Scared Snotless

I did something today that scared the snot out of me... I went and had acupuncture done on my ailing elbow. It seems years of playing baseball has taken a toll on my elbow and I need to have it fixed to eliminate the pain I am feeling. A good buddy of mine is a doctor and so I decided he could do this acupuncture thing and maybe it would help me. There's one problem though. I HATE needles. I pass out when I have blood taken, I squirm when I get booster shots, I HATE needles. So I got up this morning and I was regretting my decision to book this appointment. I showered, shaved and ate some breakfast. If I was going to be carted off the the hospital I wanted to be clean. I arrived at Dr Kent's and he greeted me with a smile and ushered me into the treatment room. (He was much more professional than he normally is when we're kickin' it on the golf course) I was freaking out on the inside, and despite my best efforts it probably showed on the outside. He tried to calm me down and told me not to watch. It didn't hurt at all, just felt kinda funny at some points and I could not stop sweating. Soon I felt like I was going to pass out and my vision started to blur a little... I was officially having a meltdown. He must have noticed, because he began to try to distract me from the treatment. Asking "How was Air Raid?" and "How's Crystal doing?" Once the needles were in place it was time for me to chill... I had some trouble relaxing with numerous needles firmly in my skin. He did a good job of making it comfortable for me, except for the pillow. It felt like plastic and didn't absorb any sweat. ("Would you want to be lying on someone else's sweaty pillow" was Kent's reasoning) After about 20 minutes it was time to remove the pointy rods from my skin. This was probably the best part. I got up off the treatment table and there was a puddle where I had been. (It was kinda nasty) Overall I'd say it was a good experience. Not only will my elbow be getting better, I might get over my fear of needles! I may have to if I want to make it through. I go back Thursday morning.

This guy seems to be enjoying it... no?

Air Raid 15 - The Aftermath

In case you missed it Saturday night, here's a quick recap of the action from Air Raid 15. We started off the night with a pretty ripper set from Silverlane. They tore it up on stage with familiar songs like "Last Fight", and a more slammin' version of "The Engineer". They only had 15 minutes, but they took the audience on a thrill ride for the quarter-hour they had.



Remote Control was the second band to take the stage, and they followed in the footsteps of their concert-mates from Orangeville. Jacob and Adam put on a high energy set, playing "Overboard" and "Salvos".

Next up was Orillia's own Worthless Without. They had a decent size following make the trek up to cottage country and they were a very noisy bunch. The crowd had made a mosh circle by the second song, and a handful of people were showing off their "dancing" skills.

By 9:00 it was time for the headliners to take the stage. It feels like I've seen Hello Kelly a hundred times, but everytime they always impress me more and more. Well they did it again at Air Raid 15! Not only do they sound like they do on the CD, but they put some such a sweet show! They are funny, slightly crazy and know how to get the crowd amped. They had everyone at Faith Baptist bouncing, singing and groovin' to the sweet vocal stylings of Hello Kelly. I don't quite understand why they aren't HUGE yet. They put on great shows, write super catchy songs and musically are very tight. Maybe it's just a matter of time for them.

If you missed Air Raid 15... You missed a wicked night. Don't make the same mistake again... Next time hitchhike your way to Air Raid 16, you won't regret it!

Air Raid 15

Tomorrow night it finally arrives. I feel like it's been 3 years since we first announced that Air Raid was coming to Huntsville. Well tomorrow all our hard work will come to fruition. Hello Kelly, Worthless Without, Remote Control and Silverlane will blow the roof off Faith Baptist Church. If you didn't pick up tickets yet, there's still time. They are $12 at the door. www.airraid.ca for details. SEE YA TOMORROW NIGHT!

Cruisin' Through Huntsville

This morning I grabbed my buddy Steedan Crowe and we travelled up Highway 11 to bombard Huntsville with Air Raid 15 flyers! We hit up Avery Beach, (there was no one there), and then made our way to Hutcheson Beach, (thee were a few people there). We ended up walking though downtown handing out flyers, but what was with the beaches? Why don't people in Huntsville go to the beach? It was 30+ degrees, nice and sunny, why no go to the beach? Please Huntsville explain this to me. I LOVE going to the beach, especially when it's hot like today. Is there something I don't know about? Please Huntsville fill me in.

What's Your True Value

I was sent this link over the weekend that I found to be quite interesting... How much is my body worth? Well I filled out the survey; (no I don't smoke, don't suffer from any serious illness, etc) and it gave me a number. $4300! I would think I would be worth more than that. You can't even buy a decent used car for that much. Now I could do the cliche Christian thing and say my value to God is priceless, no matter what some internet survey says, but that's just dumb. I would have thought with 2 good kidneys, an appendix, a nearly perfect liver I would have fetched at least $8000. Guess not. Check out the link for yourself... What are you worth?

$4300.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth.

The Circle Of Like

As I get older, I'm amazed at the things I begin to hold dear. As a kid I loved going to the cottage with my family. Days at the beach, smashing my brother's sand castles, playing in the water all fond memories of my time at the cottage as a kid. Then as I got older and started going to high school, the cottage wasn't all that appealing to me. You mean I have to leave my friends in Toronto and go hang out with my 'rents? Not my idea of fun. Now that I'm done with being a moody teenager that's too cool for everything family oriented, I love going to the cottage! My friends and I would spend weekends there, I lived there (a couple times), I've used it as a retreat. I'm going to spend the day there tomorrow with my family, taking Snax and Crystal with me. It's funny how it's kinda cyclical... I loved it, disliked it, and now the love returns!

Have a great weekend! Kick up your feet, relax and I'll see ya again on Monday!

Peterborough Karaoke

I was off in Peterborough tonight for Karaoke Superstar. Season 1 Winner - Katie Workman, Melissa from Emmaus and myself had the honor of picking the 2 contestants to move on to the semi-finals in Barrie on August 11. And so it is my pleasure to announce the Peterbrough respresentatives for Karaoke are... Kristy-Lee Morrow and Edna Latone! Congratulations ladies, we'll see you in the semis. One stop left, and I'll be in Owen Sound next Thursday night to roundout the qualifying rounds.

MxPx - Secret Weapon

Tonight I played the new album from MxPx track-by-track. I was kinda excited when I heard about the album... MxPx back on Tooth n' Nail, back to their roots, back to an emphasis on Christian radio. I was stoked. After hearing the album tonight, I'm not all that excited anymore. Maybe MxPx is back where they began cause they are in the twilight of their career? You may love the CD, but I was pretty disappointed with it. No super-catchy (Quit Your Life, Well Adjusted, etc) songs on it. Nothing that makes me say "WOW!" Nothing that comes close to touching the albums put out by tobyMac, Anberlin and Relient K earlier this year. It makes me sad to see MxPx go the way of the buffalo... I LOVED them in high school. But it seems they have seen all the success that they will achieve as a band. Soon they will be playing shows at Casino Rama (a sign you are truly washed up) and making appearances on "The Surreal Life" with Gary Coleman and Vanilla Ice. No one wants to see that. Maybe that's why they say "quit while you're ahead."

Happy Birthday!

July 17 - Trevor McNevan's 29th Birthday.
And so today I dedicate the Wonderblog to the lead singer of Thousand Foot Krutch. Wishing him a very Happy Birthday. I also want to remind Trevor we are eagerly awaiting the 6th musical offering from TFK. T-minus 2 months until its release on September 18. Let's hope TFK continues to rock, and avoids going soft like Kutless has. Actually we plead with you Trevor... DON'T GO SOFT!

Yawning and Tears

I've been yawning a lot today, and every time I do, tears begin to flow... Why is that? What is it about yawning that makes my eyes water? It's really hard to read my computer screen while I have tears rolling down my face. Not to mention when Josh Miller walks by my office and thinks I'm crying. (It's kinda embarrassing) If you know how I can stop this, please let me know.

Muskoka Sunset Cruisin'

This afternoon I received a pleasant surprise... I was sitting in my office working, and Jen Taylor comes down and says: "Cathy can't make it on the cruise tonight, do you want to go?" My answer? "Heck Yes!" So off I went to Gravenhurst to get ready to cruise Lake Joseph on the Wenonah 2. We got there nice and early, scoped out the boat and got ready to partay!

We left dock at about 6:00, and heading out on our 3-hour tour. The appetizers came out shortly after we were on our way. Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts, Smoked Salmon on Cucumber, Meatballs, and more! I had to hold back because I didn't want to spoil my dinner. Dinner was a delicious blend of Chicken, Roast Beef, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Veg and Salad. Dessert was cake, chocolate covered cream puffs and a fruit salad. YUMMY!

Once dinner was over we headed upstairs to enjoy a performance by last year's Karaoke Superstar winner, Stephanie Israelson. She rocked the boat and with the sun setting behind her it was magical. The 3 hour trip seemed to go by VERY fast, but it was a total blast.

We do it again in Barrie on August 9... Don't miss it!

It's called a "sunset cruise" for good reason.

Stephanie rocking the boat.

The Wonderdog, Josh Miller, Jen Taylor & Tim Maassarany enjoyed the spectacular scenery.

Karaoke - Barrie Edition

Junky was on the air for me tonight, as I was busy hosting the Barrie Qualifier for Karaoke Superstar. We've added 4 more names to the semi-final roster! Congrats to Dean Acheson, Miranda Fox, Ed Seymour & Ellen Stewart. I'll be back tomorrow night with a recap of the action.

See ya tomorrow!

Dental Observations

When I was a kid, I used to like going to the dentist... I got a toy and a toothbrush at the end. Now I can't say I really look forward to the dentist all that much. I paid my good dentist a visit today, and here are my observations:

- The hygenist does all the work. The dentist (the guy makin the scratch) only sees me for 10 minutes to double check the hygenist's work.
- My hygenist today gave me chap stick before holding my mouth opening for 30 solid minutes. I hate how my lips dry out at the dentist... Not today though. I was very impressed.
- My teeth didn't hurt on the way there... They hurt (and still do) on the way home.
- Scraping my teeth with that cold steel pick cannot be good for them.
- My teeth felt loose after they were done with me.
- I still don't floss, and I haven't lost my teeth yet. In fact they said I have very good oral hygene. The idea of flossing is a product of good market by floss companies.

I love my dentist though. He's a totally rad guy who's into skiing, mountain biking, and extreme pursuits of all kinds. See ya in 6 months Pete!

Mother Nature Is Bipolar

Talk about a messed up day today... This morning I got up, decided to go run some shuttles outside and worked up a serious sweat. I planned ahead, wearing my boardshorts for my run, and went for a swim in Kempenfelt bay. It was a perfect morning, the beach was packed, the sun was shining nice and hot, and there were boats filling Kempenfelt Bay. Fast forward to this afternoon. Tornado watches, thunderstorms, and overall crappy weather. What a difference! It's amazing how fast the weather can change in Central Ontario. Let this be a lesson to you; when it's nice outside, go to the beach! 'Cause in a couple hours it could be pouring rain.

Weddings

This was a busy weekend for Crystal and I. It seems 2007 is the summer of weddings for us. Brian and Hilary was the 4th of 5 weddings this summer. I've noticed something after attending all these weddings... People don't dress up anymore. When I was a kid, my parents made me dress up for weddings and funerals. Now it's common for their to be more guys in shorts than in suits. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I still rocked the suit on Saturday.

Introducing Mr & Mrs Brian Klassen, (with Mr & Mrs Wonderdog)

Playing Possum

I went golfing this morning with my buddy Dr Kent and Pasta Dave from Emmanuel in Barrie. We're all pretty average golfers, or so I thought. Let me explain. I've golfed with Dr Kent before, and we're pretty even (until he tries to be a hero and hits it into the trees), but this was my maiden voyage with Pasta Dave along side. Off the first tee he shanks it into the woods and never really recovers. His first hole was pretty sad. I expected more of the same for the rest of the round. I expected wrong. He comes out firing from that point on. Hitting bombs off the tee and throwing darts at the green. It was a serious case of Jekyll & Hyde. The guy was lights out after looking like he should be playing with the old ladies teeing off at 9:30.

I tell you this story to teach you a lesson. Don't play with Pasta Dave if you've got something on the line. (He's a shifty character, but a good guy otherwise.)

Funny Stuff

I got this email from my Mom and I thought it was hilarious. Probably not true, but still very funny. I thought I'd share it with you.

Husband at Wal-Mart
This is why women should not take men shopping against their will.
After Mr. and Mrs. Fenton retired, Mrs. Fenton insisted her husband accompany her on her trips to Wal-Mart.Unfortunately, Mr. Fenton was like most men--he found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunately, Mrs. Fenton was like most women--she loved to browse.
One day Mrs. Fenton received the following letter from her local Wal-Mart:
Dear Mrs. Fenton,
Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and may be forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Fenton are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.
1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of Polident and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.
2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.
3. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, "Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away."
4. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.
5. September 14: Moved a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.
6. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.
7. September 23: When a clerk asked if she could help him,he began crying and screamed, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"
8. October 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.
9. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.
10. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.
11. December 6: In the auto department, he practiced his"Madonna look" by using different sizes of funnels.
12. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled "PICK ME! PICK ME!"
And last, but not least:
13. December 21: When an announcement came over the loudspeaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed, "OH NO!IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!"
Regards,
Wal-Mart

Winless!

I have to get something off my chest here... Can I do that? Cool thanks.

I feel like I should stop showing up to my baseball games. As you know, my team was in a tournament this past weekend and I missed the game Friday night because I was working. Well they won. That makes them 3-0 when I'm not there. That's right they have won every game they've played without the Wonderdog.

Saturday I got to play in both games, and guess how we did... WE LOST BOTH! That makes the team 0-13 when I'm in attendance. That's right they haven't won a game with the Wonderdog in the dugout.

By analysing the stats, you'd have to come to one conclusion... I'm causing the team to stumble. No one will admit it, but I bet they are all thinking it; "We need to kick AJ off the team." So Christian, Cooker, Gerry... Feel free to give me the old heave-ho. I can kinda see it coming.