started out foggy and overcast, but we stuck with our plans and had a great day swimming and playing on the beach.

Angie got in her fair share of swimming (back and forth back and forth between the boat and the beach).

Later on, Billy brought Suzanne over from their house on the Zodiac so she could hand out with us. No bathing suit though, so he had to arrange for some over-the-water transport.

Once again, the hot day gave way to late afternoon thunderstorms so we scooted back through the Annisquam Canal with some raindrops and distant boomers. The run back to Manchester was pretty clear and uneventful. The real storm was forming over Marblehead and, just as we parted ways by Misery Island the lightning began in earnest. We hung with the Camps about halfway back to Beverly Harbor, then turned tail, put the throttle down, and set a speed record for Cannon. We got to the MYC dock just as it opened up on us. Mom and the kids ran up to the club while I put the boat away (good thing I still had my bathing suit on because Angie and I couldn’t have gotten more wet if we jumped in.

By six o’clock, everyone just wanted to get home to take a hot shower and put on some DRY CLOTHES.