hey you get off my video

The Stones have left the building. And the Byward Market. And the city of Ottawa. Phew! Good thing. I don’t think I could have another night with 2 hours’ sleep. On Sunday night, 43,000 people were treated to more than a concert, more than a night out. It was one of those rare, beautiful experiences. The world’s biggest rock and roll band came to our town and blew our doors wide open. For first-timers, it was a chance to see a bit of rock history. For those who have seen the Stones in the past, it was all the more special, with Mick and the boys finally being on our turf. What a show! I just couldn’t get enough. Which leads into why I did what I did the very next day after the concert.

Ottawa is a really big small town. Word about something juicy going on travels pretty quickly, so at 10 am on Monday morning, I found myself standing outside night-club Zaphod Beeblebrox in the market, the rumoured location of a Rolling Stones video shoot. At this point there was a couple of pigeons, two tractor trailers, and my friend Ann Marie McQueen, a reporter with the Ottawa Sun, who had heard the same rumour. I was armed with a tape recorder to interview the throngs of fans that would be there to capture a glimpse of the Stones. After waiting a while, no one came. So I interviewed Ann Marie McQueen instead.
Hours later, I returned to nab a spot with friends at the pub beside Zaphod’s, on the outdoor patio. That’s when things really started to happen. Trailer after trailer arrived, the street was completely closed off, production crews were barking orders all day and beautiful people started streaming into restricted areas, signed up as ‘extras’ for the Stones video shoot. I found an adjoining patio between the pub and Zaphod’s, and lo and behold, the ‘extra’s’ were all hanging out, waiting patiently to be called in to take their place inside the bar, waiting patiently to be part of something so cool, wow, a Stones video. That’s when it hit me. I decided to act like an extra. Sure, I didn’t look like one of them. These were hip rocksters in super funky clothes, clothes chosen just for them by a wardrobe lady that kept disappearing into a giant wardrobe trailer. I was wearing hiking boots, jeans, and a giant grey sweatshirt. I spoke to no one, afraid to blow my cover. Every once in a while, from my spot on the ‘extra’s patio’, I would hear a big roar from the ever-expanding crowd lining the sidewalks. Ronnie Wood had just arrived and disappeared into a trailer. Another roar. It was Keith! Then Charlie. Then Mick. Incognito amidst the extra’s, I waited patiently as they were called in to the bar, to take their place in the video shoot, one by one. Of course I had never given anyone my name, I didn’t fit the physical ‘look’ that these people had been hired for, and I wasn’t quite sure how to handle that moment when I would be the only one left, with absolutely no explanation of what I was doing there, no paperwork filled out, nothing. I was fully prepared to be busted and return to my friends outside on the pub patio. That’s when something incredible happened. The wardrobe lady came into the ‘extra’s’ holding tank and asked me if I had something else to wear. I said no. Then she handed me the hippest green shirt, and told me to change, fast. The last round of extra’s were summoned to the video set, and I was one of them. I was now inside the club, doing my best to blend in, tucking myself into the crowd on the dance floor. I kept praying the director wouldn’t notice the one woman in the middle who just didn’t project hipness. A couple of moments later, the Stones entered Zaphods, climbed on the stage, and the fantasy began. The band kicked into their single, ‘Streets of Love’, and our job was to act like a bunch of bar patrons doing what they do, grooving to the band. I was in so much shock over what I was seeing, Mick and the boys a mere ten feet away on a tiny stage, and I tried to pump my fist to the song but my entire body froze. Eventually I did pump my fist, and swayed with both arms in the air, showing off my prop drink, sharing a laugh with Ronnie Wood. Cameras rolled, production people shouted, beautiful people were put in strategic positions, regular people like me maintained the important role of padding out the bar. I wasn’t trying to get into the video, I just wanted to see the Stones play in a tiny bar. It was an experience I will never ever forget. Watch for the video ‘Streets of Love’ coming soon to Much Music. I wonder if my fist ended up on the cutting room floor.

The Stars Just Keep Coming

Wow! What a week this has been! My birthday is actually in February, but I moved it to August 22nd. So, for a birthday gift, JR and Morning After producer ‘Hammer’ got me the most amazing gift. A personal phone call from my favourite guy on the Weather Network, Chris St. Clair! He’s the guy on the Weather Network on Saturdays and Sundays. I find myself mesmerized by his knowledge of weather. Chris St Clair was kind enough to call me on the air on Tuesday morning, and offered me the chance to be the head of the Chris St Clair Fan Club, which, at this point, does not yet exist. What a great birthday!

Definitely planning to take in the Ottawa Air Show this weekend at the Carp Airport. For info, go to www.airshowottawa.com. I’m going for a flight in a vintage plane, I think it’s a B-25. Oddly enough, I have no fear of climbing into any kind of plane, no matter how small or how old or how loud it is. However, I am deathly afraid of clowns.

The ‘back to school’ feeling is everywhere now. Not having any kids, I do miss out on some of the fun this time of year. If it is fun. I’m not even sure. I know that when I was a kid it meant the end of a lot of the things I did all summer long, and just before the first day of school I had to release all of my frogs. One of the things I do enjoy about the back to school time, is that I can go into any drug store and they have these big product packs filled with shampoo and toothpaste and pens and stuff for 5 bucks. I pretend I’m buying it for my kids.

Rolling Stones in Ottawa. Biggest show ever. If you live in the Glebe, let me know if you’re willing to share your driveway. Yeah, like I’m the first one to mention that! I’m so charged up about this show because the Stones are without a doubt one of the best live acts in the history of music. I wasn’t going to spoil the surprise by checking out this tour’s set list, but I did anyway. ‘Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doooo doo doo Heartbreaker’ is on the set list!!! That’s my favourite Stones song. Hope they play yours, too.
See you there!

Hey, if you’re a fan of ‘Rock Star INXS’, don’t miss this Tuesday’s ‘Morning After’ show on BOB. JR and I are going to be chatting with the one and only ‘J.D’. He’s Canadian, eh! He’s agreed to join us on the air to talk about all the ‘behind the scenes’ stuff from the show, as he continues his drive to be the new lead singer for INXS. I say he’s definitely in the running, along with Mig. One thing you can say for sure about J.D, he’s been the most colorful character on the show. Should be a great interview! Don’t miss it!

See the Stones from the Ferris Wheel

Hard to believe that the Rolling Stones will be here in a few days! Wonder if they spent any time here the last time they played Ottawa, in 1965. In 1975, Ronnie Wood played the Civic Centre with Rod Stewart and the Faces. A friend of mine, Dave, was at that show, at the age of 13 it was his first concert. Dave was near the front of the stage and getting a bit crushed by fans, and Ronnie Wood actually grabbed him and plunked him onto the side of the stage to watch the rest of the show. Every few songs, Ronnie went over to check on Dave to make sure he was having a good time. What a guy. Speaking of Ronnie Wood, not only is he in town this weekend, his art is coming too. The Ronnie Wood Art Exhibition is on at the Congress Centre this Thursday to Sunday. Ronnie’s art is mostly portraits of the Stones, and the prices for signed lithographs range from $1500 to $10,000. You can check out some of his work at www.klimart.com. Will the man himself appear at his own exhibition? Let me know if you spot him.

If you don’t have tickets to the Rolling Stones, of course you can always win a free pair by being the 9th caller through when you hear the ‘Stones Lick of the Day’ on BOB FM. Or, you can try this: I did some research at the Ex the other day. I went on both the ferris wheel and the Cannon Ball ride. From both of these rides, you have a pretty good vantage point to see the Rolling Stones on stage. At least for a few seconds. Unless you tip ride operator and he stops the ride for you while at the top. Then you may get to see the Stones do an entire song.

The social event of the year returns this Sunday, with a bit of a twist. For years, NAC executive chef Kurt Waldele and his lovely wife Dr. Suzanne Beachemin have hosted the ‘Humane Society Garden Party’ at their Cumberland home. This year, its being billed as the ‘Urban Garden Party’ and its taking place on the terrace of the NAC. It all starts with a cocktail reception, a sumptuous 4-course luncheon, fine wine and entertainment. The Humane Society Urban Garden Party starts at noon so there’s no conflict with the Stones show. I just have to figure out what outfit will suit both an elegant garden party and a kick ass rock and roll show. Could be a bit of a challenge. Tickets for the garden party are still available but hurry because it always sells out. Check the Humane Society’s website, www.ottawahumane.ca.

Sweating Over Beads

There’s a bit of a battle going on here in town, and it all revolves around some strings of beads. Renegades owner Lonnie Gleiberman thought it would be fun to do a Mardi-gras style ‘gimme your beads’ promotion in the upper deck, with the woman begging/borrowing/stealing the most beads from nearby men winning $1000. Word is that some women are even doffing their tops!! Oh no! The Renegades ‘Mardi gras’ promotion is getting ‘exposure’ all over the country, to the point that the producers of ‘Girls Gone Wild’ were actually in the stands with their video cameras at the last game. This whole thing isn’t sitting well with City Councellor Jan Harder, who has referred to Lonnie Gleiberman as an ‘immature twit’. She wants the plug pulled on all this tom-foolery immediately. JR from ‘the morning after’ on BOB FM came up with a great idea: why don’t the Renegades set up a ‘no holds barred cage match’, center field, half time, Gleiberman versus Harder, one big mat and gallons of Mazola oil. This would garner much more attention than Mardi gras night.


Nothing like people watching on the patio during a late summer evening in the Byward market. Lately I’ve noticed streams of people following someone in a big black hooded cape with a lantern, winding through the market. I’ve learned that this is the ‘Haunted Walk of Ottawa’. People are guided around at night to see things that are scary in the market. Hmmm. Wonder if they stop at the Dominion Tavern.

The Ex is back! I love the Ex, but I have a hard time finding someone to go on rides with me. Last year I went to the Ex as soon as the doors opened, by myself. I went on the Himalaya, the Pirate Ship, the Scrambler, and the Gravitron. All by myself. Then I went on the double ferris wheel. By that time, crowds had developed and they couldn’t afford to let me take up a seat all by myself. Some kid had won a giant Spongebob Squarepants and he started to cry because he wanted it to go on the ferris wheel with him, but there wasn’t room in his seat for him and his Dad and the giant Spongebob Squarepants, so the ride operator compromised and put the giant Spongebob next to me. Needless to say, the ferris wheel stopped or got stuck or something and I was sky high, just me and Spongebob. At least he didn’t throw up on me.

I received an ‘out of the blue’ gift this summer from a friend of mine, Janet Podleski , who puts out those fabulous Looneyspoons cookbooks with her sister Greta. (their newest book ‘Eat Shrink and Be Merry’ is out soon) . Janet bought a book for me, called ‘Pack of Two’ by Caroline Knapp. Janet loves dogs as much as I do, and she wanted me to read this book. I thanked her profusely, then drove home thinking ‘uh oh’…. I haven’t read a book in two years. I started to read ‘Seabiscuit’ in January 2003 and I’m still not finished. Anyway, if a friend goes out and buys you a book, you have to read it, you have no choice, its all you think about, you’re sitting there eating chips and dip or listening to the radio and you see the book on the coffee table and it still has the new book smell. Well, I read it. Cover to cover. Took me two days on the dock at the cottage and one day in the car on the way home from New Brunswick. If you love dogs, read ‘Pack of Two’. This book is about the incredible bond we share with our dogs. Its beautifully written and it may make you cry, especially if you’re the type of person who hugs your dog a hundred times a day. Thanks for making me read a book, Janet! Maybe I should start a Book Club. The ‘One Book Every Two Years’ Club.
Let me know if you’d like to join.

Thumbs up to Greekfest!

Sandy’s Blog


Somehow, on ‘the Morning After’ morning show, we got on the topic of soft drinks and other drinks that you just never see around anymore. JR mentioned ‘Tahiti Treat’, which I had never heard of, and I mentioned ‘Beep’, a weird orange drink we used to get as a kid, which JR had never heard of. Now we’re on a mission to find out if ‘Tab’ still exists. Tab had the unfortunate timing of being a diet drink ‘before’ they invented aspartame. I remember it tasting like tree bark. Does anyone know if Tab is still around? In my quest to find some of these drinks, I stumbled upon a whole new drink at Shafali Indian takeout restaurant in the market. Shafali has a big cooler full of the usual pop drinks, but they also carry ‘Thums Up’. Comes in a bottle that looks exactly like a Coke bottle, the drink looks like Coke, then on the label it actually says this is a Coca-Cola product. Its made only in India. On the ‘Thums Up’ bottle is a drawing of a thumb pointing up, like it’s hitchhiking. I’m not about to tell the folks at Coca-Cola that there’s usually a ‘b’ at the end of the word ‘thum’. Anyway, I think I’m now going to start a soft drink collection. So far, I have a bottle of ‘Thums Up’, and a can of Diet Pepsi.

If you’ve ever left a banana on the back seat of your car, you know the trouble that can cause when the temperature is 40 degrees with the humidex. Enough said.

Despite all the criticism of the show ‘Rock Star INXS’, I must say, I love watching it. I agree that it’s a questionable way to replace the late great INXS front-man Michael Hutchence. But I’m absolutely glued to the tv when this show comes on. My choice to win this whole thing is Marty. But the two remaining Canadians, J.D and Suzie have really provided the most entertaining moments. I just hope Van Halen doesn’t start a reality show looking for a new singer. Its highly probable that David Lee Roth would apply for the job.
Uh oh.

The Greek Festival is back!! If you’ve never been, you really have to get a group together and head down to the Hellenic Centre on Prince of Wales. The fun continues til August 21st and the admission is free. Watch for the Zorba dance every night. If they grab you and bring you up on stage, they may give you ‘ouzo’, and you may not make it to work the next day. Just to let you know. Opa!

My bike: friend or nemesary?

Back from holidays, I feel like a kid talking about ‘what I did on my summer vacation’. Spent time at the cottage, went to Mont Tremblant, then back at the cottage, then one night in Quebec City, then onto Woodstock New Brunswick, then Maine, then New Hampshire, then back at the cottage, then off to Lake Huron, then I got a new bike. That’s about it. The thing about getting a bike, is that it sits there reminding you that you should go for a bike ride. On my first bike ride, I chose a lovely uphill dirt road. So I walked my bike up the hill. Therefore I didn’t actually ‘ride’ my bike, but we both had a lovely uphill walk. It was quite bonding, actually. Probably didn’t need my helmet.

Have you ever used a word regularly for your entire life, only to discover one day that it isn’t actually a word? The word, is ‘nemesary’. I’ve used it often. I’ve used it in conversation over dinner with my husband, I’ve used it on Saturday nights playing board games with friends, I’ve used to fairly regularly on the air in the morning show. Turns out, ‘nemesary’ is not a word. I was questioned about it recently and checked in the dictionary. It ain’t there. Anyhow, I don’t give up easily and I think ‘nemesary’ deserves to be a real word. ‘Nemesary’, in my definition, is ‘a thorn in your side, as in, your worst competitor ever’…ie…The Ottawa Senators once again had to get past their nemesary, the Toronto Maple Leafs’. I have now officially entered my word for editors’ consideration on the website, www.urbandictionary.com. It apparently takes 21 days for their people to decide whether or not ‘nemesary’ will be accepted as a word. I will keep you posted. In the meantime, let me know if you’ve ever made up a word. Something that can be printed here.

We’re all counting down the days til the big Rolling Stones concert here in Ottawa. While the Stones continue to rehearse in Toronto, I have some friends in T.O who are desperately hoping to catch the Stones in a small club venue, as they always put on a couple of surprise shows before they head out on a big tour. No one knows when or where Mick and Keith and the boys will show up for an impromptu gig. As someone who has never had the thrill of some huge artist jumping up on stage in a small establishment that I happen to be patronizing, I would love to hear stories from anyone who has. The closest I ever came was one night, years ago, standing on Bank Street trying to decide whether or not to go into Barrymores. My friends and I went to Wendy’s instead. Bob Seger showed up and rocked the place til 3 am. Sigh. So close, and yet so far. Fill me in if you have a story!