Dream Concert, Dream City

My dream concert would be to see Bon Jovi and David Cook together.

The one place in the world that I am dying to visit is Las Vegas.

So how cool would it be if Jovi and Cook were to play together in Las Vegas?  Pipe dream right?  Wrong!

On April 28th, Bon Jovi and David Cook will be playing Tiger Jam (which benefits the Tiger Woods Foundation) at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

Woo Hoo!

And I can't go.

Well, it's not that I can't go, rather, I can't afford to go.  Yeah, let the pity party for JC begin.

If you have any suggestions as to how I can get there - I'm all ears.

If You Can Dodge A Wrench....

The 18-year-old Super Ninja

Last weekend my dodgeball team kicked ass participated in the Average Joe Sports Club winter dodgeball tournament.

Yes, I play dodgeball.  No need to keel over laughing, I'm actually semi-awesome.  And by "semi-awesome" I mean, I'm usually good for one "holy-shit-where-did-that-come-from" play per game.  The rest of the time I pretty much suck. 

Our team was appropriately named Moves Like Jagger, and featured the owner of Average Joe's, a former dodgeball ref, an 18-year-old super ninja, Wonder Twins,  Wonder Woman, and a ringer the size of a Giant!

Obviously we entered the tournament feeling really good about our chances.

But then, we lost our first 4 games by a combined score of 57-8.  Yeah, we were that good.  I suppose if I had to do it over again, I should have called the team Moves Like Jabba.

Despite opening the tournament 0-4, we actually made the playoffs!  Don't ask.

We managed to win our opening playoff game before dropping the bronze medal game 10-5 .  Yes, we played in the bronze medal game.  Again, don't ask.

However the story of the weekend wasn't our record, it was the amount of injuries suffered on the day.  There was a blown out knee, a pulled groin, a busted lip, a torn shoulder, several balls to the face, and 9 really sore arms.  Come to think of it, that sounds like a good day to me!

Team Awesomeness

American Idol Season 11 - Prediction

American Idol Season 11 is in full swing so it's time for me to pick this year's winner.  And I don't mean to brag (I really do), but my track record with picking Idol winners has been pretty good.

I didn't really start watching Idol until Season 7, but in the four seasons I have watched, the singer I've picked for Idol glory has finished no worse than 2nd place.  And on two occasions, the person I've been rooting for has gone on to win the title of American Idol.

Before offering my season 11 prophecy - let's look back (quickly) at my predictions for seasons 7 through 10.

Season 7

I predicted David Archuleta would win - he finished 2nd

I was rooting for David Cook - he of course finished 1st

 

 Season 8

I predicted Adam Lambert would win - he finished 2nd

I was rooting for Adam Lambert - he still finished 2nd

  

Season 9

I predicted Lee Dewyze would win - he finished 1st

I was also rooting for Lee this season

 

 Season 10

I predicted Lauren Alaina would win - she finished 2nd

I was rooting for James Durbin & Hailey Reinhart- they finished 4th and 3rd respectively.

Season 11 - Prediction

The winner - Colton Dixon!

That's right, I'm calling Colton for the win!  And given my supernatural ability to recognize Idol talent, you can pretty much punch his ticket for the top 2 right now.

I'm also rooting for him to win, which has started a raging battle in the homestead.  You see, TC is pulling for Phillip Phillips and she's been pretty vocal about her disdain for the next American Idol.

Which means we're really hoping for a Colton vs. Phillip showdown at the live Finale.

Let's Get Caught Up....

I know it's been a while, and maybe, you've even wondered where I've been.  The truth is, I've been enjoying life.  To say that the last half of 2011 has been exciting would be an understatement.  You see, I managed to squeeze four major events into a very short 6 month period.  Life changing events!  Events that most people tend to spread out over years.  

But not me and TC!  Nope.....we prefer to get them all out of the way at once.

I'm sure you'd like to get all caught up, so let's not waste any more time.

Natalie Jewel

First Ever Picture of Natalie Jewel

In July of last year, TC and I gave birth to a wonderful little girl - Natalie Jewel.  Well, to be fair, TC did all the hard work.  Basically I just stood there and watched.  And fetched her the occasional grape Popsicle.  But mostly, I just watched.

This is the fourth kid for me, and I think I may have got it right this time.  I think.

I'm teasing of course.  Kids 1 thru 3 are a'ight.

Princess Natalie is the first child for TC and I together.  She wasn't planned, and if I'm being honest, I was a wee bit panicked about starting over with diapers and Treehouse (my youngest was already a teenager when Natalie was born - the oldest was 20).  But now, I can't imagine my life without her.  Watching her learn and experience new things has been awesome.

I love coming home, calling out, "Allo Baby!", in my kick ass English accent, and watching her smile and bounce and kick cuz' she's excited to see her Daddy. My absolute favourite though is when she falls asleep with her head on my shoulder. I could cuddle her like that forever.

I don't love her more than I do my other kids, but, I am enjoying it more this time if that makes any sense.  I don't know if it's because I'm older and more mature (but let's be honest, I'll still get Natalie to pull my finger), more patient, or perhaps it's TC, my partner in parenting, but raising a baby seems a lot more enjoyable to me than it did 14 years ago.

And if my kids are reading this, and I know you are, I said, "I DON'T LOVE HER MORE THAN I DO MY OTHER KIDS".  Although, the Screaming Baby is a hell of a lot cuter than you ever were.  Just sayin'.

It wouldn't surprise me to find out this kid is going to change the world.  She's already changed mine.

New Job

In May of 2011 I finally managed to get out of the shit-hole I was working in.  The job was awful.  I felt trapped and tried desperately to get out.  The only thing keeping the owners of this craptastic company from turning it into a third world sweat shop are the nuisance labour laws we have here in Canada.  I will be devoting an entire blog post to this crap-fest in the very near future so stay tuned.

Now, I'm working for great people!  The commute is a little longer, but it's worth it. I'm treated with respect, my ideas are valued, and the work I do is appreciated.  I'm making a difference, and at the end of the day I feel like I've accomplished something. 

Engagement

In September, TC and I officially got engaged.  Way back, we had our very first date down at the beach front - we went for ice-cream and a walk, and slowly started to get to know one another.  So, it seemed somewhat appropriate to head down to the beach to pop the question.

Truth be told, after I picked up the ring, I didn't want to wait (nor spend the time required) to set up something elaborate, so I improvised.  I think it was a romantic moment - but maybe you should ask TC.

The important thing is - she said yes!

New House

In October, we took possession of our new house.  Yes, we finally managed to unload the unsellable house!  How did we do it?  With a new agent!

After some not so subtle prodding from TC, we switched agents, listed our house in September, and sold it five days later!  We had previously been listed from January to June and didn't get one offer.

Now I know what you're thinking - it may not have been the agent, it could have been a fluke.  And yes, I would have been inclined to agree with you.  Except, the deal fell apart, and we had to go back on the market.  Incredibly, our agent sold our house again two days later!

So let this be a lesson to you - YOUR REAL ESTATE AGENT DOES MATTER!  Remember this when I get my real estate license.

So, TC and I moved into our new house at the end of October and we couldn't be happier.  Everybody has their own bedroom, we went from one bathroom to three, and we finally have the rec room we so desperately needed. 

I'm no longer being subjected to Hannah Montana, Zach & Cody, or any of the other mind-numbing crap that spews out of the Family Channel.

How do you spell freedom?  N-E-W H-O-U-S-E!

So there you have it - 4 life altering events in 6 very short months!  Whew....I need to catch my breath.

Except.....there is that little matter of a wedding to deal with.

The Football Player and The Cheerleader - Update!

It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that love failed to blossom between The Football Player and The Cheerleader.

There was however a whirlwind 3 week romance that dare I say it, was the best 3 weeks of their lives.  Oh sure, they'll deny it, but really, what do they know - he's a dumb jock, and she's a bimbo dancer.

He's destined to become addicted to Oxycontins in order to quell the pain of old sporting injuries, and she's going to be on a pole begging for cash.  It's not my fault - I tried to help.

I'm teasing of course.  I really do think the world of both of them both and wish them nothing but the best.  I'm sad it didn't work out as I really did think they'd be good for each other.  But, it would seem that Cupid I am not.

The Cheerleader has moved on and seems to have found the love that I couldn't find for her.  And it sounds like the new guy is going to be around for a while so I guess he'll need a nickname.  The Candyman?  The Baseball Guy?  The Vegas Odds Maker? Oh wait, that last one is me! 

As for The Football Player, I'm not sure he's found love yet, but he's had no trouble finding companionship.  Ahhhh, the life of a rock star.  I know that's not what he wants, but he's living out a lot of men's fantasies.  Seriously dude, enjoy it while you've got it. 

Selling the House - or not.

You may have noticed that I have been inexplicably absent from the blogosphere over the last few months, and I'm sure you've been wondering, what the hell has been going on with The Screaming Meanie?

I'm prepared to answer that very question.  This is the first in a line of posts that will chronicle, "The Missing Months".

This first story is about the misadventures of trying to sell our house.

After TC and I found out she was with child, we decided that the house we were living in probably wasn't big enough.  With the help of our awesome families, we got the house ready to list and our tiny little love shack hit the market in mid-January. 

Shortly after the listing hit MLS, we began showing the house.

And we showed it.  And we showed it.  And we showed it some more.

There seemed to be no lack of interest in seeing our ghetto-fabulous house, so we sat back and waited for the offers to roll in.

And we waited.  And we waited.  And we waited some more.

Sadly, nobody seemed to like our little house enough to put an offer in.

So, we dropped the price of the house.

Then we dropped the price again.  Dropped it again.  And dropped it again.

The excuses for not wanting our house were plentiful.  The bedrooms were too small.  The stairs to the basement were too steep.  The stairs going upstairs were too narrow.  The people looking were too tall (no joke).  Too fat (I couldn't make this one up). Too picky.

And of course, there was the leaky basement.  A small trickle of water that was seeping in from the outside wall and emptying into the drain was turning folks off.  And really, I don't blame them.  I wouldn't want to buy a house with water in the basement either.  So, we got a quote to have the basement waterproofed.  We told prospective buyers that we would either fix the basement as a condition of sale, or knock the price of the estimate off the house. 

There was one douchebag who said he wanted to see what was under the sub-floor in the basement.  He asked if we would be willing to tear up the floor so he could make sure there was concrete underneath before he would put in an offer.  Hell, after 5 months on the market, I would have licked the floor clean if I thought it would help sell the house.

So I spent 3 days tearing down a wall, tearing up the floor, removing the rubble, and cleaning the floors. 

An offer was imminent. 

Except, for that it wasn't.  The bastard changed his mind and decided that he was going to put an offer on another house.  Sunnuva!!!

I was pissed!  All that work for some asshole to decide he liked another house better.  He gave every indication to our agent that he was serious about buying our house.  If I had known he was simply kicking tires I would have told him to get stuffed when he made the request.

*sigh*

Live and learn I guess.

After almost 6 frustrating months on the market, we were getting close to TC's due date.  We talked about it and decided that it was going to be too much work for her to get the house ready for showings while trying to take care of a newborn baby.

So we pulled the plug and took our miniature house off the market. 

We're planning to update the floors throughout the house, add some fresh paint, maybe look at adding a driveway and perhaps update the bathroom.  Depending on when (or if) these things get done, we may re-list in the fall, or wait until next spring.

I've never sold a house before, and I've learned that it's a great big pain in the ass.  It was a frustrating experience for both of us.  People would give us two hours notice before viewing the house, they'd leave lights on, their agents wouldn't give us feedback - it just sucked. 

I'd like to think that things will be different when we put the house back on the market, but if this experience has taught me anything, it's that buyers aren't realistic.  Our house was listed in the low $120's, and we had people coming through expecting to find the luxuries and amenities of a house that would list for over $300k.

Please feel free to comment on your selling horror stories - I want to feel better about mine.  Heh heh.

Stories from 2010: Natalie Jewel

TC was the best thing that happened to me in 2010 - there is no doubt about that.

But the greatest joy that was brought to my life in 2010, is being delivered to me by TC in 2011.  For those of you who don't know, TC and I are having a baby girl sometime this summer - she's due July 2nd.

I know what you're thinking, and yes, we've been together for less than a year.

TC and I didn't plan this, it just sort of.........happened.

It's funny because TC didn't want to have children.  And with 3 kids in my stable already, I didn't really want to have anymore either.  In fact, I had been to see my family doctor about getting a vasectomy and had been referred to a urologist.  Alas, before the urologist could do his best work, I did my best work.

So, rather than get the "procedure" done, I just got TC pregnant instead!!  There is nothing I won't do to get out of a medical procedure!!

I'm teasing of course, but even though TC and I didn't want or plan to have a baby, we are thrilled none the less.

I love being a father.  My 3 children have brought so much joy to my life (mostly) and I wouldn't be who I am today without them.

My only regret is that I have not been able to raise them.  Don't get me wrong, I am still a part of their lives, and I'd like to think a big part, but I'm not there on a day to day basis.

I desperately wanted that - I never wanted to be a "weekend Dad".

And now, thanks to TC, I will have the chance to be an everyday Dad!

We've already picked a name for our little girl - Natalie Jewel.  While we were initially convinced we were having a boy, it's probably for the best that we're not - he would have been named Andre the Giant.

I'm teasing.  Again.

I can't thank TC enough.  Making me a father again is the greatest gift she could have ever given me.  It's the greatest joy she will bring to my life.

My promise to TC is this - I will always be a good Daddy.  I will love Natalie with all my heart.  I will bath her.  I will change her diapers.  I will get up in the middle of the night and feed her.  I will kiss her boo-boo's better.  I will do her hair.  I will let you fix her hair after I've done it.  I will read her stories.  I will have tea parties with her.  I will take her to soccer practice, or dance class, or swimming lessons, or hockey.  I will help her with her homework.  I will teach her to dream big.  I will teach her right from wrong.  I will teach her to stand up for herself.  I will teach her to be confident.  I will teach her to help others.  I will teach her how to say no when boys ask her out.  I will let her know that she can always count on her Daddy.

I read somewhere once that the greatest gift a father can give his child is to love their mother.  If that is true, then Natalie will receive that greatest gift everyday of her life.  After all, I have to set a good example her, so that she grows up knowing what true love really is.

The Football Player and The Cheerleader

Once upon a time there was a Football Player.  He was a giant!  He was strong and determined, yet kind and gentle.

And then there was a Cheerleader.  She was beautiful and smart.  Caring and trusting.

The Football Player lived an extraordinary life, hobnobbing with professional athletes and rockstars before he finally settled into a life in business.

The Cheerleader travelled a more traditional path, choosing to raise a beautiful family instead.

Although the Football player was a Giant, and the Cheerleader was tiny, they had more in common than they ever would have known.

While The Football Player had lead an exciting life, and The Cheerleader's family provided her more love than any one person would ever need - eternal happiness had eluded them both.

 

This is not to suggest that either The Football Player or The Cheerleader were unhappy, simply that they were unfulfilled.

 

The Football player had been married twice - and had tried desperately to make his marriages work.  The first couldn't survive the ocean that separated them.  The second didn't survive her extra-marital affair.

The Cheerleader had also been married twice - and she too worked tirelessly in vain to honour her vows.  But her first husband was a drunk, and her second husband was a liar.

Both The Football Player and The Cheerleader became champions of lost causes, working diligently to rescue and fix the hopeless lovers losers who had crossed their paths.

It was frustrating, and painful for their friends and families to watch them continually spiral into an abyss of despair.

That is until the day hope arrived at their doorsteps in the form of a man.

This man, some may even say a hero, was ready to rescue these two hapless souls.  He was ready redirect their life's journey, and put it on a path to redemption.

Tonight, The Football Player and The Cheerleader will meet for the first time.  Tonight, a fresh new seed of love will be planted. 

Over the coming week's, this seed will grow roots, and a new love will bloom.  This love will be stronger and more beautiful than either of them have ever experienced or could have imagined.

Starting tonight, The Football Player and The Cheerleader will experience love as it should be - exciting and wonderful, beautiful and breathtaking.  It will be a fairy tale love.

They will live Happily Ever After.

Stories from 2010: The Mini-Meanie & Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi rocked the Air Canada Centre in Toronto last week, and it inspired the latest Story from 2010.  Last July the Mini-Meanie and I saw them play at the Rogers Centre, and this is my Screaming Review.

The first thing you need to understand, is that Bon Jovi is my absolute favourite band.  However, until last July, I'd never seen them play live!  I know, how crazy is that??  It just seemed like whenever they came to Toronto, it was the absolute worst time and I simply didn't have the money to go (yes, I'm the "down-on-his-luck" guy that Bon Jovi seems very fond of singing about).  However, thanks to a very generous Christmas gift, my luck was about to change.

I took my teenage son (The Mini-Meanie) with me to the concert - I felt it was only fair since I took my daughter to see Daughtry, and The Mini-Meanie and I had to skip the Jays home opener last year as fallout from the 24 Hours of Hell.

Kid Rock was the opening act, however we didn't get into Toronto on time to see him so I can't really comment on his performance.  Actually, we did get into Toronto on time, however traffic and parking was a nightmare so it would be more accurate to say that we didn't get to the stadium on time to see Kid Rock.  And I'm not complaining, just explainin'.

When Bon Jovi hit the stage at 9:00pm, it was a magical moment for us.  Here we are, Father and Son, Screaming Meanie and Mini-Meanie, and our favourite band in the world is right there in front of us.  Actually, I suppose Bon Jovi is the Mini-Meanie's second favourite band (he still likes David Cook best - although technically David Cook isn't a really a "band", so I suppose we're back to Bon Jovi being his favourite?).

I digress....

Even at my age, I have to admit, I was starstruck!  Finally, after 25 long years, I was finally seeing my favourite band live in concert!

They opened with Blood on Blood from their album New Jersey.  It was a wee bit of an odd choice I thought since it wasn't really a big hit for them, nor is it the kind of song that really pumps you up.  But really, who cares, Bon Freakin' Jovi was on the stage!  They followed that up with We Weren't Born to Follow off of their recently released CD 'The Circle'.

After that, they blew the roof off the dome when they played You Give Love a Bad Name!  It's still my favourite Jovi song, and the Mini-Meanie and I were loving every second of it!

The party continued with Born to Be My Baby and the country-ish Lost Highway, before they blew the roof off the place AGAIN playing Runaway and It's My Life.  I was actually surprised how many of the 50,000 in attendance knew the song Runaway - and it was awesome!

Kid Rock joined Bon Jovi on stage to perform Old Time Rock n' Roll - even though I think the song is completely overplayed, and I'm not a fan of Kid Rock (at all), it was actually a pretty cool moment.

The Stage set up was very cool.  The lights were mounted on a semi-circle above the stage, while the inside of the semi-circle served as a giant video screen - which was great since our seats were so far back.

If I had one complaint, it would have to be our crappy seats - floor seats aren't as cool as they sound.  Not when Andre the Giant is standing in front of you and you're about 40 rows from the stage.  When you have 6th row seats, as I did for Def Leppard in 1988, then floor seats are uber cool!

Ok, I actually have a second complaint.  Would it have killed the folks at the Rogers Centre to either open the roof, or turn on the air conditioning??  Look, I'm no rocket scientist, but it's the middle of summer, and you've crammed 50,000 people into a stadium, do you think it might get a wee bit hot???  The Mini-Meanie and I were sweatin' like hookers in church!

In fact, at one point during the show, a woman in front of us collapsed!  I felt bad for her as I could see early on during the concert that she was struggling.  When her and her husband/boyfriend finally made the decision to leave, it was too late - down she went.  I was disappointed at how long it took the paramedics to arrive, but once there, they did a great job taking care of her.  It was more than a little ironic that the woman collapsed while Bon Jovi was performing, Something for the Pain!  Hey, I can't make this stuff up folks.

The other thing that bothered me was the sound (ok, so it's 3 complaints - sue me).  This was the first time I'd ever seen a concert at Rogers Centre and if you've never been, the acoustics suck!  The sound was bouncing off every corner of the concrete jungle.  It was a big disappointment, but not enough that I didn't enjoy it.

Am I allowed one more wee complaint???  Of course I am - it's my blog!!  They didn't play anything from their album Bounce.  In my humble opinion, Bounce is probably their most underrated album.

During the encore they played Always, their mega-hit Wanted Dead or Alive and then finished off the night with a rousing rendition of Living on a Prayer.  You haven't lived until you've heard 50,000 people sing an acupella version of the song.  It was nothing short of incredible and I'm man enough to say, it gave me giant goosebumps!

After more than 25 years of performances, it's not surprising that Bon Jovi knows how to entertain a crowd.  He certainly sent the Mini-Meanie and I home very happy!

Setlist

1. Blood on Blood

2. We Weren’t Born to Follow

3. You Give Love a Bad Name
4. Born to Be My Baby
5. Lost Highway
6. Runaway
7. It’s My Life
8. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
9. We Got It Goin’ On
10. Bad Medicine/Old Time Rock & Roll/Shout (with Kid Rock)
11. Love’s the Only Rule
12. Lay Your Hands on Me (Richie on lead vocals)
13. Bed of Roses
14. I’ll Be There For You
15. Something for the Pain
16. Someday I’ll Be Saturday Night
17. In These Arms
18. Work for the Working Man
19. Have a Nice Day
20. Who Says You Can’t Go Home
21. Keep the Faith

Encore:
22. Always
23. Wanted Dead or Alive
24. Livin’ on a Prayer

My Mother's Racist Animals

My Mother has 3 animals at home - a little black poodle, a little black cat, and a blonde goldendoodle (who is a MONSTER sized dog).

She started out with Jake, the little black poodle.  There are no two ways around it, Jake was (and still is) a little spoiled puppy.

After my Mom and I got a house together, the kids and I decided we would surprise her with a kitten.  And surprise her we did!  We went to our local SPCA and adopted a little black kitten named Jynx.

To our surprise, Jake and Jynx instantly bonded.  They ate together, they slept together, and they played together.  They were inseparable. 

The two of them would have their crazy hour (usually in the evening) and chase each other all over the house!  And it wasn't a one way relationship - they would take turns being the chaser and the chasee.  Yep, they were bestest buds!

And then, we introduced Jack into the fold.  Jack was my idea.  A number of years ago I dated a woman who had a goldendoodle.  After the relationship fizzled, I found myself missing her terribly - the dog that is, not the woman.

So, with my heart still longing for a goldendoodle of my own, my Mom and I decided to adopt one - we named him Jack.

Crazy hour was about to get crazier!  Except, Jake and Jynx didn't take to Jack at all (I know, I know, Jack, Jake and Jynx - what can I say, we weren't really thinking). 

All Jack wanted to do was play with the little black puppy and kitty.  But they wanted nothing to do with him.  It was actually kind of surprising because when we would take Jake for a walk, he wanted to greet and play with every dog he came across.  We thought adding another playmate in the house would have been a dream come true.

Wrongo!

Poor Jack.

When my Mom and I broke up (it was an amicable break up), and TC and I moved in together, we adopted Doc, a tiny little blonde cockapoo.

Now, we thought perhaps the reason Jake and Jynx didn't want to play with Jack is because they were intimidated by his sheer size.  However, when we visit my mom, we often bring Doc with us, and they don't want to play with him either!

Doc and Jack desperately try to include Jake and Jynx in their rowdy animal play, but it's a fruitless effort, the two little black animals have zero interest.

It's not that Jake and Jynx don't want to play, I mean, they still love to play with each other. 

There can only be one explanation for this - Jake and Jynx are racist.  That's right, racist.  They simply aren't interested in playing with the white animals! 

Buggers.

Screaming Confession #4

I love Glee.

Yeah, you read that right.  I freakin' love Glee!

I'm still a manly man, I love sports, action movies,  and naked women.  I leave my socks on the floor, the toilet seat up, and my dirty dishes on the counter.  But yes, I still love Glee.

It kind of happened by accident, and of course, for the noblest of reasons.

My son, who hopes to one day become a famous actor (but what he really wants to do is direct - no joke), was starring in a play last summer.  Of course, that play was Glee.   So, TC and I took the afternoon off and went to watch his performance.

At one point early in the play, TC exclaimed, "Oh my God, he's Finn!", to which I replied, "Is that good?".  Finn, as I would find out, is the main character on the show.

The production was pieced together with scenes from several different episodes of the show.  Over and over TC kept saying, "Oh I've seen that episode".

As an aside, it was a proud moment for a Father seeing his son up on stage entertaining millions, errrr, I mean hundreds.....ish of theater goers. 

But naturally I was curious.  I wanted to see who this Finn was, and I wanted to see some of the scenes that my son was portraying on stage.

So, TC and I rented season 1 of Glee.  I was somewhat enjoying the first episode, but when they performed Don't Stop Believing at the end of the episode, I was hooked!  One measly episode in, and I officially became a "Gleek".

TC and I plowed through the entire first season in less than a week.  And we've continued to watch the second season.

For any men out there that may be scoffing at this Screaming Confession, I have two words for you, Santana and Brittany.  Oh, and Sue Sylvester is a frickin' riot!!

5 Things I Learned Watching the Superbowl Half Time Show

1. The Black Eyed Peas have a TON of great songs.  I can't say that I'm an avid fan of the group, but damn, the really do have some good songs.

2.  Fergie is bloody awful live.  I honestly had to check to make sure my ears weren't bleeding after listening to her sing.  Or wail.  Or whatever it was she was doing with her voice.

3.  Usher is almost as bad as Fergie.  Dude can't sing!  But, at least he can dance.

4.  Auto Tune may be the worst thing that has ever happened to music.  Just sayin'.

5.  Slash is still the coolest Mother F#@%&R in Rock n' Roll

So, what did you think of the half time show?

Stories from 2010: Doc

Most of the really good stuff that happened in 2010 happened in the second half.

For example, in October, I moved in with TC.  And anyone who is anyone knows that when you move in with a girl, you have to celebrate!  Who are TC and I to thumb our noses at tradition?   So, how did we celebrate??  We got a puppy of course!!

But not just any puppy.  We researched, and researched, and researched to make sure we'd find the perfect puppy.  Well, mostly it was TC doing the research - but I did a TON of listening!

I wanted a BIG man size dog, while TC wanted a little bite sized dog.  We compromised and decided we'd go with a mid-size model - a Cockapoo.  Technically, the Cockapoo is a little on the small size, but what can I say, TC has this look she gives me that is irresistible - I sigh, then I curse, then I give in.  What are you gonna do?

I digress.  If you have a dog, then you already know that the hardest thing about getting a new puppy is picking the perfect name.  TC and I are both big Blue Jay fans, but somehow "Roy Halladay" seemed like a completely inappropriate name for a dog.  So we gave him Halladay's nickname - Doc!





Doc-a-poo the Cockapoo!  Clever, I know.

Aside from the occasional accident in the house Doc has been a great pet.  And by "occasional" I mean, "almost every fricken' day"!! 

Yes, house breaking this beast of an animal has been our biggest challenge.  Why relieve yourself outside in the cold when you can hold it and go in the comfort of a nice warm house??  When people ask me what kind of dog he is, I tell them he's a "Cockapoo-all-over-the-house"!!

But even though I want to kill him half the time - he really is my bestest animal bud!  I've loved animals before, but I didn't think it was possible to love a dog this much.

He loves loves loves TC.  It doesn't matter where she is, he has to lay on her!  He loves her lap, her legs, the crook of her arm, heck, he even lays on her head sometimes!  And a woman with a puppy on her head is damn sexy!

But, he does love me too - he follows me around like, well, like a puppy dog.  He freaks out every time I leave the house, and while he'll lay beside me on the couch, or right at my feet - he won't lay on my lap the way he does with TC.  I was kind of getting a little self conscious about it, but then we learned it's a dominance thing - he views me as the Alpha Male.

That's right bitches.....I'm the Alpha Freakin' Male!  Mwuahahahahahahahahaaaaaaa! 

What can I say about the little guy?  Yes he has his faults, but we take the sweet with the sour.  He's a member of our family now, and he'll be with us for the rest of his life.  Getting this tiny puppy as TC calls him, was the best way we ever could have celebrated moving in together!