hey y'all,

i am alive!

right now i am in johannesburg. however i am planning my great escape (MOZAMBIQUE HERE I COME!??!?!?!??!?) because joburg is a dump. i am going to a township (soweto) and the apartheid museum and then getting the hell out of this city.

i don't think i can adequately describe the last few days of my life. i was really weary about doing an organized camping trek, but i am SO GRATEFUL that i sucked it up and went. first off, nomad tours is awesome. i can not recommend them enough. that's my selling point for the day.

so where to begin. i think i typed a somewhat discombobulated email from kruger, but there internet was at premium and i had very little time. now i have all the time in the world because there is absoultly nothing for a traveler to do in johannesburg at night, so i can try to sum it all up.

on monday morning, i met bjorn, my nomad tour leader at a hotel near the JNB airport. i was still very unsure that i wanted to do this trip at all. i had not camped in ages, and i am not big on group travel either. so i didn't go in with the best attitude. but as soon as i met bjorn (and then kerrie from the uk, clayton from canada, matteo from brazil, and bettina from denmark, some of my friends/traveling companions on the tour) i kind of knew it would be ok. our first stop... the johannesburg airport to wait for a flight from brazil carrying 15 norweigens on a round the world trip who would be joining us. (no, i don't speak norwegan... yet!). the flight was delayed so we sat around JNB for a while. once their flight arrived, we began the trek to kruger.

now, nomad uses trucks (IT'S NOT A BUS... and if you call it a bus your tour leader won't be happy), so the 7 hour ride to kruger was very bump, but enjoyable. once we passed nelspruit, the drive became quite beautiful (it was uneventful for a while). we got to kruger at around 330pm, just in time for a quick game drive.

here's the thing about game driving... you have to be really patient. REALLY patient. kruger is an unfenced national park the size of new jersey. so it's not like there are animals everywhere. our first sighting was an elephant. i was just psyched to see an elephant in the wild. the funny thing is, after three days in kruger, elephant sightings were passe (except for one i shall describe later). "oh look, there's an elephant. we just saw 10 of them. keep driving."

it was a while until our next sighting, but this one changed my life. there it was... a LION. in the wild. i think i tried to describe my emotional state when i saw that. but honestly, i can't describe how it felt. a lion. in the wild. lion sightings at kruger are not all that common, and we were fortunate enough to see the lion pretty nearby (not deep in the bush). the awesome-est part was, the lion had many of the same mannerisms as my cats at home. it was even purring in the way that big lions do! it was probably in my top 10 list of most beautiful things i have ever seen. and i mean ever. a lion. in the wild. i still can't put words to it.

our game drive continued and we say loads of impala, buffalo, elephants, springbok, crocodiles, hippos, etc. nothing, and not even the crocodile, moved me as much as the lion. later, we were stopped by a pack of wild dogs which of course got me singing (to myself) "the wild dogs cry out in the night as they grow restless longing for some solitary company..."

in game parks, your rhythm of life is that you wake when the sun rises and go to sleep shortly after sunset. the sun began to sink, and we started making our way to our first camp. the african sunset is absolutely brilliant. it's like every book and postcard you've seen, but nine billion times better in person. i tried to capture it with my camera, but i know that it was a moment that couldn't be photographed. we got into camp just as the sun gave off its final rays of light for the day. next order of business: putting up the tents. thankfully, i am somewhat (who knew?!?) skilled in that department and my tent went up nice and easy. we had dinner under the african sky, and then it was bed time for i knew i'd be waking when the sun rose.

sleeping under the stars in africa is another experience that can not be described. you just need to do it. in australia, i camped out on the beach one night. i thought the southern sky was brilliant in northern australia. nope. the southern sky is brilliant in africa! so clear. i fell asleep under the magnificent sky to the sounds of the african bush after listening to the perfect song for the occassion - the 1200 curfews version of "world falls." at around 2am i was awoken by the BEST THING EVER. lions roaring. now, the lions were not near the camp, but that roar radiates throughout. it's an unmistakable sound, and you can not miss it. how many times in a lifetime can you say you work up to the sound of a lion's roar? this was a first for me.

that's the thing about africa. it's all about new experiences and experiences you'd never get at home. for example, i've been late to work before because of a standoff in my neighborhood. but on our final day in kruger, we were late to camp because there was an elephant in the middle of the road, and it would not move for our safari truck. rule number one at kruger: wildlife has the right of way. we sat about 10 meters from the elephant for about 15 minutes just waiting. when the elephant finally got out of the road, we continued driving. again, that's an experience that just doesn't happen in san francisco. "oh, sorry, i am late for work because there's an elephant sitting on the BART tracks." uhh, no.

anyway, back to my chronological tale. sorry, i was sidetracked. the next day i woke up BEFORE the sun came up, and i was so glad i did. the african sunrise was just as brilliant as the sunset. we went on another game drive where i saw many of the same animals and some zebras and giraffes. i was so excited to see zebra and giraffe in the wild. day two was a lot like day one (minus the drive from jo'burg) and equally as brilliant. the big difference was that on night two, it rained. so instead of the sounds of lions roaring, i fell asleep to the sounds of the rains of africa ("i bless the rains down in africa...." sorry.) camping in the rain is quite fun, actually. by then i was so dirty and nasty and stinky that i didn't even care (that's the other thing, even someone as high maintanance as me didn't worry about the small things, ie not smelling, in the african bush). by the time i woke up (again, before the sun rose), the rain had stopped. luckily my tent really was waterproof and all of my gear was just fine.

on day three, we did a morning game drive. more wildlife in the wild. more happy spikey/karen.

then we left kruger to go to a private game lodge (no more camping. i actually had mixed feelings about that!). on our way, we stopped at a remote african village and got a private tour by a resident. it was amazing and eye opening! it was a black town, and very very poor. our first stop was at the government run health clinic. i took numerous photos, but of course the main focus was AIDS/HIV and the spread of it. the AIDS/HIV rate here in africa is alarmingly high. people simply don't want to get tested. and the disease continues to spread because of this. i will eventually post my photos on flickr (probably not until i am back in the us, to be honest. i am so behind and the connections here are so slow), but it was so interesting to be in a government run health clinic in rural africa. in sharp contrast, our next stop was to the witch doctor (NO SHIT). she told us all about traditional african healing practices. next time i get the flu, please remind me to find some bones from the nearest impala... finally, we stopped for some locally (HOMEMADE) brewed fruit beer. we all drank out of the big cauldron. it was actually kind of tasty and i don't much like beer.

our final evening was spent on a night game drive. and that's where it happened... we saw a leopard in the wild! leopards are rare rare rare. i feel honored to say i saw one in the wild. it was about 50 meters away, and in the dark, so no photos. but again, what a life changing experience. and a great way to bid kruger goodbye. we saw just about everything. bjorn said we were VERY lucky.

last night i slept in a traditional african game lodge. and i had several drinks (with my new friends) in the bar at that game lodge, so i can't remember much more. ;)

this morning we woke up and left kruger and the wildlife behind. we drove up the panorama route, through a canyon, up into the clouds. we stopped by a traditional african market, and headed back to big, bad jo'burg. right now i am in a hostel in jo'burg with two of my friends from the safari. tomorrow i am going to soweto. tomorrow night we will have some farewell drinks at the bar. then on saturday morning i am off to... somewhere to be determined (probably moz because i need a beach on the indian ocean).

so that's it... kruger national park. *sigh* i don't like being in the city. i want to be back to where the lions are.

xoxoxoxoxoxoo

good morning, north america!

it's evening here in south africa and i just had a fantastic day. to even attempt to summarize what i saw in an email/blog post is probably next to impossible. but i have a few minutes to kill while i upload photos, so i am going to attempt to do the impossible.

today i joined baz bus, one of our vendors that we work with at sta travel, on a full day tour of the cape peninsula. cape town sits on the peninsula, but if you head south of the city, there are some awesome sights. being the dork that i am, i actually took notes. haha.

the day started out with an optional boat ride to seal island. i don't know why i hesitated to pay the 50 rand (less than $10 usd). i would have kicked myself had i missed that! we were in the atlantic ocean, an ocean that i always thought of as gray, boring, and ugly. but here in south africa, that is not the case. the color was exquisite! so so so so blue (think alize bleu!) and the seals... so freaking cute! the island is not inhabited, so we couldn't step foot on it (good for conservation), but we looped around to see the seals. we saw mothers and their cubs, seals jumping in the water, and seals sunning themselves. from the boat, we saw some coastal scenery. wow.

later we went to boulder beach, home of the colony of jackass (african) penguins. it was windy as hell, but so worth it. those little fuckers are precious. they come right up to you! the reason they're called jackass penguins is because they make noises similar to donkeys.

during the drive down to the cape of good hope we discussed how cape town isn't real africa. sure, it's on the continent, but it is very european/australian. i am excited to venture deeper into africa. but despite being... different, there are reminders of where you are. unemployed laborers wait at the side of the road looking (begging) for work. the socioeconomic and racial problems exist. we passed a township. and although our guide was silent, i could tell exactly what it was by the living conditions. so sad. in jo'burg i am planning to do a tour of soweto, one of the most infamous townships (too dangerous to go there on my own, hence the tour). while i love cape town, i am ready for more. it's so civilized here. we also saw (from across the water) a leftover from the apartheid regime: three villages. one colored (indian, mixed race), one white (the most expensive homes), and one black (deplorable living conditions!). the thing is, although apartheid is a thing of the past, the coloreds and blacks can not afford to move into the former white towns, so segregation still exists in the most blatant of ways. the new generation is looking ahead to the future, but as i already mentioned, there is still a LOT of racial tension, and there need to be some major changes.

our next stop was the start of the cape of good hope for a 6 km bike ride. SO FREAKING AWESOME! the wind pushed me down the hill, sometimes blowing me and my bike around (hello, travel insurance). i biked in africa! i biked on the cape of good hope! and man, did i get a workout. now i don't feel guilty about the pasta i'm about to have for dinner (plus, we hiked later, so yeah, my ass is in shape). i highly recommend the bike ride on the cape of good hope. it gets you going!

next it was further on to the cape of good hope, literally to the end of the earth (or the southwestern most point of africa). en route we saw an ostrich in the wild! first we hiked up to a lighthouse, waaaay up a cliff where we could see the cape of good hope plunging out into the atlantic ocean. so breathtakingly beautiful, yet so windy!

finally, we pushed on to the end of the world... i had a moment there. i had my ipod and put on "world falls"

"NOW I'M RUNNING TO THE END OF THE EARTH
and i'm swimming to the edge of the sea
and i'm laughing, i'm under a starry sky,
THIS WORLD WAS MEANT FOR ME
don't bury me... carry me."

"everywhere i turn all the beauty just keeps shakin' me..."

it's moments like that when i rediscover just WHY this is my favorite song ever, and i thank amy ray for putting my life into a 3 minute, 44 second song. i was becoming a little "world falls" jaded, partly because some of its magnificence and specialness wore off when it became a setlist staple last summer (uhhh... we can all thank brandi carlile for that. :rolls eyes:). that song was so special to hear live, and then when they started playing it EVERY NIGHT, that wore off. it was too much of a good thing, and it became expected. the expected is not often special. but thanks to my journey to the cape of good hope today, that song has regained *everything* for me. perfect. just perfect.

i took a few (wind blown) photos at the end of the earth. then i climbed back on the bus to discuss american, swedish, and south african politics with my guide and fellow backpackers. speaking of which, i love the international vibe here. today i met (aside from my friends) the first other american i have seen since arriving here. my tour mates were japanese (YEEEEEEEEES! I COULD SPEAK IT!!!), korean, swedish, british, german. swiss, french, ukranian, american (just one aside from myself), and even one from mozambique (more on that later, i hope, as i may go to moz next week). our guide was south african (indian decent), and our driver was south african (african) as well. very cool.

on the way back, we saw baboons in the wild!!! BABOONS IN THE WILD! hello!!! the mother was carrying her baby. then there were a few more on the side of the mountain throwing baboon poop at one another (hee hee hee). we arrived back into cape town in time for dinner. tonight i am having a big heaping of pasta and then meeting some friends (hopefully) in the city centre for drinks (kelley, i talked to mike today...). so that was my day.

there were a few other random tidbits from my journal that i wanted to comment on, the first being south african diet coke. one of my travel quirks is that i enjoy tasting diet coke (or coke lite) from around the world. unlike sugar, that artificial sweetener is not uniform (ie french coke lite is different from japanese coke lite which is different from thai coke lite, etc etc). i have decided that i am NOT a fan of south african coke lite. the sweetener leaves a disgusting after taste. so yeah, i have actually drinking a lot of regular coke (gasp). of course fruit juice (so fresh) and water are my main liquid staples at the moment. i also am not a fan of the south african tomato juice. they add some weird spice that tastes... dare i say it... beefy? ewww.

anyway, i'm gonna send this one off, and wait for some photos to upload. they will be at flickr in a few moments (hours?)

i was going to go to tonight's beastie boys show at the berkeley greek just to hang out with some friends, but instead i stayed in and watched big love on dvd. entertaining. very entertaining. anyway, in the midst of all this, i realize i did not post the setlists from the indigo girls shows i attended on the east coast last week. nearly a week late, but here they are.

( lowell, ma )

( freeport, me )

( brownfield, me #1 )

( brownfield, me #2 )

and that wraps up indigo girls summer tour. i have a few more shows on the horizon, but none of them are officially during the "summer." that also means that my summer tour set on flickr is complete. i didn't do so bad this time either. i was able to get at least one photo at every show (including humphreys) with the exception of the two stone mountain shows. fair enough. i can understand the no cameras policy for that venue. i am so glad that i got some great shots - they're going to serve as great memories for years to come. this summer was amazing. i started on the west coast, went to atlanta, went to alaska (which was lifechanging in so many ways), and ended up on the east coast. i added two states to my "states i have seen the indigo girls" map: maine and alaska. i saw so many of my friends along the way, and had an all around great summer tour. although i will see IG before next summer, there's nothing quite like a summer tour. so i am already ready to start planning summer of 2008! ok, after i get caught up on my sleep. i am old now. i need more sleep.

Correspondence: 2007-08-06: Notes From Amy - June 07 Tour

Well now that we're heading into August, I am thinking back on the June tour and how much fun it was. Brandi Carlile and her band - the Twins and Josh - toured around the West with us.

It really helped to have the infusion of fresh energy. We played "Last Tears" and Brandi's song "Cannonball." We also pulled out some obscure tunes to learn, including "Hope Alone," "World Falls," and acoustic versions of "Tried to Be True" and "Rock And Roll Heaven's Gate" plus my favorite - a cover of "Don't Think Twice It's Alright." There's more to come in August.

We ended July by filming a show in Atlanta at one of our old faves - The Roxy. Three5Human and Brandi joined us for a marathon set of 29 songs. The show is going to be broadcast on HDnet and we're going to make a DVD to be released sometime next year.

While on tour, we spent a lot of time practicing these songs in various dressing rooms, but still took some time out to go to the Bowling Alley.

I lost a bet to Brian, our soundman. We have developed a betting relationship and I am in the hole right now by about 10 bucks. I documented everyone's scores for posterity. As you can see, Emily, the Twins (Phil and Tim), and Josh pretty much cornered the game. I lost my bet to Brian - beat me double or nothing on this last score. Sullie won the big prize though for bowling left handed since her right thumb was broken.

After we bowled a few games, we had fun in the arcade. Here are Tim, Carla, and Dave trying their skills on the dance machine. I want one of these for my house...

I put a little movie together of our dressing room rehearsals. If you ask me, these are some of the highlights of touring with friends. If you watch this, you'll see why. Thanks to Russell and Carla for helping me do the filming.

source, with photos and video

i am freaking loving alaska and i never want to leave! where else can you see moose randomly roaming the city? anchorage has the best hiking WITHIN the city limits of any city i've ever been to. the scenery was breath taking. now i am in fairbanks about to go exploring. i can't wait to get on some of the trails here.

my friends are on their way up to reno (errr, sparks) to see brandi carlile tonight.

i'm in freaking fairbanks, ALASKA seeing INDIGO GIRLS tonight!

hands down, i'd so rather be here than in sparks. more exciting place and better band (at least in my opinion).

this is a bit unreal. even for me.

29 songs. three and a half hours. i can't even describe how rocked out this show was. and no, the dvd will NOT do it justice.

indigo girls and friends @ the roxy, atlanta, ga 30 july 2007

pendulum swinger
little perennials
run
shame on you
hope alone (w/ brandi carlile)
world falls (w/ brandi carlile)
lay my head down
three county highway
the wood song
money made you mean
fill it up again
dairy queen
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
tried to be true (w/ brandi carlile band)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ brandi carlile band)
let it ring (amy solo w/ amy's brother and nieces and nephews)
closer to fine (w/ trina meade and brandi carlile)
cannonball (brandi carlile w/ IG)
kid fears (w/ trina meade)
genocidal youth (three5human w/ IG)
trouble (w/ three5human)
bury my heart at wounded knee (w/ three5human)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ three5human)
don't think twice it's alright (w/ brandi carlile)
midnight train to georgia (w/ three5human)

(encore #1)
tether (w/ three5human
galileo (w/ bandi carlile)

(encore #2)
land of canaan

and yes, THERE ARE PHOTOS! i took well over 200 and had to seriously refrian myself from uploading more.

i have no voice left. i am at the atlanta airport (leaving atlanta... waaaah) on my way home. :( but holyshit, that was worth the change fee for my flight. and so much more.

indigo girls @ the atlanta botanical gardens, atlanta, ga 29 july 2007

yield
pendulum swinger
heartache for everyone
hammer and a nail
three county highway
power of two
become you
cold beer and remote control
shame on you
hope alone (w/ brandi carlile)
world falls (w/ brandi carlile)
get out the map
money made you mean
fill it up again
dairy queen
watershed
ghost of a gang (amy solo)
don't think twice it's alright (w/ brandi carlile)
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile)
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)

(encore)
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
tried to be true (w/ brandi carlile band)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ brandi carlile band)
galileo

here's an old recording of "world falls" that amy played solo. no emily. nowhere. it's... interesting. different. my favorite lyrics (see icon) were cut out.

it's from a songwriters in the round at eddie's attic in decatur from 1990.

i'm using pride as an excuse to give y'all a present (like i need an excuse!). eleyna sent this over to me. it's a recording of indigo girls playing "world falls" with brandi carlile from the portland show at the aladdin (ie the best show ever). she was having some issues with mic setup, but the sound quality is still pretty good. oh, and someone nearby her was *talking*. ummm, wtf is up with that?! but nonetheless, this is pretty great. y'all who are missing the dates that brandi opens can hear what you're missing! ;)

indigo girls (w/ brandi carlile) ~ "world falls" (my favorite song EVAH...)

enjoy! and happy happy pride!

i don't normally collect setlists. on average, i like to get one per tour as a keepsake. i always like to SEE what the original setlist looked like and what types of modifications there were, but i don't need to have every setlist. portland was the show i wanted the setlist from, and i got it. best. show. ever. and LOOK, "hand me downs." this one's all mine for the memories!

before i post the entire setlist, can i just say this:

i know i say this at about every fifth show, but this is it. best fucking show ever. best.

THEY PLAYED HAND ME DOWNS!!!! holyholyholyholyfuck, after SIX FREAKING years of requesting that song, they played it. i just about died. and it takes a LOT to shock me with nearly 200 indigo girls shows in my count. i think my jaw dropped to the stage for a good 30 seconds. i wondered if i was dreaming. seriously.

so here is the most fucking amazing setlist perhaps ever. the only two songs that would have made it perfection were "devotion" and "watershed," but a girl can't win 'em all.

indigo girls in portland, oregon, the aladdin, 16 june 2007:

pendulum swinger
ozilline
it's alright
heartache for everyone
three county highway
lat my head down
go
power of two (shock...)
hand me downs (the real shock)
get out the map
shame on you
prince of darkness
ghost of gang (? amy's new song)
hope alone (w/ brandi carlile)
world falls (w/ brandi carlile)
the wood song
money made you mean
last tears (w/ brandi carlile and josh)
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile)
closer to fine (w/ brandi and tiffany carlile)

(encore)
tried to be true (w/ the brandi carlile band)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ the bcb)
galileo (w/ brandi carlile) (again, shock...)

photos, videos, and all thatcrap coming soon. the venue staff was kind of nazi-esq, so i didn't take many photos. sad.

best. show. ever.

off to seattle!

edit: photos

(i will probably have to use this icon every night of this tour!)

indigo girls at britt fest, jacksonville, or 15 june 2007

devotion
hammer and a nail
little perennials
pendulum swinger
yield
it's alright
three county highway
run
reunion
power of two
shame on you
get out the map
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile)
hope alone (w/ brandi carlile)
dairy queen
fill it up again
world falls (w/ brandi carlile)
last tears (w/ brandi carlile and josh neuman)
become you
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)

(encore)
tried to be true (w/ brandi carlile band)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ bcb)
galileo (w/ brandi carlile)

i also uploaded two vids from last night to you tube.

i posted my pics last night, but just in case here they are again.

indigo girls (w/ special guest brandi carlile) in napa, ca 12 june 2007

yield
pendulum swinger
little perennials
fill it up again
jonas and ezekial
run
ozilline
hope alone (w/ brandi carlile)
shame on you
get out the map
ghost of a gang (? amy solo)
lay my head down
cannon ball (brandi carlile w/ indigo girls)
the story (brandi carlile, no indigo girls)
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)
money made you mean
power of two
become you
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
chickenroot
virginia woolf

(encore)
world falls
kid fears
galileo

indigo girls @ the san francisco fillmore, 11 jun 07

devotion
pendulum swinger
become you
it's alright
money made you mean
fill it up again
heartache for everyone
power of two
three county highway
run
world falls
hope alone
dairy queen
get out the map
go
the wood song
johnny rottentale (aray solo)
lay my head down
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile)
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)

(encore)

tried to be true (w/ bcb)
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
rock and roll heaven's gate (w/ bcb)
galileo (w/ brandi)


photos

edit: "tried to be true" video coming soon.

i had a FREAKING blast at the mountain winery this year! i usually hate that venue, but this year i had an amazing time! for one, security could care less about camera use (as long as there is no flash) and people standing and dancing. what an amazing evening. i love those girls. and i love getting to sleep in MY OWN BED after seeing those girls. no hotels, no friends' couches... my own bed. if the indigo girls did a five night run in san francisco like they did at mohegan i'd be vefry happy.

here is the *amazing* (but not quite as amazing as pechanga) setlist:

indigo girls @ the mountain winery, saratoga, ca 06 jun 07

pendulum swinger
ozilline
hammer and a nail
become you
power of two
three county highway
run
devotion
get out the map
shame on you
mystery
money made you mean
cold beer and remote control
go
fill it up again
romeo and juliet (amy solo)
the wood song
world falls*
kid fears
closer to fine

(encore)
tried to be true (with brandi and her band)
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
galileo (w/ brandi carlile)

* so yes, i am using my default icon again on purpose.

and here are the photos.

i am going to bed. i'm actually going to work tomorrow.

next up on the indigo agenda: THE SAN FRANCISCO FILLMORE ON 11 JUNE! and i can not fucking wait! (IG is off to las vegas to play a 20 minute set at the kick off show for the true colors tour. it's a HUGE show, they're not headlining, they're only playing for 20 minutes, it's a 12 hour drive, and tickets are expensive. so i am not going. but after that, they're back in the bay area for the fillmore and napa. yee haw!).

indigo girls @ the mccallum theater, 05 june 2007, palm desert, california

pendulum swinger
yield
it's alright
least complicated
money made you mean
everything in its own time
ozilline
run
amy's new song (ghost of a gang?)
fill it up again
dairy queen
power of two
starkville
lay my head down
chickenroot
get out the map
world falls (w/ brandi carlile!)
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile!)
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)

(encore)
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
tried to be true (w/ brandi carlile and her whole band)
galileo (w/ brandi carlile)

(and yes, i have to use THE icon again!)

i'm sitting in a park in palm desert, california jacking some free wifi. the venue is across the street, and, as always, i am early. that's ok. so far this park has been the highlight of my day. i drove. a lot. and shopped. a lot. those outlet malls near palm springs off the 10 were calling my name. "spiiiiike, come on in, try on some new clothes. look, that necklace has your name on it. spiiiiiiiiiiike." needless to say, i am wearing a brand new outfit (for the most part). a blue off the shoulders stretchy shirt (size extra small, thank you very much), white beads, and white flip flops. the skirt (yes, skirt) is not new. for once in my life, i wasn't feeling as fat today, so i decided to take advantage of that feeling by hitting up those outlets. of course i had not eaten anything all day either.

i arrived in the palm desert area at around noon desperate to find a target. there was none to be found (at least near the freeway). reluctantly, i went to check into my hotel. i did crunches and watched kathy griffin (she really should consider jumping the fence). then i left to "go find something to do." i ended up at yet another mall. i didn't buy anything. i really wish i had found this park (with free wifi!) earlier!

(by the way, a family of ducks just walked by and i am talking to them. that has been the extent of my daily animal contact. i do miss my kitties.)

so it's been a pretty low-key day. once i did find my way to the park, i walked around for a bit. despite the wind storm (yes...) it's beautiful out now. the afternoon heat is gone, making way for a warm and breezy windy desert evening. i love the desert. i do. i love the feelings that it evokes, the vast emptiness, and the sand. i want to go play in the sand, but i don't want to make a mess of myself. it's quite a "world falls" interlude.

right now i am having that wonderful pre indigo girls show feeling. there's excitement, anticipation, and even some calmness (which is unusual for me before an IG show). while i am ready to go see my girls sing their hearts out from the front row, i am really enjoying my time at this park. we, in the bay area, have had the *coldest* summer, and it is so refreshing to be able just to sit outside and smell the fresh desert air. tomorrow it's a flight back home followed by a hometown(ish) indigo girls show. i added the "ish" because the south bay (saratoga) really isn't home. it's part of the bay area, yes, but it's to the extreme south. and i hate the south bay. and i'm not wild about the mountain winery either. the fillmore, next monday, is my true hometown show.

there's a group of people doing pilates nearby. i would join them except that i am wearing a skirt and don't really need to be flashing the world the nice people of palm desert. so instead i'll just sit here and write. and think. and soak up this awesome pre show feeling, because this is one of my favorite feelings in the world, and it's a fleeing moment.

indigo girls @ humphreys, san diego 4 june 2007

pendulum swinger
ozilline
it's alright
devotion
run
money made you mean
power of two
become you
fill it up again
jonas and ezekial
last tears (w/ brandi carlile)
world falls
get out the map
three county highway
lay my head down
chickenroot
the wood song
dairy queen
watershed
kid fears (w/ brandi carlile)
closer to fine (w/ brandi carlile)

(encore)
ghost
galileo (w/ brandi carlile)

(and yes, since *it* was played AGAIN, i have to use *the* icon!)

indigo girls in temecula, ca @ pechenga, 03 jun 07:

pendulum swinger
little perennials
hammer and a nail
become you
get out the map
world falls
power of two
three county highway
lay my head down
devotion
fill it up again
dairy queen
you and me of the 10,000 wars
land of canaan
the wood song
jonas and ezekial
closer to fine

(encore)
starkville
galileo

photos coming soon (i willgo to starvucks later today to uploadthem from my computer). oh, and highlightof "shit said from stage:"

"i'm gonna play a five munite harmonica solo" ~ amy

my favorite indigo girls song does not change. "world falls" has been my favorite song since i first heard it on that memorable day in 1990 (21 september, which is nomads*indians*saints' birthday). every word in that song somehow describes me perfectly, and i can relate to it, understand it, and it motivates me. although amy and emily continue to write excellent songs, my favorite has yet to change (and it probably never will). obviously "world falls" is an amy song, so it is not only my favorite song, but it is my favorite amy song too.

my favorite emily song is not so static. throughout the years, it has changed. at times my favorite emily song was "soon be to nothing," "mystery," "all the way," "the wood song," "southland in the springtime," or "power of two" (ha! i am just seeing if y'all are paying attention!). however, now i am pretty certain that my current favorite emily song is "watershed."

i have been through a LOT over the past year. some of my faithful blog readers know all of it. some of you only have little hints. and some of you may be completely in the dark. for a good part of the year, "all the way" was my favorite emily song because it mirrored my life but right now "watershed" really lyrically illustrates where i am now and where i want to be and how i need to get there. when i requested it in tucson last week and emily played it, i actually cried because it makes so much sense to me, and i see myself up on a watershed right now.

i'm not sure how long "watershed" will remain my favorite emily song. it has always been one of my favorites but never my absolute favorite. it, like "world falls," is on nomads*indians*saints* which is, hands down, my favorite indigo girls album. and right now, i need that song so badly. and i am thankful that emily played it in tucson (replacing "the wood song" with it, but that is ok).

here are the lyrics. the bolded parts mean the most to me. the bolded and italicized line is really what my life is about at the moment:

thought i knew my mind
like the back of my hand
the gold and the rainbow
but nothing panned out as i planned
and they say only milk and honey's
gonna make your soul satisfied
well i better learn how to swim
cause the crossing is chilly and wide

twisted guardrails on the highway
broken glass on the cement
a ghost of someone's tragedy
how recklessly my time has been spent
they say that it's never too late
but you don't, you don't get any younger
well i better learn how to starve the emptiness
and feed the hunger

(chorus)
up on the watershed
standing at the fork in the road
you can stand there and agonize
till your agony's your heaviest load
you'll never fly as the crow flies
get used to a country mile
when you're learning to face
the path at your pace
every choice is worth your while

and there's always retrospect
(when you're looking back)
to light a clearer path
every five years or so i look back on my life
and i have a good laugh
you start at the top
go full circle round
catch a breeze
take a spill
but ending up where i started again
makes me wanna stand still

(chorus)

stepping on a crack
breaking up and looking back
'til every tree limb overhead just seems to sit and wait
'til every step you take becomes a twist of fate

(chorus)
(chorus)

and when you're learning to face
the path at your pace
every choice is worth your while

*sigh* really, emily if (god forbid!) you ever get tired of being an indigo girl,, maybe you should be a therapist...