How Much I Loved New Moon...

To call this past weekend 'exciting' would be a bit of an understatement.

What a weekend!

To kick things off - I saw New Moon on Friday!! WOO-HOO!! I took the day off work to take Brittany, who was also off on a PD Day. We made sure we got to the Colisseum theatre in Ottawa early, as our showtime was 12:20 PM. Sure enough, by 10:30, the line-up was starting to form. Britt and I were fortunate to be at the head of the line, and got awesome seats, exactly where we wanted to be - last row, dead-centre.

It's impossible for me to write a re-cap that would fully capture how much I loved New Moon. So instead, I'm just going to give you a list of 20 reasons why I loved New Moon. And here they are, in no particular order.

1. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off.

For those of you who don't know the story - Lautner plays Quileute native Jacob Black, Bella's childhood friend. Jacob becomes more than just a friend to Bella in New Moon - that's when the love triangle between him, Bella, and Edward begins to take shape. Edward has deserted Bella, in the hopes of keeping her safe from his dangerous world, but in his heart-breaking absence, Bella finds comfort in Jake. Lautner, only 17 years old, was in jeopardy of losing his role as Jacob in New Moon, but he fought hard to keep it by tackling a vigorous work-out & diet regimen that saw him pack on 30 lbs. of raw muscle for the flick.

And in the scene when Bella crashes her bike and Jacob first removes his shirt (you know, to help stop the bleeding on her forehead) - a very appreciative gasp went up from the predominantly female audience.

Yowzers. I've always been Team Edward, but I'm starting to appreciate where the Jacob fans are coming from...

2. OK. Now that I've got the Jacob drooling out of my system...Edward. Oh, sweet, sparkly, cold-as-ice Edward. He's beautiful. Rob Pattinson? Sexiest man alive. And even though we don't get to see him as much in New Moon, I'd still go see it just for the few amazing scenes and the "apparitions" he appears in. So awesome.

3. The Volturi - The creepy leaders of the Vampire world. Pretty cool to see them come to life. And Michael Sheen in the role of Aro was amazing - exactly how I imagined Aro should be.

4. The wolf pack - Jacob's brethren. In human form, they're all rather handsome young men who spend most of their time shirtless and in cut-off jeans. And when they're in wolf-form, they're pretty amazing CGI wolves. What's not to love about the wolves?

5. Bella's human friends, especially Mike & Jessica, add wonderful touches of humour to an otherwise somber, dark film. Both Michael Welch and Anna Kendrick sparkle - and even steal the few scenes they are in!

6. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off. Mmmmm...

7. The movie has a pretty wicked soundtrack, which I downloaded last week in anticipation of the film's release. The only downside? No R. Pattz. Apparently Rob declined any offers to be on the New Moon soundtrack, despite pleasing his fans with two contributions to the first movie. Word is, he didn't want people to think he was cashing in on the movie, using it as a stepping-stone for his music, which he still considers his "back-up plan". Too bad, considering he's pretty talented on both guitar and piano, and is reminiscent of Ray LaMontagne with his vocals.

But, even without, Rob, we've got Death Cab For Cutie, OK Go, Grizzly Bear, Muse, The Killers, and Thom Yorke. No complaints!

8. Kristen Stewart! She does a fabulous job of portraying Bella - I can't imagine anyone else in the role. She portrays the pained-and-depressed side so well, but the bonus was that she got to smile a little more than her character ever did in the book. (And yes, I do believe her slightly more happy character might have something to do with Taylor Lautner taking his shirt off...)

9. The underwater scene. After Bella goes cliff-diving, and before Jacob rescues her, there's a dream-like moment underwater, where she lingers side-by-side with Edward. Kind of took my breath away.

10. Alex Meraz. He plays the role of Paul, one of Jake's friends in the wolf pack. Aycarumba!

11. Bella & Jacob's almost kisses. Never thought I would root for Jacob over Edward - and, well, I still don't - but when Edward was gone, it was very easy to get caught up in Jacob's hotness. And there were two scenes in the movie where they come very close to kissing! The two steamiest non-kisses I've ever seen in my life!

12. Bella's "date" with Mike and Jacob to the see the action movie Face Punch was priceless. Poor Mike. The guy is trying to compete with a vampire and a werewolf...he never stood a chance!

13. Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off. YUM.

14. The Cullen Family. They don't get a lot of screen-time this time around, but Edward's pseudo-family of vampires also provide a bit of the comic relief - Kellan Lutz as Emmett, especially. If you had to be a vampire, I'm thinking they'd be a pretty cool bunch to hang out with.

15. Dakota Fanning as Jane, the little vampire girl who can cause anyone horrific pain with just a glance. For so long, we've seen Dakota as the sweet little wide-eyed child-star - it was sort of neat to see her looking vicious with the blood-red eyes. And while I did not enjoy her causing my beloved Edward such pain, her acting resume has definitely been ramped up with this effort.

16. Edward & Bella's reunion in Volterra. When Alice whisks Bella off to Italy to save Edward, she must make her way through a throng of red-cloaked festival-goers, across a busy square, and through a fountain before finally flying into his arms and embracing him. Passionate does not begin to describe it. Seriously awesome.

17. Edi Gathegi & Rachelle Lefebvre reprise their roles as nomadic vampires Laurent and Victoria. Laurent tries to kill Bella before she's saved by the wolves, and Victoria's relentless pursuit of Bella is still not completed by the end of New Moon. It's just too bad Cam Giagandet didn't make it to the second film (his character, James, was killed in Twilight). That was some serious evil vampire hotness...

18. Billy Burke is back as Bella's overprotective dad, Charlie, and he's another scene-stealer in a flick where it's pretty hard to steal scenes from the likes of Pattinson, Lautner, and Stewart.

19. Back to Edward...Possibly my favourite part of the movie was a very simple one - at the very beginning, on the day of Bella's birthday, she's hanging out in the school parking lot with her human friends, when Edward pulls up and gets out of his car. He walks towards her, all gorgeous and slow-motion-y, and I think my heart might have just stopped, he was so beautiful. *sigh*

20. Oh. Did I mention Taylor Lautner takes his shirt off?

OK. So I intended this blog to be a re-cap of both my exciting weekend events - New Moon and the Murder Mystery. However, I think this is long enough for today. Look for the re-cap of "Up the Creek" in the next few days!

PS - If anyone wants to go see New Moon - I'm so up for going again! Let me know! :)

I Heart Fridays

Ah, Friday. My favourite day of the week!

But this one is super-special, 'cause we're now officially ONE WEEK away from The Twilight Saga: New Moon hitting theatres! Can't wait!

And here are a few reasons why I can't wait:

And another good thing about Fridays? Memories of my delicious Dr. Alex Karev dancing in my head. Last night was a tough one for Alex on Grey's. Izzie returned to seek medical help for an old high school teacher of hers, but she still wasn't talking to Alex. I hate to see Alex so tortured...Except he's so hot when he's tortured.

Anyways, found a smokin' pic of Justin Chambers that I hadn't seen before, thought I'd share it with the female public out there:

Last but not least - what else makes this Friday so awesome? Well, I'm one day away from getting to see my dearly beloved Wade Redden again. Tomorrow I'm headed to SBP for a 2PM game vs. the Rangers with Mom, Luke, Kara, and Caden. Can't believe it's already been a year since I saw him live in his new colours. There won't be any special tribute to him tomorrow, though, so at least I don't have to worry about crying at the game. GO SENS GO!!

And, because I'm dropping in so many yummy pics this week...well, here's one of my favourites of Wade in his NYR duds:

The Newest Canadian TV Star...

I knew from the first moment I saw the Pigott brothers audition on Canadian Idol two summers ago that there was something special about those guys - they oozed charisma and charm, and were talented to boot.

I've gushed about them many times on the Blog - this shouldn't be anything new to my regular readers.

But I'd like to take a moment just to do a little dance and squeal, I knew it, I knew it, I KNEW IT!!

Because in the past few months, the Pigotts have had a few big breaks. And if their stars continue to shine as brightly as they have since they were booted from the Idol stage, pretty soon everyone across this great country of ours will know who they are.

Oliver and Sebastian recently released their Pigott Brothers album, "Pigottry". I bought the downloadable version, and have thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. The remastered version is also now available, and their talent for music and songwriting never ceases to amaze me.

And for Sebastian, things in the acting world have kind of blown up. Since Idol, he's had guest roles on several Canadian TV shows, including The Border, The Listener, and Heartland. And this past fall, he's finally landed a permanent home on the popular Canadian show, Being Erica.

I'll admit to having never bothered watching the show until I heard Sebastian was turning up as a regular. But I'm so glad I've started. For Canadian TV, this one is actually pretty awesome - witty, well-written, edgy, sexy, and fun. The show centres around Erica Strange (Erin Karpluk), a young woman who is in a very special kind of therapy. Every week, she meets with her therapist, Dr. Tom, who sends her back in time to relive a regret from her past in order to come back and make positive changes in her present life.

This season, Sebastian was introduced as Kai Booker, the barista working at Goblins, a cafe that Erica frequents. As they have become friends, Erica has discovered that Kai is also in the same kind of time traveling "therapy" as she is, but that he still has many secrets he is not willing to let her in on...Not yet, anyways...

The best part about Sebastian being on the show? His role as the artsy, musical barista has allowed him to incorporate his & Oliver's music into the show. They have currently written two songs for the show, including "Alien Like You", a sweet, melodic song which Kai performed at an open mic night.

Not only am I thrilled to see the brothers doing so well for themselves on the Canadian music & television stages, I'm also excited to have found a television show from this country that I'm actually really interested in...I'm hooked! I can't wait to see each week what adventures Erica is going to find herself on, and to learn more about Kai. (Of course, if he continues to have steamy love scenes like he did last night, I'd keep going back just to watch that, even if the rest of the show was crap. Fortunately, it isn't!)

Tuesdays at 9 PM, folks - it's worth a watch. And how about one more round of applause for Oliver & Sebastian Pigott...So great to see how far they've come!

When Things Go Bump in the Night...

I'm not sure why, but lately I've been showing a soft-spot for scary movies.

I really don't get it. But I guess my desire to curl up on the couch with popcorn and repeatedly jump and gasp while being terrorized by on-screen horror was brought on by Halloween in the past few weeks.

I was a big horror flick fan in high school. Of course, it was a great time to discover an affection for scary movies. The mid-to-late '90's saw the release of a huge crop of teen slasher flicks, starting with Scream. It seemed like every weekend, we were gathering at somebody's house to watch the latest scary movie to hit the video stores - I Know What You Did Last Summer, Idle Hands, The Blair Witch Project, Final Destination, Halloween: H20, and so on.

I saw them all. And for the most part, hanging out with friends and screaming and laughing was a total blast.

But it was in college, I believe, that we went to the theatre to see the re-make of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I spent the entire time hiding behind my coat, and beside me, Sara was doing the same. We ended up looking at each other from behind our coats more than we actually watched the big screen. It felt like the longest two hours of my life - it felt like it was never going to end. When it was finally over, I remember thinking I spent $10 to hide behind my jacket, and what a flippin' waste of money that was.

(When it was released on DVD, we did the same thing all over again in my parents' basement with Erin - she watched, while Sara and I hid behind pillows.)

And that seemed to be where my love for scary movies ended. Oh, I've seen a few of them over the years - The Exorcism of Emily Rose, for example, but because it was based on a true story and included a courtroom drama, I didn't quite classify it as "horror". And then there was my attempt at watching the re-make of The Hills Have Eyes. I don't know if I made it through half an hour of it. It just re-affirmed my loathing of scary movies.

The Saw movies? Hostel? Not a chance in hell.

But I re-visited those fun high school days of watching scary flicks be buying and watching all three Scream movies leading up to Halloween, just to get me in the mood - and maybe they seemed more tolerable because I had already seen them all in my teen years, and sort of knew what to expect.

But that was it - I was done with them again after that!

Until...Sarah told us last week a friend from work had downloaded and made a copy of Paranormal Activity, the latest horror flick to hit theatres. Audiences have raved that it's one of the scariest movies ever, and apparently people have been getting up and leaving in the middle of it because it's that terrifying.

And Sarah wanted to know if we'd watch it with her.

I was intrigued. The scariest movie ever? What would it be like? Would I survive it? If I couldn't survive The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, how would I ever survive this? But I was curious, so along with Sue and Brenda, I agreed to watch it.

The low-budget flick introduces us to two main characters, Katie and Micah, a young couple living in a suburban tract house. Katie claims to have had paranormal experiences off-and-on since she was a child, and the entity that haunts her has now followed her to this house, and it is growing more hostile. Micah has bought a camera to set up in their room to try and capture some of this paranormal activity while they are sleeping.

Over the course of several weeks, he catches increasingly-frightening activity each night. Loud thuds and footsteps. Doors slamming. Grunts and whispers. Katie climbing out of bed and standing, staring at him, for hours at a time, without barely moving.

Stuff like that.

Okay, so it was a little freaky.

But the scariest movie everrrrrrrrr? Not quite. Not in my books, anyways. For one thing, I found it rather reminiscent of The Blair Witch, which I also was not overly-impressed by. Hours of documentary-style footage, shaky hand-held filming, odd angles, etc. - which can kind of drag on and get boring after awhile - and then builds us up to an ending that happens so quickly, it's like, "Huh?" (Now, to be fair, the version of the film we saw was not the one with the ending being seen currently in theatres. And from what I've read, the other ending is a little more creepy...) Also, the few other characters in the movie - Katie's friend, and the psychic who visits their home - were absolutely horrible actors.

That being said, there were a few good things to talk about. For one thing, Katie and Micah were entirely believable in their roles as a young couple being terrorized and torn apart by a demon haunting them. Micah was also good for a few laughs. When Katie screamed and he jumped, but then went back for the camera, only to discover her frightened by a giant spider in their bathroom - it was pretty comical, especially when she cries, "Did you go back for the camera?!" Another time, while trying to communicate with the spirit, Micah asks, "What is your quest?...What is your favourite colour?"

(There was debate amongst us afterwards on what kind of guy Micah was - in my opinion, he seemed like a typical guy who discovers his girlfriend is being terrorized by a demon - at first, laughs it off, then tries to have fun with it with all his gadgets and ghost hunting, and eventually gets possessive and macho and down-right pissed when he realizes he actually is dealing with something out of his league and pretty frightening. I thought it was kinda sweet how he tried to protect her. Brenda, on the other hand, thought he was a complete asshole.)

To be honest - the night clips of their bedroom and the scary shit going down...well, yeah, it was pretty creepy. But I really have no idea why people would get up and leave this one in the middle of it. I never even had to hide my eyes.

I realize that a scary movie doesn't necessarily need guts and gore to make it scary; that this one hits more on a psychological level. What do you do when things are going bump in the night? What do you do when it always happens when you're asleep and you're at your most vulnerable? What do you do when it's a volatile demon taking pleasure in terrorizing you? What do you do when you can't make it go away?

I guess that's the reason why this one is making waves and getting people excited about horror flicks again.

And despite the fact that I think I've seen scarier - I guess that's also why I went to sleep that night with the lights on...

Heart-to-Heart

A long time ago, I remember reading an article (I think it was in Readers Digest) about a young couple that had a pre-mature baby. The baby was struggling, and spent the first months of its life in the hospital, where each day was touch-and-go. Terribly under-developed, the doctors were certain the child wouldn't live.

Until one day, the (ridiculously-handsome) father of the baby visited his child in the NICU, and the nurses told him he could take the baby out of the incubator and hold it if he wanted to. After holding it for awhile, the medical staff noticed the baby's vitals were improving. One doctor suggested to the father that he take his shirt off, and hold the child skin-to-skin, as he had heard that often gave preemies a boost.

There was a picture of that dad, shirtless, holding his itty-bitty infant against his chest. It was an image that stuck with me.

The father spent hours every day doing exactly that, as his child became stronger and beat the odds. Several months after pre-maturely arriving into this world, the couple were allowed to take their healthy baby home. The doctors credited the baby's miraculous rally to the hours spent in its father's arms, snuggled against his chest. The skin-to-skin contact, and the father's heartbeat, were the reason they said the baby began to thrive on its own.

It was a story I've never forgotten, so you can imagine my delight when I got to see it played out last night on Grey's Anatomy.

In last night's episode, a pregnant woman was in a car accident, and her baby actually had a stroke in the womb. They performed an emergency C-section to deliver the pre-mature baby, but after working on the child endlessly, it was deemed that it would not survive.

You all know how much I absolutely adore the hot-but-troubled Dr. Alex Karev. In recent episodes, Alex has been more troubled than usual. He married Izzie last season at the height of her battle with cancer, and in earlier episodes this season, Izzie returned to work, only to be fired after Seattle Grace's merger with Mercy West Hospital. She left Alex, and nobody has seen or heard from her since.

Kinda makes for an even-more-hostile-than-usual Alex.

But that's the beauty of Alex. Despite his crusty, edgy, brutal exterior attitude, inside we've seen glimpses of a big softie. Especially when it comes to Izzie. And especially when it comes to him working in Pediatrics. He's had a knack with the little ones since the first season. He never fails to melt my heart when he's dealing with the kiddies.

But last night, it was extra-special. After fighting to save the baby's life, he'd given up. So he picked the baby up, knowing it didn't have a chance, and murmured, "You're not alone...I'm here...you're not alone..."

Bailey found him a while later, still holding the child, and they realized that the baby's vital signs were actually improving. She remarked that Alex was holding the baby Kangaroo-style, and she had heard of cases of preemies beginning to thrive when the parents held them like that. She encouraged Alex to take off his shirt, and see if the skin-to-skin, heart-to-heart contact would also help.

No complaints from me. The studly Justin Chambers, shirtless, holding a baby? Holy cow.

And, of course, it worked. Alex never left the baby. He stayed there, half-naked, while the rest of the doctors teased & made fun of him. But Alex knew the mother, recovering from her car accident injuries, was unable to be with her child, so he stuck with it. He had nowhere else to go - with Izzie gone, Alex is so lost and alone. And he bonded with that little baby, also lost and all alone.

It was a bittersweet moment when they wheeled the mother in to meet her baby for the first time, and Alex had to hand the infant over. Thanks to him, the baby survived, but it had a mother who loved it and was ready to take over. Alex, on the other hand, still has no idea where Izzie is, and he's still all alone and fighting to make it through each day without crumbling...

Definitely one of my favourite Grey's episodes, ever.

There was one other special moment - a heart-wrenchingly sad moment - during this episode that was centred in the Peds ward. When Arizona lost a long-time patient of hers, a little boy named Wallace, and had to bring his parents to the morgue to see him one last time - well, that scene just about ripped my heart out. It truly captured the horrorific grief a parent feels after losing a child.

It's a place one should never have to go.

OK, so I've rambled about Grey's long enough now...but at least it's a blog, right? On two consecutive days. A miracle all on its own!

Have a good weekend :)

Snow Day!

It's been a billion years since I last wrote a blog...The guys were still playing ball for crying out loud.

(But for the record - that doesn't seem like all that long ago in my world. Where the heck did October go?!)

Anyways - good thing ball season's over, 'cause November has hit with a bang. Yes, that's right, a nice little dusting of snow today to remind us all that fall is officially over and we're swinging very quickly into the holiday season! YESSSSSSSSS!

But does anybody remember the early hit of snow we took last year? Makes today look like nothin'. It came on October 28th last year. And it was a good couple of inches. Complete ground cover. For most people in the area, it was a nightmare.

However for me - the kid who loves all things snowy and Christmassy - it rocked!

I love November. It's when the slow build of excitement leading up to December 25th begins. This is the time of year I start my Christmas shopping, start booking holiday parties, and start lining up the Christmas tunes and holiday movies for the weeks to come.

How quickly I've moved from Scream (yikes, had enough of that last weekend...) to Home Alone.

Oh, and there's another reason why I love November - this November in particular. A little movie coming out that I've been anxiously waiting for.

November 20th. Twilight Saga: New Moon hits theatres. I...can't...wait.

Ah, Edward. How I've missed thee.

So my vow for November is to try and get back into this Blogging thang, and I'm sure by the time I get to see New Moon, you will have all heard so much about it, you'll be wishing I'd disappear again!

:)

The Unfortunate Ending

It's all over for the 2009 GOFL season, and unfortunately, the Quyon COMBAT Flyers didn't get the happy ending they were looking for to their otherwise-stellar season.

After Monday night's game 4 was rained out in the third inning, the decision was made to continue it last night, and if a game 5 was necessary, it would be immediately following, in Quyon. Theoretically, this took away home field advantage from the Stittsville 56'ers, but it didn't matter in the end.

The Flyers ended up losing that game 4 by a score of 6-0. They were able to shake off that dismal game admirably and battled hard in the next one, but an early 3-0 lead by the 56'ers would prove insurmountable, and they were only able to cash two runs despite their best efforts. Stittsville won the GOFL Championship by a final score of 3-2.

It was a disappointing end, but the Flyers can hold their heads high knowing they will head into the 2010 season with that much more experience, and they are fortunate enough to already have a berth in the 2010 ISC II Tournament of Champions in Midland, Michigan.

They have truly turned heads this season, gaining great respect and quite a few fans, and by taking the defending champs the distance in the GOFL finals before succumbing, they have proven that they are among the elite when it comes to fastball in this part of the country.

It's been one hell of a season. Thanks for the great ride, guys. Can't wait til next year!

One Win Away...

It's October.

And the Quyon COMBAT Flyers are still playing ball.

It's been a crazy-awesome couple of months, following their succesful journey to the Tournament of Champions in Quad Cities, then back home to their own GOFL playoffs, where they have battled their way to the finals, and also a big weekend that saw them crowned the winners of the 2009 Challenge Cup, awarding them one of the first berths in the 2010 ToC.

It's been an outstanding season thus far. And it's not over yet.

Last night, the Flyers took on the Stittsville 56'ers in Game 3 of their best-of-5 final at the Grove in Stittsville. It was a big game; a win would give them the opportunity to close out the series Monday night before their hometown fans in Quyon.

The 56'ers are a formidable opponent, considering they finished first in league standings this year, with an impressive 17-1-2 record. When Quyon defeated them 4-3 in a tight match up in game 2, it was the first time they beat Stittsville all year.

Last night, it was another nail-biter. Actually, no. I didn't bite my nails, because I had mittens on. It was freakin' cold. But the fans that did brave the frigid night air were not disappointed - it was a tense, exciting game, as it went scoreless for quite sometime - a pitching duel between Stittsville's Dan Bradley and Quyon's Drew Hathway.

Stittsville got on the scoreboard first with a solo homerun, but Matt Greer answered back, hitting his own solo to draw the score even again. After seven innings (and having to witness my boneheaded brother strikeout with the bases loaded in the top of 7...where was that magical homerun when we really needed it, huh?!?) the score remained dead-locked, and we were headed to extra innings.

In the top of 8, Luke started the inning on second base because of the extra-inning rule, and ended up stealing 3rd. Greer hit a sac fly on which Luke tagged and scored, giving the Flyers the 2-1 lead. In the bottom of 8, things pretty much went the same, with the Stittsville player who started on 2nd base ending up stealing 3rd. Then Hathway struck out 2 batters, and it all came down to one of Stittsville's best sticks, Scott Herriot. With the count at 3 balls 2 strikes, Herriot was all set to take his walk, but was called out on a controversial third strike. The 56'ers didn't like the call, but nevertheless, the Flyers gathered at the mound to celebrate the win!

So now, with the 2-1 series lead, the boys will be back in the Q, 7:30 Monday night, and should they win, they will take home their first-ever GOFL Championship title. But if they don't get the W, they will still have another crack at it Tuesday night, back in Stittsville for game 5 if necessary.

Monday night will be possibly the biggest game the Flyers have ever played, so make sure you bundle up and get out there to cheer them on!! I guarantee that if they win, the victory beers will be mighty tasty!!!

GO FLYERS!!!

Kings of Leon + Quyon Flyers = Great Weekend!

Last Thursday was the Kings of Leon concert at Scotiabank Place. I ordered the tickets a few weeks ago, based on how much I liked only a handful of songs that I'd heard. Otherwise, I knew nothing about Kings of Leon, and I was worried that my lack of knowledge about them and their music would equal a big waste of money.

I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only was the concert amazing, I came away with an even greater appreciation for the band, their sound, and their songs. I knew I liked them before I went in the doors; when I came out, I was a huge fan.

Opening band Glasvegas was about the only low-light for me. They kicked off the night with what I considered a dark and dreary set. And I SWEAR I could be their drummer - anyone could do what that chick did, it was like the easy level on Rock Band. Nothing they did impressed me. Not one of their songs was my kind of thing. Seriously, Jumpin' Jimmy at the Barley Mow's open mic night (where we had dinner) was more entertaining.

But that didn't matter, 'cause when KOL hit the stage with an eerie opening performance of "Closer", Glasvegas were already out of my mind. They killed it with their southern-rock with its very own unique flavour. Whether hearing new songs that I now can't get enough of, like "The Bucket", "I Want You", "Four Kicks", and "Be Somebody" - or getting lost in the songs that were already my favourites, like "Sex on Fire", "Fans", "Notion", and my ultimate #1 "Use Somebody" - I was never disappointed.

I also was introduced to their song "Cold Desert", a slow-moving, climax-building tune that had fans on the floor crowd surfing - I just can't stop listening to it. Love it. Love it.

Doesn't hurt that band members the Followill brothers and their cousin aren't too hard to look at, either...

So that awesome Thursday night concert kicked off what was to be an even more awesome weekend, as the Quyon COMBAT Flyers, fresh off their win to advance to the GOFL finals, were taking part in the Challenge Cup tournament in McNab/Braeside on Saturday and Sunday. The winning team would secure an early berth at the 2010 ISC II Tournament of Champions, slated to run next August in Midland, Michigan.

The Flyers ended up gaining the benefit of a schedule change when their first-round opponent Napanee bowed out of the tournament at the last minute, earning Quyon a bye through to the 11 AM game versus their league rivals, Carp I4C Victory. The handled them easily, taking it 7-1 with Chad Hargrove getting the win on the mound.

That jumped them right into the 'undefeated game' at 5 PM against the North Fred Kings (from the Kingston area). Buzz around the ball park was that North Fred appeared to be the team to beat, as they had already defeated two of the best teams in the tournament, Team Easton and the Donnacona Blue Sox. Regardless, the Flyers again made it look easy, with the final being 5-1 and Drew Hathway was the winning pitcher.

That win advanced the Flyers to the finals. As the undefeated team in the tournament, they had to be beaten twice to lose the tournament, a double-knockout format. Once again, the North Fred Kings were their opponent, after they had gone on to defeat Carp to make the finals.

Two games weren't needed to crown the Flyers as the champions - in fact, only 3 1/2 innings of the first game were necessary, as North Fred seemed to finally run out of gas. One of their players was ejected from the game, and all of their substitutes had been used, so they were forced to end the game with the Flyers ahead 7-3, and pitcher Joran Graham got the W.

So next August, the Flyers will be headed to Midland, Michigan, and they have the honour of being one of the first teams to qualify for the 2010 ToC! Congrats, guys!

Things sort of came crashing back down last night, however, as the Flyers lost the opening game of their best-of-5 GOFL finals to the Stittsville 56'ers. They actually jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the game, and they held that lead for a few innings before Stittsville discovered their bats and ended up mercying them after 6 innings, with a final score of 7-1.

Hoping for better luck on Thursday night in Quyon, game time 7:30 - come out and cheer on the hometown team!!

Flyers Advance to GOFL Finals!!

To say it was cold at the ball park in Carp last night would be an understatement.

It was frickin' freezing.

But was it worth it to sit out in the frigid night air and literally turn into a popsicle, just to see the Quyon COMBAT Flyers beat Ottawa Team Easton 8-3 in 9 innings to take their semi-final series 3-2??

Absolutely.

The boys kept me busy by giving me the job of keeping Joe (still in hospital) in the loop via BlackBerry messages, and in the third inning I somehow inherited the position of scorekeeper as well. I actually feel like I barely saw any of the game - so many times, I was left to ask Mom & Dad, "OK, what just happened?" Between Joe asking questions and me trying not to sound like a retard in explaining to him what was going on, and attempting to keep the scorebook accurate, I hardly had time to actually watch the game.

But thanks to my jobs, I pretty much can tell you every detail of last night's game!

Thanks to back-to-back triples in the second inning by Steve McCord and Curtis Daley, Quyon took a 1-0 lead on Easton. They answered back with a run of their own, so at the top of 6, with the score tied, Easton pulled ace pitcher Corey Costello from the game, replacing him with Brad Porter.

Extra innings were necessary with the score still tied at 1 after 7. In the top of 8, Quyon scored 2 runs, but Easton again pulled even in the bottom of the inning. It wasn't until the top of 9 that Quyon finally took command of the game. With a runner placed on second to start the inning (the rule during extra innings), Shawn Laframboise singled, bringing my own darling brother to the plate. Magically - somehow - I didn't think he was capable of it (haha) - Luke hit a homerun!! His bomb brought in three runs, and with no outs, the Flyers weren't done yet. Two more runs scored, giving the Flyers the huge 8-3 lead.

Easton never really threatened in the bottom of 9 thanks to stellar pitching by Drew Hathway, who threw all 9 innings for Quyon. And just like that - the Quyon COMBAT Flyers advance to the GOFL finals for the first time!!

I'm so excited for the guys - what a thrilling game, and the promise of more ball against the Stittsville 56'ers in the Finals makes me a very happy kid. I wasn't ready yet for ball to end...

But as I said last night - might have to break out the snowpants for the Finals!!!

GO FLYERS!!

So Much Going On!!

It's been awhile since I've been on to update...Here's the scoop on the Quyon COMBAT Flyers: They are currently playing Team Easton in the GOFL semi-finals, with the best-of-five series tied at 2 games apiece. Last night, they had the opportunity to put the final nail in Easton's coffin, but unfortunately, they ended up losing 2-0. Due to injuries from an accident over the weekend, catcher Joe McCleary is out of the line-up, and the Flyers would really like to win this for him. The final game of the series goes tonight in Carp at 8 PM - should be a good one!

Still with the sports - the Ottawa Senators started their pre-season last night, opening up with a 3-1 loss to the Florida Panthers. Sens fans had their first peek at new goaltender Pascal Leclaire, who was acquired last season at the trade deadline; however, due to injuries, he was unavailable to play until now. Considering the guy hasn't seen NHL action since last January, and was replaced half-way through the second last night by Robin Lehner, I would say no one should be jumping to conclusions about Leclaire's capabilities based on his first appearance in net this year. Once he settles in and gets some more action, we'll see what this guy is all about.

On Saturday, the Senators finally got rid of the summer-long circus that was Dany Heatley. The former fan favourite had demanded a trade, and became one of the biggest hockey villains this city had ever seen - right up there with the likes of Alexei Yashin and Ray Emery. It's such a relief to no longer have to listen to and read about the Heatley Saga. Shipping him off to San Jose in exchange for Jonathan Cheechoo and Milan Michalek might not have improved the talent on this team, but it got rid of a cancer in the dressing room and one of the biggest egos in the NHL. Farewell, Dany, hope I never have to hear your name mentioned again!!

In other news, the death of actor Patrick Swayze at age 57 is in all the entertainment headlines this week. Swayze passed away Monday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. I had heard of his health struggles, but for some reason, I was still shocked to learn of his death. How many times have I watched Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and literally drooled over the man? Doesn't seem right that he's gone... Once again, another star has left too soon.

And last but not least...Yes, I did it. I got tickets to Kings of Leon. I swore I wasn't spending any more money on concerts this year, but the temptation was too great!! The concert is tomorrow night at SBP, and I can't wait!! I'll be sure to give a re-cap on Friday. :)

Flyers Advance to Semis in GOFL Playoffs

It was a chilly one at the ball park in Quyon last night, but still a good crowd showed up to welcome home the Quyon COMBAT Flyers in their return from the Tournament of Champions. Last night, the Flyers were up against the Blitz in GOFL playoff action, with their best of 3 series tied at 1-1. To lose to the Blitz last night would have been a complete let-down after they played so well in Rock Island last week.

The Flyers did not disappoint the hometown crowd, as they looked very solid throughout the game, eventually earning a 3-1 win and they will advance to the semi-finals against Team Easton. Apparently I'm not very good at getting details right, so for a game report, check out http://fitzroyfastball.blogspot.com . They also broke out the new black uniforms last night for the first time at home, and they looked pretty sharp!

The Flyers will take on Easton on Tuesday night in Stittsville, and will be back in Quyon on Thursday night. The beer tasted pretty good last night, so I might have to have a few more next week...

GO FLYERS!

There She Was, Just A-Walkin' Down the Street

God, am I glad to have a new iPod. I'm not sure how I survived 6 months without it.

As most of you already know, I rang in 2009 horribly after I realized I left my car un-locked on New Year's Eve outside the local watering hole, and discovered my iPod had been stolen while I was in the hotel for only about half an hour.

The place was deserted. It was 3 o'clock in the morning. Who the hell was out on an iPod-thieving mission, dammit?!

Anyways, I lost my beloved gift that a group of friends had given me last summer for my birthday, and couldn't immediately afford to replace it. Then, for my birthday this year, my family all contributed to the "Replace Jill's Lost iPod Fund", and shortly thereafter, I had a shiny new blue 16 GB iPod Nano in my possession.

So once again, I'm hitting the streets of the Q for my nightly walks. It's been difficult - I haven't been very active this summer, and it's hard getting back in the swing of things - but the iPod sure does help, especially the Walking Playlist I've created. It's amazing how some songs don't seem like they are fast-paced at all, but I've discovered that some of them have the perfect beat to walk to. Of course, there are those fun high-tempo dance songs that are also perfect for hitting the pavement. I'm going to share my Walking Playlist with you, in case any of you feel the need to walk it out...These songs should get ya going!

That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
Kiss on Me - Tyler Hilton
Moneytalks - AC/DC
Shake That Ass for Me - Eminem ft. Nate Dogg
I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight - U2
Wild at Heart - Gloriana
4 Minutes - Madonna ft. Justin Timberlake
I Gotta Feeling - The Black Eyed Peas
Gold Digger - Kanye West ft. Jamie Foxx
California Love - Tupac ft. Dr. Dre
How Bizarre - OMC
Love You Til the End - The Pogues (OK, this is one of my favourite songs of all time, I could listen to it anywhere, anytime - but it really does have a good tempo for walking!)
Boots or Hearts - The Tragically Hip
SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
Black Horse & the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
Shake It - Metro Station
Anna Turn it Up - Oliver Pigott
Through & Through & Through - Joel Plaskett
Ride Wit Me - Nelly
Numba 1 (Tide is High) - Kardinal Offishal ft. Keri Hilson
I Hate My Life - Theory of a Deadman
Get Low - Lil John and Da Eastside Boyz
Fire Burning - Sean Kingston
Crazy Girls - Bethany Joy Lenz
When the Night Feels My Song - Bedouin Soundclash
Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny) - AR Rahman ft. The Pussycat Dolls
Bubbly - Colbie Caillat

So there - if you walked throughout this entire playlist, you're looking at a 2-hour walk, folks! And of course, there are a billion other good songs to keep you marching along - this is just what I've got on rotation right now.

Happy walking!!

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! :)