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