Happy Halloween!

Pictures and stories of how we scared the hoodlets to come, I promise :)

A night without Greys

The show last night was sensational!! Prior to, Chris and I had supper at Mavors - I had the Greek pizza and Chris had the salmon. The dessert menu was too enticing not to indulge in too, so I opted for a slice of the Caramilk cheese cake. Chocolate, caramel & cheese cake...you can't mess up with a combination like that. The only disappointing thing I can mention about the dinner/dessert was the poor service. A cup of coffee, even a fill on our water glass would have been appreciated...anyway. It was nice to have a place to enjoy supper and then just head right to our seats just the same, and the food tasted good so it's all good. The discomfort of the theatre seats was the only other disappointment, but that was soon forgotten when the marvels hit the stage.

Mike started the evening with a few solo songs. The sounds he can make come out of a harmonica really don't seem possible...but yet, he does anyway. He truly captured a whole new appreciation of the harmonica for me. The audience was in awe.

Next Matt took the spotlight for a few solo numbers, playing a few old favourites like, "So Gone Now", "When My Angel Gets the Blues ", and a rockin' ,"Tell Me", in which I swear he did his damndest to break a string, but the guitar managed to escape it. Again, the audience was in awe.

After a short break, both marvels returned to the stage and they played several new tunes off the Piggyback album. The dynamic the two share is amazing. They had the audience laughing (I shall never be able to listen to "Livin' in Sarnia" again without thinking about french fries), and I think a large number wiped away tears during the powerful "Going Home". A standing ovation led to a soulful encore of "Ain't No Sunshine", and the only thing wrong about it all was it had to end. Thanks Matt & Mike for a fantastic performance!

Unfortunately, cameras weren't allowed during the performance, but I did snap a few shots after the show:
(Yes the one with me is cropped - purposefully so on account of my stature making me look about 7 months pregnant).

Great night ;) I'll catch up on the Thursday night shows over the weekend!

Point form...

Holy heck don't count how many days have lapsed since my last post, mmmmkay? Lemme see if I can give you the Coles notes version of what's been keeping me from posting:

-Friday my work week finally ended at 9:15pm and I joined Lana, Lori & Tracy at the 42nd Street Lounge. It's a great little spot to relax - very cozy, dimly lit, comfy chairs...great date spot, really. I'd suggest maybe not on a Friday night for an intimate date though, as the place was hopping! It was lovely getting to see my girlies again. Oh, and I've discovered a new favourite cocktail...A Love Affair martini. It really totally is.
-Saturday morning I was up early to scrounge some stuff together to head to the Brackley Commons to meet up with the scrappers for a day of crafting. I've really lost my crafting mojo and I was hoping to get it back. Turns out I really didn't pack a lot to work with... I did manage to start a 6x6 book to use as a gift for...someone?? I worked at that until I had no pieces left and then decided to pack it in. I arrived home, very tired, so decided to lie down for a spell. 3 hours later I woke up in the dark...it was pouring rain and very windy...so Chris & I just had a quiet night in.
-Sunday I had a lazy start - with a pancake breakfast, lots of coffee and a movie (The Pursuit of Happyness -- good flick...puts stuff in perspective!). Sunday night, Marco & Krissy joined Chris & I and Lana and her family at the Haunted Lowther Farm. It wasn't nearly as creepy as last year...and I really only got spooked once, thanks to Marco for grabbing at my ankles! I suppose it might have been because we had been there last year and knew what to expect. They put on a good scare though, for the unsuspecting!
-Monday was Day 1 of my 'staycation'...and I did next to nothing, and I planned it that way. I got caught up on a few blogs, played way too much PathWords on FB, and watched shameless daytime television (all after sleeping in to an embarrassing hour, that is). Do I feel a little guilty for 'wasting' my day? Nope!
-Today I joined Melissa & Amanda for a lunch at the Dublin. It was so great to see Amanda up and around! That girl had been in a major car accident in July, doing a big number on her back. She's lucky to be alive, really, and is doing so well. Glad to see it Amanda! Her positive outlook & attitude have undoubtedly aided in her mending...and I think everyone could take a lesson from her attitude! I hope you continue down the path of recovery, girl.

There you are - you're up to date! I have more plans to fill up the rest of my week...tomorrow my momma and I are having a girlie day, and Thursday is the big Matt Andersen show! Friday I'm going to take in the Rocky Horror Show being put on by ACT (starring the lovely Lana!), and then Saturday will be busy getting ready to scare the little hoodlets on Halloween night (they love it). Hope your week is going well!

Booooooooooo

I DID try to remain positive. I swear. The day went to heck in a handbasket, however. Some points:

-I slammed my knee into the corner of the coffee table. Yes, that very same knee. It hurts. It hurts a lot. Stairs are a challenge. I work on the 2nd level of our building. The bathroom is on the lower level.
-my blueberries spilled inside of my lunch bag. My fingers are purple from trying to clean up the mess.
-I've been dealing with an issue at work for the 3rd day in a row, and have to go back to it again tomorrow (where I work, there should be a resolution with the same call). It's not even worth going into.
-I forgot to buy myself a new toothbrush (I'm not using the licked one; the travel one is a P.I.T.A. though).

Is there a full moon???

I can't wait for my staycation...why in Pete's name do I have to work so hard for it though?

Let's turn that frown upside down...

So I'm working nights this week. Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday I took advantage of this fact and slept in as late as I could before it would end up making me late for work. Today, however, I got up early to make a 9am nail appointment. My nail lady works out of her home, and she and her cute dog Jasmine are always promptly waiting for me at the door as I pull up. Today, the house wasn't as welcoming. Her car wasn't in the driveway, and the front door was closed. There was no familiar bark when I rang the doorbell. I go to my purse to retrieve my cell to give her a call. Dead. Of course. So I truck back home to plug in the cell and see if she's left me a message. No. No message. So I call, asking if we had an appointment this morning at 9am...., "No Amber, you're booked in for tomorrow morning at 9". Awesome.

Sooo, seeing as a few hours opened up unexpectedly this morning I figured I at least owed you all a post. So you get to hear how my day started. I do my very best not to generate a self-fulfilled prophecy...but 9 times out of 10 when my day starts off bad the rest of the day follows suit. So, herein, I'm opting to view the positive in this. I'm still not at work. I'm back in my pjs under a blanket with my favourite girl Ellen on the tv. I don't have to get ready to go - just slip my pants back on and I'm out the door. My outfit is already picked out, so no thought there. My lunch is already made. And today's early rise will no doubt aid a quick drift to sleep this evening to enable a similar wake up time and schedule tomorrow. And, tomorrow my nails will be looking lovely. Oh, and after shift tomorrow I'm joining Lana, Lori & Tracy after work for a cocktail. And at 9:15pm tomorrow evening my work week is over, and I'm embarking on a 9 day staycation...

Look at how I turned that all around!

Oh, and last night, I caught Zoe licking my toothbrush.

Never a dull moment.

Applause

Easily one of my new favourite commercials!

Celebrate good times, c'mon!

This weekend was a busy one filled with fine friendships and many laughs! Friday night I joined a slew of co-workers at the Old Triangle for supper as a farewell send off to Marianne. She's taken a new job so we couldn't let her get away without a proper good bye! Marianne, I wish you all the best on this new phase of your life. You'll do great!

After supper I then trucked on over to Bobbi's. Carolyn is home visiting so Bobbi arranged for a few of us to get together for munchies and catching up. I enjoy Carolyn so much - she doesn't mix words and says it like it is. There should be more people like that, if you ask me. It was great to see you Carolyn! Save travels back home!

I had to work all day Saturday, and then it was a quick trip back home to grab a bite and change to head to Summerside where we joined Darren's 30th Birthday celebration. There was a crew at the Heritage Pub for supper. We landed in time to share a bevvie and then it was onward to Darren's house. We had a fabulous time, and I think Darren was pleased. Thanks Melissa for organizing such a fun affair! There were munchies, Rockband, and even an acoustic guitar. We ate; we laughed; we sang. Good times!

Here are a few pictures from the party:
Darren's face made it on a cake, courtesy of Buns 'N Things Bakery! His famous "Call Before You Dig" picture is immortalized. Well, for a brief spell at least :).

The birthday boy poses with yet another bottle of the Grey Goose, his spirit of choice. I think he liked his gift!
Craig and Darren rocking out to their fullest potential.

And now we're back to Monday, fast and furious. I'm embarking on a week of night shifts, and then it's a week of vacation. The week is undoubtably going to C-R-A-W-L by.

Happy Monday!

Do you know David?

I saw this a while back. I laughed and laughed, and laughed...until I cried. Repeatedly. I can't remember if I've shared this on my blog before. Even if I did, it's worth a re-visit.

Enjoy :)

Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!

Down she went, like a pile of rocks...

So it was cold this morning.

Cold enough for frost.

Frost + wooden deck = slippery surface.

Amber in slippers + frost + wooden deck = messy ass-plant on deck.

I was following my traditional morning routine...shower, cat dishes, make the coffee, scoop the litter, take litter refuse to refuse container outside. I do it every morning. This morning my slippered foot went *swooooosh* from underneath me faster than I could blink and I went *CRACK* down on my arse & right hand and then somehow must have teetered til all of my gargantuan weight then landed down on my left knee cap. The same knee cap that has riddled me with pain, swelling, immobilization, etc for years. The same knee that will undoubtably cripple me up before my time.

F-WORD!

I was in so much agony I immediately transported myself back to the days of a whiny school girl and my lip quivered and I have to admit, I cried like a little baby for a few minutes... from the pain, as well as the impending pain I knew another crack at my knee will suffer over time.

Like a big girl, I popped a few ibuprofen and dusted myself off soon after, and am now hobbling around like a gimp.

I hope the rest of you made it to work unscathed.

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.

I know I should be posting about the wonderfulness of life and what makes me spread my arms out in the air and shout up into the sky, "THANK YOU!!!!"...and herein, I will do my utmost to list a few of those wonderous things that make me so appreciative. However, might I also just say that it pains me just to put my fingers atop the keys to make these words appear? I feel like arse...and though I could easily claim that I've been bitten by the nasty flu bug or some such thing, I know that in all likelihood the blame falls more on the over-abundance of wine consumed at the Pepperoni Palance on Sunday past. Oy vey - Kimberley, thank you so much for your hospitality and your generosity with your mum's homemade wine. By golly, do let her know that her last batch certainly packs a punch, though! I'm not as young as I used to be. The sole glass of water and 2 ibuprofen I popped prior to getting to bed early Monday morning (don't think I heard the roosters calling yet, but it was close) did very little to aid in an easy wake up yesterday. Suffice it to say that I moved from the bed to the couch at about noon time. I finally ate something by about 3:30-4:00pm. I finally managed to shower at about 6:30pm. The laundry went untouched; the housework went undone.

This morning my head is still doing it's internal Riverdance routine. My stomach is still queasy and I ache all over.

Awesome.

So yeah, the reason for my post... Thanksgiving is just behind me, so here are a few things I feel thankful for (in no particular order):

-my sight

-my hearing

-my ability to walk

-my family

-my friends

-my Christopher

-my furbabies

-my freedom

-my house

-my memories

-my tastebuds

Don't forget to take a moment to consider and realize just what it is you are thankful for.

Hold me with both hands...

The sun is shining brightly outside - just like it did 6 years ago, today. We met. We talked. We laughed. You put up with me for 6 years -- I can still talk to you, and you still know how to make me laugh. Thanks for being by my side, Christopher...xoxo.

A pleasant evening

I'm just back home from the Dave Gunning/Jessica Rhaye concert at the Mack. It was the first time Chris or I had heard either live. I enjoyed it a lot. Dave is a fantastic story teller in between his songs, and I just loved, "These Roads", which he ended the night with (prior to his encore), getting the whole crowd to participate in the chorus. There's just something about hearing a live audience in harmony...just gives me goosebumps!

They played to a nearly packed crowd, and the audience was very courteous. I highly encourage you all to take in a show of either of theirs the next time they're in town.

Holy crap, am I really a fan of folk music? I never, ever thought I'd actually say that...but yeah, I think I am! There's so much depth, emotion and realism to the lyrics...and a story. It's always about the story, isn't it?

Well this ol gal is tiiiirrred...and it's cold in here... I can hardly wait to jammie up and burrow deep down into them covers...and I look completely forward to an unforgiving sleep in tomorrow......... Happy Weekend, folks! :)

B-rated

For a while now I've noticed our bathtub draining a little slower than it should during my daily showers. Since obtaining this new 'hairstyle' my layers are much, much longer than they were for well...forever, so I'm now noticing that I do lose a bit during the shampoo/conditioner process. When behind me and looking at my back I believe Chris noted that I was "shedding" one day. Perhaps I'm over-processed and damaged goods, but that's an aside. The main concern with this post is the drainage.

What remains is a copy of the email exchange between Christopher and I:
Chris: "So, I don't know if you noticed, but I removed the ball of hair from the tub. It was so gross. I'll spare you most of the details with the exception of one. I think it had a heart beat."

Me: "I noticed. It reminded me of the Ring."

Chris: "Much more slimy than The Ring. The tearing of the strands while removing felt like I was killing it. So gross."

Me: "Thank you for coming to my rescue, then. xo"

Chris: "Oh man, I never thought that it would crawl up out of the drain under it's own power, undoubtedly wrapping it's stringy appendages around your legs, ultimately grabbing hold and pulling you through the drain. Likely a very long, painful death scene worthy of only the cheesiest of horror movies."

Me: "Yeah, but you know what they say - it's better to be safe than sorry."

My honey just has a way with words, doesn't he?

My weekend - part II

After a late night Saturday I managed to sleep in slightly on Sunday morning while Chris still had to get up out of bed to go to a shoot. The original plan for this weekend was to go away from Friday night to Monday but the Fall Flavour Festival took precedence. Luckily, Chris was able to get all of the needed photos taken early enough on Sunday to allow us to still head over to Saint John for the concert!

This is a picture of Colleen - our gracious host. She opened up her lovely home to us on Sunday night to avoid the need to pay for accomodations and save a hairy trip home keeping an eye out for moose on the NB highways. Thank you so much Colleen!! You totally rock! We only regret not having more time to visit with you!After a quick stop at Tim Hortons for supper it was onward to the main event - Matt Andersen's concert at the Phoenix Dinner Theatre! We were very fortunate to obtain tickets as they quickly sold out, and many people were turned away. The event was not only a concert, but also a live recording for an upcoming CD & DVD! Chris was pretty stoked about that, and was determined to get his mug on tape. He even wore a golf shirt to be 'dressy'. We'll surely be playing "Where's Waldo" when viewing the DVD when the cameras pan the house.

The setting inside the theatre was gorgeous - ambiant lighting and a very intimate setting overall. They had arranged chairs on the floor surrounding the stage, and on stage, several tables were set up in behind Matt. His special guests included Ian Sherwood, Thom Swift, the Hupman Brothers, Irish Mythen, Mike Stevens, and the NB Orchestra. His special guests sat at the tables on stage. He also had a family table where his mother, aunt & girlfriend sat, also on stage. The guest tables joined in for harmonies on several of the songs. It was very sharp.

Prior to the start of the concert we were cautioned to remain as quiet as possible for the taping part of it. The room was mic'd everywhere...Lord knows what deep dark secrets were revealed! The neat part of the whole recording process was the opportunity to hear a 2nd take of any of the songs that weren't to the producers' satisfaction. As it turns out we only had 2 re-dos, one by Matt and one by Irish. Selfishly I was kinda hoping for more mistakes :).

The show was incredible...absolutely incredible! There were tears - Irish's "55 Years" brought everyone to tears, I'm sure. Matt's momma cried as he introduced her. She also made a ton of cookies for the audience. How special is that?? There were many laughs - Matt only forgot the lyric once - it just happened to be the 2nd attempt at a re-do on "Broken Man", but who's counting? The piercing ring of the fire alarm was also very memorable, especially when Irish began mimicing the sound. And, there appeared to only be one broken guitar string the whole evening long :). Thank you so much Matt, we felt truly honored to be part of such a special event!As luck would have it, Matt was also scheduled to be at Backstreet Records on Monday for a live jam. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to hear one more song so of course we planned our day accordingly. We got to the record store right on time, and the place quickly filled up. It's a tiny little store, so it didn't take long to fill, mind you. Matt played with as much passion and enthusiasm in a small room as he does when playing in front of a crowd of 400, though. He looked to the audience for suggestions, and was kind enough to fulfill our request for his cover, "Magnolia", one of our favourites that we've not heard live. It was fantastic :)

Irish Mythen & Mike Biggar were also at Backstreet, and they helped do some harmony on "So Gone Now", his final song. I'm pretty sure the whole room was in on the harmonies though, coming on the end of it. It was all kinds of awesome!
And of course he indulged us with a few photos :)

After the record store we walked up the street to Reggie's Restaurant (actually on Matt's suggestion!) and had a late brunch of bacon 'n eggs. It's very quaint - you order at the cash and pay for it. Then they yell at you when it's ready (just like home - heh).
We then decided to take a walk through the city - it turned out to be a beautiful day, and we needed to walk off that greasy plate! Saint John is a very urban city, but the older part of the city is quite beautiful. The old buildings have such character and are very picturesque. Here are some random shots as we walked the blocks:
Our final stop on our travels was the City Market (another suggestion of Matt's, btw!). It's a really cool spot with vendor booths of homemade gifts and international cuisine. While taking advantage of a very cool vantage point at the end of the market building at the top of the stairs overlooking the whole room, I noticed that Matt himself, along with Irish were also at the Market! See if you can find them :)
We then stopped at King's Square and sat for a spell on a park bench. It was a lovely day, indeed. Apparently while we were enjoying our warm, sunshiny walk through the streets of old Saint John, the Island was being pelted by rain showers. Sorry I didn't bring the sunshine back, folks.And it's now back to reality... The only thing wrong with my extended weekend was the fact that it ended. Well, that, and the fact that I'm swiftly running out of clean underwear on account of me completely ignoring the laundry pile because I was just too busy :).

There aren't enough days in the weekend...

What a jam-packed, fun-filled weekend that just went by! It's no wonder I'm exhausted, but let me try to recount...

Friday night Chris & I took a drive up to Summerside to join Darren & Melissa, Stacey & Tim and Darren's sister Kelly (her bf Aaron had to work) for trivia at the Heritage Pub. Oddly, at this location you have to pay to play! That's right, folks, $2 per person. Must be a Summerside thing (purposeful dig at S'side for Darren *wink*). We had a freaking BLAST! I was thrilled that I could actively participate in the trivia game, and feel I did the team proud with my firm knowledge of 80's music. Gracing them with my singing & all-out rockstar dance moves to Lou Gramm's "Midnight Blue" was an added bonus for them :). "Stop the Bus..." was only a half point shy of winning the whole thing...and we still consider ourselves WINNERS!!! By the time I finished facebooking the night's events it was nearly 2am before I got to bed.

An early rise on Saturday was necessary, as Chris landed us both tickets for Chef at Home at the Culinary Institute for the Fall Flavours Festival. Chef Michael Smith taught a cooking class. It

really was much, much more than that though...he is a fantastic story teller. As the class was how to cook bread (really, it was a no-knead, fool-proof recipe which I can't wait to try), he first took us on a tour around the world with a slide show on a variety of famous bread ovens & kitchens along his travels. He had a little story about each photo. He had his new cookbook for sale, and was courteous to stay back and sign autographs and pose for pictures. Chris bought a book - and ensured Chef Michael made the autograph out to him, seeing as he's the 'cook' in the relationship. Har, har, har. He is pretty cute, so I posed for the pic. There we go again with the compromises :).

After the cooking class we stopped by Timothys for a delicious breakfast bagel & coffee, and then shopped around the mall. Afterward I headed home to construct a few birthday cards, and Chris headed out to his shoot for the Fall Flavours Festival.

Saturday evening was birthday central - being invited to two birthday events. We missed out on Tanya's birthday supper (sorry Tan *sad face*), on account of Chris' shoot, but met up with the gang for glow bowling afterward to celebrate. I hadn't bowled in a really long time. Collectively, we were all about par with our bowling abilities. Chris & Shane were fighting it out for top spot, with Chris sneaking by for a win after a few strikes. It was a fun, cheap night out! Oh, and kudos to Jared for donning his "Charlie Harper" bowling shirt. He really looked the part ;). After bowling we headed to the Ostridge's for a quick drink before having to head onward to our next destination.

This year, Bruce turns 50, so never one to let a milestone pass by, Lana went in cahoots to rig up a surprise birthday for him at the Winsloe Lions Club. Bruce tends bar there from time to time, so it was easy to get him there unsuspecting. Apparently it went off without a hitch. Congrats Lana! And sorry we missed the surprise, Bruce *sad face*. There was live music & dancing, and much, much cheer. Chris was thrilled to get the opportunity to jam with the boys - first starting on the base, and then moving on to the drums! I think everyone had a really good time. I hope Sunday recovery went well, Lana... *wink*.

Happy Birthday Bruce and Tanya!!

Sunday, we tore off to Saint John, NB for the Live CD/DVD recording show, starring the wonderful Matt Andersen!! That event was so special it deserves it's very own post...so read on for a continuation of our fabulous weekend.

Updates coming...

...I promise. In fact I have two posts started in my drafts - including one chalk-full of pictures from the concert on Sunday night.

I'm beyond tired, and feelin' out of sorts. Could be that I'm coming down with something; hopefully, I'm just overtired.

Stay tuned :)

A post from the road

So I'm sitting in the living room at BovaEstates, watching the blue jays and the chickadees peck away between the various bird feeders, while Matt's latest CD plays in the background. This is all thanks to the courteous hospitality of ColleenB! She put us up last night so we didn't have to drive back to Ctown from Saint John. Colleen, you're a true angel - thank you, thank you, thank you so much! Your kindness and generosity will come back to you tenfold!

I can't thank Colleen enough, and I can't say enough good things about the Matt & Friends extravaganza that we were fortunate enough to witness last night. Killer, killer, killer show. I will recount the night, complete with photos, upon my return home.

Today we're going to head to Backstreet Records in Saint John, where Matt is playing a few tunes and signing a few autographs. We have to pick up his latest disc, so we'll have another opportunity to hear a few more songs, which is extremely cool. We won't have long to wait to see him again, either, with his upcoming show at the Confed Centre on Oct 29! Those of you who have not yet seen Matt play, consider this a weighty kick in the arse to get out and get your tickets NOW before they sell out!

I was just about to post this when Chris opened the bathroom door to tell me he couldn't figure out how to turn the shower on... He asked me to google it... Thankfully, we did find the answer, but the question posed leading up the answer sets it up quite nicely, and paraphrases basically the situation we found ourselves in, so I will quote it:

I just moved into a new place and it has this shower system installed. I feel silly for asking this, but where is the damn button that I press to make the water come out of the showerhead and not the faucet? I tried pushing it. I tried pulling it. I tried twisting in ways that if I were a shower system, i'd feel molested--but no. So to everyone out there, what are the magic words that I must utter for it to open sesame? Thanks!

Now that we've figured out that little task, I'm off to the loo... Happy Monday everyone!!!!!!!

Celebrating Tanya!

She's beautiful. She's kind, giving and nurturing. She's intelligent, stubborn, sometimes shy, and sometimes a little self conscious (though she shouldn't be). She's an amazing friend, daughter, sister, wife, and 'momma' (to her furbaby Buddy). She's been there for me at my weakest times (except when it involved puking *wink*), and she's been there for me to celebrate my higher times. She's one of my bestest friends; I love her to pieces and wanted to send a 'toast' to her on her birthday.

I love you Tanya - Happy Birthday to you. I hope the year ahead is amazing, as no one deserves it more. xox

Creeeeepy

Seeing as I appear to be on a bit of a commercial tangent lately... Does the sight of this not disturb you just a little? Sex sells and all, but....perhaps this stretches the elastic band a liiiiitle tight?