Meanwhile, back at the ranch: Cliffordpoollozza

Get it? "Cliffordpoollozza" like Lollapolooza (the big music festival, but spelled differently).

Sunday started off ominously with dark clouds looming in the distance. We tried to get an hour at the beach in the a.m. but it started to rain. This is the day of the big birthday bash that Mike's next younger brother, Jimmy, and his wife were celebrating their 50th birthdays at Giant's stadium with 100 of their closest relatives and friends to see Bruce Springsteen. And the chance for thunderstorms was around 100%. Giants stadium is open so if it rained or stormed at showtime, there was a chance the concert could be cancelled. It didn't look good on our drive up the parkway through constant hard rain - the you can't see the next car in front of you kind of rain. Anyway, it was not looking good for a tailgate party for 100 people. But Jimmy was set up with tents and tons of food and the party was going to go on rain or shine. It actually only rained for about 30 minutes and then stopped and the skies cleared. Truly amazing. My camera only had 1 bar left so I wanted to save it for inside the show. Here is one with the Clifford gang in Cliffordpoollozza shirts playing a game. Check out Meg's well-practiced game face designed to frighten her competitor into conceding even before the game starts! Next to Meg is her cousin Colleen, then Meg's friend Lacey, and Katie and then Stephen.

So, Mike got so lucky and scored tickets in the "pit" - the general admission area RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE STAGE! Somehow 4 tickets came available Friday night when he happened to be looking at ticketmaster and they were for sale for face value ($95). We looked a minute later and there was one left for sale for $2100. He grabbed them and really wanted his birthday brother to have them. After many conversations we ended up with them - Mike, Stephen, Katie and me. Mike has only ever been in the pit one other time. The rest of us had never been that close at a Bruce concert. Jimmy had acquired tickets for everyone but in different sections around the stadium. It was so cool looking around the stadium and seeing blocks of 6-8 people in green "Cliffordpoollozza" shirts and they could see us in the pit.

I managed to get my camera into the stadium but couldn't take many pictures because you weren't supposed to be using a camera and these big burly security guards kept coming around threatening anyone caught taking pictures. Anyway, I got a few. Here is one I think is very cool because it is Bruce caught in between the clapping hands of the guy in front of me.

Bruce on the catwalk in front of us. Yes, we were close!!

This is the view of the stadium behind us.

Here is Bruce and the whole band (except Max and Clarence) on the catwalk. Bruce is leaning back & being supported by the crowd!

People kept getting in front of us so by the end we were further back, but still had a great view.

Did I mention we had 6 people in a Ford Focus? It was just a little cramped in the back. Here we are at about 2 a.m. all singing different songs (except Stephen who was pretending to be asleep).