Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas!!

And...The Christmas Giddy-ness has hit!!

It's the Eve of Christmas Eve...Last night, I kept waking up and having trouble falling back asleep. I go through it every year. The excitement starts bubbling up inside me and my head is just swirling with thoughts of food and gifts and family and friends and music. It is, indeed, the most wonderful time of the year!

But, there's still a little paranoia mingling in there with all the joy and cheer. A fear of falling ill (especially after Chris had the flu on the weekend), and the dread of rain on Christmas Eve (how can it be -17 today, and + 3 tomorrow?!) I know most of the gang around here are praying for rain, as any great snowfall accumulation means they have to go to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. That would definitely suck. My greatest concern with the weather, though, is that Kara has said if the weather's bad tomorrow, they won't be coming up to spend the night Christmas Eve.

I haven't even seen Baby Danica since last Thursday. I keep lamenting to anyone who will listen that I might not get to see the kid again until she's 9 months old, at this rate. I feel like I'm missing out on all the cute, adorable, newborn-ness.

People remind me continually that that pretty much consists of sleeping, pooping, breast-feeding, and more sleeping.

But I still want to just hold her and snuggle with her, and make sure she knows who I am!!!

So as the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season escalates, I'm praying for docile weather and for safe travels for families who are trying to get together for the holiday season - whether it be a half-hour drive, or a cross-country flight.

Merry Christmas everyone, and have a happy & healthy New Year. See you in 2009!!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

One Wait is Over, the Other Just Beginning...

In the past few weeks, I have told you about all the waiting going on this December for my family - not just for Christmas, but also for the birth of my sister's baby.

Well, one of those waits is over. And it's not December 25th yet, so you guessed it - the baby finally arrived!

On Monday, December 15th, 2008, at 11:52 AM, Danica Hazel was born, weighing 7 lbs. 2 ozs., measuring 19 3/4" long. I have an absolutely adorable little niece to snuggle & spoil! I visited Danica Monday night, when she was about 7 hours old, and she was the most precious little thing. Her big brother is also pretty fond of her too, reminding everyone when he gets a chance that she is HIS Danica and that she's "sweeeeeet"!!

I couldn't agree more :)
So now, a week away from Christmas, the added excitement of having a new little bundle around for the holidays has me even more anxious for the holidays! One more week...So soon, yet so far away! In the days leading up to Christmas, I intend on savouring every wonderful moment - the wrapping, the building Gingerbread houses, the gift exchanges, the food, and the music. And, of course, Danica.

What a wonderful time of year!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Forget the 'Staches...Check out those ABS!!!

Today's Blog was supposed to be about the Ottawa Senators (woeful as they may be), and how much I hate their mustaches. Because the '08-'09 Sens, amidst a less-than-inspiring season thus far, decided as a group to start growing 'staches to enhance team bonding or team spirit or some crap like that.

I believe it was Dany Heatley's dumb idea, and most of them are now growing hairy caterpillars above their upper lips....

Or not. Some, like Jason Spezza, have sorry excuses for a mustache, puny little whiskers that you can barely see. Others, like Shean Donovan, are refusing to partake. He says he'll start growing his someday...Truth is, Shean's wife probably knows they all look like goofs and is forcing him to shave every morning. Can't say I blame her.

The only "reputable" 'staches I've seen so far are belonging to Martin Gerber, Chris Phillips, Chris Kelly, and Antoine Vermette.

Ah, Antoine Vermette. Ya see? Right there. That's where this Blog got sidetracked.

I went searching for photos of some of the mustaches, but was coming up empty-handed. So I started Googling those names above to see if I could find some image results with them sporting their new (God-awful) facial hair, and again, I couldn't find any photo evidence to add to the Mustache Blog.

But when I typed in Antoine Vermette's name, I quickly forgot about the Fu Manchus. I found these pictures instead:


H-h-h-hubba hubba!!!

Why have I never seen these pictures before?!?! Why was I wasting my time on Wade Redden all those years?!?! (Okay, I take that back, Wade had a pretty hot physique himself...But he's gone now...Time to move on, right?!)

I hereby declare that Antoine Vermette is no longer allowed to wear a shirt. Ever. Not when he's off the ice, not when he's on the ice...NEVER!!

A body like that should not be covered up. It should be on display at all times, for gals like me to drool over. That is just the most beautiful male form I have ever seen with my own two eyes!

So yeah...You don't get any pictures of ugly mustaches. But somehow, I don't think the female fans of the Blog out there will mind!!

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

The Season of Waiting...In More Ways than One!

You all know just how much I love this time of year, right? I love Christmas - I love the holiday season!!

After this latest fresh dumping of snow, I'm definitely in the Christmas spirit. There are holiday parties and festive gatherings galore in the weeks to come, and I'm super-pumped. I finished my Christmas shopping last weekend, received my last parcel from Amazon in the mail yesterday so I'm ready to wrap, I've been watching holiday specials each evening on TV, I have my Christmas cards ready to drop in the mail today...Jeez, I even did a little (easy) Christmas baking on the weekend!

The problem? Well, that overly-anxious butterfly feeling I get every year in the last couple of days before Christmas Eve? It's hit early this year. I've already got it. And it's only flippin' December 10th!!!

The difference is that this year I'm not just waiting for Christmas. There's another special upcoming event that has me twisted into knots of anticipation and excitement.

Any day now, my new niece or nephew should be arriving!

For the record, the due date isn't until tomorrow. So really, I shouldn't be so wound up and wondering why the little one hasn't decided to join us already. The thing is, my sister Kara and her husband Chris surprised us the last time when they called to say baby was on the way 10 days early. It caught us all off-guard, but it was a wonderful time, and I can't wait for it to happen again!

This time, however, it's a little different. We didn't have to do this sitting around & waiting business before. I much prefer the slightly-early "shock arrival" than this thumb-twiddling, let's-get-the-show-on-the-road stuff!!

I know, I know. The baby will come when he or she is good & ready. And there's nothing I can do to speed up the process. I just have to wait impatiently to meet the newest member of our family. And when the baby does arrive, it will be well worth the wait, I'm sure!

The thoughts of Christmastime this year, with a new baby to snuggle and the added excitement of having not one but TWO little ones at our house, has me looking forward to the holidays like never before.

I might have to start Sharon's "Twelve Days of Christmas" Drinking Game early this year!!!

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Murder at the Sugar Shack Cafe!!

Yes, folks, it's that time of year again. It's time for me to offer up my annual report on the Murder Mystery!

This year, MM meant a little more to me. I've acted in it twice before, and last year I helped out behind the scenes, but this year, I was actually directing it.

Not without a great deal of help, though.

First of all, I'd have been lost if I hadn't had my co-director, Brenda, keeping me on track. She deserves heaps of praise for not losing her mind while dealing with me and my daily doses of sheer panic. She found wigs and costumes for some of our performers, doled out tons of funny lines for them to use on stage, came up with countless props and decorations to be used in the hall...That's only grazing the surface of what she did!! Did I mention she had to deal with me, the WHACK-O!?! Yeah. Her job was not easy!

We also had help from Donna & Lynn, who have been involved with the directing and behind-the-scenes work for the past 15 or 16 Murder Mysteries. Then there was Barbara, who has been responsible for tickets sales for years, and she was there for us once again this year. And last but not least, big thanks to Rolly, who takes on the task of creating absolutely amazing back-drops each and every year. He adds a special touch to the set, and the Sugar Shack Cafe looked outstanding thanks to him!!

Alright...Now...On to the show!

This year, everyone was invited back in time to the '60's, to the Sugar Shack Cafe, where popular high school cheerleader Patti - (ohhh yeah - Brenda played that part as well after our original "Patti" bowed out...Did I mention how invaluable Brenda was??) - drank a poisoned Cherry Coke and dropped dead.

Eight of her high school peers who were present at the time of her death became suspects, and after being interrogated by the QPD's singing policewoman, Mara Landers (yours truly), they spent the next few hours accusing one another and making the packed hall roar with laughter.

Our cast included: Danny 'Z', a rockstar wannabe (played by Ryan Powell); Cindy Lewis, a sexy Go-Go dancer (Joanne Marcotte); Luke Wonderman, the mullett-sporting captain of the hockey team (Kenny Fleck); Jennifer Hughes, Patti's best friend and rival cheerleader (Marie-Eve Provost); Dean Hudson, the leather-clad 'leader of the pack' (Dean Howard); Leslie Cadieux, the snobby Homecoming Queen (Tracy Hamilton); Frazer Watson, the brainy misfit (Curtis Hudson); and Lauren Sinclair, the unpopular wallflower (Kerry-Lynn O'Connell).



(The cast & I on-stage - Photo courtesy of Cheryl Dolan)

After the characters tossed out multiple motives for one another throughout each scene, it was finally determined that poor Lauren, the sniffling, snorting brainiac of the bunch, was the one who slipped the poison in Patti's Cherry Coke, thus ending yet another year of murder & mayhem in Quyon!


Let me tell you this - they were unbelievable. An excellent cast. I couldn't have been more proud of them. They came up with zingers that had previously been un-rehearsed that had the crowd in stitches. They had strong characters, and this year, we had some twists that set us apart from other years: We had a group dance to kick things off, and we had some singing throughout the play that the audience really seemed to enjoy.


Overall? I'd have to call it yet another successful Murder Mystery, and I'm grateful to the Quyon Lionettes for giving Brenda & I the opportunity to run it this year. I think I can safely speak for both of us when I say that we had a ball!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Bittersweet Afternoon at The Bank

As many of you already know, I had November 22 circled on my calendar for quite a while now.

I had purchased pre-sale tickets for the Sens game that afternoon way back in early September - so long ago, that it felt the day might never come. I was eagerly awaiting this game for a special reason. Not just because I love going to Sens games, nor because I was interested in seeing their new third jerseys.

I was there on "Back in Black" day to see one player in particular. And he wasn't even wearing one of those snazzy new black sweaters.

The player I was there to see was suited up in a number 6 jersey, wearing the white, red & blue of the New York Rangers.

I'm still not used to seeing Wade Redden wearing different colours. It didn't get any easier in person. From the moment he stepped on the ice for the warm-up, right through to the end of the Sens 4-1 win, I couldn't help thinking, "He's on the wrong team. He doesn't look right in that uinform." (Although he does look pretty sexy in this photo, from http://www.ottawacitizen.com/)
That being said, I was really glad I was there, and it was a great game to be at. We brought Caden to his first live NHL game. He loves watching hockey on TV, and going to see his Uncle Luke play on Sundays, so we figured he'd like to see a Sens game in person. He was pretty quiet most of the time, and refused to take off his coat, tuque and mitts until Cowan bribed him with cotton candy in the third period, but apparently he couldn't stop talking about it afterwards! His only issue seemed to be the traffic getting out of the parking lot - while stuck in the bottle-neck of vehicles trying to escape, he kept saying, "Go, Daddy! GO!" (Don't we all feel that way leaving SBP, though?!)

As for the actual game - it was great to see the Sens back on track! They dominated the Rangers, especially through the first period, when they recorded the first 14 shots on goal. Alex Auld played another strong game, leaving me to believe that Martin Gerber's not gonna get much of a shot in nets again this year. Too bad, so sad.

My new favourite Sen, Jesse Winchester, scored a goal, his second of the season, so that was pretty cool. It was like a changing of the guard, as he and Wade Redden both went tumbling into the net after he scored - my new fave taking out my old fave while scoring on the same play. Jesse's still a far cry from being my Wade, but I admire his grit and he seems to work really hard. I look forward to seeing him grow and develop as a Senator.

The other Ottawa goals came from Jason Spezza, who opened the scoring, Nick Foligno, who had actually scored earlier but the goal was disallowed after they said he touched it with a high stick (bullsh*t), and the captain, Daniel Alfredsson.

Wade did manage to earn a point on the lone Rangers goal, collecting the second assist on Markus Naslund's tally. It was pretty cool to be scored against and still be able to cheer and smile!

But for me, the absolute best part of the afternoon was seeing the video tribute to Wade Redden on the jumbotron about 6 minutes into the game. During a TV-time out stoppage, my mom elbowed me and pointed to the big screen. Matchbox 20's song "How Far We've Come" was playing, with clips and images of Redden flashing across - videos of him scoring goals and celebrating wins with his teammates, pictures of his signing autographs and posing with kids at CHEO, a shot of him holding the trophy the year they beat Buffalo to become the Eastern Conference Champions and advance to the Stanley Cup Finals...

After the classy video tribute was over, they thanked Redden for his 11 years in Ottawa, and all the the valuable things he did for the team and the community. By this point, the fans were up and cheering, giving him a well-deserved and lengthy standing ovation. Redden rose from the bench and waved his glove at the fans in thanks.

I had a lump in my throat; I had tears in my eyes. Only afterwards did I find out that my mom was struggling to keep her emotions in check too, and my sister actually even had tears streaming down her cheeks (which she's blaming on being overly-emotional at 8 1/2 months pregnant...but I think she would've cried anyway...)

Being there for that moment - after all the crap I've had to go through as a Redden fan over the years - it made it all worthwhile. Seeing him recognized for his contributions and seeing an arena full of people applaud him - it made me proud to be a fan of Wade Redden's. And while I had hoped I'd never see the day that he'd be sitting in another team's colours and waving to the fans in his return to Ottawa, I'm so glad I was there to see it. I wouldn't have wanted to miss it for the world.

He's still #1 in my heart.



How Far We've Come by Matchbox 20
Waking up at the start of the end of the world,
But it's feeling just like every other morning before,
Now I wonder what my life is going to mean if it's gone.
The cars are moving like a half a mile an hour
And I started staring at the passengers who're waving goodbye
Can you tell me what was ever really special about me all this time?
I believe the world is burning to the ground
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come
Well I believe it all is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come.

I think it turned ten o'clock but I don't really know

And I can't remember caring for an hour or so

Started crying and I couldn't stop myself

I started running but there's no where to run to.
I sat down on the street, took a look at myself.
Said, "Where you going, man? You know the world is headed for hell."
Say your goodbyes if you've got someone you can say goodbye to.

I believe the world is burning to the ground

Oh well I guess we're gonna find out

Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come


Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come


It's gone, gone, baby, it's all gone
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home
It was cool cool, it was just all cool
Now it's over for me and it's over for you


Well it's gone, gone, baby, it's all gone
There is no one on the corner and there's no one at home
Well it was cool cool, it was just all cool
Now it's over for me and it's over for you


I believe the world is burning to the ground
Oh well I guess we're gonna find out
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come


Well I, believe, it all, is coming to an end
Oh well, I guess, we're gonna pretend,
Let's see how far we've come
Let's see how far we've come



Friday, November 14, 2008

That Was Some Unsettling TV...

If it's possible to be bothered by television shows, that happened to me last night.

First, with Survivor. Already disgruntled that Marcus was banished last week to the jury, things didn't improve for me this week. I'm still baffled by this wacky twist of events in Gabon that has seen the decimation of the powerful alliance that once included Marcus, Charlie, Corrine, Randy, and Bob. At one point, when they were all at Kota, it appeared they had the game in their hands. Suddenly they are being tricked and blindsided by the likes of Crystal and Kenny - left, right & centre. Last night, they managed to get their hands on Sugar and sway her to their side. First Susie, now her. And this week, their coup de grace was eliminating Charlie from the game.

I hate the way Kenny looks like a rat - he even compared himself to one last night, and that's exactly what he looks like. A friggin' RAT!! And he seems proud of that!! And hoooo boy, if I was there, I'd be slapping that vile little smirk off Crystal's face everytime something goes her way. I haaaaaaaaate her!!

Damned good thing Matty's still there. At least he's hot. But even he's annoying me now, and I can't believe he's choosing to side with Crystal & Kenny; however, it looks like Corrine, Randy & Bob are going to do their best next week to turn the tables and bring him over to their side, now that they've merged. I hope & pray that they're able to secure his vote to get out Crystal - otherwise, The Uglies (that's what I call Crystal & Kenny) will have this thing in the bag. And if that happens...what a waste of a season that once held so much potential.

So after watching that bothersome episode of Survivor, I decided to stay up and watch Grey's Anatomy too.
Now, don't get me wrong. I love Grey's. Love it. But I'm a little disturbed by the fact that they're bringing Denny back. Now. After he's already been DEAD for 2-plus seasons.
I'm not sure if he's a ghost, or if Izzie's just hallucinating, or if the rumours are true and they're giving her a brain tumour and that's the reason why she's seeing Denny. I have no clue. I'm trying to see beyond the weird awesomeness of having Denny back, and having Izzie be able to touch him, and, by the looks of the previews, she's going to actually sleep with him next week...?!? How can this all be possible?!? I'm trying to see beyond it, because while many Grey's fans are in an uproar over the silly ridiculousness of bringing back Denny, I'm thinking it could lead to some really great plotlines.
The truly bittersweet part of the whole thing is that Izzie was finally - FINALLY - starting to be happy with Alex. They had cute scenes where they finally decided they were going to "go steady", and after Alex had been all bent out of shape and angry and hateful over his crazy ex-girlfriend Ava/Rebecca, it was so nice to see him smile again. And in a healthy relationship.
Whoopsie. Maybe not so healthy after all. Imagine the turmoil he's going through, seeing Izzie -his beautiful, wonderful Izzie - talking to her dead ex-fiancé in the halls of Seattle Grace.
Yikers. I don't want Alex to have another crazy girlfriend. He doesn't deserve this! He's already suffered through so much pain and tragedy... Can he really handle having to battle Denny again for Izzie's affections? He battled Denny once, and lost. Can he battle Denny's ghost and win?
I'm actually hoping the rumour that Izzie has a brain tumour, causing her to hallucinate Denny, is what's really going on. Not that I want Izzie to die - but if that is what's causing her to see Denny again, then they'll discover her illness, and I think it would be super-romantic and awesome to see her come through it and realize all along that it's been Alex at her side, not Denny.
But for now...Denny's back!! And while it is odd and troubling, I'm super-stoked that for a few episodes, I get to soak up the humour and the hotness that is Denny. Woo-Hoo!
Aside from that, my other favourite part from last night was when Callie broke down in the OR over Dr. Hahn leaving without even saying goodbye. I was not a fan of Hahn's, so I wasn't sorry to see her go, or to see the end of their experimental lesbian relationship - but I did feel for Callie last night when she started to sob and couldn't stop. And I absolutely loved that McSteamy, who's usually only around for comedic relief and to take the women of Seattle Grace into the on-call room for a romp, was the one who stood by her, and let her have her moment, and held her while she cried. I love it when you find out the assholes of the world really have good hearts.
Last but not least - Dr. Mark "McSteamy" Sloan gets credit for one of the best lines ever on the show, after labelling Meredith's younger sister Lexie "Little Grey". Meredith (aka "Big Grey") was worried that he'd be making predatory sexual advances on her sister, so she asked Derek to speak to him and tell him to keep "Little Sloan" away from "Little Grey". When Derek repeated that pretty much word-for-word, Mark looked at him incredulously and said, "'Little Sloan'? No, no, no. 'BIG Sloan'!"

And that, folks, is why I love this show!!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Not Enough Pigott on The Border!!

To follow up on yesterday's Blog, I did get to watch my taped episode of the CBC drama The Border, which featured a guest appearance by Sebastian Pigott on Monday night.

I've searched and searched the 'Net for still-frames to show you how Sebastian looked, but I can't find any. So here's a pic of Sebastian acting in a play - the closest thing I could find in pictures.



I only could find the actual video for the episode "Articles of Faith" on The Border's website. If you want to check it out, here's the link:

http://www.cbc.ca/theborder/watch.html

You don't have to watch for long to see him in action - I was thrilled when I caught sight of Seb very early on in the episode. He played the role of Jason Whitmore, a young Canadian border guard, who claimed to have a tip that a van carrying women & children belonging to a fundamentalist religious sect across the border would be also trying to sneak over weapons.

Turns out he was only trying to save an old friend, Rachel, with the twist being he was also once a part to the same extreme Christian group, and was banned at the age of 13. He had received emails from her, and she was telling him she was dreading her forced marriage to an aging polygamist who had many other wives. She used Jason to get her safely across the border, with him under the impression he had to save her from this injustice, but Jason had no idea he was just a pawn in her game to get to her to the ring-leader of their church, her true desire.

It was sort a crazy episode, with lots of twists and turns along the way, but I really enjoyed it. I'm not saying I'll become a regular viewer of The Border - without the Pigott allure, I'm not sure I'm all that interested in the show - but for Canuck television, it was pretty decent.

I had my issues with Sebastian in the episode. For one thing, he didn't last long enough - he turns up dead about 19 minutes in. That sucked big-time. His character actually was a main focal point of the episode, but I didn't get to see nearly enough of him.

That being said, I'm sure it truly was a wonderful opportunity for him to get some exposure as an actor. Even though his screen-time wasn't as great as I'd have liked, he did have an intriguing role to play, and I thought he played it extremely well.

At the very least, Sebastian seemed to take full advantage of his chance to display his talents - the dude is definitely more than just a singer, and I'm positive more acting opportunities will arise thanks to his guest spot on The Border. His portrayal of a scared, stricken young man trying to protect a girl whom he has so much in common with was terrific, and I'm hoping his role as Jason will open more doors for him in television and film.

And I did come to one very positive conclusion - the boy should have to wear a uniform. At all times. He looked absolutely delicious!!

Wish I had a picture to show you - but just in case you've forgotten (like I'd ever let you!), here's one more look at Sebastian:


*sigh*

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Gettin' Me a Dose of Pigott!

Hey guys.

So I moved. I've been gradually moving for about a month, slowly moving stuff down to the new house, while still sleeping in my own cozy room at home.

But this past weekend, it actually got done. Aside from some clothes and little stuff, I've officially changed addresses.

And if there's one thing I've learned (or been reminded of from my college apartment days), is that I'm not a good mover. I worry about everything, and when I let my mind really slip into the deep, dark places that make me bubble with anxiety, I end up panicking, thinking, "What if things are never right & normal again? What if I always feel like I want to move back home?"

I talk myself back down, reminding myself that it's not exactly normal for a 25-year-old to be still living at home with Mom & Dad, yet I'm still close enough that I can skip back whenever I want. It's not like I've moved to frickin' Siberia. I'm just down the road.

This week, having no groceries or satellite dish yet, I've been actually at home more than I've been at the new place. I eat at home, I watch TV at home - then I just go to the new house to sleep, and shower in the morning.

So far, that seems to be working quite well for me. Just might have to keep it that way.

Anyways...If there's anything that can bring me back out of my doldrums, it's news on the Sebastian Pigott front! Remember him? The dude I drooled over pretty much all summer long?

Well, I've given you a long enough reprieve - it's time he get some more space on the Blog!

I was super-excited when I heard yesterday that he had a guest-starring role on the Canadian television drama, The Border. Never watched it before in my life, and I still haven't actually seen the episode, but I did tape it and I'm looking forward to watching it. Word on the street is Seb got to do a lot of his own stunts, and that his character eventually dies. But I won't mind, so long as I get to look at his handsomeness for another while!

Just to remind you, here's some pics.


It will be interesting to see Sebastian in an acting role, after watching him on Idol doing the singing thing. From the rooting around on the Internet that I've done, it appears that Sebastian's heart lies more with acting and playwriting than music or modeling. He's written several scripts that have been produced by DropShip Entertainment in Toronto, in which he has also acted, and he's also had bit roles on other movies and shows, such as the Canadian film "The Poet", set in WWII.

Being on Idol certainly will have opened more doors for him in acting, and I'm sure his guest appearance on The Border will give him even more exposure, as it is his first mainstream acting role. I'll let you know what I think of his acting once I actually get to watch the episode (hopefully tonight). I can't wait!!!

Friday, November 07, 2008

The Rise of Jesse, The Demise of Marcus

I missed the Sens game last night, but for good reason. I had a ticket for the Cabaret in Shawville, and once again, Mrs. Conrad's crew put on a wonderful show. The theme was "And Peace Ever After", with the chorus performing songs from the WWII era. I didn't know most of the songs they sang, but they were wonderful, and it was a great night! A special shout-out to Lindsay, Jared & Holly for lending their voices to the show, you all did a fantastic job.

When I got home, the first thing I checked on was the Sens score, and I was thrilled to hear that they defeated the Philly Flyers soundly on home ice, 4-1. While I haven't had the opportunity to watch many of the games recently, it seems as though they are finally starting to come around and gel together as a team. There has been praise for how they're paying more attention to team defence, and for how Alex Auld has stepped in and played strong after poor ol' Marty Gerber floundered (once again).

So I went downstairs to watch the highlights, and I was informed by Luke that my boy had scored. For a moment, I thought he meant Wade Redden, because he will always be "my boy". But then it clicked when I saw the replay of Jesse Winchester scoring his first NHL goal. The other day I spoke of the smile on Fisher's face when he scored his first of the season - well, last night, the smile on Jesse's face was just as sweet. (Even though Luke told me that he thinks Jesse has a crooked face. Like, c'mon, how can you have a 'crooked face'?) I was very happy for him, and I hope he has continued success in a Sens uniform. It'll take me a bit longer before I start considering him "my boy", but last night was definitely a step in the right direction for my relationship with Jesse!! (hee hee!!)


It would figure, on an evening that was going so well, that something would have to go wrong. That happened on Survivor last night. STUPID Survivor shake-ups that screw up alliances...I hate it!!

So yes. Jeff fooled them with a feast and had them thinking they were merging, but all he actually did was split them back up into two new tribes once again. Marcus ended up back at Kota with Bob and Susie from his alliance, and the wretched Crystal & Kenny. (The two of them may be my most hated Survivors ever...I loathe them). Former Kota members Randy, Charlie, and Corrinne headed back to Fang to hang with Matty & Sugar.

Marcus really ended up with the bum end of the deal by getting stuck with Susie on his new tribe. She is one of the most erratic, unpredictable players ever in the game. Marcus was nervous, and rightly so. I absolutely loved it when he broke his tribe down by saying there was him & Bob on one side, Crystal & Kenny on the other, with Susie playing "dizzy bat" in the middle. Quite an accurate description!!

Then Kota lost the Immunity Challenge, thanks to Matty out-lasting Bob balancing two poles on his hands. Props to Bob for hanging in as long as he did, and for a long time it looked like he was going to pull out the victory. Admirable for a man his age, up against a young guy like Matty.

I'm not sure what happened to the Fang plan to throw the challenge. Randy, Corrinne, and Charlie were afraid for Marcus' safety, due to him having the flighty Susie on his tribe, and they discussed losing purposely to save Marcus from the vote while they would gladly take the opportunity to vote Matty off their side. However, things didn't fall into place. Marcus bowed out of the challenge sooner than I think any of them expected, and they had no way of controlling Matty, who went on to win it for his tribe.

I thought Marcus might be OK with Crystal & Kenny after he found out that he and Crystal had an interesting connection - one of Marcus' best friends from back home is Crystal's cousin! He thought he had cemented a pretty good relationship with her based on that, but then he told her of his plans to oust Kenny, and Crystal went on the attack. She convinced Susie that Marcus couldn't promise her Final 3, and the next thing I knew, those dumbasses were voting him out.


I could've cried. Marcus is the best thing I've seen in this game since Colby, and it's complete bullsh*t that he's gone this early, while Crystal & Kenny, and espcially Susie, get to sit there with smug smirks on their faces. ARGHH...It makes me sooooooo mad!!

It made me think of a line that Mike Boogie used on Big Brother in Season 2, when some of his alliance members were getting evicted from the house. He said something like, "This is a joke! This game is losing all its stars and its being taken over by the f---ing EXTRAS!!"

That's exactly how I felt watching Marcus walk off last night with Crystal, Kenny, and Susie still sitting there. It's like the nasty people have risen up and taken control of the game, while the good, educated people are getting axed left and right. It doesn't make sense, and I only wish Marcus had somehow been dealt a better hand at the tribal shake-up.

Oh, and it's also too bad that Marcus orchestrated the whole "setting the Idol free" lunacy, when they took the hidden Immunity Idol that they found in the sand at their feast and tossed it into the ocean.

That stupid thing sure woulda come in handy at Tribal Council last night. I'm sure it's a decision he'll regret. For a long, long time.

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

A Good Day. A GREAT Day.

Today is a good day.

A great day, in fact.

First of all, I awoke to the news this morning that Democrat Barack Obama is the first black President of the United States. As I've mentioned in previous blogs, I really don't pay all that much attention to politics, but one would have had to be living under a rock not to get caught up in this epic Presidential campaign.

From what I've seen of Obama, he's an articulate, intelligent man, and he certainly impressed me far more than his Republican counterpart, John McCain. (I won't even get into Sarah Palin...)

It was an historic vote, not just for Americans, but for the entire world.

In Obama's first speech as President-Elect, he said this about the tasks at hand: "The greatest of a lifetime - two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president, and we know that government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face."

I can't wait to see how Obama's reign as President unfolds, and how it will affect us as Canadians. We'll find out soon enough what kind of a leader he is, because with the world in the precarious state it is in, he'll either sink or soar.

But something tells me the future has been left in very capable hands. He has the potential to be one of the greatest Presidents in history. Indeed, today is a very good day.


So what makes today a great day?

Why, the smile on Mike Fisher's face last night when he scored in OT to beat the Washington Capitals before a hometown crowd at the Bank in Ottawa.

What a beautiful smile it was!

I haven't blogged much on the Sens yet this year, due to the fact that they've gotten off to a bit of a shaky start, and the fact that I still miss Wade. Painfully so.

But we've all been hearing the mutters about Mike Fisher as this young season develops. "He works so hard, but no points in the first ten games? Not good enough for a guy making $6M this season."

No one could ever question Mike Fisher's grit or heart, but people were starting to squirm impatiently the longer he went without any points. Secondary scoring has been an issue for the Sens the past few seasons, and he's supposed to be one of the key guys providing it. As Bryan Murray publicly mulled over the possibility of moving a roster player to acquire a puck-moving defenceman (ahem...anyone remember when we used to have one named WADE!?!), or possibly a goaltender, Fisher's name was starting to come up as the guy they might have to lose in order to gain in other areas.

Safe to say the Fisher Frenzy was starting to reach fever-pitch going into last night's game. He just had to do something about it.

I only got to catch the last few minutes of regulation time, with the score dead-locked at 1 apiece, and when I arrived at my spot on the couch, I was informed by the family that Fisher had broken his point drought by assisting on Dany Heatley's goal. I let out a sigh of relief, glad to know the pressure on him would be lessened now that he had made it onto the scoresheet.

Mike Fisher's not my favourite all-time player or anything, but losing him would sure decrease the Hotness Factor on the team!

(And I supposed I would miss his hard-working, all-heart performances as well).

In any case, I wasn't a fan of the talk of him leaving town, so hearing that not only did he have a beauty assist on Heater's goal, but also that he could have arguably been called the best player on the ice throughout the game, proved to me that Mike had decided to take his fate into his own hands. He was making sure to step up to the plate and prove to the nay-sayers that he is perfectly capable of being one of the best players on this team.

With time winding down in Overtime, a sweet play developed when the Sens stormed the Washington end and Alfredsson slid a pass over to Fisher in the slot. Fish one-timed the game winner past Caps goaltender Brent Johnson to put an exclamation point on his stellar performance.

So yes, the smile on his face as he was mobbed by his teammates was beautiful.


I'm sitting here smiling just thinking about it.

And that's what makes today a great day.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Happy Halloween!!

As I sit here and type this Blog, I'm wearing a red & black leopard-print dress, a gold puffy jacket, leopard-print gloves, orange stringy hair (also referred to as "Stacy's grass skirt" - haha!), a fuzzy red old lady hat, a red purse, red high-heels, and a sexy red boa.

Hmm...Must be Halloween!!

It's one of my favourite days of the year, when everyone gets to dress up for the day, and be somebody else. You don't care if people laugh at you for looking so ridiculous...That's the whole point! It's one of the most fun-filled days of the year! I hope you all enjoy your day and have fun trick-or-treating with your little ones, or staying home & handing out candy!! :)

Now, on to Survivor, where things are getting a little scary for the Fang tribe. Anybody remember the last time this troop won? Like, anything? I think it might've been in episode 2. They're pretty pathetic. And my poor little Matty declared several times that he's losing his spirit and his drive to win last night. Things won't be any better for him now that his tribe blindsided his closest ally in the game, Ace.

Yup - Ace is gone. I was a little surprised myself, and I still can't believe that the likes of Crystal and Kenny are surviving, but it was kind of funny to see Ace go just one week after he declared himself the most powerful player in the game. Even more surprising than Ace's exit was the fact that Sugar - his best friend Sugar - actually voted for him to go! (She was protected from the vote, as she was awarded individual immunity by Marcus). Apparently Sugar's not as stupid as I thought she was. She recognized he was a snake in the game, and I think probably when he went looking for the hidden Immunity Idol from her again, she realized she was just being used by him. That being said, Ace really did look out for Sugar in the game. He kept her off the chopping block many times when Matty or others were dying to send her home, or flush out the Idol. We'll see how she manages to survive without him now, and aligned with weaklings like Crystal and Kenny...

It was double-elimination night, so Kota had to hit tribal council again, for only their second time. Marcus won the Immunity Challenge, so he had individual immunity (and, as mentioned before, bestowed the second necklace upon Sugar). Have I told you lately how much I love Marcus? I wish he'd given the second immunity to Matty, but I guess he had legit reasons for giving it to Sugar. Things were up in the air at Kota as to who they were sending home, either Susie or Dan. Neither of them were helping their own cases. Susie committed social suicide by telling Corrine she'd planned to vote for her, which infuriated her. Dan, meanwhile, was scrambling around like a chicken with his head cut off, consumed by paranoia. I wasn't surprised to see him go at the end of the night - I was, however, a little surprised that the vote was as close as it was. I'm sure there was a strategy behind it and the group isn't as divided as the vote made it look - they likely wanted to ensure they had enough votes to get Susie off if, by some chance, Dan did have the hidden immunity from his brief stay on Exile Island. Unfortunately for him, he didn't, so buh-bye la.

Looks like the merge is coming up next week, and I'm assuming those scenes they showed of Randy sitting on the beach, wine glass in hand, declaring he's King of the game, were alcohol-induced. Surely he's not that stupid...

On Grey's - well, they're finally letting Izzie and Alex be together. WOO-HOO!! I'm so excited about this storyline!! And even more interesting is that next week their new relationship will be tested when the patient Izzie stole a heart from to give to her fiance Denny before he died shows up at Seattle Grace, and Izzie is assigned to scrub in on his heart transplant. I really hope Alex steps up and helps Izzie through what is sure to be a difficult time for her...

OK, that's enough TV talk for one day...Go out & enjoy this spooky day, watch scary movies, eat lots of candy, have fun with the trick-or-treaters...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

The First Storm of '08-'09

So...It happened. We got snow. In OCTOBER. And not just a light dusting that vanished as soon as the sun came up. We're talking fairly significant snowfall here, folks. Five or six inches at least. It's hard to tell on my front lawn, seeing it's mostly all drifted down into the ditch and around the cars in the laneway (the wind on our road is notoriously wild), but according to reports on the radio and what I'm seeing here around the farm...Well, it's still pretty white out there!!

As you know, I'm all for it. I really love the snow, I think it's so pretty and it gets me in a festive spirit...Even if it is at least a month too early. I'm trying to think "Pumpkins & vampires, pumpkins & vampires..." but looking out that window, I can't help humming "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" instead.

Sick? Perhaps.


(Photo credit: Chris Mikula, the Ottawa Citizen)

But I'm one of the lucky ones. I don't have a long commute to the city for work; my job is a 5-minute drive away. So for the most part, I can sit back and enjoy the snow, watching it fall from inside the warm & cozy MVT office. I don't have to worry about city driving or fender benders or idiots who seem to forget they need to brake a few feet earlier than they did yesterday on dry pavement.

So from where I'm sitting, I'll keep singing, "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" while the rest of the area seems to be grumbling & griping. I get to be in a cheerful mood today, all thanks to this October freak of nature!

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Let it...SNOW??

Been missing the Blog, have ya?

Well...Me too. Except, I'm so busy these days that I honestly haven't had time to string my thoughts together in a coherent enough fashion to create an interesting read for you folks.

Today, though, I have a little time. Would you believe the phones are quiet on the sod front? I wonder why...Hmmm...It could have something to do with the 15-20 CM OF SNOW THEY'RE CALLING FOR TONIGHT!! Welcome to Canada, baby, where we get snowstorms in FREAKIN' OCTOBER!! I love it. I really do. I don't love the fact that I have to fork out close to $600 for snowtires, thanks to this cute little Quebec law they're enforcing this year, but other than that, I'm all for the snow. Bring it on!

So I'm two weeks behind in Suvivor and Amazing Race re-caps. I'll just let y'all know that Marcus remains one of the hottest competitors ever on Survivor, right up there in Colby's pedigree, and my hot guy Dallas and his mom Toni are still tearin' it up on the Race, finishing again in the top teams this past week. I think they're doing amazingly well, considering Toni is now probably the oldest competitor left in the race, and Dallas isn't doing it all - Toni's contributions are many and valuable. I keep hoping they get a first place finish - maybe next week!

As for Sens hockey - things haven't exactly been hunky-dory. I had a ball last Friday night at the game vs. Phoenix, when we won 6-3 and I had the pleasure of starting the "PIZZA! PIZZA!" chant in my section. But aside from that, the bright spots have been few & far between. Going into last night's game they were mired in a 4-game slump (which included a loss to the Leafs on Saturday night - BLECH!) and were off to their worst start in 13 seasons. Egads.

Thankfully, they pulled out all the stops last night and picked up a huge 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres (previously the only team in the East without a regulation loss). I still miss Wade. Like, a lot. And despite my best efforts to become Jesse Winchester's biggest fan, I'm still lacking that 'joie de vivre' when it comes to hockey this year. But I'm working on it. If Jesse could get me a couple of goals or something, maybe I'd feel better.

Anyways...That's all I've got for now. I'll try not to skip another week and a half before my next Blog!

Friday, October 17, 2008

Friday Reflections on Survivor and Grey's

Here's my Friday morning thoughts on last night's episode of Survivor: Gabon!

- Marcus is hot. Sooooo hot. But I don't like him hugging Charlie. It still creeps me out a bit. But aside from that, yet another strong week for the resident stud-muffin. His tribe is still rolling along, winning challenge after challenge. This week, things were a little closer between Kota and Fang, but they were able to pull out wins in both the Reward and Immunity Challenges, further weakening the Fang tribe, both physically and mentally.


- Sugar was sent off to Exile (or the "Sugar Shack", as she annoyingly calls it) yet again, and believe it or not, her dopey tribe was actually smart enough to find the Hidden Immunity Idol in her bag when she came back. Smart enough to flush the thing out, though? Not a chance. They decided to end G-Sizzle's agony, after he told them he was done playing the game and wanted to go home. Poor wee pet. The guy was weak from Day 1, and proved himself to be nothing but a quitter in all respects of the game. Still, if Fang had used even an smidge of intelligence, they would have ignored his whiny ass and voted out Sugar. The longer she hangs in there with Ace, the more powerful they become.

- Anyone notice that Ace was dramatically "injured" last night on two different occasions, both times involving his face? In the Reward challenge he took a pineapple in the face, and then in the Immunity challenge his shield came up and bashed him in the face. Loved that Probst showed absolutely no sympathy either time!

- Despite what a dysfunctional group they are, I think watching the Fang tribe's close encounter with an elephant was one of the most special moments on Survivor ever. For a few minutes, the game was forgotten as Matty gathered his tribe together and they just sat in the jungle and watched that massive creature stomp around and trumpet - it was really neat to see how completely enthralled they were by it, absolutely awed, and you know it's something that, once the game is long over, they'll never forget. Very cool.

- I'm not sure if Kota will ever have to go to another Tribal Council together before the merge, but if they do, the guy in jeopardy is Dan. He's too yappy, and you can tell it's starting to grate on their nerves. And his decision to label Kota "The Empire of Evil"? How cheesy and corny is that? Marcus sees right through him already, and I think if they ever do have to vote someone out, Dan had best be watching his back.

- GC's gone, and I sure wasn't sorry to see him go. Next week, it looks like Ace & Sugar are going on a power trip, and also Matty makes an alliance with Ace. I'm not sure how smart a move that is on Matty's part, but on a tribe full of dimwits, I'm not sure what other choice he has...

And now for a little Grey's Anatomy...I know I'm like the only one who watches it, but last night was just so good, I have to do a little Blogging about it!

First of all, I just love how this show incorporates children into the scripts. Any time a kid appears at Seattle Grace, it's always a great episode. They seem to have awesome luck at finding amazing child actors. Last night, the little boy who played Duncan stole the show. And the way George interacted with him - it was really great. The scene where George is getting ready to take him into a surgery to show him there's nothing to be scared of, and then they accidentally walk in on the wrong surgery - one which has a guy with his face peeled off - was absolutely priceless!

And I know I've said it before in seasons past, but please, please, please can we finally let Alex and Izzie be together? I know he's still messed up from his psycho girlfriend (who I really wish had never been psycho, but that's a whole other Blog...), but he and Izzie are so perfect together! I thought last week they had made strides, but then this week he's back to treating her like dirt. At least he finally sort of explained it to her last night. He's pissed off that his girlfriend was crazy, but he can't be mad at his crazy girlfriend for being crazy, so he's taking it out on the only person close enough to him to understand. That'd be Izzie. *sigh* They're so perfect for each other, and I crave the day they let them be together. Be normal together.

(This is just a picture of Justin Chambers, who plays Dr. Alex Karev...I love him. Yum.)

Oh, and I adored the scenes where Cristina discovers the land of Dermatology and brings Izzie, Meredith, and George in to lounge with her on their couch and watch them work in their floaty, dreamy world of lotion and massages. Very funny stuff!

OK - that's enough for one day. Have a great weekend, everyone!!!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Fender Bender

As many of you know, I'm the proud owner of a white '97 Toyota RAV 4. I love my RAV. I love it so much. I know it's no longer a prize vehicle - it's over 10 years old, and it's not quite 'in' anymore.

But I love it anyways.

This past summer, after driving it for a few years with exhaust problems, I had to actually get some major repairs done when it decided to roar like an airplane on take-off. It was so loud that I couldn't even hear my music inside the vehicle anymore. It was a little scary.

So I forked out a big chunk of change to get some repairs done, and for the past few weeks, it's been riding quiet and smooth and just peachy. I had wiped my brow in relief - it would appear the ol' RAV was going to last me another while!

Then, last night, after attending my first craft night of the year at the Family Centre, I was backing out of the parking lot and waving good-bye to my friends when suddenly, with the loud, horrifying sound of crunching metal, my heart jumped into my throat. I had backed right into a parked car across the street!!

Of course, my first fear was for my poor RAV. Already having gone through so much lately, I couldn't believe I was putting her through more. My Lady Linda. My Barbie Mobile. Smushed right up against the front left-hand side that little red Devil Car.

OK, so I was actually a little more afraid of the lady who was still inside the Family Centre, whom I had to go face and confess to her that I had just backed into her car. I was afraid we'd have to call the police, I was mad at myself for being so stupid...I was a bit of a mess for a little while!

Fortunately, she was very cool about it. She didn't get mad - in fact, she hugged me and told me it was okay. And my wonderful friends hung out with me until we got our info exchanged and everything was resolved. I still felt like a complete bonehead, but overall, it wasn't that bad.

But I bet you're waiting to hear what happened to my Lady Linda, right?

Good news: She only has a scuff mark on the back bumper area that I think will wash off without any problem. No ding, no crunched metal, nothing.

*sigh* Thank goodness!! She's OK!!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Rocking the Vote

Yesterday was Election Day in Canada.

This morning we awoke to the news that Prime Minister Stephen Harper of the Conservative Party remains in power, still with a minority government, although slightly stronger than the last time.

What does this mean? I have no idea. I don't follow politics very closely, and although I've been paying a little more attention to the news the past few weeks with our world being thrust into economic turmoil and uncertainty, I still wasn't certain who to vote for yesterday.

I wasn't surprised to hear that yesterday's polls had the lowest voter turn-out in history. Over the past weeks, I've heard many people from my age group saying they weren't going to vote, because they didn't care or they didn't understand enough about it to make an educated decision.

On one hand, I understood how they felt. Having not paid much attention to the campaigns myself, I wasn't sure who was the best candidate, or who would be the smartest choice during this "economic storm", as they call it.

And yet, I went out and voted yesterday. Partly from fear, because, as I hear so many voices from my generation declaring it's pointless and that they could care less, I'm scared of where we could be someday when it's our turn to run the show. I'd like to believe we are a strong, intelligent, capable generation, but as voter turn-out decreases each time, it frightens me that we're being too careless, too comfortable with the fact that we've had to face little hardship and strife.

Another reason I voted? Hell, because I can. Sometimes we forget how fortunate we are to have the right to vote. In so many places around this globe, people cower in fear of dictators, silenced into submission, not allowed to have a voice or a vote. Living in Canada, in a democracy that allows me to have a say in where my country is headed - that's a true blessing. As my dad reminds me every time an election comes around, there are many men and women who have died and continue to fight and die for my right to vote. To just shrug and say "I don't care" is to disrespect them and all that they have done for us.

If I'm being entirely honest, I get a little rush out of going down to the poll and casting my vote. It's an empowering feeling, knowing that, in some small way, I have contributed. I have let my country know where I stand, and who I believe will be the best leader as we face dark times ahead.

Now it's up to Stephen Harper to prove to me that he is that leader.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Plenty to be Thankful For...

You know what? There was so much going on this past weekend that I'm not sure I can fit it all into one Blog. I really wish I had another couple of days to lie on the couch and recuperate!

So here's some snippets of my adventures this beautiful Thanksgiving weekend...

- Friday night we went to Saunders Farm to celebrate Lindsay's 21st birthday, and we had a great time! I was chased by this scary lizard/alien thing, and that was honestly the biggest spook of the night for me! However, the Haunted Hayride, Barn of Terror, and Field of Screams were all lots of fun and I highly recommend heading to Munster to check it out if you have never been before!

(Here's the Birthday Girl with this creepy dude...)


- Saturday was Tub-Rave. For those who don't know what that is, it's a party that occurs when one of my cousins is home for Thanksgiving with his trance DJ equipment, and his brother happens to have just put in a new hot tub. Music + Tub = Party! I had a wee bit to drink, and memories from the evening are fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure I had a BLAST!! ... Oh, and I believe I promised "DJ Badly" that I would review his ... uh ... performance? Well, all I know for sure is that I had fun pretending to DJ when he let me play with the buttons and wear the headphones. And there were some really cool mixes that we had a great time dancing to. So I'd say his Quyon debut was a SMASH success. It's probably the most "small-scale" Rave that's ever taken place, but it was pretty wicked! I had so much fun, I actually forgot that the Sens lost their home opener to Detroit!!

(No pics from this event - batteries were dead, thank God. I don't need any evidence from Tub-Rave surfacing...)


- Sunday we had our Family Thanksgiving dinner at our place, and let's just say I ate wayyyy too much. I'm still full.


- Sunday night was the Amazing Race. Woo-Hoo for Dallas and Toni! They started out the night at the back of the pack, but eventually made up a lot of ground to finish in second place, behind Ken & Old Barbie. The geek guys were slapped with a penalty for mis-reading a clue and taking a taxi from one clue to the next instead of hoofing it, so although they landed at the Pit Stop in second last, they were eliminated while sitting out their 30-minute penalty when the divorcees hti the mat before the time ran out. A little shocked that they made such a mistake, but them's the breaks dudes.


(Dallas winning the ridiculous challenge that saw them facing off against female wrestlers.)

- Today, my nephew Caden turns 3 years old. I can't believe it...How the time has flown! Yesterday, we celebrated with a party for him, and it was quite entertaining to watch him trying to open presents and fend off his little cousin Tristan, who was trying oh-so-hard to help him...


All in all, it was an awesome Thanksgiving weekend with plenty to be thankful for. Great times, great friends, great family, great food...


What more could a kid ask for? :)

Friday, October 10, 2008

Somewhere, Buzz is Smiling...

I'm going to give my thoughts on last night's episode of Suvivor, but first, I'm actually going to talk a little Leaf hockey, believe it or not.

Last night, the NHL kicked off the season North American-style, and the game playing on every second channel, naturally, was the Leafs game, as they opened up their season, on the road against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Detroit Red Wings.

For weeks, I've been listening to TGOR in the mornings and thoroughly enjoying the way Steve Warne has been making fun of the poor Leafs and their fans. He predicted that they might - MIGHT - be as succesful as the '92-'93 Sens, who won only 10 games that year in their inaugural season. He's forecasted that they will have the worst record ever (first year franchise teams not included). He's literally delighted in talking about how horrible the Leafs will be, and how they will be the laughing stock of the NHL.

I've laughed right along with him, and I was fully expecting the lowly Leafs to be slaughtered by the reigning champs last night.

Things didn't quite go as expected, though. Instead, the Leafs actually looked pretty good in the snippets I saw, and despite Detroit pushing for the comeback win late in the game, the final score was 3-2 in favour of the Leafs.

Yikers.

But you know what? I actually had a little smile on my face when I saw that final score. Probably the first time ever that I smiled at seeing the Leafs win. Because while I've tittered away each morning listening to the guys on the morning show tearing the Blue Team to shreds, part of me has wondered what Buzz would be saying if he were still there.

I miss Buzz each morning on the radio, and while they've finally returned to laughter and light-heartedness on the show, I still feel sad everytime I think of him not being there, especially to defend his beloved Leafs.

But if there's a Heaven - and I belive there is - I'd like to think Buzz was up there last night, getting the last laugh on his old buddies and completely relishing the Leafs' victory. He would've loved gloating this morning on the radio so much.

That being said, Buzz was no fool. He'd be reminding them all about how they'd compared he's Blue Team to that dreadful Senators club from '92-'93, and I can guarantee he'd offer up a rueful smile when they'd remind him in return that those Sens also opened up their season with a win over the Montreal Canadiens, the same team to go on and win the Stanley Cup that spring.

Opening night means nothing. I'm thinking it's still gonna be a long year for the Leafs...

Now, enough about the Blue Team...on to Survivor!

They shuffled things up already, after getting each tribe to rank its players in order of importance. Pretty cool to see Marcus rated #1 by his tribe, and I was equally please that Matty was ranked #1 on his tribe. Both very deserving of that position, I believe! Hopefully it doesn't put a target on their backs, though.

The unfortunate part is that the two of them had to pick new tribes, which sucked because I would have loved to see them put together. In any case, I think Marcus ended up pretty fortunate, as he was able to keep his close allies Charlie, Corrine, and Bob with him. The Fang members to join Kota were Dan, Randy, and Susie. Matty, on the other hand, seemed to draw the short end of the stick when he was stuck once again with Crystal, GC, and Kenny, who I have no admiration for whatsoever. He also collected the whiny Kelly from Kota, along with Ace and Jacquie.

Before I go any further, I have to rant on Crystal for a minute. Are they serious when they tell me she's an Olympic gold medallist? Every episode, she boasts for the camera about how she won a gold medal in the 2004 Olyjmpics in the 4 x 400 metre relay. She sure doesn't act like an Olympian in Gabon, though! She complains about challenges, and she certainly didn't give 100% last night in the little water polo/lacrosse Immunity Challenge. As far as I can tell, she's aligned herself in the game with losers by picking GC and Kenny to go all the way with. She's made bonehead move after bonehead move. How she won an Olympic gold medal, I'll never know...

I truly pity Matty for getting stuck with this bunch. I wish he would have tried harder to save Jacquie. It was so obvious that they needed to show Kelly the door last night - her attitude sucks, and I'm still baffled that they kept her over the hard-working, determined, pleasant Jacquie.
Marcus rocked the challenge, doing basically all the work for his tribe by paddling his little boat thingy to the ball each time, fighting to gain possession of it and getting it over to Randy, who just had to toss it in the net with relative ease for their dominant 3-0 win. Marcus gets hotter and hotter every week, but it still kind of gives me the heebie-jeebies that he's so close to Charlie. Especially when Charlie's telling the camera how much he loves - loves - Marcus. Not sure if Marcus realizes how deep that guy's man-crush is!

Even after the shake-up, Fang proved to be one of the stupidest tribes ever, despite Matty's best efforts to keep them on the straight-&-narrow. Looks like things aren't going to get any better next week, as it appears an elephant is going to storm their camp, and GC goes missing...

Blessing in disguise, perhaps?...;)

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Two Helpings of Hotness on "The Tudors"

A few months back, I devoted one edition of the Blog to Jonathan Rhys Meyers, star of "The Tudors" TV series, which is based on the life of a young King Henry VIII.

I'm doing it again...Except this time, JRM is being joined by a friend.

I've really been enjoying "The Tudors" thus far, only 2 episodes into Season 2. I watched all of last season in the spring, thanks to Kristen loaning me her DVD set. Furthermore, I saw The Other Boleyn Girl in theatres, and I'm just about done the book. Coincidentally, "The Tudors" has centred on the Boleyn era in England, a controversial and dangerous time period when the king was turning his back on his faithful and obediant wife, Katherine of Aragon, in favour of the beautiful yet devious Anne Boleyn.

Clearly, I've been going through a Henry VIII phase, so "The Tudors" is right up my alley.

And yes, Jonathan Rhys Meyers is a big drawing card. He has the most gorgeous, piercing eyes, and when his lips turn to a smirk, it makes me think of Elvis and I get all giddy. (Come to think of it - pretty cool that the guy has played two kings in recent years, as he also played the King in the TV miniseries Elvis.)
However, I've discovered yet another reason to watch "The Tudors". And his name is Henry Cavill.
He plays Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and King Henry VIII's longtime friend who marries his sister, Princess Mary, against Henry's wishes, thus causing a rift between the two men. However, Henry couldn't stay mad long, and quickly forgave his dearest friend for going against his word and marrying his sister Mary.

The character of Charles Brandon has been a delight to discover. It's often hard to imagine what life must have been like back then, in the 1500's, but I think from the portrayal on the show and what I've read about him, Charles Brandon would have been considered one of the cool guys - smart, sexy, mischievious, a little promiscuous, the guy all the girls swoon after.
Having trouble picturing it with the frilly collar and such? Check out this picture of Henry, in modern street clothes.
Yummy, right? It gets better. Check out this one.
Excuse me while I wipe up my drool...
I really am quite intrigued by this period in history, and I find the reign of King Henry VIII quite fascinating. But it doesn't hurt that these two guys are...umm...providing "visual aids" to the story!!

Monday, October 06, 2008

A Great Weekend for a Sens-slash-Rangers Fan!

Here comes a bit of a mish-mash Blog with recaps of hockey games, Survivor, and the Amazing Race!

So the NHL's regular season opened up this weekend with four teams taking to the ice in Europe - the New York Rangers playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Prague, as well as the Ottawa Senators taking on the Pittsburgh Penguins in Stockholm.

I got my answer to my "Who do I cheer for?" question on Saturday afternoon. I watched most of the Rangers game, but my interest was centred mainly on Wade Redden, and while I was happy the Rangers posted a 2-1 win that day, I was mostly just disappointed that Wade didn't get on the scoresheet.

Then, while watching the Sens game, I discovered my allegiance still lies strongly with them when Shean Donovan scored to tie the game at 1 in the first period, and I did my automatic fist pump. I still have that reaction when the Sens score, so I guess they're still my team! Unfortunately, due to some shaky goaltending, we lost that one in OT, 4-3.

Yesterday, all four teams were back at it again. I didn't get to see the Rangers game, although I was quite thrilled to hear they won 2-1 again, and that Wade contributed big time by scoring to tie it up, and then assisting on Scott Gomez's game winner. I still have a hard time seeing him in Ranger blue, but I'm happy he seems to have gotten off to a great start this season with New York.


The Sens re-match vs. the Penguins was much more to my liking, as we almost had a 3-0 shutout, until the Pens FINALLY scored a power play goal in the dying seconds of the game. Alex Auld looked strong for the part of the game I saw, and Alfie was flying in his homeland of Sweden, collecting assists on both of Dany Heatley's goals. Antoine Vermette also scored on a break-away for the Sens. I'm still a long piece off from knowing who's who out there - still too many new faces and numbers - but it was great to watch NHL hockey again, and I was a happy fan!


Now, I promised a Survivor re-cap, but it's been so long, I barely remembered what happened. I know for sure that Marcus is still hot, despite the uproar over his thingy last week. Unfortunately, his tribe failed for the first time since the game began, and they failed miserably, losing both the Reward and Immunity Challenges. Someone's gotta knock Ace down a peg or two - he jeopardized his entire team in order to protect his alliance with Sugar. Is it just me, or the people on that tribe thinking WAY too far ahead?? I mean, Ace is already talking final 2 with Sugar...Anything can happen, but that's a long way off to be planning for...

I thought the dopes had wisened up and were going to take him out when they could, but they wussed out and went with Paloma instead. Not a great loss, she was a ditz and quite annoying in her own right. But if they have any sense at all, they'll target Ace this week. The dude is far too controlling and he's risking too much to keep Sugar around. And now that she has the hidden immunity idol, her stock has risen in Ace's eyes. Time to flush that idol out, or at least weaken her by removing her closest ally.

As for the Amazing Race, it was another interesting leg, with Tina (the aging Barbie) somehow getting an airline to change the size of a plane so that they could get on it. Unfortunately for Tina & Ken, it backfired somewhat, as the changing of planes allowed everyone else to catch up and make the same flight. I suppose it would have happened regardless if they'd had to wait for a later flight, but all it really did was get them to their next destination a few hours earlier. Tina pranced around reminding everyone how they owed her for getting them the bigger plane, but really, it didn't have that much of an impact on the race at all. I'm still a little shocked that a potential passenger pleading for seats on a flight actually got an airline to get a larger plane!

My boy Dallas and his mom, Toni, continued to impress me. He seems so patient with his mother, even though she has trouble keeping up with him. He just encourages her and so far, they remain my favourite team. They even stopped to help Terrence and Sarah when they went the wrong way looking for taxis - the only team to do so. I'm not even sure I would have if it had been me, but I was so proud of Dallas for his truly class act, and hopefully it will benefit them down the road - Terrence and Sarah should definitely remember that.

I don't remember the last time I watched this show that so many mistakes were made for not reading clues more carefully. Terrence and Sarah were one example. Then there were the divorcees who spent valuable time digging on a beach looking for some container that wasn't there because it was for the other challenge. They also forgot to ask their cab to wait at the Road Block, causing them more anxiety over a mis-read direction. And then we have the Bimbos who wanted to do one challenge, but ended up doing another because they didn't read their directions properly.

At the end of the day, my thoughts are still pretty much the same. I love Dallas and his mom, I dislike Terrence and Sarah, Ken and Tina, and I still can't warm up to Nick & Starr. Anthony and Stephanie were never able to get out of the basement, and they landed on the mat last, eliminating them from the race. I'm still a little shocked at Anthony's farewell speech...He's still happy because he's got "my health, my parents, my looks...and Stephanie". Wow. Those are some straight priorities, there!!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Happy Birthday, Sharon!!

Birthday Graphics

Happy 25th Birthday from Jill's World, Sharon!! I hope you're having a GREAT DAY! :)

Bring a Kleenex to "Nights in Rodanthe"

Last night, I headed out to Kanata to see Nights in Rodanthe with Lindsay (there's your shout-out, dude! haha!)

It's a chick flick. I can't imagine a boy in the world enjoying it.

Oh wait. I almost forgot about the two strange guys - who smelled like weed - that kind of followed us in to the theatre, chatted us up in the popcorn line, and then ended up in the same movie. Which I thought was strange. I'm pretty sure they were the only males watching the movie, and it struck me as kind of creepy...Anyways...No idea if they actually enjoyed the movie, though. I doubt it.

But ladies, you're guaranteed to love it. If you like tearjerkers; if you like Nicholas Sparks books, if you like movies like "A Walk to Remember" and "The Notebook".

Basically the plot revolves around a woman, Adrienne, who isn't sure if she's married or not, and she is taking care of her friend's beach-side inn. There's only one guest for the weekend - Paul, a doctor searching for peace after a disastrous surgery knocked him off-track. In the midst of a hurricane, they end up in each other's arms, and find a love that both of them desperately need at this point in their lives.
I didn't expect the twist that comes. I'd even read the book, but I didn't remember the tragic turn of events that jumps this movie up to a 5-hanky rating. Of course, I can't tell you what happens to Adrienne and Paul - you'll just have to see it for yourselves to find out. But I can tell you this - Diane Lane is exceptional in the role of Adrienne, and even though I've never found Richard Gere attractive (not even in Pretty Woman), the role of Paul suits him to a T.

If nothing else, you'll be longing to find a beach in Rodanthe to spend a vacation. Even with the hurricane blowing through, that's got to be one of the most beautiful locations I've ever seen in my life.

Also, I enjoyed watching the brief scenes with James Franco in the role of Paul's son, Mark. I've become a bit of a James Franco fan lately, and loved him in Pineapple Express this summer. His part in this movie is vastly different from the fun-loving stoner he played alongside Seth Rogan in Pineapple Express, but I loved him in this more serious role, too.


(Holy Hell, he's hot.)

So yes - I do recommend going to see Nights in Rodanthe. But whatever you do, don't forget the Kleenex. You're going to need it!

Before signing off, I'd like to wish an early happy birthday to my new favourite Senator, Jesse Winchester, who will be turning 25 tomorrow!! See, I'm learning more about him every day!

Have a great weekend, everyone! :)