It's time for tonight's Survivor: Cook Islands re-cap!
But before I get into it, I'd just like to cast my vote for Pavarti or Parvati or whatever the hell her name is to pleeeeeeaaaaase go home. Her flirtation strategy this week completely rubbed me the wrong way. And when she looks at the boys with what she probably feels is a coy and cute smile, all I see is her big, annoying, toothy mouth. And she can darn well keep her paws off my Adam. And my Nate. And my Brad. And my JP. I loathe her. I detest her. I want her gone.
Unfortunately for me, the girl whose name sounds like "Poverty" didn't make it to tribal council tonight. Quite surprisingly, Jeff already demolished the racially segregated tribes and merged into two big multi-cultural groups. I tried really hard to pay attention to their tribe names this time around, but it didn't work. So henceforth, I shall refer to them as the Hot Young Studs and the Whatchamacallits.
On the Hot Young Stud side, we have Adam, Nate, Brad, JP, and "Poverty". After than, I'm not sure. I mainly pay attention to the men, and there's still too many girls who haven't annoyed me yet to learn all their names. And despite the fact that there are a lot of girls on the tribe, they don't matter much to me, so my focus will remain on the Hot Young Studs.
For the Whatchamacallits, we have Yul, Jonathan, Cao Boi, Ozzy, Candice, Becky, Cecilia, Sundra, and Jessica (who I refuse to call "Flicka", 'cause I think it's a stupid nickname). Hey, I knew all their names. Amazing! Good work, Jill!
Alright, after the tribes got together and did their happy dances, we got down to the nitty gritty Immunity Challenge. It was the kind of competition I would absolutely suck at, and most of the girls did suck at it. The two teams were roped together and had to chase each other around in knee-deep water wearing 15-pound weights around their necks. Ooooo, now that sounds like fun!! Team members could drop out as they got tired, but they had to pass their weights onto another tribe member. I called this one before it even started. I mean, how could the Hot Young Studs not win? There was no way Yul and Ozzy could do it all for their tribe, and while Jonathan and Cao Boi gave it a good go, they weren't young enough to keep up. It might not be fair, but thus is the fate of the people are not Hot Young Studs.
Then Jeff announced that the Hot Young Studs got to send one of the Whatchamacallits to Exile Island, therby sparing them from Tribal Council that night. I don't know if you'd call that a "glass half-empty" situation or a "glass half-full" situation. In any case, Candice is going to soon find out, as she waves good-bye and is sent on her merry way to dig around for a hidden Immunity Idol that she will never find because it's already tucked safely away in Yul's bag. Yay, Yul! (The only Whatchamacallit for whom I have any cheer left in me). I just hope, for poor Candice's sake, that Billy hasn't managed to swim back to the Island to wait for her. He just seemed loonie enough to do something like that. But man, wouldn't that make for some interesting TV?!
Back at the Whatchamacallit camp, it's a battle to see who can come up with an alliance the quickest. The two names being tossed around are Becky and Cecelia. See how this game turns on a dime? Last week, I didn't think any tribe that had Cao Boi on it would ever be able to head to the campfire and not send him home. These new tribal lines certainly were a reprieve for him. I fail to see what Becky or Cecilia did to deserve being on the chopping block, but after watching Jonathan and Yul scramble to secure Jessica and Cao Boi's votes in favour of Becky, I began to dislike them just a little. Yes, even my beloved Yul. And not because I don't like Becky - just because I don't really like Jonathan or Cao Boi or Jessica. I wish Yul and Becky had teamed up with Sundra, Cecilia, and Ozzy. But I guess I can't win 'em all, huh?
If I'd been able to decide the vote, I would have sent Jessica's ass packing. If I'm not mistaken, she was the dummy who, in Episode 1, very carelessly lost her tribe's chickens, releasing them back into the wild. Last week I barely noticed her, and this week, she just seemed flaky and useless. And she calls herself "Flicka". Ugh. She's almost as annoying as "Poverty". (But not quite).
So we said buh-bye to Cecilia, Jeff took note that the Whatchamacallits are very much a tribe divided, and then we got to see a sneak preview of the Hot Young Studs lazing around next week while the whiny girls bitch about it. I mean, c'mon girls...they're hot, can't you see that?? Sheeesh!
And that's a rap! I'll be back Monday with my weekend rundown. Keep your fingers crossed that something really, really exciting happens at Toys 'R' Us, okay? Have a great weekend, all!
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Thursday, September 28, 2006
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
My Tribute to the Crocodile Hunter
Alright, the topic of tonight's Blog might be a little passé, but I really wanted to write about a prolific TV icon that we lost in the past month.
Early in September I was more than a little shocked to hear of the death of Steve Irwin, aka "The Crocodile Hunter". Why was I shocked? you might ask. After all, it was quite common to see the khaki-clad larger-than-life Aussie wrangling crocodiles, chasing poisonous snakes, or being bitten by reptiles and beasts of all varieties. I'll never forget the first time I ever saw him. It was in Grade 10 or 11 I believe, in Environmental Studies, and Mr. Awrey showed us a tape he'd recorded off the Discovery Channel of The Crocodile Hunter searching for the world's 10 most venomous snakes. I recall watching that tape with the rest of class, and we spent an hour gasping, jumping in our seats, and giggling nervously at this over-the-top man who was so energetic and...well...crazy! His constant cries of "Crikey!" and the way he'd hold one of the poisonous serpants and whisper, "Isn't she a beaut?" was just so unbelievable to us.
Over the years, though, Steve Irwin became a household name. Every night, on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet, one could watch him putting himself in the line of danger all so that he could get a close-up look at the wildlife he so loved. Aside from the adrenaline rush of watching him dodge close-call after close-call, Steve had a message for his audience - he was an environmentalist who adored those reptiles, wanting nothing but the best for them. He'd do anything to save a croc or turtle or something of the sort. Critics thought he meddled with the creatures and disrupted their natural habitats, but the people who know the Croc Hunter best said he'd never want to harm any living, breathing species. He was always looking out for their best interest, even if it put him in dire straits.
So why was I shocked when I heard he had been pierced in the heart by a stingray's barb and died? Shouldn't I have expected it? Shouldn't I have thought, "Well, it was bound to happen..."? But somehow, I didn't. I guess I just thought, after so long of watching and hearing about his daring exploits with unpredictable and treacherous reptiles and animals, that the man was invincible.
Alas, Steve Irwin was just an ordinary man, and while he might have considered himself lucky in many of the precarious situations he found himself in over the years, his luck eventually did run out. Last week, he was recognized by celebrities and ordinary folks worldwide in a memorial service at the zoo he and his family own in Australia. Today I was looking at pictures of his widow, Teri, and his children, Bindi Sue, 8, and Bob, 2, on the Internet. I felt for them. He was not just that crazy kook bounding around in the Outback. He was a husband and a father, with a family and a life. How must they feel now, knowing his passion for danger and his desire to help even the most voaltile creatures, resulted in his untimely demise? How can they move on, with such large character now absent from their lives?
It all comes down to this: The Crocodile Hunter was an icon - he made people laugh, he made people shriek and gasp, but most of all he kept un entertained and informed. He wanted to share with the world his love for nature, and give those of us at home in our armchairs an education about a world that most of us will never experience up close. His family have his legacy to be proud of, and to continue on in his honour.
He was a great guy. He was a legend.
He was the Crocodile Hunter.
And he'll be missed.
Early in September I was more than a little shocked to hear of the death of Steve Irwin, aka "The Crocodile Hunter". Why was I shocked? you might ask. After all, it was quite common to see the khaki-clad larger-than-life Aussie wrangling crocodiles, chasing poisonous snakes, or being bitten by reptiles and beasts of all varieties. I'll never forget the first time I ever saw him. It was in Grade 10 or 11 I believe, in Environmental Studies, and Mr. Awrey showed us a tape he'd recorded off the Discovery Channel of The Crocodile Hunter searching for the world's 10 most venomous snakes. I recall watching that tape with the rest of class, and we spent an hour gasping, jumping in our seats, and giggling nervously at this over-the-top man who was so energetic and...well...crazy! His constant cries of "Crikey!" and the way he'd hold one of the poisonous serpants and whisper, "Isn't she a beaut?" was just so unbelievable to us.
Over the years, though, Steve Irwin became a household name. Every night, on Discovery Channel or Animal Planet, one could watch him putting himself in the line of danger all so that he could get a close-up look at the wildlife he so loved. Aside from the adrenaline rush of watching him dodge close-call after close-call, Steve had a message for his audience - he was an environmentalist who adored those reptiles, wanting nothing but the best for them. He'd do anything to save a croc or turtle or something of the sort. Critics thought he meddled with the creatures and disrupted their natural habitats, but the people who know the Croc Hunter best said he'd never want to harm any living, breathing species. He was always looking out for their best interest, even if it put him in dire straits.
So why was I shocked when I heard he had been pierced in the heart by a stingray's barb and died? Shouldn't I have expected it? Shouldn't I have thought, "Well, it was bound to happen..."? But somehow, I didn't. I guess I just thought, after so long of watching and hearing about his daring exploits with unpredictable and treacherous reptiles and animals, that the man was invincible.
Alas, Steve Irwin was just an ordinary man, and while he might have considered himself lucky in many of the precarious situations he found himself in over the years, his luck eventually did run out. Last week, he was recognized by celebrities and ordinary folks worldwide in a memorial service at the zoo he and his family own in Australia. Today I was looking at pictures of his widow, Teri, and his children, Bindi Sue, 8, and Bob, 2, on the Internet. I felt for them. He was not just that crazy kook bounding around in the Outback. He was a husband and a father, with a family and a life. How must they feel now, knowing his passion for danger and his desire to help even the most voaltile creatures, resulted in his untimely demise? How can they move on, with such large character now absent from their lives?
It all comes down to this: The Crocodile Hunter was an icon - he made people laugh, he made people shriek and gasp, but most of all he kept un entertained and informed. He wanted to share with the world his love for nature, and give those of us at home in our armchairs an education about a world that most of us will never experience up close. His family have his legacy to be proud of, and to continue on in his honour.
He was a great guy. He was a legend.
He was the Crocodile Hunter.
And he'll be missed.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Jill's Top 5 Favourite "Old" TV Shows
Tonight, after supper, I found myself moping on the couch, feeling rotten after a whole day of coming down with a cold, and trying to find something to cheer myself up with on one of the zillion channels on Bell Expressvu. I skipped over all of the Oprahs, Dr. Phils, Rachael Rays, Ellens, even the Young & The Restlesses - tonight I wanted something special. And that's when I hit the TV Tropolis channel, and started watching shows that I absolutely loved as a kid; some shows that I hadn't seen in years. I felt compelled to dedicate this edition of the Blog to some of my old favourites that I love and miss - before there was "Reality TV", or Grey's Anatomy, or even some of my all-time favourite shows like Friends and Dawson's Creek. So here is Jill's Top 5 Favourite "Old" TV shows:
#5 - Beverley Hills 90210
Alright, you're probably thinking that this show doesn't classify as "old". I dare you to watch an episode. I can't believe how dated this show is already! At least, the early years of the show. The clothes, the hair, the catch-phrases...unbelievable! As young teens, many of us grew up with Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, David, Steve, Donna, Dylan and the rest of the gang. They definitely introduced me to what I thought "cool" was. And what girl didn't have a pin-up of Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, or Brian-Austin Green in their locker at some point? Somehow, all those boys in Grade 7 just didn't quite compare...
#4 - Saved By the Bell
It was an after-school hit - once the bell rang and the buses pulled up, every girl (and probably some boys) were racing home to see what Zack Morris and his group of tightly-knit friends were up to that day. I, personally, was a big fan of Zack & Kelly, and often daydreamed about one day having a boyfriend who looked like Zack - mischievous, blond, blue-eyed...I thought he was perfect. Slater, Jessie, Lisa, and of course, Screech, rounded out the gang, and once again, I thought they were just about the coolest kids to ever walk. (Well, maybe not Screech...) My favourite episode, and I still never miss it when it's on the dish, was when they formed a band and a look into the future with Kasey Kasem showed them soaring to success, sort of like an MTV "Behind the Band" feature. I used to listen to my Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tape in my walkman and imagine Zack and the gang playing those songs. I know, how lame. But everytime I hear "Free Fallin", I can't help picturing Zack behind the mic.
#3 - The Cosby Show
Ah, yes - who didn't love the Huxtables? Cliff, Claire, and their brood of good-natured children who were hesitant to leave the nest - Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, & the adorable Rudy. Now, those kids had awesome parents. Ever see some of the really old episodes where Rudy would have a birthday party and all of her friends got to have a ride on Cliff's knee? He had those kids giggling like crazy. And they weren't acting. The man had a sense of humour that was second-to-none. And Claire always knew when to be tough, and when to be fun. They were the first prosperous black family on TV - he, a doctor, and she, a lawyer, but they never hesitated to put their kids in their place. As Cliff often said to one or all of them, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!"
#2 - All in the Family
This show was long before my time, but as a kid watching re-runs, I don't think I ever laughed so much as I did when Archie would come home from work, and Edith would barrel though the swinging kitchen door, charging at him and screeching, "Hiiiii, Archiiiiieeeeee! How was your day?" while he muttered away at her, calling her a dingbat and and telling her to dummy up. The show was so politically incorrect that I'm often surprised they're still allowed to air it. Archie was a bigot, but you had to love the man - he told it like it was, whether you liked it or not. His constant tormenting of his daughter Gloria's husband, Michael - infamously nicknamed "The Meathead" - was the main focus of the show. He used derogatory terms for pretty much everything, and he mis-pronounced a lot of words - but therein lied Archie's charm. His ignorance was somehow innocent, and even sweet. The show tackled some big topics, and it could get heated and tense, but thanks to Archie and Edith, there was always laughter. And lots of it.
#1 - Happy Days
Yup. That's my favourite. If I find it on the dish, I can't help but watch. As a kid, I never missed it. I grew up absolutely doting on Chachi, fantasizing about what it would be like to be Joanie, thinking Fonzie was the coolest guy to ever breathe, and laughing at Ritchie, Potsie, and the rest of the crew. To this day, the Fonz is a television icon - who else could walk into a room, snap his fingers, and instantly have a harem surround him? But while I admired Fonzie, it was Chachi that I can pinpoint as my first real "crush". I still remember when I thought a guy who wore a red bandana tied around his thigh was soooo hot. Hell, I still think he's hot. Of course, he and Joanie had the whole singing thing, too, which I loved. The day they got married was my absolute favourite television moment. So maybe that's why I'm so picky now - I set my standards pretty high way back when I was five. There's just something about that show - it gives me the warm & fuzzies. It's definitely my all-time favourite!
So there you have it! I'm going to add a few honourable mentions in the The Wonder Years & Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High - I didn't really like them as a kid, watching TV with my sister (with Kara being 7 years older than me, I usually had to watch what she picked) - but in recent years, I've come to appreciate these shows more. If you think I've forgotten any classics, or if you'd like to leave your own "Top 5" lists in the comments section, feel free! I've had fun with this walk down memory lane - hope you all enjoyed it too.
Cheers, everyone! (And no, I didn't forget Cheers - I never liked that show, and I still don't!)
#5 - Beverley Hills 90210
Alright, you're probably thinking that this show doesn't classify as "old". I dare you to watch an episode. I can't believe how dated this show is already! At least, the early years of the show. The clothes, the hair, the catch-phrases...unbelievable! As young teens, many of us grew up with Brandon, Brenda, Kelly, David, Steve, Donna, Dylan and the rest of the gang. They definitely introduced me to what I thought "cool" was. And what girl didn't have a pin-up of Jason Priestly, Luke Perry, or Brian-Austin Green in their locker at some point? Somehow, all those boys in Grade 7 just didn't quite compare...
#4 - Saved By the Bell
It was an after-school hit - once the bell rang and the buses pulled up, every girl (and probably some boys) were racing home to see what Zack Morris and his group of tightly-knit friends were up to that day. I, personally, was a big fan of Zack & Kelly, and often daydreamed about one day having a boyfriend who looked like Zack - mischievous, blond, blue-eyed...I thought he was perfect. Slater, Jessie, Lisa, and of course, Screech, rounded out the gang, and once again, I thought they were just about the coolest kids to ever walk. (Well, maybe not Screech...) My favourite episode, and I still never miss it when it's on the dish, was when they formed a band and a look into the future with Kasey Kasem showed them soaring to success, sort of like an MTV "Behind the Band" feature. I used to listen to my Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers tape in my walkman and imagine Zack and the gang playing those songs. I know, how lame. But everytime I hear "Free Fallin", I can't help picturing Zack behind the mic.
#3 - The Cosby Show
Ah, yes - who didn't love the Huxtables? Cliff, Claire, and their brood of good-natured children who were hesitant to leave the nest - Sondra, Denise, Theo, Vanessa, & the adorable Rudy. Now, those kids had awesome parents. Ever see some of the really old episodes where Rudy would have a birthday party and all of her friends got to have a ride on Cliff's knee? He had those kids giggling like crazy. And they weren't acting. The man had a sense of humour that was second-to-none. And Claire always knew when to be tough, and when to be fun. They were the first prosperous black family on TV - he, a doctor, and she, a lawyer, but they never hesitated to put their kids in their place. As Cliff often said to one or all of them, "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!"
#2 - All in the Family
This show was long before my time, but as a kid watching re-runs, I don't think I ever laughed so much as I did when Archie would come home from work, and Edith would barrel though the swinging kitchen door, charging at him and screeching, "Hiiiii, Archiiiiieeeeee! How was your day?" while he muttered away at her, calling her a dingbat and and telling her to dummy up. The show was so politically incorrect that I'm often surprised they're still allowed to air it. Archie was a bigot, but you had to love the man - he told it like it was, whether you liked it or not. His constant tormenting of his daughter Gloria's husband, Michael - infamously nicknamed "The Meathead" - was the main focus of the show. He used derogatory terms for pretty much everything, and he mis-pronounced a lot of words - but therein lied Archie's charm. His ignorance was somehow innocent, and even sweet. The show tackled some big topics, and it could get heated and tense, but thanks to Archie and Edith, there was always laughter. And lots of it.
#1 - Happy Days
Yup. That's my favourite. If I find it on the dish, I can't help but watch. As a kid, I never missed it. I grew up absolutely doting on Chachi, fantasizing about what it would be like to be Joanie, thinking Fonzie was the coolest guy to ever breathe, and laughing at Ritchie, Potsie, and the rest of the crew. To this day, the Fonz is a television icon - who else could walk into a room, snap his fingers, and instantly have a harem surround him? But while I admired Fonzie, it was Chachi that I can pinpoint as my first real "crush". I still remember when I thought a guy who wore a red bandana tied around his thigh was soooo hot. Hell, I still think he's hot. Of course, he and Joanie had the whole singing thing, too, which I loved. The day they got married was my absolute favourite television moment. So maybe that's why I'm so picky now - I set my standards pretty high way back when I was five. There's just something about that show - it gives me the warm & fuzzies. It's definitely my all-time favourite!
So there you have it! I'm going to add a few honourable mentions in the The Wonder Years & Degrassi Jr. High/Degrassi High - I didn't really like them as a kid, watching TV with my sister (with Kara being 7 years older than me, I usually had to watch what she picked) - but in recent years, I've come to appreciate these shows more. If you think I've forgotten any classics, or if you'd like to leave your own "Top 5" lists in the comments section, feel free! I've had fun with this walk down memory lane - hope you all enjoyed it too.
Cheers, everyone! (And no, I didn't forget Cheers - I never liked that show, and I still don't!)
Monday, September 25, 2006
Wild Wildebeasts and Crazy Horses
A day late, but as promised, here is my Amazing Race re-cap...
Just for the record, I seldom pay attention to the location of where the teams are racing each week, unless they happen to come to Canada, but I can tell you I think this week they were in China and Mongolia or something like that. Because two teams were eliminated on the first episode last week, we were whittled down to ten teams competing for the eventual grand prize of $1 Million. This year, there are a lot of teams I don't like - but my favourites are, of course, the hot boys, Tyler and James (I think. They're hot, their names don't really matter).
The first part of this leg was rather uneventful, with everyone taking a train somewhere...I can't really remember. They had to ride horses somewhere (sorry, not good with the details here for some reason). One of the couples - and of course, I don't know their names - consists of a young man and woman who are trying to decide if they should get married. The man is a mean, selfish jack-ass, and if I were the girl, I'd get rid of him. Especially after she hit a tree branch and got knocked off her horse - I mean, that's not just a little accident, that's kind of serious - and he just sits up on his horse, saying something like, "I don't know what you want me to do, babe. You gotta get up." Some other girl also fell off her horse and got dragged around by her ankle. Yes, this is serious shit, people.
Teams then hit the detour, where they had to choose between leading some sort of indigenous wildebeast to some body of water, load up 4 big cans, take them back to the start and fill a bucket, or tear down a tent-like structure, pack it up carefully, and saddle it up onto a camel. Most people chose the wildebeast adventure, and while the girl with the artificial leg seemed to have some trouble, it didn't hurt their time much. I had to laugh, though, watching their wildebeast run away from them like a maniac every few minutes. That thing was nuts!
Car trouble seemed to be the biggest problem for teams. My hot boys blew a tire, and then when their jack wouldn't work, nobody would stop to help them fix it. The coalminer and his wife got stuck in a mudhole and had to get a new car (but it was funny listening to her telling him to stop spinning his wheels - and he just kept on spinning 'em. If he'd burled much farther, he would've been back in America...'cause they're already in China...haha). And then two teams had cars that wouldn't start, and they had to crank them to get them going.
At the road block, one team member had to shoot an arrow that was on fire into a pot that must've been filled with explosives or something, because everytime someone hit it, it fizzed and shot fire up in the air. Very flashy. Anyways, I thought this challenge had "bad news" written all over it. If it were me, I probably would've shot my arrow into somebody's eye or up my own nose or something. Fortunately, no such tragedies occured. The cheerleaders got lost, and by the time they got there, everyone else was already finished. They tried valiantly to complete the task, but once night fell, they gave up and tearfully turned up on the mat to have Phil tell them they were last and that they had been eliminated. Meh, whatever. They were cheerleaders. Did anyone really think they were going to win?
I thought this week was actually kind of boring. There were no more of the unexpected twists that Phil pimped so hard in the premiere last week, and aside from a lot of car trouble, the on-going saga of Sarah's leak in her hydraulic knee, and some whacky horse accidents, there wasn't all that much action. And yet I've still managed to write a long, rambly blog. Ah well...I'll note here that my boys finished second, and they're going strong, despite their tire problem. That's all that really matters!
Take care, dudes!
Just for the record, I seldom pay attention to the location of where the teams are racing each week, unless they happen to come to Canada, but I can tell you I think this week they were in China and Mongolia or something like that. Because two teams were eliminated on the first episode last week, we were whittled down to ten teams competing for the eventual grand prize of $1 Million. This year, there are a lot of teams I don't like - but my favourites are, of course, the hot boys, Tyler and James (I think. They're hot, their names don't really matter).
The first part of this leg was rather uneventful, with everyone taking a train somewhere...I can't really remember. They had to ride horses somewhere (sorry, not good with the details here for some reason). One of the couples - and of course, I don't know their names - consists of a young man and woman who are trying to decide if they should get married. The man is a mean, selfish jack-ass, and if I were the girl, I'd get rid of him. Especially after she hit a tree branch and got knocked off her horse - I mean, that's not just a little accident, that's kind of serious - and he just sits up on his horse, saying something like, "I don't know what you want me to do, babe. You gotta get up." Some other girl also fell off her horse and got dragged around by her ankle. Yes, this is serious shit, people.
Teams then hit the detour, where they had to choose between leading some sort of indigenous wildebeast to some body of water, load up 4 big cans, take them back to the start and fill a bucket, or tear down a tent-like structure, pack it up carefully, and saddle it up onto a camel. Most people chose the wildebeast adventure, and while the girl with the artificial leg seemed to have some trouble, it didn't hurt their time much. I had to laugh, though, watching their wildebeast run away from them like a maniac every few minutes. That thing was nuts!
Car trouble seemed to be the biggest problem for teams. My hot boys blew a tire, and then when their jack wouldn't work, nobody would stop to help them fix it. The coalminer and his wife got stuck in a mudhole and had to get a new car (but it was funny listening to her telling him to stop spinning his wheels - and he just kept on spinning 'em. If he'd burled much farther, he would've been back in America...'cause they're already in China...haha). And then two teams had cars that wouldn't start, and they had to crank them to get them going.
At the road block, one team member had to shoot an arrow that was on fire into a pot that must've been filled with explosives or something, because everytime someone hit it, it fizzed and shot fire up in the air. Very flashy. Anyways, I thought this challenge had "bad news" written all over it. If it were me, I probably would've shot my arrow into somebody's eye or up my own nose or something. Fortunately, no such tragedies occured. The cheerleaders got lost, and by the time they got there, everyone else was already finished. They tried valiantly to complete the task, but once night fell, they gave up and tearfully turned up on the mat to have Phil tell them they were last and that they had been eliminated. Meh, whatever. They were cheerleaders. Did anyone really think they were going to win?
I thought this week was actually kind of boring. There were no more of the unexpected twists that Phil pimped so hard in the premiere last week, and aside from a lot of car trouble, the on-going saga of Sarah's leak in her hydraulic knee, and some whacky horse accidents, there wasn't all that much action. And yet I've still managed to write a long, rambly blog. Ah well...I'll note here that my boys finished second, and they're going strong, despite their tire problem. That's all that really matters!
Take care, dudes!
Sunday, September 24, 2006
The Town Pants Electrify Gavan's
On Saturday night, Gavan's Hotel hosted the third annual Half-Way to St-Paddy's Day Party featuring the Town Pants. While it may not have been their most eventful night at Gavan's (I think Year One, when we partied in the street after a transformer blew, was probably the most eventful) - they certainly did not disapoint.
We missed the opening act of Fiddlehaus - Shawn & Virginia Schwartz, who's debut CD "The Schwartz' Backyard" is apparently fantastic; however, we did get there in time to see Celtae, and while I didn't know any of the songs they played, they certainly had my toes tapping (and wishing I knew how to play one of those hand-held drums - so cool!) But it wasn't until the Pants took the stage that the dance floor suddenly filled up. It's impossible to sit still while they're performing - even when parked at a table, as we were for most of the night, you glance around and people are banging the tables and dancing in their seats. Their energy is infectious, and everyone in the large crowd had Town Pants Fever!
The Town Pants consists of Pontiac natives and brothers, Duane & Dave Keough, Vancouver-born Aaron Chapman, and Quyon girl Virginia Schwartz. They delivered two long, high-powered sets, including all of my favourites - "Breakfast with St. Swithin", "Mr. Valentine's Dead", and "Rumrunner". Of course, it's the crowd-pleasing old Irish tunes like "Black Velvet Band" that really demonstrate their ability to draw fan interaction. I mean, how many times, after the line, "Her eyes, they shone like the diamonds - You'd think she was Queen of the land", did we have to yell And She Was!! ...but nobody was complaining, because it's everyone's favourite part of the show! (And after being at a Pants show, everytime you hear that song, you will shout that line - and people may look and wonder why, but if they ever see the Town Pants, they will understand). Or in the song where we all have to yell Hey, Wife!! 84,000 times...it's tradition; it's the part of the set everyone's waiting for.
I did get to swing around the dance floor for the last few songs of the night, and I'm not sure I've ever sweat so much in my whole entire life. No, not even at Steph & Woermke's wedding, when it was 36 degrees out and I danced pretty much all night. But it's a part of being at a Town Pants show that everyone should experience at least once - being up there, amidst all of the drunk and hyper dancers, slipping in spilled beer, laughing til your stomach hurts, and glancing down when everyone's jumping up and down in synch, and realizing that, yes, indeed, the floor is actually shaking. Literally bouncing. If you haven't done it yet, I hope you have a Town Pants experience sometime in the future, and get up there at some point, and see what I mean. It's the best memory that I have - in an evening full of great moments.
Next to St. Patrick's Day, this is possibly the best night at Gavan's, and it was great to see so many familiar faces out. It was fun to stop and chat with so many different people I hadn't seen in a long time while trying to elbow my way to the bar. Everyone seemed to be in a party mood - even at the end, when the lights came on, no one wanted it to be over (which is why there was a packed bus heading to the Schwartz' house after the show for more music and fun - I didn't hop on, but I'm sure those who did continued with the rowdy, Irish drinking party!) I hope everyone who was there had as much fun as I did!
One closing note: For those wondering, Steve Agnew & Branded (aka- "Chris Malone & The Steve Agnew Band") will be playing their final weekend at Gavan's on October 20-21. The guys have rented rooms for that last night, and they want to finish with a bang, so a huge party is in store. Spread the word - let's pack Gavan's again to thank them for all the good times! Mark your calendars!
Have a good week, all!
We missed the opening act of Fiddlehaus - Shawn & Virginia Schwartz, who's debut CD "The Schwartz' Backyard" is apparently fantastic; however, we did get there in time to see Celtae, and while I didn't know any of the songs they played, they certainly had my toes tapping (and wishing I knew how to play one of those hand-held drums - so cool!) But it wasn't until the Pants took the stage that the dance floor suddenly filled up. It's impossible to sit still while they're performing - even when parked at a table, as we were for most of the night, you glance around and people are banging the tables and dancing in their seats. Their energy is infectious, and everyone in the large crowd had Town Pants Fever!
The Town Pants consists of Pontiac natives and brothers, Duane & Dave Keough, Vancouver-born Aaron Chapman, and Quyon girl Virginia Schwartz. They delivered two long, high-powered sets, including all of my favourites - "Breakfast with St. Swithin", "Mr. Valentine's Dead", and "Rumrunner". Of course, it's the crowd-pleasing old Irish tunes like "Black Velvet Band" that really demonstrate their ability to draw fan interaction. I mean, how many times, after the line, "Her eyes, they shone like the diamonds - You'd think she was Queen of the land", did we have to yell And She Was!! ...but nobody was complaining, because it's everyone's favourite part of the show! (And after being at a Pants show, everytime you hear that song, you will shout that line - and people may look and wonder why, but if they ever see the Town Pants, they will understand). Or in the song where we all have to yell Hey, Wife!! 84,000 times...it's tradition; it's the part of the set everyone's waiting for.
I did get to swing around the dance floor for the last few songs of the night, and I'm not sure I've ever sweat so much in my whole entire life. No, not even at Steph & Woermke's wedding, when it was 36 degrees out and I danced pretty much all night. But it's a part of being at a Town Pants show that everyone should experience at least once - being up there, amidst all of the drunk and hyper dancers, slipping in spilled beer, laughing til your stomach hurts, and glancing down when everyone's jumping up and down in synch, and realizing that, yes, indeed, the floor is actually shaking. Literally bouncing. If you haven't done it yet, I hope you have a Town Pants experience sometime in the future, and get up there at some point, and see what I mean. It's the best memory that I have - in an evening full of great moments.
Next to St. Patrick's Day, this is possibly the best night at Gavan's, and it was great to see so many familiar faces out. It was fun to stop and chat with so many different people I hadn't seen in a long time while trying to elbow my way to the bar. Everyone seemed to be in a party mood - even at the end, when the lights came on, no one wanted it to be over (which is why there was a packed bus heading to the Schwartz' house after the show for more music and fun - I didn't hop on, but I'm sure those who did continued with the rowdy, Irish drinking party!) I hope everyone who was there had as much fun as I did!
One closing note: For those wondering, Steve Agnew & Branded (aka- "Chris Malone & The Steve Agnew Band") will be playing their final weekend at Gavan's on October 20-21. The guys have rented rooms for that last night, and they want to finish with a bang, so a huge party is in store. Spread the word - let's pack Gavan's again to thank them for all the good times! Mark your calendars!
Have a good week, all!
Friday, September 22, 2006
Goodbye Creepy Metal Dude, Hello Dr. Mark!
OK, I've got lots to write about, so I'm gonna dive right in, starting with...
SURVIVOR
I'm not a big fan of the racial divide concept they've tossed in this season. I think when we're trying to rid society of racism, bringing it back to the forefront in a popular TV show is not the best way to deal with it. I'm sure we were all expecting racist attitudes to surface - it's almost inevitable when the players are thrown into this format. However, the ironic part is that the offending party happens to be an older Vietnamese man named Cao Boi (pronounced "Cow Boy") and he's telling jokes that are offending his Asian tribemates - not because he's making them at the expense of African-Americans, Latinos, or even Caucasians. He's making them about his own people! His theory is that you have to be able to laugh at yourself - but the rest of his tribe aren't getting the joke. First time they go to Tribal Council, Cao Boi will be gone - that is, unless they really need him to keep getting rid of their headaches.
That being said, judging from the first two episodes, I'd say the Asian tribe is probably the strongest, so they might not see Tribal Council for a few weeks. Last night, they tied for first place in the challenge with the Caucasian tribe, with the African-Americans coming in third. The Hispanics seemed to be the strongest tribe last week, finishing first in the competition and seeming to form a strong bond right off the bat, but this week cracks appeared, as Ozzy made plans to throw the competition and oust the slacking heavy metal dude, Billy. That's exactly what happened - and I was happy they did so. Billy got kind of creepy this week, and perhaps the most awkward moment of the show was when, after they lost, a few of the white girls said they felt bad for them as a tribe that they'd lost. One said, "We love y'all", to which Billy whispered back, very seriously, "And I love you."
Later, at tribal council, Billy told Jeff that he knew his teammates that thrown the challenge, that he knew they wanted to vote him out, but that he had won a bigger prize than the $1M, and that was that he'd fallen in love with Candice from the Caucasian team and that she loved him back. I thought Jeff was going to laugh in the guy's face. It was like, where did that come from?? That poor Candice girl better brace herself, 'cause I see stalker written all over him!
Other things to note: Yul was sent to Exile Island, and he found the hidden Immunity Idol almost instantly. He's one of my favourites, so that was a good thing. One of my other favourites, Adam from the Caucasian tribe, was whiny and lazy, so I'm not holding out big hopes for him. Aside from that, the cameras seemed to show an awful lot of wet rats running about. I wouldn't last ten minutes out there.
GREY'S ANATOMY
I love this show. Absolutely adore it. Last week, I recapped the Finale from last spring, and my main concern was the whole poor little Meredith thing. Well, apparently over the summer, Meredith decided to turn that frown upside down upon realizing that she can't lose - if she goes one way, she ends up with Dr. McDreamy; if she goes the other way, she ends up with hot vet Finn (played by Chris O'Donnell - more evidence that the gods made this show especially for me.) Meredith still hadn't decided which to choose by the end of the show, so she's asked that they allow her to date them both for awhile. Which means more Chris O'Donnell in the weeks to come, so I can't complain.
I expected there to be more of a focus on Izzie and how she was dealing with Denny's death, but they only showed her baking lots of muffins as a part of her grieving process. I really hope Alex sweeps in and becomes her Man of Steel. No sign of that last night, though, as he was screwing some older woman dying with lung cancer. Yuck-o. One of my favourite moments of the night, though, did involve that older woman, as she raced down the hall in a wheelchair squealing with delight, while poor George said, "Hey, was that my patient? Hey, get back here!" as he chased after her.
George's love interest, Callie, emerged as one of my favourite characters last night. Not only did I like her bailing both Meredith and Cristina out of a potentially embarrassing situation, but I also love the fact that she's a bigger girl - she's no size 2 - and yet, she is often seen parading around in her underwear. And all the other doctors think she's hot - even the women. That doesn't happen very often on TV. It gives someone like me reason to believe I should have a little more confidence. I mean, Callie can do it, why can't I? (Don't worry, I'm not going to start trailing around in my underpants anytime soon...)
Another highlight was Addison getting drunk to compensate for the fact that she now knows McDreamy, her husband, is sleeping with Meredith again. When McDreamy shows up at Addison's motel room to apologize and discovers his ex-best friend, Dr. Mark, emerging from the bathroom in nothing but a towel - let me tell ya, it was awesome. Not only because it was revenge on Addison's part, but also because Dr. Mark is the only one who can give Dr. McDreamy a run for the title of Dr. McDreamy. Did that not make sense to anyone? Don't worry, it made sense to me.
Alright, I guess that's just about long enough, huh? The big event on for this weekend is the Half-Way to St. Paddy's Day party at Gavan's Saturday night, featuring The Town Pants. I'll give my "concert review" on Monday. If anyone's interested, tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door - for more info, check it out at www.thetownpants.com . It's going to be a riot! In the past, we've partied in the street (following a fire in the hotel), and last year, I even won the Bucket o' Booze! Wherever you go, and whatever you do, have a GREAT weekend, gang!
SURVIVOR
I'm not a big fan of the racial divide concept they've tossed in this season. I think when we're trying to rid society of racism, bringing it back to the forefront in a popular TV show is not the best way to deal with it. I'm sure we were all expecting racist attitudes to surface - it's almost inevitable when the players are thrown into this format. However, the ironic part is that the offending party happens to be an older Vietnamese man named Cao Boi (pronounced "Cow Boy") and he's telling jokes that are offending his Asian tribemates - not because he's making them at the expense of African-Americans, Latinos, or even Caucasians. He's making them about his own people! His theory is that you have to be able to laugh at yourself - but the rest of his tribe aren't getting the joke. First time they go to Tribal Council, Cao Boi will be gone - that is, unless they really need him to keep getting rid of their headaches.
That being said, judging from the first two episodes, I'd say the Asian tribe is probably the strongest, so they might not see Tribal Council for a few weeks. Last night, they tied for first place in the challenge with the Caucasian tribe, with the African-Americans coming in third. The Hispanics seemed to be the strongest tribe last week, finishing first in the competition and seeming to form a strong bond right off the bat, but this week cracks appeared, as Ozzy made plans to throw the competition and oust the slacking heavy metal dude, Billy. That's exactly what happened - and I was happy they did so. Billy got kind of creepy this week, and perhaps the most awkward moment of the show was when, after they lost, a few of the white girls said they felt bad for them as a tribe that they'd lost. One said, "We love y'all", to which Billy whispered back, very seriously, "And I love you."
Later, at tribal council, Billy told Jeff that he knew his teammates that thrown the challenge, that he knew they wanted to vote him out, but that he had won a bigger prize than the $1M, and that was that he'd fallen in love with Candice from the Caucasian team and that she loved him back. I thought Jeff was going to laugh in the guy's face. It was like, where did that come from?? That poor Candice girl better brace herself, 'cause I see stalker written all over him!
Other things to note: Yul was sent to Exile Island, and he found the hidden Immunity Idol almost instantly. He's one of my favourites, so that was a good thing. One of my other favourites, Adam from the Caucasian tribe, was whiny and lazy, so I'm not holding out big hopes for him. Aside from that, the cameras seemed to show an awful lot of wet rats running about. I wouldn't last ten minutes out there.
GREY'S ANATOMY
I love this show. Absolutely adore it. Last week, I recapped the Finale from last spring, and my main concern was the whole poor little Meredith thing. Well, apparently over the summer, Meredith decided to turn that frown upside down upon realizing that she can't lose - if she goes one way, she ends up with Dr. McDreamy; if she goes the other way, she ends up with hot vet Finn (played by Chris O'Donnell - more evidence that the gods made this show especially for me.) Meredith still hadn't decided which to choose by the end of the show, so she's asked that they allow her to date them both for awhile. Which means more Chris O'Donnell in the weeks to come, so I can't complain.
I expected there to be more of a focus on Izzie and how she was dealing with Denny's death, but they only showed her baking lots of muffins as a part of her grieving process. I really hope Alex sweeps in and becomes her Man of Steel. No sign of that last night, though, as he was screwing some older woman dying with lung cancer. Yuck-o. One of my favourite moments of the night, though, did involve that older woman, as she raced down the hall in a wheelchair squealing with delight, while poor George said, "Hey, was that my patient? Hey, get back here!" as he chased after her.
George's love interest, Callie, emerged as one of my favourite characters last night. Not only did I like her bailing both Meredith and Cristina out of a potentially embarrassing situation, but I also love the fact that she's a bigger girl - she's no size 2 - and yet, she is often seen parading around in her underwear. And all the other doctors think she's hot - even the women. That doesn't happen very often on TV. It gives someone like me reason to believe I should have a little more confidence. I mean, Callie can do it, why can't I? (Don't worry, I'm not going to start trailing around in my underpants anytime soon...)
Another highlight was Addison getting drunk to compensate for the fact that she now knows McDreamy, her husband, is sleeping with Meredith again. When McDreamy shows up at Addison's motel room to apologize and discovers his ex-best friend, Dr. Mark, emerging from the bathroom in nothing but a towel - let me tell ya, it was awesome. Not only because it was revenge on Addison's part, but also because Dr. Mark is the only one who can give Dr. McDreamy a run for the title of Dr. McDreamy. Did that not make sense to anyone? Don't worry, it made sense to me.
Alright, I guess that's just about long enough, huh? The big event on for this weekend is the Half-Way to St. Paddy's Day party at Gavan's Saturday night, featuring The Town Pants. I'll give my "concert review" on Monday. If anyone's interested, tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at the door - for more info, check it out at www.thetownpants.com . It's going to be a riot! In the past, we've partied in the street (following a fire in the hotel), and last year, I even won the Bucket o' Booze! Wherever you go, and whatever you do, have a GREAT weekend, gang!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Jillian and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Once upon a time, there was a girl who had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
OK, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as my best day ever.
Most of you know that I work in the office at Mountainview. My primary job involves invoicing, payables, tracking inventory, and payroll. When needed, I take phone calls for sod orders, but most of the time, our "receptionist" (but she's oh-so-much-more than that), Claire, takes the orders. However, Claire has been away since last Friday, as she has had surgery and she will be away for at least the rest of this week and all of next week. On top of this, Sue, who is Vice-President and Office Manager at Mountainview, was also away at our sister company, Gemma, today. That left little ol' me, all alone to answer the phones and keep the office running smoothly. To be fair, both Jared and Bill were around all day, and they helped a lot by answering phones and taking orders, but it still was a bit of a zoo, and I don't exactly excel in such an atmosphere. In fact, I get flustered and bitchy, which isn't a good thing.
My day started off rather rotten when our Ontario customer rep, Todd, called to get some pricing for one of his clients, and in our discussion, he discovered I've been charging that client - a very large, prestigious golf course - the wrong price for fertilizer all year long. When I pulled out the quotation for the client, I realized that I had missed the fine print at the bottom of the page stating that they would receive a 5% discount for their early booking last fall. And this happens to be a golf course that has approximately 40,000 invoices over the past 6 months. I was so frustrated that I could've cried. Jared, sensing my anxiety and impending bitchiness, suggested I go for the mail to clear my head and take a break.
I love going for the mail. For twenty minutes, I get to leave the buzz of the office - which is generally fun and energizing, but sometimes can be a bit much - to drive to Quyon in my Rav, listen to whatever CD I happen to be infatuated with on that particular day, cruise through town, stopping at the post office and usually Marcotte's store to pick up a treat for the office staff. I definitely needed this excursion today. But I knew it was not my day when I strolled into the post office with two packages to mail, and discovered it was not good, old reliable Grace working, but rather the French lady who never understands what I want her to do and takes half an hour aggravating me with her ditziness. ARRRGGGHHHH.....
Almost a full half hour later, she finally got it right. I escaped out to my car, skipped Marcotte's because I'd already been gone for so long, rushed back to work, and immediately jumped back into the frey. I helped Jared and Bill take orders, tried to run the cheques for payables, and fielded ridiculous phone calls from Todd ("Uh, hi Jill...Uhhh...I don't remember what I called you for." ... "Hey Jill, is Pat there? No? Oh, guess I'll try him on his radio." ... "Ya, Jill? Do you remember the part number for that thing I ordered for that golf course three months ago?"...Typical Todd.) The afternoon was sprinkled with people calling to find out what time they would get their sod at tomorrow, cheques getting jammed in my printer, Bill asking me questions I couldn't answer because I'm not Claire, no matter how hard I try to be, and paper cuts. Lots and lots of paper cuts.
Alright, so maybe I'm hyperventilating over nothing. Maybe I should just relax and look at the positives: I'm still alive, nothing happened that cannot be fixed, and tomorrow Sue will be back and things won't be quite so hectic. I guess it could've been worse. Todd could've come to visit.
So maybe I should have just started off by saying, "Once upon a time there was a girl who had a not-so-good day". Ah, well. Tomorrow's a brand new day.
Take care, everyone!
OK, so maybe it wasn't that bad, but I definitely wouldn't classify it as my best day ever.
Most of you know that I work in the office at Mountainview. My primary job involves invoicing, payables, tracking inventory, and payroll. When needed, I take phone calls for sod orders, but most of the time, our "receptionist" (but she's oh-so-much-more than that), Claire, takes the orders. However, Claire has been away since last Friday, as she has had surgery and she will be away for at least the rest of this week and all of next week. On top of this, Sue, who is Vice-President and Office Manager at Mountainview, was also away at our sister company, Gemma, today. That left little ol' me, all alone to answer the phones and keep the office running smoothly. To be fair, both Jared and Bill were around all day, and they helped a lot by answering phones and taking orders, but it still was a bit of a zoo, and I don't exactly excel in such an atmosphere. In fact, I get flustered and bitchy, which isn't a good thing.
My day started off rather rotten when our Ontario customer rep, Todd, called to get some pricing for one of his clients, and in our discussion, he discovered I've been charging that client - a very large, prestigious golf course - the wrong price for fertilizer all year long. When I pulled out the quotation for the client, I realized that I had missed the fine print at the bottom of the page stating that they would receive a 5% discount for their early booking last fall. And this happens to be a golf course that has approximately 40,000 invoices over the past 6 months. I was so frustrated that I could've cried. Jared, sensing my anxiety and impending bitchiness, suggested I go for the mail to clear my head and take a break.
I love going for the mail. For twenty minutes, I get to leave the buzz of the office - which is generally fun and energizing, but sometimes can be a bit much - to drive to Quyon in my Rav, listen to whatever CD I happen to be infatuated with on that particular day, cruise through town, stopping at the post office and usually Marcotte's store to pick up a treat for the office staff. I definitely needed this excursion today. But I knew it was not my day when I strolled into the post office with two packages to mail, and discovered it was not good, old reliable Grace working, but rather the French lady who never understands what I want her to do and takes half an hour aggravating me with her ditziness. ARRRGGGHHHH.....
Almost a full half hour later, she finally got it right. I escaped out to my car, skipped Marcotte's because I'd already been gone for so long, rushed back to work, and immediately jumped back into the frey. I helped Jared and Bill take orders, tried to run the cheques for payables, and fielded ridiculous phone calls from Todd ("Uh, hi Jill...Uhhh...I don't remember what I called you for." ... "Hey Jill, is Pat there? No? Oh, guess I'll try him on his radio." ... "Ya, Jill? Do you remember the part number for that thing I ordered for that golf course three months ago?"...Typical Todd.) The afternoon was sprinkled with people calling to find out what time they would get their sod at tomorrow, cheques getting jammed in my printer, Bill asking me questions I couldn't answer because I'm not Claire, no matter how hard I try to be, and paper cuts. Lots and lots of paper cuts.
Alright, so maybe I'm hyperventilating over nothing. Maybe I should just relax and look at the positives: I'm still alive, nothing happened that cannot be fixed, and tomorrow Sue will be back and things won't be quite so hectic. I guess it could've been worse. Todd could've come to visit.
So maybe I should have just started off by saying, "Once upon a time there was a girl who had a not-so-good day". Ah, well. Tomorrow's a brand new day.
Take care, everyone!
Take Me Out to the Ball Game-slash-Dog Show!!
Good Morning, boys & girls! Settle in and get ready for a recap of last night's Quyon Ball finale!
To be very honest, I really didn't have much interest in who won the game. The studly Ricky Bobby's team was taking on "the young lads". (If you're wonderng why I'm calling Stacy's Ricky "studly", it's because I'm sucking up. I accidentally taped over Survivor before he could watch it. Sorry, Ricky). Ricky's team needed to win 2 games to take the championship, while the other team only needed to win once to claim the title of league champions. Surprisingly, there were quite a few fans in the stands - some, like Graham & Woermke, even travelled from afar to take in the game. Unfortunately for Stacy & I, we ended up surrounded by the parents of the young lads...And apparently, they all felt they were at the World Series or something, and shouted and screamed like a bunch of lunatics. People laugh at the Luskville League for taking things too seriously...hmmm. Even they seemed mild compared to this! OK, maybe not, but there were definitely some cocky, smart-ass dudes out there last night, and one had to keep thinking, "Do they realize this is 3-pitch???"
In any case, Ricky's team struggled, mainly due to the fact that Jimmy Chin struck out pretty much everytime he came up to bat, played miserably in the outfield, and seemed to be throwing balls to invisible people. He never tossed it anywhere near an actual player. (OK, so Jimmy wasn't the only one who had trouble, but his chin's really big, and I figure he's used to getting picked on, so I'll use him as my whipping boy.) I do applaud Stacy & Hollie for cheering for their boys, even when they were down, and while surrounded by fans of the other team. I think we can all agree, after shivering our asses off last night, that it's a blessing the season is finally over. It's way too damned cold to play (or watch) ball!
In other news: For those of you who were not at the ball park last night, you missed one of the finest dog shows I've ever seen. I don't even really like dogs, but there were some darlings there last night! Brian & Curtis' rambunctious puppies, Duke & Tucker, were in attendance, as well as Leslie's teeny little sweetheart Roxie, and of course, Hollie had the ever-adorable Cosmo. However, the new puppy on the block was this sweet little Pomeranian Chihuahua wearing a pink sweater and pink collar. I couldn't believe how cute it was, and immediately I wanted one just like it. (Stacy then reminded me that it wouldn't be able to go for walks with me because it's too small. I guess she's right, but it's sooooo cute). Finding out it was a boy, though, was a bit of a shock. There was just way too much pink for a boy. I think that dog might have some issues...
So that's about it for today...If you don't like ball or dogs, you likely didn't enjoy the blog today, but too bad. It's my world, remember? ;o) Have a good day, everyone!
To be very honest, I really didn't have much interest in who won the game. The studly Ricky Bobby's team was taking on "the young lads". (If you're wonderng why I'm calling Stacy's Ricky "studly", it's because I'm sucking up. I accidentally taped over Survivor before he could watch it. Sorry, Ricky). Ricky's team needed to win 2 games to take the championship, while the other team only needed to win once to claim the title of league champions. Surprisingly, there were quite a few fans in the stands - some, like Graham & Woermke, even travelled from afar to take in the game. Unfortunately for Stacy & I, we ended up surrounded by the parents of the young lads...And apparently, they all felt they were at the World Series or something, and shouted and screamed like a bunch of lunatics. People laugh at the Luskville League for taking things too seriously...hmmm. Even they seemed mild compared to this! OK, maybe not, but there were definitely some cocky, smart-ass dudes out there last night, and one had to keep thinking, "Do they realize this is 3-pitch???"
In any case, Ricky's team struggled, mainly due to the fact that Jimmy Chin struck out pretty much everytime he came up to bat, played miserably in the outfield, and seemed to be throwing balls to invisible people. He never tossed it anywhere near an actual player. (OK, so Jimmy wasn't the only one who had trouble, but his chin's really big, and I figure he's used to getting picked on, so I'll use him as my whipping boy.) I do applaud Stacy & Hollie for cheering for their boys, even when they were down, and while surrounded by fans of the other team. I think we can all agree, after shivering our asses off last night, that it's a blessing the season is finally over. It's way too damned cold to play (or watch) ball!
In other news: For those of you who were not at the ball park last night, you missed one of the finest dog shows I've ever seen. I don't even really like dogs, but there were some darlings there last night! Brian & Curtis' rambunctious puppies, Duke & Tucker, were in attendance, as well as Leslie's teeny little sweetheart Roxie, and of course, Hollie had the ever-adorable Cosmo. However, the new puppy on the block was this sweet little Pomeranian Chihuahua wearing a pink sweater and pink collar. I couldn't believe how cute it was, and immediately I wanted one just like it. (Stacy then reminded me that it wouldn't be able to go for walks with me because it's too small. I guess she's right, but it's sooooo cute). Finding out it was a boy, though, was a bit of a shock. There was just way too much pink for a boy. I think that dog might have some issues...
So that's about it for today...If you don't like ball or dogs, you likely didn't enjoy the blog today, but too bad. It's my world, remember? ;o) Have a good day, everyone!
Monday, September 18, 2006
One Big Bad Blonde Joke
Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to yet another edition of THE BLOG.
OK, so things were a little slow today. Not a whole helluva lot happened, to be very honest. I don't even have any TV shows to comment on, really - although I will send out a big "hell yeah!" to Eva Avila, the Gatineau gal who took the Canadian Idol crown last night. (Stacy and I mentioned it in a comment related to last night's post, but I think she deserves a spot on the main page.) I wasn't as attached to Idol or Eva as I was to Rockstar and Lukas, but the girl made me proud last night. This would mean that two of the past Idol winners have been a product of the Ottawa auditions. (The inaugural King of Idol fame, Ryan Malcolm, was from Kingston). Not bad, considering they didn't even hold auditions in Ottawa during Season 3, because they felt the talent pool wasn't deep enough. That theory was proven wrong when both Eva and Ottawa native Steffi D. made it to the final five this season. Anyways, it was an entertaining summer, and I think the best girl won. (Nevermind that I was rooting for the hot boys. That's just what I do. I can't help it.) Congrats, Eva!!
The other bit of news that I managed to unearth on the Internet today was a story that really had me raising my eyebrows. Apparently, Conservative-turned-Liberal MP Belinda Stronach is dating ex-Maple Leaf Tie Domi. HUH????!!!!???? Now, I sure don't know much about politics, and I sure do loathe anything related to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I had to click on the link to read this story anyways! I know of Belinda Stronach, because apparently she's the only long-legged blonde to ever get involved in politics, so her picture is in the paper every second day. Plus, one couldn't miss her much-publicized flip-flop of political parties last year. And as a Sens fan through and through, the name Tie Domi will forever send shivers down my spine. But never did I ever imagine the two of them could end up together! I just couldn't believe it!
First of all, I had no idea Domi was no longer with his wife. It doesn't seem all that long ago that the CBC was subjecting us to a way-too-long ceremony in honour of Domi reaching 1,000 games in the NHL, rather than showing a tribute to Boom Boom Geoffrion in Montreal on the day the man died. (I've always thought those Toronto-loving CBC execs were stupid, but that was low, even for them). Anyways, that night, Domi's lovely blonde wife (what's wrong with these women? ... just making all those "dumb blonde" jokes more relevant...) was all over my TV, smiling and wiping away tears of joy that her big meatheaded husband had spent 1,000 games being a complete goonie goo goo. (Thanks to Pat Carty for using that phrase in reference to many different people every day - it inspired me to call Domi that, because he epitomizes goonie goo goo-ness to the max.)
So here's how I think things must've gone down since then: Domi was benched for the remainder of that sorry-ass season for the Leafs, and after they failed to make the playoffs (HAHAHAHAHA!!), he was not offered another contract from the Leafs. Which effectively means that he played 1,003 games in the NHL or something like that. What a joke. His wife managed to hang in there until the 1,000th game so that she could be on TV, and then realized she no longer needed the chump, so she got rid of him and moved on to bigger and better things. (Anything would be better - and definitely bigger - than Tie Domi!) Finally, Tie, realizing that he's no longer in the Leaf Limelight and fearing that his days of media adoration are over (HA! again), turns to the only person who can get him back into the news: Belinda Stronach, the very woman who might as well be the punchline to every blonde joke ever told. I already mentioned her picture is in the paper every second day, didn't I? Well, guess what, folks - now we have to look at that ugly little pug posing next to her. Will the horrors never cease??
On a happier note, the Sens training camp is in full swing and apparently all is going well. Wade Redden is reportedly hot as ever, so as of right now, I'm very happy with the direction the team is taking. GO SENS GO!
And before closing, I'd just like to send out good luck wishes to everyone's favourite Pre-K teacher, Miss Sara, who tomorrow will kick off her third season - er, I mean year (too much TV and hockey talk for me) - at McDowell School. This year the Beers will be in full force, as Sara's little brother Matthew will be joining her in the Pre-K classroom. Have tonnes of fun and make lots of memories, Sara!
Take care, everyone!
OK, so things were a little slow today. Not a whole helluva lot happened, to be very honest. I don't even have any TV shows to comment on, really - although I will send out a big "hell yeah!" to Eva Avila, the Gatineau gal who took the Canadian Idol crown last night. (Stacy and I mentioned it in a comment related to last night's post, but I think she deserves a spot on the main page.) I wasn't as attached to Idol or Eva as I was to Rockstar and Lukas, but the girl made me proud last night. This would mean that two of the past Idol winners have been a product of the Ottawa auditions. (The inaugural King of Idol fame, Ryan Malcolm, was from Kingston). Not bad, considering they didn't even hold auditions in Ottawa during Season 3, because they felt the talent pool wasn't deep enough. That theory was proven wrong when both Eva and Ottawa native Steffi D. made it to the final five this season. Anyways, it was an entertaining summer, and I think the best girl won. (Nevermind that I was rooting for the hot boys. That's just what I do. I can't help it.) Congrats, Eva!!
The other bit of news that I managed to unearth on the Internet today was a story that really had me raising my eyebrows. Apparently, Conservative-turned-Liberal MP Belinda Stronach is dating ex-Maple Leaf Tie Domi. HUH????!!!!???? Now, I sure don't know much about politics, and I sure do loathe anything related to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but I had to click on the link to read this story anyways! I know of Belinda Stronach, because apparently she's the only long-legged blonde to ever get involved in politics, so her picture is in the paper every second day. Plus, one couldn't miss her much-publicized flip-flop of political parties last year. And as a Sens fan through and through, the name Tie Domi will forever send shivers down my spine. But never did I ever imagine the two of them could end up together! I just couldn't believe it!
First of all, I had no idea Domi was no longer with his wife. It doesn't seem all that long ago that the CBC was subjecting us to a way-too-long ceremony in honour of Domi reaching 1,000 games in the NHL, rather than showing a tribute to Boom Boom Geoffrion in Montreal on the day the man died. (I've always thought those Toronto-loving CBC execs were stupid, but that was low, even for them). Anyways, that night, Domi's lovely blonde wife (what's wrong with these women? ... just making all those "dumb blonde" jokes more relevant...) was all over my TV, smiling and wiping away tears of joy that her big meatheaded husband had spent 1,000 games being a complete goonie goo goo. (Thanks to Pat Carty for using that phrase in reference to many different people every day - it inspired me to call Domi that, because he epitomizes goonie goo goo-ness to the max.)
So here's how I think things must've gone down since then: Domi was benched for the remainder of that sorry-ass season for the Leafs, and after they failed to make the playoffs (HAHAHAHAHA!!), he was not offered another contract from the Leafs. Which effectively means that he played 1,003 games in the NHL or something like that. What a joke. His wife managed to hang in there until the 1,000th game so that she could be on TV, and then realized she no longer needed the chump, so she got rid of him and moved on to bigger and better things. (Anything would be better - and definitely bigger - than Tie Domi!) Finally, Tie, realizing that he's no longer in the Leaf Limelight and fearing that his days of media adoration are over (HA! again), turns to the only person who can get him back into the news: Belinda Stronach, the very woman who might as well be the punchline to every blonde joke ever told. I already mentioned her picture is in the paper every second day, didn't I? Well, guess what, folks - now we have to look at that ugly little pug posing next to her. Will the horrors never cease??
On a happier note, the Sens training camp is in full swing and apparently all is going well. Wade Redden is reportedly hot as ever, so as of right now, I'm very happy with the direction the team is taking. GO SENS GO!
And before closing, I'd just like to send out good luck wishes to everyone's favourite Pre-K teacher, Miss Sara, who tomorrow will kick off her third season - er, I mean year (too much TV and hockey talk for me) - at McDowell School. This year the Beers will be in full force, as Sara's little brother Matthew will be joining her in the Pre-K classroom. Have tonnes of fun and make lots of memories, Sara!
Take care, everyone!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Ball Players...Or Karaoke Stars??
Well, it's Sunday evening, and I'm back to give everyone my weekend rundown!
We'll kick things off with Friday night - and oh, what a night it was! No, I didn't meet my Prince Charming. Not exactly, anyways. But I was reminded of how friggin' much I love Mark Wahlberg. My apologies to Sara and Stacy, who have already had to listen to me go on and on about this beautiful man - but I can't help it! We saw "Invincible", the true story of how the Philadelphia Eagles held open tryouts in the 70's to try and bolster a truly pathetic football team. One man stood out - Vince Papale. And after a grueling training camp, he officially made the team, giving his friends and family in South Philly something to be proud of. In true Disney fashion, it was one of those inspirational sports movies that makes you feel so good when you leave the theatre. I, of course, was mostly drooling over the two hours I got to look at Mark Wahlberg's muscles. Good gosh, he was buff. And oh-so-hot. Definitely buying that DVD when it comes out!
Saturday morning, we got an early start, hitting the road at 8 for Williamsburg, where the Quyon Flyers Jr. Fastball team was a participant in the Casey at Bat Ball tourney. We officially finished in third place out of six teams, but the guys really played well, and in their last game today which would have propelled them to the finals had they won, they took the defending champ Williamsburg Cigars to 9 innings before finally succumbing to their powerful bats. In both today's game, and last night vs. Carp I4C Victory, they weren't expected to come close, but both times they made the eventual victors work for their wins! Congrats to the boys for a great season!
The weekend in general was really fun. I think probably my favourite moment was after last night's game, we returned to the MacIntosh Inn where we were staying in nearby Morrisburg, and we headed to the pub for dinner. It was Karaoke Night, and while we ate we were treated to the usual Karaoke stuff (much like RVI, I thought) - a series of renditions of Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, & Shania Twain songs. Until...the Flyers boys appeared on the scene. I knew when they showed up, things were bound to get crazy!
And that's exactly what happened when Steve, Ben, & Moe took to the stage, serving up a big homerun with their performance of "Crazy Train"! Everyone in the place was laughing and cheering by the time the guys were done. It was awesome. However, I would recommend the guys stick to playing ball - singers, they are NOT! They gave us all a few good laughs, though. That moment alone was worth going for the trip! (Apparently after we left, they continued to storm the stage and please the crowd with Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and even a unique version of "Bette Davis Eyes", among others. The girls in the crowd were loving it. Those Karaoke guys thought they'd hit the jackpot and thanked the ball players for turning the night into an unexpected party. While they may be known as a decent ball team, they are even more renowned for their partying skills!)
Other than that, it was a rather uneventful weekend. Oh, and to prove what a small world we live in: Yesterday afternoon, while having a snack in the motel's restaurant with Kara, Chris, and Caden, guess who strolls in? None other than Mr. & Mrs. Conrod. What are the flippin' odds of that?!?! They were in town to see a play, of course. Too bad Mrs. Conrod wasn't around a few hours later to see how well she taught some of her former students to command the stage!
So that's about all I have to tell you, folks! No boyfriend was found. Nothing overly exciting happened. But it was a good time, and although I'm tired, I'm definitely glad I went. Hope everyone had a good weekend!!
We'll kick things off with Friday night - and oh, what a night it was! No, I didn't meet my Prince Charming. Not exactly, anyways. But I was reminded of how friggin' much I love Mark Wahlberg. My apologies to Sara and Stacy, who have already had to listen to me go on and on about this beautiful man - but I can't help it! We saw "Invincible", the true story of how the Philadelphia Eagles held open tryouts in the 70's to try and bolster a truly pathetic football team. One man stood out - Vince Papale. And after a grueling training camp, he officially made the team, giving his friends and family in South Philly something to be proud of. In true Disney fashion, it was one of those inspirational sports movies that makes you feel so good when you leave the theatre. I, of course, was mostly drooling over the two hours I got to look at Mark Wahlberg's muscles. Good gosh, he was buff. And oh-so-hot. Definitely buying that DVD when it comes out!
Saturday morning, we got an early start, hitting the road at 8 for Williamsburg, where the Quyon Flyers Jr. Fastball team was a participant in the Casey at Bat Ball tourney. We officially finished in third place out of six teams, but the guys really played well, and in their last game today which would have propelled them to the finals had they won, they took the defending champ Williamsburg Cigars to 9 innings before finally succumbing to their powerful bats. In both today's game, and last night vs. Carp I4C Victory, they weren't expected to come close, but both times they made the eventual victors work for their wins! Congrats to the boys for a great season!
The weekend in general was really fun. I think probably my favourite moment was after last night's game, we returned to the MacIntosh Inn where we were staying in nearby Morrisburg, and we headed to the pub for dinner. It was Karaoke Night, and while we ate we were treated to the usual Karaoke stuff (much like RVI, I thought) - a series of renditions of Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, & Shania Twain songs. Until...the Flyers boys appeared on the scene. I knew when they showed up, things were bound to get crazy!
And that's exactly what happened when Steve, Ben, & Moe took to the stage, serving up a big homerun with their performance of "Crazy Train"! Everyone in the place was laughing and cheering by the time the guys were done. It was awesome. However, I would recommend the guys stick to playing ball - singers, they are NOT! They gave us all a few good laughs, though. That moment alone was worth going for the trip! (Apparently after we left, they continued to storm the stage and please the crowd with Metallica's "Enter Sandman" and even a unique version of "Bette Davis Eyes", among others. The girls in the crowd were loving it. Those Karaoke guys thought they'd hit the jackpot and thanked the ball players for turning the night into an unexpected party. While they may be known as a decent ball team, they are even more renowned for their partying skills!)
Other than that, it was a rather uneventful weekend. Oh, and to prove what a small world we live in: Yesterday afternoon, while having a snack in the motel's restaurant with Kara, Chris, and Caden, guess who strolls in? None other than Mr. & Mrs. Conrod. What are the flippin' odds of that?!?! They were in town to see a play, of course. Too bad Mrs. Conrod wasn't around a few hours later to see how well she taught some of her former students to command the stage!
So that's about all I have to tell you, folks! No boyfriend was found. Nothing overly exciting happened. But it was a good time, and although I'm tired, I'm definitely glad I went. Hope everyone had a good weekend!!
Friday, September 15, 2006
Poor Little Meredith Grey
Alright, so I've had a complaint from one of my readers (his name rhymes with "tricky") that my Blogs are too long. Can't say I didn't warn you - I've always been long-winded when I write. How many times did Mrs. Halligan lecture me on that in high school English? Too many to count. So I'm going to make a strong effort to keep them more brief from now on...but I somehow doubt that's going to happen.
Now, the one thing on my mind this morning is: Poor little Meredith Grey. My favourite TV show (that doesn't involve manipulative houseguests or wannabe rockstars) is GREY'S ANATOMY. Most of the world got to see the season finale of the show last spring; however, due to my own stupidity, I somehow manage to miss it, and I've been waiting several long, excruciating months for it to come out on DVD. This past week it finally did, and last night I was finally able to watch the much-anticipated episode.
For those of you who don't watch it (you should start) - here's the premise: Each week, we get a glimpse into the life of Dr. Meredith Grey and her fellow interns at Seattle Grace Hospital - Dr. Izzie Stevens, Dr. George O'Malley, Dr. Cristina Yang, and Dr. Alex Carref. As surgical interns, these five doctors become good friends while struggling as the bottom-feeders in one of the best hospitals in the U.S. Each week, they manage to get themselves into crazy situations, both at the hospital and after hours with their personal lives. The main focus, of course, is Meredith, but through the first two seasons, viewers have also become very familiar with the rest of the doctors.
In the finale episode (and I got to see the super-long un-cut version that lasted almost an hour and a half), Izzie finds herself fighting to keep the patient she's fallen in love with alive. Denny is waiting for a heart transplant, and after a botched plan to get him a new heart quicker, Izzie and the rest of the interns have to keep Denny alive until they can come up with a back-up plan. Alex, Izzie's former boyfriend, is an unwilling accomplice, but he has no choice but to help.
In the meantime, Cristina's boyfriend, attending heart surgeon Dr. Burke, is unexpectedly shot by a crazed patient, and she can't seem to come to grips with it. After finding out there's a chance of paralysis in his hands, she falters, and can't bring herself to deal with it, so she immerses herself in the situation with Izzie and Denny.
After some smooth talking by Alex, he convinces another surgeon from another hospital to perform the transplant surgery on Denny, and miraculously, it works. Izzie is on cloud nine when a newly-repaired Denny proposes to her, and then the two of them make plans to attend the prom being thrown at the hospital for the chief of surgery's niece who is dying of ovarian cancer. All sounds rather traumatic and ridiculous up to this point, right? Well, even I wasn't prepared for the next curveball they threw at me...
Izzie goes home to change for the prom, and upon returning to the hospital looking like a fairy princess, she finds that Denny has very unexpectedly passed away. He had a stroke and died, all alone in his room. After learning the news of Denny's death, Izzie curls up on his hospital bed with him and simply lies there, hanging on to the man she loved. That image will probably stick with me forever - perhaps the most striking image I've ever seen on television: A man, not handsome in a conventional way, but rugged and charming nonetheless, frozen in death, his skin already turned a greyish-blue; and the woman curled up next to him, all blond and beautiful in a puffy pink party dress, her face conveying no emotion as she very matter-of-factly explains to her friends exactly how her fiancé died.
It's not until they each take turns trying to tell Izzie that she must let Denny go, that she finally breaks down and begins to sob uncontrollably. Perhaps my favourite moment of the whole show was when Alex steps forward and soothingly convinces his former girlfriend to let go of her dead fiancé, pries her fingers free of him, and then scoops her up and lets her cry on his shoulder. He was the only one of the whole group who knew exactly how to deal with the situation, and while Alex is usually portrayed as the selfish, crass (but oh-so-yummy) one in the group, in this episode, viewers got to see the softer, sweeter side of Dr. Alex. I absolutely loved it.
So now I've gone into detail about the main plotlines of the show, and you're probably wondering how this all relates to poor little Meredith Grey. Well, that's just the point - the whole episode revolved around Izzie and Denny, and Cristina and Burke, and the prom plans for the chief of surgeon's dying niece...But know how the episode ends? Know what I was supposed to be thinking about all summer (but I couldn't, because I didn't see it til last night)?? It ends, not with a closing shot of Alex holding a traumatized Izzie, or Cristina squeezing Burke's perfectly healed hands, or the chief of surgery dancing with his niece, but rather the whole season ended with Meredith finding herself caught between her fling, Dr. McDreamy (or Sheppard), and her current beau, Finn the vet, trying to decide what she should do. All of the trauma, all of the tragedy, all of the despair - and we end with poor little Meredith, whose biggest problem is that she's in love with a married man, dating a vet who's perfect for her but she doesn't love him...oh, and her dog died. Whoop-di-doo.
It all kind of pissed me off. I'm still very excited for the new season to begin next week, but I sort of wish the whole show didn't have to be about Meredith. I know, it's just TV, chill out, Jill. But that's just what I had to vent about today. Thank your lucky stars Lukas won Rockstar, or I'd still be whining about that....haha!
So the weekend officially begins in a few hours, and I'm very much looking forward to it - going to see "Invincible" tonight, and tomorrow the whole family will be packing up to head to Luke's ball tournament in Williamsburg. Should be fun! I'll be back with more blogging on Monday - I hope some interesting things happen this weekend to tell you all about. Hey, maybe I'll find a boyfriend in Williamsburg. Ya never know...
Now, the one thing on my mind this morning is: Poor little Meredith Grey. My favourite TV show (that doesn't involve manipulative houseguests or wannabe rockstars) is GREY'S ANATOMY. Most of the world got to see the season finale of the show last spring; however, due to my own stupidity, I somehow manage to miss it, and I've been waiting several long, excruciating months for it to come out on DVD. This past week it finally did, and last night I was finally able to watch the much-anticipated episode.
For those of you who don't watch it (you should start) - here's the premise: Each week, we get a glimpse into the life of Dr. Meredith Grey and her fellow interns at Seattle Grace Hospital - Dr. Izzie Stevens, Dr. George O'Malley, Dr. Cristina Yang, and Dr. Alex Carref. As surgical interns, these five doctors become good friends while struggling as the bottom-feeders in one of the best hospitals in the U.S. Each week, they manage to get themselves into crazy situations, both at the hospital and after hours with their personal lives. The main focus, of course, is Meredith, but through the first two seasons, viewers have also become very familiar with the rest of the doctors.
In the finale episode (and I got to see the super-long un-cut version that lasted almost an hour and a half), Izzie finds herself fighting to keep the patient she's fallen in love with alive. Denny is waiting for a heart transplant, and after a botched plan to get him a new heart quicker, Izzie and the rest of the interns have to keep Denny alive until they can come up with a back-up plan. Alex, Izzie's former boyfriend, is an unwilling accomplice, but he has no choice but to help.
In the meantime, Cristina's boyfriend, attending heart surgeon Dr. Burke, is unexpectedly shot by a crazed patient, and she can't seem to come to grips with it. After finding out there's a chance of paralysis in his hands, she falters, and can't bring herself to deal with it, so she immerses herself in the situation with Izzie and Denny.
After some smooth talking by Alex, he convinces another surgeon from another hospital to perform the transplant surgery on Denny, and miraculously, it works. Izzie is on cloud nine when a newly-repaired Denny proposes to her, and then the two of them make plans to attend the prom being thrown at the hospital for the chief of surgery's niece who is dying of ovarian cancer. All sounds rather traumatic and ridiculous up to this point, right? Well, even I wasn't prepared for the next curveball they threw at me...
Izzie goes home to change for the prom, and upon returning to the hospital looking like a fairy princess, she finds that Denny has very unexpectedly passed away. He had a stroke and died, all alone in his room. After learning the news of Denny's death, Izzie curls up on his hospital bed with him and simply lies there, hanging on to the man she loved. That image will probably stick with me forever - perhaps the most striking image I've ever seen on television: A man, not handsome in a conventional way, but rugged and charming nonetheless, frozen in death, his skin already turned a greyish-blue; and the woman curled up next to him, all blond and beautiful in a puffy pink party dress, her face conveying no emotion as she very matter-of-factly explains to her friends exactly how her fiancé died.
It's not until they each take turns trying to tell Izzie that she must let Denny go, that she finally breaks down and begins to sob uncontrollably. Perhaps my favourite moment of the whole show was when Alex steps forward and soothingly convinces his former girlfriend to let go of her dead fiancé, pries her fingers free of him, and then scoops her up and lets her cry on his shoulder. He was the only one of the whole group who knew exactly how to deal with the situation, and while Alex is usually portrayed as the selfish, crass (but oh-so-yummy) one in the group, in this episode, viewers got to see the softer, sweeter side of Dr. Alex. I absolutely loved it.
So now I've gone into detail about the main plotlines of the show, and you're probably wondering how this all relates to poor little Meredith Grey. Well, that's just the point - the whole episode revolved around Izzie and Denny, and Cristina and Burke, and the prom plans for the chief of surgeon's dying niece...But know how the episode ends? Know what I was supposed to be thinking about all summer (but I couldn't, because I didn't see it til last night)?? It ends, not with a closing shot of Alex holding a traumatized Izzie, or Cristina squeezing Burke's perfectly healed hands, or the chief of surgery dancing with his niece, but rather the whole season ended with Meredith finding herself caught between her fling, Dr. McDreamy (or Sheppard), and her current beau, Finn the vet, trying to decide what she should do. All of the trauma, all of the tragedy, all of the despair - and we end with poor little Meredith, whose biggest problem is that she's in love with a married man, dating a vet who's perfect for her but she doesn't love him...oh, and her dog died. Whoop-di-doo.
It all kind of pissed me off. I'm still very excited for the new season to begin next week, but I sort of wish the whole show didn't have to be about Meredith. I know, it's just TV, chill out, Jill. But that's just what I had to vent about today. Thank your lucky stars Lukas won Rockstar, or I'd still be whining about that....haha!
So the weekend officially begins in a few hours, and I'm very much looking forward to it - going to see "Invincible" tonight, and tomorrow the whole family will be packing up to head to Luke's ball tournament in Williamsburg. Should be fun! I'll be back with more blogging on Monday - I hope some interesting things happen this weekend to tell you all about. Hey, maybe I'll find a boyfriend in Williamsburg. Ya never know...
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
KING LUKAS
Hmmm...so what am I going to talk about tonight? Let me think...there must be something....OH YEAH...
ROCKSTAR:SUPERNOVA!!!
Well, judging from my title, I'm sure you can all figure out that my man - fellow Canadian and Rockstar to the core - MR. LUKAS ROSSI- was the champion in tonight's finale episode! But before we get into that, let me tell you my little story of Rockstar confusion...
I was anxiously anticipating tonight's finale, and promptly at 8 I parked myself in front of the TV and found Rockstar on the dish, already feeling butterflies fluttering in my stomach. (I know, I'm so pathetic!) The Rockstar intro came on, and the next thing I know, Brooke Burke is on-screen declaring that we're going to take a "look back" at what has happened on Rockstar over the summer. The first inkling that something was wrong was that I noticed Brooke was wearing the same clothes she wore last night. (Don't ask me how I remembered that, 'cause even I don't know - I'm not one to pay attention to such things as what a person was wearing...but for some reason, this time, I did). Anyways, she began introducing re-cap package after re-cap package:
"Now we'll take a look back at what brought the rockers here in the first place."
"Next we'll take a look back at the most scandalous moments of the summer."
"Now we'll take a look back at the biggest fights over songs."
"Next we'll take a look back at the best surprises of the summer."
"Now we'll take a look back at Toby smashing pies and cakes in the faces of the Encore winners."
Something along those lines...
As the clip-a-thon continued, I kept checking my watch, feeling - knowing - something was very wrong. I mean, there were four rockers left to go through. How were they going to narrow it down to one after all this blah-blah re-cap shit? Luke (my brother, not the Rockstar), kept telling me to relax, that there was still lots of time. But 25 minutes in, I was starting to panic. A quick survey of all the other channels showed that I was on the right program...Somehow, though, I suspected I wasn't watching what I was supposed to be watching.
Flash back from commercial, Brooke's wearing new clothes, and all of a sudden I see three rockers standing on the stage: Lukas, Dilana, and Toby. No Magni to be found. NOOOOOOOOO!!! I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on...And I still don't get it. I'm thinking the Global station I was watching on must've got their wires crossed, and started showing the wrong episode or something, then switched it before it was too late...I have no idea. In any case, I did get to see the first 25 minutes on another station at 9 o'clock, so I'm all better now. I'll be OK...heh heh...
As for my thoughts on the show: It pretty much went down exactly as I thought (hoped) it would. Magni, predictably, was the first to go, but not before he had one last rip at Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" - loved it the first time, loved it tonight, but Magni's just not right for Supernova, and I think everybody knows it. So we bid him adieu, and moved on. In their final performances, Lukas chose to do "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve (Pipe? I can never remember which band is which...), Dilana did "Zombie" by the Cranberries (30 Hour Famine memories, anyone??), and Toby rocked out to the Killers' "Somebody Told Me". Then they each had the chance to plead their case and beg Supernova to let them front their band. The only thing I really remember is Toby telling them he should win because he's the tallest.
In my little world, they would've sent Dilana home first, but it was no big surprise that Toby took the axe. What a good lookin' dude, though. Wow. He mesmerizes me with those beautiful eyes. I've heard people calling him "Frat Rock" - I didn't know that was a genre, but if it is, sign me up. I'd buy his album if he ever puts one out. And not just for the pictures in the liner notes.
So that left us with the two that I chose in my very earliest prediction, way back at the beginning of the summer - Dilana and Lukas. At this point, I was literally shaking with anticipation. Ridiculous, I know. I likened to how I feel when the Sens are in the playoffs. Just quaking with excitement. Except this time, instead of thinking, Please God, let them win...Please let Wade score... I was thinking, O Lord, let it be Lukas! It's gotta be Lukas! Oh, and my only other observation at this point was that Luke's lip gloss was more sparkly than Dilana's. And somehow, I still found that attractive. Very weird.
Then Tommy said: "Lukas" and at the last second, I was sure Dilana was winning, I was sure he was going to say, "you're the next to go", and I was ready to throw a tantrum. But instead, he finished that line by saying, "you're our boy. Welcome." And yes, I did a victory dance on my couch. Luke (again, my brother, not the Rockstar) told me to get down before I broke it. Then he told me he thought I must be on drugs. Which I'm not. Just drunk on Lukas. HA! OK, yes, a new obsession...I'm so sorry to the people who are going to have to listen to me talk about this incessantly for the next few days!
Lukas proceeded to front two Supernova songs - interestingly, the ones Toby and Magni did with the band, not the one he himself did a few weeks ago, and for the first time, I imagined myself buying a Supernova CD. I liked his versions, and I'm looking forward to hearing him on the radio. So glad I didn't waste all my time this summer on this show. For once, I picked the right guy!! YESSSS!!!!
So now it's time to go to bed, with the bittersweet thoughts that though Rockstar is now over, and summer is officially gone, Lukas Rossi is the "next big thing" in the rock world, and I'll have years ahead to watch him and listen to him.
On a more somber note: My Rockstar excitement provided a much-needed diversion today, when once again things got a little too real with the news of the shootings at Dawson College in Montreal. Thoughts and prayers with those students and their families in the midst of such senseless violence. Take care, all.
ROCKSTAR:SUPERNOVA!!!
Well, judging from my title, I'm sure you can all figure out that my man - fellow Canadian and Rockstar to the core - MR. LUKAS ROSSI- was the champion in tonight's finale episode! But before we get into that, let me tell you my little story of Rockstar confusion...
I was anxiously anticipating tonight's finale, and promptly at 8 I parked myself in front of the TV and found Rockstar on the dish, already feeling butterflies fluttering in my stomach. (I know, I'm so pathetic!) The Rockstar intro came on, and the next thing I know, Brooke Burke is on-screen declaring that we're going to take a "look back" at what has happened on Rockstar over the summer. The first inkling that something was wrong was that I noticed Brooke was wearing the same clothes she wore last night. (Don't ask me how I remembered that, 'cause even I don't know - I'm not one to pay attention to such things as what a person was wearing...but for some reason, this time, I did). Anyways, she began introducing re-cap package after re-cap package:
"Now we'll take a look back at what brought the rockers here in the first place."
"Next we'll take a look back at the most scandalous moments of the summer."
"Now we'll take a look back at the biggest fights over songs."
"Next we'll take a look back at the best surprises of the summer."
"Now we'll take a look back at Toby smashing pies and cakes in the faces of the Encore winners."
Something along those lines...
As the clip-a-thon continued, I kept checking my watch, feeling - knowing - something was very wrong. I mean, there were four rockers left to go through. How were they going to narrow it down to one after all this blah-blah re-cap shit? Luke (my brother, not the Rockstar), kept telling me to relax, that there was still lots of time. But 25 minutes in, I was starting to panic. A quick survey of all the other channels showed that I was on the right program...Somehow, though, I suspected I wasn't watching what I was supposed to be watching.
Flash back from commercial, Brooke's wearing new clothes, and all of a sudden I see three rockers standing on the stage: Lukas, Dilana, and Toby. No Magni to be found. NOOOOOOOOO!!! I couldn't figure out what the hell was going on...And I still don't get it. I'm thinking the Global station I was watching on must've got their wires crossed, and started showing the wrong episode or something, then switched it before it was too late...I have no idea. In any case, I did get to see the first 25 minutes on another station at 9 o'clock, so I'm all better now. I'll be OK...heh heh...
As for my thoughts on the show: It pretty much went down exactly as I thought (hoped) it would. Magni, predictably, was the first to go, but not before he had one last rip at Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" - loved it the first time, loved it tonight, but Magni's just not right for Supernova, and I think everybody knows it. So we bid him adieu, and moved on. In their final performances, Lukas chose to do "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve (Pipe? I can never remember which band is which...), Dilana did "Zombie" by the Cranberries (30 Hour Famine memories, anyone??), and Toby rocked out to the Killers' "Somebody Told Me". Then they each had the chance to plead their case and beg Supernova to let them front their band. The only thing I really remember is Toby telling them he should win because he's the tallest.
In my little world, they would've sent Dilana home first, but it was no big surprise that Toby took the axe. What a good lookin' dude, though. Wow. He mesmerizes me with those beautiful eyes. I've heard people calling him "Frat Rock" - I didn't know that was a genre, but if it is, sign me up. I'd buy his album if he ever puts one out. And not just for the pictures in the liner notes.
So that left us with the two that I chose in my very earliest prediction, way back at the beginning of the summer - Dilana and Lukas. At this point, I was literally shaking with anticipation. Ridiculous, I know. I likened to how I feel when the Sens are in the playoffs. Just quaking with excitement. Except this time, instead of thinking, Please God, let them win...Please let Wade score... I was thinking, O Lord, let it be Lukas! It's gotta be Lukas! Oh, and my only other observation at this point was that Luke's lip gloss was more sparkly than Dilana's. And somehow, I still found that attractive. Very weird.
Then Tommy said: "Lukas" and at the last second, I was sure Dilana was winning, I was sure he was going to say, "you're the next to go", and I was ready to throw a tantrum. But instead, he finished that line by saying, "you're our boy. Welcome." And yes, I did a victory dance on my couch. Luke (again, my brother, not the Rockstar) told me to get down before I broke it. Then he told me he thought I must be on drugs. Which I'm not. Just drunk on Lukas. HA! OK, yes, a new obsession...I'm so sorry to the people who are going to have to listen to me talk about this incessantly for the next few days!
Lukas proceeded to front two Supernova songs - interestingly, the ones Toby and Magni did with the band, not the one he himself did a few weeks ago, and for the first time, I imagined myself buying a Supernova CD. I liked his versions, and I'm looking forward to hearing him on the radio. So glad I didn't waste all my time this summer on this show. For once, I picked the right guy!! YESSSS!!!!
So now it's time to go to bed, with the bittersweet thoughts that though Rockstar is now over, and summer is officially gone, Lukas Rossi is the "next big thing" in the rock world, and I'll have years ahead to watch him and listen to him.
On a more somber note: My Rockstar excitement provided a much-needed diversion today, when once again things got a little too real with the news of the shootings at Dawson College in Montreal. Thoughts and prayers with those students and their families in the midst of such senseless violence. Take care, all.
Big Night for Me & TV
Well, I spent a lovely evening at the Quyon Ball Park, where Ricky's team defeated Graham's team but don't ask me any of the details because I had my back turned to the action for most of the night. Fortunately, Stacy and Sara weren't paying that much attention either, because if they had been, they might've gotten into a fight over which boyfriend has the better ball team. The night ended peacefully with players from both teams mingling ... Stacy's right, it's getting too cold for ball, anyways.
So then I went home to watch my shows. I'd been looking forward to Big Brother and Rockstar all day, and they didn't disappoint. Anyone who talks to me on a regular basis knows I tend to get a little wrapped up in my shows, so forgive me for rambling on about them for the next half hour. I've always been a bit of a rambler, and that's not going to change today! I'm going to start off with...
BIG BROTHER:ALL-STARS ~ I was so disappointed that it was Erika and Boogie in the finals, but it ended up being a rather entertaining finale nonetheless. I think my favourite moments of the season, which were highlighted many times last night, occurred with Will and Boogie, aka Chilltown, doing their telephone thing in the diary room. They might've been the bad guys in the house, but they were fun to watch, and they played an awesome game. When this show started, I didn't think the two of them had a hope in hell of making it past the first two weeks. But there they were, in the final four with their "showmances", Janelle and Erika. If had to pick, I would've like to see Janelle and Will standing as the final two, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. (I was glad to see Janelle was the recipient of the Fan Vote for the jury member most deserving of $25 Grand). In the end, Mike Boogie was the eventual winner of Big Brother:All-Stars, and while I didn't think he deserved to be an All-Star to begin with, he and Will definitely were the deviant masterminds behind the whole show, and I thought he was far more deserving of the big prize than Erika. I read somewhere recently that this show is the most tasteless one on television, because it showcases all the worst traits a human being can possess - manipulation, deviance, dishonesty, betrayal, hatred, and deceit. Maybe so, but I think it just makes for great TV, and at the end of the day, this All-Star cast knew they were all playing a game and that nothing was personal. I enjoyed every minute of it!!
And now on to...
ROCKSTAR:SUPERNOVA ~ This is by far and away my favourite show of the summer. I'll be sorry to see it end tonight. To kick off the show, they brought back Ryan Star, who was sent packing two weeks ago, to sing his original "Back of Your Car", and then they gave him a car. Don't know why the fans voted for him to return ahead of Storm Large - Ryan kind of grew on me over the weeks, but I was never his biggest fan. I would have much rather heard Storm's "Ladylike" again. A rumour on the Internet said Ryan had taken out several unlimited Verizon Wireless accounts and was paying people to vote for him so he could get back on International TV one last time to promote his new album. Gag me.
Anyhow, onto the real important stuff. I started watching the show half-way through last night and had to rewind my tape to catch the first two performers, so I'm going to review them in the order I saw them, because in my opinion, that was the order of worst to best.
DILANA - It's no secret, Dilana's the only one left that I would hate to see win this thing. I had pegged her as the frontrunner the first week I watched the show, and I loved her early on in the competition, but then the Dilanadrama began, and I haven't enjoyed her since. Last night, she sang "Roxanne" by the Police, and she did an alright version. Her best move, though, was getting the three guys to sing back up for her - they sounded AWESOME. Then she did her original "Supersoul", which I think supersucks. Jason, Gilby, and Tommy seem to love her, though. If she wins this thing, I'll feel like I wasted the whole summer.
MAGNI - I like this guy, I really do, but I don't think he has a chance in hell of winning. For one thing, Supernova doesn't seem to enjoy him all that much. I think the only reason he's even still here is because he has a voting contingency in Iceland that have kept him out of the bottom three for the past few weeks. He started off by covering "Hush" by Deep Purple, and it was probably the most energetic thing he's done all season - I thought it was great. Then he did his original - he couldn't remember the title, and neither can I - which I think is a really cool song that I can almost imagine listening to on the radio, but for two weeks in a row now he's been told it's not "catchy" enough. It's too bad, because if the guys in Supernova threw their support behind him, he might have enough momentum from the voting public to really bring to the band exactly what they need.
TOBY RAND - Toby's been the one who has won me over the most through the course of this whole show. I'll admit, after seeing him the first time, my tongue was hanging out - the dude is HOTT. Yes, hot with two t's. I've never seen such beautiful eyes in my life. And he's got this sweet Australian accent that could almost make you melt. However, Toby didn't really do it for me musically until a few weeks ago, when he emerged from the shadows while Dilana started her meltdown. That's when he stepped into the running as far as I was concerned. In last night's episode, he did "Karma Police" by Radiohead, and I thought he did a pretty good job of it. But it's when he sings "Throw It Away", his original with the catchy, memorable "Oh oh oh oh oh oh" sing-along part that I start to think he really should be the frontman for Supernova. He won the encore last week, and the song's been in my head ever since. The guy is a fan-pleaser. Girls will love him. They already do. Plus, did I mention he's HOTT??
LUKAS ROSSI - Alright, I'll admit it, I'm biased. As soon as I found out Lukas was Canadian, I began rooting for him before I even heard him sing. But over the summer, I've heard him sing A LOT, and I absolutely adore him. I really, really, really want him to win. A lot of Lukas fans on the Net (the Lukatics, the Rossi Posse...he's got many fan clubs) actually don't want him to take the title of Supernova Frontman, because they think the band's too cheesy and he's better than that. Maybe it's the competitive spirit in me, or maybe it's because I think he can truly give the band credibility, but I'd give anything to see Lukas win tonight. I almost shrieked out loud when I heard he was doing "Fix You" by Coldplay, the only song I can recall ever giving me goosebumps and the only song that ever could have made my buy a Coldplay CD. Luke did it justice - I thought he was amazing. Goosebumps all over again. Then, Lukas did the smartest thing he ever could have done - after hearing his original "Headspin" twice already (once in last week's performance show, and then he did it again as his Bottom 3 comeback song the following night), I was sort of wishing I could hear something different from him. But he had no choice but to play it again (Rockstar rules, I guess). To change it up, he stripped it down and played it acoustic, just him and his guitar, and the performance took my breath away. The guy is awesome, and I want him to win tonight so badly I can taste it.
All of this being said, I've never voted for anybody, so if my favourite doesn't win, I can only blame myself, I guess. I just can't believe the ride is almost over. God, the summer flew by fast.
Long enough for yas? Geez. I could write all day, but I better stop now! I somehow doubt anyone's read this far anyways. Have a good day, everyone!!
So then I went home to watch my shows. I'd been looking forward to Big Brother and Rockstar all day, and they didn't disappoint. Anyone who talks to me on a regular basis knows I tend to get a little wrapped up in my shows, so forgive me for rambling on about them for the next half hour. I've always been a bit of a rambler, and that's not going to change today! I'm going to start off with...
BIG BROTHER:ALL-STARS ~ I was so disappointed that it was Erika and Boogie in the finals, but it ended up being a rather entertaining finale nonetheless. I think my favourite moments of the season, which were highlighted many times last night, occurred with Will and Boogie, aka Chilltown, doing their telephone thing in the diary room. They might've been the bad guys in the house, but they were fun to watch, and they played an awesome game. When this show started, I didn't think the two of them had a hope in hell of making it past the first two weeks. But there they were, in the final four with their "showmances", Janelle and Erika. If had to pick, I would've like to see Janelle and Will standing as the final two, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. (I was glad to see Janelle was the recipient of the Fan Vote for the jury member most deserving of $25 Grand). In the end, Mike Boogie was the eventual winner of Big Brother:All-Stars, and while I didn't think he deserved to be an All-Star to begin with, he and Will definitely were the deviant masterminds behind the whole show, and I thought he was far more deserving of the big prize than Erika. I read somewhere recently that this show is the most tasteless one on television, because it showcases all the worst traits a human being can possess - manipulation, deviance, dishonesty, betrayal, hatred, and deceit. Maybe so, but I think it just makes for great TV, and at the end of the day, this All-Star cast knew they were all playing a game and that nothing was personal. I enjoyed every minute of it!!
And now on to...
ROCKSTAR:SUPERNOVA ~ This is by far and away my favourite show of the summer. I'll be sorry to see it end tonight. To kick off the show, they brought back Ryan Star, who was sent packing two weeks ago, to sing his original "Back of Your Car", and then they gave him a car. Don't know why the fans voted for him to return ahead of Storm Large - Ryan kind of grew on me over the weeks, but I was never his biggest fan. I would have much rather heard Storm's "Ladylike" again. A rumour on the Internet said Ryan had taken out several unlimited Verizon Wireless accounts and was paying people to vote for him so he could get back on International TV one last time to promote his new album. Gag me.
Anyhow, onto the real important stuff. I started watching the show half-way through last night and had to rewind my tape to catch the first two performers, so I'm going to review them in the order I saw them, because in my opinion, that was the order of worst to best.
DILANA - It's no secret, Dilana's the only one left that I would hate to see win this thing. I had pegged her as the frontrunner the first week I watched the show, and I loved her early on in the competition, but then the Dilanadrama began, and I haven't enjoyed her since. Last night, she sang "Roxanne" by the Police, and she did an alright version. Her best move, though, was getting the three guys to sing back up for her - they sounded AWESOME. Then she did her original "Supersoul", which I think supersucks. Jason, Gilby, and Tommy seem to love her, though. If she wins this thing, I'll feel like I wasted the whole summer.
MAGNI - I like this guy, I really do, but I don't think he has a chance in hell of winning. For one thing, Supernova doesn't seem to enjoy him all that much. I think the only reason he's even still here is because he has a voting contingency in Iceland that have kept him out of the bottom three for the past few weeks. He started off by covering "Hush" by Deep Purple, and it was probably the most energetic thing he's done all season - I thought it was great. Then he did his original - he couldn't remember the title, and neither can I - which I think is a really cool song that I can almost imagine listening to on the radio, but for two weeks in a row now he's been told it's not "catchy" enough. It's too bad, because if the guys in Supernova threw their support behind him, he might have enough momentum from the voting public to really bring to the band exactly what they need.
TOBY RAND - Toby's been the one who has won me over the most through the course of this whole show. I'll admit, after seeing him the first time, my tongue was hanging out - the dude is HOTT. Yes, hot with two t's. I've never seen such beautiful eyes in my life. And he's got this sweet Australian accent that could almost make you melt. However, Toby didn't really do it for me musically until a few weeks ago, when he emerged from the shadows while Dilana started her meltdown. That's when he stepped into the running as far as I was concerned. In last night's episode, he did "Karma Police" by Radiohead, and I thought he did a pretty good job of it. But it's when he sings "Throw It Away", his original with the catchy, memorable "Oh oh oh oh oh oh" sing-along part that I start to think he really should be the frontman for Supernova. He won the encore last week, and the song's been in my head ever since. The guy is a fan-pleaser. Girls will love him. They already do. Plus, did I mention he's HOTT??
LUKAS ROSSI - Alright, I'll admit it, I'm biased. As soon as I found out Lukas was Canadian, I began rooting for him before I even heard him sing. But over the summer, I've heard him sing A LOT, and I absolutely adore him. I really, really, really want him to win. A lot of Lukas fans on the Net (the Lukatics, the Rossi Posse...he's got many fan clubs) actually don't want him to take the title of Supernova Frontman, because they think the band's too cheesy and he's better than that. Maybe it's the competitive spirit in me, or maybe it's because I think he can truly give the band credibility, but I'd give anything to see Lukas win tonight. I almost shrieked out loud when I heard he was doing "Fix You" by Coldplay, the only song I can recall ever giving me goosebumps and the only song that ever could have made my buy a Coldplay CD. Luke did it justice - I thought he was amazing. Goosebumps all over again. Then, Lukas did the smartest thing he ever could have done - after hearing his original "Headspin" twice already (once in last week's performance show, and then he did it again as his Bottom 3 comeback song the following night), I was sort of wishing I could hear something different from him. But he had no choice but to play it again (Rockstar rules, I guess). To change it up, he stripped it down and played it acoustic, just him and his guitar, and the performance took my breath away. The guy is awesome, and I want him to win tonight so badly I can taste it.
All of this being said, I've never voted for anybody, so if my favourite doesn't win, I can only blame myself, I guess. I just can't believe the ride is almost over. God, the summer flew by fast.
Long enough for yas? Geez. I could write all day, but I better stop now! I somehow doubt anyone's read this far anyways. Have a good day, everyone!!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
WOW! I finally did it - after months of thinking about starting my own Blog, I got up the courage to go through the whole "3 Step Process" of creating my own little corner in Cyberspace. My favourite part was getting to choose my pretty pink template. I'm not sure why I chose pink, because it's definitely not my favourite colour - so look for that to change in the near future!
So I bet you're wondering what "Jill's World" is going to be all about. Well, it's going to be exactly that - what's going on in my world. It's going to be a place for me to write about...well, whatever the hell I want! From my family and friends, to my favourite TV shows, to my favourite hockey team (GO SENS GO!), to current events...whatever my little heart desires. If anyone wants to comment, or add their own thoughts and stories, be my guest! Hey, maybe no one will ever read it, and it'll just be me posting my own stuff and talking to myself. That's OK too.
So what to begin with? Perhaps the fact that I'm dog-tired from staying up late last night watching the CCMA's just to see one of my favourite bands, Emerson Drive, perform. Don't you hate that, when you're watching an awards program, and heading into every commercial break the annoying voice-over lady or gent says, "Coming up next - ___________!!" - fill in the blank with the ONE person or performer you're dying to see?? And while you're holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, he/she/they really ARE coming up next, you know damned well that you're going to have to wait until the final 2 minutes of the 4-hour long program to see what you really want to see. (OK, slight exaggeration there - the Canadian Country Music Awards are only 2 hours. Not quite like the Oscars, but after two hours of watching the Roadhammers win everything, it was starting to feel like a lot longer...)
Emerson Drive is one of the few groups I would definitely say is worth staying up for. They won me over at the Shawville Fair several years ago, especially when I bumped into lead singer Brad in the beer tent after the show. He was an absolute sweetheart, and he was so polite and funny, even with a drunk girl hanging off his arm (that would be me). I just bought their new CD, "Countrified", last week, and I love it. So I was willing to wait until 10:58 to watch them perform. But now here's the kicker - it appears the show was running a little late, so by the time Brad and the boys took the stage, there was only enough time for CBC to show approximately 2 seconds of their new, high-energy, crowd-pleaser "Countrified Soul" before cutting to the news. Yes, that's right. THE NEWS. Arggghhh!!!!
So yeah, I'm tired, and a little bit pissed. The only other highlight of the show for me was seeing Aaron Pritchett (a headliner at Shawville Fair two weeks ago) joined on-stage by Tyler Connelly of Theory of a Deadman, singing "The Weight". Otherwise it was pretty boring, and the lame-ass sportscaster-type commenting by Colleen Jones and some other lame-ass guy was really...well...lame-ass.
I'd better get rested up at some point today, though, because I've got a big night ahead of me. Not only is there Quyon Ball tonight (and the playoffs, nonetheless...wheee!), but tonight also marks the finale of Big Brother: All-Stars, and the final performance episode of Rockstar - my two favourite summer shows drawing to a close. My predictions? Boogie will take Big Brother (even though I wish Will had been in the final two), and it'll be a toss-up between Toby and Lukas on Rockstar (with Lukas being my personal pick). Can't wait to see how it all pans out!!
So there - Blog #1 in Jill's World in the books! Look for my thoughts on both Big Brother and Rockstar:Supernova tomorrow.
So I bet you're wondering what "Jill's World" is going to be all about. Well, it's going to be exactly that - what's going on in my world. It's going to be a place for me to write about...well, whatever the hell I want! From my family and friends, to my favourite TV shows, to my favourite hockey team (GO SENS GO!), to current events...whatever my little heart desires. If anyone wants to comment, or add their own thoughts and stories, be my guest! Hey, maybe no one will ever read it, and it'll just be me posting my own stuff and talking to myself. That's OK too.
So what to begin with? Perhaps the fact that I'm dog-tired from staying up late last night watching the CCMA's just to see one of my favourite bands, Emerson Drive, perform. Don't you hate that, when you're watching an awards program, and heading into every commercial break the annoying voice-over lady or gent says, "Coming up next - ___________!!" - fill in the blank with the ONE person or performer you're dying to see?? And while you're holding out hope that maybe, just maybe, he/she/they really ARE coming up next, you know damned well that you're going to have to wait until the final 2 minutes of the 4-hour long program to see what you really want to see. (OK, slight exaggeration there - the Canadian Country Music Awards are only 2 hours. Not quite like the Oscars, but after two hours of watching the Roadhammers win everything, it was starting to feel like a lot longer...)
Emerson Drive is one of the few groups I would definitely say is worth staying up for. They won me over at the Shawville Fair several years ago, especially when I bumped into lead singer Brad in the beer tent after the show. He was an absolute sweetheart, and he was so polite and funny, even with a drunk girl hanging off his arm (that would be me). I just bought their new CD, "Countrified", last week, and I love it. So I was willing to wait until 10:58 to watch them perform. But now here's the kicker - it appears the show was running a little late, so by the time Brad and the boys took the stage, there was only enough time for CBC to show approximately 2 seconds of their new, high-energy, crowd-pleaser "Countrified Soul" before cutting to the news. Yes, that's right. THE NEWS. Arggghhh!!!!
So yeah, I'm tired, and a little bit pissed. The only other highlight of the show for me was seeing Aaron Pritchett (a headliner at Shawville Fair two weeks ago) joined on-stage by Tyler Connelly of Theory of a Deadman, singing "The Weight". Otherwise it was pretty boring, and the lame-ass sportscaster-type commenting by Colleen Jones and some other lame-ass guy was really...well...lame-ass.
I'd better get rested up at some point today, though, because I've got a big night ahead of me. Not only is there Quyon Ball tonight (and the playoffs, nonetheless...wheee!), but tonight also marks the finale of Big Brother: All-Stars, and the final performance episode of Rockstar - my two favourite summer shows drawing to a close. My predictions? Boogie will take Big Brother (even though I wish Will had been in the final two), and it'll be a toss-up between Toby and Lukas on Rockstar (with Lukas being my personal pick). Can't wait to see how it all pans out!!
So there - Blog #1 in Jill's World in the books! Look for my thoughts on both Big Brother and Rockstar:Supernova tomorrow.
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