Flyers Finish in Top 8 at ToC

The Quyon COMBAT Flyers headed to Quad Cities, Illinois/Iowa last week for the ISC II Tournament of Champions, hoping to improve upon their 2007 appearance, for which they were both under-manned and inexperienced.

Not only did the 2009 version of the Flyers improve, they impressed.

Ranked #27 heading into the tournament, they were certainly one of the lesser-known clubs in Rock Island, and likely not viewed as much of a threat compared to the infamous names of Ottawa Team Easton, Waterdown Hammer, Port Elgin Blue Devils, and Ashland Stockpack.

However, Quyon placed first in their division pool, with a 3-1 record, earning them a bye through the first round of the playoffs, and in their first ToC playoff action, they met up with their GOFL league rivals, Team Easton.

I have to admit - when I heard who their first playoff opponent would be, I was pretty sure their ToC magic had run out. Ranked #2, Team Easton is one of the best-known clubs in North America, well-established and boasting a veteran line-up. Easton = The Best of the Best. They have been a familiar foe for the Flyers for years, having met up with them countless times in league play and in tournaments. Wins against Easton have been hard to come by.

But it turns out, the magic hadn't run out at all. In fact, the Flyers managed a 1-0 victory against their league rivals, with Matt Greer hitting a solo homerun for the only offence of the game, Steve McCord making a reportedly stellar catch at the fence to keep it that way, and Joran Graham tossing a no-hitter.

Advancing to the Quarterfinals, the Quyon boys were immediately up against the #4 ranked team Ashland Stockpack, from Ohio. This game was broadcast live on ballparkradio.com, so I spent the afternoon on the edge of my seat, listening to the game while also following http://fitzroyfastball.blogspot.com/, where there was live blogging of the game. My speaker was pretty muffled, so I was able to fill in the blanks by reading the blog.

Quyon took an early 3-0 lead in the game, and visions of semi-finals danced in my head. I had never wanted to be at a ball game so badly in my life. Especially since there apparently was an Ashland fanbase in attendance, and I could hear them screaming and cheering and banging their cowbells right through the radio feed. It was driving me insane!! They were pretty quiet once Quyon took the lead, but Ashland battled back, giving them plenty to go crazy about.

In the bottom of 7, Ashland at bat, with two outs, and the scored tied at 3, I was a bundle of nerves. Seriously. I had bitten my fingernails as low as they could go, and the butterflies in my stomach were flying. Imagine if we could take this to extra innings and win? Imagine if we made it to the Top 4?? That alone would be a massive coup for the team! It would be just about as good as winning the whole damned thing! I was already planning the celebration we would have at the airport when the team landed if they could pull off this win...

Unfortunately, it was not to be. Ashland had runners on first and third, and apparently a high chopper was hit to second (read: Luke), and the radio announcer said he misplayed it and the run scored, Ashland wins 4-3. I swore a little bit. Okay. A lot.

But after the dust settled, and I sat back and reflected on what an amazing run the guys had all week long - well, they almost were deserving of an airport celebration. They went into that tournament as nobodies, and now a lot of people know who they are in the fastpitch world. Every team they beat was more highly-ranked than they were, and they certainly turned some heads down there.

A big CONGRATS to the Flyers on an impressive tournament, and especially to Nick Armitage for making it to the ISC Tournament of Champions All-Tournament Team. They had an amazing week, and I, for one, was sad to see it come to an end. The good news is that Michigan is only a year away, and with that much more experience under their belts, who knows what the 2010 ToC might hold for the small-town squad that are making a big name for themselves!!

We all have the perfect opportunity to welcome the Flyers back , as they take on the Blitz in their league playoffs this Thursday night in Quyon at 8 PM. It's a crucial do-or-die game, as they need to win to advance in the GOFL playoffs. Spread the word!

See you at the ball park!!

Flyers are Playoff Bound!

Another quick update from the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Quad Cities, Illinois/Iowa:

The Quyon COMBAT Flyers have completed their round of games in their pool, finishing with an impressive 3-1 record, and much more respectable compared to the first time they played in the ToC 2 years ago, when they went winless.

Yesterday's game was moved from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM, due to rain delays the day before. In their fourth and final contest, they were up against an un-ranked team from Iowa, the Dubuque Hammerheads. The Flyers defeated the Hammerheads soundly, with a 9-2 score. Chad Hargrove pitched for the win, and Nick Armitage helped the cause by hitting a homerun. 2 RBIs are credited to Armitage and Shawn Laframboise, while Steve McCord and my bro added single RBIs.

With this victory, the Flyers have guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoff round. However, first they must wait out the last of the games today to see where other teams end up before finding out when and who they play next.

Advancing to the playoffs is a huge accomplishment for Quyon, so congrats to them and good luck!!

In Kenny Chesney Heaven

There was a time during the Kenny Chesney concert last night at Scotiabank Place, about half-way through the show, when the man himself stood at centre stage and explained that he'd been in the business for 16 years, and this was their first time playing Ottawa. He paused for a moment, gazed out at the crowd, and said something like this: "Judging by how awesome you guys are tonight, I'd say we waited 16 years too long..."

And the place went absoultely crazy.

Fans cheered, screamed, and went wild for about 5 whole minutes, while KC stood, sipping from his water bottle, nodding his head and laughing.

For a lot of Kenny Chesney fans in attendance, 16 years was well worth the wait.

He brought along with him Lady Antebellum and Miranda Lambert, two opening acts that warmed the crowd up to a frenzy for him. I was especially impressed with Lambert, as I wasn't a huge fan of hers before, but she won me over with her strong set and her rockin' redneck-chick attitude. She killed a cover of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock 'N Roll", and I also loved "Dead Flowers", "Kerosene", and "Gunpowder and Lead".

Lady Antebellum has been one of my favourite new groups for the past year, and they didn't disappoint either, churning out "Love Don't Live Here Anymore", "Lookin' for a Good Time", and their first #1 hit in Canada, "I Run to You". Next CD purchase is definitely going to be some Lady A!

When Kenny finally came swinging into the arena in a seat suspended from above as he opened the show with "Live Those Songs", that's when the party really began. He made his way through all of his biggest hits, including "When the Sun Goes Down", "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems", "Young", "Keg in the Closet", "Beer in Mexico", and "Living in Fast Forward".

He slowed things down at times, but even then, it was pure magic and didn't dampen the party atmosphere at all. I particularly loved "I Go Back", as a disco ball spun high above the arena amidst blue lighting, making it feel like we were all underwater. The poignant lyrics resonated: "I go back to a pew, preacher and a choir, singing 'bout God and brimstone and fire, and the smell of Sunday chicken after church. I go back to the loss of a real good friend, and the sixteen summers I shared with him - Now 'Only the Good Die Young' stops me in my tracks..." It chokes me up everytime, but hearing it live was special.

Another highlight for me was probably my favourite KC song, "Anything But Mine". That song contains one of my favourite song lyrics of all time: "And as we are dancing, Mary's wrapping her arms around me, and I can feel the sting of summer on my skin." Any better line to hear on a hot August night, surrounded by other Kenny fans? I don't think so. It made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

Of course, the laid-back Southern flavour was strong all night long, as Mr. Chesney makes it no secret that he loves to spend his time down south on a beach with a drink in his hand and guitar at his side. That comes out in a lot of his music, but none more so that in "Everybody Wants to Go To Heaven", which has such an awesome Carribean vibe.

It was also nice to hear some of his older tunes, including "Back Where I Come From", "Me and You", and "Don't Happen Twice", the stuff that made us all first fall in love with Kenny Chesney. And then, to hear his latest hit, "Went Out Last Night", a reminder of why we all still love Kenny after all these years!

For the encore, what else but "She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy"?? By that point, it was the only song left that we hadn't heard that we all knew had to be played. It was the song that shot Kenny Chesney to super-stardom, and had every girl dreaming of finding a man on a tractor. There was no tractor on stage with him last night, but I didn't need one to come to the conclusion that Kenny Chesney is sexy...

It's impossible to compare KC to AC/DC; it's like comparing apples to oranges. But I'm considering myself pretty damned lucky to have seen two of the best concerts of my life in less than two weeks. Last night, sweet seats with a closer proximity to the stage only added to the awesome experience. It felt like we could reach out and touch him.

One thing is for certain: It better not be another 16 years before he comes back to see us. I'm not sure we could wait that long again!

Update: Flyers Lose vs. Sun Valley CA Rude Pac

A quick update on Flyers action today at the ToC: They lost vs. Sun Valley CA Rude Pac 7-0. Unfortunately the on-line radio feed was down for most of the game; I was only able to listen from the 5th inning on, and by then the Quyon boys were already down by 4. From the reports I've read, Joran Graham started the game on the mound, and was relieved by Chad Hargrove in the 3rd, with Hargrove taking the loss.

Tomorrow, they play an unranked team from Dubuque, Iowa, at 8:30 AM. Will post results as soon as I find out what happens!

GO FLYERS!!

Big First Day for Flyers at ToC

How 'bout a little fastball chatter today??

For those of you who don't know, our very own Quyon COMBAT Flyers are currently participating in the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Quad Cities, Illinois/Iowa. The Flyers earned a berth at the prestigious tournament earlier this summer after participating in a qualifying tournment in Au Sable Forks, NY.

Ranked #27 out of 40 teams, the young Flyers squad will have their work cut out for them, and by no means are they expected to even come close to winning the tournament. But they've worked hard to get there this season, and they hope to fare better than they did two years ago, when they lost all of their games in their first appearance at the ToC.

Yesterday was their first day in action, and it's pretty clear that they hit the field ready to prove they deserved to be their amongst the elite. Entering the tournament better prepared from their past experience, they won both of their games against higher-ranked teams, and one has to think that they must be turning some heads down there.

Their first game was against the #5 ranked Kitchener-Waterloo Cubs, and they lay a 10-5 beating on them. Joran Graham was the winning pitcher, with relief from Orleans recruit Chad Hargrove. Graham also hit a home run for the Flyers in that game.

In their second game, they took on the #17 ranked Lloydminster Dodgers, and manage a 7-6 victory. Hargrove took the win, with Matt Greer hitting a walk-off single to seal the victory.

For more complete game reports, you can check out the following links:

http://fitzroyfastball.blogspot.com/

http://www.gofl.ca/

http://www.iscfastpitch.com/

The first two links are more locally-based, and the guys are updating the administrators directly via text messages. The ISC website posts the complete game box scores and play-by-plays.

Today, the boys will take on Sun Valley, CA Rude Pac, the #12 ranked team in the tournament, at 12 PM ET. That game can be heard live at http://www.ballparkradio.com/ . I plan on listening, and you can bet if the boys manage another win, I'll be back to report on that!

GO FLYERS!!!

The AC/DC Blog

It's been a week since I woke up the morning after AC/DC, still feeling all tingly and excited from one of the best concerts I've ever been to.

So yeah, I guess it's about time for the AC/DC Blog!!

First of all, let me say this, and I'm sure it's been said before - for old guys, they sure can rock! I've never been to a concert with such a high energy level, from start to finish. People on their feet from the very begninning, when they kicked things off with "Rock N Roll Train", right through to the grande finale, "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)".

Fireworks. Pyrotechnics. A giant bell that came swinging down for "Hells Bells". A huge inflatable woman that rode the train throughout "Whole Lotta Rosie". A platform in the centre of the arena that Angus Young climbed onto during his amazing, never-ending guitar solo that rose up in the air and then shot sparkling confetti upon the masses. Cannons firing deafeningly.

For fans who've been to AC/DC shows in the past, or watched footage on DVD, perhaps this was all expected AC/DC schtick. But for me, at my first AC/DC concert, and having seen little of my brother's vast DVD collection, it was all new. And it was all pretty frickin' cool.

Fans of all ages sported blinking red devil horns, and when the lights went down at Scotiabank Place, it seemed the entire building was vibrating with red. As I said, they kicked things off right with "Rock N Roll Train", easily the biggest hit of their latest album Black Ice. It was hard to pick a part of the concert that wasn't amazing, but for me, highlights were the standard AC/DC hits - "Thunderstruck", "Back in Black", "Highway to Hell", "Hells Bells", "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and "For Those About to Rock".

But I was also introduced to some AC/DC that I hadn't really paid much attention to before. For instance, the slow sexy build-up in "The Jack" - I loved it. Ah yes, and it was during this song that we were all treated to the infamous Angus striptease. A scrawny 60-year-old man with stringy hair and pale, sweaty skin, baring his spindly body...and the crowd goes wild. If you'd asked me beforehand why, I'd have told you I have no idea. But there, standing amongst the legions of AC/DC fans, I found myself hooting and screaming right along with them.

As for the new songs, they were all pretty decent AC/DC fare. "Big Jack" is already a hit, and the crowd lapped it up. My personal favourite was "Anything Goes". The only one I wished they'd played off the new album was "Money Made".

It truly is incredible to see men their age still churning out shows like this. They never seemed to get tired, never seemed to slow down. Singer Brian Johnson's voice held strong throughout, and considering his style, that's a miracle all on its own. And there was a small part of me that half-expected Angus to crumple to the stage floor and die, but there was no end to his on-stage antics - he ran around and played up to the crowd without fail.

Adding to the experience was the fact that we traveled to and from the show aboard a yellow school bus filled with pumped-up Pontiac AC/DC fans and coolers of booze. Our stop at the McDonald's in Aylmer on the way home is already legendary. I somehow managed to score a free Big Mac meal after the dude working that night forced us to hit the drive-thru on foot, and then when I tried to pay him for my food, he looked at me like I had three heads.

We didn't make it back to the Q until 2 AM, and by that time I was drained and groggy, and desperately needing my bed. But when I tried to fall asleep, it did not come easy, as the ringing from the 21-gun salute was still in my ears and memories of the show would not fade.

It was then that I realized I was sorry it was over already, and I did not want the night to end.

(A heads-up to readers: Before "Johnny Nash" shows up in the comments section and tells you all it was the worst concert he's ever been to and they sucked ass - please be advised that he slept through the show up in his luxury suite after a few too many drinks. He has no idea.)

'Grease' Doesn't Disappoint!

Okay, I don't have time to give an in-depth analysis of Grease, which I saw last night at the NAC, but let me just say this:

I love love love LOVED it!!

Everything was so energetic and colourful and fun! The costumes and the acting and the music - oh God, the music! It was just amazing!

Of course, I liken sitting in the balcony seats at the NAC to sitting in the third level for a hockey game at Scotiabank Place - you can see the players' numbers, but their faces are just a blur.

Even so - I fell in love with Eric Schneider, who played the role of the studly Danny Zuko. He was really channeling his inner John Travolta - he was awesome!! His Sandy, however, paled slightly in comparison. She was a little too "Disney Princess", as Brenda put it. All of the male performances were great - loved Doody on guitar, and Kenickie was really cool too, especially since we were a little disappointed at the start to learn it would be his understudy playing the role. Understudy-shmuderstudy! The dude was great! Rizzo was my favourite of all the girls - she had just the right amount of edge and attitude and played the part perfectly!

Did I mention the music?? The singing was wonderful, the dancing was stellar...Even Taylor Hicks wasn't so bad as "Teen Angel"!

Oh, and Dominic Fortuna, in the role of Vince Fontaine, was hilarious - he got the crowd hopping before the show started by singing some songs and involving the audience with some dancing and some teasing with a local flavour. ("Stittsville?? Where the hell is Stittsville??")

All in all? Grease was the best. I wish I was going back tonight to see it again!!!

I've Got My Ticket...

It happens every year.

Late in the winter months and into the spring, concert announcements start popping up for the summer months. Everyone jumps to buy tickets, because every show and every attration is going to be the big one of the summer.

It seems like eons ago that my friends and I jumped at the chance to see Kenny Chesney in August at Scotiabank Place. For big country fans, this would be the "it" concert of the summer. So five of us sprung for the $100.00 tickets, and I know I, personally, thought, "Well, that will be my big expenditure of the summer."

Considered it treating myself. We all deserve a little treat now and then, right?

Then came the news that Emerson Drive was playing Centrepoint Theatre in late-May. Having seen Johnny Reid at Centrepoint earlier this year, I knew I loved the venue, and couldn't resist the lower prices. $30 to see one of my favourite country bands? And the opportunity to get up-close to smokin-hot lead singer Brad Mates, who was so polite and friendly with me in the beer tent at Shawville Fair a few years back? Well, sign me up.

But that! That would be it!! No more concerts for Jill in 2009!!

Well, I'll be damned if the AC/DC concert announcement didn't hit almost as soon as I made that vow. Miss AC/DC?? Are you serious?? NO WAY could I miss AC/DC!! Who knows if they'll ever be back in Ottawa. They're aging rock stars. And I missed the Stones when they came a few years ago, and swore I would never miss out on an event like that again.

$115.00 for my ticket for the August 10th show. I know, I know. We're starting to talk serious cash here. But I'll be able to say I was at AC/DC. That's worth the admission price on its own.

It was around this same time that Kristen called me at work one day to see if I wanted to go see "Chicago" at the NAC with her. She was getting balcony seats, and promised me I would love love love the musical. Oh hell, why not? Another $77.

While we were at "Chicago", I was so tempted by the posters everywhere for "Grease", which is oming up in late-July. I love "Grease". "Grease" was the first musical I fell in love with, and it will always be my favourite. "Grease" is the word. Kristen told me she'd be in for that one too if I wanted to get tickets.

No, I told her. No, I can't afford anything else this summer. I just can't do it.

A week later, I had four tickets to "Grease" ordered on my credit card. Same price as "Chicago".

Last week, Ottawa was buzzing due to Bluesfest. Lots - LOTS - of big names rolling through town, with likely the biggest name being KISS. I somehow managed to avoid it all, although every day I had to resist the temptation to check for tickets on a daily basis. Iron & Wine? OLP? Ben Harper? Joe Cocker? Blue Rodeo? Lynrd Skynrd? Sam Roberts? Steve Earle? I was salivating.

It's a miracle that I didn't succumb.

The other concert that's continually tempting me, but that I've managed to stop myself from checking on tickets for, is Kings of Leon, hitting town in September. I love Kings of Leon. But I'm trying to be strong here. I'm trying to prove that I can say no. I can keep my Mastercard in my wallet. I do have willpower.

I'll let you know as soon as I get my ticket...

Don't Call Me A "Twi-Hard"

The summer is flying by. I can't believe it's already July 15th.

Almost three weeks since Michael Jackson's death, and I think the tabloids and press are finally starting to move on from wall-to-wall 24/7 MJ coverage.

And what about Dany Heatley? Oh, still nothing. He demands a trade, then declines a trade, and the news today is that he's dodging Captain Alfie's phone calls. He remains a 5-star douchebag in my books.

Okay, let's talk about the weather. It's gloriously sunny and a beautiful high of 25 out. First day in weeks that it hasn't been cold with a chance of showers, rain, or thunderstorms.

Yeah. So far, this summer blows. At least, weather-wise.

So. I've spared you from my Twilight ramblings during my past 3-week hiatus, and even beyond that. So it's time we dip back into the world of vampire lore.

Except this time, rather than admitting and explaining my deep love for all things to do with Stephenie Meyer's smash-hit literary saga or the first movie it has already spawned, I'd actually like to discuss why I'm stepping back from the phenomenon.

Don't get me wrong. I still adore the books and I'm anxiously awaiting the cinematic release of New Moon this coming November, which will bring to life the second book in the series. And yes, I have a daily circuit of blogs and websites I check for Twilight updates.

But please, whatever you do, don't call me a "Twi-Hard".

That's the term that fans of Twilight have pinned on themselves to distinguish them as the biggest, bestest fans in the world.

Unfortunately, they're starting to get a bad rap. Everyone's making fun of them for being psycho. And I gotta admit - from what I'm seeing and hearing, they kinda are.

Let's take exhibit A: Robert Pattinson, who has shot to superstardom after playing the role of the irrisistable vamp Edward Cullen in the first movie, has literally been stalked by Twi-Hards ever since the movie was released. For the longest time, R.Pattz waved for the cameras, politely signed autographs, and smiled for all the ga-ga tweens, teens, and Twilight moms who surrounded him every step he took.

But for the past month or so, he's been on-set in New York filming his up-coming movie Remember Me, and it's safe to say the novelty of being Edward Cullen has worn off for Rob. Photos from the set have increasingly captured him trying to duck around wearing ball caps, hoods, and dark shades. He doesn't smile much anymore. He looks like he just wants to disappear.

One of the times he did end up in a swarm, a Twi-Hard almost strangled him trying to declare her love.

Uh. Yeah. That's gonna make him want to be with you forever, chick.

Add in the fact that the gossip rags can't seem to let go of this unrelenting desire to link him romantically to his on-screen love, Kristen Stewart, makes me pretty sure the real-life Edward and Bella are wondering what they ever got themselves into.

She is currently filming The Runaways, a biopic in which she plays rocker Joan Jett. I'm not sure when she was last in the same room with Pattinson. She has an alleged boyfriend, and he has allegedly been with every single woman in Hollywood. And yet, they still are determined Rob and Kristen are madly in love. The latest? She's pregnant with their love-child.

Oh, and don't try to tell the Twi-Hards it's all hooey. That gets them realllllly pissed.

Need another example of how ridiculously retarded this group of fans are?

In New Moon, Edward vanishes in hopes of giving Bella back her 'normal' life, and she flounders in the grief of losing her true love. She befriends Jacob Black, a descendant of the Quileute native tribe, who lives on a near-by reservation called La Push, and who we later find out is actually a werewolf, along with a pack of his Quileute brethren.

I know, I know...Just play along, for the sake of the Blog. Okay?

Okay. So, Jake becomes Bella's nearest and dearest friend, and he tells her about how some of the guys go cliff-diving at La Push for thrills. Bella, in the wake of losing Edward, has discovered that the only time she hears Edward's voice in her head is when she's doing something dangerous or risky. And even though his silky-smooth voice is always angry and reprimanding her for putting her life in jeopardy, she craves it. She would do anything to hear it.

So in a very pivotal chapter of the book, Bella goes cliff-diving alone and would have drowned had Jacob not magically appeared to save her.

Still with me?

Here's where the Twi-Hards come in. Not long ago, there was a massive US Coast Guard rescue mission near the real La Push beach in Washington State. It appears some twisted fan of the book made his (yes, it was a guy) way out to an island nearby that had high, craggy cliffs, and then dove into the water below, apparently in an attempt to re-create the scene from the book.

Yep. Some of these people need to seriously remember to take their crazy pills in the morning.

Due to all of these stories, and so many more that I could tell, I would like to thank Twi-Hard Nation for attempting to suck me into their weird world of fandom, but I'll decline. I've been called obsessed by friends before, but I don't think I'd quite make it in the Twi-Hards' league. I am the girl who, upon meeting Wade Redden the one & only time, at a fundraising function, was unable to speak. Literally couldn't say a word. I stood gape-mouthed with my eyes popping out of my head while Brenda did all the talking for me.

Then again, maybe that makes me a whole 'nother kind of crazy.

You Rocked My World...

Michael Jackson 1958-2009

My parents talk about where they were and what they were doing when they heard that Elvis died.

I wasn't sure anything in my lifetime would ever compare to that tragic loss of a music legend.

But then, yesterday evening, news broke that the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, was dead at age 50, presumably after falling into cardiac arrest.

And suddenly, I knew. This was my Elvis moment. This was that one day I would look back on and say, "I know exactly what I was doing when I heard Michael Jackson died..."

For the record - I had stopped in at Stacy's for a visit; she was outside with Maddy, playing in the wading pool, on a stifling-hot late-June evening. After gathering up the water toys and towels and heading inside, Stacy walked into the living room and happened to glance at the TV. Before I had even made it past the door, she exclaimed: "Oh my God! He died! Michael Jackson is dead!"

I scurried into the living room, and sure enough, the headline, in giant letters across the TV screen, declared: MICHAEL JACKSON DEAD, below helicopter images of crowds gathering behind police barricades outside the UCLA Medical Centre where he had been taken.

Shock. Disbelief. A lump in my throat as I sat with my hand over mouth, trying to comprehend what I was hearing.

And all I could think of was this purple t-shirt my sister had when we were kids that she'd never let me wear.

A purple t-shirt with a picture of MJ on the front, from his "Thriller" days, that I loved so much, but she always hid it from me. One day, I found it, secretly put it on, and wore it to school. I was in Kindergarten, and she was in Grade 6. When she caught sight of me in it in the hallway at lunch time...I thought she was going to kill me.

Is it possible to summarize Michael Jackson in just a few paragraphs? From his early days as the smiley young frontman of his family band, the Jackson 5, to his rise as the King of Pop with the unparalled success of his "Thriller" album, to the most recent years of his decline into vicious accusations of child molestation, court cases, and a constant tabloid watch on his ever-changing face - MJ was always in the news for something.

Thankfully, in the wake of his untimely and unexpected death, the world seems focused on remembering him in all his legendary glory. Because no matter what one believes about Jackson's questionable private life... in the music industry, you didn't get much bigger or better than him.

The word 'icon' somehow doesn't seem prestigious enough for him. His style - the white glove, the red leather jacket, the shades - he literally had millions of kids copying his image. He gave the world new dance moves - the crotch-grabbing and, of course, the moonwalk. He redefined music in the '80's and '90's. He redefined an entire generation.

Unfortunately, I pretty much missed out on all that hype. By the time I was old enough to fall in love with music, Michael Jackson's best days were behind him. I ended up growing up with the speculation, the scandals, the baby-dangling incident, and the ever-present question: When will Michael's nose fall off?

Still, the coolness that was MJ was not lost on me. I bought his albums. I danced to "Billie Jean" and "Black or White" in my basement. I often watched an old tape of my sister's of him performing "Dangerous" at the American Music Awards in the early '90's. And despite all the criminal allegations and bizzare behaviour, I always felt sympathy for him. He grew up in the limelight and became a pop mega-star, and struggled his entire life to gain back the childhood he felt he never had.

His friends in the music and entertainment world have had nothing but wonderful words to say about him in the wake of his tragic passing. He's been described and sweet and loving; a prodigy; a visionary; a phenom. His music and his dance moves continue to have a strong influence on today's music scene, and in that respect, Michael Jackson is right up there on the same pedestal as Elvis Presley.

(Fans in Copenhagen react to the news of Jackson's death)

Today, the world mourns the loss of one of the greatest. Everywhere Michael Jackson went, everthing Michael Jackson did - it was a spectacle. He was a light in this world that will be sorely missed, and will continue to be celebrated in the days to come.

Michael, you rocked my world - you know you did.

And you will be missed.

'Heater' Sparks Anger & Disappointment

News broke yesterday afternoon that Senator fan-favourite Dany Heatley is seeking a trade out of Ottawa.

My reaction? Shock. Anger. Severe disappointment. Dany Heatley? OUR Dany Heatley? Wanting out of Ottawa? Seriously?

It was completely unexpected - something I never thought would happen. Not even after the media hyped "tensions" between Heatley and the new coach, Cory Clouston, as the season drew to an early close for the '08-'09 Senators. Both said the appropriate things at the time - Clouston said Heatley was adjusting to the new system, and Heatley said that he was getting used to it.

All fine and dandy, right?

Apparently not so. Not so at all.

Just one year into his 6-year $45-million contract extension, he's ready to bail, citing differences with the coach.

Honestly, it makes me really sad. For the past decade or so, the Senators organization has worked really hard to become a place where players want to play. One bad year, and one of our elite is getting out. Just like that. Well, excuse me mister, but check yer friggin' attitude at the door.

Never thought I'd put Dany Heatley in the same category as Alexei Yashin, but holy flippin' spoiled brat!!!

And you know what? Not the first time he's done this, either. It's just that the last time no one said anything, because his request for a trade from the Atlanta Thrashers came at a time when no one could blame him. It was after the car accident which claimed the life of his teammate Dan Snyder, with Heatley behind the wheel. No one questioned his departure from Atlanta, because most agreed that certainly, this poor guy needed a change of scenery; a fresh start.

I'm sorry, but "differences with the new coach" don't rank up as high on my list of things to feel sympathetic for.

The good news? Heatley is one of the best in the league, so we should get some pretty high-quality sh*t in return for him.

But still...I can't help thinking this is going to ruin things even more for the team. And just at a time when it seemed we were starting to get back on the right track. Starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I'm worried about how this will affect Jason Spezza. These two guys were practically a package-deal. One complimented the other so well. How will he fare out with out his best buddy and linemate on the ice with him?

I'm worried about how it will affect Cory Clouston. Coming in here as a new, young coach, and actually having a burst of success in first few months behind the bench - how will he feel knowing that one of the team's stars wants out and is pointing the finger at him?

I'm worried about this team in general. It just seems like, since their run to the Cup final in '07, it's just been one thing after another. Something's gotta give here. We can't keep having such terrible luck.

So. What do we lose when #15 hits the road out of town via trade this summer?

We lose a back-to-back 50-goal-scorer. A natural. We lose one of the most fun names to announce after goal. ("Dany Heeeeeeeeeeeeeatly!") We lose the charming gape-toothed smile. We lose the 'ying' to Spezza's 'yang'. We lose a guy who I thought was a team player, but apparently is not.

That last part? Makes me think we're not losing much.

I'm Just a Summer Girl...

I'm just a summer girl, I wear my flip flops
When I let my hair down, the party never stops.
Who needs a boyfriend? I got my girlfriends -
When we get together, the summer never ends!
(Jessica Andrews)

It's that time of year - the lazy, hazy days of summer are just ahead of us. Already we've been treated to a few sweet tastes of summer - a few days when the temp has creeped up into the high-20's, a few days of beaming sunshine. And the summer activities have begun - the Quyon Canada Day golf tourney is behind us, which I generally consider the kick-off to summertime, and 3-pitch and fastball are both well under way.

Saturday afternoon, I lounged on the back deck with a magazine in my lap and a bottle of sunscreen at my side. For the first time, it felt like summer was officially here for 2009. And that got me thinking of the songs that put me in a summery mood. It's time to load up your iPods with summer music - songs for the beach or the backyard BBQ or the bonfire or the hot nights on the dancefloor. If I still had my iPod, I know my summer playlist would be in heavy rotation right now.

So direct from my iTunes - here's Jill's Summer Playlist:

You Shook me All Night Long - AC/DC
Summer Girl - Stereos
Brother Down - Sam Roberts
Summer of '69 - Bryan Adams
Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind
Soak up the Sun - Sheryl Crow
Bobcaygeon - The Tragically Hip
Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
Tim McGraw - Taylor Swift
California Girls - The Beach Boys
Centerfield - John Fogarty
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Fishin' in the Dark - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (or the Emerson Drive version - my personal fave!)
Summer Nights - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John
We Danced Anyways - Deanna Carter
Running on Sunshine - Jesus Jackson
The Boys of Summer - Don Henley (or the Ataris version is pretty cool!)
Summergirls - LFO
All Summer Long - Kid Rock
Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First) - John Mellancamp
Chicken Fried - Zac Brown Band
Kokomo - The Beach Boys
Mud on the Tires - Brad Paisley
Summertime - Kenny Chesney
Steal My Sunshine - Len
When the Sun Goes Down - Kenny Chesney ft. Uncle Kracker
Margaritaville - Jimmy Buffett
All I Want to Do - Sugarland
Summertime - New Kids on the Block
Senorita - Justin Timberlake
Drift Away - Uncle Kracker
When the Nights Feels my Song - Bedouin Soundclash
Escape (If You Like Pina Coladas) - Rupert Holmes
Summertime - Bon Jovi
I'm Yours - Jason Mraz
Strawberry Wine - Deanna Carter
While We're Young & Beautiful - Carrie Underwood
Never Too Late - Hedley
Red Red Wine - UB40
My Best Friends Girl - The Cars
Sounds of Summer - The Higgins
Three Little Birds - Bob Marley
I Like It, I Love It - Tim McGraw
Anything But Mine - Kenny Chesney
Low - Flo Rida ft. T-Pain
Unbelievable - EMF
Mary Jane Shoes - Fergie
...and of course, Summer Girl - Jessica Andrews

Am I missing any? Feel free to add your favourites to the comments section! And get out there & enjoy the sunshine! :)

Jillian's Infinite Playlist

Recently, I read a blog about how everyone has their own personal "Sountrack" of their life. Songs that define you as a person, songs that you can relate to certain moments in your life, songs that you turn to for comfort, songs that stop you in your tracks when you hear them because they just mean that much to you.

My soundtrack? It would be a flippin' long one. Music is such an important part of my life. From the time I was a little kid, when my family used to tour around the back roads of the Pontiac listening to tapes, or on the Saturday nights we got to stay up late and Dad would take out his guitar, music was infused into my life. In high school, I was the girl who would put off homework to sit on the floor and make mixed tapes by recording all my favourite songs off the radio.

And now, in adulthood, God has blessed me with this little thing called iTunes, which allows me to download songs and create my own playlists. For me, it's a source of endless entertainment. I get to play DJ in my own little world. I've made myself tons of different mixes and playlists - but I've never tried, before now, to compile the "Soundtrack to my Life". It's a daunting task to me - to shave my vast and ever-growing eclectic MP3 library down into a neat-and-tidy list that defines me and my life.

But I'm going to try. So here, in no particular order, is my Soundtrack. I'll try to give a little explanation beside each, so you know why that song made my list. Here it goes...

All Shook Up - Elvis Presley: Impossible to not have Elvis on my list. He's my dad's favourite singer, so I heard a lot of him growing up. But not until recent years have I truly begun to appreciate the King. This was my favourite when I was a kid (when I thought it was called "Amashookah"), and it has stood the test of time. It still makes me want to dance!

Love Lifted Me - Kenny Rogers: Yes, this would be taking things back to those days of driving the back roads with my parents in the front and all three of us kids crammed into the back. Kenny Rogers' greatest hits tape was a popular choice (we only had a few to pick from!) - and while everyone else waited anxiously for "The Gambler", it was "Love Lifted Me" that I wanted to hear.

Forever and Ever Amen - Randy Travis: Seeing Randy Travis in concert this past winter was pretty cool for me. This song was also a staple of those Sunday afternoon drives, but it also makes me think of my teen sister being madly in love with a park ranger on one of our family camping trips to Achray Station in Algonquin Park - Mr. Ranger played it once around our campfire, so she had to buy the cassette, and for months afterwards, we heard it over and over and over again...AMEN!

The Sign - Ace of Base: Ok, I'm sure you're thinking this is one helluva lame choice for the Soundtrack to my life...But for a very long time, during my latter years as an elementary school kid, this was THE song. When it came on the radio, it was like the world stood still for a few minutes while I danced and sang along.

Cover Girl - The New Kids on the Block: Another of those songs of my youth - again, a bit against the grain; this wasn't NKOTB's biggest hit. But it was the song I made up dance moves to. And sometimes, my Donnie doll danced with me.

I Think We're Alone Now - Tiffany: I wouldn't be a girl from the late '80's/early '90's if I didn't have this song on my list. The neighbourhood kids used to do airbands in the garage to this song. (They made me be the drummer). In high school, it made a reprise - we rarely had a sleepover that this song didn't get played at least once. And even now, when the girls all get together, and after a few drinks are down, you can almost bet that Tiffany will hit the stereo...

The Graduation Song (Friends Forever) - Vitamin C: If this song hadn't hit the airwaves in the year 2000? I probably wouldn't have cared much for it. But being the high school grads of the year 2000, it seemed only fitting that we would have the most iconic graduation song ever released just in time for our big day. Stacy wrote the lyrics out in my yearbook, and everyone was listening to it on their discmen in preparation for our Grad. June 2000 = Vitamin C in my memories!

American Pie - Don McLean: It's a song that has always intrigued me, and one of the greatest songs to belt out with a bunch of friends at the top of your lungs. Young Family Christmas Eves have featured it many a time. The original is over 7 minutes long. My family? We can stretch it out for a good 15 minutes...

Long Time Running - The Tragically Hip: I'm a huge Hip fan, so many of their songs hold memories for me. They were my first concert; the first band I truly became obsessed with. This song is special for a particular reason. A certain dance, with a certain boy - a long time coming... it was well worth the wait.

The Green, Green Grass of Home - Elvis Presley: Back when my dad was a little more of a party animal, he'd pick up a guitar and run through a string of songs that were his "standards". Now, he no longer smokes or drinks, and he plays the guitar so little that when he does, we only get one song out of him, and it's always this one. It's still music to my ears.

All I Want is You - U2: It was the song my sister and her husband chose to be sung at their wedding by my cousin Troy. Since the day he sat down in our living room and played it for them, it has been my favourite U2 song. I'm proud to say I can now play it on my guitar, too.

Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas: A little too soon to be choosing this for the Soundtrack of my life, you say? Considering it's at the top of the charts right now, and the big hype on the pop music scene, you might be right. But I'm pretty sure when I look back on this time in my life, I'll still get those words stuck in my head. I like that Boom Boom POW!!!

Semi-Charmed Life - Third Eye Blind: Remember when I said I spent hours as a teen making mixed tapes for myself? For a long time during that phase, this was MY song. I think I taped it every time it came on the radio - just in case, ya know, one of the tapes broke or something, then I'd have lots of copies. When I finally got the CD, I still taped it, just in case I one day lost the CD, or it broke too. Hearing this song today still makes me burst into a huge grin.

I Put My Blue Jeans On - Keith Urban: Road trips with the girls - before there were boyfriends and babies - during our party and "chase-the-band" phase. The girls always teased me for singing it wrong. It makes me think of summer days, driving around with the windows rolled down, hair blowing everywhere, and not a care in the world.

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World: This song has got me through some tough times in my life, especially during college, when it seemed like all my friends had boyfriends, and I felt like I had no one. This song can always get my chin back up, and fill me with positive hope.

Free Fallin' - Tom Petty: It's the first tune I learned to play by myself on guitar, so I have that connection to the song. It's also in one of my favourite movie moments - when Jerry Maguire is driving and looking for a "celebration song", it comes on the radio and he belts it. When I'm in my car, and it comes on the radio, I do the same as Tom Cruise did in the movie - I bang on my steering wheel and sing at the top of my lungs.

Fix You - Coldplay: I love this song. It sends shivers up my spine, and raises the hairs on the back of my neck. My goal in life is to one day have someone love me this much; that when I'm broken and beaten and at my lowest, there will be that guy who will do everything he can to fix me.

Sandy - John Travolta in Grease: Grease is my all-time favourite musical, so I had to pick one of the awesome songs from the soundtrack for my Soundtrack. I chose "Sandy", because that's the one my friend Sara and I occasionally break into song with - spontaneously, and I'm not even sure why we do it, but there's nothing more satisfying than singing it loudly and watching everyone around us look at us like we're completely nuts! Oooo, and the cool sexy talking part in the middle? LOVE it!

Drops of Jupiter - Train: Another song that makes me think of a certain boy who was a pretty big part of my life at one time - even though he didn't even know it.

Song 2 - Blur: I will always associate this song with the Ottawa Senators, especially those glorious early years of when I first became a fan of the team, and this became their own personal theme song. They played it everytime the team scored, and during the playoffs, fans would whip around their "Woo Hoo" towels and sing along. Those were good times...

Here for a Good Time - Trooper: This is my anthem. When the weekend rolls around, this song is exactly what I'm all about. And it reminds me of the good times with friends who I don't see as often, or who don't come out as much anymore. It's about embracing the moment, because it might not last long, and the sun can't shine everyday.

Love You 'Til the End - The Pogues: In my mind, this is the ultimate love song. It's wistful and melodic and Irish-sexy. One day, I hope to dance to this song at my wedding.

So there you have it - a very abbreviated Soundtrack of My Life...And I'm sure as soon as I post this, I'm going to think of a hundred other songs that should be on here. As my life continues, I'm sure there will be a ton more that can be added. It's an ever-changing list, as life brings new twists and turns.

With each step, there will always be a song.

(Want to share your own soundtracks? Feel free to post 'em in the comments section!)

Everybody Loves an Underdog: Kris Allen Wins!!

It wasn't exactly David vs. Goliath on last night's finale of American Idol.

Both Adam Lambert and Kris Allen were worthy of standing side-by-side on that stage last night, as just under 100 million record-setting votes were tallied to decide who would be this season's victor. Both had turned in strong performances; both had large legions of fans behind them.

However, due to the judges' touting Adam as the heavy favourite from early on in the competition, and from much of what I'd heard and seen from the on-line pundits in the past few weeks, it seemed unlikely that Kris would be able to work his way out of the underdog shadow to steal the crown from Adam's capable hands.

But to compare the two was to compare apples to oranges. Adam Lambert, in his dark-goth clothing and jet-black hair, was an all-out rock singer who could hit notes a la Steven Tyler. From the performances I witnessed, he has one of the best rock voices I'd ever heard. When Paula called him 'iconic' on the final performance night, she was not joking. Adam Lambert, no matter what the final results, is destined for big things in the music industry.

Kris Allen? You could call him the exact opposite. He exuded a laid-back, innocently-sexy vibe, opting most often for faded jeans and button-down shirts, and he could usually be found with an acoustic guitar in hand, which blended well with his smooth, sweet voice. Man, I'm a sucker for a guy with a guitar. Especially one who looks as good as he does! Kris would fall into the-boy-next-door category. And I'll be honest - I wish he lived next door to me.

The one thing Adam and Kris seemed to have in common? I'm not sure the Idol stage has ever boasted two such sincerely nice, unassuming, well-mannered young men, which Simon Cowell complimented them on last night before Ryan Seacrest declared the winner. They truly were worthy of their fans' admiration

Despite my adoration for Kris, I was completely expecting an Adam Lambert win. And I would not have been disappointed or angry if his name had been called out as the new American Idol. On the final performance night, Adam had probably the highlight of the show with his new-age take on Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come". He absolutely tore that song apart - in a really good way.

That being said, Kris nailed the first round of the night when he chose to perform again "Ain't No Sunshine". He clearly out-shone Adam's "Mad World", and Cowell actually came right out and said, "Round 1 goes to Kris." After Adam's "A Change is Gonna Come", though, Kris' version of "What's Goin' On" didn't wow the judges. They told him it was a little too light, not quite up to the standards for that special night. Simon told him it reminded him of a bunch of guys sitting around with guitars strumming away in a light-hearted sing-along.

For me? His stripped-down, acoustic version of the Marvin Gaye hit was beautiful and poignant and wonderful. And give me that group of guys with guitars any day over the glam rocker.

Then both guys took on the Idol winner's single, "No Boundaries", co-written by Idol judge Kara DioGuardia. It was just meh for me. Neither one of them overly impressed me with it, but I think at the end of the day, it was a song meant more for Kris' style than Adam's. I wish they didn't end every season with the "winner's single" - it's always a little hokey, and ends it all rather anti-climaticly, I think.

I can't comment much on how last night's super-extended finale went, because I missed 3/4 of it, but I tuned in for the important part. After being joined on-stage by the remaining members of Queen, as well as the rest of the Top 13, for a spectacular rendition of "We Are the Champions", Kris and Adam stood together at centre stage and waited to find out who was #1.

When Seacrest announced Kris' name, I was absolutely thrilled! In one of the biggest upsets in Idol history, Kris Allen stole the title away from his strong competitor and claimed the American Idol crown! The look of complete shock and disbelief on Kris' face told the whole story. I think even he thought Adam was a given. When Ryan shoved a mic in his face, his first words were, "Are you serious? Are your friggin' SERIOUS??"

At the end of the day, I think Kris appealed more to the masses. His sweet, soulful image would win over the moms and grandmas watching at home, more so than Adam's guyliner and black painted fingernails. Either way, they both played hard and exceeded expectations. I think it's safe to say they both impressed and either one of them could have claimed the title.

But everbody loves an underdog. And I was so happy to see Kris win!!

"Oh My God! OH MY GOD!! It's GEORGE!!"

I tried to keep it quiet, but if my roommates heard me gasping those words last night as the season finale of Grey's Anatomy wound down, then I'll have to apologize. Between the sobbing and the tears, I just couldn't control myself.

What an end to the season!

Amidst rampant rumours that both Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight (the actors who play Izzie Stevens and George O'Malley) are both leaving the show, I somewhat expected there to be a bit of drama involving those two as the Season Finale began.

Izzie's drama was obvious - for weeks, we've known about her having Melanoma, a type of skin cancer, that spread to her liver and brain. Last week, in one heckuva tear-jerker, she and Alex got married (*sigh!*), and they teed up this 2-hour finale by indicating Izzie was possibly heading into surgery that might or might not kill her.

But George? I had no idea what was going to happen to George. If anything was going to happen to George.

I wasn't shocked when he announced that he was joining the army. I figured right there, that was his way off the show. No grisly demise for sweet, adorable George, thank God. Just headin' off to Iraq to be a trauma surgeon, leaving behind the possibility of returning someday. Or dying in the war. I could deal with that.

But I was a little pissed when he seemed completely absent in the second half of the finale. We barely got to see George at all this season, so you'd think, on the day they were shipping his character off to war, he might get a little more screen time, huh?

Instead, the story focussed on a man, a "John Dowe", who was brought in, completely mangled after being hit and dragged by a bus. The fact that he was alive was an absolute miracle. He jumped in front of the bus to save a woman who he had only spoke to for 30 seconds, on the street corner. She stayed by his side at the hospital, declaring to the world that this man was her hero, her prince charming, and if he survived, she would never leave him. This brought up conversation amongst the doctors. Would you jump in front of a bus to save a complete stranger? It's a tough question, and as they said, we'd all like to think we would, but come crunch time, only the truly amazing people of the world would do something so selfless and courageous.

The doctors worked on him mercilessly. Once, during a quiet moment, he tried to write something with his finger on Meredith's hand. She offered him a pen, which he wasn't strong enough to hold.

The only mention of George? Well, they were trying to organize an "intervention" amongst his friends at the hospital - Bailey, Callie, Meredith, Cristina, Alex, even Izzie - to stop him from leaving for the army the next day. They planned to catch him after he was done the surgery he was scheduled to scrub in on.

Meanwhile, Izzie's surgery was successful - or so they thought. Until she woke up and they discovered her short-term memory was shot. Alex spent the whole day making signs for her so she would stop asking the same questions over and over, then he exploded in a burst of frustration at her, which upset her. Then, feeling guilty, he asked if she'd forgotten yet, to which she simply replied, in a clearly hurt voice, "Nope."

It wasn't until much later on in the day that they realized she still hadn't forgotten Alex's angry rant. Cristina ran to tell him that Izzie's memory was coming back. All joy and sunshine at Seattle Grace!!

Ha. Ya, right. It was at about the same time that the crew started to get together for their intervention with George, but the Chief informed them that O'Malley had never scrubbed in for the surgery. After learning that it was his last day before joining the army, the Chief had told him to go home and spend it with his mother.

Cut to John Dowe's hospital room, where he was once again trying to tell Meredith something by writing in the palm of her hand with his finger. This time, rather than trying to give him a pen, she stopped and paid attention: "O...O...7...O...O..7..." she murmured over and over. And that's when we got it, all at the same time...George's nickname, given to him in Season 1 after he almost killed a patient during a routine appendectomy - 007, Licence to Kill.

And cue the gasping, the sobbing, the muffled cries of "Oh my God! OH MY GOD!! It's GEORGE!!"

The last ten minutes finished in a whirlwind of emotion. Alex rushes to Izzie's side to celebrate her returning memory, and she falls unconscious in his arms.

The doctors of the hospital all jump to action, dividing themselves between Izzie and the newly-discovered George. In Izzie's room, they disregard her "Do Not Resuscitate" papers and fight to save her life while Alex watches in desperation, tears rolling down his cheeks.

In George's room, they rush to save him with a renewed sense of urgency, now that they know who is, but he flatlines also.

And then, they flash to Izzie, getting on the elevator in her gorgeous pink prom dress - the one she was wearing the night Denny died. She presses the buttons, goes up, and when the doors open, there is George standing before her, in full military uniform, his hair buzzed in an army cut, smiling at her, while Meredith's voice-over commands us all to make sure you tell the ones you love how much they mean to you while you still can, because you never know when it might all end.

Dear Lord. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes as I type...

What a finale!!

So officially - we are led to believe that there's a possibility that both Izzie and George died, but it wasn't entirely clear. Ack. I hate cliff-hangers...A whole summer of wondering! Likely it's due to the fact that they are unsure of both of their contracts, and this ending leaves it open for either or both of them to come back after the summer. Or not.

For the record? I can't imagine Seattle Grace without Izzie and George. It won't be the same for me if they are both gone.

But if it does happen? If we've seen the last of Drs. Stevens and O'Malley?

Boy, did they go out with a bang.

Kris Allen vs. Adam Lambert: AI Show-Down!!

I didn't intentionally ignore American Idol this season.

In fact, I watched a couple of the audition-round episodes for kicks, 'cause it's always fun to laugh at those half-wits who promise that they "WILL be the NEXT AMERICAN IDOL!" get up there in front of the judges and completely fall flat on their faces.

But somewhere in there, as a result of my busy evening schedule combined with a lack of interest in anyone I had seen through the few early episodes I caught, I stopped watching regularly. Occasionally, when the roomies were watching, I'd tune in, but it always seemed the only guy I ever saw perform was some dude named Anoop. And he didn't exactly rock my world.

However, the odd time, I did catch a glimpse of this one handsome guy, and the little snippets I saw of his performances were always quite good. His name was Kris Allen, and I thought to myself, If I was following Idol more closely, he'd probably be my guy. Even so, I never put him up in the ranks of Chris Daughtry, Greg Neufeld, or the Pigott Brothers - my other Idol faves of the past. After all, some early preliminary research nailed down the fact that the boy was already married, so he lost some of his "magic". A man that young-looking and so adorably cute and boyish shouldn't be already tied down. That's just depressing for we single girls of the world.

Nevertheless, I was pleased when I read an Idol re-cap last week on the 'Net and discovered that Kris had survived another cut and was now in the Top 3. Oh, and that Anoop lad was long gone. It also seemed that this other competitor, Adam Lambert, was the judges' darling, and having never seen him before, I was intrigued to see how he stacked up against Kris.

Suddenly, this week's episode took on new significance for me. Suddenly, I was back in the Idol groove!

Kris had heavy competition this week. As it turns out, Adam Lambert is the 'judges' darling' for good reason. Buddy can siiiiiing. This week, Randy, Kara, Paula and Simon had him perform "One" by U2, and then he himself chose to rock out to Aerosmith's "Cryin'". Yowzers. When he hits those big notes, it's hard not to get the shivers down the spine. I quickly realized why they've been touting him as the front-runner in all the headlines for weeks now.

Then there was Danny Gokey. He reminded me of Steven Page, former Barenaked Lady, in appearances, and I didn't recognize his first song, so I wrote him off quickly. But then, for his second song, he selected "You Are So Beautiful" and re-worked the arrangement - it was pretty cool. And I couldn't deny that he had an amazing voice.

Kris disappointed me with his first performance. The judges handed him "Apologize", and he played it safe behind the piano, and while it was a decent effort, it didn't wow me. Could be because I don't really like that song to begin with. Either way, I was afraid for him.

Then suddenly he stepped out for his second song, and ka-bam - Kris was back, baby! All alone, with his acoustic guitar, performing a bare-bones, gritty, original take on Kanye West's "Heartless". It was awesome. Easily one of my most favourite performances that I've ever seen on any Idol show. I loved it. Loved it. Even better - so did the judges! Not even Simon could say a bad thing about it. He told Kris he had totally altered everything with that one performance.

So last night, I avoided most of the 1-hour results show, tuning in just at the end to find out if Kris made it through or not. If he didn't, then next week's finale really wouldn't hold much interest for me. If he did, though, then everything would be altered for me, too. With Kris Allen in the final, based solely on that Kanye West cover, I would then be highly anticipating the grande finale!

Seacrest had to send somebody back to safety first. Despite Kris' amazing performance, I expected that Adam would be the first person selected for the Final 2, because as much as I love Kris, Adam is, undeniably, the big gun of this competition. So it was with great delight that I watched him officially anoint Kris the first contestant in next weeks finals!! I was absolutely thrilled to know that I have one more week to watch that adorable, sweet face and smooth, sexy voice.

So that left Adam & Danny - one going home, one on the verge of glory. They did the long, prolonged pause and flashed the cameras on the judges' tense faces - could it be? Was it possible that Adam was the one going home???...

Nah. He made it too. Danny was sent packing, leaving Adam in the finals with Kris.

And while I'm sure Adam Lambert is still a lock to win the Idol crown, Kris' interpretation of "Heartless" had to have garnered him some new fans. I know it definitely worked on me. Cowell has declared him the dark horse, and they're claiming this could be one of the most intense show-downs in the history of Idol.

It all comes down to next week...

Flyers Fever Hits Q-Town

There may actually be people in the world who don't realize it's ball season.

I don't think any of them live in Quyon, though.

The Quyon Flyers kicked off their 2009 fastball season with a flurry of activity over the past 4 days. First of all, on Saturday morning, they hosted a clinic for kids to give them some tips on the ball field. Kudos to the Flyers for running this event again this year. The town loves having fastball, and it's great to see the guys giving back to the community this way. I've heard several reports from some of the children involved, and they were all thrilled and excited, not only to learn more about how to play the game, but also just to be out on the field with the Flyers. Believe it or not, some of the kids even idolize the players! haha! But in all seriousness - it truly is a good day for the kids in town, and they - quite literally - had a ball.

Following the clinic, the Flyers then played some exhibition games. Word on the street is it was too cold & windy to be watching ball, so I'm glad I skipped them!

Monday night, the Flyers hit the road for their first game of the season, in Greely against the DNTW Eagles, where they walked away with a huge 10-1 mercy win. They were looking to continue their early-season momentum by playing a second consecutive evening, with their first home game in Q-Town last night. A nice crowd turned out to see the Flyers take on WC Electric...Or maybe the fans were gathered just to find out who would win the "Basket of Awesome" that players have been selling tickets on all spring! The fact that the team offers up a 2-for-$5 offer on beer doesn't hurt attendance either...Beer sales seemed to be brisk last night.

No matter what the reason for showing up, the Flyers' faithful went home happy after the game. The home team had another decisive victory, a 7-0 mercy win over the squad from Fitzroy, with Drew Hathway throwing a great game. The Flyers had a good night at the plate also, as Joe McCleary, Steve McCord, Hathway, Nick Armitage, and my own baby brother Lukey all went 2-for-3 at bat.

And then, once everyone was huddled under the beer shelter after the game, they finally drew the name of the winner of that tempting Basket of Booze. The winner, who was actually there to see his name drawn, was Jason Campbell.

I was severely disappointed, as I had chatted up the Texas mickey of Crown Royal, and I was certain it wanted to come home with me. However, Jason kindly tossed one of his bottles of Jagermeister back into the mix, having the team draw another winner for it, with the stipulation being that the person must be there to claim their bottle. After drawing many names of people who weren't there, they finally pulled one of the tickets that Brenda, Hollie, Vicky and I had purchased at the last minute - so the BJHV girls will be enjoying some Jagerbombs in the near future!

Same Old Playoff Heartbreak

So, this year, in the playoffs, I actually had the opportunity to cheer for someone other than the Ottawa Senators.

Throwing my support behind Wade Redden and the New York Rangers, I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, Wade and I might shake the haunting Sens playoff runs of the past, which always ended up in inevitable hearbreak.

Not even making it to the Finals in '07 was good enough. Having rolled over all the teams we face in the East with such ease, it was a slap in the face to be so brutally out-muscled and out-played by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, the Anaheim Ducks. And while that was certainly the proudest Spring we went through with the Sens, it was still not what we had all been hoping for.

With the Sens out of the playoff picture this year, I had hoped that perhaps, even though they wouldn't get a chance at glory, that maybe our ol' pal Redden might get a shot at it.

Last week, up 3-1 in the series over the Washington Capitals, it looked like the Rangers were on the brink of advancing and I'd have a little more time with my favourite player (even though I do STILL don't think he looks right in Ranger Blue...)

I shouldn't have got so excited. Or cocky. Because I should've known. I never get to be happy with hockey this time of year. It's just not in the stars for me. Even my "adopted" team chokes and dies.

While I wouldn't consider this the worst I've felt in late-April - not even close - it still made sad to see Washington score late in the third period in last night's thrilling Game 7, effectively ending the season for the Rangers. Even worse was that Wade was he last man back, the only one between Sergei Federov and the goalie, Henrik Lundqvist. Redden was in perfect position, and I don't believe he touched the puck with his stick - essentially, the goal was not his fault.

But why oh WHY does he always have to be the last man back on these horrible game- or series-ending goals?! It literally breaks my heart!!

So yeah...Another playoff season comes to an end for me. Who will with the Cup? I don't give a damn.

Hockey sucks.

Bring on the Wolves!

Here's a quick Blog for those of you desperate for some action around here!

First of all - having recently been wrapped up in all things Twilight, I'm anxiously awaiting the November 20 release date of the next film, New Moon. Up until just yesterday, I hadn't been sure if I'd like the movie, as it was my least favourite book in the series. The reason? A severe lack of Edward in the story.

You see, in New Moon, Edward leaves Bella in an attempt to save her from his dangerous world, and she struggles to get over him. She becomes close friends with Jacob Black, a member of the Quieleute native tribe, who we soon find out can actually morph into a werewolf. I know, I know, you didn't think it could get worse than vampires, right? If anyone had told me I'd be reading about vampires and werewolves and actually enjoying it, I wouldn't have believed 'em either. But trust me, the addition of yet another supernatural creature to the story doesn't make it any less awesome.

So anyways, while I did enjoy the New Moon section of the saga, I didn't really enjoy being Edward-less for so much of the book. How could I possibly survive a movie with so little of "RPattz" (that's what we coolios refer to Rob Pattinson as, apparently) in it??

Oh yeah. Hot wolves, baby!!!

I've been drooling over this photo, featuring Alex Meraz as Paul, Chaske Spencer as Sam, Bronson Pelletier as Jared, and Kiowa Gordon as Embry. These guys make up the rest of the wolf pack, along with Taylor Lautner, returning from the first film, in the role of Jacob.

I'm officially ready for New Moon to hit the big screen. November seems so far away...

Oh, and in a brief Stanley Cup playoffs note - WOO HOO RANGERS!! Up 3-1 in their series vs. Alex the Great & the Washington Capitals, life is good for this sorta-Rangers Fan! And better yet, I picked Wade Redden in my playoff pool, to much laughter and teasing from my family, but guess what - Reds got an assist in the first game, which is one more point than several other players I had chosen. Go Wade!!

I'm Still a Sens Fan...

...But boy, it sure sucks knowing the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin tonight and I'm not going to be there.

No butterflies in the stomach. No giddy dreams of parades in June. No rushing out to buy tickets. No flippin' nothin'.

For the first time since I threw my allegiance behind the Ottawa Senators on the eve of the 1997 playoffs (after seeing Wade Redden's picture in the Ottawa Citizen), I won't be watching my beloved team compete for hockey's Holy Grail. For those of you counting, that's eleven years of playoff hockey for this kid. I don't know how to deal with anything else.

Early playoff exits at the hands of the Leafs? Sure, I can handle that.

Giant disappointment in the Eastern Conference finals against Jersey? Bring it on.

Even a heart-breaking dismal run against Anaheim in the Stanley Cup Finals...I'd take it.

I'd take anything over this empty, hollow feeling that I have right now.

The good thing? It's not like this comes as a surprise. It's not like we were in the midst of a dogfight up until the final buzzer sounded, and just at the last minute, we found out that some other team came up with an extra point that put us on the outside looking in. Now, that would be shattering. Fortunately (I guess you could say), this has pretty much been a known fact since fairly early on in the year. The Sens spent most of the season below .500, and while there were faint glimmers of hope after Cory Clouston took over behind the bench, their making the playoffs would have been a miracle. And while we optimists prayed, I don't know if any of us truly held any strong belief that it could happen. At the end of the day, this absence from the playoffs comes as no great shock. It's something I've been preparing for since, oh, Christmas maybe?

Still doesn't make this feel any less surreal. Me. Not excited about the playoffs. No team to cheer for. No passion and excitement. BLAH.

So, while most other Sens fans are finding alternatives, likely throwing their support behind another Canadian team, perhaps the Montreal Canadiens, I have another choice.

You see, every year that the Ottawa Senators played for Lord Stanley's Cup, there was one familiar sight on the blueline: Wade Redden's #6. And lo and behold...Guess who's keeping his streak alive? Yup. You got it. Redden's Rangers will be taking on the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, which means that every year that he's played NHL hockey, Wade Redden has been in the playoffs. (Every year, except 1999-2000, when he missed the playoffs due to an ankle injury).

And while I won't be able to cheer for my Sens this Spring, one thing will remain the same.

I'll be cheering for Wade Redden in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.


Do I care about the New York Rangers? Not really. And according the tiny bit of research I've done, it's not likely that the Rangers will even make it past the first round, going up against one of the hottest teams in the NHL in Alexander Ovechkin's Washington Capitals. Their record against the second-place team in the East this season was 0-3-1. Oh, and they have that doof Sean Avery, so it makes it even harder to get excited about them. (I really hate that guy).

But Wade is more important to me than any of that.

So while I struggle with this empty, hollow feeling of not having the Sens in the postseason, I do still have him. And I wish him the best. Should he somehow manage to hoist the Cup this year, it will the most bittersweet of moments. I dreamed of watching him do that in Ottawa, and seeing it happen with any other team will be heart-wrenching.

Still, I would be thrilled for him. Maybe a little jealous, but thrilled nonetheless.

I am still a Sens fan. But for now, all I can say is...

GO RANGERS!!!

"Mike, Baby, I Wish You Were Here!"

So, there hasn't been a whole lot about the Ottawa Senators this year that's had me interested. I've Blogged about all the reasons - pretty well wore the topic right out, in fact.

Now, it's official - we're definitely not making the playoffs. And despite some greatly-improved team chemistry and a fairly impressive record since Cory Clouston took over behind the bench, it's all too-little, too-late. The 2008-2009 Ottawa Senators are hopefully a horrid blip on what has otherwise been a pretty cool past decade for the fans and the organization.

That being said, there's always some fun stuff to chat about in the land of the Senators.

First of all - I'd like to say kudos to the lads over at TGOR for catching me pretty good last week with their on-air April Fools' gag. While getting ready for work, I heard them announce that plans were in the works for Alexei Yashin to return to the fold with a 5-game try-out to finish off the season, and if all went well, they'd sign a contract with him for next season. They reasoned that while the fans would be upset, he'd actually had a great season in the KHL and that he'd come at a decent price. I was so wound up over it - caught between wanting to laugh and scream at the ridiculousness of it all. They even had a soundclip from Bryan Murray justifying the decision, which I thought authenticated it.

Walked into Mom and Dad's for breakfast, broke the news to them, and my mother promptly grinned and said, "April Fools". D'uh. I couldn't believe I fell for it!

Another fun thing about the Sens this season? Well, when word leaked out that Mike Fisher was dating Carrie Underwood a few months ago, it was pretty much the talk of the town. Then, around trade deadline day, management brought Mike Comrie back to the line-up, with his "good little hockey girlfriend" Hilary Duff in tow. Imagine that. The Ottawa Senators, now boasting two Mikes with hot celebrity girlfriends. You'd swear it was the LA Kings or something!

Just the other night, at the Academy of Country Music Awards ceremony, Carrie Underwood was presented the Entertainer of the Year Award, and in her acceptance speech, our little Fish got his very own shout-out: "Mike, baby, I wish you were here!"

It's almost too much for this ol' Sens fan to take.

Well, "Mike Baby" was busy kickin' Hab butt last night, along with his good buddy Dany Heatley, who scored twice, only 38 seconds apart, in the third period, to clinch a 3-2 victory. It's always nice to beat Montreal, even if it means nothing to us. Truthfully, the Sens seem to be enjoying their role as spoiler now that they're out. They certainly aren't acting like they don't care, and that's nice to see. Looks like they're trying to lay a solid foundation for next season, and hopefully Murray won't mess with the team too much over the summer.

You know it's rough being a Sens fan when even the 3-year-olds are bailing ship. That's right... My nephew Caden, who has been a huge Sens fan and loyal supporter of Alfie since he was able to stand up and hold a hockey stick, has recently declared that he now cheers for "The Toronto Weafs". It's the fault of his Grandpa Provost, which doesn't make sense, as he's a Sens-slash-Habs fan, but apparently he thought it would be funny to switch the kid's allegiance and annoy his dad. I told Caden if he keeps this up, he's out of the family. To which he prompty replied, "No, Jilly, YOU'RE out of the family!!"

*sigh* I just can't win this year.