These Animals Need Our Help!

I recently spent the morning at the Ottawa Humane Society shelter; a building designed 40 years ago to house 2500 animals annually. The Humane Society now sees 11,000 animals a year. Animals stacked in cages; lack of proper ventilation; cramped conditions that contribute to the spread of disease.

Despite the terrible conditions, what amazes me about the shelter is the level of care that Ottawa's neglected, lost and injured animals receive by caring, enthusiastic staff and volunteers. Until now, they have worked wonders while working in this archaic environment. As Humane Society vet tech Iona Guindon-Carson described to me, the staff has been 'very creative'. But its time to give Ottawa's animals the conditions that they deserve. In March, the Humane Society embarked on an ambitious campaign to build a new state-of-the-art shelter. The goal is 9.5 million dollars. To say that the Ottawa Humane Society appreciates every dollar donated is truly an understatement. We all know how much our pets complete our family. Think of your own loved pet...cosy, comfortable...well fed and cherished. Now think about the ones who are not so fortunate. Look into the eyes of the faces below. These dogs and cats are desperately looking for homes. But until they find that home, they are being cared for by wonderful people who work miracles every day. The new shelter provides the promise of a future for Ottawa's lost and abused animals. The land has been purchased, the plans are in place. In fact, you can get all the details at http://www.ottawahumane.ca/breakingground/. Please give what you can. And if you're a kid, and you would like to get your classroom or the kids in the neighbourhood involved in fundraising for the Humane Society, I want to hear from you. email me at Sandy.Sharkey@chumradio.com. I promise to feature your story right here. Lets do it!

Something Worth Savouring!

2009 Gala Fashion Show
Something Worth Savouring!

Please join me and A-Channel Morning's Angie Poirier for a fun-filled evening of fabulous food and fashion for St Joes Womens Centre!

Indulge in a delicious 3-course meal while savouring the latest haute couture from Richard Robinson Academy’s graduating protégés.
Celebrating 25 Years of Support
St. Joe's Women’s Centre

On May 14th 2009, St. Joe’s Women’s Centre will be celebrating 25 years of commitment and dedication to providing programs that service the needs of vulnerable women and children, in a supportive and safe environment. Social and educational programs are offered to promote empowerment, autonomy, and dignity in a non-judgmental atmosphere.

Join us on Thursday May 14, 2009 for our Silver Celebration. We will be hosting a Gala fashion show and dinner complete with prizes! Collections from graduating students of the Richard Robinson Academy will be showcased as we enjoy a fun filled evening. Get involved and get inspired with something worth savouring!

Limited tickets to this wonderful event are $100 pp and includes your dinner and fashion show. Tickets may be purchased via fax or phone at Fax: (613) 233-4594 or Phone: (613) 231-6722.
Doors open at 6:00 pm for seating and dinner.

Event Details :
Dinner – 14 May 2009
Canapes
Vegetarian Vietnamese spring rolls with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce
Tomato boccocini skewers with a pesto drizzle
Asparagus and prosciutto bundles
Salad
Spring salad leaves with a dressing of “petits fruits” and a terrine of bison (vegetarian option also available)
Entrée
Choice of:
Maple glazed seared fillet of salmon with a light fruit salsa and a parmesan, white wine sauce
Chicken Wellington, supreme of chicken stuffed with asparagus, goat cheese and red pepper served with a roasted red pepper coulis
Dessert
Triple layered chocolate mousse cake. Decadent layers of Dark, milk and white chocolate mousse with a rich raspberry coulis.

Hurry! space is limited
Tickets: $100 and only available in advance.
Purchase your tickets today613-231-6722 (ext. 224)

Thank you to all our sponsors!
151LaurierAve.E., Parish Hall, St. Joseph’s Church
613-231-6722

Best Caesar Salad Dressing Recipe on Earth

I've been inundated with requests for my caesar salad dressing recipe!


Well, ok, one request from listener Caroline Parent, and one request from our producer Hammer. Two requests! That qualifies for the word 'inundated', in my opinion.


Here it is: (with thanks to the person who gave the recipe to me in the first place, Jay Mantha)





1/4 tsp dry mustard


2 - 3 drops tabasco


4 - 5 drops worcestershire sauce


2 - 3 cloves crushed garlic (or to taste, I use more!)


1 tbsp lemon juice


2 tbsp red wine vinegar


6 tbsp vegetable oil


5 or 6 tbsp grated parmesan or romano cheese (romano has more 'kick'!)

pepper to taste

4 - 5 inches anchovy paste (optional)

* 1 egg (later)


Blend all ingredients in blender. Mix in an egg. Pour dressing over chopped romaine lettuce & toss with croutons and freshly shredded parmesan cheese (and cooked bacon if you want!) Refrigerate unused dressing.

Big Sky Ranch Summer Day Camps for Kids

Summer is coming up fast and if you want to give your kid the experience of a lifetime, the Big Sky Ranch fits the bill! Check into Big Sky's fun and educational summer day camps with friendly animals for company. Its one camp where its OK, in fact highly recommended to get dirty!

Summer Day Camps!
Monday to Thursday: 7:30 am - 5:30 pm

Friday: 7:30 am - 9:00 pm (Western BBQ night)

For Ages 5 - 14, Summer 2009Camp Runs from June 29th to August 21st

Big Sky Ranch is a sanctuary for abused and unwanted animals. Come and meet new friends in an experience of a lifetime.Every summer Big Sky will sponsor 1 child per week to attend camp for free. For more information on this please contact Andy at the ranch. Let us show your children how to care for and keep these animals with a western twist of activities such as:
Horse Shoe Toss
Gold Nugget Treasure Hunt
Scavenger Hunt
Trail Hikes
Arts and Crafts
Hay Rides
Water Games
Bobbing for Apples
Learning How to Saddle and ride a Horse
Lassoing Lesson
Feeding the Animals
Grooming the Animals
Exercising the Animals
Collecting Eggs
AND MUCH MORE!!!!Book Now - limited spaces available$175/week and then $150 for each additional week

For more information call 613-258-7118 or go to http://www.bigskyranch.ca/!

Tyler's Garage Sale!

Pictured above (from top) Emily Tieu

and Perry, Tyler and Ida Huneault

The power of the human spirit is undeniable! Tyler Huneault is a 10 year old boy who is suffering from a very rare genetic disorder called 'sialidosis'. It is so rare, in fact, that Tyler is the only person in Canada with this condition. Tyler's parents, Perry and Ida, are doing everything they can to ensure that valuable sialidosis research continues at McMaster University, to find the necessary treatments to help their son. At the age of 7, little Emily Tieu heard about Tyler and decided to set up a garage sale, with all proceeds to sialidosis research. Emily is now 11 years old and has raised almost $13,000 for the cause!

Please consider helping 'Tyler's Garage Sale', which is now branching out and getting bigger than ever, with 2 sales coming up, Saturday May 2nd at the Blackburn Community Centre and Saturday May 9th at 1407 McMahon Avenue in Gloucester. Donations of goods and cash can be made through Emily's website. Full details and maps are also here, please go to

http://www.pauldesrochers.com/emtyler.html

And please tune in to the 'Morning After' on 939 BOB FM on Thursday May 7th, where Tyler and his mom Ida will be our special guests in the studio at 8:20 am.

Beat Bob's Bank Buys a Bassett!

Everyone loves 'Beat Bobs Bank'! Your chance to win $$$$ cold hard cash weekdays on 'the Morning After'! Last week, Carol Manson was one of our contestants, and she won $1,025.00 on 'Beat Bob's Bank'. She said she was going to use the money for a big new gas barbeque!
Well, we just received an email from Carol and instead of the barbeque, Carol took her winnings and adopted a one year old bassett hound named 'Hooch', from Bassett Hound Rescue in Rigaud, Quebec. I love this story!!! Fantastic. Here is a photo of 'Hooch' with Carol's sons, Adam, Kyle and Wil!

Spring is Like Friday!

Don't you just love spring? To me, 'spring' is kinda like 'Friday'. Because if you think about it, 'spring' is filled with wonderful anticipation. That feeling that something really great is coming. And that something really great, is 'summer'! Fridays are like that too. People love Fridays because Fridays are one step closer to Saturdays. So, when you really think about it, 'summer', is like 'Saturday'. Because now you are right into the good stuff. Best time of the year. Best day of the weekend. Continuing on with this theme, (unless of course I have lost your attention, which is quite possible by now) . Now lets move on to 'autumn'. 'Autumn', naturally, is like a 'Sunday'. Its still pretty nice, you're still enjoying it, its still like a weekend, but........there is that nagging feeling that very soon...its all going to come to an end. Autumn = Sunday. 'Autumn' turns into .... 'WINTER'. Ugh. 'Sundays'.....turn into 'MONDAYS'. Double 'ugh'. And now, finally ... WINTER. Winter, is 'Monday'. Enough said about that.
So, in summary:
'Spring' is 'Friday'
'Summer' is 'Saturday'
'Autumn' is 'Sunday'
'Winter' is 'Monday'
This is the point where people usually tell me that I have too much time on my hands.
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The above picture of 'crocus' was taken in my garden about an hour ago. I am a gardening nut and I love the fact that this past-time has become so popular!! The recession has been ridiculously difficult for everyone, but some good things have surfaced as a result of the economic downturn- like people's desire to get down and dirty in the garden. A news story came out this week suggesting that a $70 investment in tools, soil, plants, etc would eventually yield about $500 worth of vegetables! Putting in a vegetable garden has never made more sense.
I don't have a vegetable garden. I have a daylily garden, a rock garden, a zen garden, a sloped garden, and a patch of 'anything goes' , but I've never had a vegetable garden. I might have to make one this year. I'll start with zucchini. I want to see if I can grow one of those 4 foot long zucchini. Or a 500 pound pumpkin. Or a 300 pound turnip. Since my husband doesn't really like vegetables, I may as well make my vegetable garden like some sort of science experiment gone wrong.

Earth Day is coming up this Wednesday! I love the fact that retailers are starting to put the brakes on plastic bags. I do own cloth grocery bags but I admit that I often forget to bring them to the store with me. Its just so easy to accept those horrible plastic bags. But as of Wednesday, Loblaws is going to start charging (I think its 3 cents?) per plastic bag. Not a huge price to pay for a bag, but it does send a message. Walking out of a store with your groceries stuffed into 10 plastic bags is soon going to be akin to throwing an empty Coke can out the window of your car. It just won't be socially acceptable. Experts knock us over the head with information about climate change and the environment. But the most effective way to get people to pay attention? Have us turn on each other. Sure, as of Wednesday, you will still be able to get plastic bags at the grocery store. But if you continue to use plastic bags, you may get icy stares. Other cloth-bag-using shoppers will look at you with disdain. Some may even snort at you. Al Gore really got the climate change ball rolling with his 'Inconvenient Truth'. But I guarantee that the single most important revolution towards a positive future for our environment, is having someone snort at you because you are using a plastic bag.

Disco Inferno Vegas Night!

Its Disco Inferno Vegas Night! OK so the poster above may be a bit 'small' to read - its an event thats BIGGER THAN LIFE!! Thursday, April 16th Restaurant eighteen invites you to put on your best platform shoes, flare pants, white suits or any other fashions that made an impression from the movie 'Saturday Night Fever'! Its DISCO INFERNO VEGAS NIGHT!! Fabulous hairdresser and all-around nice guy Joseph Saikaley of Byblos Salon is celebrating his big '4-0' birthday - and in lieu of gifts - he wants everyone to come out to Disco Inferno night and help raise money for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute! Joseph and his fiancee Caroline Gosselin of restaurant 18 are big supporters of the Heart Institute. There will be fabulous food, silent auction, 'gambling', and dancing to live entertainment by Disco Inferno! Tickets are just $55.00 per person, so get yours now! For information go to www.restaurant18.com! Or stop by at Byblos Salon, 705 Bank Street in the Glebe!

Easter Bunnies!

Happy Easter! I know its only Wednesday but what the heck. I love this cartoon

Please Help to Find Austin!

Above is a poster that was sent to me by
Sherry Cleveland, who's beautiful dog has been missing since March 23rd. If you are in the LAGGAN/CORNWALL/DUNVEGAN AREA, and you know of Austin's whereabouts, please contact Sherry at phone number(s) above! p.s. we know how dogs can run, so even if you are not in the Cornwall area, and you've seen this dog, any information would be greatly appreciated!

Sam is the Man!!

Our email address at the 'Morning After' on BOB FM is mornings@939bobfm.com
We love getting your letters, and this one was priceless. It comes from Nathalie Lamy, who played 'Beat Bob's Bank' with us this past Wednesday. Unfortunately Nathalie didn't win any cash (at one point she was at $410, but she went on to be overdrawn), but she did get a 'I played Beat Bob's Bank and all I Got Was this Lousy T-shirt' t-shirt. A consolation prize, as they say.
Pictured above: her son Sam in the t-shirt.
Here is Nathalie's note to us:

Hi,
I won your wonderful t-shirt playing beat Bob's bank on Wednesday. When my 8 yr old son came back from school I explained my whole Bob adventure, loosing 410$ but winning a Bob fm t-shirt and he was delighted! He could not believe that _I scored_ a Bob fm t-shirt! He put it on, slept in it and wanted to go to school in it but I had to draw the line somewhere. (This shirt is an extra large it goes down below his knees as seen in the attached picture) . This shirt is the ultimate prize it seems, even after I re-explained to him that should I had won the 410$, I would have been able to buy him the sooo coveted Bob-fm t-shirt. I guess for my son you guys are like royalty. He feels like he won the lottery. It was great fun and made my son's day.
Nathalie

I love it!

The Humane Society Fur Ball -$155,000 Raised!!!

The Ottawa Humane Society Furball was a fantastic success!! $155,000 raised for the animals! Congratulations to all who worked so hard to make this evening so special! Mrs Laureen Harper returned as honorary chair, with her date, Environment Minister John Baird. Kudos to chef Kurt Wadele and jazz singer Deborah Davis. The event was sold out, a great time had by all...and details were unveiled about the exciting new 'Breaking Ground' campaign! The Ottawa Humane Society is on its way to raising 9.5 million dollars to build a new state-of-the-art shelter to help the animals. Please go to http://www.ottawahumane.ca/ to see the exciting new plans! p.s. a special thanks to BOB FM's Vinney White, who was 'purchased' for $2000 to bring his Friday Night House party to Andrew Thompson's house, all proceeds to the animals!

MPP
Jim Watson and CTV's Leanne Cusack

Belle, Maggie and friends from the 'Brightening Lives' program

Mrs Laureen Harper, John Baird and Mika

Mrs Harper, John Baird, Susan Giles, Mika and Rocket

Bruce Roney, executive director of the Ottawa Humane Society

Mrs Harper gives a heart-felt speech

Laurie (Cole Funeral Services), Tim (Palladium Insurance) and Leanne Cusack

James Jefferson and Frank Sukhoo

Trudy and friends!

Fleetwood Mac hits the Capital

it was a great show last night, Fleetwood Mac brought decades of huge hits to Scotiabank Place. One of the finest shows I have ever seen! The band seemed genuinely happy to be here and they played well over 2 hours. Considering the fact that I've probably listened to Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' album over a thousand times, it was pretty cool seeing the band play so many of those songs. If I never go to a concert again, at least I got to see 'Go Your Own Way' played live.

Vinney White Friday Night Dog Party for the Humane Society!!!!

Vinney White is a guy who knows how to find the party. Especially...when he IS the party. Vinney's FRIDAY NIGHT HOUSE PARTY is Ottawa's favourite way to spend a Friday night, so we thought....why not take it on the road for a great cause!! And the best part of all, is that the address of the party - could be YOUR HOUSE! 939 BOB FM is a proud sponsor of the Ottawa Humane Society Fur Ball, which is this Saturday at the National Gallery. (its sold out) The night will be an official kick-off for the Humane Society's 'Breaking Ground' campaign: details will soon be released about a huge campaign to build a new shelter for Ottawa's lost, abandoned and abused animals. To raise money for this wonderful cause, ALL THIS WEEK, on the home page at www.939bobfm.com, you can email a bid to HOST Vinney and the Friday Night House Party , at YOUR house! You can choose the Friday night you want, you can save it for the summer, you can have the party in conjunction with a celebration, a birthday, an anniversary, a street party, a community group, a girl's night out, WHATEVER!!! ITS UP TO YOU!! Vinney will arrive on your doorstep with the Bob technical crew, and Gabriels Pizza will swing by with pizza and refreshments for all! Email bids will be accepted until Friday morning, then the auction turns 'live' with Vinney joining JR and I on 'the Morning After'. Be sure to tune in and call us with YOUR best bid, the winning bidder will be announced at 8:30 am this Friday morning on 'The Morning After'. At this point, the TOP BID IS $800!!! We know we can do better than that....its for the animals!!!