April 27, 2006
NEW: Edmonton .NET User Group Launch Event
There's a new .Net User group here in Edmonton: The Edmonton .NET User Group. The first meeting is tonight April 27th at 5:30 pm in the Milner (downtown) public library’s Centennial Room. Jean-Paul Boodhoo will be talking on Test Driven Development & ASP.NET. Check out the website (www.edmug.net) for more details.
Posted by songdawg at 9:34 AM | Technology
April 25, 2006
DevTeach 2006
I am going to the DevTeach 2006 conference in Montreal in May. I have been wanting to go for a couple of years but haven't so being able to go this year makes it so much sweeter.
I am especially looking forward to meeting Beth Massi, Julia Lerman and Kimberly Tripp. The pre-conference Test-Driven Development (TDD) Hands-on workshop by Scott Bellware looks really interesting - actually the conference is filled with great sessions. Can't wait.
Looks like I will have a bit of time before and after the conference - any recommendations on what to do in Montreal?
Wonder if anyone else from Edmonton is going?
Posted by songdawg at 9:14 PM | Technology
April 17, 2006
Tricopolis Records SALE
Tricopolis Records is having a sale - tons of cds for only $5.00. Check it out: link.
Posted by songdawg at 9:08 AM | Music
Taj Mahal
Multi-instrumentalist, Grammy award winner, singer and blues guitarist Taj Mahal plays at the Jubilee tomorrow night.
Can't wait - we have front row centre tickets and we'll be soaking it all up.
Posted by songdawg at 8:51 AM | Concerts
April 14, 2006
Stupid Girls video by Pink
Check out Pink's new video Stupid Girls.
Favourite lines:
"Whatever happened to the dream of a girl President?
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent."
Girl walks into a women's restroom "Oh my God you guys, I totally had more than 300 calories today. Soooo not sexy." Girl next to her tosses her cookies using a toothbrush. "Good one. Can I borrow that?"
It's a great video that talks about the pressures to be sexy instead of being yourself.
Posted by songdawg at 3:33 PM | Funny and/or Cool
April 9, 2006
Back Porch Swing CD Release Party
April 15, 2006: CD Celebration
Back Porch Swing is having a party for the release of their new CD, "Riding", at Bonnie Doon Hall, 9240 93 Street, Edmonton. Music at 8:00 PM. Special guests Joanne and Haley Myrol, Raisin' Cain, and The Riverdale Bluegrass Band. Tix $15 includes a CD! Tickets available at the door.
Riverdale Bluegrass Band has asked me to join them to step in for Doghouse Donnie for that evening. Hope to see you there!
Posted by songdawg at 1:52 PM | Concerts
She's a GIRL!!!!
We got the DNA sexing results back for our Amazon parrot.
Gogoi is a girl!!!!!! Gogoi of course means Big Brother in Cantonese so Marshall has now started calling her GoGirl.
Posted by songdawg at 1:43 PM | For the birds
Wildwood Flowers opened for David Davis
Couple of weeks ago, the WildWood Flower opened for David Davis at the Provincial Museum here in Edmonton. We had a blast.
We surprised our fiddle player Ed Zenko by changing the words to Sittin’ Alone in the Moonlight. He’s been delivery calves all spring – I think he has over 100 expecting cows. It went something like this:
Oh the moooooooon grows pale as I sit here
Each mama cow seems to whisper and say
Farmer Ed has delivered another
And now he’s gone off to play.
Took him by surprise. He vowed never to miss another practice.
Wildwood Flower is looking forward to opening for Four Chords of Wood on May 28th at the Waskasoo Bluegrass Music Society in Red Deer. Maybe we will see you there.
Posted by songdawg at 1:27 PM | WildWood Flower
Victoria 2006
My trip to Victoria with Carol was amazing - I can't believe it took me so long to blog about it. Here's a run down of what we did - thanks to Carol for being so organized and sending me pics, notes and links.
Thursday night
Carol and I both left in the afternoon. I was flying out of Edmonton and my flight was delayed by an hour and a half because of snow. She ended up having a one hour sailing wait at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal in Vancouver. She picked me up at the Victoria Airport and we headed to town.
We checked into the Magnolia Hotel and dropped our bags off in our room. Then we headed out for a late dinner of chicken marsala (moi) and spinach pasta with pesto (Carol) at Pagliacci’s. We had to bring an umbrella because of the huge snowflakes that were coming down (and here I had visions of Victoria in the springtime but get snow when I arrive).
Magnolia Hotel Lobby
SUPER singles beds in our room
Friday
After a continental breakfast at the hotel, we were off to The Yoga Shala studio for a Ashtanga Basics class at noon.
We then drove into Oak Bay and treated ourselves to massages at the Vitality Treatment Centre.
Bloomin' Cherry Tree
Then a late lunch of miso soup and salad at the famous Rebar vegetarian restaurant. Which is now one of my favourite restaurants in the world.
Then an evening 1 ½ hr restorative yoga class at the MokSana yoga studio in Fan Tan Alley. (yep, carol actually fell asleep in a back-bending posture towards the end of the class … zzzzzzz)
And back to our comfortable hotel room for hot showers/baths, a bit of comedy on TV (This Hour has 22 and Just For Laughs or something like that) and a late supper of Greek pizza deliver via room service accompanied by champagne (Bollinger of course).
Saturday
After continental breakfast at the hotel, I was off to visit my long time friend Rufus Stewart of Rufus' Island Guitar Shop. Rufus loos like he's doing great - it was wonderful to catch up.
Meanwhile since Carol didn't get enough of her massage the previous day, she headed back to the Vitality Treatment Centre for more work on her shoulders/neck and an adjustment to correct her left hip after a few learning-to-snowboard falls the previous week (nice bruise!)
We reunited back in front of the hotel after Toby took a nice walk back from visiting Rufus through Beacon Hill park with a stop along the way for some Bernard Callebaut chocolate.
Back to Rebar to share another one of their fabulous house salads and some fresh fruit juice blends to energize our bodies in preparation for a 2 hr Bikrams Yoga class (oh yeah, it’s the HOT yoga!). Can't believe I signed up for it and that I survived. And I did though I don't know if I will EVER do it again.
Soggy yoga mats drying in our hotel room.
After much needed showers back at our hotel room (during my shower Carol managed to set off the smoke alarm while lighting incense - which caused a dilemma since the shower felt so good I didn't want to get out but was wondering if the hotel staff were on their way - I opted to stay), we set off in search of dinner and found ourselves at the Wild Saffron Bistro (a recommendation we’d received the last time we visited the Magnolia Hotel, but were unable to dine there as they were closed the evening we chose).
It was a FANTASTIC dinner: I had a blackberry chicken entrée accompanied by a BC sauvignon blanc and Carol had roasted lamb tenderloin accompanied by an Australian shiraz. Yum Yum
Sunday
After our last continental breakfast at the hotel, we had a walk around Victoria to capture some photo evidence of our trip.
East Entrance to Bastion Square
Boats docked next to Wharf Street
West side of Wharf Street
West entrance to Bastion Square
West end of Johnston Street
BC Parliament Buildings
Willow and Flowers
Tall Ship
Tall Ship - inner harbour
Sailboats and the Parliament
Coffee at the Rising Star deli (and retrieval of a stray scarf Toby accidentally left at the Yoga Shala studio).
Carol with a Canadiano
Me post-Bikram
Then back to the hotel to pack up our bags and head to the Victoria airport in time for my flight back to Edmonton (via Calgary … where there was a power outage … much delay … and LOST luggage!)
Carol managed to catch the 1pm ferry out of Swartz Bay back to the mainland - and even took some photos along the way to share with Toby later.
If was a fantastic weekend - can't wait to do it again! I am all for making it an annual tradition.
Posted by songdawg at 12:39 PM | My Life
April 1, 2006
Recording
Busy day today - Marshall is going to Homestead recording studio to work on his new cd. And I am off to Les' to work on the Woodbend stuff. Lately music seems to have taken the front seat at our house - we are both having such a great time with it.
Coming soon - pics from my amazing weekend in Victoria with Carol.