I'll retropost my 'doesn't everyone climb around on a hay barn roof before dawn the morning of departure?' tale of woe later... But just wanted to check in from Waikiki while I have a good internet connection.

By far the biggest and best adventure so far (and we've only been here a few hours) was Pete's surprise of two tickets to last night's Billy Joel concert in Honolulu. While Pete is a seasoned concert goer, I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've rocked out with a whole bunch of other people. There was the April Wine concert in Edmonton in about 1979... then the Stevie Wonder concert in Vancouver in 1986 (Pete took me to that one, too... I remember it well - I was way preggers with Dani and she kicked and protested for the entire concert... or, maybe she was dancing...). I had to wait until she was old enough to attend the Sarah Maclaughlin concert with me in 2005 (tickets were a birthday present from Peter) before I saw my next show... And then, last night! About eight years early (according to the previously established pattern) - Billy Joel! I must say he was fabulous - a little less hair, a little more tummy - but excellent energy and still in fine voice. The crowd (a... ummm... mature group - I was one of the younger audience members!) was polite and relatively sedate until one of the roadies (a guy called Chainsaw) did a rousing rendition of "Highway to Hell" (not a tune I was expecting to hear!). All those baby boomers suddenly remembered their rocky roots and leapt to their feet, punching fists into the air, and wailing out the refrain! Way cool, man. Pete has kindly posted some photos snapped last night over here...

The pineapple in the photo was consumed at breakfast yesterday at the Hau Tree Lanai restaurant. Yummy! Simply the best pineapple (sweet, juicy, fresh!) I've ever tasted. It didn't hurt that said sumptuous treat was consumed while gazing out over the beach...