The New Kids Revival

Last night, while flicking through channels on TV, I happened upon the Much Music Video Awards '08, just as the hostess was announcing "the moment you've all been waiting for...Here to perform for the first time in 15 years...The New Kids on the Block!!"

I'm not going to lie. My first reaction was a snicker. An evil little snicker. Like, oh my God, how lame. That is soooooooo not cool.

But then, out came these guys on the stage, and they didn't look so different than they did 15 years ago. OK, so they dressed a little more slick. And they looked more mature and grown-up. But they didn't look ancient. In fact, I think some of them are more handsome now then they were back then.

Then they did a little medley of their old hits: "Step By Step", "Hangin' Tough", "Please Don't Go Girl", and "The Right Stuff". They had all the cheesy old dance moves, but instead of snickering at them, I realized the people in the crowd were loving it, and I started to love it a little too. It was like I had been transported back to a fun time when I spent hours in my basement, trying to match their dance moves, imagining myself as one of their back-up dancers. My sneer had turned into a smile, and I was enjoying every minute of their performance, reminiscing about my old Donnie doll and how much I used to love him & the rest of the guys.

Suddenly I wasn't thinking of this reunion as pathetic. I was starting to think it was pretty neat.

Then they sang their new single, "Summertime", and be damned if the thing isn't still stuck in my head. It's catchy. It's like old-school NKOTB with a new modern twist. Almost has me thinking I might have to buy their new CD.

It's a little weird. It's been 15 years since the New Kids faded out of the music scene, and for a long time in between, they were considered a joke. "Remember when we liked the New Kids? How stupid were we?"

Then there came the spawn of new-age boy bands in the late '90s: The Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, 98 Degrees, and so on. They were always compared to those legendary pioneers in baggy colourful pants, muscle shirts, and goofy hats - and eventually, they were laughed off the stage too.

But now, the New Kids are back, and something tells me, they just might be cool again. At least for this summer. And I know one thing for sure: I'm not going to get caught up in negativity in dwelling on how lame it all is. I'm going to embrace it and re-discover those innocent years of being the New Kids' biggest fan. Opportunities to return to our childhood don't come along very often, so we should all jump back on the NKOTB bandwagon.

It's the New Kids Revival. And I, for one, don't want to miss it!

Kids' TV: Not What It Used to Be...

OK, so the comments section on my last Blog has convinced me that it's time we all sit down & talk about our old favourite TV shows. The ones we watched as kids, before we started school, or in the evenings after supper, or the wonderful Saturday cartoons.

In the past few years, I've had to dive back in to the world of kids' TV, with my nephew Caden around, and also with some of my friends having kids. I've been introduced to the new television programming out there for children: Dora the Explorer, Go Diego Go, Franklin, Little Bear, The Backyardigans, Toopy & Binoo, Four Square - oh, and my personal favourite: The Mole Sisters. Who the heck names a kids show "The Mole Sisters"? And why would kids want to watch the adventures of two moles that are sisters? It's just weird...

When Stacy bought Maddy an old videotape of The Elephant Show with Sharon, Lois, and Bram recently, it brought me back to my childhood. Remember that show? Remember how much fun it was? They sang and played instruments and played games with kids...and it was always interesting to see what michief Elephant was getting into.

It got me thinking about other great shows I used to watch faithfully. Join In - I loved that show. Today's Special - it was the best! With Muffy the Mouse and Jeff the mannequin that only came alive at night, after hours. And those were just the shows in the evenings.

Before I went to school, or on PD Days, or in the summer - you didn't miss Mr. Dressup and Fred Penner in the mornings. Then there was Under the Umbrella Tree, with Iggy the Iguana, Jacob the Bluejay, & Gloria the Gopher. And of course, there was Sesame Street. Where would any of us be without Sesame Street? And I mean the good old Sesame Street - not this hokey Sesame Park or Elmo's World that they've come up with since we graduated from kids' TV shows. They suck!

I also used to love The Flintstones and The Pink Panther - they were usually on around lunchtime, and I have fond memories of watching those shows and eating a grilled cheese or macaroni. Ah, the good ol' days!

I haven't even touched on the Saturday cartoons - Dennis the Menace, Inspector Gadget, My Pet Monster, The Smoggies...I could go on and on. Those were some good shows, and lately, there doesn't seem to be anything like that on TV. Maybe on that Retro Toon channel - but they don't show enough of them. Oh! And those old Bugs & Tweety shows! I used to love watching those on Saturday evenings!

Where did those days go? Seems like only yesterday.

But now I'm stuck watching Diego and Toopy and The Mole Sisters. *sigh* Kids these days just don't know what they're missing...

My Apologies, PIGOTT Brothers!

I felt fairly stupid when I sat down to watch Canadian Idol last night, and very early on, Ben Mulroney made reference to the Pigott brothers. After I spent all of yesterday's blog gushing about the "Spigott" brothers, I couldn't believe I had made such a silly error. The truly funny part is that I actually thought I had researched yesterday's Blog - I went to the CI website (www.idol.ctv.ca) to make sure I got names right, etc. Apparantly between their site and my blog, "Pigott" became "Spigott". (I also spelled "Tetiana" wrong - but that's a tricky one to remember. Why can't people just name their kids easier things to spell? Like "Mookie". I didn't have any trouble with "Mookie".)

Anyways, when you think about it, I should have known that "Spigott" was wrong. I mean, try to say "Sebastien Spigott" five times fast. No parent would ever inflict that on their child.

Well, at the end of the day, it really doesn't matter if their last name is Pigott or Spigott or Presley, 'cause both boys were put through to the next round. At the start of the night, we were told that the judges' task was to whittle down the remaining contestants to the Top 22. By the time the show was winding down, 18 people had been selected already, and 11 of them were males, and neither Oliver nor Sebastien had yet to present themselves for the verdict on their fate in the competition.

I thought they were a shoe-in, but I admit, I was a little nervous. But I had an inkling that maybe they were going to let in more than 22 people, or that they were going to load up on guys, and go with less girls.

Sure enough, both of the Pigotts went through, and then a couple more. That left two final people to go before the judges, fully believing they were going to be cut because there were no spots left. But ta-da! This year it's 24. Welcome, kiddies!!

The other moment on the night worth mentioning was the heart-wrenching performance by Omar. At his first audition, Jake told him he needed to emotionally connect with his songs. So Omar told the judges before his final performance that he was going to sing a song that he had never heard before that had him in tears for an hour during his practice. He then proceeded to explain to them that in December, an attempt was made on the life of his younger brother, and he succumbed the day before his 25th birthday. At this point, the tears were already flowing, so when he started to sing "Break it to Them Gently" - well, just bust out the Kleenex, folks, it was a bawl fest.

Omar made it to the Top 24 also.

I really like the group they selected this year. They all seem mature, professional, and prepared. Can't wait to see how my Pigotts do!!

Call Off the Contest...

...'Cause I already know who the winner is!

Of Canadian Idol, I mean.

I've been watching faithfully since the first episode of auditions. That very first night, these two brothers from Toronto, Oliver & Sebastien Spigott, both presented themselves to the judges.

Oliver went first, and he absolutely blew them away with a song I didn't recognize but instantly fell in love with. Idol judge Jake Gold told him that through all the years they've been doing the show, his audition might have been the single best audition ever.

Then they brought in Sebastien. Oliver was a tough act to follow, and not surprisingly, little bro paled slightly in comparison when he played "Blue Moon of Kentucky". They told him he wasn't as talented as his brother, but that his good looks and charisma should carry him on. Both boys were handed gold tickets. On to the Top 200.

So for the past few weeks, I've endured the rest of the audition process, all the time comparing each new performer to the Spigotts, thinking, "No, you aren't as good. You're not even close. You lose." That's right. No one has even been as good as Sebastien, let alone Oliver!

Last night, I was finally reunited with the Spigott brothers as they began the process of weeding through the Top 200. For awhile, I had started to think that Sebastien had backed out of the Top 200 - they seemed to focus solely on Oliver. They showed his solo performance on Day 1 - which was so good, the judges gave him a free pass - but Sebastien was never even mentioned.

Finally, in the latter part of the show, I got my first glimpse of Sebastien when special guest co-host and Canadian singer Jully Black busted down his hotel room door to see him, Oliver, Tatyana and Mookie preparing for their group performance. It was around this time that I realized I might be starting to like Sebastien better than Oliver after all. He just looked so cute.

The Day 2 group performances were a range from amazing to complete bust. As far as I could tell, two groups separated themselves as "Super Groups". This one group led by the red-head British dude who reminds me of Clay Aitken (unfortunately, 'cause they boy can sing, but when you start thinking Clay, it's never a good thing), and Ollie & Seb's group. The judges loved 'em both.

But for me, it was still all about Sebastien and Oliver. They were amazing, of course, as one would expect two brothers who have played together all their lives would be, but the fact that they found two other competitors in Tatyana and Mookie who blended so well with them in their unique rendition of "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" - they weren't just really good. They were professional. They were a step above everyone else - a mile above everyone else.

They were amazing.


(Sebastien and Oliver)

So as far as I'm concerned, the contest can go on, but there's really no point. The clear-cut run-away favourite is Oliver, and if, by some chance, people take a dislike for him because he's so awesome, then Sebastien can be the dark horse. Like I said, I think I'm already more in love with him anyways. Either way, I can thank Idol for introducing me to two brand new talents that I might never have heard of before - the Spigott brothers have already made it worthwhile.

As long as there's no atrocity like last year's far-too-early elimination of Greg Neufeld (it still pisses me off), Oliver and Sebastien may be the first two siblings standing side-by-side in the Final 2.

I can't wait to see it all unfold!

Detroit Takes Home Stanley Cup

Last night, after the Detroit Red Wings finally defeated the feisty, never-say-die Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals, I sat watching the Red Wings being awarded the Stanley Cup. Hockey's greatest prize. They passed it on from player to player, each taking a victorious twirl around the ice, while the sea of white in Pittsburgh watched on, and my mind started to drift...

First, I thought of that same scene at this time last season. Except at this time last year, it was the Anaheim Ducks celebrating their claim on hockey's Holy Grail, while I sat watching with tears pouring down my cheeks, knowing my Sens were so close, yet so far away.

Then, I thought back to a Saturday night this past January when my Sens met up with the Detroit Red Wings in their only meeting of the season at Scotiabank Place. It was pumped up to be a clash of the titans - the Red Wings the far-and-away leaders of the West, while Ottawa was sitting pretty atop the standings in the East.

The Sens won that night, and I truly believed back then that my team was well on their way to another appearance in the Stanley Cup Finals. Hopefully they'd be able to repeat their performance that night against Detroit four more times to win that glorious trophy that every player in the NHL covets and desires.

Alas, that victory against Detroit was the beginning of the end. It was just a tease. A horrible, twisted tease. We all know how the rest of the season and playoffs went for the Sens. Dismal. Grisly. Painful.

So last night, as I watched the Red Wings celebrating their victory and laying their claim on the Cup as the best team of 2007-2008, I couldn't help but feel a little bitter; a little sad. Last year, we were almost there. And this year, we couldn't even compare.

Thank God that horrible season is over. Hopefully next year will be better.

And congratulations to Detroit on their win. They deserved it.

Back to the Ball Field

I didn't think I'd be playing ball this year, after it seemed my team from last year had completely dismantled and nobody had signed up to play. Then I found out that most of them had been recruited to play for another team, but I was not included in that select, elite group. (hee hee...Totally kidding...Would I pick me to play on a ball team? Hell no! I suck!!)

Anyways, I guess after the team captains met on Monday night, it was determined that one more girl was needed to fill out a line-up, so I got the call. They really must've been scraping the bottom of the barrel, but anyways...I agreed to play. This year I'm on the old guys' team. That's what everyone calls them. It's kind of an unfair nickname, considering that at least 5 of us that I can think of are under the age of 30. And two of them are under 20.

Doesn't really matter though, 'cause our nickname should be "The Fun Ones"!! OK, my team last year was fun too, but there were a lot of laughs last night on the bench and out in the field. No pressure, no yelling, just joking and giggling. The biggest argument was deciding who would get to sit each inning - because everyone wants to sit.

Well, we played the young lads (also an unfair nickname - 'cause half of them are my age, and no one calls me a "young lad") - and we beat them!! It was great. Especially considering that in the past, they've had a reputation for being a little cocky and arrogant, and I'm sure they thought they'd have no trouble beating us "old guys". We showed 'em!

I never got on base. The toilets still aren't working. The mosquitoes were wicked. Aside from me switching teams, not much changed at the good ol' Quyon ball park!

"Mr. Perfect"

You guys all know how much I love Elvis.

You all know how much I love Irish guys.

You all know how much I love guys who can play guitar.

OK. So I've found my real-life Mr. Perfect. If I find out he plays hockey, I can elevate him to god-status.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Jonathan Rhys Meyers!

I first "discovered" Mr. Meyers a few years ago when he played a young, smokin' hot Elvis Presley in the made-for-TV movie "Elvis". I fell in love with him then, but after I watched my tape of the show a few hundred times, I kind of forgot about him.

This past weekend, I saw another movie which he starred in called August Rush. It's kind of a far-fetched romantic fairy tale which I absolutely adored about a young boy who was given up for adoption as a baby. He has a love and keen interest in music. A child prodigy, he can pick up any musical instrument and become a master of it within minutes. His sole purpose in life is to find his long-lost parents through his music.

JRM plays his father, Louis Connelly, an Irish musician. (I did a little research on him today, he's Irish in real life too. YUM! My love Irish guys was re-kindled big time this weekend, as I also watched PS I Love You again. Ireland, here I come!) So throughout the movie, I was constantly reminded of how his beautiful face was almost identical to a young Elvis'. Then came the scenes where he was on-stage with his rock band. So hot.

My favourite scene of the movie was when Louis, who doesn't even know he fathered a child after one romantic night with the lovely Lyla Novacek (played by Keri Russell), comes upon his son playing in Central Park for tips by chance, and the two of them sit down and jam together and discuss their love of guitars.

August Rush was truly a magical film, and I'm so grateful it reminded me of how much I adore Jonathan Rhys Meyers. My next mission in life is to borrow Kristen's copy of Season 1 of The Tudors television series. I can just imagine how sexy he is playing Henry VIII!!

Happy Long Weekend!!

Hey gang!

It's been another crazy-busy week, no time to Blog...But I just wanted to wish you all a Happy May Long Weekend! If you get a chance to watch some of the hockey World Championship, be sure to take it in - Canada has been playing awesome, especially Dany Heatley. At first, it annoyed me that Dany was scoring so many goals when he couldn't get any towards the end of the Sens' dismal run this season, but I've decided to be happy for him, and proud to call him a Senator.

Also, things in the NHL's Conference Finals got a little more interesting in the past few days - I haven't been paying all that much attention, but Detroit had a 3-0 lead over Dallas and Pittsburgh had a 3-0 lead over Philly before both "underdogs" finally battled back. They're both still a long way from becoming only the 3rd team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 series deficit, but at least they decided to add a little spark to liven things up a bit! I'll be taking note of those games over the weekend, also.

Aside from that, it looks like it could be a pretty quiet weekend - there doesn't seem to be a whole lot going on, and the weather report isn't sound too crash hot. Regardless, enjoy the rest & relaxation, and enjoy having 3 days off! :)

I Can't Believe It's Already May!!

OK, so I've got some disgruntled fans of the Blog out there. I know I've been silent for far too long, but let me just explain.

First of all, my last Blog was sort of my farewell to Wade. I was emotional when I wrote it, and to be honest, I haven't gone back to read it since. Because I still don't want to say good-bye to him. It makes me sad; it chokes me up. So I wasn't entirely sure how to follow that one up. For the past few weeks, I've been in a funk...mainly because of Wade. I mean, how else can I explain bursting into tears after I lost at the Canada Day Committee Poker Tournament two weekends ago? I made it to the final table, but when I was the first one put out, I had an emotional break-down of some sort. (Alright, so maybe the rye had something to do with it, too...)

Anyways, moving right along... The next obstacle between the Blog and me has been the fact that there's been no Spring this year. We went straight from Winter to Summer; from snowbanks to heat waves. Which means that we here at Mountainview didn't get the opportunity to "ease into things", like we normally would. Things have been kinda crazy. Little time for Blogging.

Last but not least, I can fairly say that last week was my week from HELL. I twinged something in my back blow drying my hair on Monday morning. Then my Simply Accounting program went retarded on me when we updated to the 2008 version. Tuesday, I stayed home, flat on my back all day, doped up on Robaxacet. Wednesday was spent trying to figure out what was wrong with my Simply Accounting program and switching it back to the old version I'd be working with. Thursday, I had computer issues again in the morning, which left me only the afternoon to complete 3 1/3 days work before leaving for Quebec City for the Karate tournament.

Sheesh. What a week. And clearly no time to even think about Blogging.

But don't worry, guys, I never forgot about you! Today, I'm wiping my slate clean. Yes, things are going to get even busier here at work over the next two months, but today's a new day, a new month. Welcome to May!!

I seriously don't know where the time has gone; Christmas feels like it was just a few weeks ago. But here we are, in the month of May, and there's so much to look forward to. I hopefully won't even have time to think about what it was like last year at this time, watching my team storm through to the Stanley Cup Finals.

A new month, a fresh start. And a renewed promise to pay more attention to you, my faithful Bloggers.

Cheers!!

Not Ready to Say Good-Bye...

For most people, it's like he's already gone.

With the Senators down in their first-round playoff series against the Penguins 0-3, and with the great possibility that they'll be swept tonight in Game 4 on home ice, many people have already forgotten him.

But I haven't. In fact, today, while most Sens fans are praying for a miracle, or already counting our team out and thinking ahead to the post-season changes that are bound to occur, all I can think about is him.

Tonight could very well be Wade Redden's last game in a Senators uniform.

It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it, but it's true. Earlier in the season, I had hopes that he'd return to the player he was 2 or 3 years ago, carry the team on his back, and lead them to a Stanley Cup this Spring. A few weeks into the regular season, he announced to the local media that he'd even consider taking a pay cut to stay with this team once the season was over. On that day, my hopes soared to new levels.

However, since then, he's had a rather dismal season, and has been the biggest whipping boy on this team, perhaps only bested in that department by the wayward Ray Emery. He's even had to use his no-trade clause twice to thwart GM Bryan Murray's attempts to ship him out of here before the end of his contract.

It's been hard to be a Wade fan this season, but I've hung in there. I'll never cheer for another player the way I have cheered for him.

This morning, all the papers are already saying their good-byes. As the guys on TGOR said this, it's like reading his obituary. Chronicling the ups and downs, the good times and bad, the great things he has done for the community (like "Wade's World", the luxury suite he has purchased every season he's been here where kids from CHEO get to go to watch games), the sad times like the year his mother battled cancer and passed away during the Sens first-round match-up against Tampa Bay.

By stark contrast, I can't help remembering the newspaper I picked up eleven years ago, on the eve of the modern Senators' first appearance in the playoffs, which had row upon row of pictures of each member of the team at that time. I remember scanning the photos, and one of them literally jumping out at me.

"Holy smokes, that guy is hot," I said, pointing out this one picture to my mom.

I watched that playoff round, and became absolutely obsessed with the Ottawa Senators, and that rookie who's photo I had seen in the paper: Wade Redden.

I haven't stopped following his career since, and today, little memories of Wade keep coming back to me: Watching him in that first playoff series vs. Buffalo; meeting him at the 65 Roses Sports Gala (when I got to shake his hand and get my picture taken with him, but could barely speak a work); feeling crushed when he was the last man back on the goal that Jeff Friesen scored in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals when New Jersey beat us; watching him singing "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" on TV during one of the Sens' Christmas visits to CHEO; tearing up when he scored and received first star honours in the game after his mother's funeral; feeling complete and utter joy when I found out the Sens had chosen to keep him over Zdeno Chara two years ago; meeting his brother Bart at a game earlier this season...

I could go on and on.

But I hope I'm jumping the gun. I'm hoping the Sens fight hard tonight and win, so that Wade will live to don the Red, Black & Gold at least one more night.

'Cause I'm just not ready to say good-bye...Not yet.

One Mission

You guys know me. You know how wound up I get over my Sens.

So you probably all know how I'm feeling today - absolutely on edge, butterflies in my stomach, biting my nails, just ready for it all to begin!

That's right, folks: It's playoff time again. Which means for as long as the Senators are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I'm at risk of having a heart attack.

Yep, it's that serious.

Starting tonight, we will be facing a familiar foe in Round 1 - the young & talented Pittsburgh Penguins. Last year, we handled them easily out of the gate, taking the series 4-1. Throughout this season, we've had a decent record against them, beating them 3 out of 4 contests. One would think we should be the favourites based on those facts, right?

Wrong.

They are the #2 seed. We ended up barely clinging on to #7.

(Ya shoulda seen that last week, going into Thursday night's game against the Leafs - I was an absolute nervous wreck - as bad as I am at playoff time, if not worse. The possibility of not even making the playoffs was so huge, it was suffocating me! Thankfully, we ended up winning that game against T.O. 8-2, and I was able to breathe a giant sigh of relief).

Last year, the Pens were a young, inexperienced squad, many of whom were playing in their first playoffs. The Sens, as a whole, were playoff vets with tons of past failures to ignite them, not only past Pittsburgh, but also New Jersey and Buffalo. Only the Ducks of Anaheim were able to push us back from the final goal of winning Lord Stanley's Cup.

Doesn't really look like we'll come nearly that close this year. The Pens are strong - they've learned from last year, and this year, they are that much more mature. They played hard down the stretch, while the Sens seemed to fall apart at the seams. Our goaltending situation never seemed to get straightened out, even after Bryan Murray gave Marty Gerber the ball and let him run with it. Our defence has been horrible. Even goal-scoring, our forté, hasn't been happening all that much recently.

Oh. I almost forgot. In that game against the Leafs, we lost both our captain, Daniel Alfredsson, and our gritty, full-of-heart assistant, Mike Fisher. Tonight, they'll join Chris Kelly on the sidelines, and depending on how long this series goes, we may never see them back in the line-up again this year.

OK. So there. I've got all my pessimistic negitivity out. Nobody thinks the Sens can win this series - absolutely no one. But I do!! If I had my choice of all the teams I could play in the first round, I probably would've picked Pittsburgh. I truly believe we can beat them!

We might be without Alfie, Fisher and Kelly, but we've still got Spezza and Heatley and Vermette - big offensive talent there. We brought in three former Cup winners in Cory Stillman, Mike Commodore, and Martin Lapointe - this is where their expertise is supposed to come in handy. And last year, the lauded shut-down defensive pairing of the Eastern Conference was made up of Chris Phillips and Anton Volchenkov. Guess what? They both still wear Sens uniforms.

This team is entirely capable of winning, if they can get it together the way we saw them play in the first two months of the season. This is a chance for a fresh start; a clean slate. If they can pull together and get some momentum going, I believe they can do anything.

One Mission.

GO SENS GO!!

Frustration Setting in BIG TIME

I know my faithful readers are out there waiting for a Blog, but I only have one thing to say:

AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGG
GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Hmm. That's funny. I don't feel better at all.

The Sens are sucking at the worst time possible, and now we might not even make the playoffs. I'm feeling very doom-and-gloomy today. I know we still have two games left, and all we need are a win & a tie, and we're golden (well...if you can call scrambling to make the playoffs now "golden"...) - but I'm having a hard time getting my hopes up high. We haven't even scored a stinkin' goal in the past 2 games. The last time that happened, John Paddock got fired. Somewhere, he's probably got a smirk on his face.

Our final two opponents are Toronto on Thursday night and Boston on Friday night. At one time, I probably would've said that they'd be easy wins, but not with this Sens team that has been showing up lately. We've lost to both TO and Beantown recently, and I wouldn't count either of them as guarantees.

I'm still waiting for the Sens to come out looking hungry, desperate, and determined. Last night, they played well, but not good enough. Gerber sucks, and nobody trusts Emery. Everything is just going wrong, wrong, wrong...

Let me try it again:

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG
GGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

Nope. Didn't work that time either.

Battle of the Hottest Y&R Men

I've been a fan of the Young & the Restless off and on for about 15 years now. As a kid, I tuned in mainly to see Joshua Morrow, who plays Nick Newman. I had a little school-girl crush on him, and followed his dramatic relationship with his on-screen wife, Sharon, faithfully, through all their ups and downs.

But as I got older, a new guy came on the scene - Thad Luckinbill, in the role of JT Hellstrom, a hot bad-boy with a good heart who played guitar. As Nick & Sharon's marriage was falling apart, JT was heating things up with Colleen Carleton. I lived for the episodes to watch JT & Colleen sneaking around behind her father's back, when he'd write her love songs and play them for her. They were an electric couple that caught the hearts of the Y&R faithful.

But then, Colleen left Genoa City, and JT started to change. He was no longer the brooding bad boy. He dropped his music career and got a job working for Paul Williams as a private investigator, and he was beginning to mature and grow as a man. I was so excited when I heard the character of Colleen was returning to Genoa City a few years later, but there was an initial disappointment when it was learned that it would be a different actress playing the role. At first, I didn't really care, I just couldn't wait for the JT & Colleen romance to pick up where it left off. And at first, they did throw them back together. But things weren't working out - JT had no chemistry with the new Colleen, and before long, she was cheating on JT with her college professor. I didn't like those weeks of watching JT pine after her as he watched their relationship dissolve before his own eyes. The pathetic, sappy, lost-puppy thing didn't suit him well.

So of course, JT couldn't be alone for long - they introduced a new flame for him in actress Amelia Heinle, who played Victoria Newman. There had been sparks between them while Colleen was away, and it seemed the best fit for both of them. And so began the dramatic transformation of JT's character. Long gone were those days of the spiky blonde hair, leather jackets and guitars. In the past year or so, JT has begun working for Newman Enterprises as Victor's own PI, he wears a suit daily and his hair has all been slicked back, he & Victoria had a baby together, and then they got married. JT kind of lost his lustre with me - the whole working, family-man thing kind of diminished his sex appeal even more for some reason.

(However, I did find out recently that Amelia Heinle is actually Thad's wife off-screen, and they really did have a baby together, which is very sweet and wonderful for them. It made me appreciate their television relationship more.)

But in the wake of losing JT as my Y&R hot young stud, I've been struggling to find a new man to replace him. At first, I thought it was going to be Cane (played by Daniel Goddard), Jill Abbott's long-lost son who returned last season. Cane's got the whole tall-dark-n-handsome thing going on, and his Australian accent is delicious. But they've sent Cane down the road as a corporate suit as well, which isn't my cup of tea when it comes to the Y&R evidently.

There's also Kevin Fisher (Greg Rikaart), who plays Michael Baldwin's younger brother. He's easy on the eyes as well, but he's got this crazy girlfriend Janna who could go off her rocker at any time, and he's always in cahoots with his loony-tunes mother, Gloria. Kind of a turn-off.

So for the past two weeks, I've had my eye on Daniel Romalotti (Michael Graziadei), Phyllis' son. I'm not sure why, but up until recently, he didn't impress me much. In fact, I found him kind of annoying. He had the teenage marriage to Lily Winters, and then he had the storyline where he became obsessed with porn, which eventually ended his & Lily's relationship. Then, last month, he had this terrible blonde, fluffy hair-do that made him look like a baby chick or something.

But in the past few weeks, he's back to short, dark hair and his smoky, sexy gaze has attracted me. They've sort of got him working towards becoming a photographer, which is pretty hot, and he's started this racy relationship with his best friend, the tantalizingly dangerous Amber Moore. It was in one of his love scenes with Amber that I realized the boy has a pretty nice body to boot.

So that's it: I'm officially declaring Daniel my new Y&R crush! And for the first time in a long time, I can actually say I'm looking forward to watching the show again to see what's going to happen with Daniel. Who knows, maybe he'll take his shirt off tonight.

And it also doesn't hurt that Nick, JT, Cane, and Kevin are all still hanging out in Genoa City too. At least I know if Daniel doesn't work out for me, I have lots of hot stuff to fall back on. ;)

Finally...Something to Talk About!

I'll admit, these last couple of weeks, I was a bit uninspired when it came to the Blog.

My favourite subject, the Ottawa Senators, were floundering yet again. I couldn't bring myself to report on their misfortunes any longer. With each loss came a more intense fear and panic that maybe this would be my first year as a Sens fan on the outside looking in when it came playoff time.

The thought was almost unbearable.

And for a little while last night, I was starting to think it was me. Really, truly all me. I was ready to anoint myself the Senators Jinx.

I know I do that a couple of times every year, when they start to slump. It always seems that their failures coincide with my presence. For instance, Monday night's game against the Habs. I sat down to watch and Wade Redden got hurt. Then the Habs jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Not long after, Montreal's lead grew to 7-1. Completely pissed off, I stomped down to the basement in a huff to watch a Family Guy re-run. (Surely, Peter & Stewie would cheer me up). Within moments, I heard my mom whooping upstairs. Then again. And again. Finally, I flicked back to the game, but the comeback was too-little, too-late. And somehow, I ended up blaming myself, because I tuned in just in time for a Sens 5-on-3 powerplay, which they squandered. Had they scored, perhaps that would have set the stage for the greatest comeback in franchise history.

That brings us to last night's game. I missed the first period and most of the second, but when I settled in to watch with 7 minutes left in the second frame, it was 1-0 Ottawa thanks to a Christoph Schubert goal. Woo-Hoo!

Oh - but wait...The Curse of Jillian hit just seconds after my arrival on the couch. Five minutes into the third period, the score was 3-1 Buffalo. Ouch!!

I was about ready to do my stomp off to the basement again when Dean McAmmond scored off a short-handed rush with Antoine Vermette. Then our blessed captain tied it up at 3. Images of the 7-5 horror show from the night before began to fade, and I started to think that maybe, just maybe, this comeback would actually work.

Anton Volchenkov broke the dead-lock with his first goal of the year, and then Alfie added another to give them some breathing room in the final minutes of the game. Antoine Vermette hit the empty net at the buzzer to seal the victory - 6-3 Sens!!

It was a much-needed win as the season is winding up and the standings are as tight as can be. It seems next-to-impossible to catch Montreal now, as they're up 5 points on us, but with a 7-point lead over the 9th-place Washington Capitals, missing the playoffs is also unlikely.

That being said, it's hardly time to start breathing easy. With only a handful of games left in the regular season, the Sens need to start pulling things together and play strong for the next week or so. Things have been far from smooth since Christmas time, and despite last night's big comeback, there hasn't been a whole lot to cheer about when it comes to this team lately.

I'm hoping Steve Warne from the Team 1200's TGOR morning show is right - he thinks the Sens have enough talent that come playoff time, they'll be able to flip the switch and return to the Beasts of the East that they were last year at this point. They'll start tearing it up, and hopefully return to the Stanley Cup Finals again for the second straight year.

I've never given up before on my boys, so I'm not going to start now. If anyone can do it, I truly believe they can.

I've got my fingers crossed!!

Snow Daze

Well, it's the topic everyone else is talking about, so why not me too?

Snow. And lots of it.

This past weekend, we got a massive dumping of the white stuff, to go along with the already-considerable quantity we've accumulated over the past 4 months. They're claiming on Saturday alone, we received upwards of 50 centimetres, and that doesn't include the snow that fell on Friday night (somewhere along the lines of 15 centimetres).

Now, I work on a sod farm, where the word "snow" is literally an offenisve 4-letter word.

Oddly enough, I really love snow. I have ever since I was a little kid. This winter has been a dream to me. So many mornings I've woken up to a fresh blanket of fluffy white snow, and it literally makes me giddy.

The thing is, I'm not sure why. I haven't participated in any outdoor winter activities in a long, long time. I don't downhill ski, and I haven't had my cross-country skis out since I was maybe 14 years old. I used to love sliding and snomobiling, but now our sleds are stored in the attic year-round, our snowmobile bit the dust years ago and was never replaced...Hell, I don't even own a pair of snow pants. I can't remember the last time I built a snowman, and I out-grew my skates when I was in Grade 7 and never got a new pair.

I work in an industry where this much snow is not just something to sigh & bitch about. A prolonged winter will affect business; the more snow we have, the longer it will stick around, and as long as it's here, the grass can't start growing.

And yet, for some reason, I just can't muster up any hate for the snow!!

They're saying we need 33 more centimetres to break the record, and I'm hoping we get it. I mean, seriously - we've come this far, don't we want something to show for it, people?! A place in the record books; a memorable winter to one day look back on, like my parents do with "The Storm of '71". It will be the winter we'll one day reminisce about, and tell the tale to our grandchildren: I remember the winter of '08 - that was the year we broke the record for the biggest snowfall in one winter. I walked to work everyday, going uphill both ways, in my bare feet, with snow up to my chin.

This winter could be our generation's claim to fame. We only have 33 more centimetres to go.

And I say...Bring it on!!

Tackling the Touchy Subject

Priscilla sent me a message on my Facebook Wall the other day, and she asked when I wrote another Blog if I would be talking about the Sens, or were they a still a touchy subject with me?

Answer: Yes, they're still a touchy subject with me. But I'm gonna talk about them anyway.

A week ago, this team was in complete disarray. They had posted back-to-back shut-out losses to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, which was the rock-bottom point in a long stretch of games in which they had struggled. Instead of looking like that well-oiled Stanley-Cup-contending team of the early part of the season, they were looking more like the early Expansion Sens who only won 10 games all season. Then, following last Tuesday's trade deadline and the measly acquisition of Martin Lapointe from the Chicago Blackhawks (they dangle Hossa, but deliver Lapointe? Puh-leeeze...), Head Coach John Paddock was given the axe and Bryan Murray returned behind the bench, hopefully ready to lead his team back to where he got them last year...and beyond.

Stanley Cup or bust, baby.

Well. It kinda looks like it's going to be bust.

Since Murray assumed his former role as Head Coach, the Sens have been a dismal 1-3. They lost that first game under Murray, to Philly, 3-1. They beat Pittsburgh Saturday in a wild one, 5-4. Then, in Monday night's re-match against the team that beat them for the Cup last June, they lost 3-1 to Anaheim. And then, last night they blew two leads to eventually lose in San Jose, 3-2 in OT.

At least they got a point, right? *sigh*

What has happened to my Sens?? I'm distraught, frustrated, anxious, nervous. We've slipped in the standings, no longer the far-and-away leader of the East, now we're nestled in the middle of the pack in 5th place, only a few points from the top, but also only a few from the bottom. If this slide continues...who knows? Is it possible we don't even make the playoffs?

When Bryan Murray returned behind the bench, I was breathing easier. I thought, "Here we go...We're back!"

Not so much.

While I do think the Sens have played better in the past week, they're still struggling, and now, with Captain Alfie out after being cross-checked in the ribs in the Anaheim game, who knows how long the misery will continue?

They've got to string some wins together and start looking more like that team that steam-rolled through the playoffs last season until meeting their match in the Stanley Cup Finals. Otherwise, that "amazing start" back in October/November will mean absolutely nothing. I've been through a lot of painful times as a Sens fan, but I'm not sure anything will be as painful as watching this season go from "glowing" to "ghastly".

I'm gritting my teeth. Hoping for a win tonight in L.A. Trying to be optimistic and praying for the turn-around.

I don't want this to be a touchy subject anymore.

Sens Win Overshadowed by Stupid Habs

...OK, I'm not really that bitter.

I'm happy with my shoot-out win last night over the slumping Flyers from Philly. The Sens desperately needed the two points, especially now that both Jersey & Montreal have caught up, and the Penguins are breathing down our necks, too.

Long gone is that nice, cushy lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference. With about twenty games left to play in the season, getting on a roll and accumulating some W's is now crucial. Part of me doesn't really care if we finish first or eighth. Last year, we were in 5th place in the conference, and we ended up in the final battle for Lord Stanley's Cup. Sometimes it doesn't matter what your playoff seed is, or whether or not you get home ice advantage. It's how you're playing going into the stretch and how you play in the playoffs that matters most.

That being said, it still felt pretty good to end our 3-game losing streak in a shoot-out last night. I don't like losing very much, and I'm a little sick of the Sens talking about being "tired" and having the "February blahs". I missed the first period due to karate, so by the time I tuned in, it was already 1-0 for Ottawa on a Chris Kelly short-handed break-away goal. Then Antoine Vermette scored in the second period after Wade Redden did all the work for him. I was also impressed with the play of my new Sens, Cory Stillman and Mike Commodore. They're both starting too look like they're fitting in better.

However, I watched my two-goal lead slip away, much to my chagrin. That was OK, though, because we got to see 5 minutes of super-exciting OT. It was awesome end-to-end action with great chances and even better goaltending. (I'm not even getting into the Ray Emery/Martin Gerber "Win & You're In" controversy, quite frankly it bores me. I was happy with Ray's play last night, I hope it continues. End of story.)

So in the shoot-out, both Vermette and Jason Spezza scored, while only Kimmo Timonen captilized for the Flyers, resulting in a thrilling victory for my boys! Woo Hoo!

But...wait a minute...It would appear there was an even more thrilling victory going on in the NHL last night. Those damned Habs just won't go away. They came back from a 5-0 deficit against the New York Rangers to win their game 6-5 in a shoot-out. For all that talk of not caring where I place in the standings, it really does tick me off that I have to share first with them. When I heard they were losing big-time, I thought we were re-establishing our sole lead over the Conference. But they just won't go away.

So today the sports world is all a-buzz with the big Habs comeback last night. All I can say is: Bah Humbug!!

On a final note, thoughts & prayers are with the family, friends & teammates of Mickey Renaud today. Renaud was the 19-year-old captain of the OHL's Windsor Spitfires. He collapsed and died very suddenly & unexpectedly at his parents' home in Tecumseh, Ontario on Monday. A loss like that must be devestating to his team and everyone who knew him. From what I'm hearing, he was a great guy, and he will be sorely missed.

Saying Good-bye to My "Friends"...Again

A few years back, those of us who lived for Thursday nights because of a whacky gang of buddies who graced our TV screens and made us laugh faithfully...Well, we were devestated, because their 10-year run as one of television's most popular shows ever was coming to an end.

At the time, I couldn't imagine how life could go on without Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Monica & Chandler. (Joey was the only one who was moving on to his own show, which flopped, and eventually I lost him too). I had followed their crazy lives from Day 1, and I couldn't imagine everything just ending all of a sudden. Would Ross & Rachel get married (again)? How would Monica & Chandler deal with raising their adopted twins? Would Phoebe & her new husband Mike have kids of their own? We did get to see Joey venture off to Hollywood, but unfortunately, without his gang back in NYC, Joey just wasn't the same & he got cancelled.

Then, I discovered TV series' on DVD. It was like the greatest gift ever. I could buy all 10 seasons of "Friends", and then I'd never be without them!!

The process started out kind of slow. First, I asked for a season for my birthday, three years ago. My loving family got me Season 10. I didn't particularly want to begin at the end, so I held off until I found Season 1 myself & purchased it. From there on, I watched each season as I got it, either as gifts for Christmas or my birthday, or when I bought them myself. It's taken a long time, but I've thorougly enjoyed soaking up every moment of my "Friends". There were a lot of funny moments I'd forgotten about, and a few episodes that I think I actually missed over the years. I also have paid more attention to how each character evolved, and how even the humour changed & became better from the first season to the last. My mom has noted that if one of the best things for people is to laugh heartily, then I get my daily dose of that from "Friends", because she often hears me burst out giggling downstairs while watching it.

So it's taken me about 3 years to make it through the 10 seasons, but now, here I am, winding down the final disc of Season 10. They're starting to wrap up storylines and I know the end is coming (if for no other reason than I can read the episode summaries on the inside of the DVD case).

It's kind of weird. I've actually stopped watching. I often would watch 2 or 3 episodes in one night, but lately, I've been avoiding it. It's like I don't want it to end again. The last time, I looked forward to that final episode, and highly anticipated watching how they were going to close things down for the gang.

Now, I know what's going to happen. I know it's going to be horrible to watch them all leave those keys on the counter as they exit Monica's apartment one last time. I know I'm going to cry - no, check that - sob as they all say good-bye.

I guess I should be comforted by knowing that once that sadness wears off, I can pop in Disc 1 from Season 1 and start it all over again. But honestly, I'm not sure if watching it end will ever get easy. All it does is remind me how much I miss Thursday nights, when Survivor wasn't the only cool show on the tube.

Back then, I had "Friends". And they were good.

What's There to Love About This Stupid Day?

In case the title didn't get my feelings across: I hate Valentine's Day. Hate it.

However, I tried to wake up feeling positive and cheery today. I don't want to be a bitter old spinster.

But seriously, what is there to love about this day?

First of all, at crafts last night, we had to make these decorative heart towels, and I decided for once not to just glue gun the whole damn thing. I actually paid attention while Sara's mom taught me how to do a blanket stitch, and tried desperately to complete at least one of the stupid towels. I didn't even come close. So that put me in a crank to begin with.

Then, the Sens lost, this time to New Jersey in OT. Nothing to smile about there.

Then, I went downstairs to watch my taped epidsode of Big Brother. All that drooling I did over Jacob yesterday? Cancel that. The boy turned out to be a total assbag. He got all yappy, told one-half of the Power Couple, Jen, that the other half, Parker, was a snake, and that everyone was saying so. Turns out, Jacob was the only one saying so, and when Parker called a late-night house meeting to find out who was talking behind his back, the truth became clear that the only person who had a problem with Parker was Jacob.

Sharon tried to cover for his ass by saying Ryan was also unhappy with Parker, but she picked the wrong dude to toss under the bus. With Parker suspicious of her real-life BF, Jen decided to spill the beans and tell her partner about her secret relationship with Ryan. Ryan wasn't exactly pleased that they were already revealed, but then he had no choice then but to tell his partner, Allison. Big mistake. Miss Allison is now jealous, 'cause she actually really liked Ryan, and by the end of the night, she was already talking about blowing Ryan's cover.

So Jen & Parker evicted Jacob & Sharon, then Alex & Amanda won HoH. Whoopi doo. The show is already pissing me off.

Now. Today's the dreaded V-day, I've already been put in a sucky mood thanks to last night's events, and I'm sick of everyone around this office being all sugary-sweet and lovey-dovey.

My romantic plans for tonight? I'm going to stop at the store after work and buy a bag of Skittles. Then I'm going to have supper with my mom & dad, as usual. Then I'm going to my basement to watch some really super-un-romantic movie, like maybe "Transformers". And then I'll watch Survivor.

Happy frickin' Valentine's Day.

BB9 Ready to Roll

I was hoping to Blog today about a wonderful Sens win over the Buffalo Sabres last night, but we lost. 5-1. Not a whole lot more to say on that.

So lucky for all of you, the special winter season of Big Brother began last night! WOO-HOO!! As you all know, I love Big Brother, so I was super-pumped for the 9th season to start. This winter installment is called "Til Death Do You Part", and Big Brother is playing cupid. The idea is that they have 16 single people in the house, and they all completed personality tests before entering the house. They found the housemates most compatible based on these tests and paired them up. Each couple will share a bed, share strategies, share rewards, share power, and even share evictions.

I have to admit, at first I wasn't too keen on Big Brother playing God. Forcing complete strangers to unite and fight together, and also hopefully fall in love...Well, it seemed like they were pushing some boundaries a little too far.

However, then they introduced a few twists, and then I was hooked.

First, there's the exes. Two people within the house who used to date: Jacob & Sharon. Not only are they former flames, they were in a 12-year relationship, and broke up because Jacob was unfaithful to her once. When Jacob walked in the house and he & Sharon saw each other, it was obvious they were both completely shaken up. Several times, Jacob told the camera that Sharon was the love of his life and that he'd always regret his mistake. Sharon, on the other hand, fumed that they let her lying, cheating ex in the house and begged them not to pair them up.

Also in the house are Ryan & Jen, a couple who actually are in a relationship, but decided to keep that a secret from the rest of their housemates. Upon realizing that everyone else is single and that Big Brother would be pairing them up, both Ryan and Jen expressed that they desperately hoped they'd be put together, because playing the game apart would be hell. Particularly watching one another coupled up with someone else deemed to be their "soulmate".

So of course, Big Brother teamed up Jacob & Sharon, but split up Ryan & Jen. Things just wouldn't have been interesting if they hadn't!

I have to admit, I'm already rooting for Jacob & Sharon. For one thing, the boy is cu-uuuute!! And juding by their reactions upon seeing one another, there's still a lot of feelings and unfinished business between them. I'm hoping that sparks will start flying between them and they'll fall in love again, and that they can cap off their fairytale reunion by winning the game. Now, if they don't get along at all...That could be disappointing, but I guess it would also make for some good TV! Sharon was kind of dumb and told a few of the girls that Jacob was her ex, and when he found out she'd blabbed, he was none to pleased, as he feels (and I agree) that this puts a target on their backs right off the bat. However, I don't know how else Sharon could have explained to the girls why else she got all shaky and teary when Jacob walked through the door.

I also felt bad for Ryan & Jen getting split up; that's gotta be hard. Jen seems to be handling it best, completely ignoring Ryan and pretending that she can't get his name right. Ryan, on the other hand, isn't doing so well. For one thing, he's a terrible actor. He keeps gazing at her with this longing look, and he's also extremely jealous of her being paired up with paparazzo Parker. If he keeps it up, it won't be long before people realize that he knows her. Especially his teammate Allison, who claims to be a reformed gambling addict who is great at reading people. I wonder how long it will take her to read Ryan.

The other stand-out couple on premiere night was Adam & Sheila. He's a big beefy blonde with giant smoker's teeth, and she's a petite 46-year-old single mom who also happens to be a former model. She hates him, and he hates her. Absolutely no love between them, and neither can figure out how Big Brother pegged them as soulmates. I'm already betting they're the first voted out, if for no other reason than their negative vibes.

For me, there's a few good looking lads in the house to keep me happy - Jacob, of course, being one of them, but also Alex the DJ, and Matt, the dark-haired blue-eyed hottie. I also kind of liked James, the off-beat dude with a weird red 'do who has no money & has been bicycling around the country. He was paired up with Chelsia, who is a little off-beat herself and big into piercings. I had to laugh when Chelsia moaned about being paired up with James, saying, "I told big brother I liked bikes...But I meant the ones with motors, not pedals..."

Anyways, in the first Power Couple competition, the boys had to hang suspended in the air while they clung to the girls for dear life. Interesting way to get to know someone... Hard to maintian your personal space in that kind of situation, though, as Sheila & Adam quickly found out when he complained of her bad breath. Allison also had a little trouble with Ryan dripping sweat all over her - he was sweating profusely - but by the end of the competition, so were all the guys. Anyways, Jen & Parker ended up hanging there the longest, so they won the first Power Couple, and will be evicting another couple tonight. The only truly safe couple is Ryan & Allison, because there's no way Jen will allow her real-life boyfriend to leave the house under her watch.

Can't wait to see what happens tonight!!