Welcome to my life... such as it is...

Seattle Day 3

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 01:38:45 GMT

I woke up, looked at the clock and groaned. "Hey" I called to Brendan, waking him up, sort of. "I thought you were setting the alarm on your phone." "I did." "Then why is it 9:45?"

So breakfast was a no-go, as it closed at 9:30. I had been looking forward to it too. Oh well. Got showered and dressed and ready to go, checking the nightstands to make sure nothing had been tossed in there and forgotten... to find condoms. Lots and lots of condoms. I was in disbelief at yet another amusing twist to the vacation.

We went down to check out.

Me: So, is a drawer full of condoms the Quality Inn's way of saying welcome?

Desk clerk: Pardon?

Me: The nightstand by the bed on the far right, the drawer is full of condoms. They aren't used or anything, just.. lots of condoms.

Clerk: Why didn't you tell us sooner?

Me: I found them this morning when we were packing up.

Clerk: Oh. I am sorry.

Me: Nothing really to be sorry about, I think its funny. But the next person who checks into the room may not be so amused. You probably want to make sure housekeeping takes care of that. The condoms, and the pop bottle that has been sitting on the floor in the corner since before we checked in hasn't given me a lot of faith.

Clerk: Absolutely we will take care of it.

Me: And the person in 243 is nuts.

So I told him what happened there, at which point his chin dropped to his chest and he shook his head.

"They have to go through the switchboard at that time of night to make a call."

He gave us $20 off. A nice gesture and not one I was expecting as it wasn't a big deal. We thanked him and headed to the car, driving down to Pike Place Market.

It was a zoo, which is expected on a Sunday. Picked up some cherry jam, beef jerky, and wandered around for quite awhile. The seafood is awesome, and I wish I could have gotten some. Lots of cool shops and such to check out. We then had lunch overlooking the ocean at the market - Brendan had fish and chips and I had a crab cake sandwich. Both were awesome and the perfect last meal for Seattle.

Back into the car, we drove past Safeco and Quest Field to Costco. Brendan had heard you could get mini-kegs of heineken for $12.. they are $36 here. Unfortunately they were out of stock. We got some books and and that was it, we were on our way out of Seattle.

BTW, I love having a GPS. Just saying.

We drove to the Seattle Outlet Mall, which isn't even in Seattle. It was actually on the Tulalip Indian Reserve, and had a lot of brand name stores. Dropped about $200 on clothes. We headed over to the super walmart, which is insane and huge. Brendan did get his beer keg, as well as an assortment of chips and candy for the road. The USA has such good candy. Got a giant bag of wild cherry M&M's to go with the 12-pack of cherry 7-Up. Noticing a theme here? Stuff is so cheap there too. Crazy.

I phoned my Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day. I think I knew as soon as she picked up the phone from the tone of her voice, and she confirmed my worst fears, that Janice had passed away two hours earlier, at 6:34pm. I had tears streaming down my face in the store, but I didn't care. I somehow made it out to the car, where I just completely lost it. I somehow got my composure, but I am very glad that Brendan was the one driving. It was a long drive back to Vancouver, as I was lost in my thoughts and pain. We stopped at Jacknthebox for burgers, as I had wanted to eat something I couldn't get back in Canada. Food was decent. We had checked the road reports, and the Peace Arch crossing was backed up, so we went through Aldergrove, which went smooth as silk and were back on Canadian soil.

We spent the night at Russ', sleeping on the floor. Not the most comfortable arrangement, but at least we got to see him. Unfortunately since it was so late we didn't get to talk to him for long, as he had to work in the morning. So we all went to bed.

Seattle Day 2, Part 2

Fri, 30 May 2008 07:45:18 GMT

We'd planned to eat and hit the show, but wanted to find the theatre first and see what was around there. The Paramount is in an area that looks like it is going through a lot of changes. We had a hard time finding a place to park that would still be open after the show, but finally found one within walking distance. The weird thing was, you had to stuff money into a hole to pay. Super odd.

Decided to pick up our tickets and such first and then grab something to eat. Glad we did as things worked in our favor. The first show got out as we were heading to the theatre. Got to the box office, gave my name, and they handed me my tickets. And that was it. Slight problem, as I was also supposed to recieve backstage passes for a meet and greet.

You know how when you really get excited for something, and then get told no, how frustrating that is? That was me. The box office said the manager couldn't do anything. So I went inside the theatre and talked to the front of house staff, who said that I would have to call the office that had originally set up the tickets and passes. It's 9:00 on a Saturday night, not helpful. I even had the e-mail open on the web browser of the cell as proof. They finally found someone, who made a call and told me to wait. Finally, her tour manager comes out and talks to me. I explained who I was, who had set up the passes and showed him the e-mail... and it worked. He took us backstage immediately. Woohoo!

We waited in a hallway by I guess the green room on the third floor of the theatre, as some giant drag queens chatted with Margaret. Then it was our turn, and there she was, Margaret Cho, all ours for the talking. She looked kind of tired and I knew she had another show soon, so we kept it brief, thanking her for meeting us, talking for a few minutes, and then heading on our way. It was really, really cool to get to meet her!

We left and headed to a nearby subway. In the US they had a deal where all footlongs were $5. So the chicken bacon ranch that is $10 here was half that. I miss the states already. We ate, and I tried to go to the washroom but a creepy homeless guy was in there, sitting fully clothed (thank god) with the door unlocked. Management kicked him out right away.

We were fifth row on the floor for the show. And damn was it funny. Liam Sullivan, aka Kelly, opened the show with some videos before doing a new live song written in Canada.. "What are you guys talking aboot?" and a live version of shoes. Shoes. Shoes. Then, right away he introduced Margaret Cho.

"I just got a g-shot, which is an injection of collagen into your g-spot" is how she started the show. Which pretty much tells you how the night progressed. I laughed so hard I cried, and my stomach hurt, and I just about peed when she compared trying to give head to someone soft to a bird trying to pull a worm out of the ground.. and demonstrated. It was awesome.

After the show we'd planned to go to a club, but it had a huge line so we went to the 7-11 and got some drinks and ice cream and headed back to the hotel. At 1:30 in the morning, the phone rang and Brendan answered.

"Hi" a woman said. "You're really tall."

"Yes. Yes I am" Brendan said, looking at me confused.

"And hot... room 243." click.

I tried to convince him to go down and knock on the door but he wouldn't. Half an hour later the phone rang, it was her again, asking if he was busy. When he said he was, she moaned into the phone, told him he was hot again, and hung up.

So with that, I fell asleep watching The Bodyguard, pretty much the only thing on TV.

Seattle Day 2, pt 1

Sun, 25 May 2008 01:15:55 GMT

The original plan was to spend one night in Seattle and drive back Saturday. Then we found out that Margaret Cho was coming, so the plan changed to driving back late Saturday. But I pulled some strings, which offered free tickets to her 10:00 show. So the plan changed to staying an extra night.

Which left us with a day to try and cram in as much as humanly possible. I woke up at 7:30 to shower and get ready and we were downstairs for the continental breakfast at 8:30. Cereal, fruit, bagels with cream cheese, and waffles were on the menu. Gotta love that offering from hotels, it gets you up and at em, and in theory at a decent hour since it closes at 9:30. After eating we drove down to the waterfront, and headed to the Seattle Aquarium, 241 with the Entertainment Book. I've been to the aquarium before, in 2003 with Wes and Colin. It hasn't changed a lot although they did expand and add a "window to the pacific northwest" exhibit which was a giant tank that was like what you would see in Puget Sound. That was kind of neat. Also, finally, after years of dissapointment I saw not one but two Giant Pacific Octopus. Eat that Vancouver Aquarium!!! I did express concern that the one tank did not have a lid, meaning the octopus could get out. "Well, it could, but it doesn't want too." Oh that's reassuring. Apparently it can't crawl on carpet so it can't get far if it does climb out, and they have routine patrols to make sure. Riiight.

Saw sharks, fish, more fish, touched tidal pool stuff, saw seals and sea otters. I was standing on the other side of the river otter tank from Brendan, and he was trying to take a picture over the glass, and the otters jumped out of the water and were sort of begging and pawing at the glass, it was adorable. It seems otters are very smart though, as we tried to recreate it with me waiting to take a picture and Brendan just dangling his hands over, but they weren't fooled, they already figured out he had nothing to offer. They are so playful and fun.

We then headed over to the Argosy Cruise to take a 1 hour cruise of the harbor (also 241. Travelling on coupons rulez!) I like taking boat rides, the ocean air whipping around you and they are usually quite informative. This was no exception as we were given explanations of the history of various piers and saw a lot of Seattle landmarks and a unique look at the downtown skyline. It was marina days so there were a lot of tugboats and fireboats on the marina which was cool to see.

After an eventful morning we headed to lunch. I had punched in the computer coupons near the hotel. Well, it wasn't really that close, but the Hawaiian BBQ we had was quite good. We made our way back to the hotel to drop off the car and walked over to the Experience Music Project.

Yawn.

Wes spoke highly of it, but he thinks having an iguana dropped on your head in Thailand while fireworks are going off is cooler than a king cobra, so what does he know? Fortunately it was another coupon situation, as if I had paid full price I would have felt ripped off. They had a Hendrix exhibit and a look at music in the Pacific Northwest which was kind of cool but that was about it. They had all these booths where you could jam or mix records, but it was busy so we never got to check them out. We also got into the Sci-Fi Museum which was a bit better and had some cool stuff, like Terminators and the animatronic Donatello from TMNT 3, but it was getting close to closing. I think part of my dislike of EMP was that I was getting tired from running around all day.

We headed up the Space Needle, which I also went to 5 years ago, but it was still really cool to see everything from up there. We should have gotten the 2 visits in 24 hours package but oh well. We wandered around up there taking pictures and then headed to the gift shop. I bought a frame, and discovered that as an Albertan I am not supposed to pay tax on goods in Washington. Woot! Now that I knew that I was damn sure going to take advantage of it.

We headed back to the hotel and I relaxed in the hot tub for a bit while Brendan took a nap, so we would be refreshed for our evening.

Vancouver/Seattle 1.

Fri, 23 May 2008 17:08:45 GMT

Went on a holiday with Brendan to Vancouver and Seattle recently. Things didn't start well as Brendan thought our flight out on the 8th was at 11:30. It was 11:00. We arrived at 10:50. Fortunately the flight was delayed, although the delay ended up being almost 2 hours. That ended up working out ok, as after a miserable flight (short people should not be allowed the emergency exit) we landed and I waited for the bags and Brendan ran frantically to the Avis car rental desk which was scheduled to close at 1:00am. It was 12:58. He made it.

Because it was 1am, we got an extra day and were not going to have to return the car until Monday night (we'd originally booked for three days, deciding we could bus and walk Van as we usually have.) Since they had a lot of cars, we ended up being upgraded to a Chrysler 300C, a sweet car with a sunroof that when I looked it up later runs about 55K. Well hell, if you are going to rent a car may as well make it one you will never be able to afford yourself! It had all of the bells and whistles - 6 disk CD player, the ability to plug your mp3 player into the stereo, satellite radio, even adjustable pedals and wipers that automatically adjusted speed based on the rain. Crazy. We headed to Wes' and promptly went to sleep as by this point it was about 2am.

Wes woke us up in the morning and we chatted a bit while he got ready for work. I got myself woken up and ready and then dragged Brendan awake. He wanted to get a cable to plug in his mp3 player, so we punched Circuit City into the GPS. It took us to a house. Ok so sometimes GPS' still aren't that accurate apparently. We finally found one in a giant mall in Burnaby. Grabbed a quick bite to eat at the food court and were finally off the USofA!

Things went smoothly at the border, a bit of a wait but thats to be expected. Didn't get grilled to hard, (I always get a little nervous at borders after my experience last year in Detroit.) Amusing moment when he asked if we were going anywhere besides Seattle.

Brendan: We are going to Monroe.
Border Guy: Monroe? Why?
Brendan: There is a reptile zoo there.
Border Guy: Yes... yes there is.
Brendan: Not much around there?
Border guy: Well... there's a prison.
Brendan: Well... we don't want to go there.

After tapping on the car he sent us on our way. We stopped at a bank to get some US money, and a gas station, where I was immediately opened up to a world that doesn't exist in Canada. 1 litre coolers for $2.99. Cherry & Vanilla coke. 1 litre cans of Rockstar.. Ok that last one I don't get at all. But still, so many tasty things. We got some drinks and snacks and headed on our way.

We arrived at the Reptile Zoo around 2:00. It was an old restaurant that had been converted. We had a coupon, so it cost $5 for the two of us to go. A woman and her kids were there but they left shortly after we arrived, giving us the run of the place. They had some amazing stuff there, albino alligators, alligator snapping turtles, giant monitor lizards, and the 10 Deadliest Snakes on earth as well as some other venomous snakes. They are venemoid (surgically devenomized) which is certainly a hot topic among reptile enthusiasts. Included in the list was a water moccassin, indian cobra, western diamondback rattlesnake, and the black and green mambas - the deadliest snake on the planet. They also had the largest venomous snake, the King Cobra. I was talking with the person there, the owners wife, about the King and snakes and such, and when she found out that I had snakes, gave me the opportunity of a lifetime.

"If you want a cool picture, there is no one else here you can hold it if you want."

Um... what? I was so shocked I made a rather dumb statement of "It won't bite me?" which, duh, they wouldn't bring it out if it would. Seeing this as a once in a lifetime moment, we quickly agreed. So she climbed up on a stool and opened the cage and brought out this incredible 12 feet of snake, showing me where to hold it and how to control it. I was absolutely in awe of the power of this animal, and was ok, until it turned its head and looked at me and hooded up. That was freaking scary. I turned the snake over to Brendan, and snapped some photos. "All done?" she asked. "Great, just hold it for a few more minutes while I clean the cage." Ahhhh!

Finally the snake was put away and I eventually stopped shaking from the adrenaline. I also had pictures taken with a baby alligator. She again told me how to hold it and where and that if it squirmed don't let go. It did thrash a bit, but I held on. That would have sucked, cool and calm holding the cobra but a baby alligator and I drop it and scream like a girl. We continued looking at the various animals, including in the second room which had more tortoises, iguanas, monitors and snakes. She then asked if we could do her a favor, as one of the cages was cracked and she needed to move it to out back. So we obliged and carried it outside and helped her move some cages around. She then let us hold and take pictures with the small albino burmese python, usually done for a charge, for free. Since we had helped her out, she also offered to introduce us to two of the 5'+ monitor lizards, a water monitor and a black throated monitor, both of which she said were puppy dog tame. It isn't overly assuring when she climbs into the cage first and is petting the giant lizard going "he's not food." But both lizards were friendly and we got to pet them and get photos and pick them up somewhat. Again a pretty cool experience.

By this point it was nearing 5:00, when the zoo closed. Our planned hour or so had stretched to three, but I wouldn't have traded it for anything. I held a fricken KING COBRA. Which I pretty much kept repeating as we drove into Seattle. And a long drive it was, as our timing meant we fought rush hour like traffic. The last 10KM of our journey, a ten minute drive, took an hour. The GPS (how did we ever live without those?) got us to the hotel, in the shadow of the Space Needle, the Quality Inn and Suites. We settled in and then planned what to do with our night.

We settled on checking out the "Adults Only" version of the Seattle Underground tour, which spoke more about the citys history of opium and prostitution, which isn't included in the family friendly daytime version. It was both really cool, and very creepy. I would not want to be trapped down there. Learned a lot about the history of the city which was neat as well.

Also, since we were in a hurray we settled on Subway for dinner as it was right across the street. All footlong subs were $5. All of them. The chicken bacon ranch, which is like $10 in Calgary, $5. Insane.

Headed back to the hotel and relaxed in the hot tub for a bit before heading off to sleepland. Only having two days planned in Seattle meant we had a lot to cram in for Saturday.

I held a fricken King Cobra!!!!!!

Janice Ross

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:54:14 GMT

I've been struggling to put this into words, but I need to write it down

A Wal-mart is never a good place to hear bad news. But there I was, in Wal-mart on the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Washington State, calling my Mom to wish her a happy Mother's Day.

Janice Ross, a woman who is like a Mother to me, passed away at 6:34pm Mountain Time on Sunday, May 11th. She was surrounded by her family, which is the most important thing.

Not the news I wanted, but I had a feeling it would happen while I was away. There were some things I wanted to tell her and didn't get the chance to, which I regret. I should have taken the opportunity when I saw her on Wednesday, but I was so overwhelmed from seeing her so sick, and then a few minutes later they transferred her from the hospital to the hospice.

I made it out to the car and broke down. It was a long drive back to Vancouver, as I keep hearing her voice in my head and realizing I will never get to hear it again.

I loved her so much, and I feel kind of helpless being far away. I know she would want me to continue on with my plans for the last two days of my trip, and I am going too. There isn't anything I can do now. But I will be thinking about her a lot.

I still remember being in grade 2 and this woman coming and picking us up from the babysitters. She was a friend of my Mom's from work. Mom and Dad both had to work late or something so we were going to Janices. For the first time I met Dave and Sarah. Who could have imagined 22 years later that these people would end up being a second family to me?

Janice and Val have helped raise me, Dave and Sarah are like siblings.

When I lost my Dad 5 years ago, I hoped no one I know would have to go through what we did.

She is one of the most positive people I have ever known, and even in this situation remained upbeat and positive to her last breath.

I am not sure what to ask for, other then positive energy, or prayers or whatever you can offer. Not only for her, but for Val, David, Christine, Sarah, Jeff, Claire, Tyson and Liam, he family who love her very much.

That is about all I can write right now. At some point I will get my thoughts together.

Bearded Dragon fetus

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:47:12 GMT

One of our eggs went bad. Discovered it yesterday when checking on them, it had leaked out. Unfortunate, but with 27 eggs not all of them will work out.

While it is sad, it also provided a unique opportunity to see what goes on inside the egg. This isn't for everyone so the pictures are behind the cut, but it is pretty neat.

A first glimpse, you can see it is a lizard, and its brain and eyes.

From the side.

From above - notice the spine, tail, and feet. The feet had toes developing but they had not seperated yet.

Another look

Looking at it head on. You can actually see the development of its "third eye" there. I am amazed at how huge its head and eyes are.

This is the photo where it looks the most like a lizard to me. You can see its jaw formation and how clear the head is.

Thats about it. Just a glimpse. I think it is pretty amazing stuff once you get past the icky factor (and no, I wasn't holding it.) While I am sad that one of the eggs didn't make it, it was quite an eye opening experience.

Edmonton Trip

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:55:28 GMT

I've decided I need to go to Edmonton more. I have friends, family, and its really a short getaway.

So last weekend, March 1/2, Brendan and I decided to head up to Edmonton to see some friends and so I could go to the PWA show at NAIT. Main reason? - having spent an hour on the phone with the former "Sunny" of the WWE, I wanted to meet her. But we had to wait for our new washer and dryer to be delivered first.

It finally arrived around 1, so by 2:30ish we were on our way out of town. Things seemed to be going smoothly, although Brendan was a little concerned about his engine seeming to get hot. We stopped in Red Deer and he topped up his coolant... and 20 minutes outside of red deer the engine overheated again, and when we looked under the hood, steam was rising and the coolant was empty again.

Fuck.

Brendan refilled the coolant, but we both knew we had to go back. My dreams of a fun weekend away dashed, we headed back into Red Deer to get more coolant so that we could keep refilling until we got back to Calgary and could get to a garage on Monday. However, our timing was good enough that the shop at Canadian Tire was still open and the technician agreed to take a look. And since it can never be the simple fix, sure enough the water pump was toast and needed to be repaired. But the good news is, still going to Edmonton!

We went to an irish pub to kill time. Ended up having a really good shepard's pie. We played NTN until 7:30 when the phone rang and the car was ready to go. $450 later we were back on our way, arriving at Bryce and Rob's at 9:45.

We went to a local bar for a bit and then went to Denny's. It was there that I fate provided me with one of those rare moments where everything aligns perfectly for a moment of hilarity.

"It sucks because of course it had to be the water pump," I said, speaking of our ordeal in trying to get to Edmonton. "I was hoping it was a loose hose or something quick to fix." At that exact moment, another Denny's customer who was dressed for a night out in a rather revealing outfit walked by. "Speaking of loose ho's" I quipped.

Rob turned read from laughter, Bryce choked on his drink and Brendan couldn't stop laughing.

Finally got to bed around 3, woke up and watched the movie Accepted which was pretty funny. We had breakfast and I broke a tooth on a piece of toast. Again, crappyness on the weekend but I was determined to make the most of it. After playing Rock Band for a couple of hours and becoming an instant addict, (except I can't seem to coordinate my foot and hands on drums) we headed to NAIT.

The show was good. A bit long, but good. Sunny took a moment to remember me. I got her to sign a picture of us together in 1997, she said we both looked so young. She still looks amazing. Christopher Daniels was there as well, and I got a picture signed that I took when I shot ringside for Ring of Honor last year. He recognized me. I guess I stand out, lol.

After the show and a quick bite to eat at Tim Hortons, it was on the road again. Got home about Midnight and went to bed.

It is good to get away. Now that I have a tent and air mattress I am hoping to camp some more this summer, and am going to Vancouver in May. Woohoo!

Dragon Eggs.....

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 18:00:22 GMT

After being initially told the adult bearded dragon I got second hand in March of 06 was male, last year I discovered he was in fact a she. I've kept the name Roscoe because it just suits her and is the name I am used to. I put her and Otis together as an experiment in November, but he was far to aggressive and so I seperated them on Boxing Day.

Dragons however, retain sperm. And evidently Roscoe did, as on February 11th I noticed egg bumps in her stomach.

She went off food on the 16th and on the 17th laid 27 beautiful little eggs. I got to watch her do it, and it was pretty amazing. Sure it's not quite the same as live birth, but it is still pretty incredible to watch all of these come out of her!

They are sitting in an incubator now in the basement, and hopefully things work out smoothly.

I'll be selling the babies - about half to a reptile store, right out of the incubator, and half will keep and raise 6 - 8 weeks until they are big enough to be sold.

Parting with them will be really, really hard. But the experience is going to be worth it.

Mom Laying

Mom burying eggs

Digging out the eggs

The eggs in vermiculite

More eggs

Sooo busy

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:40:17 GMT

Has it really been over a month since I updated this thing? Jesus time is flying.

Well for the one of you who is probably left and still reads this thing (Hi Deb!) its been a crazy busy month.

I'll try and find some more time to go into detail, but January saw a trip to Banff, several plays, 2 concerts, and just seemingly non-stop crazyness.

Last week was nice however, as I actually had nothing to do in the evenings! Came home, relaxed, watched TV and movies and just enjoyed being home.

That's done however. Tonight I am going with Brandie for Sushi and to see Riverdance. Tomorrow, Friday and Saturday I have opening night of three ATP playRites shows, and next week is Little Shop of Horrors at Stage West.

So much to do, so little time.

Ranking concerts of 2007

Sun, 06 Jan 2008 19:33:49 GMT

Ranking the Concerts for 2007

2007 was a record setting year for me in terms of concerts, having seen 21 shows this year and achieving the milestone of 100 concerts in my lifetime. This number also came after missing some shows I was planning on going to – the first Blue October show (conflicted with seeing and meeting Lily Tomlin), Josh Groban, Christina Aguillera, a 2nd Jann Arden show, the Stampede Finger 11 show, and Def Leppard. As well, with the number of bands that decided to pick Edmonton over Calgary (Justin Timberlake, Velvet Revolver) that decision was also made for me.

Already 2008 has 4 concerts on the agenda – Gob January 18th (concert number 110), Three Days Grace/Seether/Econoline Crush January 29th, Thrice in February and in the distant future, Celine Dion in Edmonton.

So without further adieu, ranking the concerts of 2007.

21. Blue October – July 15th, 2007 – Coke Stage Stampede – Making me glad that I didn’t see them in April, Blue October was just meh. Sure their sound is fairly original but performance wise not great. Granted, I am probably also biased against this show since after breaking up a fight in the audience the lead singer called me out from on stage, saying “We’re just here to have a good time. Pick on someone your own size, punkass.” Well considering they drew maybe a couple of hundred people to a stage that regularly draws a few thousand at least, whose the punkass?

20. Alexis On Fire – December 5th, 2007 – Macewan Hall – Not quite how I planned to spend my birthday. However, due to avalanches near Golden, Alexisonfire postponed their originally scheduled Dec 3rd show to my birthday. Originally I planned to return the tickets, but since Ticketmasters return policy of having to take them to the downtown location only between 10 – 4:30 wasn’t going to work, I went. Not my cup of tea although Dallas Green has an amazing voice and they are certainly energetic.

19. Alexisonfire – December 31, 2007 – Macewan Hall. – Also not quite how I planned to ring in the New Year. But bought tickets because planned on not going on Dec 5th. A better show then the first one, but not a way I would ring in the New Year again.

18. Jimmy Eat World – Oct 8th, 2007 – Macewan Hall – A decent show but nothing special.

17. Mutemath – The Warehouse – September 14th, 2007 – a ton of energy! Was not a fan but they won me over. Unfortunately I didn’t see enough of the show as it started early due to the Warehouse wanting to clear the venue by 9:30 so they could reopen at 10. Hopefully I will get to see a more full show at some point.

16. Hinder – July 9th, 2007 – Coke Stage, Stampede – High-energy show but they sort of fit into a cookie-cutter mould. If this hadn’t been a Stampede show (free) then I wouldn’t have gone, although I do like the songs “Better Then Me” and “Lips of an Angel.” Wouldn’t pay to see them again unless their next album is amazing, but was a fun time.

15. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway Publicity Show – July 11th, 2007 – Saddledome – Basically a Bon Jovi cover band that went through the motions and made me wonder what had become of the band I saw in 2006, 1995, and 1993. Still, it’s Bon Jovi so it was a fun night just really disappointing. Considering the show I saw in Vegas still tops my list as my favorite concert ever, this show really should be higher on the list but isn’t because it wasn’t the same band.

14. Fozzy – March 29th, 2007. The Roxy Nightclub. Windsor, Ont – Chris Jericho’s band played a show Wrestlemania weekend and I wanted to catch it just to see the different side of Chris. While the turnout was surprisingly small, the band certainly didn’t let that stop them. Jericho is just as fun to watch on stage as he is in the ring.

13. Finger 11 w/ Strata – You vs. Us vs. Them tour – May 11th, 2007 – Macewan Hall – Strata was the real surprise on this show, putting on a really, really great set preceding the main event. I haven’t been to a Finger 11 show in years, and I guess I missed out. They’ve developed into a really fun live band and now have enough recognizable songs that the show doesn’t have a lot of filler.

12. Live – July 12th, 2007 – Coke Stage Stampede – A great show in front of a packed house at the Stampede. A long list of songs that took me back through the past 15 years or so of life. The giant sing along that is Lightning Crashes is always so much fun. I’ve now seen them twice and would have no problem seeing em again. This also marked the 100th concert I have ever seen. #100 was supposed to be Bon Jovi, but I was sick as a dog when I was supposed to go to Finger 11, so it made it this. Not a bad band to have as #100.

11. Rob Zombie – October 23rd, 2007 – Macewan Hall – Probably the biggest spectacle to ever hit Mac Hall, as Rob Zombie spent his night off from the Ozzy tour (which also skipped Calgary but played Edmonton) and tried to cram his arena show into a small venue. Even without Pyro and some of the staging, Rob put on a hell of a show. He seemed to be having an absolute blast with the smaller, intense crowd. He even commented on being in front of his fans as opposed to “60 year olds in Black Sabbath t-shirts.” Definitely won me over as a fan of his shows.

10. Korn – We Got a Problem Tour – September 27th, 2007 – Rexall Place, Edmonton – Yes, I went to Edmonton to see Korn. Unlike some of the other shows in Edmonton I wanted to see, I actually had people willing to go with me. This was a bit of a last hurrah as well, as it’s the last concert Jeremy and I went to see before he left for overseas. Had they played in Calgary I probably would have been happier, as a 6 hour round trip drive for basically a 75 minute set from Korn was really disappointing. The time that they did play for was great, while probably my least favorite of the three times I have seen them, I still enjoyed it. Just wish they had played longer.

9. The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat – Sams Town Tour – May 24th, 2007 – Saddledome – This one is a surprise and very high on the list. Another show that I wouldn’t have gone to if I hadn’t been taken, but really, it was an amazing show. Lead singer Brandon Flowers is a giant ball of energy and it transmits to the audience. Another band that before I saw them live would have been “meh” but would definitely see them again now.

8. Three Days Grace – July 7th, 2007 – Coke Stage, Stampede – I never get tired of seeing these guys. I absolutely love One-X so it was a no brainer to check them out again for free at the Stampede. Great show.

7. Evanescence w/ Stone Sour & The Black Maria – The Open Door Tour – January 15th, 2007 – Saddledome – Another surpriser both with how good Stone Sour was and how amazing Evanescence was. Jeremy really, really wanted to see this show, as did Shawn who drove out from Saskatoon for it. We were on the floor (as usual) and Amy Lee is absolutely enthralling to watch, even if her taste in outfits is questionable.

6. Nickelback – All The Right Reasons Tour – July 27th, 2007 – Saddledome – Nickelback gets a lot of flack. Say what you will about their songs, but their live shows are huge spectacular arena rock shows like the ones they probably saw many times growing up at the Dome in Calgary and the arena in Edmonton. Sure it was almost exactly like the show from January 06, but still worth seeing.

5. Jann Arden – Uncover Me Tour – May 17th, 2007 – Jack Singer Concert Hall – I love you Jann! My new best friend can sure do covers well! I only went to one of her two Jack Singer shows – shocking I know – but it was a really great night. Never ever a bad time at a Jann Arden concert.

4. Meat Loaf w/ Marion Raven – Seize The Night: The Bat out of Hell III Tour – March 8th, 2007 – Saddledome – Things come full circle. Jeremy and I saw Meat Loaf on the Bat out of Hell 2 tour in August of 1994. 13 years later, 4th row, and what a night. Over 2 hours long, and despite cutting a few songs because he was experiencing Vertigo, it was still an awesome show.

3. Jann Arden – July 5th, 2007 – Coke Stage, Stampede – Of the two shows I liked this one more. Jann seems better in a less structured show then on tour, as this one was. In support of Breast Cancer, Jann cost $2. Can’t beat that! I also love when she does the medley of other peoples songs. And I love her sense of humor. She has a new CD scheduled for this year, which means meeting up with her again! Woohoo!

2. Roger Waters – An Evening with Roger Waters – June 24th, 2007 – Saddledome – I still can’t believe this came so high on my list, but there is no denying that this was an amazing show. While tickets were expensive, you got your money’s worth with a spectacular stage, amazing effects, a flying pig, and the entire Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon album. I went in expecting to be bored and was blown away. So this was why Pink Floyd’s shows were so legendary!

1. Bon Jovi – Lost Highway Tour – December 12, 2007 – Saddledome – Why hello Bon Jovi… where were you in July? This show was everything that July wasn’t – high energy, a long, full setlist, less Lost Highway and more hits, and the added bonus of being 2 feet away from Jon and Richie for a 15 minute set on a small stage at the side of the arena. While the promo show didn’t make the top ten of the year, this show makes my top ten of all time. Thanks for making a memory.

Merry Christmas!!!!

Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:28:52 GMT

Well, the shopping and wrapping is done and I'll be off pretty quick to my Mom's for Christmas. Hard to believe its actually here, this year has just flown by.

So Merry Christmas and such!

Bon Jovi December 13th

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:21:20 GMT

I have seen Bon Jovi five times in my life - a lot by some standards, and a typical year for other fans. My first concert on my own was the Keep the Faith show on Dec 1, 1993. I love this band and frequently wished I could travel to see them as so many seem to get to.

On July 11th, The Calgary Stampede brought an unmotivated Bon Jovi cover band to the Saddledome. Having seen them in 93, 95 and 2006, this really excited me - to finally have one of my favorite bands once again play in Calgary for the first time since December of 1993.

What we got was not the band I remembered seeing. Other then a few shining moments (Richie's solo on Any Other Day, Jon's cover of Hallelujah) the show was paint by number, wrap it up in 2 hours, standard arena concert without the magic and enthusiasm that usually comes from a Bon Jovi show, despite an electrifying crowd.

While I didn't regret going, I did leave wondering if the legendary shows of Bon Jovi were a thing of the past. When they announced a full scale Canadian tour I got a ticket. I mean, Bon Jovi is like sex or pizza - even when it's not great it's still worth getting. While the setlists on the tour so far didn't exactly get my excitement going, I went in expecting to have good time, sing at the top of my lungs, and enjoy myself.

The band blew me out of the water.

The crowd was insanely loud from the moment the lights went out, as the band sauntered on stage and kicked off Lost Highway, then massive singalongs You Give Love a Bad Name, Raise Your Hands (everyone did) and Runaway. Early in the night, Jon said he was in a crazy mood and to buckle in. Sporting a constant grin and seeming to draw energy from the crowd, Jon twirled, danced, and spun around like a preacher - it's a statement that's been used before but its accurate, when he is on the man is captivating to watch.

While I was dissapointed that Stranger in This Town was Richie's solo over These Days, it did give me the heads up to leave my seat and head to the penalty box, where I had scouted out the small stage when I arrived at the arena. Having read the reviews I knew this was where I wanted to be if I wanted to be up close and personal (I had the same luck in Vegas in 06 when Jon popped up close to me in the stands.) Sure enough, Jon came out and hopped on the stage to perform Make a Memory.

Then Richie joined him, and I expected I'll Be There For You and Bed of Roses. My jaw dropped and I said rather loudly "Holy shit" when instead they broke out Diamond Ring to a fairly loud reaction from the crowd. Then came Never Say Goodbye, (and a big sing along) which gave me goosebumps and reminded me of how they finished off the Vegas show with that song, just Jon and Richie. Keep in mind, I am less then 5 feet away from two guys I grew up watching, just in awe.

Jon suggested another song, but Richie wanted to go back to the main stage. "I want to stay here for a bit" Jon replied, so Richie headed back and Jon said "I'm trying to decide what to play. (I yelled Dry County and he smiled at me.) We've got more hits then a heavyweight!" He picked a rarity "This is from, wow I don't remember, I think Bounce. I feel like doing Mystery Train tonight." So he did. After the song he paused to remember the lyrics, then started an acoustic version of Blood on Blood, heading back to the stage to complete the song in its full version.

Living on a Prayer, which ended the set (as opposed to starting it in July) was perfect - starting with just a spotlight on Jon. "We've got to hold on, to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not...." the crowd ROARED and Jon stepped back and let the 18'000+ sing. "And that is why I came back to Calgary" he said, smiling. Again, this is the way the song should be done. Wow wow wow.

After a brief break, Santa came to town and threw stuff out to the crowd. Another surprise, as the band still did I'll Be There For You which I thought had been dropped in favor of Never Say Goodbye. Of course, it can't be a Bon Jovi show without Wanted... Waaanted.. Dead or Alive which was another sing along. The crowd actually started singing before Jon did, so he said "You guys know this one, let me hear you sing." So we did. Loud and proud. "You guys are going to put me out of a job!" Again, you could not wipe the smile off of Jon's face.

Still more, with a couple of covers - Twist and Shout and Treat Her Right, before the night came to an end and Jon walked through the crowd to the back exit and said goodnight.

My faith in Bon Jovi is restored, 100%. For over 2 and a half hours, the band I watched with so much joy in the first three shows I saw them in was back. Richie was in great form and the entire band seemed to be having a blast. Even songs I am not fond of like Keep The Faith, We've Got It Going On, and Sleep When I'm Dead were delivered with a fire and energy that made them memorable.

It would be easy to pick apart the show, and yeah, there are things that I wish had happened (that also would have made it a 5 hour concert.) I'd rather have seen Have a Nice Day or Lay Your Hands On Me over some of the other tracks, and I really don't like them ending with covers. But on the other hand, the crowd was going absolutely crazy at the end, all around the Saddledome, people were twisting and shouting and having a good time. It obviously works, even if us die hards just roll our eyes reading the set lists and go "Can't you play your own songs?" The Christmas songs were pretty cool too, but I am looking forward to seeing them again sometime and seeing more familiar songs in their place.

A lot has been made of this tour, but December 13th marked a truly special night. While this is a trend that continues for the band, or was one great night, remains to be seen. But I absolutely have no regrets. While the July show wouldn't even make my top ten shows I have seen this year, December 13th would make the top ten shows I have seen in my entire life (over 100.) I wish I could go back and relive this show again and again, because it was so awesome, especially getting the chance to be so close.

I've probably rambled a bit, hopefully I at least partially captured the magic that was the December 13th show. I am a Bon Jovi fan again and wish I could see more.

Setlist

INTRO
LOST HIGHWAY
YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME
RAISE YOUR HANDS
RUNAWAY
JUST OLDER
KEEP THE FAITH
WHOLE LOT OF LEAVIN'
TILL WE AIN'T STRANGERS ANYMORE
BORN TO BE MY BABY
WE GOT IT GOIN' ON
IT'S MY LIFE
BAD MEDICINE W/ SHOUT
STRANGER IN THIS TOWN - RICHIE VOX
(YOU WANT TO) MAKE A MEMORY
DIAMOND RING
NEVER SAY GOODBYE
MYSTERY TRAIN
BLOOD ON BLOOD
I'LL SLEEP WHEN I'M DEAD
WHO SAYS YOU CAN'T GO HOME
LIVIN' ON A PRAYER

ENCORE:
SANTA CLAUS IS COMING TO TOWN
RUN RUN RUDOLPH
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE
TWIST & SHOUT
TREAT HER RIGHT

Full 55 picture album can be found on my Facebook

Balls

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:08:50 GMT

Back in August at the Red Deer Reptile show, I came home with an adorable pastel ball python morph named Mal. He was awesomely awesome, but unfortunately and suddenly got sick and passed away on Halloween.

I'd planned on waiting a while before getting another ball python, but my birthday came a week and a half early for me tonight.

The male is a mojave morphy, which has a much stronger gold color and different pattern then normal ball pythons, while the female albino has been named Inara.

Return to Jubilations

Thu, 22 Nov 2007 06:27:30 GMT

Tonight I did something I never thought I would do again. I walked in the doors of Jubilations Dinner Theatre in Calgary.

I had been talking on Facebook to Ashley, who I worked with in Pirates and is now in 29, and asked if Jeremy, the floor manager who was instrumental in my leaving the company, was still with the company. He is not. She told me I should come to the show. Reading the cast list I knew and admired every single person in the show, which I had heard great things about. So I went.

Was it difficult? Yeah. I knew it would be going in, and I had no idea how Len was going to react to my being there. But he was fine, I guess. Our server passed a note to Brad Duffy, who plays Jack Bauer, that said "Brad. One more dive for old times sake? J." He knew who it was. haha.

So he comes up to the table and says "Yes. We definitly should." That was pretty much all he said. So partway through dinner break he grabbed me and gave me some instructions.

I walked down the aisle and he grabbed me by my shirt and began trying to interrogate me. I told him his touching was inappropriate and I wanted to speak to his manager (the show is set on an airplane.) So he kicked me in the junk and took me down with a sunset flip... something we had done together 100's of times in Pirates and in Everybody Loves Ray's Mom. It was so smooth it was like it hadn't been nearly 2 years since we did it. So I lay on the ground holding my crotch, looking up at Joe and saying "Are you an angel? Or just really pretty with good backlighting."

Brad then threatened to cram equal sweetener down my throat until I talked. I told him I didn't know anything, he said "Oh... why didn't you say anything" and that was it.

Then Trevor came up to me at dessert break and asked me to help him during the third act. So there I was on stage with a feather boa dancing around to Madonna's "Material Girl." Sigh.

I feel a sense of closure now. Yeah it's been 15 months since I stopped working there. Part of me still missed it, part of me hated it, although that part has long since faded away. But there was always the regret that I didn't get to go out on my terms.

Tonight, I got that chance.

Thank you, 29.

Ch Ch Ch Changes pt 1.

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 02:07:24 GMT

Well life has certainly changed for me as of late. It's been a rather turbulent month but in a good way.

I moved out of the house in July. Not entirely by choice but I had always planned to leave, and Jeff and Harmony were aware of that, I was just not planning on doing it at that time. But decisions were made and I moved on. They are free to live their lives. We are still friends, and I wish them well.

So with no home, I stayed at Brendan and Ryan's place in Queensland. But it was tiny, 900 sf duplex. When Ryan's long time girlfriend Colleen's Mom decided to move to Edmonton it seemed like a sign to look for something all four of us could live in. Space for four people, etc. Save us all some money and hopefully get a nice place.

We started looking casually in August and then more determinedly so in September. A lot of places were fairly cookie cutter. We found an awesome place in Midnapore, complete with lake access, that we loved and would have been ideal. The owner had purchased the house for his parents, who after he reno'd it decided not to move in. We wanted it. But unfortunately he decided to sell it instead. Last time I drove by it was still on the market.

So we then found this funky 1960's house in Fairview of Heritage drive. Decent location, but fairly old. After looking at places with fireplaces and soaker tubs, it didn't have that type of amenity. But then those places didn't have backyards (some were unfinished, which is amazing considering what they wanted for rent) or finished bsmts. So we applied and were offered this house. 4 bedrooms. decent living room. huge yard. Finished basment with a bar and lots of storage space. 3 bathrooms. It suits our needs. And really, how often do you really use a fireplace? It's a nice luxury but not a necessity.

However I was also reminded how much I hate moving. I stayed in an apt for 2 years that I hated the rez mgr of because I hated moving. All of my stuff was in storage so that was fairly simple. But moving Brendan and Ryan's stuff... gah. So tiring. And worse was the clean up. You would think it wouldn't take too long to clean a small duplex but by the time you wash walls and windows and floors and everything it took like 8 hrs. 8 long, tiring hours.

So we are settling, sort of. We've all been busy with work and after the energy expended to move we are still sort of recovering. And tomorrow I jump in to working at Screamfest as well. So I won't be around much. But I have a bed to sleep in and a kitchen and room for the pets so that is all that matters.

And as for the other big news... that comes later. And its huge.

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:21:48 GMT

Yes, I am alive.

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 17:00:35 GMT

Ok so I've gotten kind of lax on updates. Its funny because I've had a fair amount to say too. But its been crazy lately and I don't have a ton of computer time, which is usually spent looking for stuff or facebooking. Once I move in October to a bigger place and get my computer connected, I should be more regular.

Here's the gyst:

- Went to Vancouver August long weekend. It was awesome.
- Went camping out in K-country.
- Have a bunch of reptiles
- Saw 7 concerts at Stampede in 10 days.
- Moved out of my old house.
- Saw all three Bourne movies, Spiderman, Shrek the 3rd, Pirates 3, Simpsons Movie, War, Transformers, Die Hard 4, and I am sure some others that I am forgetting.
- Got the results from a specialist after a year of pain - soft tissue damage in my neck and carpal tunnel. Stuff that doesn't require surgery! Yeah!
- Made some pretty big life changing decisions. Now just have to see how they pan out.

Thats it in a nutshell.

Back To The Futures last ride

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 16:56:18 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) - The "Back to the Future" ride is heading into the past.

The Universal Studios Hollywood ride based on the movies with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd is taking its final passengers today.

It's closing to make room for a new "Simpsons" attraction.

"Back to the Future - The Ride" was the theme park's first high-tech thrill ride.

Passengers are strapped into a carriage modelled after the film's DeLorean time machine and ride in front of a film projected on a domed screen, which gives the illusion of flight.

The new "Simpsons" ride is scheduled to debut next year.

You know, when I was a kid, I would see commercials for Universal Studios pushing that ride. I wanted to go to Universal Studios as a kid/teen/adult pretty much to ride that ride, and have the shark from Jaws jump out at me. I am so glad I went in 2005 and made it a point to go to Universal. While there were better rides (like the awe-inspiring Jurassic Park water ride) going on the Back to the Future ride really made me feel like a kid again.

Really cool Jann Arden thing

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:26:28 GMT

My friend Deb in Windsor is as big of a Jann Arden fan as I am. In fact, I got a signed CD for her when I talked to Jann in February and made a point of mentioning Deb and the effect of the song Good Mother on her, to Jann. I found out on Jann's website that she would be doing an instore appearance at Borders bookstore in Ann Arbor, MI, while touring with Michael Buble. So I told Deb she had to go, and she ended up doing so with her friend Kori. I told her if she got a moment say hi to Jann for me.

So she did about 7 songs and a signing, which Deb sent me the results.

Kori and I are second in line for the meet and greet.

-Hi Jann (hands her the book for signing)
-Hi There
-I'm Deborah nice to meet you...
-you too Deborah...(signs book)
-Do you remember Jason, he interviewed you ...really tall guy?
(faraway look in Jann's eyes for a few secs)
-Yeah,I do, really nice guy..ya know I saw him at the stampede and waved at him...he was to the left of the stage...he may not have known that I was waving to him but I was...
-well, he says hi and sends his love....Jann smiles...there is a long line up of people behind me...
-Do you mind taking a picture? no not at all she says...Kori takes a pic and its fuzzy...Jann is sweet about the 2nd pic...
-Kori chats and gets a CD signed.,....
-Deb feels like throwing up....

Holy crap.... Jann waved at me????

Harry Potter

Mon, 30 Jul 2007 23:04:12 GMT

No spoilers here.

Finally got my copy of Harry Potter and finished it in a day. Mom had ordered a copy on amazon but because she didn't order it until a few days before it was released, owls did not fly in at dawn on Saturday morning to deliver, and instead it did not arrive until Friday. I had been calling her daily because Jeremy and I were determined to read it first. She had actually given in and bought a 2nd copy so we would quit bitching.

So that's it now. Aside from the movies, Harry Potter has come to an end. The book flowed quickly, it felt like no time and it was over. I cried a few times, laughed, was caught up in things like I am sure many others were.

The end of Harry Potter is kind of bittersweet. It was Dad that got us into it - he was obsessed. In fact the Christmas that he passed away we had all gotten him a ton of Harry Potter toys and pictures and such that he never got to open. and he never got to read past book 4.

I remember getting The Order of the Phoenix the summer after he died. I was housesitting for friends that live very close to the cemetery he is in. I ended up finishing reading the book by his headstone and crying - both from the book and from the fact that he wasn't there.

Harry Potter was one of the things that we all had in common and its carried on. Its funny because I didn't have any interest in reading it at first and it was only after raving from him and Mom and Jeremy that I buckled.

So the end of Harry Potter means the end of a link to my Dad. But at the same time, I know he would have loved the stories and the fact that his boys loved it, and someday hopefully will pass that love onto grandkids that will never know him, but will know of him.

Bon Jovi is... TONIGHT!!!!!

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 20:22:38 GMT

This ain't a song for the broken-hearted
No silent prayer for the faith-departed
I ain't gonna be just a face in the crowd
You're gonna hear my voice
When I shout it out loud

Chorus:
It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's my life

This is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky
Got to make your own breaks

Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life

Better stand tall when they're calling you out
Don't bend, don't break, baby, don't back down

Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive

Chorus:
It's my life
And it's now or never
'Cause I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
'Cause it's my life!

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 02:15:44 GMT

There's no holding me back
I'm not driven by fear
I'm just driven by anger
And you're under attack
I'm just climbing up slowly
I'm the one and only
the tease the way the lie
Stumble in your mind
The fear, the hope inside
They hit here!
But whatever you need
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
Whatever you need
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
There's no holding me back
I'm not driven by fear
I'm just driven by anger
And you're under attack
I'm just climbing up slowly
I'm the one and only
The tease the way the lie
Stumble in your mind
The fear, the hope inside
They hit here!
But whatever you need
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
Whatever you need
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
But whatever you make
'Ever you got...
But whatever you make
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
Whatever you make
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
Whatever you make
'Ever you got
'Ever you want
I'll take back again
But whatever you make
'Ever you got...
Whatever you......
Whatever you............
Whatever you......

Chris Benoit

Tue, 26 Jun 2007 01:55:19 GMT

I am still stunned and not sure how to put things into words.

Harmony called me on my cell at work because she didn't want me to find out by surfing the net.

In a few days maybe I will try and express myself.

Funny awkward work moments

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 20:26:49 GMT

I was talking to Michelle, who was my temporary manager a few months ago, about water. She was drinking Cherry Fresca. I randomly changed the subject, pointed to the can, and said "Those things are delicious."

Unfortunately, the can was down lower when I pointed. So it looked like I was pointing at her breasts.

She is still giggling when she sees me.

Mamma Mia

Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:01:50 GMT

Went to Mamma Mia at the Jubilee last night with Jeremy. I didn't see it when it was here in 2005 - combination of lack of funds (that was during the lockout) and not a big interest in seeing it. But I've seen all the broadway tours since Cats last year and get free tickets so we went.

In a word... wow.

Unexpectedly good. In fact, it was awesome. They actually put a really funny, and surprisingly adult, story together and somehow managed to make ABBA songs work within the context of the show.

The audience was really into the show, and the laughter when they would recognize a song and go "wow... they fit that in?" was cute. Choreography was amazing - especially an elaborate dance sequence with guys in wetsuits and flippers - and I probably new 85% of the songs.

I did find myself wondering if breaking up with someone by singing "Knowing Me, Knowing You" would be effective in real life.

My only dissapointment was the fact that the audience, who was so into the show, didn't stand up at the bows. The Producers - which was ok but not nearly as good - and Cats, which was meh, both got standing ovations. People finally stood up during the encore. But not until the third song, Waterloo.

Jeremy and I both loved the show. In fact its probably up there now with my favorite musicals (Phantom, Rent, Lion King, Avenue Q, Jesus Christ Superstar and Forever Plaid.) I would see it again, for sure.

A fun night out. Not sure if I will like Movin On Out in November as much but if the story is good then I probably will.