In today's post you will learn nothing useful. But you will get to see a slightly out of focus photo I took of Elton John last week and get to do a time wasting online puzzle of Philip. Because for today Google can suck it.
That's right. I told Google to suck it. Google can go and suck a big fat egg. For today anyway. If you're wondering what THAT'S all about you can read my post from last week about how Google and blogging works.
Even though Google doesn't give a crap about how I went to see Elton John last week and had 8th ROW TICKETS - you might. And that is how we got to this post.
Here's how it happened. For the past - oh, I'm going to say since Tab was a popular drink choice - I've wanted to see Elton John in concert. Because he's an icon, a showman and even in the Tab days was getting on in years.
I knew one year he was going to stop touring. That year was 2020. But I forgot to get tickets for the 37th year in a row.
As luck would have it, in 2020 the entire world was shut down due to a toilet paper shortage. So Elton's final tour was cancelled. Final tours are always the best - I can attest that Cher's first farewell tour was a memorable one.
A couple of years later the toilet paper shortage is over and we have entered a much more reasonable time of life where the only thing you can't find is a house under a million dollars. And about a zillion other things including but not limited to appliances and Sriracha sauce for some reason.
This post on guaranteed crispy sweet potato fries has a REALLY good Sriracha/mayo dipping sauce recipe.
THIS time around I wouldn't forget. When Elton John announced he was going to be kicking his farewell tour off in 2022 I marked it on my calendar. The very MOMENT tickets went on sale I was doing something - I can't remember what - but it definitely wasn't buying Elton John tickets.
If we're going by odds, chances are I was either staring at my computer or putting out the garbage because where I live it's garbage night every night. At least that's how it feels every Tuesday night.
You know the story doesn't end there otherwise you would not have had the pleasure of seeing a very unprofessional blurred shot of Sir Elton at the top of this post.
I live about 45 minutes outside of Toronto (17 hours if you're travelling at any time other than at 3:47 in the morning). Apparently I wasn't the only one who was hoping to see Elton John in Toronto because the sales were so fast they decided to add another date.
This time I set an alarm and had my computer and credit card beside me.
I was going to get the very best tickets I couldn't afford. I had been waiting for this moment ever since Darryl B. brought in a 45 of Crocodile Rock for show & tell in primary school.
This was my last chance and I was doing it up good. Also, the prior 2 years saw me saving a lot of money what with having nothing available in stores to spend it on.
The 1-3 row tickets were out of the question because they were upwards of $3,000 each. I'm not that rich. I then found 2 seats in the 8th row, almost centre for $1,000 each. I bought 2 tickets. I'm not that rich.
The buyer's remorse didn't hit until I realized I needed to find someone else that also wanted to see a 75 year old man play the piano in his bathrobe.
No this is not the same photo as the first. They're very different in that one is of Elton John with his hands spread apart standing behind his piano wearing a bedazzled jacket while in the other one he is wearing a bedazzled bathrobe.
I luckily found someone to go to the concert with and do not regret giving Sir Elton John all of my money. My friend and I even made an event of the night having dinner first which consisted of a free lavender tainted flat beverage that someone was handing out on the street and a hot dog from a cart.
I can only live large.
The night after the show, still on a bit of an "I saw a celebrity up close high" I went up to the garden to check on things. It was there that a gang of rodents scratched their way through my good mood. Staring over my patch of sugar pumpkins I was shocked to see it had quite violently been reduced from 6 pumpkins to 4.
Something (I suspect a vole, probably the Kingpin) repeatedly attacked one spot of the pumpkins until it had drilled a perfect hole into two of them. Once inside the entire twitching organization of rodents proceeded to eat the whole pie pumpkin from the inside out.
Twice.
Without cinnamon, sugar or whipping cream. So we immediately know we're dealing with radicals.
Philip was with me because I bring Philip up to the garden with me the odd time. He's pretty good about laying in the dirt and just smelling the smells. The problem is he doesn't want to lay in the dirt paths, he wants to lay on inconvenient dirt.
Like my carrot bed. He loves laying in the carrot bed. Which is not something you can have delivered from Petsmart, otherwise I'd order one for my house.
So that's one of the reasons that Lip likes it up at the garden.
All he wants to do is lay in the carrots. And chase toads. And pee on the celery. And break the dahlias.
Which I would scold him for if it weren't exactly what I do at the garden every time I go.
This time of year is one of the busiest for anyone who grows their own vegetables. You have to harvest your produce, preserve it (if you're preserving), pee on the celery one last time, clean the beds up and gingerly poke the compost pile to see what comes running/slithering/flying out towards your face.
You'll find out all about the horrors and fun of September gardening in Monday's How to Start a Vegetable garden post. That's where I'll be all weekend; weeding the weeds, digging up the potatoes and fluffing the carrot tops.
Because sometimes it's fun to just sit quietly and be frustrated by an actual puzzle instead of the puzzle that is life, I leave you with this.
Because the odd time Philip is a good boy and doesn't lie in the carrots. He lies in the zinnias.
Don't try to do the puzzle on a cell phone, you'll make yourself crazy and then you'll get mad at me and I've already had to deal with two sucked out pumpkins this week. The puzzle is meant to be done on a tablet, laptop or desktop.
Puzzle time 20:46. I loved it! I saw Elton John in concert in Vancouver the mid 70's. I still remember how great a performer he was! Love your blog! Keep up the fun stuff!
Thanks Avril! Funny you mention fun stuff. Sending out puzzles like this was one of my "Fun Stuff" membership perks last year. ~ karen!
I was also at that Elton John concert ....only I was 8 rows from the back. Still a marvelous thrill!
I love your humour. Please keep on looking at the fun side of life.
In 8th row I was *still* spending a lot of time watching the big screens, lol. ~ karen!
All I say is 🤣😂😅
Excellent, that's what I was going for in my half hearted, don't really have time I wonder if there are any cheezies in the house kind of way. ~ karen!
Laughing out loud at your every word! We are not rich, but for a brief time we got to live large! We were flown out on a private jet to Vegas during Elton John's Red Piano Tour. All comped, second row center seats. I was pinching myself! EJ began the second set with "Saturday Night's Alright". People were rushing up on the stage, and we followed. I was dancing with my husband, near the piano, and with Dee Johnstone at my left elbow - so close that I was afraid I was going to bump him and he'd hit a wrong note...What stood out the most, was Elton so graciously standing up and walking the entire length of stage after every song. His piano was on one side, not the center, and the stage is angled higher in the back and not easy to walk, OR dance on. I thought that was lovely of him. Oh naughty Philip! My Gertie laid in the onion patch and killed the stems so not one of the bulbs grew larger than a golf ball. Kicking myself for planting six - yes, SIX zucchini plants, the wrong kind of cucumbers, and not enough potatoes. My zinnia blooms are the size of a quarter...and the rest of my tomatoes are still green. Green beans are good, as is the kale- of course, the kale. It will be the last living thing along with the cockroaches left on earth. Thank you for your wit and wisdom. Laughing is a grand way to begin the weekend! Cheers!
So you understand my carrot patch dilemma! Why oh why do they do this. Congrats on your night of Elton. It sounds epic. ~ karen!
Thanks! My raised beds/boxes are 33 in. tall. She has stayed out of them the last few years, and now I don't even know how she can jump that high and get into them. I hope your carrots survive! Best, Kelly
Well, it took me 34 minutes according to the timer. However, I did it between tasks at work (don't tell)...so, there you go!
Loved it!
15:06. But I spend a lot of time doing puzzles. Love the pup! He seems very regal and princely.
He does *seem* that way doesn't he! He's not, lol. ~ karen!
Loved the Lip puzzle! Made my day and morning cuppa!
Yay! ~ karen
I did it in --- 47+ minutes but since I was given a handicap of 45, I guess I'm ahead LOL. The handicap came the moment I reached a persistence score of 45!
Over 32 minutes. I did not heed your advice and solved it on my iPhone 😜
I used to find cats sleeping on top of the row covers on the raised beds in the spring after I seeded and transplanted seedlings. Then I had to hurry to set up netting along the sides to stop the cats from getting onto the raised beds. This spring was the first time I didn't have to worry about that since our last 2 cats passed away summer last year. I still put up netting around the raised beds to keep out other wild critters. However, this past month, I'd wake up to the netting on one side of one raised bed either ripped or pulled down and whatever is growing there either crushed or pressed down. I also notice none of the seeds I put down recently have sprouted at all, though the dirt hasn't been dug into. I suspect raccoons but not sure what they've been doing. Having a slumber party on my raised beds, maybe?
When in doubt blame raccoons. ~ karen!
I got up VERY late this morning, still on my first cup of half-caff, but found it impossible to NOT immediately click on an e-mail from a fav blogger combining Sir Elton and her dog. How could anyone resist. The mind boggles with possibilities. If that's click bait? I'm delighted to be the willing fish. A truly fun read and a tantalizing peek into the window of the wild and wonderful world of "Karen". Thanks so much for sharing. And stop peeing on the celery. It makes the potato salad taste funny. Surely there is a very nearby business venue or maybe a sports field with porta-potties? As to the rather spendy tickets. In my dotage I well realize the wisdom of the axiom about not regretting things I have done, but rather truly regretting that which I 'could' have done but didn't. Hey, it's only money.
It ALSO took me 18 minutes to do the puzzle.
While I know Google pays the bills, I love and look forward to these types of posts!
Yup it does, lol. And what with my expensive entertainment choices I need the Google money. I do prefer writing these posts though. :) ~ karen!
I’m so glad you told mr. Google to suck it! I don’t know the blogger language, but I hate the “everyone looks exactly the same so we can put in more very distracting ads which diminish the blogs but make everyone ever so much money (less 10% for the blogger” format. I enjoy your blog, you are hilarious!
Thanks Mariah! The reason they all look the same is more because of how Google "reads" blogs to rank them. I hate it too, but I must admit a lot of times it does make other posts easier to read and sift through when I need information. Don't tell Google that though. ~ karen!
It took me 13:41. It was fun! thank you! I love your posts. We have thrown more money at one artist than I like to admit, but it’s worth it in the end if you always enjoy their work. Keep spoiling yourself once in a while with a great show!!!
I figured I could justify it. I never eat out, haven't gone anywhere other than 1 movie in the past 2 years, and it was a kind of bucket list goal. I don't regret it at all. Not today anyway. When I'm in need of 1,000 later on I might be. ~ karen!
Your writing style and content always make me smile/laugh out loud. Thank you for this post, especially the line about the compost heap.
Thanks for saying that Yuzzfuzz! It's truly a terrifying experience. God only knows what will come out of it.😆 ~ karen!
12:32 for the puzzle Not bad since I was distracted by my sister’s dog that left a 💩 present for me to clean up. Fortunately I’m at her house…helping out after her surgery.
I don't know how you people do these puzzles so fast! I was reallyyyy trying. ~ karen!
Hi Karen. I've never written before, at least, I don't think I have. If I did, it was probably something snarky, and I apologize. I read your blog the old fashioned way, with RSS (no Google). This post had your voice.. the reason I subscribed years ago. It was refreshing and I realized how much I appreciate what I think of as your authentic voice. I'm slogging through the absolute hell of writing a comment on mobile just to say thank you, and that I loved the puzzle. Which I did on mobile. One and a half times, because I swiped on something or hit an ad or whatever and had had to start over. Took 20 minutes to finish after that first aborted attempt. The photo had lonely colors and composition and was well-suited a puzzle. It was a peaceful start to the morning and exactly how I wanted to begin the day.
Aw, that's great. Thanks for saying that Elaine. I'm going to try to add these types of posts in because it's the kind of writing I like to do as well. :) ~ karen!
I would have gladly paid the 1K for tickets to see Sir Elton. Alas, I might have to take him out of the bucket list as I doubt he will ever play in concert near enough to me again. I will just have to watch amazing YouTube videos others have made of his performances, bathrobe or not...
I took some videos and pics but I tried to make a point of not doing that so I could enjoy what was going on. A skill most of us have lost, lol. I feel like watching Rocket Man again. Maybe I'll do that after potato pulling day tomorrow. ~ karen!
My favorite video to watch is when he does Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding. As much as I love Sir Elton's voice, and the words to many of his songs, I adore just watching him play piano. Put them all together and get get pure magic
Loved the puzzle!
Good! A lot of people seemed to like it so I'll do it again. ~ karen!
More pictures of your puppy. Saw Elton John a couple of years ago, he looked old then but still performed beautifully. Did you enjoy the concert?
Yes! I did thanks. I loved it. ~ karen!