Tournament Time

This weekend is the first of 3 baseball tournaments for my team. It began yesterday, and will run until the holiday Monday here in Barrie. The reason I love tournaments so much is; YOU GET TO PLAY A LOT! 2 games a day for 5 days? Sweet! So far the Barrie Brewers are looking pretty good, winning the first game against West Toronto. B-Rock Klassen called in to give the report because I missed the game because of work. (Funny how my team's only wins have come when I'm not there.) So off to bed I go once I'm done here... ready for an early morning game tomorrow against Whitby!

Swing & Swear - aka: Golf

This morning I went golfing for the first time this season... I'd love to be able to get out more often. There's something special about golf, especially if you decide to walk the course. Hanging out with 3 other guys, no cell phones, blackberrys or distractions. It's 4 hours of hang time with no worries. It's great!

People don't understand it's so much more than just trying to put a little while ball in a hole in the ground. It's the bond between friends, it's the opportunity to escape from the daily grind, it's the pursuit of perfection. Sure you take 90-100 swings and only a handful are good, but it just takes one good shot to keep you coming back. You think to yourself: "I could make shots like that more often." Your buddies all rave about that shot you hit, and it just feels so good. I'm hoping Thursday mornings become my regular golf day... Any takers

The Fray - finally!

I managed to find some pictures of the Fray concert this past Friday night (thanks to Laurie in Peterborough), so here it is! The long-awaited review of the concert.

I went to the concert knowing maybe 3 or 4 songs by the Fray really well, so I wasn't sure how I would feel about the show when it was all said and done. The set-up on the stage was pretty sweet. They had these lantern-style lights hanging from the ceiling which were pretty sweet. (see the last picture) They also had thousands of lights hanging behind the band which were see through when they were off, but when they were turned on became a giant video screen. (see 3rd picture) So during "How To Save A Life" they had this sepia-toned home video playing, chronicling the childhood of these 2 boys. It was probably the hilite of the show for me. So technically it was a pretty sweet show... Lots of lights and interesting stage set-up.

As for the band's performance... Not quite as good. You see, The Fray aren't the kind of band that's going to make the crowd move a whole lot. So they need to be able to do something else. (The Dave Matthews Band for example will jam for 5+ minutes, showing off their musical abilities.) The Fray didn't do "something else." It was pretty much exactly like it was on the CD. Maybe it's because they were in this giant amphitheatre, you lose the intimate feel. I think if they would have played in a small club (maybe 1500-2000 capacity) the show would have been amazing. The Fray is more of a club/coffeehouse style band, not one that plays at big venues. Their songs are the kind you listen to in front of a fire with a hot bevie in your hand. At least that's how I see their music being used.

It was a very chilly night down on Lake Ontario, and maybe that plays a role in the rating. Overall I would give it a 5/10. The technical aspect of the show was pretty sweet, but not enough to give it a solid grade.

Extreme Makeover - Dog Edition

Remember how I was saying Snax was kinda depressed last week? Well Crystal and I figured it's because she was too hot. She was REALLY woolly, and the temperatures were pretty warm. So today I took Snax to get clipped (or shaved as I called it). I was afraid she was going to come back ugly... Like no more hair on her, looking more like a rat than a cockapoo. So this morning I dropped her off at the Doggie Day Spa, and said I'd be back at 4:00 to pick her up. All day I would have visions of a bald Snax coming towards me and I can't look at her. Luckily my fears were not realized as she looked really cute! Hopefully this new look will help her stay cool, and maybe pickup that cute dog next door ;-)

BEFORE

AFTER

Weekend Update

This past weekend was a busy one for me. Friday Crystal and I went to see the Fray on Friday night, and then I headed back down to Toronto on Saturday to take part in my league's All-Star game.

The Fray on Friday

I wasn't permitted to bring my camera in, so I don't have any pics right now. I'm going to hunt some pictures down and post my review of the show tomorrow night.

All-Star Game

Saturday my baseball team went down to the Jays game, and watched as the Jays beat the snot out of the Colorado Rockies. After the game a handful of us went to our cars and grabbed our gear, getting ready for our turn on the Rogers Centre floor. The Ontario Senior Baseball League is sponsored by the Blue Jays, and they gave us playing time at the dome. The league decided to use the time for our All-Star game. I had never played at the dome, so I was pretty stoked even just to run on the field. I started at shortstop and played 4 innings. Got 2 at bats and wlaked both times. Sucks I know, I wanted to actually hit theball, but the pitcher didn't give me anything to swing at. Our conference lost the game 6-4 thanks to some sloppy fielding and untimely miscues on the basepaths. Despite the loss I still had a blast and can't wait for my next chance to play on the big field.

The dome isn't any bigger than our stadium in Barrie, but it felt so much bigger. The throws seemed longer, the hits seemed to be shorter and it was SO quiet with only 100 people in the stands. The field felt funny too. It was much stickier than normal grass and dirt. I dove for a ball and got rugburn on my arm. The dirt around homeplate was really sticky too. It gave me a whole new respect for what the pros do day in and day out.

The countdown begins to next year's game! (If I make it)

My lead off first base

I made it all the way to third (and eventually scored!)

The Barrie Brewers were well represented on Saturday (L to R) Fitzy, Christian, Cooker and Shawn all showed well.

This weekend (Thursday-Monday) we host the big tournament in Barrie. Teams coming from the US, Quebec and all over Ontario. If you're looking for something to do, come to the Barrie Community Sports Complex and check it out!

Sad Puppy

This morning I got up and Crystal had already gone to work, leaving Snax alone with me. Snax had let me get my beauty sleep and when I woke up she greeted me with plenty of puppy kisses. So I got out of bed and began my morning routine. But something wasn't routine today... Snax wasn't following me around. Usually she's at my side wherever I go, but today she was just chillin' on the couch. I didn't think much of it, but then when I offered to take her for a walk, she sauntered over to her bed and lay down. So I got her leash, maybe she didn't understand me. Once she saw the leash she walked over to her crate and got inside. I was miffed: "What is wrong with this dog... She LOVES going for walks!" I picked her out of her crate and tried to put the leash on, and she slipped back into her plastic crate. By now I'm starting to worry a little bit. She's not bouncing around like usual, and now she doesn't even want to go for a walk! Oh No! She's depressed! I tried everything I could to get the elash on her and go for a walk, but she'd just flop to the ground like a doormat whenever I'd try to move her. So after a couple hours of fruitless effort I gave up and came in to work.

Apparently I didn't do any lasting damage though, when Crystal came home from work Snax was wound up and VERY hyper. I've determined the problem is she's female... They have unexplained mood swings all the time.

Brew Crew

On the weekends, when I'm not at the radio station, you can usually find me playing baseball somewhere in Central/Southern Ontario. I play in the Ontario Senior Baseball Association, (www.leaguelineup.com/ontarioseniorbaseball) on the Barrie Brewers. During our winter workouts, I thought we looked pretty good. We added some very good ball players in the offseason, and I figured we'd be a stronger squad than last year. It appears as though I was wrong. We've yet to win a game (0-11) and the way we lose is just ugly! Whether it's because we can't catch fly balls, or ground balls go through our legs, or we just don't hit, we always find ways to lose the game. Now they have been closer the last couple games, but I think this losing is starting to wear on the team. Don't get me wrong... I still love playing, I just wish we could win some more games, (or maybe a game). I'm sure we'll bust out of this slump soon, hopefully in time to still make a run at the playoffs.

An Olympic Sized Decision

2012... seems far away doesn't it? Well it's not too far away to start looking at some changes for the Olympics. The 2012 games have been in the news a lot lately, first with that ugly logo, now with their proposal to have skateboarding included as an olympic sport. They say they want to appeal to the younger crowd, so they've added BMX and want to add skateboarding. I think it's a great idea! The X Games has 3 times the amount of viewers under 25. Now mind you, in 2012 the kids who are 16 now will be 21 and they might be more interested in elderly pursuits... like shuffleboard?

Summer? Not Yet.

You know, one of the reasons I love summer is because you can go out at night (10/11 o'clock) and it's still warm. You can go lie on the beach and stare at the stars. You can go swimming in Kempenfelt Bay in the moonlight. That's when you know summer is here! Sadly that's not the case right now... 13 degrees overnight? I can't swim if it's that cold. Maybe in a couple weeks, by July, I'll be able to go swimming after the Slam is over. Anyone want to join me?

Surf's Up!

This past Saturday Crystal and I had a "date night." We drove up highway 93 into Midland for dinner and a movie. (Movies are cheaper in Midland) We had a VERY filling dinner at Town Grill, we both took home leftovers, and then headed across the street to the theatre. We took in a movie I was so stoked to go see... "Surf's Up." (You know the "mock-umentary" with the surfing penguins.) Let's just say I did not leave the theatre disappointed. Mind you I'm one of those people that was tailor-made to live on the West Coast where the weather is warm, the waves are big, and people live at the beach. Crystal said it was "Meh, OK." So even if you're not a surfer at heart, I think you'll still enjoy it. It's shot as (what they call) a "mock-umentary." Documentary style, with a tongue-in-cheek feel to it. And the surfing footage, although animated, was really cool. It goes up on the Wonderdog's top 20 for sure! Now go see it!

Fleas

This is amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfkOp2NTBaw

I'm sure a pastor somewhere could find a good sermon in this video.

Stanley

I want to start off my saying "Congrats to the Ducks." Tonight they made the Senators look like a women's hockey team en route to their Cup clinching victory. Now I was hoping this would not happen. The Ducks and Stars are in the same division and the Stars owned the Ducks in head-to-head play. But alas, the matchups went the Ducks way and now they are hoisting the cup. Funny thing is Anaheim had more Canadians on their squad than did the Senators, in fact Corey Perry is from Peterborough! Perhaps Corey will bring the cup to the Peter-Patch this summer? Let's cross our fingers and hope he does!

False Advertising

Have you ever noticed how fast food looks so good in the ads, and then you order it and it looks like... well... not like the picture? ;-) I found this website, and I think it illustrates my point pretty effectively.

http://www.thewvsr.com/adsvsreality.htm

Crazy huh? Betcha don't feel like going to get fast-food now do you?

The Slammin' Butler

So Jean-Guy made his first appearance on the Life 100.3 website today... If you didn't see it he's got a mic in front of his face so you can't really see what he looks like. Well I think there's a reason for this, (and it's simple). They are afraid he's going to come over to the Slam! I mean the music is better, the listeners are more fun, and he'd get to sleep in!

They have 4 people running the show in the mornings. (Ben, Woody, Tim & Jean-Guy) You've got to be kidding me! They need 4 guys?!? They hardly do anything in the morning. No Top 8@8, No All Request Hour and no Slammin' Christian Hits. They play Avalon and Phillips, Craig, & Dean all the time! I think they are treating Jean-Guy poorly.

My Slammin' friends I need your help. Email Ben & Woody (ben@lifeonline.fm & woody@lifeonline.fm) and let them know we slammers are going to get to Jean-Guy and let him know there's a better world waiting for him at night! "Jean-Guy - The Slammin' Butler" sounds good!

Brookelynn The Prospect

A couple weeks ago I gave a tour of the radio station to a lovely family that came by the radio station. Once the tour was done one of the girls asked me how they could get a job at Life 100.3. I replied: "You gotta talk to Scott Jackson" (I know scaring her was mean, but I'm not a nice person.) After Scott scared the snot out of this young lady, he said she could come and sit in on an episode of the Slam. So after much schedule analysis tonight was the night! I'm sure you didn't notice her, (she was VERY well behaved) but she was in studio for the entire night. I'm hoping I didn't squash her dreams of becoming a "radio personality," most people think it's something that it's not. She says she still wants to take my job from me... Maybe she will?