I’m back from my vacation, which can only be described as a typically Canadian way to spend a week off. Stayed at the cottage, sat on the end of the dock, listened to the loons, took in beautiful sunsets, woke up to raccoons ripping through my garbage, and shook my fist at the jet skis. Aaahhhh….nothing like it.
My mama snapping turtle returned to lay eggs in my lawn once again. Exactly the same spot as last year. How did she know how to find the exact same spot? Last year I watched her lay the eggs, bury them with dirt, then use our stairs to get back to the water. Then I stared at the ground for the next two months hoping to see the baby turtles emerge from the ground. Of course, the one day that I wasn’t watching, they were born and escaped to the lake. This year, I will not spend my summer staring at a patch of dirt. I wish the turtles well, but I have to move on with my life.
Ok maybe I’ll stare at the ground once in a while.
Also while on holiday, I went to Toronto to audition for a new Canadian game show, called ‘Inside the Box’. There were 8 of us scheduled for the 4:15 audition. We were all asked tv trivia questions in rapid-fire fashion, and I did not answer one correctly. All other contestants answered their questions with conviction. I knew some of the answers for other contestants’ questions, but none that were directed at me. Like, ‘name all 3 kids on Home Improvement’. Yikes. Don’t know. ‘What show was a spin-off from Knots Landing’. Yikes. No idea. I got so desperate to answer a question correctly, that I shouted out the answer to someone else’s question. ‘What was the name of the dog on ‘Mad About You’? ‘MURRAY’ I shouted, not caring that it wasn’t my turn. Anyway, lo and behold, all 8 of us were told that we made the cut!!! I guess they didn’t have the heart to tell me that I was the only one being eliminated. Barring unforeseen circumstances, like, they do change their mind about me, I will be heading back to Toronto to shoot an episode of ‘Inside the Box’ for the Tvtropolis network. I hope I get lots of questions about ‘Cheers’ and ‘The Weather Network’.
Canada Day is just a few days away and there’s no better place to celebrate than right here in Ottawa. This year I’m hoping to do the same thing as thousands and thousands of Canadians: walk up and down Wellington Street. I usually try to get a good spot on Parliament Hill, where the big show takes place, but I’m usually too late so I park 20 blocks away then wander up and down Wellington Street with the other wave of people who also arrived too late. Then I buy a bottle of water from a street vendor for six dollars. This year, Colin James is playing the Hill on Canada Day, so it would be a good idea to get there early. And bring your own bottle of water!
Monday, June 26, 2006
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Last of the Big Black Dial Phones
I’m looking forward to this weekend, not only for Saturday’s ‘Pressure Washer Trials’ at the Canadian Tire Bells Corners, but also, it’s the return of the Ottawa air show at the Carp Airport! Don’t you just get a chill down your spine (in a good way) when the ‘Snowbirds’ fly overhead? A few years ago, I was lucky enough to go for a spin in a Snowbird. There were 6 of us ‘media types’ who met at the airport….5 men, and me. We had a pre-flight briefing with instruction that highly emphasized ‘how to use the eject button’. The second biggest piece of info was where to find the ‘barf bag’. When I got into the Snowbird with my pilot, I was instantly at ease because the pilot had a great personality and a wicked sense of humour. He asked me what my ‘comfort level’ was, and I asked him to do anything and everything. We spun upside down, sideways, did a couple of nose-dives, it was incredible. And for the grand finale, with a media member tucked into each Snowbird jet, we flew in formation down the Gatineau River. It was so cool to see people running out of their houses and cottages to catch a glimpse of what has to be one of Canada’s finest symbols. When we got back to terra firma, I was so exhilarated I wanted to do it all over again. I heard later that, yes, out of the six of us, 4 members of Ottawa’s astute media community did need to use the little brown bag. For info about this year’s show, check out www.airshowottawa.com
Have you been watching ‘the World Cup’? I have honestly tried to watch the game of soccer. I can’t seem to get past the size of the playing field, it seems to be about a half mile long. I get tired just watching those guys run around like that. I do like the fashions though. The other day, I was at Winners, looking for some shirts for my husband to wear to work. They had these slick Nike soccer shirts, and the official shirt for Brazil caught my eye. From the other side of the store. I think it was made of Lycra and it was such a bright neon color, I’m sure it glowed in the dark. But it was so cool, I thought I’d buy it. Then I spotted a big ceramic garden frog. In the cart it went, followed by a giant bottle of Jim Beam’s barbeque sauce. That’s what I love about Winners. IN my shopping cart, I had a neon soccer shirt, a garden frog and a bottle of barbeque sauce. None of which my husband could wear to work.
Expensive concert ticket season has once again officially kicked in. Last week, I got a pair of tickets for the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert coming to Scotiabank Place July 8th. Price for the pair: $450. Yikes. Can’t wait for the show, mostly because rumour has it that Neil Young will be doing a lot of his solo stuff. I love Neil Young. IF you’re a Neil fan too, you want to pick up the DVD that just came out, called ‘A Prairie Wind’. This is a stunning concert film directed by Jonathon Demme, with footage from two consecutive nights of shows at a tiny Nashville auditorium.
I give it more than two thumbs up. 10 stars out of five.
Congratulations to Chris Labelle of Ottawa, who impressed the Canadian Idol judges to make it to the Toronto round of the audition process. Chris works at Lieutenants Pump on Elgin Street. Next time you go in for a Guinness and some fish and chips, ask Chris to sing you a tune.
Uh oh. 10 digit dialing is here. We need to start including an area code everytime we call someone across the street. There’s a big marketing campaign to get us all used to the idea. TEN DIGIT DIALING!! But, when you think about it, when was the last time you ‘dialed’ a phone number?
I’m the only one I know who actually has a phone that has a dial. It came with our house when we bought it. It hangs in the laundry room. Works great, until I get an automated operator asking me to ‘press one’. I can’t press, I can only dial. Other than my phone, who actually owns a ‘dial’ phone. But they still call it ‘ten digit DIALING’. It does start to make more sense once you consider the alternatives. ‘Ten digit pressing’ or ‘ten digit pounding’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Have you been watching ‘the World Cup’? I have honestly tried to watch the game of soccer. I can’t seem to get past the size of the playing field, it seems to be about a half mile long. I get tired just watching those guys run around like that. I do like the fashions though. The other day, I was at Winners, looking for some shirts for my husband to wear to work. They had these slick Nike soccer shirts, and the official shirt for Brazil caught my eye. From the other side of the store. I think it was made of Lycra and it was such a bright neon color, I’m sure it glowed in the dark. But it was so cool, I thought I’d buy it. Then I spotted a big ceramic garden frog. In the cart it went, followed by a giant bottle of Jim Beam’s barbeque sauce. That’s what I love about Winners. IN my shopping cart, I had a neon soccer shirt, a garden frog and a bottle of barbeque sauce. None of which my husband could wear to work.
Expensive concert ticket season has once again officially kicked in. Last week, I got a pair of tickets for the Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young concert coming to Scotiabank Place July 8th. Price for the pair: $450. Yikes. Can’t wait for the show, mostly because rumour has it that Neil Young will be doing a lot of his solo stuff. I love Neil Young. IF you’re a Neil fan too, you want to pick up the DVD that just came out, called ‘A Prairie Wind’. This is a stunning concert film directed by Jonathon Demme, with footage from two consecutive nights of shows at a tiny Nashville auditorium.
I give it more than two thumbs up. 10 stars out of five.
Congratulations to Chris Labelle of Ottawa, who impressed the Canadian Idol judges to make it to the Toronto round of the audition process. Chris works at Lieutenants Pump on Elgin Street. Next time you go in for a Guinness and some fish and chips, ask Chris to sing you a tune.
Uh oh. 10 digit dialing is here. We need to start including an area code everytime we call someone across the street. There’s a big marketing campaign to get us all used to the idea. TEN DIGIT DIALING!! But, when you think about it, when was the last time you ‘dialed’ a phone number?
I’m the only one I know who actually has a phone that has a dial. It came with our house when we bought it. It hangs in the laundry room. Works great, until I get an automated operator asking me to ‘press one’. I can’t press, I can only dial. Other than my phone, who actually owns a ‘dial’ phone. But they still call it ‘ten digit DIALING’. It does start to make more sense once you consider the alternatives. ‘Ten digit pressing’ or ‘ten digit pounding’ just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Golfing Gave me Poison Ivy
The Humane Society Golf Tournament is on Thursday, June 15th at Pakenham Highlands, details as always on our ‘pet friendly’ section of this website. I thoroughly enjoy my role each year at this tournament, which is, showing up around 6 pm to give away the prizes. I know that golf is a very popular thing, but I have never figured it out. I did spend one summer desperately trying to play the game. I was part of a foursome once playing at an Ottawa valley golf course, I can’t quite recall the name. I tee’d off and my ball curved left and hit a cow in the butt. The cow was just on the other side of a fence and I clearly saw my golf ball bounce off her back-side. I ran over to see if the cow was ok, and she was munching down on some golf course flowers so I guess she was fine.
Being a novice at the game of golf, I wasn’t aware that there are porta-potties along the course. One time, somewhere between the 11th and 12th hole, I excused myself and disappeared into the bushes. My little washroom in the woods turned out to be a giant patch of poison ivy. I couldn’t sit down for days. A friend told me to put vinegar on my rash. God knows why I believed him. Fyi…NEVER put vinegar on a poison ivy rash. Besides, you end up smelling like a chip truck.
I absolutely love this time of year. Because for a few short weeks, at this time of year, there is actually some ‘light’ in the sky when I drive to work in the morning. Its so cool to head out to work, around 4:20 am, and actually see stuff in my neighbourhood. Like this morning, when I noticed that the guy up the road still has Santa Claus waving from his roof.
One of my favourite shows, ‘The Sopranos’ is over for another season and we have to wait and wait and wait for the next one, which is supposed to be the grand finale for the series. I enjoyed the Sopranos this season, but it did come dangerously close to ‘jumping the shark’. That episode where Christopher mugs actress Lauren Bacall for her ‘awards swag bag’ was a bit over-the-top. And…one more small complaint. The season finale. It had a Christmas setting, everyone sitting around the Christmas tree, gifts, turkey, the whole deal. This is June. Why is the Sopranos having their ‘very special Christmas’ episode in June? Oh well, on to the summer reality shows!!!! When does ‘Dancing with the Stars’ return?
Nice to see that rocker Joan Jett is back on the road!! I saw some reviews of her shows in New York City, and she’s playing better than ever. One of the show highlights? Believe it or not, Joan Jett is playing a searing live version of the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show. You know the one…’who can turn the world on with her smile…….’That’s worth the price of admission . I wonder if Joan Jett also throws her hat in the air.
Being a novice at the game of golf, I wasn’t aware that there are porta-potties along the course. One time, somewhere between the 11th and 12th hole, I excused myself and disappeared into the bushes. My little washroom in the woods turned out to be a giant patch of poison ivy. I couldn’t sit down for days. A friend told me to put vinegar on my rash. God knows why I believed him. Fyi…NEVER put vinegar on a poison ivy rash. Besides, you end up smelling like a chip truck.
I absolutely love this time of year. Because for a few short weeks, at this time of year, there is actually some ‘light’ in the sky when I drive to work in the morning. Its so cool to head out to work, around 4:20 am, and actually see stuff in my neighbourhood. Like this morning, when I noticed that the guy up the road still has Santa Claus waving from his roof.
One of my favourite shows, ‘The Sopranos’ is over for another season and we have to wait and wait and wait for the next one, which is supposed to be the grand finale for the series. I enjoyed the Sopranos this season, but it did come dangerously close to ‘jumping the shark’. That episode where Christopher mugs actress Lauren Bacall for her ‘awards swag bag’ was a bit over-the-top. And…one more small complaint. The season finale. It had a Christmas setting, everyone sitting around the Christmas tree, gifts, turkey, the whole deal. This is June. Why is the Sopranos having their ‘very special Christmas’ episode in June? Oh well, on to the summer reality shows!!!! When does ‘Dancing with the Stars’ return?
Nice to see that rocker Joan Jett is back on the road!! I saw some reviews of her shows in New York City, and she’s playing better than ever. One of the show highlights? Believe it or not, Joan Jett is playing a searing live version of the theme from the Mary Tyler Moore Show. You know the one…’who can turn the world on with her smile…….’That’s worth the price of admission . I wonder if Joan Jett also throws her hat in the air.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
let the games begin
The city is a-buzz. Since receiving word that the International Pressure Washer Games will be held right in here in Ottawa, there has been a lot of activity in laneways, driveways, pathways, on decks and on patios. Pressure washers are being poked, prepped and even pimped in honour of the big day: the Pressure Washer Trials, on Saturday June 17th at the Canadian Tire parking lot in Bells Corners. The motto for the Games: Outwet. Outblast. Outspray. This is your chance to show off your prowess with the pressure washer. Enter on this website. You could win a $750 Canadian Tire gift card, a new pressure washer, and of course, the opportunity to represent the nation’s capital when the world comes to play. Catch phrase of the games: ‘how much PSI you got’?
Keep those pet photos coming! If you click on our pet friendly site on this website, you’ll see photo after photo of beloved pets sent in by listeners. Dogs, cats, there’s a couple of parrots, my frog Tony, and Stewie the hedgehog. I was chatting with Kevin, the owner of Stewie the hedgehog, and I learned that hedgehogs are nocturnal and really like to play all night long. They can go for miles and miles and miles on one hamster wheel in one night. It may be tempting to pet a hedgehog, but its not a good idea. Their backs are covered in sharp pricks. Sheesh. A hedgehog would never know the pleasure of a good massage.
I’ve been walking around these days trying to hide my finger-nails as much as possible. Not only am I a nail biter, I’m also a gardener who refuses to wear gardening gloves. In the shower I do everything I can with a bar of soap, yet my finger tips still look like I just had a mud bath. I once went for a manicure, it was the only time I ever considered a manicure, and the manicurist told me that I didn’t have enough to work with. She wondered if I would like some press-on plastic nails. Not a bad idea. I wonder if they have nails that I can affix with velcro so I can take them off before I stick my hands in the dirt to yank out weeds. They should have those.
We had some fun with our ‘Morning After Spelling Bee’ . Now that spelling bees have hit prime time tv, we thought we’d jump on that band-wagon. We tried to give away fabulous prizes (velour beach towels) for correctly spelling three words, but it was much harder than we anntisipated.
Its asparagus season!! Yay! I love asparagus. I love buying it from our local farmers here in the byward market. But speaking of asparagus, the weirdest thing happened. Right smack dab in the middle of one of my flower beds, are two spears of asparagus growing out of the ground. Using deductive reasoning, I figure that the raccoon that feasted on my garbage last year dragged some leftover asparagus into my flower garden, but couldn’t finish it because he was also dining on chicken bones at the time, so the asparagus went into the ground and sprang up one year later! Thanks to the raccoon, I have fresh local asparagus for dinner tonight.
Ain’t life grand?!
Keep those pet photos coming! If you click on our pet friendly site on this website, you’ll see photo after photo of beloved pets sent in by listeners. Dogs, cats, there’s a couple of parrots, my frog Tony, and Stewie the hedgehog. I was chatting with Kevin, the owner of Stewie the hedgehog, and I learned that hedgehogs are nocturnal and really like to play all night long. They can go for miles and miles and miles on one hamster wheel in one night. It may be tempting to pet a hedgehog, but its not a good idea. Their backs are covered in sharp pricks. Sheesh. A hedgehog would never know the pleasure of a good massage.
I’ve been walking around these days trying to hide my finger-nails as much as possible. Not only am I a nail biter, I’m also a gardener who refuses to wear gardening gloves. In the shower I do everything I can with a bar of soap, yet my finger tips still look like I just had a mud bath. I once went for a manicure, it was the only time I ever considered a manicure, and the manicurist told me that I didn’t have enough to work with. She wondered if I would like some press-on plastic nails. Not a bad idea. I wonder if they have nails that I can affix with velcro so I can take them off before I stick my hands in the dirt to yank out weeds. They should have those.
We had some fun with our ‘Morning After Spelling Bee’ . Now that spelling bees have hit prime time tv, we thought we’d jump on that band-wagon. We tried to give away fabulous prizes (velour beach towels) for correctly spelling three words, but it was much harder than we anntisipated.
Its asparagus season!! Yay! I love asparagus. I love buying it from our local farmers here in the byward market. But speaking of asparagus, the weirdest thing happened. Right smack dab in the middle of one of my flower beds, are two spears of asparagus growing out of the ground. Using deductive reasoning, I figure that the raccoon that feasted on my garbage last year dragged some leftover asparagus into my flower garden, but couldn’t finish it because he was also dining on chicken bones at the time, so the asparagus went into the ground and sprang up one year later! Thanks to the raccoon, I have fresh local asparagus for dinner tonight.
Ain’t life grand?!
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