Date with THE BOSS!!!

Gentlemen, start your engines! Ladies, start your engines! Everyone, start your engines! Then start your computers, charge up your phones, make sure you have gas in the car, maybe even a lawn chair and a sleeping bag. Its MEGA CONCERT ticket buying time once again!! At least I ‘think’ it will be. I’m pretty sure it will be. I am, of course, talking about none other than BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND, coming to Scotiabank Place on Sunday October 14th and the tickets go on sale at 10 am MONDAY SEPT 17TH!!! What to do, what to do? Hope you have the ‘fastest finger’ on the phones? Or the ‘highest speed’ internet? What about doing the old fashioned thing, calling in sick and lining up outside Sports Experts? If I’m not mistaken, the last time Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played the Corel Centre (as it was called in 2003), tickets sold out in 71 minutes, which I believe is still a record. And if you have never seen Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band live in concert, believe me when I tell you, outside of your wedding day, the birth of your children and grandchildren, and the unconditional love of pets, and maybe Christmas, that there is no greater joy on the face of the earth than a Bruce Springsteen concert. And I am not one to exaggerate.

Dogs Would Rather Eat Cheese Than Say Cheese

What a great day!! It was so amazing to see all the wonderful supporters of the Ottawa Humane Society and of course the dogs too – for the 19th annual Humane Society Wiggle Waggle Walk-a-thon! I had a great time sharing MC duties with A Channel’s Kurt Stoodley. Give yourselves a big pat on the back (or on the head), over $127,000 raised for the shelter!! I wish I could have taken a photo of each and every dog at the event. But dogs just don’t sit still! Lol….Anyway, here are some pictures from the day…enjoy!

The Arboretum Goes to the Dogs

We’re wiggling and waggling again!! Pictured above: Ottawa Police Chief Vern White and Hudson (my dog adopted from the Humane Society). Please join HONOURARY CHAIR of this year’s Humane Society Wiggle Waggle Walkathon, Ottawa Police Chief Vern White, along with about 1300 dogs and even more people this Sunday at the Arboretum! Chief White has two dogs, Macy and Ari. Ari was in fact adopted from the Ottawa Humane Society! I hope to get some photos of Chief White and his dog at the ‘Wiggle Waggle’ this Sunday. It’s a great day for the whole family and a very important fundraiser for the Humane Society, so please download a pledge sheet and we’ll see you Sunday!! All info is on the ‘pet friendly’ section of this website, or go to http://www.ottawahumane.ca/!

I was wearing white pants yesterday and someone told me that you’re not allowed to wear white pants after Labour Day. Is that still true? The person who told me I couldn’t wear white pants after Labour Day was wearing shorts and sandals. So, I could’ve worn a bathing suit to work, with a hoodie, high heels, and leg warmers, and that would have all been fine, as long as I wasn’t wearing white pants because it was after Labour Day.

Ottawa Senators goalie Ray Emery got into a scuffle on the 417 yesterday while driving his Hummer to hockey practice. Isn’t that now considered the official start of the Senators new season?

Being such a tv-aholic, I’m really looking forward to the new tv season. But there are so many programs that I can’t watch because I didn’t watch all the episodes last year, so I have no idea what’s going on…like ‘Heroes’, ‘Lost’, ‘Prison Break’….and I know I’ve been given umpteen chances to watch the entire season of these shows…but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. In today’s world you can watch tv shows on the internet, on your phone, your ipod, there are even refrigerators with tv’s built into the door. We were visiting a friend in Barrhaven and his neighbour had a big HD tv in the garage. He was watching a re-run of ‘24’. Must be catching up before the new fall season.

Ottawa Citizen movie critic and reporter for Bob’s ‘Morning After’, Jay Stone, is at the Toronto Film Festival. He has to watch a whack of movies, write reviews, the usual stuff. But on occasion he’s also in the same room as Brad Pitt! I don’t think he’s as impressed by that as much as I am. Come to think of it, I recently had to remind Jay that he once dined next to Angelina Jolie. He had forgotten about that. Jay is more impressed with someone who has a kitchen with recessed pot lights.

When in Rome...Actually, We Didn't Go to Rome

Here are some pictures from my trip to Europe. Top left to right: scared guy in Bellagio Italy, 'Cows' near Switzerland/France border, 'Cow' in Lucerne Switzerland, 'Swans' in Lucerne Switzerland, 'Cows' near Eiger Mountain Switzerland, 'Goats' near Eiger Mountain Switzerland, and 'Cat' in Amsterdam.

As you can see, I saw quite a bit of Europe, all the tourist attractions and landmarks! I've been told that thousands of people have seen the Cat of Amsterdam.

LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THEM!!!!!

JUST LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN FIND IN THE MARKET!!!!!!!

Just got back from my first-ever trip to Europe! It was a lot of fun. I’ll talk a bit more about that later. Right now I’d like to highlight the 2 giant vegetables I bought right here in the byward market this week. The cucumber, which JR is holding up for the camera, is over 15 inches long, and the zucchini is 25 inches long and weighs about 15 pounds. That's Hammer holding that baby up for all to see. And the market vendors tell me there’s a whole lot more where that came from! Can you believe it?

Since Everyone Else is Gone Too.......

I'm on holidaze!
see you in late August!
- sandy

Say!!! Thats Great Corn!!!!

Is everyone in the world on holidays right now? It seems like every time I send an email to someone, I get the ‘out of office reply’! Even when I send an email to friends who don’t have jobs.
Is it really possible to completely step away from your email? Even while you’re on holidays, if you see a computer, are you not just a ‘bit’ tempted to log on for a second and check your messages? I try and try and try to ignore my email when I’m on vacation. But what if someone is sending me a message that Bruce Springsteen is putting on a secret show tonight at Barrymores? Or someone has sent me a really cute video montage of dogs doing funny things? Or a recipe? Or a backyard photo of a woodpecker? Admittedly sometimes the curiosity is just too much. I think I proved that when I paid 100 pesos to access a computer in an internet café in Isla Mujeres Mexico. Yes, I did check my email that day. However, I did not RETURN any email. That would lead people to think I was, in fact, checking my email.

Zowie! Gadzooks! I never thought this would happen to me………..
I have always been the ‘last’ person people have trusted with any kind of cooking tip. However, I had to share this one with listeners and since then….the feedback has been amazing. A friend of ours, Bruce Simpson (and his lovely fiancée Sara) joined us for dinner at our place last week. At one time Bruce owned a restaurant, and he really knows his way around the kitchen. So he took over in MY kitchen, which made me quite happy!!!! For an appetizer, Bruce served us each a piece of fresh local corn on the cob, and it was the best corn I’d ever tasted! Here’s what he did:
-husked the corn
-splashed on a bit of soya sauce and fresh lime juice (don’t raise an eyebrow, just do it, trust me!!)
- MICROWAVED on high power for about 5 minutes (this cooks 2 – 3 cobs of corn, depending on your microwave)
- Once cooked, he rolled it in melted butter and served it to us and WOW!!! Its was unbelievable! Bruce is of the opinion that corn-on-the-cob is the ONLY food that actually tastes BETTER by being microwaved!! This new piece of information has since been welcomed by two groups of people: the ‘COOK CORN IN BOILING SALTED WATER FOR 20 MINUTES’ people…and the ‘NEED TO EAT SOMETHING FAST’ people. I will never boil corn again. And I may not eat anything else this summer. Except ice cream.

Are you going to see the new Simpsons movie? I can’t wait to see it. I was kinda disappointed that they didn’t have the ‘midnight premiere’ of ‘The Simpsons Movie’. I thought they did that every time a movie was so highly anticipated. I definitely would have been one of the people in line at the theatre to see the movie at 12:01 am. Like just about everyone else, I love the Simpsons. My favourite character tends to change from Bart to Homer then back to Bart then over to Marge, and often my favourite character is Lisa. Maybe our favourite Simpson character is determined by who we can most identify with. That must be why I love Milhouse. So mis-understood!

Everyone Loves A Good Mime Artist

Fans of Bruce Springsteen, it’s the news we’ve all been waiting for! OK..it’s the rumour we’ve all been waiting for. According to www.backstreets.com, the official fan site for ‘the Boss’ (which he fully endorses) , rumour has it that Bruce is going to have a new album out in the fall WITH the ‘E Street Band’ (yay!!!) and a North American tour will follow! I know people who have seen Bruce Springsteen in concert about 150 times. I feel like a novice, having seen the Boss only around 26 times. I used to have a lot of the concert ticket stubs in my purse, but my purse was stolen in Montreal so the thief has them now. He’s probably bragging about being at those Bruce Springsteen shows, showing his friends the ticket stubs. What a liar.

I’m glad to see that the new concert festival site, LeBreton Flats, is going to be used for more than Bluefest shows. The Scorpions are playing at LeBreton Flats at the end of August! I’ve never seen the Scorpions but they have a huge following. And if people were complaining about the noise at Bluesfest…………

Bob’s ‘Movies on the Beach’ is back at Westboro Beach on Friday July 27th and the movie, as chosen by Bob’s listeners, will be ‘Planet of the Apes’. The original 1968 version with Charleton Heston. Critics still say that this movie has one of the best endings of all time. It is a bit of a surprise ending. I won’t give it away if you haven’t seen the movie. It involves Suzanne Pleshette. Just kidding.

It’s the middle of July and I was at a store today looking for a pair of shorts. I was pretty happy to see that the shorts were on sale! Half price! But then I saw why. They needed room for the new fall and winter clothes coming in. Its July!!! I haven’t even taken the snow brush out of my car yet from last winter.

There’s a mime in the byward market who has had the same shtick for years now. He arrives at his spot on George Street, then uses the reflection of a store-front window to apply white paint all over his face. Then he stands really still, while grasping onto a badminion racquet. Or maybe it’s a squash racquet, I’m not really sure. He stands there like a statue, holding the racquet in mid-swing. Doesn’t move. Except I’ve seen him break for snacks or lunch, or just walk around to loosen up his legs. I don’t know how much money he makes standing like a statue holding a badminton racquet. I hope he makes enough to afford a birdie and a net someday.

Bluesfest is the Bestfest!

Last night was my third trip to Bluesfest and I just can’t stop raving about how much fun it is. And how LUCKY we are to have this fantastic festival right here in Ottawa! So far I’ve seen Bob Dylan, Joel Plaskett, the White Stripes, Steve Miller, and various bands on some of the smaller stages, and tonight its Blue Rodeo…..tomorrow night, INXS….phew- and to top it all off, ‘The Village People’ on Sunday! How can you beat that? I absolutely close my ears when I hear people complain about Bluesfest. Don’t get me wrong. I like to complain about lots of things, but I never complain about Bluesfest. Again this year the ‘lawn chair people’ are battling the ‘standers’. People are also complaining about the line-ups, the location, the noise, the weather, the sun’s glare off the river, the grass not being soft enough, the beer cup lids not being tight enough, the people in the VIP section looking too happy, the hand-washing water outside the porta-potties not being cold enough, the sun going down too early, the sun going down too late, why are bikes not allowed inside the venue, the tiny tom donuts have too much sugar on them, there’s mustard on my shoe and I didn’t put it there. Geez!! We have the most amazing festival in North America right in our backyard, so stop complaining!!! Now I’m complaining about all the complaining. See, I told you, I also like to complain.


Hey, if you’re looking for something fun to do on Sunday besides Bluesfest, head out to Almonte!! Not only is Almonte the top spot for UFO sighting, its also the host of ‘Celtfest’! Its all about live entertainment with jigs and reels and all things ‘celtic’, food, beer, and its absolutely free, (not the food and beer, but the admission) at Gemmill Park from noon to 8 pm! Senators Army Captain Ryan Guthrie is one of the organizers so its got to be good! For more info go to www.almonteceltfest.com! Who knows….after a few hours at ‘Celtfest’, you too may just see a UFO! Let me know if you do! I haven’t heard a good UFO story for a while.

I am now an officially ordained minister. I filled out all the proper paperwork at www.themonastery.org, site of the Universal Life Church Monastery. I have received my certificate with my new title, Reverend Sandy Sharkey. I now have the right to perform baptisms, weddings, any legal ceremony I choose, with the exception of circumcision. For that, I would need to fill out more forms.
You know that expression, ‘if you love your tv so much, why don’t you marry it’? Or…’if you love your truck so much, why don’t you marry it’….etc…well, now you can! Let me know if you’d like me to marry you to someone or something. The sky’s the limit with the Universal Life Church. Or, better yet, go on their website and fill out the paperwork, then perform the wedding yourself if you like! All the best!

Doe! A Deer! Two female Deer!

Bam Bam Baby # 1 Bam Bam Baby # 2

Remember back in December, when the Ontario Ministry of the Environment seized Bam Bam the deer from Greely couple Bruce and Christina Straby, and brought her to a zoo? (the Strabys had rescued her from the side of the road as a seriously ill tiny day-old fawn) There was no center for wildlife rehabilitation, so the Strabys kept Bam Bam on a hobby farm where she thrived quite nicely, until MNR officers seized her last winter. After much public outcry, Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty himself apologized to the Strabys, and Bam Bam was returned to the farm around Christmas-time. Well, lo and behold, for the short time Bam Bam was in a local zoo back in December – she was placed with a male white-tailed deer and guess what….last week she gave birth to twins! I had the pleasure of visiting the little babies this morning. Two tiny female fawns that weigh about 3 pounds each. Bam Bam is an excellent mother, she hides them in the grass and does what comes naturally. I took some photos (using a telephoto so I didn’t disturb them). They must be the cutest critters I have ever seen.


‘Dancing with the Stars’ comes to town next week! Did you watch the show? I tried to pretend that I didn’t watch it, but I did. I must admit I got completely caught up in it, with some pretty hot moves week after week from Apolo Anton Ohno, Layla Ali and Joey Fatone. Even that Beverly Hills 90210 guy was pretty good. Some of the dancers will be here at Scotiabank Place on Tuesday, and…guess what? You have a chance to be on the stage too!! ‘Dancing With the Stars;’ is looking for a local couple to strut their stuff at Scotiabank Place before the big show on Tuesday. Think you know how to ‘cha cha’? Local couples are invited to contact Melissa from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio at 613-567-3237, for a chance to audition this Friday night – and who knows, you could be on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ Ottawa edition next Tuesday! P.s. I will be one of the judges. What qualifies me to be a dance judge? Absolutely nothing. I just like watching it.

‘Animal Fest’ starts on Friday, 3 days of fun at Big Sky Animal Sanctuary in Kemptville. For details, check the website www.bigskyranch.ca! BOB FM will be there on Saturday, there’s a full line-up of entertainment and prizes and food and tons of things going on, not to mention the animals! All proceeds to ‘Animal Fest’ go to help out the unwanted and abused horses, dogs, goats, cats, chickens, and pigs at Big Sky, where animals go for a second chance. I will be the MC on Saturday, and my good buddy Chris Day from CTV Ottawa will be your host on Sunday. We’d love to see you, come on out for a day on the farm!

Busy times here in town, wow, its also Bluesfest time again! I LOVE Bluesfest, there’s something about seeing live bands in the summer under the stars. Some of the best conversations you can ever have are when you are in the porta-potti line-up. I may try to catch Bob Dylan, definitely Blue Rodeo, the Solid Gold Dancers, Ten Years After, and everything I can possibly watch on the Black Sheep Stage. Kudos to the people who fork out the big $$$$ to be in the VIP section right near the stage. Last year a friend of mine tried to sneak in to the VIP section, she’s a wonderful upstanding high tech computer whiz, blonde, beautiful, owns her own home, a car, she’s awesome, and she got turfed from Bluesfest for trying to sneak into the VIP section. Do not try this. I believe she is still banned from Bluesfest

Greetings from Camp Wenterzumihalinenrowboatin

School’s out!!! That has to be in the top 3 ‘best moments ever’, next to a visit from Santa Claus, and finding a 20 dollar bill in your pocket.
After the final school bell, it usually took me about 2 days to announce my first ‘Mom! There’s nothing to do’!
I can’t get over all the day camps that are out there for kids this summer. When I was a kid, camp was camp, the name of the camp started with a ‘W’ and ended with an ‘N’, and there was about 32 letters in between, and there were bunk beds and rowboats and campfires and sunburns and mosquitoes. Nowadays, there are hockey camps, soccer camps, ballet camps, art camps, science fiction camps (uh oh), animal husbandry camps, woodworking camps, cooking camps, swimming camps, weight loss camps, astronomy camps. I would believe it if someone told me that there are also Nintendo camps, and for those in the Ottawa area, how about a ‘light rail transit’ camp.

The first of five BOB FM ‘Movies on the Beach’ is this Friday at dusk, at Westboro Beach, and as voted by the wonderful BOB listeners, there will be a screening of ‘JAWS’! Bring the whole family out, its FREE! We think it’s a good idea to introduce JAWS to a whole new generation of people who will be forever afraid to dip their big toe into an ocean. After I saw JAWS back in 1975, it took me a long time to go swimming in Mississippi Lake near Carleton Place. And my brothers were like everyone else’s brothers who insisted on popping out of the water and acting just like a shark, so the girls would all scream at the top of our lungs. We did this every day for the entire month of July in 1975. It never got boring.

My husband went clothes shopping yesterday. Something he does once every 2 years, whether he needs to or not. He came home with two shirts, that are exactly the same. Same color, same style, exactly the same shirt. Two of them. He liked them so much, he bought two. This was just one of those moments that really define the differences between men and women.

We have a masked marauder at our place. Masked marauder. That’s often the way newspaper columnists describe a raccoon. I woke up Sunday morning to a front lawn covered in garbage. The raccoon had a great night, there were ice cream containers to lick clean, steak bones to gnaw on, potato peels, he even chewed on a Visa bill. But he definitely hit the jackpot with the corn on the cob. Raccoons have hands just like people and they love to eat corn on the cob. Its quite cute, actually, they eat corn on the cob with their hands just like people.
I checked on Youtube to see if there’s a video of a raccoon eating corn, and would you believe, out of 4 million videos, there isn’t ONE of a raccoon eating corn?! Can you believe it? There is, however, a Youtube video of a raccoon eating Kraft cheese slices.

Happy Canada Day! I love Canada Day. What a party. Wear red! Go downtown! Shout and cheer! Hey wait a minute, didn’t we just do this during the Stanley Cup play-offs….

One scream-fest to another

Taking pictures of butterflies is a fun way to get out of house-work or getting an oil change.

Just got back from holidays. The Senators didn’t win the Stanley Cup but I’d like to be the one millionth person to say THANK YOU to the team for so much excitement. I had to take holidays just to recover from all the screaming and the shouting. Maybe I shouldn’t scream and shout quite that much.

My week off was quite un-eventful. At the cottage, I weeded gardens, went for a few boat rides, chased a deer away from the road, shooed a snapping turtle away from the road, basically spent a lot of time keeping things off the road. That was about it. Oh yeah, and I got hit by lightning. Well, sort of. I was standing in the kitchen, wiping excess pina colada off the kitchen counter, with an electrical storm brewing nearby. Suddenly I heard a huge C-R-A-C-K. Then I realized that the ‘cr-r-a-c-k’ noise was actually coming from my body. This made me scream at the top of my lungs. My scream was then followed by a giant thundercrack, the house shook, and my husband ran into the room. He knew something was wrong because normally I scream AFTER a thundercrack. This time I screamed BEFORE the thundercrack. As it turned out, I had been a conducter for an electrical surge caused by lightning. I had no idea this could happen while you’re in your cottage wiping pina colada off the counter. For the next 15 minutes, I was a bit zombie-like but that was about it. I’m still waiting for some sort of super-power to kick in. I would love to be able to start the barbeque with my eyes.

THE PARTY MUST CONTINUE!!!!

NEVER GIVE UP!!!
Ok….so the Senators are down 3 games to 1. Its not impossible! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Today is Mike Fisher’s birthday. Wonder what gifts he’s going to get. Thank you to the listeners who called to suggest that Mike gets a Stanley Cup. Pretty good idea!

I had a theory about national anthem singers. I always thought that the best anthem singers were the people who were classically trained, ie opera singers. Pop singers always seem to destroy the anthem because they ‘try to make it their own’. Put their own little twist on it. Well, I was wrong! I thought Alanis Morrissette’s versions of both the American and Canadian anthems last night were the best yet! She genuinely seemed happy to be back in her hometown, belting out the words for all the world to see. Well, all of North America. Well, ok, how about all of Canada. And 30 of 40 American viewers.

Speaking of which, how much more ‘sucking up to NBC’ can we possibly do during the NHL play-offs? Having our games switched to Saturday AFTERNOONS to accommodate NBC was one thing….but I couldn’t believe it last night when CBC actually SWITCHED OVER to the NBC coverage of between-period chatter…yeah sure, Don Cherry was a guest on NBC but I like Don Cherry on CBC, not on NBC. I find he’s far too polite on NBC, he’s out of his element, he even wears clothes that match on NBC. He doesn’t pop a vein on NBC. That’s not the Don Cherry we all know and love.

Hey, are there really other things going on besides the Stanley Cup play-offs? Huge congratulations to everyone who worked tirelessly over the weekend – AND raised tons of cash during the CHEO telethon , as well as the ‘Weekend to End Breast Cancer’. These two events really put things into perspective, don’t they?

Our ‘Morning After’ correspondent Rick Currie has been doing a great job covering the various rallies and parties and ‘Red Zone’ rambunctious-ness (is that a word?) over the past few weeks during the play-offs. But, soon it will all be over, and we need to find some new assignments for Rick and his microphone. If you have any suggestions, email us mornings@939bobfm.com
For the most part, Rick has been interviewing people that have been drinking heavily. We hope that he is still capable of making out what a sober person is saying.

Tomorrow morning, the swans are being released onto the Rideau River! Yes, the ‘royal swans’ have been penned up for two years now, not seeing freedom last summer because someone decided there was the danger of avian flu or something like that……..
A word of advice, from someone who has had this experience. When I was a kid I used to ride my bike to Billings Bridge and bring a bag of bread with me to feed the swans right near the bridge. It always started off great, first the ducks would come for their pieces of bread, then the swans would show up. Then, before long, all heck would break loose. The experience would often end with me being chased across the lawn by an angry swan. Do not ever show favouritism towards one swan, give every swan equal amounts of bread, or you too will end up being chased across the lawn by a really mad swan. Just a word of advice. But those swans sure are beautiful.

Ouch!! We lose game 2 in Anaheim, series is now at 2 - 0 for the Ducks.
Just wait til they get to Ottawa!

Ok. Second period is over. Still no score. Ray Emery should get the Order of Canada for the way he's playing.

Mike Fisher enjoys a quick stop to the Anaheim Aquarium

First period is over. Phew!!! No score. The highlight of the period had to be, when Mike Fisher went without a helmet for a while.

Game 2 pre game show

As I write this, game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals is less than ½ hour away. I am wearing a ‘Be Red’ shirt. The Ottawa Senators lost the first game to the Anaheim Ducks. I have tried to block out the statistic that everyone keeps repeating: the team that wins the first game in the Stanley Cup finals goes on to win the Cup 84 percent of the time. To that I say…..PPPHHHTTTTT!!!!!
Why did our beloved Senators lose the first game? Was it the 9 day lay-off? The jet lag? Maybe its because Spartacat wasn’t in the building. Maybe its because the pairing of Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger and Don Cherry caused asteroids to collide, which in turn affected the molecular properties of the inside of the Honda Arena in Anaheim.
Or, maybe its just because the Ducks played better.
Nawwww……
The game’s coming up. Its already a really good sign of things to come: at least CBC is sparing us another sparring match between Ron McLean and Gary Bettman. See you after the first period.

Dany Heatley Doesn't Have extra tickets either

Some nights are just better than other nights. Ran into Dany Heatley at the Sterling Steakhouse by the Gatineau River last night. I blabbered on for a bit then he agreed to pose for a photo. He has a great sense of humour. He was also very relaxed, heading into the biggest hockey series of his life. Oh well, I’m still desperately trying to get my hands on Stanley Cup tickets like everyone else. Dany didn’t have any with him. Darn!!

Will Work For Senators Stanley Cup Final Tickets

Mike Fisher enjoys a well-deserved break in the garden

YAYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAHOO!!!!!!!
WOO HOO!!!!!!!
Can you believe it? We are in the Stanley Cup finals! Just one more team to beat!!
I’m still in shock. I was born in Ottawa, and have lived in Ottawa my entire life. I consider myself one of those long-suffering Ottawa sports fans, you know the ones….the people who cheered and applauded and bought tickets and sat in the rain or sat in the bleachers, whether it was an Ottawa Rough Rider game where the score was 49 to 2 for the ‘other guys’, or whether it was a Renegades game, with some inane Gleiberman marketing debacle taking place in the upper level, or whether it was our beloved Senators, with so much promise heading into the play-offs, and somehow it was just not to be……….UNTIL NOW!!!!!
Now!!!!! Now its just a matter of getting tickets. This will be the hardest ticket in town. Of course, BOB FM will have a pair of tickets to give away for the first Stanley Cup Final home game. So good luck, and good dialing. I have to figure something else out. I have a few ideas up my sleeve. Can’t give them out, or someone might steal ‘em. Let’s just say it may or may not involve my jars and jars of spare change, and a couple of people who may or may not remember me from high school.

Phew! Close call! IF there was a Senators game this coming Saturday, there could’ve been quite a scene on Elgin Street. Its fantastic that Elgin Street has been deemed ‘Sens Mile’, and fans sure showed up in droves after our historic win last weekend. Well, this weekend is ‘National Capital Race Weekend’. And the 10K race is Saturday. The route for the 10K? Elgin Street! Sens Mile party vs runners in the 10K. I know it wouldn’t take much for me to tear off my racing bib and plunk myself down on a patio with all the other revelers. But I’d still finish the race. Just a little later.

This is a busy weekend coming up….its also the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Canadian Guide Dogs. Sunday morning, it’s the Guide Dogs Walk at Andrew Haydon Park by the Ottawa River. It’s the only day of the year that dogs are allowed at Andrew Haydon Park so bring your four legged friends and raise some funds for a special cause. For more information, go to www.guidedogs.ca

Calling all Elvis’!!! Elvis-es? El-vie? Whatever the plural of Elvis is…..Elvis Presley Enterprises is searching for the BEST ELVIS TRIBUTE ARTIST in the world!!! And the contest is making a stop right here, one of only 2 places in Canada…July 6th at the Casino du Lac Leamy in Gatineau! If you can curl your lip and snarl ‘thank you very much’, then shake everything you got, why not enter this contest!!! You may find yourself at Graceland! For complete details, check www.UltimateElvisTributeContest.com!

There's only one Buffalo

(above left) JR and Sandy and Stanley the Buffalo

(above right and yes, left , too

Rick Currie and Stanley

We found the country’s biggest Ottawa Senator fan, and he’s a BUFFALO!! What are the odds of that? Stanley the Buffalo (ok, his real name is ‘Dakota’, but we changed it for the series)!! Stanley the Buffalo is a rescued buffalo who now lives at the Big Sky Animal Sanctuary in Kemptville. (www.bigskyranch.ca)

As you can see from these pictures, he just loves the Ottawa Senators. He has completely turned his back on the Buffalo Sabres. Smart buffalo. JR and I along with morning show correspondent Rick Currie went out and visited Stanley recently, and he’s pretty pumped about the way the Ottawa Senators are playing. We let Rick interview Stanley, as he is the only one of us who speaks buffalo.
We are currently getting Rick ready to interview either a ‘duck’ or a ‘red wing’.

Talk is now turning to the Stanley Cup in Ottawa. As I write this, we have yet to clinch ‘round 3’ , but the energy is incredible in the city. I have lived in the Ottawa area my entire life and I join other true-born Ottawans when I say…….whats the best way to celebrate? We don’t really know. We have never had anything to celebrate….well, nothing of this magnitude anyway. Do we march up and down the street? Shout from our cars? Run amok? Scream things out of windows? Drop water balloons from roof-tops? Ride a horse into a hotel lobby?

If you were at the last Senators home game on Monday night, did you happen to see the giant red sasquatch…er, I mean, ‘Sens-quatch’? This guy was too funny. About 7 feet tall, red from head to toe, incredibly hairy. I heard that his costume earned him some seats behind the players’ bench. Unless of course, it wasn’t a costume.

The May Long Weekend is coming up!!! Yahoo! Do they still call it the May 2-4 weekend? Seems fitting to call it that. Time to open up the cottage, get out the camping gear, do some gardening. Maybe put in a brand new lawn because grubs ate your last lawn.

I have three apple trees to plant. I bought these really cool ‘4-in-one’ trees. Each tree will bear four different kinds of apples. I figure once my three apple trees are mature, I will get a crop of about 1000 apples each fall. And my husband hates apples. I’m the only one who eats them. If I have ever met you even just once six years ago, you will get a bag of apples from me.

But, I digress. Back to the Ottawa Senators!!!! GO SENS GO! Bye bye Buffalo. Ain’t it great to be Canadian?!!