Do you realise....?

That attending a Flaming Lips gig is an easy route to a grin that you just can't peel off your face. We were lucky enough to attend such a gig last night - the last in their UK tour, and one of those rare, life-affirming experiences that will be with me for a long time. If I could pay my 17 quid again and see exactly the same show again, I would! That good!

It was an all-singing (through megaphone AND microphone, She Don't Use Jelly to Happy Birthday & White Christmas, with plenty of audience participation), all-dancing (in animal suits and as inflatable suns illuminated from the inside by giant torches), all-the-gimmicks (smoke, gigantic rotating mirrorballs, snow, balloons, strobes, video, aerobics....) extravaganza. Andrew even had a moment of fame as the only person who could propel the enormous balloon to the third tier of the Usher Hall - people had been trying all night to pull this off, but didn't have the necessary technique! Great music, great show, a bit of anti-Bush sentiment thrown in for good measure - an awesome night, one I'll remember for a long time.

This was a great high note on which to end an excellent weekend. A win for the AB's made getting up at 6:30 on Saturday morning worthwhile. Watched Roman Holiday to get us in the mood for Rome (as if I needed any help on that one!). Celebrated one year in style at the Stockbridge Restaurant, over a tasty meal and even more tasty bottle of NZ wine (Crab Farm 1997 Cab Sav). Watched Jane Campion's latest , In The Cut, and got to see the location that I couldn't find in NZ (a frozen lake surrounded by trees, for an Oct/Nov shoot - the dream sequences in the film). Learned some more Italian. Slept through Sunday's rugby. Bliss.