Sweeeeeeeeeeeneeeeeeey Todd

Last night's Dress went pretty well... well, we missed a few things, but now we won't... that's the point of dress- to scare you crapless for the night and emblazon it in your mind so you don't screw it up again.

Here's a quick link to our first article!

more press to follow!

mister tambourine man

ok, so the thing that had the potential of being the most embarrassing element of the play for me (um... aside from that other thing) has been resolved. 

And I am SO totally ok with it now.

ok?

In other news... I'm on my way to the royal winter fair tomorrow, and I know you wish you were going.

too too

I started writing about the weekend during the weekend.
And erased it.
Then started writing about it after it finished.
And erased it.
Then started writing about it on Monday.
And erased it.


You just had to be there.

Tonight... tonight

Yes my friends, tonight you don't want to be anywhere else but here!
"Why for?" you may ask...

Well, for the songwriter's showcase event (6pm)! Right here, in the downtown 'Burg.
Who won last year's event? Non other than the Good Lovelies! Who knows what's in store for us this year!?! (ps, I've written about them before... now GO listen to their music!)

And for those of you totally out of the loop.... the top winners from the showcase get to play at Shelter Valley Folk Festival on Labour Day weekend.... AND if you show up early, (so you hear every entry) you get to be part of the voting process)
Bring your lawn chair (just in case!)!

I'm writing with too many exclamation marks! But I like it!

fire's burning

When PaSheff first came to me about this evening's activity, he touted it as "kumbia and beyond"- an evening of campfire reflection". Ok, maybe that's not what he said, but in my mind, that's what I figure he meant. 

We took over the Bean... took over... to the point that I even emailed Sue (the owner) and asked her to make an evening special to be served... s'mores with hot chocolate.... she came thru.

The stage was shared by a group of us, Jim Yates (whom I love... the same man that convinced me to buy my guitar... yeah... the guitar I don't play... BUT fully intend to) Shamus, Derrick Ballard (he of the Gene McLelland tribute concert forever ago- also of "the gentlemen husbands" - great band) Roy (security man Roy from SVFF), and some boys from Derrick's band. The guys all came baring guitars (well.. other than Mr.Yates, who also brought his auto harp). I took the evening in a slightly different direction ... 

The guys started their music, and sang lovely folk type songs, the type any campfire would have, covers of country... that sort of thing.... 

And then I turned it into summer camp.

Not even kidding. Call and repeat, action, and interaction songs. High energy. 

I felt like I was at the ranch- I spent 9 years working at that camp... 9 summers of camp songs- 5 of those, leading the camp fires... I could have gone on all night.

The two best compliments I got were from the older crowd. "I felt like I was back at summer camp" was the first, and the second was from Mr.Yates himself... PaSheff asked him if he'd be interested in doing another campfire night, to which he replied "Only if L.Bo is doing it".

ok. he didn't call me elbow.

Did I mention we packed the place? Standing room only at the back- people sitting on the floor. I'd do it again.

Also met one of the two boys who have been lurking the Bean lately. The one that has been stealing my favourite seat.

Happy Canada Day!!!!!


and now, back to your regular scheduled blogging....
(ug. and work)

how many tags may apply to the past four days? (you're limited to 200 charachters... shoot)

A Year of Firsts

... or new beginnings.
If you were into numerology you'd understand that this year is a year of beginnings... something about "add the 2 and the 8 and remove a zero and shift the decimal... and you get a 1".
errrr.. something.

So, to a year of; new things; new people; new places; new emotions; new goals; new dreams; new adventures!

Ok, so I made the most brilliant discovery today! Rock Band (which I love) and Guitar Hero (That I don't so much love) are NOT new concepts!!! Nope, they are a rip off of an old design.
Press a button, strum, feel like you're creating music... oh yeah, it's all been done before.... may I present to you ....



The Autoharp!
Yup, press a button (they are cleverly decorated with the chord printed right on them) strum... and you've got instant music. errr. so long as you aren't laughing too hard to keep playing. Now, that said... there's alot more you can do on the autoharp than my ridiculous plunking of "leaving on a jet plane" or trying to play "blowin in the wind"... esp if it's been set up right... I had the privilege of using a um... designer autoharp tonight... so the chords were limited. If you click the photo above, you'll get to hear a pro in action.... I sound more... umm... stylistic?

Good Lovelies

I should really be sleeping at this point.


"You know it's been a good show when you don't even care that you can't feel your butt", was a comment I heard as I left the show.
True the seats were like rocks, but the show was both Good AND Lovely.
From the three fine young men who opened (a pleasant surprise in a town void of fine young men)(err... and I extend an apology to my male friends) to the fantastic performance put on by the ladies themselves.. there was not a single moment that I wished I was elsewhere!
Flying beer. Skinny Santa. Shared deodorant. Family ribbing. Great atmosphere (this was the first show at the JTTA building... Christine promises more to come.. so long as she can find the right "fit"). N'umberland community. Old Friends (I didn't even know you moved back here!). Whiskey. Candy canes. Audience participation. Tight harmonies. Beautiful lyrics. Introduction to some new writers. And dresses that tend to fall down.
really... what didn't happen tonight?
Ok, enough of the glowing on and on...But let me say, I really enjoyed myself, the band was entertaining (as always), and even though I just saw them a few short months ago, you can really sense the way they've come together/grown. I laughed most of the night... when I was breathing...I can't always breathe when there's a good harmony.
This was probably the most "fun"- but quality show I've seen out here in awhile, Congrats ladies on your one year anniversary!

dip dip and swing'er back

yikes.
my arms are going to fall right off my body.

I challenged the dragon x5 today, and did pretty well considering! My official team was CH's, my team that I put my full heart into was the SVFF team (of course!) and ... then there was the random race with the hospital's team... uh.. yeah...

I'm not sure where we are on the "annual" list for the 'burg's dragon boat races, but since this was my second.. I'm calling it the second annual dragon boat race. SVFF needed some extra rowers, so of course I jumped into their boat when their first race was called, we did pretty well... well... ok, it was kinda slow, but most of us hadn't been on the water since last year's race... and we were just warming up.

And then it happened... the wind picked up... race times went up for every team... WAY up, we were paddling into the wind, waves jumping the side of the boat on the turns... and the steers calling for all to paddle so we didn't flip. I was doing ok with the whole thing till he yelled that at us.. then the panic sat in my throat for awhile.

My second race was with CH, we had a full boat, it went ok... MUCH slower than my first race, I could feel the difference in the boat, feel the pull on the paddle as being different.
Then back into the festival boat for an AMAZING race, we were together (after a false start, the wind blew us out of the right angle before the race started... our steers kept yelling to the race official "we're not ready yet!") and pulled HARD.

Then our last race was called... I didn't know what to do! my teams were against each other!!! We rallied up a few extra bodies, and I decided to stick with the festival crew... but only three of us showed up... we stood at the cue wondering where the rest of the team had gone... joking about them being in the pub.... when one member wandered by... we hollered and got his attention... and he said they were all at the chili cook off... then took off running to get them.

I knew there was no way he was going to run the two blocks to down town, find everyone and get them back in less than two minutes... my own team had enough people... so Manda and I joined the Hospital's team (they were really short on bodies) and poor AJ stood forlornly in the festival's lane by himself wondering what to do... when... out of nowhere.... the festival crew showed up! (sans tambourines) Yeah... turns out they weren't at the cook off... they WERE in the pub. Money was thrown on the table, and drinks left full when they took off running.

So really, it turned out for the best in the end... I didn't have to sabotage either boat in the end!

SVFF came in first in that level... the third level overall... pretty darn good!

8 secrets.

oh man... I've been tagged.

I'm suppose to give you 8 secrets about me... I have to think about them first.
Who has secrets????

click the picture for the post secret video :)

money in the bank... and out.

Since Christmas I've been putting a little bit of money aside here and there... waiting to make a fun purchase.
I hemmed and hawwed over it for the past few months, but last night, as I was buying toilet paper... I saw one.

I now own a wii

I may never leave the house again.

ps. welcome guest number 21212 .. I must have just missed you!

because sometimes it's too much

sometimes you need a break at work.
I've taken to giving myself two 5 minute breaks each day.... I call them my "smoke breaks" but no, I'm on facebook. or better.... Homestarrunner.
Because both make me smile.


http://www.homestarrunner.com/onetwo.html

this little ditty will be stuck in your head for a bit... then try out the mixer at the end!

Woot. it's summer.

So, Friday night marked the first... yes, the FIRST of the SVFF meetings... errrrr at least the first of which I was involved... they've been happening since last year's festival ended.

I promised myself to not get too far in over my head this year, and I was only guilted once for dropping my previous role of "find everything and get it over here for us" (Chattel extraordinaire woman) (by the way, the position is still up for grabs, soooooo, if you're one with many a connection... I think you should apply for the position)(and give me a call, I don't mind sharing my knowledge)(this is a run-on sentence)( camouflaged by many a bracket)(I like brackets) this evening, so I still feel pretty good about the decision.
I'm looking forward to working with this team. I'm pretty much the go-fer for the Hospitality area, I heard of some name for the position, but I don't remember it, and I don't really care. In fact, I'm taking on dilligaf mentality this year. About a lot of things. ;)
Likeminded people, a few drinks, and a couple of belly laughs. I'm quite content.


"This is the year to look at the sunflowers" ... thank you Arnie, I think you're right.

little green friends

I have a few new friends... I'll be checking in on them on occasion. Just to see if they need anything.

In celebration of Earth Day this year my house group decided they were fed up with the garbage picking up that generally accounts for the participation of their peer group. They wanted something a little different, soooo the suggestion was to see if we could plant some trees.
GI Nette called up the town to search out some options and low and behold! The town was in need of a few good men (and women) armed with shovels!

So, an army of tree planters was formed, and we marched together to fight global warming (and soil erosion). By the time the rain came pouring down we'd planted a little over 125 trees and had decided that perhaps tree planting was a new way of life.. at least for a few of us....

I'll be stopping in every once in awhile to encourage my little trees to grow... everyone needs some lovin'.

it's true it's true it's true!!!

remember that time?

That time I went to the Hootananny and had so much fun and talked about it for days and days afterwards, and Jenny and I had a thousand inside jokes to our very own for a good long time?

That was a good time.

It's time again for a

Hootananny!

ElbowMarie:: The pirate

Warning:: This is Piratey stuff, if you're sick of pirates, don't read this. If you're not, and it doesn't make sense to you... just go try the game...

Disclaimer:: I will not be held responsible for your addiction, nor for the loss of computer sharing in a family (sorry PaSheff)

Not too long ago, I received what I'd been waiting for...
you see, hard work and perseverance paid off.
I am a self-proclaimed puzzlepiarates addict (a piratetart?), and for months now I've been trying to reach the status of full-fledged pirate. When you join a crew, each has different requirements for this status to come about. You start out as a cabin person, then pirate, then officer, then.... there are others, ... maybe someday an officer, but for now... pirate.
Now, the crew I'm a part of (Fiddlers Green) is great, I love the crew.. I know, it's a game, but you get to know the people you're playing with, and this is a particularly chatty crew... anyway, this crew has some fairly high standards in order to become a pirate .... ok ok, really it's just that you need to have a ranking of Master or higher in Gunning and one other game.... here lay my problem.
I am a terrible gunner. I am afraid of the guns, I am given a heart attack trying to keep up with the game....
But, after many hours of practice, I got up to Master.
Unfortunately, I'm not consistent, I go back and forth between "respected" and "master" with each board I play. And the last time I played (with a total of 24 boards) I switched 18 times.
But... it does not matter, I've been promoted to pirate... I am content. I danced... I sang, I handed out imaginary cookies....

Now if only I could find some more piratey time to play....