Happiness is...a road trip and a fabulous concert!

After my thoroughly wasted week spent entirely in my apartment and alternating between the uber exciting venues of my bed and the couch I was ready for an adventure. The spirit was willing even if the flesh was weak, and it was VERY weak.  I hadn't eaten anything resembling a meal since Monday (no, saltines and Ginger Ale do not resemble a meal!) and though I was feeling much improved I was very, very tired.  But there was no way I was going to miss out on the one thing I had planned for the entire year (I really need to get on the ball here, I know!)  So, I loaded my sorry self into the car with a few friends and we took off for the exotic locale of...wait for it...Pittsburgh, PA.  That's right, home of the not-so-victorious Super Bowl participants of the past weekend and, well, not much else.  But there was method in our madness.  You see, we had purchased some much looked forward to concert tickets a few months back and it was time to use them.  But more on that in a minute.

After 4 hours of driving (ie, trying to sleep in the car) we made it to town and stopped at the #1 tourist attraction, the Duquesne Incline! (**insert slightly sarcastic voice here**) Originally used as transportation for the many workers in the vast steel production facilities, there are actually several inclines (or 'funiculars' if you'd rather) throughout the area, but the Duqesne (pronounced doo-kayne) provides the best view.

As seen here

and here

Quite a charming place from this angle.  There's just something about bridges that add to the likability of a place and I love that they've painted all of theirs a nice, cheery yellow.  Good call, Pittsburgh!

So, you pay your money to ride the little tram up the hill and, if you are like us, you have been lead to believe that there are shops and restaurants and things to help you pass the time.  Not so. We were disappointed in the lack of anything really at the top so we took a few chilly photos and then went back down to the parking lot.  Not quite what we'd hoped, but it was kind of cute.

But then it was on to the real reason for our adventure...Jon Bon Jovi!!!  Let me just preface all of this with the fact that I was practically comatose with exhaustion at this point and yet he did not fail to impress or get (and keep) me up on my feet for a good portion of the 3 hours. I credit his 'bad medicine' for the miraculous change (sorry, couldn't help it!)

Seriously though, I would kill for a teeny, tiny bit of his energy, much less his talent.  The man sashayed and kicked and high-stepped and jumped and bounded and punched and wiggled his spirit fingers/jazz hands all while crooning and wowing us.  He was an aerobic video gone wild! We all decided he should release a work-out DVD.  Come on, you know you'd buy it!  :)

You can't tell from the pictures here.  My little camera can't begin to do it all justice and I had to shoot him in his more subdued moments to make them come out not-so-fuzzy.  But, you can see a bit of the beauty that is him.  He has aged very nicely, and I attribute it all to his nightly aerobics sessions!

There's something inspiring about seeing someone in their element with such power and control over  not only their gifts but a sold-out audience of thousands.  Even to be in that audience has its power.  Joining your voice with the voices of those around you to shout out at the top of your lungs words that you all know in a spirit of pure enjoyment is an amazingly magical experience.

Here's just a tiny taste of what it was like...sort of!

And the front man always seems to get the most attention, but major props to Richie Sambora.  He is a guitar genius!

Any live performances in your near future?  Any favorite concert memories from years past?  The weekend is over but here's hoping you find a bit of musical or entertainment happiness in the days to come. (Maybe from the Grammy's that I'm not watching right now...anyone care to catch me up?)