Month: May 2009

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Reviews

Review: Star Trek

new-star-trek-poster_lSaturday afternoon after I watched Benjamin Button, I headed over to Vero’s to pick her and up and drive over to Denny’s.  Alex, Holly, Trish, Vero and I had some excellent food there (probably the best philly steak sandwich I’ve had since the days when Broadways had them) and we talked about the concept of time travel in Terminator with Holly (which seemed to escape her).  This is also when Holly’s famous ‘Live Long and Posture’ line came about.  It was nice seeing Alex and Holly as they had just returned from Jamaica where they were married.  They had a marvelous time but mentioned that the second week was a little lackluster as they had changed resorts and preferred the first one.

Trish also got her birthday gift from Vero and I.  I had stumbled upon quite the find months ago on the CBC Shop.  A brooch with the castle of The Friendly Giant on it!  I had a good laugh at this and realized that Trish would have loved it.

We then headed over to the South Keys Cinemas to catch Star Trek.  Benoit and Cinthia showed up for this showing as well.  I was quite excited to see Star Trek.  Not only was it directed by one of my faves…J.J. Abrams (of Alias and Lost fame), but Vero had agreed to come along as well knowing that there were no robots in this film!  That’s one thing I love about the Star Trek universe…minimal robots.  Sure, some show up now and then (well moreso with Commander Data in the Next Gen, but that’s straying off-series) but all in all, there’s no droids in this film.

I had high hopes for the film and the film paid off well.  I thought it was fantastic.  I loved every bit of it.  It brought the original Enterprise crew characters together…Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Scotty…there they were in all their glorious rebooted forms.  What one must remember with shows they love is that it is the CHARACTERS that people love, and the actors are secondary.  James Bond is a great indication of this.  Sure, William Shatner can be the one and only Kirk, but it’s nice to see some more adventures of the crew even if it means bringing in flesh blood.

cpgen00235220I thoroughly enjoyed Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto’s take on Kirk and Spock.  Scott was done well also.  I found something missing from Bones’ character but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Plus, they change some character traits (very minimal) within the storyline which makes you realize that this isn’t your parents Star Trek.

***minor spoiler alert***
The greatest part of the film is how J.J. Abrams managed to not reboot the franchise, but to integrate it somehow with the old universe into the new.  It was very cleverly done using theories of alternate realities and such.  So you never know…technically there could be old characters emerging in this new universe that they’ve created.
***minor spoiler over***

I enjoyed Eric Bana’s villain character and I thought the action throughout the entire film was great.  I don’t think I’ve seen that much action in a Star Trek film before.

Plus, it passed the Vero test.  She didn’t say whether she liked it or not which really means that she loved it.  So you should do yourself the favour and watch Star Trek.  I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

iplaying: Honey, Please – The Tragically Hip (We Are The Same)

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Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

benjaminbutton-poster

On Friday night, I went over to Steve’s place for a little housewarming get-together. Considering I just came into a bit of cash from some union settlement, I splurged and got some high quality beer for the event. We had a plethora of great beer, watched some comedy of Ricky Gervais and Dave Chapelle and before you knew it, I woke up on my own couch the next morning. I don’t think that’s ever happened before! I usually have enough sense to go up to bed! I must admit my couch is quite comfy. Thanks to Steve and Martine for putting on a great party. Their house is quite majestic other than the giant mud pit which surrounds it right now. I guess they will get grass eventually. Word on the street is that there is a ten pound wild turkey roaming the neighbourhood which is quite awesome.

The next day it was raining out so I decided that the fates were against any major activity on my part so I caught up on a few episodes of Lost, How I Met Your Mother, etc. Then in the afternoon I had a hankering to watch a really long Brad Pitt film so I went out and purchased The Curious Case of Benjamin Button which is about a man who is born as an old man and travels backwards in aging. It was quite the interesting concept and I had a good time watching it. It was an epic tale of Benjamin Button growing up in an old folks home and him discovering life lessons but in the body of an old man. Imagine your creaking bones when you hoped to run down the street along with other kids!

He intersects with a woman (Daisy, played by Cate Blanchett) at various points in his life which is interesting as he first discovers her as an old man while she is still a child. I found this concept to be similar to The Time Traveller’s Wife in that the main character meets his leading lady at various points in her life….sometimes when he’s an older man and she is but a girl.

Of course, the obligatory love story comes into play in Benjamin Button and it was interesting as you see the logistics of being with someone who grows younger by the day come into play and how that can affect the future of a relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed this epic tale of life and death and would recommend it.

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Concert Reviews

Review: Grady, The Spades and Sal Piamonte at Maverick’s

colour-grady-photo-judson-baker-resizeWednesday night, of all night, brought Mike and I to Maverick’s to catch Grady and company.  For those of you who don’t know, there was this amazing band Big Sugar whose front man, Gordie Johnson went on to form the blues-rock band Grady.  Can I also point out that Gordie Johnson is probably the best Canadian (if not…the world, dare I say?) guitar player out there and it’s a treat to see them.

When we arrived at Maverick’s we assumed we had missed the Spades as it around 9:15 but we were mistaken as the show started with Sal Piamonte at 9:30.  Sal’s band had everything going for them.  A killer lead guitarist, a bass player who moved with the groove and a great front man in the form of Sal.  I couldn’t put my finger on who they reminded me of but the closest I could come up with were the Black Crowes…but even that isn’t hitting the nail on the head in terms of comparisons.  Their melodies were catchy and I found myself singing along to the choruses after hearing them a few times.  Two thumbs up for this band from Ottawa and I’ll make sure to check them out again.  I did go to buy their album at night’s end but alas, they were all sold out.  I ended up talking with Sal himself and he assured me that if I sent him a note, they could mail one out for me.  They have gained a fan.  Check out his website at http://www.salpiamonte.com/.  May I also point out that there was this one guy how had a Grateful Dead Tour 1990 shirt on and he was rocking out hardcore near the end of the set.  I thoroughly enjoyed this fan and hoped that I would be this energetic when I grow that much white hair!

After a few bottles of Labatt 50, the Spades started around 10:45 and they were quite the energetic trio.  The guitarist was frantic and I loved how the drummer had the simplest yet powerful drum kit going.  Catchy tunes…indie style…frantic all over the place…they had this crazy cover of Penny Lane at the end of their set which (unfortunately) could have done without the screamo version in my opinion.  But musically it was top-notch.  If you’re looking for a good energetic band, look no further than The Spades!

Last but not least, Grady hit the stage around 11:50.  I had a good chuckle as Mike was thinking that we would be home FAIRLY early tonight but in the end, we didn’t roll into bed until 3AM.  Gordie Johnson and Big Ben (an Ottawa native) TOWERED over the crowd with their cowboy hats and their black attire.  Nina Singh is quite shorter in comparison but managed the drumset impeccably.  I found it odd to see her sit straight and appear to not be smashing the hell out of the drumkit like I see some many other drummers do, but at the same time have the kickdrum hit into my chest.  Clearly, drumkits do not need to be thrashed upon to hit you like a ton of bricks.

I know no songs of Grady so it was all new to me, but I ended up buying both of their albums at the end of the night.  This.was.a.rock.show.  What an amazing guitarist Gordie is.  I’m really loving the slide guitar and am thinking of sitting myself down for the next year to learn how to play it.  The opening tune thundered into us and really got things going and it never really stopped.  The two hours later were amazing and it’s been a long time that I’ve seen a rock show like this.  Some highlights:

  • Big Ben putting the shout out to his hometown of Ottawa and Gordie commenting that he never swore once in his speech.  Big Ben explained that his dad was in the crowd.
  • Big Ben busting a bass string.  I’ve never personally seen that happen and he said it’s the third string he’s busted in his life.
  • Covers of Sharp-Dressed Man, a little YYZ for good measure and Digging a Hole (of Big Sugar fame).  Gordie had James of the Spades come up for a tune where he held his own and then Gordie’s brother (?) from a band called Flash Lightning joined them for a few songs at the end.  I love how jam sessions just take over the event and they’re just having fun on the stage for 30 minutes.  That’s what a rock band is all about.
  • The awesomeness which is the 18 string, double neck Gibson.  I wonder how much that weighs?
  • Overall, the sheer force of the music coming out of the band.

I can’t really explain how much fun it was to see Grady but I’ll definitely make it a point to see them again.  They are based out of Austin, Texas nowadays so I’m not so sure if they make it up to Canada all that much!

After the band ended, we shook Gordie Johnson’s hand letting him know he put on a good show and we headed for the door to grab a bite to eat.

McDonald’s called our name at 2AM on a Wednesday but unfortunately for us, we didn’t realize there were two schwarma joints open on York Street AND a new Dunn’s location?!  There were also a dozen cop cars parked around the Byward Market and it wasn’t until the next morning that we found out that there a few guys involved in a shootout involving one of them perishing.  Lucky for Mike and I, we were rocking out at the time.

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Cougar-Cams

couger20060609An amazing story about how the MNR are setting up cougar-cams to catch a glimpse at the cougars around Ontario. Perhaps they should start by confirming that the Gatineau cougars are crossing the border late on Friday nights?

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/cougar+cams/1562923/story.html

iplaying: The Four Horsemen – Metallica (Kill ‘Em All)

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Sugarstacks

Stephen sent me this interesting link that shows how much sugar is in certain items.

http://www.sugarstacks.com/

Of note was the fact that there is sugar in carrot sticks. Who would have thought? Actually, someone told me that once upon a time.

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AC/DC for Ottawa?

Mike awoke this morning and excited me with news that he heard on the radio that AC/DC is probably coming to Ottawa. Heck yeah.

When I was driving to work, sure enough, our favourite radio guys ever, Doc and Woody announced that they were talking to the promoter from Live Nation and he said something to the effect that Chez should put AC/DC at red alert on their concert advisory system. The guys said that the red alert status has been 90% correct in the past so it’s pretty well a given.

They also mentioned that because Ottawa doesn’t have a stadium (unless you count the Rideau Carleton Slots), they probably would finish their summer tour and hit us in the fall when they can go back into some arenas. But that’s all speculation at this point.

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Bikelog

b(ike)log: May 4, 2009


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Went out with Mike for a quick jaunt before sundown.  Old Montreal Rd has some killer incline.

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Going to Pearl Jam!

The Pearl Jam website has been down for the past two hours and now I know why!  It’s being hammered by people ordering tickets to the Toronto show at the Molson Ampitheatre on August 21!  I’m pumped!  We’ll have to see how the fan club tickets work out.  I joined the fan club this year and the tickets you get are based on seniority.  Considering there are some people out there that have had a fan club membership for 20 years, something tells me I won’t be near the front of the stage!

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Bikelog

b(ike)log: May 3, 2009


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Vero wanted to see how long it would take her to bike to work so we headed out from Vanier on a windy yet sunny day to see how we would manage.  I ended up buying a bike rack for my car so I could bring my bike over to Vero’s (or vice versa) because there have been multiple times when we want to bike together but I must admit biking twenty kilometers to her place and then continuing on is sometimes not ideal.

The bike rack is pretty neat.  It did scratch my trunk the first time putting it on in the Canadian Tire parking lot so I promptly bought some foam pieces to use as a buffer.  It’s definitely going to come in handy around Ottawa.

We started out from Vanier and headed down along the Riverside path.  You can see the river in various spots but for the most part, you are going alongside a forest.  There were a few hills that we had to tackle and we had to stop to think about where the path would lead us as we had not brought our cycling map.  By the way, the Ottawa cycling map (thanks Eric!) is quite amazing.  Not only does it show what routes there are throughout Ottawa, but suggests routes that avoid traffic areas.  This will help me plan out my trek from Orleans to work.

As I mentioned before, it was quite windy and it didn’t help any when we got off the path at Prince of Wales and cycled along the shoulder.  It was quite hard to bike against the wind and when we hit Collonade it was in full force.  What a pain in the ass.

We ended up at Vero’s work within an hour of leaving.  She was impressed by the timing and is planning to bike as often as she can now that she knows it’s doable.  Plus, I would hope that most days would not have much wind so I’m sure she can shave off 10-15 minutes off her ride considering she now knows the route.

We took a break on the lawn and then headed to Tim Horton’s to get a bite to eat.  We had these new ‘wrap snacks’ where they are miniature chicken ranch wraps.  I commented that I didn’t see why they claimed they were miniature…my own sandwiches that I make for my lunch are the same size!  Then we realized that you definitely get a bigger portion wherever you eat outside of your own home.

After a break, we hit the road again and headed back towards Hogs Back but instead of taking the Riverside path back, we figured we would try the Colonel By path along the Rideau Canal.  This path gave me the excitement of cycling.  The wind was at our backs, the view along the Canal is beautiful, people were out jogging, cycling, playing…it was a grand day!  I couldn’t get over how beautiful the city was.  I commented to Vero about how little I have seen of the city core along the Canal and thought about how much I would use it if I could bike along it every day.

With the wind at our backs, we made super, super time and ended back at Vero’s place within 45 minutes.  The one thing I like about biking is trying to determine the most optimum path to where I want to go.  This may not always mean the quickest…I also take in aestetics as well.  I introduced Eric to the paths along the Ottawa River and even though it’s a little longer trip for him, he said he really appreciated biking through the forest and seeing deer once in awhile.  It beats the heck out of watching cars zoom by you.

My ass was definitely sore after biking for two hours and my legs were stiffening up after the ride, but it was well worth it.  We had a great time out there.  I question how much cardio exercise is does produce as I feel that I rarely breathed heavily and I never really broke a sweat, whereas when I jog, I’m done for in approximately 3.4 minutes!

Soon, I shall start biking to work.  I bought another bike rack which attaches to the back of my bicycle (unlike the one for my car, which Mom thought I was talking about and couldn’t understand how the bike rack went over my rear tire) which I can definitely strap my backpack to instead of having it on my back.  I checked out some panniers (or as I like to call them, saddle bags) and I think I shall invest in them later on in the summer.

If I haven’t made it public knowledge here yet, my ultimate goal for this summer is to bike to Montreal from Ottawa.  I have spoken with Uncle Gerry and it sounds quite feasible.  I don’t know if I have the endurance to bike long distances yet (4+ hours?) but I will try and reach those goals and I want to see if I enjoy it.  This plan originated party from Uncle Gerry’s love to cycle (and reading about his grand adventures) as well as the realization that see more of an area while biking.  Vero and I have spoken about going to France to visit Uncle Gerry and Aunt Shoko at some point and I said if we did, I would like to cycle around France instead of going by public transportation.  So the trip to Montreal is a test to see if I would like to cycle on a long trip.  We’ll see…if I don’t like it, so be it.  I still love cycling and do enjoy biking across the city.  If I do end up loving it, that opens up an entire world of adventures.

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Babysitters Club: Vero and Ryan

babysitters-clubWe had a unique Friday night in that we were babysitting William and Philippe (Phil and Will!) overnight while Eric and Annie headed to Montreal to see a concert. To some, babysitting a three month old along with a 2 1/2 year old may be daunting, but to us, we figured it would be easy (insert laugh track here).

All in all, I will tell you that it wasn’t overly difficult but at the same time, they were pretty easy to handle. What I’m trying to say is, I didn’t have to change any poopy diapers. My wish came true. When I arrived at their place, Emilie was there and she said I just missed a big mess of a diaper. I thanked the Gods above and then Simon and Emilie and I hung out with the kids until Vero arrived.

The rest of the night was fairly simple…put in a movie to keep Philippe interested while reading to him and playing around and make sure the baby doesn’t scream. Ha ha. Alright, there’s more to it than that, but all in all, it wasn’t killer.

What was killer was waking up at 2:30 and then staying awake for 30 minutes feeding the baby. By the time you go back to bed, you’re wide awake! So I had trouble getting back to sleep along with the baby making sounds through the baby monitor while sleeping. Eric did mention that you get used to this part and I have to share a great story about Mom and Dad that they shared with me last night. Supposedly on Day One of me entering the Palmer house, Dad said “I don’t know if I can handle this!” when I was up in the middle of the night. Clearly, I was interfering with Dad’s much needed sleep. Day Two resulted in Dad waking up in the morning and asking Mom “Did he not wake up at all?”. Clearly he slept through just fine.

I found the aspect of looking after the baby an interesting science experiment. For example…feeding the baby. Do I need to burp him every time? What if the kid just doesn’t burp? Doesn’t that mean his digestive system is getting stronger? These questions I pondered at 2:30 in the morning when trying to offer up great suggestions to Vero on how to keep the kid from screaming. It was quite an interesting experience.

The next morning we hung out with the kids while watching cartoons and I felt myself getting restless just sitting around so Philippe and I went outside where we proceeded to throw a ball (kid’s got a wicked arm), play some hockey and blow bubbles. He was quite helpful in cleaning off the tables. He really loved doing so and I wonder if Annie has trained her child to be the ultimate help. Further proof is that the kid really loves his toy vacuum cleaner. I say well done, Annie. Well done indeed.

All kidding aside, the night went well and Annie and Eric arrived in time for lunch so they treated Vero and I to Biggs which had a decent Philly steak sandwich. I must admit I will always have a spot in my heart for the Philly from Broadways because it was loaded with banana peppers, but the last time I went, it was off the menu.

After we said our goodbyes (and the kids secretly wanted to hang out with the cooler people…aka us!), Vero and I headed to her house for a nap and then we picked up a bike rack and some things from Mountain Equipment Co-Op. Vero had a brilliant idea of making some chili for supper and then we settled in to watch Slumdog Millionaire.