Tuesday, July 31, 2007

psb state of mind

I am so very happy to be home again.

Honestly, this weather is great. It's sunny and hot and lovely and everything that you hope summer will be.

Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is only good for me when I don't have to be at work. I so hope that it's nice like this next week because I would love to be able to enjoy the hot weather instead of just running from air conditioned room to air conditioned room, getting a headache when I have to walk down a stuffy, non a/c hallway at work.

Oh well, thank goodness for the pet shop boys. I love this video. always have, probably always will.

jammed up


heading out of town
Originally uploaded by Julep67
there is so much construction going on right now in our little tiny town, that it feels like you're waiting for traffic no matter where you go. It's a real pain in the ass too because this is such a small town, you shouldn't have to deal with this crap.

One of the benefits (and there are many) of living in a smaller community is that you don't have to deal with traffic jams. I know that you have to endure the inconvenience of construction to enjoy the benefits it brings but boy, it's feeling like the construction will never end.

Sometimes though, it feels like it'll never start. We got a memo from the city in April and one from the construction company in June, about work which was scheduled to being on water mains on our street. It's almost August and it hasn't started yet. I know that they are 3 months behind in a similar project on my friend Robin's street so I don't have a lot of confidence that they will actually start the job this summer but who knows. Maybe they will rip our street up just in time for the snow to fly and leave us with a frozen, rutty mess to deal with all winter.

Oh well, I know it could be worse, because it can always be worse!!

Monday, July 30, 2007

rest in peace Mike


rest in peace Mike
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Some sad news from the BBC

Ex-EastEnders star Mike Reid dies

Former EastEnders actor Mike Reid has died at the age of 67 after suffering a suspected heart attack, his agent said.

The actor, who played Frank Butcher in the BBC soap, was living in Spain at the time of his death.

Reid became a stand-up comedian having worked as a stunt man. He went on to work in TV shows including Runaround, Doctor Who and Minder.

His agent David Hahn told the BBC his death came as a great shock as he had been in very good health.

He said: "Mike was in fine fettle. In fact only a couple of weeks ago we were having dinner over here.

"Mike that particular day went to see his consultant and had a full medical - and they gave him a clean bill of health."

Mr Hahn paid tribute to Reid, who he described as "a very, very, very, funny" man.

He said: "He would see the funny side of any situation, no matter how black it was. Even now I'm sure he's laughing."

Reid joined EastEnders in 1987, quickly turning Frank into one of the show's most popular characters.

Actress Pam St Clement, who played Frank's wife Pat for many years, said: "It has come as a terrible shock - somebody larger than life as Mike was in person and character - he seemed indestructible."

Reid made his last appearance as Frank Butcher in December 2005 when his long relationship with Pat finally came to an end.

Actor Adam Woodyat, who plays Ian Beale, said Reid "used to brighten up long filming days keeping the cast and crew laughing".

"He was a great man and our thoughts are with Shirley and his family," he said.

John Yorke, controller of BBC drama series, said Frank's popularity was down to Reid's skill as an actor.

"Mike's genius was to capture the heart of that flawed dreamer and make generations of viewers love him," he said.

"Albert Square - and British television - will be a far poorer place without him, as will the lives of those who loved and worked with him throughout his extraordinary career."

The actor and comedian rose to fame in 1973 when he landed a role as one of the original stars of ITV show The Comedians.

Russ Abbot, who appeared alongside Reid on the show, told BBC News 24 his former co-star was a natural entertainer.

"Mike was a story-teller and a great deliverer of great, great jokes," he said.

Frank Carson, a close friend who met Reid around 30 years ago, told BBC News 24 the news was "absolutely devastating".

"We have just lost our friend Bernard Manning a fortnight ago. I just can't realise... this is devastating news," he said.

Another fellow comedian, Mike McCabe, said Reid had been "a jack-the-lad, very funny with a great cockney way of putting things together".

"He was one of the lads. The blokes loved him, the women loved him. I admired the man," he said.

Children's host

Before entering the comedy scene, Reid began his career as a stunt man.

He worked on films including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines and Spartacus.

He had also been a stunt double for Roger Moore in The Saint.

"I know it's hard to believe - Mike was a lot taller than him, and often used to laugh about it," Mr Hahn said.

In the late 1970s, Reid hosted the ITV children's TV quiz show Runaround, remembered for its incomprehensible rules and the incongruity of him as presenter.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

showering


It's a girl!
Originally uploaded by Julep67
we've been having us some pretty wonky weather just recently.

Last night, the weather kept us from going to the drive-in. After dinner, we noticed that the humidity was making the windows fog up on the outside. Given that it was still super hot and threatening to thunder shower, we figured that we'd give the drive-in a miss.

We're thinking about trying to go tonight but it's been raining off and on all day. More on than off though, the past hour or so. Mark turned the barbecue on to make some dinner and the skies opened up and absolutely poured. Hard. Like, so hard you couldn't see the neighbour's house across the yard.

Oh well, could be worse right, could be hail!

Friday, July 27, 2007

best simpsons movie EVER


mark and homer
Originally uploaded by Julep67
wow.

We've had a great day so far.

We just got home from the states. In honour of Simpsons Day, we spent the morning in Syracuse, shopping and stuff. We had lunch at BK where we picked up 3 of the 16 talking toys!! After lunch, we drove back to Watertown to see the movie.

It was great. It was kind of neat watching the movie with an American audience. I think we laughed louder at some of the anti-bush jokes than the rest of the folks in the theatre. I guess it's easier to laugh when you don't have to live with him every day. I mean Stephen Harper is a joke too but it's a different thing completely.

I didn't really go into the movie with any set expectations. We felt that the last two seasons weren't as great as they could have been and kept telling each other, "it's okay, they're saving the good stuff for the movie."

We were right. The movie was hilarious. Funniest comedy I've seen in a long time. The animation was spectactular too. When you have the resources of a motion picture production company behind you, it makes all of the difference in the world. Some of the scenes were absolutely breath taking. Just lovely.

Even if you're not a fan of the Simpsons, I think you'd like it. It's worthwhile seeing for a few reasons (not just cuz it's funny and gorgeous): the character you would least expect to cus, actually does and, if you stick around until the credits are done, you get to hear "Maggies first word."

It's a good'un. If the rain holds off, we're hoping to head to the drive in shortly to see it again, tonight.

Thursday, July 26, 2007

I'll follow the sun

grapes are good. they make a very nice snack.

How is your Thursday going? So far mine is going very well. It's hot and sunny here and I'm enjoying it a lot. Last night, after work, we went home and almost immediately headed for the pool. Honestly, if I could have figured out a way for to make and eat dinner in the pool, I think I would have done that.

I've got tomorrow booked off and it's supposed to be hot and sunny again. 'bout time huh?? We won't be spending a tonne of time in the pool though, we have plans. Our plans involve a shopping trip to Syracuse and then seeing the Simpsons movie either in Syracuse or Watertown. Tomorrow night, we're going to go to the drive-in here in town and see it again.

Should be fun. We've had July 27th booked off since Christmas anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing the movie and it's been a while since we've been down to the states so I have a quite a long shopping list.

Anyway, in honour of this lovely sunny day, I leave you with this little sunny treat:

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

you know that things are bad when...

folks who write for gossipy papers or blogs compare you to a "young courtney love."

step right up folks, and see the next train wreck...

vomit on gucci you say, pity.

seriously though, can you spell "S P O I L E D B R A T S"?

it all seems just a smidgen contrived and ridiculous to me.

I guess by comparison, my day wasn't so bad. I can't imagine how horrible I would feel if I actually owned something by gucci and then I had the bad timing to hurl all over it.

It's incredible to me that they even bother covering the war in Iraq on the news when they can share stories about puking pop princesses and Disney girls DUI.

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

not necessarily my kind of train-wreck

You know, I love to watch a good "train-wreck" just as much as the next marginally sick person.

When Anna-Nicole passed away and went to live with the angels in heaven, I devoured the coverage with a sick fervour. From a safe distance, I monitored the late and not-so-great Tammy Faye's illness. Again, I had a quite a good chuckle last week watching those Larry King interviews.

It's an illness, I know this. I put my hands up to it. I've got a morbid fascination with watching bad things happen to people who are basically only famous for being famous.

Somehow though, this does not come into play with Ms Lohan. I will giggle at the pathetic antics of Ms Spears or Ms Hilton but I really just shake my head at Lindsay. Today I read this and chuckled to myself because it really seems like she's working awfully hard to gain her own spot in the train-wreck-o-sphere:

'Drink-driving' arrest for Lohan
US actress Lindsay Lohan has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and possession of cocaine after spending a second stint in rehab.

The 21-year-old star was pulled over by officers in Santa Monica, California. She already faces a drink-driving charge in Beverly Hills.

Ms Lohan was also charged for driving while her licence was suspended, Santa Monica police said.

The actress's publicist was not available for comment.

In December Ms Lohan admitted she had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for a year. A few weeks later she checked herself into a treatment centre, saying she had made a "proactive decision" to "take care" of her health.

In May she was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after she was involved in a car accident in Beverly Hills.

Ms Lohan then returned to rehab and has recently been photographed wearing an alcohol tag, which was reportedly monitoring her alcohol consumption.

The actress had her first hit aged 11 in The Parent Trap. She has also starred in films like Freaky Friday, Mean Girls and A Prairie Home Companion.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/entertainment/6913954.stm

Monday, July 23, 2007

hot and cold

it's sort of hot today but Mark may have a cold.

I've pumped him full of meds and he's snoozing at the moment.

Hopefully some dinner followed by a good night's sleep will set him right again.

I told him earlier, it's Simpsons week, he cannot get sick this week of all weeks!!

Sunday, July 22, 2007

garden fresh zucchini


garden fresh zucchini
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Don't these look lovely?

Mark planted two zucchini plants in his little garden this year. This is his first attempt at a veggie patch. We had these two beauties in our salad for lunch yesterday. There were two more today which we grilled for dinner. Delicious. Out of the garden and onto our plates. Too neat. Reminds me a little of the Chicken Lady saying, "right out of my body and onto your plate" but not really.

Wasn't the weekend just lovely?? We had a great weekend. There was lots of time for sunshine and splashing in the pool. We both got some things done around the house that needed doing. All in all, it was lovely. I may have gotten a little too much sun but I'm not sore so it may not be too bad. I seem to have a tonne of freckles on my arms though. I don't remember so many freckles on my arms before but maybe I did and just didn't notice.

It's amazing how much my mood improved once the rain stopped. It's really been getting me down lately only I hadn't realized exactly how much until it stopped.

I think it's supposed to be a mostly sunny week this week so that's good. And it's a short week for us too. We've had Friday booked off for almost a year now because we want to see the Simpsons Movie early in the day. Can't wait for that!! Anyway, I hope you all had as good a weekend as we did. This is really what summer is supposed to feel like!

Saturday, July 21, 2007

on the mend


on the mend
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I am so enjoying today so far.

Because we did a bunch of errands last night, there is not much we need to do today. Mark has just run out for a couple of odds and ends of things which we forgot but which he needs for a couple of projects he's got on his list this weekend.

One of the stops he's making is at the Habitat for Humanity store. For the past month or so, we've been saving our pop cans. Instead of putting them into the blue box and giving them to the city, we are "donating" them to our local Habitat for Humanity pop can drive. Alcan sponsors this drive and the Habitat for Humanity location which collects the most cans wins. The prize is basically enough cash to build another home. It's a great program and it's an easy way for us to support them. Cool huh?

Obviously, I've stayed home this afternoon. I'm baking a loaf of my nana's nana bread. I had three brown bananas just staring at me all morning so I threw a loaf together and put it the oven while it's still cool. Hopefully I won't heat the kitchen up too much. The smell is filling the hous right now!

I expect that when Mark gets back, we'll be heading for the pool. I can't wait. The weather around here has been so shitty that we haven't actually be in the pool in almost 2 weeks. That's crazy considering it's July.

Oh well, I'm not complaining, not today. It's way too night to complain!!

Friday, July 20, 2007

spooky sunrise


spooky sunrise
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I feel like I have spent the entire week this week, counting down the minutes until the weekend begins.

Pathetic isn't it?

Well, the weekend is finally here (yay)!

Tonight, after work, we had to get groceries. The two stores we visited were insanely busy and, what's more, I am pretty sure that someone was distributing qualudes to everyone. Mark and I could not see the little booth where the qualudes were being handed out but I'm pretty sure that's what was happening.

I'm blaming it on the rain. I think that everyone stayed home all week, thinking that the weather would get nicer and they could go out and do errands. By Friday afternoon though, they all just said, "to hell with that" and went out.

It was gross. The mass of humanity actually made me feel physically ill. I'm glad that we're home and that we have a fridge full of fresh fruit and veg and we don't have to be out amongst the humanity tonight.

it's good to be at home!

Thursday, July 19, 2007

marmalade forest

It's getting dangerously close to being the weekend again.

My hope for the weekend is that we have sunshine and warm temperatures. It's been raining and gross here all day today. The rain broke long enough for us to get home tonight and then it started up again, with a weird kind of vengeance. What's up witha that oddly cruel rain?

For some reason that I am unable to put my finger on, I had this song in my head all day today at work. let me know if you get it into your head tomorrow:

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

your dentist's name is Crentist?


summer campers
Originally uploaded by Julep67
it's the middle of the week. already!? Cool huh??

In 2.5 weeks I will be on vacation again. Next time, I'm off for 2 weeks and the only thing I have booked so far is a dentist appointment.

I went to see my dentist last week, and to have a cleaning. I haven't had a cavity or any trouble with my teeth in over 20 years. Last week, I had a new dentist. The old one was still there but he's easing into retirement so there is this new guy.

He's nice enough. I like him okay. Then he tells me I have a cavity and need to get it filed. Not liking him so much anymore. I accept the news though, make the appointment for the filling and leave.

I talked to my mum on the weekend. She had her first appointment with Dr New Dentist (I want to call him Crentist) and guess what, he found a cavity in her mouth too.

Coincidence? I sure hope so. I really don't want to go through this if I don't have to. If I have to I will but really, this better not be unnecessary.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

hot tuesday

it got warm again today and for some reason, I think, the barometric pressure changes have given me a headache. I also have the hiccups but I don't think I can blame that on the weather. I can try but I don't think I will.

As you can see by my recent posts, I've been farting around on you tube a fair bit recently. I'm often pleasantly surprised by things I find there. Today, for example, I found this:



For many many years, I thought that Johnny McBean was a totally made up guy. I heard stories about him from the guys in the Stand GT but never imagined that Johnny actually existed. When I finally met him, I was a little surprised but it was a good thing. He was real, the stories were true and he was a nice guy to boot. So, yeah, yay for Johnny McBean. Oh, and yay for the Stand GT and yay for chicken coops.

rock!

Monday, July 16, 2007

crawling

For some reason which I cannot put my finger on, really, the days I spend at work are very very long. Perhaps it's because the weather has been really shitty on the weekends and it gets really nice once we go back to work on Monday. Maybe it's something else. Either way, it's not the best feeling in the world, that time is actually crawling along. Not good at all.

I found this video on You Tube today. It's from an album I spent way too much time listening to in the early 90's. I'd never seen the video before and it's rather silly but the tune is still fun and honestly, I needed a little silly today.

Sunday, July 15, 2007

he's home!

boy I missed him!!!

Mark is home and he got here in one piece (I have terrible thoughts of dead in the ditch along the 401 scenarios whenever we don't travel together) and he brought home dinner, from Chinatown so yay!!

And he had a good time, he had great visits with friends, saw an awesome show so yeah, good all around.

Me, I got some cleaning done, the laundry finished and just vegged (watched way too many movies but that's another post).

weekend = good

can't believe that it's almost over already though.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

on the road

Mark just left. He's gone to Toronto to see Roger Waters at the Skydome. He's going to the show with his buddy Jack. I'm sure that they'll have an excellent time, he got pretty good tickets for this show. They aren't exactly as good as we were promised (his cousin helped us get these ones) but they're not bad. He's staying over in Toronto tonight and will be back sometime tomorrow.

This is the first time I'll be sending the night alone in this house. I mean, the fish are here so I'm not completely alone but you know what I mean, right?

We had a busy morning, getting him ready to get out the door. He's planning to visit with some other friends when he gets into TO today. Hopefully that'll all work out, sometimes the best laid plans can fall apart.

I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with the rest of my day. It's clouding over right now (of course)so I suspect that whatever I do will involve some sort of combination of watching movies and cleaning. mmm...maybe I'll squeeze a nap in too at some point. Yeah, cleaning and a nap, that sounds like a good start.

Friday, July 13, 2007

weekend = yay!

the weekend has finally arrived.

yay!

We went out after work tonight and did a couple of errands. Mark is going to Toronto tomorrow so I will be sans wheels until he gets back. We basically picked up some groceries and other essentials of life.

I really hope that the sun shines on me. If I have to be home alone, I at least hope that it'll be nice and I can be outside instead of watching the rain hit the puddles.

*fingers crossed*

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Rest in Peace Ed


Honest Ed's
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Toronto's iconic shopkeeper turned theatre impresario and philanthropist, Ed Mirvish, has died at the age of 92.

He died early Wednesday morning of natural causes, his family confirmed.

Mirvish's long career began with humble roots and grew to an empire of stores and restaurants, including his discount emporium Honest Ed's at the intersection of Bloor and Bathurst streets in Toronto.

The kitschy building, a landmark since it opened in the 1940s, sports a big orange sign proclaiming "Honest Ed's" lit by thousands of flashing lights, surrounded by humorous plaques proclaiming slogans such as "Honest Ed is for the birds … cheap, cheap, cheap."

Mirvish was also known for his giveaways, equal parts marketing stunts and an expression of his generous community spirit: for example, he handed out free turkeys at the discount store near certain holidays and hosted street parties on his birthday, doling out free hot dogs and cake.

He was at least as well-known for his generosity to the arts, however. Inspired by his wife Anne, an artist and singer, Mirvish eventually added live theatre to his growing enterprises.

In 1963, he saved Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre from demolition and restored the historic downtown venue.

In 1982, Mirvish purchased and refurbished Britain's famed Old Vic Theatre in London and, in 1993, built the Princess of Wales Theatre with his son David.

Though the Mirvishes later sold the Old Vic (to the Old Vic Theatre Trust in 1998), the family has developed a reputation as a heavyweight among the theatre community.

Over the years, David Mirvish — a former art dealer — has also become a force in the international theatre world, involved in major endeavours like The Lord of the Rings musical and producing shows for Broadway and London's West End.

The Mirvishes are also known for bringing top theatrical productions to Toronto and across Canada, including Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Rent and The Who's Tommy.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

team building exercise '99

Is it hot in your part of the world? I'm not talking about hot like attractive or sexy but hot like, the air quality is crappy and the sky is brown?

It's a little like that around here. It got quite bad last night. I think it actually got warmer as the evening progressed. Our house has central air but I couldn't get to sleep. We went to bed around 8:30 or so and I got up at 11 p.m. because I was afraid I'd wake Mark up with my tossing and turning. Eventually, I was able to fall asleep sometime around midnight. When you're up at 4:30 a.m. though, that's not really good.

Tonight we were able to get into the pool. It felt great. We hadn't been in the pool for almost 2 weeks. The weather while we were on holidays was cool and rainy. It wasn't like that this afternoon though. We stayed in for about 90 minutes so we were pretty shriveled when we got out.

Last week, while we were on vacation, we bumped into Flight of the Conchords. Have you seen this HBO show yet? The Movie Network is showing it here in Canada. It's brilliant. Well I think it's brilliant anyway. FOTC are a parody folk duo and HBO have given them a 30 minute comedy show. It's funny, we've seen 3 episodes plus their HBO special so far. The episodes usually feature a couple of songs. They are actually pretty good musicians and I like their voices. The best part is that it's hilarious. They write really funny lyrics and have a very laid back approach to things. It's very deadpan and dry and I am looking forward to seeing more of them over the summer. It doesn't quite make up for Lucky Louie getting canceled but it's close.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Mark's garden grows


Mark's garden grows
Originally uploaded by Julep67
I really really really really really thought that I'd be outside by now.

All day at work, and it was a longish day, I kept thinking to myself, I can stand the humidity because when I get home from work, I can get into the pool.

As we pulled onto our street though, it started to cloud over. As I type this, it's getting darker and darker and there is a storm watch in effect for the region.

fun huh?

Now, I'm not complaining about the rain, goodness knows that even though we've had a lot of it lately, we can use it. It's actually nice to now have to water the garden.

Having said that though, it would be nice to have one sunny evening.

Over the course of our entire week off, we did not get into the pool once.

Not once!

No fair!!

I'm really hoping for some sunshine this week.

Hopefully that's not asking too much.

classic monday

good monday to you all!!

I cannot believe it but I actually had to go back to work this morning. I'm sooo looking forward to my next break. Unfortunately, I have to wait about 3 and a bit weeks for that to happen.

On a totally unrelated note, I found this today and it made me laugh. I generally don't have any respect for David Gilmour but if Spinal tap let him play with them, he can't be all bad.

Enjoy.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

to know them is to love them


Ashley's Bridal Shower
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Isn't this a nice picture?

On the left is the lovely Sue, my old roommate (she's not old, we just lived together a long time ago - in the early 90's) and on the right is the beautiful Ashley. A bride-to-be.

I met Ashley about 20 years ago this month. I was working with her mum and dad and she just about came up to knee and she would strut around singing Aerosmith's "Ragdoll" with her hands on her tiny hips.

I went to a bridal shower for little Ashley this afternoon. I find it odd that all of these kids keep getting older but we never age. Funny how that is huh?

Saturday, July 07, 2007

only a taxi could get away with this

Good Saturday morning to you!

Do you like this picture? I really was amused by the cab on the sidewalk when I walked out of Schwartz's. Mark was in the deli, waiting for his order and I was wandering around on St-Laurent Blvd taking photos and observing the traffic. I see cabs in Kingston do stuff like this all the time but I don't normally have my camera out to capture the moment like I did the other morning. snap!

It's hard to believe that I was off work for an entire week. It flew by really quickly, what with the holiday and a trip to Montreal in the middle of it. Fortunately, I can sort of take things easy today and really relax for the rest of the weekend.

It's a little hard to believe that I'm back to work again on Monday. Fortunately though, I'm only back for 3 weeks before I have a long weekend booked. After that, I have to work a week and then I've got another 2 week break booked. I really tried to space out my time off this summer. Speaking of spaced out, I think I should probably think about some coffee and maybe move my butt outside while the sun is shining.

Friday, July 06, 2007

baby baby baby baby oh baby

Rainy days and Mondays don't really get me down but a foggy Friday might.

It's looking kind of dreary outside right now. I know that it's early though, it could change. The sun could burn off the fog, it could get nice and warm and I could spend the biggest chunk of this afternoon on the deck.

Overall, I haven't minded that the weather has been sort of poopy for mini-holiday. We've been out doing stuff that hasn't really required nice weather. We had some sunshine and niceness in Montreal earlier this week so I can't really ask for more than that. Well, actually, I can always ask but I don't expect more than that.

Last night, Mark and I stumbled upon a really good documentary on IFC. It was called I, Curmudgeon and we really enjoyed it. I think we enjoyed it so much because the folks being interviewed in the film were saying things that we say all the time. We both identified a lot with these people who I guess are considered curmudgeonly but to me, just sounded smart and realistic. If you happen to see it pop up in your tv listings, it's definitely worth stopping for.

Anyway, I have a friend coming over for coffee in a while and the house is a bit of a disaster so I think I'll go and tidy up a bit. Here's a lovely video for a Friday morning. It took me right back to the early 90's again. Aaah...memories...

Thursday, July 05, 2007

another good mail day


another good mail day
Originally uploaded by Julep67
My good parcel of good music arrived today from Good Records in Dallas.

In additon to the CD (which came with this spiffy patch and a DVD), I also received the double LP version of the Fragile Army and a signed poster. I'd forgotten about the poster! it was an awesome surprise.

Today was a quiet day. Mark was up in the night last night, seriously sick to his stomach. I made him stay home from work today and he got caught up on his sleep. He's feeling much better now, thank goodness. I'm sure he'll sleep like a log tonight.

The other night, I took a couple of videos at the spree show. My camera does quicktime movies. Both videos are too large for me to upload on my you tube account. If anyone has any suggestions for free software which can be used to either edit these or convert them into a format that is a little more youtube friendly, could ya leave me a comment?

Wednesday, July 04, 2007

yeah


the polyphonic spree
Originally uploaded by Julep67
wow.

the spree were great. awesome even.

just before we left for Montreal I found out that the show was moving from the Metropolis to the Spectrum. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

When we arrived at the club, there was a tiny little line up to get in. St Catherines street was closed in front of the club because of the Jazz Festival so it was a strange environment. It was pleasant though, we stood around watching people wander by, en masse toward the festival stages. Not having to deal with cars was a nice change too.

The doors were supposed to open at 7 but I don't think we got into the club until close to 8. When we walked in, we discovered that the Spectrum is about half the size of the Metropolis. Not good, not for the band anyway. I wandered upstairs to find the ladies room and saw that the balcony area was closed off so the club wasn't expecting it to be too busy.

Mark and I were able to get a table very close to the stage. When the show started, it was very easy for me to get down to the front of the crowd and take some photos. I really wish that I had taken my Nikon with me. I was worried that they may be checking bags at the door so I left it at the hotel. I was worried for nothing, they didn't check anyone. Of course, had I brought it with me, they would have. Oh well, some of the shots I got were okay. My Olympus isn't great in low light conditions.

Despite the smaller crowd, the show was amazing. really amazing. A lovely young lady from California opened the show. Her name is Jesca Hoop and she sang with an acoustic guitar. I thought that her voice was absolutely lovely and I look forward to hearing her album when it's out this September.

Jesca stood at the very front of the stage, in front of a piece of red fabric which had been stretched to cover the entire stage. After she was finished and the spree were ready to start, the lyrics to "Gimme Some Truth" were flashed across the red fabric as the song played on the PA. At the end of the song, you could see scissors cutting away at the fabric, making a heart shape. Eventually, the fabric was cut into two pieces, revealing the band on stage. It was a great start to their set!

Personally, I thought that the sound in the club was a little too loud (my ears are still ringing right now) and the mix wasn't great. Having said that, the joy, enthusiasm and energy that the Polyphonic Spree displayed, and the frenzy they were able to work the 400+ crowd into was authentic. Having seen them before only in a festival type environment, where they played an abbreviated set, I wasn't quite sure what to expect for a full-on spree show. It was just plain fun. They are a joy to watch, they played all of my favourites (including Soldier Girl!) and they definitely left me feeling satisfied.

I think it's a shame that the place wasn't packed to the rafters... or that the Metropolis wasn't packed to the rafters. Perhaps it was having to compete with the Jazz festival that made for the low numbers. I'm not sure. What I know is that a lot folks missed out on an experience. Sound issues aside, this was a musical extravaganza that I know I won't soon forget and I don't think anyone else who was in that room last night will either.

Tuesday, July 03, 2007

running away

yay!

We're running away to Montreal tonight to see the Spree....whee!

Sunday, July 01, 2007

I saw the ship come sailing in


I saw the ship come sailing in
Originally uploaded by Julep67
Happy Canada Day to you all of you hosers and hoser wannabees out there!!

I hope you either had or are having a really great day today.

We've had a good one so far. For some reason I can't quite put my finger on, we were both up very early this morning. We ended up going out for breakfast in Napanee and then took a nice drive back into town via the lakeshore. The morning sunshine on the lake was gorgeous this morning, it felt like a very Canadian thing to see.

We're not going downtown to see the fireworks tonight. I can already hear the kids in the neighbourhood letting firecrackers go off so I'm sure that we'll be able to see lots of colour from our porch later on and it doesn't quite get much better than that!