WHAT A TEMPER!: FROM FROZEN FIELDS TO SCREAMING MEADOWLANDS

Friday, December 26, 2008

FROM FROZEN FIELDS TO SCREAMING MEADOWLANDS

Wednesday was spent at the Hogadon ski area. Five runs, one lift, 600 feet of vertical drop. The place was sheltered from the very strong winds blowing out of the southwest, the ski area located in valleys on the north flank of the mountain. Not a very exciting time but I did got out to exercise the legs. These house shuddering winds would blow uninterrupted for the next four days.

I parked atop Casper Mountain to watch the sunset. Lenticular clouds filled the sky. The wind was howling loudly through the towers/antennas located on the west end of the long, flat topped mountain.

Time spent with the in-laws and wife's sisters back in Casper during the evening. Unfortunately I was coming down with a cold or the flu since Tuesday, only building in intensity. Christmas day was spent lounging around the house, enjoying the gifts and eating lots of good home made food.

Although I was not feeling well, I was getting bored Christmas evening and so decided to do a Van Halen concert, believing a strong dose of tequila might get rid of the soar throat. I bundled up and headed into the wind howling out of the west, seeking shelter in the pine trees in the wind break around the home.

Christmas night's concert took place on April 2, 1984 at the Meadowlands in New Jersey. A good (B+) audience recording before a very enthusiastic crowd. Dave went on for a long time during his break in the middle of Everybody Wants Some. It was still early in the 1984 tour so the band was playing well, unlike the shows later in the tour when they appeared to be tiring of the constant partying and time on the road. For some reason my version is missing Jump/1984 so when I get back to Denver I'm going to check to see whether I left it off the set list when burning the CD. You can't mistake the tapers girlfriend's classic NJ accent!