Tonight I downloaded our Donovan-to-be doing an interview with The Actor's Studio. He seems like such a warm and wonderful person. Oh yeah, and I share his favourite swear word too! Ha. (That's one of the questions they always ask... ;)
Jim spoke with our producers today who said that we will be able to announce who Donovan is once we have a distributer attached, which they aim to do within the next week or so. We need a distributer before we can apply for Telefilm funding, because distributers are the ones who agree to put movies in theaters or out on DVD. (Think Lions Gate or Maple Pictures, etc.)
When talking to distributers, everything is just smoke n' mirrors until you can produce some goods, like a well known actor, director, etc. In fact, one distribution company who had previously passed is now willing to take a second look at our script based on who our Donovan is. So that's promising!
Anyhow, yeah... hopefully by next week I should be able to give up the goods. Although I've totally spilled the news to a few individuals already. We're just not allowed to make it public-public yet, because you never know... don't wanna jinx anything in case (heaven forbid) we can't find a distributer. Although I doubt that'll happen.
Speaking of making things public, Jim was finally given the go ahead that he could add a new post to our official DE blog. (Although, anyone who knows us knows that THIS has always been the official DE blog! Ha ha. Our other one hasn't had an update since last July!!) The new post is only about who our producers are; however, we have plans to start updating that blog regularly now, and maybe even do some video journals in the future! So that could be pretty cool.
Even though it's not nearly as exciting as this blog (ha!), I encourage you to please check out the DE blog and comment. It'll make our producers think we get more traffic than we actually do! ;)
To visit our official DE blog, please click here!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Kelowna Wins a Spot on Monopoly Board
While I think this is a very cool honour for Kelowna n' all, I think it's a shame that there isn't an even distribution of provinces versus spaces. I realize the names were selected through a voting process, but c'mon... at least they could've included the capital city for each province or something. Instead, half of the spaces are cities in Quebec, while there's nothing to represent Manitoba, Saskatchewan, any of the northern territories or most of the maritimes. Kinda lame, don't you think? Or maybe that's just me...
 The iconic Sails will adorn Kelowna's space on the new Canadian version of Monopoly. (File Photo: Kelly Hayes - Castanet) |
Kelowna wins a spot on Monopoly board
by Rachael Kimola - Story: 55312
Jun 22, 2010 / 1:00 pm
Jun 22, 2010 / 1:00 pm
Landing on Kelowna could cost you $1.6 million.
That's the value of the square on the new Canadian edition of the classic board game Monopoly which will be filled by Kelowna.
After an online voting period, which saw more than one million votes cast over a six week period, the winning cities have been announced.
Kelowna will occupy one of the three magenta squares, along with St. John's and North Bay, Ontario.
On a traditional Monopoly board, Kelowna will occupy the square normally held by Virginia Avenue.
Kelowna's space will feature a picture of the Sails.
The all important Boardwalk will be filled by Chatham-Kent, Ontario and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. will take over Park Place.
Media relations for Tourism Kelowna, Catherine Frechette, says being a part of the game is a great thing for Kelowna.
“It will really keep us on people's minds. They will literally be vying for a piece of very valuable property,” says Frechette.
She says having the city represented on such an iconic game will create some intrigue.
“For people who maybe aren't familiar with Kelowna, seeing our (name) while playing may make them curious about what kind of city we are. It really helps bring us into everyday family entertainment.”
As for the rest of the board, the green squares will be filled by Calgary, Edmonton and Sarnia, Ontario.
Windsor, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières, Que. will be the yellow squares. The red squares will be taken up by Medicine Hat, Gatineau, Que. and Shawinigan, Que.
Kawartha Lakes, Ont., Chilliwack and Montreal will be represented on the orange squares and Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver will fill the light blue spaces.
Last but not least, the brown squares will be filled by Beauceville, Que. and Banff, AB.
The new Monopoly Canadian Edition goes on sale June 28.
That's the value of the square on the new Canadian edition of the classic board game Monopoly which will be filled by Kelowna.
After an online voting period, which saw more than one million votes cast over a six week period, the winning cities have been announced.
Kelowna will occupy one of the three magenta squares, along with St. John's and North Bay, Ontario.
On a traditional Monopoly board, Kelowna will occupy the square normally held by Virginia Avenue.
Kelowna's space will feature a picture of the Sails.
The all important Boardwalk will be filled by Chatham-Kent, Ontario and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que. will take over Park Place.
Media relations for Tourism Kelowna, Catherine Frechette, says being a part of the game is a great thing for Kelowna.
“It will really keep us on people's minds. They will literally be vying for a piece of very valuable property,” says Frechette.
She says having the city represented on such an iconic game will create some intrigue.
“For people who maybe aren't familiar with Kelowna, seeing our (name) while playing may make them curious about what kind of city we are. It really helps bring us into everyday family entertainment.”
As for the rest of the board, the green squares will be filled by Calgary, Edmonton and Sarnia, Ontario.
Windsor, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières, Que. will be the yellow squares. The red squares will be taken up by Medicine Hat, Gatineau, Que. and Shawinigan, Que.
Kawartha Lakes, Ont., Chilliwack and Montreal will be represented on the orange squares and Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver will fill the light blue spaces.
Last but not least, the brown squares will be filled by Beauceville, Que. and Banff, AB.
The new Monopoly Canadian Edition goes on sale June 28.
Monday, June 21, 2010
We Got Him!!
So I was on the phone with my friend this evening, when Jim busted into the room, his eyes wide and psychotic. A look I've never seen on him before. A momentary sense of panic coursed through me as I wondered if one of les chats just choked on one of their notorious hair balls n' died... or something grim like that. But wait... I didn't hear any hacking? And Jim doesn't look upset... just crazed.
In what I'm sure was only a nanosecond, but felt like a good minute or more, he finally spit out the words, "DG JUST SIGNED ON!!"
We shared a huge hug and some shocked laughter. My poor friend on the other end of the phone probably had no idea what was going on, until I put the phone back to my ear and breathlessly blurted out, "He signed on! DG just signed on!" I had just shared the news about our nibble with her moments before, so it was very timely and exciting. She quickly let me off the phone so Jim n' I could celebrate.
Once the papers are signed n' everything I'll disclose who DG is... but suffice to say, he is a household name -- or definitely more so than the first three actors we approached. Everyone on our team has been way more excited about him than anyone else we had considered.
Now, there are still a couple obstacles to overcome, like attaching a distributer and applying for Telefilm funding, but having an actor of DG's calibre attached will definitely give us a massive boost in this process.
Man... we are both thrilled to pieces, and yet strangely numb. I don't think it's sunk in yet. Of course, it's only been about 40 minutes. So why am I writing this instead of celebrating? Because Jim's been on the phone with our producers, etc.
But now he's off... and so am I!
In what I'm sure was only a nanosecond, but felt like a good minute or more, he finally spit out the words, "DG JUST SIGNED ON!!"
We shared a huge hug and some shocked laughter. My poor friend on the other end of the phone probably had no idea what was going on, until I put the phone back to my ear and breathlessly blurted out, "He signed on! DG just signed on!" I had just shared the news about our nibble with her moments before, so it was very timely and exciting. She quickly let me off the phone so Jim n' I could celebrate.
Once the papers are signed n' everything I'll disclose who DG is... but suffice to say, he is a household name -- or definitely more so than the first three actors we approached. Everyone on our team has been way more excited about him than anyone else we had considered.
Now, there are still a couple obstacles to overcome, like attaching a distributer and applying for Telefilm funding, but having an actor of DG's calibre attached will definitely give us a massive boost in this process.
Man... we are both thrilled to pieces, and yet strangely numb. I don't think it's sunk in yet. Of course, it's only been about 40 minutes. So why am I writing this instead of celebrating? Because Jim's been on the phone with our producers, etc.
But now he's off... and so am I!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Roses and Thorns June 12 - 18
Alright, let's see what's in this week's mixed bag.
Rose
'Kay, maybe it's a little too obvious to start with the obvious, but I'm gonna anyway: We got a nibble from our actor.
You may remember me saying that this actor was actually our favourite of the bunch so far. The only reason we didn't consider him earlier was because our casting director hadn't put his name on any of her lists of people in our budget and age bracket.
If we do get him, it'll definitely demonstrate the mantra I've been saying throughout this entire process, "The right person will come along when the time is right." I used to say the same thing when we were looking for producers, and we definitely lucked out with the ones we got. While we certainly made many changes to the script, TC & AS didn't force us to compromise the actual integrity of our story the same way earlier producers were pushing.
Given this baby step in progress, you can imagine our excitement (and anxiousness!) right now. Of course, I should elaborate that it's only just a bite. We've been given no indication as to how the actor responded to the material, except that two weeks ago when the first offer was put in, we were told that his team was "very warm". On Friday (their deadline to decide), his team requested a "formal offer" which now gives them until Wednesday.
Jim n' I asked our producers what the difference is between an offer (which we already made) and a formal offer, and they said that a few things are changed and details are refined. This really didn't answer our question, but whatever... I guess it doesn't concern us. We're not producers. Sounds like it's a pretty standard part of the process.
So yeah... excited, anxious and hopeful. And again, if it somehow turns out that he's not the one, then well... I guess someone else must be. But gawd, it sure would be cool if he was! Jim n' I watched four of his movies over the last two weeks in anticipation. We both think he's great!
Fingers crossed!! Fingers crossed!!
Thorn
The waiting. It can be torture somedays. I'm pretty good at keeping my mind off of it, but now n' then I can't help thinking, "Man... when will we know!?"
Rose
Sunny days down at the beach and boardwalk. Last week I got down there a couple times. I went for a walk with Jim and once with Lara.
I love downtown in the summertime. The boardwalk buzzin' with people selling all their jewelry and crafty things. The sweet mouthwatering smell of Moolicks' fresh waffle cones wafts on the warm breeze. The interesting looking transients make for great people watching. I actually saw two hippies walking a tiny baby goat! I kid you not! (Har, har...) I totally want a baby goat... or a potbelly pig.
And for the first time this year, I finally got to kick off my sandals and rub my feet in the hot sand. Ah... summer is here at last. Or at least for part of the week when it wasn't overcast.
Thorn
I've still been closely following the whole Marc Emery situation south of the border. It completely disgusts me! You know it's bad when even politicians from other parties have been speaking out to parliament on his behalf.
Sorry, but I can't censor myself (even though I've written and deleted the following sentence about four or five times): This whole situation is just fucking bullshit. I obviously have a lot more to say, but I'm gonna reign it in for now and leave my rant for another post.
However, on a related (somewhat) brighter note...
Rose
I emailed Marc's wife, Jodie Emery to express my support and propose an idea I had for a letter writing campaign using templates. Because, let's face it... while some people might care deeply, not everyone is comfortable with writing their MP. Meanwhile, others are too busy or just too damn lazy... Either way, I think emailing a letter template to all fans, friends and supporters would help. It puts the ball directly in their court and eliminates any b.s. excuses of why they haven't written yet.
I empathized that her team is probably feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to balance both business-as-usual as well as the whole Free Marc campaign. So I volunteered myself as a writer and offered to help out in any small way that I can.
Surprisingly enough, she wrote me back that very afternoon. It turns out that there are only three (!) of them who are trying to balance everything! There is a definite lack of resources, and she admits that with so many immediate-response-needed tasks throughout the day, important things that she wants to do, like a letter writing campaign and petitions, keep getting pushed aside. (Which I think is something that we can all relate to in one way or another... there are never enough hours.)
She admits that she's not organized to the extend that she wants/needs to be. Therefore, she has happily taken me up on my offer. I have already written up some letter templates for both CDN and US supporters. (Which are much better than the letter I sent myself. Oh well... :P) Now it's just a matter of her web guy finding the time to get the letters posted online.
Look at me! I've finally found a valuable purpose for all those transferable skills I learned at the big B... ;)
I have some bigger ideas too... but I'm gonna wait until this part is done first. One step atta time.
Thorn
Jim n' I have been pretty good at watching our money lately; however, last weekend kinda tore a hole in our pocket.
Jim met up with the guys next door for a drink, and ordered a half liter of red wine because he knew I'd join them a little later. Now, there are a bunch of new waitresses at Brandt's for the summer, and the one serving Jim didn't know what the house red was. Apparently Jim suggested that it might be a shiraz. (Although in my experience, house wines are usually not shiraz... I think he just said that because that's usually what we buy.) Anyhow, I guess she took his suggestion as an order for a half liter of shiraz instead. (Which will be relevant later in the story.)
I showed up late and the conversations were flowin' nicely. Jim n' I debated, and thought that since we've been so good at budgeting lately, maybe it'd be okay if we splurged on another half liter and stayed a while longer. Little did we know what kind of splurge that would be!
When the bill came, it was over $50 for just the two half liters. The receipt read, "Shiraz '88". WTF? We were drinking 22 year old wine?! We were kinda choked. When he went up to pay, Jim told the waitress that this was not what he intended. He was only suggesting that the house wine might be a shiraz... he didn't mean to order a 22 year old wine. She apologized profusely and admitted that she should've said something. (Umm... yeah... probably.) She then told the manager who gave us a 10% discount. Of course, that didn't really matter, because Jim still ended up tipping her more than he should have.
Oh well... I didn't stay annoyed about it for very long, because what can you do? What's done is done.
Rose
I went to a really neat art exhibit at the Alternator Gallery with Laura on Friday night: "Jesus Coyote Traveling Art and Healing Show" by Chris Bose. The artist was a friend of a friend of hers. It was pretty funky stuff. The longer you looked at it, the more you saw, which I thought was very cool. From what I got looking at all the pieces, I believe the overall theme seemed to be about the Indian residential schools.
I had a few favourite pieces and would've loved to buy a memento of the event, but I found that the artist wasn't as... hmm... I don't know if "organized" is the right word? He just didn't have anything for sale, and I think he should have.
When Jeremy did his art show, you could actually buy his pieces or a book. He eventually had some postcards printed up too. I was expecting the same sort of thing, but there was nothing, which is too bad.
The exhibit is on until July 31st if you want to check it out. (The Alternator Gallery is located at the Rotery Center for the Arts.)
Thorn
My little garden totally sucks compared to everyone else's. It's kinda embarrassing. I guess I got a late start since my patch was "floating" for a good week after that first flooding, so I staggered my planting over the next couple weeks. So while everyone else has these absolutely gorgeous gardens, the only gorgeous thing about mine are the markers I painted. Ha. Poor little garden.
Although I do have to say that my balcony garden is doing fabulous. I've been enjoying lots of basil n' cilantro, and I even have a few little green tomatoes and cayenne peppers. Yay!
Rose
The countdown is on until my surprise. I'm very impressed that no one has spoiled it. Oooh! Can't wait!
Thorn
That dumb bitch that Gary Coleman divorced. I'm not like this huge GC fan or anything, yet whenever I see that insanely insensitive tabloid cover of the tragic death bed photo of Gary, with her leaning into frame like the stupid see-you-next-Tuesday that she is, it just pisses me off. (For those of you who haven't heard, she actually hired professional photographers to come in and take photos of him before and after his death so that she could sell them to tabloids. Gross, huh?)
Whenever I'm in line at a store, I've been turning that tabloid around backwards so people don't have to see it. I know tabloids are terrible (duh...), but that cover story is just so low, it's absolutely despicable. I hope she gets what she has coming.
Okay, I know I've said it before, but I seriously gotta switch the order of these roses n' thorns so I'm not always ending them on a sour note. Maybe five roses and four thorns is a better balance, huh? Maybe next week.
Rose
'Kay, maybe it's a little too obvious to start with the obvious, but I'm gonna anyway: We got a nibble from our actor.
You may remember me saying that this actor was actually our favourite of the bunch so far. The only reason we didn't consider him earlier was because our casting director hadn't put his name on any of her lists of people in our budget and age bracket.
If we do get him, it'll definitely demonstrate the mantra I've been saying throughout this entire process, "The right person will come along when the time is right." I used to say the same thing when we were looking for producers, and we definitely lucked out with the ones we got. While we certainly made many changes to the script, TC & AS didn't force us to compromise the actual integrity of our story the same way earlier producers were pushing.
Given this baby step in progress, you can imagine our excitement (and anxiousness!) right now. Of course, I should elaborate that it's only just a bite. We've been given no indication as to how the actor responded to the material, except that two weeks ago when the first offer was put in, we were told that his team was "very warm". On Friday (their deadline to decide), his team requested a "formal offer" which now gives them until Wednesday.
Jim n' I asked our producers what the difference is between an offer (which we already made) and a formal offer, and they said that a few things are changed and details are refined. This really didn't answer our question, but whatever... I guess it doesn't concern us. We're not producers. Sounds like it's a pretty standard part of the process.
So yeah... excited, anxious and hopeful. And again, if it somehow turns out that he's not the one, then well... I guess someone else must be. But gawd, it sure would be cool if he was! Jim n' I watched four of his movies over the last two weeks in anticipation. We both think he's great!
Fingers crossed!! Fingers crossed!!
Thorn
The waiting. It can be torture somedays. I'm pretty good at keeping my mind off of it, but now n' then I can't help thinking, "Man... when will we know!?"
Rose
Sunny days down at the beach and boardwalk. Last week I got down there a couple times. I went for a walk with Jim and once with Lara.
I love downtown in the summertime. The boardwalk buzzin' with people selling all their jewelry and crafty things. The sweet mouthwatering smell of Moolicks' fresh waffle cones wafts on the warm breeze. The interesting looking transients make for great people watching. I actually saw two hippies walking a tiny baby goat! I kid you not! (Har, har...) I totally want a baby goat... or a potbelly pig.
And for the first time this year, I finally got to kick off my sandals and rub my feet in the hot sand. Ah... summer is here at last. Or at least for part of the week when it wasn't overcast.
Thorn
I've still been closely following the whole Marc Emery situation south of the border. It completely disgusts me! You know it's bad when even politicians from other parties have been speaking out to parliament on his behalf.
Sorry, but I can't censor myself (even though I've written and deleted the following sentence about four or five times): This whole situation is just fucking bullshit. I obviously have a lot more to say, but I'm gonna reign it in for now and leave my rant for another post.
However, on a related (somewhat) brighter note...
Rose
I emailed Marc's wife, Jodie Emery to express my support and propose an idea I had for a letter writing campaign using templates. Because, let's face it... while some people might care deeply, not everyone is comfortable with writing their MP. Meanwhile, others are too busy or just too damn lazy... Either way, I think emailing a letter template to all fans, friends and supporters would help. It puts the ball directly in their court and eliminates any b.s. excuses of why they haven't written yet.
I empathized that her team is probably feeling pretty overwhelmed trying to balance both business-as-usual as well as the whole Free Marc campaign. So I volunteered myself as a writer and offered to help out in any small way that I can.
Surprisingly enough, she wrote me back that very afternoon. It turns out that there are only three (!) of them who are trying to balance everything! There is a definite lack of resources, and she admits that with so many immediate-response-needed tasks throughout the day, important things that she wants to do, like a letter writing campaign and petitions, keep getting pushed aside. (Which I think is something that we can all relate to in one way or another... there are never enough hours.)
She admits that she's not organized to the extend that she wants/needs to be. Therefore, she has happily taken me up on my offer. I have already written up some letter templates for both CDN and US supporters. (Which are much better than the letter I sent myself. Oh well... :P) Now it's just a matter of her web guy finding the time to get the letters posted online.
Look at me! I've finally found a valuable purpose for all those transferable skills I learned at the big B... ;)
I have some bigger ideas too... but I'm gonna wait until this part is done first. One step atta time.
Thorn
Jim n' I have been pretty good at watching our money lately; however, last weekend kinda tore a hole in our pocket.
Jim met up with the guys next door for a drink, and ordered a half liter of red wine because he knew I'd join them a little later. Now, there are a bunch of new waitresses at Brandt's for the summer, and the one serving Jim didn't know what the house red was. Apparently Jim suggested that it might be a shiraz. (Although in my experience, house wines are usually not shiraz... I think he just said that because that's usually what we buy.) Anyhow, I guess she took his suggestion as an order for a half liter of shiraz instead. (Which will be relevant later in the story.)
I showed up late and the conversations were flowin' nicely. Jim n' I debated, and thought that since we've been so good at budgeting lately, maybe it'd be okay if we splurged on another half liter and stayed a while longer. Little did we know what kind of splurge that would be!
When the bill came, it was over $50 for just the two half liters. The receipt read, "Shiraz '88". WTF? We were drinking 22 year old wine?! We were kinda choked. When he went up to pay, Jim told the waitress that this was not what he intended. He was only suggesting that the house wine might be a shiraz... he didn't mean to order a 22 year old wine. She apologized profusely and admitted that she should've said something. (Umm... yeah... probably.) She then told the manager who gave us a 10% discount. Of course, that didn't really matter, because Jim still ended up tipping her more than he should have.
Oh well... I didn't stay annoyed about it for very long, because what can you do? What's done is done.
Rose
I went to a really neat art exhibit at the Alternator Gallery with Laura on Friday night: "Jesus Coyote Traveling Art and Healing Show" by Chris Bose. The artist was a friend of a friend of hers. It was pretty funky stuff. The longer you looked at it, the more you saw, which I thought was very cool. From what I got looking at all the pieces, I believe the overall theme seemed to be about the Indian residential schools.
I had a few favourite pieces and would've loved to buy a memento of the event, but I found that the artist wasn't as... hmm... I don't know if "organized" is the right word? He just didn't have anything for sale, and I think he should have.
When Jeremy did his art show, you could actually buy his pieces or a book. He eventually had some postcards printed up too. I was expecting the same sort of thing, but there was nothing, which is too bad.
The exhibit is on until July 31st if you want to check it out. (The Alternator Gallery is located at the Rotery Center for the Arts.)
Thorn
My little garden totally sucks compared to everyone else's. It's kinda embarrassing. I guess I got a late start since my patch was "floating" for a good week after that first flooding, so I staggered my planting over the next couple weeks. So while everyone else has these absolutely gorgeous gardens, the only gorgeous thing about mine are the markers I painted. Ha. Poor little garden.
Although I do have to say that my balcony garden is doing fabulous. I've been enjoying lots of basil n' cilantro, and I even have a few little green tomatoes and cayenne peppers. Yay!
Rose
The countdown is on until my surprise. I'm very impressed that no one has spoiled it. Oooh! Can't wait!
Thorn
That dumb bitch that Gary Coleman divorced. I'm not like this huge GC fan or anything, yet whenever I see that insanely insensitive tabloid cover of the tragic death bed photo of Gary, with her leaning into frame like the stupid see-you-next-Tuesday that she is, it just pisses me off. (For those of you who haven't heard, she actually hired professional photographers to come in and take photos of him before and after his death so that she could sell them to tabloids. Gross, huh?)
Whenever I'm in line at a store, I've been turning that tabloid around backwards so people don't have to see it. I know tabloids are terrible (duh...), but that cover story is just so low, it's absolutely despicable. I hope she gets what she has coming.
Okay, I know I've said it before, but I seriously gotta switch the order of these roses n' thorns so I'm not always ending them on a sour note. Maybe five roses and four thorns is a better balance, huh? Maybe next week.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Largest dinosaur graveyard found in Alberta
Thought this was a cool story. I'd love to visit Drumheller someday.
Largest dinosaur graveyard found in Alberta
Last Updated: Thursday, June 17, 2010 | 10:20 PM ET
The Canadian Press
Plant-eating dinosaurs drowned when the vast coastal landscape that is now Western Canada was submerged during tropical storms or hurricanes, researchers say. (Royal Tyrell Museum)Scientists in Alberta have discovered the largest dinosaur bonebed ever documented — along with evidence of massive carnage — near Hilda, 50 kilometres north of Medicine Hat.
The find covers an area of about 2.3 square kilometres and contains thousands of bones from the plant-eating dinosaur Centrosaurus apertus, according to New Perspectives On Horned Dinosaurs, a book published this month by Indiana University Press.
Bonebeds containing centrosaurus, a type of horned dinosaur distantly related to the Triceratops, have been documented in Alberta since the early 1980s, providing the first evidence that some dinosaurs lived in herds.
However, officials at the Royal Tyrrell Museum say the Hilda site provides the first solid evidence that some horned dinosaur herds were much larger than previously thought, with numbers comfortably in the high hundreds to low thousands.
"Data from this mega bonebed provide pretty clear evidence that these and other dinosaurs were routinely wiped out by catastrophic tropical storms that flooded what was once a coastal lowland here in Alberta, 76 million years ago," said David Eberth, a senior research scientist at the museum, the lead author on the study and one of the book's three editors.
Rather than picturing the animals as drowning while crossing a river — a classic scenario that has been used to explain bonebed occurrences at many sites in Alberta — the research team interpreted the vast coastal landscape as being submerged during tropical storms or hurricanes.
With no high ground to escape to, most of the members of the herd drowned in the rising coastal waters. Carcasses were deposited in clumps across kilometres of ancient landscape as floodwaters receded.
"It's unlikely that these animals could tread water for very long, so the scale of the carnage must have been breathtaking," said Eberth. "The evidence suggests that after the flood, dinosaur scavengers trampled and smashed bones in their attempt to feast on the rotting remains."
The Hilda mega bonebed also helps explain why dinosaurs are so abundant in the badlands of Western Canada.
"Not only can we now explain why these kinds of horned dinosaurs are preserved in such great abundance here, but the tropical storm model also explains why there are so many kinds of dinosaurs preserved in the rocks at Dinosaur Provincial Park, the Drumheller area and even Grande Prairie, and why they are often found preserved so exquisitely," Eberth said.
According to the team, coastal plain floods like those that afflict modern Bangladesh occur on a geographic scale that is so vast that they often kill large varieties and numbers of the larger terrestrial animals, regardless of whether they lived solitary lives or spent their time in large herds.
They said that because of their size and the scale of the flooding, dinosaurs could not escape the coastal floodwaters and would have been killed in large numbers.
In contrast, fish, small reptiles, mammals and birds may have been able to escape such seasonal catastrophes by retreating to quiet water areas, the safety of trees and burrows or simply by flying away.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Awkward Family Pet Photos
The creators of Awkward Family Photos now bring you a new site called Awkward Family Pet Photos.
Oh man, some of these are just toooo funny.
Check it out! It's a laser cat!
This pic was taken at my sister's place. ;)
So, I'm just wondering.... are the chickens their prom dates or what?
I'm dying to know the thought process behind this one.
Oh darn. There goes my original idea for next year's Christmas card. (Just a side note, that calico cat looks humiliated, doesn't s/he? Although I think the orange one is kinda into it....)
Oh man, some of these are just toooo funny.
Check it out! It's a laser cat!
This pic was taken at my sister's place. ;)
So, I'm just wondering.... are the chickens their prom dates or what?
I'm dying to know the thought process behind this one.
Oh darn. There goes my original idea for next year's Christmas card. (Just a side note, that calico cat looks humiliated, doesn't s/he? Although I think the orange one is kinda into it....)
Caravaggio
For instance, did you know that when Caravaggio was commissioned to paint Death of the Virgin, he had one of his prostitute pals pose as the virgin for him?
Scandalous!
He also didn't paint the beautiful image of Mary that the church was anticipating. (Y'know, Mary rising up to heaven, surrounded by a glowing halo of white light n' all that.) Nope. Instead, he chose to paint the ugly reality. There Mary lies, lifeless, bloated, and with dirty feet. As for her mourners, if you look closely you can see that they wear dirty clothes and one even exposes his own dirty feet at her death bed. Needless to say, the painting shocked and angered the church.
And boy, I ate it up! This is art history at it's best!
(Okay, then again, maybe that's just me.... I've always been a total art history nerd. Who else would spot a familiar painting in the distance, rush down a long corridor ahead of her poor new unsuspecting husband, and when he finally catches up, immediately starts reciting all her tenth grade knowledge about the story behind the painting and the artist's colourful history. Ha ha. Geek! Geek!)
Another little nifty Caravaggio fact is that he was also known to include his own image in a number of paintings. The best example is found in David with the Head of Goliath. Here, David wears the face of Caravaggio as a boy, while Goliath is a self-portrait of Caravaggio as a man. Cool, huh?A man always on the run, Caravaggio was exiled from countless cities all over Europe for his horrible behaviour. Of course, to say he had a temper would be an understatement. The history books say that Caravaggio was known to break into violent tantrums, such as throwing hot soup in a waiter's face or once killing a man over a tennis match.
I know what you're thinking, and I would have to agree -- Caravaggio sounds like the biggest dickhead ever! And yet I've always found myself absolutely captivated by him. So, you can see why I found the following article of interest...
Italian researchers say they have confirmed with 85 per cent certainty that bones found in the Tuscan beach town of Porto Ercole belong to the artist Caravaggio.
A copy of a portrait of baroque master Caravaggio is seen in a laboratory in Ravenna in northern Italy on Jan. 22. (Tony Gentile/Reuters)Anthropologists in Ravenna compared bones found in the town with descendants of Caravaggio's family. They also carbon dated the bones.
"There can't be the scientific certainty because when one works on ancient DNA, it is degraded," said Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist on the research team. "But only in one set of bones did we find all the elements necessary for it to be Caravaggio's — age, period in which he died, gender, height."
The bones in question — part of a skull, two jaw pieces and a femur — were displayed in Ravenna Wednesday.
But the cause of Caravaggio's death in 1610 may never be known.
The artist, who had a reputation for bar brawls and encounters with prostitutes, had recently landed in the town when he collapsed on the beach at age 39.
The research team believes he may have died from sunstroke while weakened by syphilis and other ailments. However, it is not possible to confirm the diagnosis, because sunstroke leaves no traces in the bones.
The bones recovered by the team belonged to a man who stood about 170 centimetres and who was between 38 and 40 years of age around 1610.
A journalist walks in front of Caravaggio's Judith Beheading Holofernes at a Rome exhibition highlighting the artist's work on Feb. 19. (Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press)The DNA in the bones was compared with the DNA of men with the surname Merisi or Merisio who currently live near the northern Italian town where Caravaggio was born in 1571. The artist himself, whose given name was Michelangelo Merisi, had no children, so there are no direct descendants.
Italy is celebrating the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio, who is known for his vivid use of light and his occasional gory choice of subject matter.
His noted works include Bacchus, The David with the Head of Goliath, Judith beheading Holofernes, The Cardsharps and Supper at Emmaus.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Forwards
I receive a lot more forwards than I send. Sometimes I take the time to go through them all, and sometimes I don't. It really depends on the day, and if I'm flooded with a ton at once. (My definition of a ton being any more than 6 or 7 forwards at a time. Call me a lightweight, but that feels like a ton to me.)
I usually give each email a quick once over and then delete. I don't bother forwarding because most are either old or lame jokes, hoaxes easily exposed via Snopes, or chain letters insisting that the email is being tracked, so you should forward it to all your friends within the next 10 minutes for National Friendship Week. Be sure to hold down F5 when you click send because... you'll see why! It's soooo cool!!! (Raise your hand if you've received emails like this. Now please keep your hand raised if you were dumb enough to try it. Ha!)
That being said, now n' then my inbox will greet me with a little gem, like the one I received from my Uncle Barry today. It's an oldie but a goody. Of course I've always been a sucker for a good pun.
SAD NEWS...
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.
I usually give each email a quick once over and then delete. I don't bother forwarding because most are either old or lame jokes, hoaxes easily exposed via Snopes, or chain letters insisting that the email is being tracked, so you should forward it to all your friends within the next 10 minutes for National Friendship Week. Be sure to hold down F5 when you click send because... you'll see why! It's soooo cool!!! (Raise your hand if you've received emails like this. Now please keep your hand raised if you were dumb enough to try it. Ha!)
That being said, now n' then my inbox will greet me with a little gem, like the one I received from my Uncle Barry today. It's an oldie but a goody. Of course I've always been a sucker for a good pun.
SAD NEWS...
Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.
Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The gravesite was piled high with flours.
Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times he still was a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.
Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, two children, John Dough and Jane Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.
The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.
If this made you smile for even a brief second, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and share that smile with someone else who may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.
Can I Just Say...
Sitting out here on the swing, I just inhaled the most heavenly whiff of fresh donuts from Tim Horton's. I swear I can almost taste them.
In the five years I've lived in this building (has it been five years already!?), besides the usual outdoor smells, only greasy goodness has punctuated the evening air. Next door, buttery veggies and fried rice waft from the back of the Wok Out Restaurant, while deep-fried pub grub rushes the vents at Brandt's Creek. Occasionally, Micky Dee's trademarked and patented salty fries scent will roll on over and join the party. But never before has the sweet scent of Tim Horton's donuts made it's way across the street.
It was really refreshing while it lasted.
But now it's gone.
Okay, that's all I had to say.
Summer Slam Roller Derby
Now, I'm well aware that I can't roller skate to save my life -- let alone body check others while staying balanced. Still, I wanted to be involved in some capacity.
So a few weeks ago I sent "Boom Boom Buttercup" an email to ask about volunteering opportunities. She sent me a really friendly book of an email back, and then another message last night to let me pick which job I wanted: checking tickets at the doors, selling programs or selling 50/50 tickets. I said I'd like to sell 50/50 tickets. That way I'll still get to walk around and watch the bout. Plus, selling tickets feels more social and mingly than standing at the doors all night.
So if you have nothing better going on next weekend, then I think you should show your love to your local roller derby grrls and come on out... and buy some 50/50 tickets from me! :) The evening promises to be fun, fun fun!!! There will also be an after party at Flashbacks which I haven't decided whether or not I will go to. Still playing that by ear...
Below I've included a recent Castanet article on the Peach Tarts n' the bout. Hope to see you there!
 The Peach Tarts practice at Prospera Place Sunday afternoon. (Photo: Elisha Dacey - Castanet) |
Tarts lacing up for first home match
by Elisha Dacey - Story: 54987
Jun 7, 2010 / 6:00 am
Jun 7, 2010 / 6:00 am
Take one part playground brawl, one part track race, add a dash of sex and a whole lotta roller blades, and you've got roller derby.
And now, so does Kelowna.
The Peach Tarts, Kelowna's first roller derby team in decades, presents their very first home match at Prospera Place next week, and Okanagan Roller Derby league board president Kaz "Bettie" Zvanitajs say they're doing their best to get ready.
Zvanitajs describes the basic rules as this:
"Each team has five girls on the track. Four girls from each team are blockers, so they're primarily defence...The jammer, one from each team, is the point scorer. The pack of eight girls, they take off at the first whistle. The second whistle, the jammers take off.
"They have to manoeuvre their way through the pack, skate a lap, and then on their second pass through, for each opposing skater that they pass, they get a point."
Anyone who has watched a match knows it's a rough sport, with hitting, shoving, pushing and lots of chances for injury. "There's... broken things," drawls Zvanitajs, "and lots of bruises."
So what's the appeal?
"It's just very dynamic, you've got lots of interesting women with alter egos, and they're dressed up and they're hitting each other," laughs Zvanitajs. "I mean, it's pretty spectacular."
Zvanitajs says roller derby came onto her radar about five years ago, and 18 months ago she approached a co-worker about starting a team. Tons of research and 35 team members later, the Peach Tarts are currently practicing out of Prospera Place and have already had bouts, including one in Abbotsford last week.
"Oh, we lost terribly," laughs Zvanitajs. "They're a lot more experienced team than we are, and they blocked the hell out of us...but every bout is amazing, we learn so much."
There are four roller derby leagues in the interior, including the Okanagan Roller Derby, which is the league the Peach Tarts play in. The Peach Tarts go up against The Raggedy Rollers out of the Okanagan-Shushwap league June 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 and are available at selectyourtickets.com, and kids under 12 are free.
And now, so does Kelowna.
The Peach Tarts, Kelowna's first roller derby team in decades, presents their very first home match at Prospera Place next week, and Okanagan Roller Derby league board president Kaz "Bettie" Zvanitajs say they're doing their best to get ready.
Zvanitajs describes the basic rules as this:
"Each team has five girls on the track. Four girls from each team are blockers, so they're primarily defence...The jammer, one from each team, is the point scorer. The pack of eight girls, they take off at the first whistle. The second whistle, the jammers take off.
"They have to manoeuvre their way through the pack, skate a lap, and then on their second pass through, for each opposing skater that they pass, they get a point."
Anyone who has watched a match knows it's a rough sport, with hitting, shoving, pushing and lots of chances for injury. "There's... broken things," drawls Zvanitajs, "and lots of bruises."
So what's the appeal?
"It's just very dynamic, you've got lots of interesting women with alter egos, and they're dressed up and they're hitting each other," laughs Zvanitajs. "I mean, it's pretty spectacular."
Zvanitajs says roller derby came onto her radar about five years ago, and 18 months ago she approached a co-worker about starting a team. Tons of research and 35 team members later, the Peach Tarts are currently practicing out of Prospera Place and have already had bouts, including one in Abbotsford last week.
"Oh, we lost terribly," laughs Zvanitajs. "They're a lot more experienced team than we are, and they blocked the hell out of us...but every bout is amazing, we learn so much."
There are four roller derby leagues in the interior, including the Okanagan Roller Derby, which is the league the Peach Tarts play in. The Peach Tarts go up against The Raggedy Rollers out of the Okanagan-Shushwap league June 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12.50 and are available at selectyourtickets.com, and kids under 12 are free.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Oliver Mudslide
From what I heard on the news tonight, it ripped about five large homes right up from their foundations. It will be interesting to find out what caused it. I sure hope there were no casualties. Crazy stuff!
 Photo: Contributed - Janice Manders |
Oliver mudslide: Update
by RCMP - Story: 55129
Jun 13, 2010 / 6:20 pm
Jun 13, 2010 / 6:20 pm
Local and Provincial Emergency Services personel were alerted to a massive landslide between Oliver and Osoyoos around 2:20 p.m. Sunday afternoon.
Oliver and Osoyoos RCMP along with Oliver Volunteer Fire Dept were the first responders.
A mountain slope on the western side of the valley was the site of the slide at Road 14 and Hwy 97.
Hwy 97 remains blocked with North and South traffic requested to divert to Hwy 3a via Keremeos until further notice.
Approximately five homes were affected.
The landslide came from the western hillside and wiped out several homes / structures continuing over Hwy 97 and into nearby Testindla Creek.
This is in a predominantly orchard agricultural area. The mud is approx 8 to 12 ft high over the stretch of Hwy 97.
Police fire and Provincial emergency crews are combing the area to confirm wether there are any injuries or persons unaccounted.
A Police Service Dog team is on scene along with RCMP Air Services helicopter.
The Ministry of Environment is involved and assisting in assessing the situation and cause of the slide.
Oliver and Osoyoos RCMP along with Oliver Volunteer Fire Dept were the first responders.
A mountain slope on the western side of the valley was the site of the slide at Road 14 and Hwy 97.
Hwy 97 remains blocked with North and South traffic requested to divert to Hwy 3a via Keremeos until further notice.
Approximately five homes were affected.
The landslide came from the western hillside and wiped out several homes / structures continuing over Hwy 97 and into nearby Testindla Creek.
This is in a predominantly orchard agricultural area. The mud is approx 8 to 12 ft high over the stretch of Hwy 97.
Police fire and Provincial emergency crews are combing the area to confirm wether there are any injuries or persons unaccounted.
A Police Service Dog team is on scene along with RCMP Air Services helicopter.
The Ministry of Environment is involved and assisting in assessing the situation and cause of the slide.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Roses and Thorns June 5 - 11
Here are the latest...
Rose
Our community garden survived the weekend. Small blessings...
On an interesting related note, did you know that community gardens in the roughest parts of central L.A. and Detroit go untouched, and are actually proven to reduce vandalism in the surrounding area. So, what's up with these Glenmore brats? I think they should be dropped off in central L.A. or Detroit to see who survives better... the community gardens or them.
Thorn
Really stupid crap that other people I know are dealing with. *shakes head* Counting my blessings...
Rose
New paint brushes! I needed a couple small brushes for finer details, and found a set of 5 on sale at Opus. I love Opus, as dangerous as it is to my bank account. I went in, found exactly what I needed, (small brushes, a round canvas and a big tube of red acrylic paint) and left immediately. I've seriously thought of working there just so I can get discounts...
Thorn
The tight, hard knot I got in one of my abdominal muscles after adding a new exercise to my routine. It really hurt. I mean, it wasn't "whining n' complaining all day to whoever will listen" sort of pain, but more like "Ow! Damn, I can't believe that still hurts!" sort of pain.
Rose
On a related rose, I'm feeling really healthy n' fit this week! Inspired by that "Last Ten Pounds" show, Jim n' I decided to kick our butts in gear for four weeks before beach season. Not that we want to lose ten pounds per se, but like most people, we each have our own personal fitness goals. So we're going to do it f'real this time... because we say it every year, and then summertime comes along and we always spend less time running along Brandt's Creek Path, than we do drinking at Brandt's Creek Pub. :P
Rose
Our night out at the Blue Gator was pretty fun. Of course, I already told you all about that...
Thorn
An obnoxious person that left me feeling icky. When I couldn't shake their b.s. from my mind, I did a total olive oil and Himalayan salt scrub-down to cleanse away all the yuckiness I was feeling. I know it's totally a mental/symbolic thing, but it helps me feel like I'm washing away their negative energy -- plus it makes your skin really silky smooth!
Rose
Oh, I don't know what I should choose for this last rose. How about...
Rose
Our community garden survived the weekend. Small blessings...
On an interesting related note, did you know that community gardens in the roughest parts of central L.A. and Detroit go untouched, and are actually proven to reduce vandalism in the surrounding area. So, what's up with these Glenmore brats? I think they should be dropped off in central L.A. or Detroit to see who survives better... the community gardens or them.
Thorn
Really stupid crap that other people I know are dealing with. *shakes head* Counting my blessings...
Rose
New paint brushes! I needed a couple small brushes for finer details, and found a set of 5 on sale at Opus. I love Opus, as dangerous as it is to my bank account. I went in, found exactly what I needed, (small brushes, a round canvas and a big tube of red acrylic paint) and left immediately. I've seriously thought of working there just so I can get discounts...
Thorn
The tight, hard knot I got in one of my abdominal muscles after adding a new exercise to my routine. It really hurt. I mean, it wasn't "whining n' complaining all day to whoever will listen" sort of pain, but more like "Ow! Damn, I can't believe that still hurts!" sort of pain.
Rose
On a related rose, I'm feeling really healthy n' fit this week! Inspired by that "Last Ten Pounds" show, Jim n' I decided to kick our butts in gear for four weeks before beach season. Not that we want to lose ten pounds per se, but like most people, we each have our own personal fitness goals. So we're going to do it f'real this time... because we say it every year, and then summertime comes along and we always spend less time running along Brandt's Creek Path, than we do drinking at Brandt's Creek Pub. :P
Thorn
I just broke one of my paint brushes while writing this post. (Look at me multitask!) It had a really long thin handle, and when I pressed it against the paper towel to dry it off, I guess I must've pushed on the middle too hard and snapped it in half. Must be all those exercises I'm doing -- I don't know my own strength! ;) Oh well, I thought that brush was too long anyway.
Rose
Our night out at the Blue Gator was pretty fun. Of course, I already told you all about that...
Thorn
An obnoxious person that left me feeling icky. When I couldn't shake their b.s. from my mind, I did a total olive oil and Himalayan salt scrub-down to cleanse away all the yuckiness I was feeling. I know it's totally a mental/symbolic thing, but it helps me feel like I'm washing away their negative energy -- plus it makes your skin really silky smooth!
Rose
Oh, I don't know what I should choose for this last rose. How about...
- My basil, fennel and cilantro are all ready to be picked.
- Two of my cayenne peppers will be ready soon too.
- My pretty pink fire helmet for the Fire Museum is coming along nicely.
- As are my sparkly garden markers that I'm making for myself and for another person.
- I received a belated birthday card from my friend Amanda today. (She learned that apparently cards need stamps in order to be successfully mailed. Ha ha.)
- I also received a very thoughtful email from my cousin'd Jodie regarding this blog.
- I'm lovin' new Jerkins Natural Glow Express made for those of us who can't tan.
- I'm also lovin' Sweet Heat Mustard for those of us who like it hot.
- I enjoyed having tea with mon garcon at the Bean Scene yesterday.
- Also yesterday, Cheryl shared the funniest true story about a troll in the closet. It's the stuff urban legends are made of! (But since it's not my story to publish, I won't write it here. You'll have to email me...)
- I'm counting down the days --14 more sleeps until... something.
- I could go on, but I think I'll stop here...
Thorn
We are anxiously waiting to hear back from an actor, but trying really hard not to think about it. I almost feel queasy if I think about it too much. As I mentioned before, he is by far the best so far. But whatever is meant to be, will be... right?
Okay, that's it for another week.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Incoherent Nonsense
- The title of this post is what Jim called it when I read it to him. I was going to call it "Randoms".
- Painting a firefighter helmet is much easier said than done. That lip at the front is especially tricky when trying to maneuver my brush in its usual "soul swirl" style.
- I really like Sarah McLaughlin's version of the Beatles' song Blackbird.
- I have always loved Pee-Wee Herman, even when it wasn't cool. (Wait... was it ever cool to heart Pee-Wee? I may need to rethink that statement...) Anyhow, I am super happy for his comeback on Broadway. You go Pee-Wee!!!
- Speaking of Broadway, ever since I was a kid, saxophones have always made me think of New York City in the rain. I have no idea why.
- I'm gonna need to buy some more red paint soon.
- While catchy, the lyrics to Jack Johnson's song Bubble Toes kinda grosses me out. "Her feet are infested with tar balls"? Ew...
- We had our first BBQ of the season tonight. Zucchini, red pepper and red onion kabobs with spicy veggie Italian sausages. Yum!
- I bought some special sweet n' spicy mustard for the occasion. Double yum!
- Keeping the "6 to 8 passes average" thing in mind, I'm trying really hard not to think about the latest actor we put an offer out to on Friday. His name only came up with the casting director last week, and he's by far the best of the bunch. We all think so. Damn... Stop. Thinking. Melodie.
- The inside of my ear is really itchy for some reason and it's driving me nuts.
- Every time I turn my head, Emmy keeps trying to drink my dirty paint water.
- Did I mention that I'm painting as I write these random thoughts? Well I am. Who said you can't do two things at once?
- You know who else I like besides Pee-Wee? Mr. Bean. I love that funny bumbling little man.
- I just realized that Mr. Bean shares a dopey resemblance to one of my first roommates, Shawn. Only I think Shawn had worse hair.
- My first apartment was originally a brothel... or so said some old-timey fellow. Don't ask me how he knew, but I believe him. His description of all the tiny bedrooms matched up. There were 8 little bedrooms between the two apartments.
- As I wrote the above bullet, Hometown Glory by Adele started playing. Oh, the memories of living in a brothel in my hometown....
- I think I'm doing more writing than painting here, so I better wrap this up and wash my brushes, so we have time to watch the rest of Lethal Weapon before bed.
- I think Mel Gibson is a nut, but I really do enjoy those movies.
- G'night.
Monday, June 7, 2010
I Look Too Young To Feel This Old
On Saturday night Ray invited us to join him at the Blue Gator to check out his good friend, Cathy Ann Wells, a.k.a. Phat Betty, who would be performing. I had seen her play before, many moons ago when I used to work there. She's really great. Very Janis Joplin-esque.
As I may have mentioned before, I don't have a lot of fond memories about the Blue Gator. The tips sucked almost as much as the management, and some of the clientele was on the shady side. Not all of 'em, but on your average night, I'd say about 25 - 30% of the customers were either creepy, really rough around the edges or hard drug dealers... Not that I actually had a problem with the latter. Sounds bad to say, but two of my favourite regulars were coke dealers -- they were always very friendly and they tipped really well. Plus, they just loooved me because they thought I was so sweet... and well, can ya blame them? Ha ha.
Anyhow, you get the idea... it's a blues club. So it seems to attract not only folks who love the blues, but folks who live the blues. Plus, it's located only a block or two from skid row, so one can obviously expect a mixed bag of customers.
But despite all that, the entertainment has always been fabulous. With awesome live music to look forward to every night of the week, it almost made up for the shitty management, tips, and occasional dine n' dashes.... almost.
I don't get down there very often, so I was kinda looking forward to Saturday night. But as the afternoon crawled into evening, I felt myself getting a little too cozy. Jim was still working hard on his animatics, and I was lounging in my "around the house" dress. (I wear it around the house all the time because it's breezy n' cool and our apartment is always hot, although it's actually cute enough to wear out - and sometimes I do. Of course, when I do wear it out and people compliment it, it almost feels cliche for me to say, "This old thing? I just throw it on when I don't know what to wear." Which is totally true...)
ANYHOW, getting back to my story here... I was lazing around in my around the house dress, and my mojo was sinking with the setting sun. Ah, remember the days when you didn't leave the house until 11:00? Here I am at 8:30 and already thinking of getting into my p.j.'s (on a Saturday night, no less...)
Shortly after 9:00, Jim was finally done his work, and then we had an extensive debate about whether or not we should head downtown. So lame, I know. I was really on the fence. On one hand, I knew Ray would appreciate the company and I was sure that once we finally left the house, we'd be reenergized. But then the other half of me was completely dragging my ass, thinking, "If we go out, then that means I'll have to get dressed and put on make up... and that's gonna take at least ten minutes. Ugh. That sounds like too much effort." What a lazy bum, huh?
We tossed it back n' forth until 9:30.
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know... you decide."
"No, you decide. I don't care either way."
"No, you. It's your call. I'm fine with whatever."
Honestly, I think we both just wanted to stay home. Jim didn't want to disappoint me because he thought I was looking forward to a night out... and I was.... about 5 hours earlier. Meanwhile, I didn't want to disappoint Ray, although I'm sure he would've been just fine.
I don't know what the final factor was... I guess we probably knew that if we continued going round in circles for another half hour, we just be wasting the rest of our evening, whether we decided to go out or stay in. So we finally decided to just push ourselves to get dressed and go.
Once there, we're stopped at the door for cover charge. Maybe my mistake was not making eye contact with the door man as Jim dug through his wallet. The big fellow sized me up and then said, "I'm gonna need to see your ID."
Now, my dad was occasionally ID'd until he was 30, so I assume that I must have inherited some of his youthful-lookin' genetics. Only I've beat him at 31. Take that dad! Ha. ;)
I really have no concept of how old I actually look... I don't think any of us do? I mean, define 25 versus 30 versus 35... But I sure as hell know that I DO NOT look 18. In the right lighting with the right make-up (or perhaps I should say in the wrong lighting with the wrong make up), anyone can clearly see the faint creases around my eyes that are slowly evolving into a new topographical map. Especially beneath those harsh fluorescent lights in Brandt's Creek Cold Beer and Wine Store, where I was ID'd while buying my birthday booze a few weeks ago. I later heard that it was the girl's first and only shift (she didn't show up for her second), so perhaps she was just being extra cautious, which is fair enough.
However, in the darkness of the doorway outside a shady blues club, those lines must not be so noticeable, because boy... I suddenly got the feeling I was not going to get in!
Flattered at first, I quietly chuckled as I searched my wallet for my ID. Although a moment of panic set in when I realized that I had given it to Jim the other day so he could pick up a package for me at the post office.
While brief, I haven't had that kind of "Oh shit" feeling about not getting into a bar in a very looong time. But instead of thinking, "Oh shit, I'm getting ID'd!" while trying to sneak into the River Club at 17, (legal drinking age in Quebec is 18, so it's not like my friends n' I were really trying to pull that much of a fast one), this time it was more of an, "Oh shit.... you've got to be friggin' kidding me!!! I put on my makeup and got dressed for THIS?!" I knew that if Jim didn't have my ID and we had to go home, there would be no grabbing it and going back out.
Thankfully, Jim still had my ID in his wallet. I passed it over to the dude who then looked at it and looked at it, and then said, "I need another piece of ID."
"Credit card do?" I asked as I handed over my MasterCard.
As silly as it was, now I was almost beginning to sweat it. We waited while the guy looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, then gave me a suspicious look, then looked at it again. And then FINALLY passed both pieces back to me with an iffy, "Okay."
Jeeze Louise!! Based on the tone of his "Okay", part of me wonders if he still didn't fully believe I was old enough. Maybe he felt that if my ID was convincing enough for him, that it'd be convincing enough to an officer doing a bust for underage drinking.
Like I said above, normally getting ID'd is flattering... but this time it was super annoying... especially since it took me forever to drag my butt out of the house in the first place at the late witching hour of 9:30. :P
Anyhow, to make a long story a little longer, once inside, we found Ray and grabbed the only remaining table, tucked in a quiet corner at the side of the stage. I soon rediscovered my mojo that I had lost sometime around 8:00 and found myself drumming my hands on my lap to the catchy beats.
As expected, the music was really great. And surprisingly, the service was great too. (A very rare thing in Kelowna, I hafta say... and I think most people would agree.) The crowd wasn't sketchy either, at least not in our little corner. Actually, there were quite a lot of white hairs out on the dance floor. One in particular who I just loved watching -- this adorable little old man who was just having the time of his life, bee-boppin' away, throwing his arms up in the air, with a huge smile on his face. Oh my goodness, he was just sooo sweet! I totally wanted to adopt him as my grandpa!
So yeah, all in all, we had a pretty decent time. It was worth getting dressed and putting on my makeup after all.
As I may have mentioned before, I don't have a lot of fond memories about the Blue Gator. The tips sucked almost as much as the management, and some of the clientele was on the shady side. Not all of 'em, but on your average night, I'd say about 25 - 30% of the customers were either creepy, really rough around the edges or hard drug dealers... Not that I actually had a problem with the latter. Sounds bad to say, but two of my favourite regulars were coke dealers -- they were always very friendly and they tipped really well. Plus, they just loooved me because they thought I was so sweet... and well, can ya blame them? Ha ha.
Anyhow, you get the idea... it's a blues club. So it seems to attract not only folks who love the blues, but folks who live the blues. Plus, it's located only a block or two from skid row, so one can obviously expect a mixed bag of customers.
But despite all that, the entertainment has always been fabulous. With awesome live music to look forward to every night of the week, it almost made up for the shitty management, tips, and occasional dine n' dashes.... almost.
I don't get down there very often, so I was kinda looking forward to Saturday night. But as the afternoon crawled into evening, I felt myself getting a little too cozy. Jim was still working hard on his animatics, and I was lounging in my "around the house" dress. (I wear it around the house all the time because it's breezy n' cool and our apartment is always hot, although it's actually cute enough to wear out - and sometimes I do. Of course, when I do wear it out and people compliment it, it almost feels cliche for me to say, "This old thing? I just throw it on when I don't know what to wear." Which is totally true...)
ANYHOW, getting back to my story here... I was lazing around in my around the house dress, and my mojo was sinking with the setting sun. Ah, remember the days when you didn't leave the house until 11:00? Here I am at 8:30 and already thinking of getting into my p.j.'s (on a Saturday night, no less...)
Shortly after 9:00, Jim was finally done his work, and then we had an extensive debate about whether or not we should head downtown. So lame, I know. I was really on the fence. On one hand, I knew Ray would appreciate the company and I was sure that once we finally left the house, we'd be reenergized. But then the other half of me was completely dragging my ass, thinking, "If we go out, then that means I'll have to get dressed and put on make up... and that's gonna take at least ten minutes. Ugh. That sounds like too much effort." What a lazy bum, huh?
We tossed it back n' forth until 9:30.
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know... you decide."
"No, you decide. I don't care either way."
"No, you. It's your call. I'm fine with whatever."
Honestly, I think we both just wanted to stay home. Jim didn't want to disappoint me because he thought I was looking forward to a night out... and I was.... about 5 hours earlier. Meanwhile, I didn't want to disappoint Ray, although I'm sure he would've been just fine.
I don't know what the final factor was... I guess we probably knew that if we continued going round in circles for another half hour, we just be wasting the rest of our evening, whether we decided to go out or stay in. So we finally decided to just push ourselves to get dressed and go.
Once there, we're stopped at the door for cover charge. Maybe my mistake was not making eye contact with the door man as Jim dug through his wallet. The big fellow sized me up and then said, "I'm gonna need to see your ID."
Now, my dad was occasionally ID'd until he was 30, so I assume that I must have inherited some of his youthful-lookin' genetics. Only I've beat him at 31. Take that dad! Ha. ;)
I really have no concept of how old I actually look... I don't think any of us do? I mean, define 25 versus 30 versus 35... But I sure as hell know that I DO NOT look 18. In the right lighting with the right make-up (or perhaps I should say in the wrong lighting with the wrong make up), anyone can clearly see the faint creases around my eyes that are slowly evolving into a new topographical map. Especially beneath those harsh fluorescent lights in Brandt's Creek Cold Beer and Wine Store, where I was ID'd while buying my birthday booze a few weeks ago. I later heard that it was the girl's first and only shift (she didn't show up for her second), so perhaps she was just being extra cautious, which is fair enough.
However, in the darkness of the doorway outside a shady blues club, those lines must not be so noticeable, because boy... I suddenly got the feeling I was not going to get in!
Flattered at first, I quietly chuckled as I searched my wallet for my ID. Although a moment of panic set in when I realized that I had given it to Jim the other day so he could pick up a package for me at the post office.
While brief, I haven't had that kind of "Oh shit" feeling about not getting into a bar in a very looong time. But instead of thinking, "Oh shit, I'm getting ID'd!" while trying to sneak into the River Club at 17, (legal drinking age in Quebec is 18, so it's not like my friends n' I were really trying to pull that much of a fast one), this time it was more of an, "Oh shit.... you've got to be friggin' kidding me!!! I put on my makeup and got dressed for THIS?!" I knew that if Jim didn't have my ID and we had to go home, there would be no grabbing it and going back out.
Thankfully, Jim still had my ID in his wallet. I passed it over to the dude who then looked at it and looked at it, and then said, "I need another piece of ID."
"Credit card do?" I asked as I handed over my MasterCard.
As silly as it was, now I was almost beginning to sweat it. We waited while the guy looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, and looked at it, then gave me a suspicious look, then looked at it again. And then FINALLY passed both pieces back to me with an iffy, "Okay."
Jeeze Louise!! Based on the tone of his "Okay", part of me wonders if he still didn't fully believe I was old enough. Maybe he felt that if my ID was convincing enough for him, that it'd be convincing enough to an officer doing a bust for underage drinking.
Like I said above, normally getting ID'd is flattering... but this time it was super annoying... especially since it took me forever to drag my butt out of the house in the first place at the late witching hour of 9:30. :P
Anyhow, to make a long story a little longer, once inside, we found Ray and grabbed the only remaining table, tucked in a quiet corner at the side of the stage. I soon rediscovered my mojo that I had lost sometime around 8:00 and found myself drumming my hands on my lap to the catchy beats.
As expected, the music was really great. And surprisingly, the service was great too. (A very rare thing in Kelowna, I hafta say... and I think most people would agree.) The crowd wasn't sketchy either, at least not in our little corner. Actually, there were quite a lot of white hairs out on the dance floor. One in particular who I just loved watching -- this adorable little old man who was just having the time of his life, bee-boppin' away, throwing his arms up in the air, with a huge smile on his face. Oh my goodness, he was just sooo sweet! I totally wanted to adopt him as my grandpa!
So yeah, all in all, we had a pretty decent time. It was worth getting dressed and putting on my makeup after all.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Roses and Thorns May 29 - June 4
Okay, let's get this roses n' thorns thing back on track...
Rose
The sunshine held out for our community garden BBQ yesterday. Not that I have a lot to say about the event, other than they served veggie burgers on compostable plates with compostable cutlery made out of sugar cane. Apparently they will decompose in just over a month. I also got quite a few comments on my pretty garden markers, so that made me feel nice. People were saying that I could sell them. I've been thinkin' about it...
Thorn
Due to some external circumstances, unfortunately the DE book project has been shelved. (No pun intended.) I thought for sure that I'd be disappointed, and maybe it sounds bad to admit this, but I actually wasn't. I think Jim felt worse for me than I felt for myself.
I don't know... I mean, I was definitely looking forward to the process of writing a book (as opposed to a script), but I am just SOOO completely Donovan'd out right now. I think that's why I kept making excuses to put the adaptation off until all the contracts had finally been signed. (Which in retrospect, was actually a wise decision!)
And yeah, I was looking forward to the possibility of refilling our coffers too. Although I'm not terribly concerned because I wasn't actually counting on that money, mainly because I didn't know how much to expect. Not to mention, you know what they say about counting chickens n' all that...
Before we began writing DE together in 2006, I had started working on my own story. I've continued mulling the idea over and making notes throughout these last four years, so maybe it's time to revisit it. It's a story that I really want to write, because it's a lot more personal to me.
Then again, if I'm going to be honest-honest, I actually don't feel like writing anything right now. As per my "Tomorrow I Wake Up" post, I recently made the decision that I just want to work on my art for the time being. I mean, aside from the odd contract job, because we have to pay the bills of course. (Which is funny because I just got my first contract job in months yesterday. Every little bit helps!)
Rose
Speaking of just wanting to just focus on my art, the same hour I learned that the book project had been put on hold, I got a call back from the Kelowna Fire Museum and Education Centre. They are looking for local artists to paint fire helmets, which will be auctioned off starting at $200 each. The money goes towards the museum which just moved to a new location. The helmets and artist bios will be featured on their website, providing everyone with the opportunity to gain a lil' exposure and possibly pick up some commission work. (Thanks Michelle for passing the link along!)
I asked if I could paint two helmets, because I had two ideas. But since last night, one of my ideas has changed. My dad (who almost never emails) heard about the project through my mom, and so he sent me a very encouraging email with a neat idea for one of the helmets. It'll be quite a bit more challenging to paint than my original concept, but his email was brimming with support that he believes I can pull it off. It was very unexpected and needless to say, it made me feel really good. Actually, that should be a rose in itself. :)
Thorn
Little Libby had to go back to Vancouver yesterday, and this morning the doctors determined that she has to go in for more surgery tonight to fix some things. Poor little girl. I feel so bad for Jay n' Cheryl and all they're going though. No doubt this is unbelievably upsetting/frustrating.
On a related note, apparently the doctor also said that the type of cancer she had in her eye is not the rare type of cancer they thought it was -- it's ever rarer. Actually, it's a type the doctors have never even seen before. So it has been sent off to have some tests done on it, so they can determine what it is. That being said, all her spinal fluid tests did come back clean, so they believe it was localized and that they got it all.
Rose
Still super excited about an upcoming surprise. Can't wait! *clap-clap*
Thorn
Would it be too obvious to say that I'm unhappy about the BP oil spill? Actually it's more like f*cking disgusted to the millionth degree. I can think of a good way to plug the spewing leak.... Stuff the shit heads responsible for this mess down the hole. Seriously.
Rose
This is going to sound stupid, but composting is a rose for me this week. I've always felt kinda guilty about throwing so much compostable stuff in the garbage, but now that we have a composter at our garden, I bring whatever scraps I have with me every day I go down to water.
Please don't ask why this excites me so much, 'cause I have no idea. I only know that I caught myself singing aloud to my little kitchen compost baggie the other day. "Oooh compost! You're lookin' so composty!"
Why am I such a tard?
Thorn
Marc Emery's latest FB status that mysteriously disappeared in the time it took me to write this. Last night's status (which is still up) reads, "Was informed tonight that my phone privileges are suspended for at least three days, because Jodie recorded my first prison pot-cast, but apparently you're not allowed to record phone calls from prison. I was given an official "citation" and read my "rights" and have a hearing in a few days to determine punishment. Could be up to 60 days of no phone. We're very sad..."
However, today's status was a follow-up written by his wife Jodie to say that Marc's lawyer informed her that Marc has since been put in the "hole" (a.k.a solitary confinement) for a week, maybe longer, because she record his phone call.
Don't even get me started on my thoughts about a Canadian being extradited to the U.S. Total b.s.
Rose
Despite the obvious thorns on the outside, this has felt like a really great week inwardly. I've been waking up with a smile on my face. I feel calm. Inspired. Happy. It's all good. :)
Rose
The sunshine held out for our community garden BBQ yesterday. Not that I have a lot to say about the event, other than they served veggie burgers on compostable plates with compostable cutlery made out of sugar cane. Apparently they will decompose in just over a month. I also got quite a few comments on my pretty garden markers, so that made me feel nice. People were saying that I could sell them. I've been thinkin' about it...
Thorn
Due to some external circumstances, unfortunately the DE book project has been shelved. (No pun intended.) I thought for sure that I'd be disappointed, and maybe it sounds bad to admit this, but I actually wasn't. I think Jim felt worse for me than I felt for myself.
I don't know... I mean, I was definitely looking forward to the process of writing a book (as opposed to a script), but I am just SOOO completely Donovan'd out right now. I think that's why I kept making excuses to put the adaptation off until all the contracts had finally been signed. (Which in retrospect, was actually a wise decision!)
And yeah, I was looking forward to the possibility of refilling our coffers too. Although I'm not terribly concerned because I wasn't actually counting on that money, mainly because I didn't know how much to expect. Not to mention, you know what they say about counting chickens n' all that...
Before we began writing DE together in 2006, I had started working on my own story. I've continued mulling the idea over and making notes throughout these last four years, so maybe it's time to revisit it. It's a story that I really want to write, because it's a lot more personal to me.
Then again, if I'm going to be honest-honest, I actually don't feel like writing anything right now. As per my "Tomorrow I Wake Up" post, I recently made the decision that I just want to work on my art for the time being. I mean, aside from the odd contract job, because we have to pay the bills of course. (Which is funny because I just got my first contract job in months yesterday. Every little bit helps!)
Rose
Speaking of just wanting to just focus on my art, the same hour I learned that the book project had been put on hold, I got a call back from the Kelowna Fire Museum and Education Centre. They are looking for local artists to paint fire helmets, which will be auctioned off starting at $200 each. The money goes towards the museum which just moved to a new location. The helmets and artist bios will be featured on their website, providing everyone with the opportunity to gain a lil' exposure and possibly pick up some commission work. (Thanks Michelle for passing the link along!)
I asked if I could paint two helmets, because I had two ideas. But since last night, one of my ideas has changed. My dad (who almost never emails) heard about the project through my mom, and so he sent me a very encouraging email with a neat idea for one of the helmets. It'll be quite a bit more challenging to paint than my original concept, but his email was brimming with support that he believes I can pull it off. It was very unexpected and needless to say, it made me feel really good. Actually, that should be a rose in itself. :)
Thorn
Little Libby had to go back to Vancouver yesterday, and this morning the doctors determined that she has to go in for more surgery tonight to fix some things. Poor little girl. I feel so bad for Jay n' Cheryl and all they're going though. No doubt this is unbelievably upsetting/frustrating.
On a related note, apparently the doctor also said that the type of cancer she had in her eye is not the rare type of cancer they thought it was -- it's ever rarer. Actually, it's a type the doctors have never even seen before. So it has been sent off to have some tests done on it, so they can determine what it is. That being said, all her spinal fluid tests did come back clean, so they believe it was localized and that they got it all.
Rose
Still super excited about an upcoming surprise. Can't wait! *clap-clap*
Thorn
Would it be too obvious to say that I'm unhappy about the BP oil spill? Actually it's more like f*cking disgusted to the millionth degree. I can think of a good way to plug the spewing leak.... Stuff the shit heads responsible for this mess down the hole. Seriously.
Rose
This is going to sound stupid, but composting is a rose for me this week. I've always felt kinda guilty about throwing so much compostable stuff in the garbage, but now that we have a composter at our garden, I bring whatever scraps I have with me every day I go down to water.
Please don't ask why this excites me so much, 'cause I have no idea. I only know that I caught myself singing aloud to my little kitchen compost baggie the other day. "Oooh compost! You're lookin' so composty!"
Why am I such a tard?
Thorn
Marc Emery's latest FB status that mysteriously disappeared in the time it took me to write this. Last night's status (which is still up) reads, "Was informed tonight that my phone privileges are suspended for at least three days, because Jodie recorded my first prison pot-cast, but apparently you're not allowed to record phone calls from prison. I was given an official "citation" and read my "rights" and have a hearing in a few days to determine punishment. Could be up to 60 days of no phone. We're very sad..."
However, today's status was a follow-up written by his wife Jodie to say that Marc's lawyer informed her that Marc has since been put in the "hole" (a.k.a solitary confinement) for a week, maybe longer, because she record his phone call.
Don't even get me started on my thoughts about a Canadian being extradited to the U.S. Total b.s.
Rose
Despite the obvious thorns on the outside, this has felt like a really great week inwardly. I've been waking up with a smile on my face. I feel calm. Inspired. Happy. It's all good. :)
Thorn
This weather. I know I shouldn't complain about all this rain, but yeah... just a little more sunshine might be nice. Boo hoo. :P
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