U2 U-phoria

After waiting months and months and months, U2 finally came to town Friday night. One of the ways that I rate a concert, is by ‘the day after’ factor. If I’m still re-living the show throughout the next day, that means it was, in my humble opinion, pretty great. As I write this, three days later, I’m still buzzing about U2’s awesome assault on our city. The moment Bono appeared – in what seemed like the middle of the crowd of adoring fans – we all knew we were in for one of those rare concert experiences. ‘The City of Blinding Lights’, the show opener, is one of the tracks on U2’s most recent album. With a body of work that goes back 25 years, it would have been all too easy for U2 to start the show with a mega hit from the past: a nod to nostalgia, an easy way to have the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. But that is what sets U2 apart. U2 is still vital, still writing, recording, and performing new songs, still finding new ways to impress the toughest critics. This past Friday night, U2 raised the bar once again. Today’s new bands should study the phenomenon that is the U2 concert. This is how you do it!! Ottawa waited 20 years for the return of Bono and the boys. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say it was well worth the wait. Now….let’s see……who else can we convince to come to town………..

I’d also like to congratulate the many volunteers from the Make Poverty History Campaign, who were out in full force at the U2 concert. 18,000 concert-goers were made aware of your important message to end poverty in this country and around the world. For more details, www.makepovertyhistory.ca

I’ve actually started my Christmas shopping! This is the earliest date yet for me to head out to the malls in earnest. And I’ve purchased a few things. So far, while out Christmas shopping, I’ve bought myself two sweaters and a pair of jeans. I love Christmas shopping!

I bought a big can of peanuts the other day. Not sure exactly why, but I decided to check the label to see how many calories were in a peanut. The answer: a lot. Sheesh. I’m glad that I checked the label so closely, because also printed on the sign of the can was: ‘Caution. May contain peanuts’.

In time for Christmas, I have once again put myself on the ‘delicious’ diet. When I’m at a party and someone offers me an hors d’oeuvre, I ask them if its delicious. If they say ‘why yes, it is very delicious’, then I don’t eat it. Because if its delicious, it is loaded with calories. So then I ask the hostess if she has anything that isn’t delicious. So far, no one has provided me with that at a party. I, on the other hand, am only too happy to offer guests food that is not delicious.

Every year, I look forward to all the latest products that come out in the world of Christmas decorations. This year, it’s the giant snow-globe on the front lawn. So far I’ve seen two different snow-globes, one with two snowmen and one with Santa and a reindeer. I’m still waiting for the giant Niagara Falls snow-globe.

Poinsettia Push-over

I’d like to take a moment to thank the Ottawa Citizen sports section. Usually, November is a dull, dreary month. Not a lot happens. But, bless their hearts, the Ottawa Citizen sports writers have all given us something to talk about! Better still, something to argue about! Someone at the Citizen thought it would be a good idea to come up with a name for the Ottawa Senators fantastic trio, Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley. They held a ‘name that line’ contest, narrowed it down to three options, the ‘Cash’ line, the ‘Dash’ Line, and the ‘Dazzle’ line. So, with an overwhelming 12,000 votes, the ‘Cash’ line was the winner. End of story. Right? Nope. Every man, woman and child in the Ottawa area has come up with a name for the Alfredsson-Spezza-Heatley line. Yours truly came up with ‘Scorius Maximus’. I got no backers. JR from the Morning After on Bob Fm has quite a campaign going behind ‘the Pizza Line’, and I have to admit, I’m backing him on that one. I love the fact that the crowd at the Corel Centre starts chanting ‘Pizza Pizza’ once the Sens are closing in on 6 goals, because everyone gets free pizza if that happens. JR’s ‘Pizza Pizza’ line not only got a mention on TSN the other night….it got the biggest exposure of all, a mention on Saturday night’s Hockey Night in Canada! Color guy Ron Tugnutt slipped it in! Way to go, Tugger!! And thanks again to the Ottawa Citizen for giving us something to raise our fist about in dreary November. It sure beats talking about freezing rain.

Here’s something unique to mark on your calendar! Saturday December 3rd, grab your bathing suit and your towel and head over to the Orleans Recreational Complex, 1490 Youville Drive – for an underwater photo with Santa Claus himself! The Ottawa Beavers Underwater Scuba Club provides all the snorkel equipment so you don’t need to worry about that. Your unique photo with Santa is just ten bucks, and all proceeds go to the Champions for Children Foundation! No word on whether or not Santa Claus will be wearing a speedo.

Did you watch the Gemini awards the other night? No? Neither did I.

Each year, I buy a poinsettia at this time of year, usually from a charitable organization. Problem is, I still have all the poinsettias that I’ve bought for the last five years. Is it just me, or aren’t these things supposed to die off after Christmas, you know, just turn into brown twigs by February? Are they breeding poinsettias now to last for years and years? I don’t have the heart to toss out a perfectly healthy plant, but I can only keep so many poinsettias. I kinda resent their cheery yuletide spirit in the middle of July. People come over for a barbeque on a hot humid day and my house is filled with poinsettias. Does anyone else have this problem?

I’ve officially purchased my first Christmas gift. This is definitely the earliest I have ever purchased a Christmas gift. Maybe I’m in the mood because of all the poinsettias. This year, I’m going to do everything early and not leave it to the last minute. I even have the new Barenaked Ladies Christmas cd. I want to be one of those people who brags about being finished her shopping by December 1st. I’m going to make cookies too. And hot toddies. My life is going to be straight out of a Martha Stewart how-to Christmas magazine! Sure thing! Or maybe not. I just want to do things differently this year…. I have to remember that not everyone wants a fruitcake for Christmas.

It all started with the goldfish

An entire kitchen renovation usually starts with something like….the dishwasher being on the fritz. A new dishwasher easily leads to all new kitchen appliances. The wallpaper is the next to go, because it doesn’t fit the new look of the new appliances. Then, of course, the cupboards need to be ripped out because they don’t match the new paint and the new appliances. What the heck, you’ve gone this far, guess you should get the new kitchen table and chairs too. The reason the dishwasher didn’t work in the first place? A plastic Barbie tv got stuck in the dishwasher’s thing-a-ma-jig. But you got a whole new kitchen, and it just cost $20,000!

That’s kinda how my recent basement renovation started. I have 5 goldfish. They live in an aquarium in my basement. One day, we noticed that the aquarium seemed to be on a bit of an angle, and I thought that might be upsetting to my five goldfish. That was sometime back in September. Since then, the basement floor has been ripped up and replaced, the basement walls have been torn down, a new wall was built where there was no wall before, and now, all the electrical stuff is being wired for a surround-sound stereo system. I don’t know who loves our basement reno more, my goldfish or my credit card company.

Sad news for fans of Arrested Development. Fox TV has cut back on new episodes, and it looks like its going to be cancelled. Say it ain’t so! This is my favourite tv show!! Its crazy and often makes no sense!! Wonder if there’s anything fans can do to save the show. If not, I hope they have an auction of show memorabilia because I’d love to buy that truck with the staircase on top of it. I could just put it on my credit card.

If you want to be a part of the big fight scene being filmed for the upcoming movie ‘Rocky 6’, have I got a scoop for you! On December 6th at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas, Sly Stallone takes on some yet-to-be-named boxer in the ring, and you could be in the audience. Its as easy as going to the website, BeInAMovie.com, and signing up! I signed up, but then I realized that I can’t go to Vegas, because the electrician is coming over that day.

And for tramps like us, that is, Springsteen fanatics, not sure if we can wait to get this under the Christmas tree: the ‘Born to Run’ 30th Anniversary re-mastered CD /DVD special edition set. Not only has the Born to Run album been digitally re-mastered, you also get a DVD with a ‘behind the scenes’ look at the making of the album, AND some rare concert footage from a rockin’ Bruce show at the Hammersmith Odeon Theatre in London, 1975. This goes right into my Bruce collection, along with my ripped jeans and bandana. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!