John Novak - blog

Achoo!!

Hey!......How've you all been doing lately? I've been fine, with the exception of dealing with an unwelcome early fall headcold. Seems like a lot of the folks around here have been putting up with the same thing. Thankfully, a few of them suggested I try this "Cold FX" medication and darned if it hasn't done the trick (Don Cherry was right). I took the stuff and it's helped a lot. I'm certainly glad I do feel better because it appears it's going to be a banner Thanksgiving weekend. The weather forcast looks fabulous and there are so many things going on.

A New Season

Hi there blog-readers. Well here we are, into a new season. Fall officially arrived Monday at 11:44 am and today is the first full day of it. Sadly, I guess it's time to put away the shorts, t-shirts and other summer clothes and dress for the cooler weather. Of course we will certainly still have some summer-like weather over the next few weeks but it'll rapidly become the exception rather than the norm. Even so, there are lots of reasons to look forward to autumn....Thanksgiving (and all that great food), the wonderful changing of the colour of the foliage and of course, all the great reasons we have for you to listen to CKOC these days!! If you didn't realize it, I have a new partner with me in the mornings now. Shelly Marriage is taking care of traffic information, entertainment news and injects her own sparkling personality into the mix of our show at various other times.

Hi Again!

Time to get on here and do a little blogging. It's been a while but like a lot of you, I've been in a 'transition mode" getting back to normal, getting used to not being in the summer mentality of things and defining the routines that we all dealve back into at this time of year. Probably the biggest new part of my routine is working with a new partner on the morning show. Joining us on a permanent basis, taking care of traffic, entertainment reporting and various other contributions to the program is the amiable Shelly Marriage. Shelly of course is no stranger to Oldies 1150 listeners.

It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over

Yeah, baseball great Yogi Berra said that (It ain't over 'til it's over). It was one of his famous "Yogi-isms" and in the case of summer, I for one, am clinging to that philosophy. The season is winding down but there's still time to make the best of it and that's exactly what I'm going to attempt to do, as I'm on vacation the final week of August, returning right after the Labour Day weekend. Psychologically, it always feels like an end and a new beginning when that time of year rolls around. Be sure to be listening in September when we all kick into "back to normal" mode.

Just "Peachy"

If you were listening to my show this morning, you might have heard the gang from the Winona Peach Fesitval who dropped by to pay a visit and tell our audience about the big event. This festival is the biggest revenue earner of the year of all the fesitvals held in Stoney Creek (now of course part of the city of Hamilton). The Peach Queen, Lisa, and her 'entourage', including two peach prencesses, were in the studio. The festival draws around a quarter of a million and has become a late summer tradition for many people and families in the Golden Horseshoe area, similar to the way the CNE has been for years. They have a great roster of entertainment this year, including Adam Castelli, the Hamilton contestant who made the top 10 from this year's current edition of Canadian Idol. He'll be on stage from 11am to 12 noon this Saturday, along with many other talented performers. Of course there's the midway, plenty of booths and exhibits, a car show and naturally, all that fabulous food, not the least of which includes those amazing peach sundaes that are an absolute must for anyone visiting the festival. The Winona Peach Festival goes this Friday, Saturday and Sunday (Aug.22 thru 24th) at Winona Park, 1330 Barton Street East, Stoney Creek, just west of Fifty Road. For more information, the website is www.winonapeach.com  Check the festival out this weekend and have a great time. By the way, to all the "peach people" who came in this morning, thanks for the basket of that yummy fruit. I might even try making my own peach sundae. Nah, on second thought, I could never match the ones they sell at the festival. Best I just head on out there along with the rest of you.

"Grunt work" for Who???

Hey, how'd you like to be a roadie for legendary rock band "The Who" for a day? Well, they're giving you that chance now through August 24th. You can bid for the opportunity on E-Bay and you'll be helping a charity at the same time. Proceeds will go to K-9 connection, an organization that brings dogs and kids together. Homeless shelter dogs are given training in basic obedience skills, increasing their chances of being adopted. Sounds like a win-win situation for anybody who loves rock and dogs.....not to mention the canines themselves. The Who of course play Copps Coliseum on Wednesday, Oct.

Stop The Complaining

 

All summer long, people have been squawking about what a rotten summer it's been......too much rain....too cold. I know that this year is one for the record books as far as measured rainfall is concerned and also that we've not had a lot of the really steamy hot days that are expected.

 Now I'm not really sure why, but my perception is that it hasn't been that bad a summer. Oh I know that I haven't had to water the lawn and here it is August and it's still green (highly unusual) and that the air conditioning has not been turned on anywhere near what it normally would be during July and August, but for some reason I haven't felt the need/motivation to complain. Last winter was I different story. I was belly-aching all the time about how cold and snowy it was and how sick I was of it. Maybe the older I get, the more greatful I am that I don't have to shovel anything and that I am saving money on water and electricity. Anyway, the reality is I've still enjoyed this summer and that there's still a fair amount of warm weather to come, so I'd suggest that everybody stop stressing out about what the shortcomings of this most wonderful season have been and just concentrate on the half-full rather than half-empty premise. You might even convince yourself to start enjoying things more. After all....percetion is reality.  

It 'could' happen to you

Y'know, I never gave a second thought, nor seriously considered that identity theft or somebody stealing my bank card number and pin would ever be an issue for me but as of yesterday, I know better. I got a call from my bank....actually nobody called me, it was a recorded message informing me that there was reason to believe (based on whatever criteria they use) that my bank card had been used fraudulently and that I should go to my nearest branch and get a new one. I wasn't quite sure whether the call itself was some sort of scam but I decided to take no chances when it came to my 'stash of cash' (no matter how insignificant it might be).

"Zapped"

As everybody knows, we had a soggy, stormy weekend. Saturday afternoon and evening was especially unpleasant with very heavy thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds. Well it just so happened that the weather conditions that day resulted in the electricity going off because of downed power lines in the area of Burlington where I live on Saturday night. We've lived there for four years and I guess I've gotten spoiled because this is the first time since we have, that the power's gone off for any appreciable amount of time. It used to happen semi-regularly in our old West Mountain neighbourhood but I suppose I'd forgotten just how much it impacts on your activities.....especially when a power outage happens when it's dark.

08/08/08

Well, here it is...the 8th day of the 8th month of the 8th year of the millenium. In Chinese numerology, there is no number luckier than the number eight. Wedding venues have been booked for this date, months in advance and all kinds of people are running out to buy lottery tickets or heading to the nearest casino. The summer olympics also begin today (fittingly, in China) and I'm sure on the minds of a lot of the competitors is the 'luck' factor, in terms of how they'll ultimately fare in their particular event(s). Hey, there's nothing wrong with a little good luck but don't get too wrapped up in the whole thing......same way as you shouldn't be afraid to step out the door just because it might be Friday the 13th. Look at the Ti-Cats. They beat the Argos 45-21 last night and it wasn't 08/08/08......nor was it the 13th on a Friday night, from the Argo's perspective. Anyway, carry on and let's all hope for a little sun to enjoy with our upcoming weekend. It should make it's appearance from time to time.......'with a little luck'.

John Denver had it right

Back in 1971, John Denver's breakout hit "Take Me Home Country Roads" began with the lyrics, "Almost Heaven, West Virginia"....and having vacationed there over the past week or so, it's easy to concur with that thinking. What a beautiful place! Sweetly intoxicating air and pristine water abound throughout the state Even the city where we based our stay, the capitol Charleston, is clean, safe and easy to get around in, with lots of local attractions, historical points of interests and great restaurants. We had a chance to do a bit of golfing on picturesque courses cut into the side of the Appalachian mountains which dominate the area we were in. Also, we had a chance to go horseback riding along the New River Gorge (touted as the Grand Canyon of the east). The scenery was simply breathtaking. It's a good thing the horses were  sure footed and knew what they were doing when it came to navigating some of those narrow paths we were on because it was, to say the least, somewhat intimidating to look and see how far down the drop-offs we were riding along actually were. The New River at the bottom of the gorge, is famous throughout the state for white water rafting (one of West Virginia's biggest tourist attractions) but we didn't quite muster up the courage nor have an opportunity to try it out on this trip. Maybe next time. The tour of the Charleston state capitol building was also very interesting and enjoyable. It's a magnificent building with a solid gold dome and marble  floors and walls throughout the interior along with some very impressive art work. What put the 'icing on the cake' of the whole holiday, was the fact that all the people we encountered were so darn friendly and accomodating. All in all, it was probably one of the most relaxing and enjoyable vacations I've taken in about four or five years. Needless to say, we're already thinking about returning some time soon in the future.    

Sleeping In

Hello to you all and thanks again for giving our website a 'hit' and clicking on to our blog section. If you don't hear me on the radio for the next couple of weeks don't worry (ha! ha!....or celebrate), like Arnie, "I'll be back"...I'm just on vacation. One of the best things for me about being on vacation, is that I get to sleep in. Believe me, that's a big deal when you normally have to get up at 3:30am. In my abscence, you'll be in the capable hands of Ted Yates who gets to sit in for me and wake you up. He'll have all the regular features, information and great music that you can expect if you tune in any morning. Poor Ted.....just when he gets used to the early hours he'll have keep, I'll be returning and when I get back, he slides in the chair for Ray Michaels in the afternoon.

Vacation Planning

Yes, this is the time of year that many of us are planning or have already planned, a vacation or getaway of some sort. I have a couple of weeks off coming up and I've recently been trying to sort through a few options as to what I want to do and where I want to do it, in accordance with my budget and it's restraints of course. This year more than ever before, the price of fuel and how it's affecting what your vacation is going to cost, is a very significant factor. As a matter of fact, the Ontario provincial government is suggesting that this year we take a 'staycation' (clever, huh?) and holiday in our own neck of the woods. Of course we are fortunate to have an abundance of attractions and things to do in southern Ontario, so that might not be such a bad idea.

TV or not TV

Is it just me...or just the time of year....or is television programming indeed, really getting almost more wishy-washy than I can ever remember it being? I know there are a lot of (summer) re-runs at this time of year and seasonal replacement programs but despite the fact that we have access to and more selection of TV channels than ever before, I quite often find myself hard pressed trying to find something I actually want to watch when I do turn the TV on (and it seems I'm doing it less and less..... but then again, that's probably at least partially due to the fact that it is summer). There are way too many reality shows, celebrity gossip/entertainment programs and 'lame' sit-coms for my liking, and not a whole heck-of-a-lot of riveting sporting events going on. Of course 'the news' is always there and I do like to keep on top of what's happening, but sometimes it seems like it's just all too depressing. Mind you news is news and until the human race changes, it won't. Y'know what?........ .I think I'll just turn the radio on and enjoy the music, warm sunny weather and my own reality. Come to think of it, summer's probably a lot more fun that way. Rock on! (with CKOC of course)

A Sweet Summertime Treat

Well, in case you missed it, yesterday (Sunday) was National Ice Cream Day....as if we even need a reason to celebrate one of the most popular food/treats on the planet! I can't really say that I know anybody who doesn't like ice cream. From the time we are babies, stick some ice cream in the mouth and even a squalling child will stop in his or her tracks and immediately concentrate on, not what was upsetting them, but on the instant pleasure and gratification that they're experiencing from the taste of ice cream. I've often wondered what the person who invented ice cream thought, when they first tasted what they'd created.

Commuting Adventures

Driving into work this past week has been a bit of an adventure for me....and I'm not talking about stressing that I'll run out of gas because it's getting harder and harder to keep the tank filled with it these days considering the price of the stuff. No, I'm referring to the 'oddity' of being bombarded with giant moths, I think the size of some birds, that have been splatting on my windshield these past few  mornings for some reason. I'm sure they didn't enjoy it any more than I have, (no doubt even less) but nontheless, what a pain in the butt cleaning the gooey mess off my window every day.

Vacation Mode

This is a great time of year but it's also a kind of 'weird' time of year. What I mean is, everyone, primarily in the workplace, is either in vacation mode (waiting to go on vacation) or on vacation. Half the people you work with and are used to seeing everyday, seem to be missing and the remaining souls you see wandering the halls kind of have this glaze to their gaze, distracted with some inward thoughts or personal agenda. I guess it's a necessity that our intensity diminishes every so often, even it's only for a little while. It's a way of re-charging the batteries I suppose.

The Green, Green Grass of Home

I was checking out my lawn yesterday and noticed that with just the abscence of rain for a few days, it has turned a 'brownish green' that I don't find too appealing. Now, I've spent money on fertilizing it and done all the things that I know I should (through past experience) so that it maintains a nice, green, healthy look but it's not meeting my standards/expectations this summer for some reason. It does look like it could use watering although I don't want to do that too often. The 'experts' say you should only water once a week because it helps the root system stay stronger than if you water too frequently, not to mention the conservation aspect.

Your Next Car

I can't help wonder how the look of traffic might change in the next few years. We all know with the price of gas the way it is, and (apparantly) not much change, in the way of a decrease expected any time soon, that the big SUVs and trucks with large engines are waning in popularity. People just can't afford to operate them and many have decided to dump them in favour of smaller, cheaper to run vehicles. I was reading where you can buy a Hummer for about ten thousand less than it would have cost last year. Are our roads going to soon be filled with small sub compact cars....and the ones considered 'compact' now, will be what we refer to as 'full size'? Only time will tell of course but that very well might be the case.

Aaaahhh SUMMER!!!!

Here it comes gang, another great summer weekend! This one indeed promises to be fabulous...temperatures in the mid to high twenties and nothin' but sunshine in the forecast. These are the times we dream about during those long, cold, dark days of winter when we all seem to suffer (to one degree or another) from cabin fever and sunlight depravation, so my suggestion would be, get outside and do something, anything. Enjoy yourself! If you need a suggestion or two...well....The great Canadian Band, The Stampeders on on stage tonight at "Jackhammers" in Brantford and also. don't forget Oldies 1150 is gonna be at OLG Slots Flamboro tonight and every Friday night, with live entertainment, giveaways, cash and gas card draws, a free Barbecue and more! Get involved in an activity or just 'chill out' and relax but do take advantage of this wonderful time of year and keep that radio on Oldies 1150 for lots of great oldies to enhance your good times. Take us wherever you go. Have a super weekend.

Bloggers Anonymous

I got to thinking as I prepared to do this blog today, I wonder how many of you who read this also are involved in doing blogs? Are fellow bloggers the people who mostly read one's blog because they do it themselves or are the visitors of this area of the Oldies 1150 website just here "at random". I'm curious to know. Are you reading this right now because you just stumbled onto it, or did you specifically and deliberately check out my little daily verbal musing? Are you involved in writing a blog yourself? I know these daily web logs ("blogs" for short) have become a very common practise but I wonder if they're so popular because people are genuinely interested to read about someone else's thoughts and life, or if it's more a case that we enjoy spouting off ourselves about ourselves. Let me know. I will utilize any and all information/responses I get, to create a more interesting and relevant blog for you. My e-mail is jnovak@oldies1150.com

Downtown on Canada Day

Yesterday, Canada Day, I spent more time in our downtown core than I have in quite a while and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. My eldest daughter was studying for a very important work related exam she is slated to write this week and to help her utilize some extra study time, my wife and I took her two kids (our two grandchildren of course) for the day. We let them pick what they wanted to do on our special day and they opted for going to see the new Pixar movie, WALL.E which I (secretly) kinda wanted to see too, so that was cool. We decided to go to the Jackson Square cinemas figuring that being downtown, they may be less busy than some of the 'big box' theatres that were showing the movie....so we headed for the much maligned downtown core which was, as anticipated, somewhat quiet on Canada Day.

Time For Some Hot Fun In The Summertime!!

Summer's coming......officially beginning at 7:59pm this evening and it is time for a little hot fun.....at least I hope the weather will comply because I'm heading off on a weeks vacation. While I'm away, Ted Yates will take good care of you waking you up with all those great oldies you're used hearing every morning. I've gotta zip outa here and head to my grandson Josh's big graduation ceremony. He's graduating out of kindergarten and going into grade one. That wasn't considered much of a milestone when I was young but I guess times have changed. At least we didn't have to rent a limo for this one. I understand that's not done 'til they go into middle school. Hope you all have a great first weekend of summer. I'll be back on my show and my blog after the long Canada Day weekend. Stay safe and have fun!!

Now THESE are Oldies

Last night was the opening night and also media night,for the gigantic, and I do mean gigantic show, "Walking With Dinosaurs" at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto now through June 22nd. I was part of the media in the crowd and I must say it was a unique experience. This is a family show (there were lots of kids in attendance) that transports you to the age when the giant lizards dominated life on Earth, spanning 200 million years. As  the  press release says, "Walking With Dinosaurs" is an extraordinary theatrical production that lets you experience first hand 15 of the species, snarling, sweaty and as magnificent, fascinating and terrifying as they were in real life.

Time waits for no man.

Seems hard to believe, especially for those of us who remember the "British Invasion" and "Beatlemania" in the mid '60's, that Sir Paul McCartney is 66 years old today. Probably for the rest of his life on his birthday, his song "When I'm 64" will be brought up and someone will speculate  about how Paul only wishes he were still just 64. The man still looks great for his age. Obviously his vegetarian lifestyle has translated into a positive factor in terms of his state of health. That and good genes too I guess. No doubt in a century or two when people look back at music written in the 20th century, Paul (and John Lennon, his songwriting partner in The Beatles) will be regarded as the Beethoven and Mozart of their time.

Well Ruffle My Feathers!!

Anybody who has (or has had) kids watching their favourite programs on TV, has no doubt been exposed to Sesame Street and all of it's characters. I know it certainly was a viewing staple in our house with my kids. Now I always thought that the person wearing the big bird suit was a female, (I guess because of the higher pitched voice) but while checking out the MSN website's home page, I ran across a video that 'exposed Big Bird' for who he really was. Much to my surprise, the person who's inside that suit is a 73 year old man by the name of Carroll Spinney. Spinney is the only person who's ever been big bird and is still going stong today, with no intention of giving up the gig. By the way, he's also Oscar The Grouch.

A Memorable Day

All I can say today is that I hope all the rest of you fathers out there had as enjoyable a "Father's Day" as your truly. It was wonderful. The whole family (all my kids and their kids) converged on the place mid-morning and we had a great Father's Day brunch, complete with orange juice and champagne. No one would let me lift a finger to help (which I must admit, I didn't argue about) and then after we ate, I opened up my gifts from everybody. The best gift of course though, was that they were all there with me. Then after all that, everyone went their own way to enjoy spending time with their own children and to experience the 'catered-to-father' scenario themselves....at least the ones who were fathers.

Friday the 13th

So here it is, the only Friday the 13th we're going to have in 2008. Along with it of course, there's  the customary trek to Port Dover that several hundred bikers make on this day and all the talk about 'bad luck' and how you shouldn't walk under ladders or let black cats cross your path etc., etc. I do think however, that the superstition angle of Friday the 13th is waning. People nowadays just don't seem to be as freaked out about being susceptible to misfortune. It seems to me that we have more of an attitude during these times that we're masters of our own fate and that to a great degree, what happens to us (good or bad) is a result of our own doing and/or actions.

Dear Ol' Dad

As we all (or at least most of us) know, coming up on Sunday it's Father's Day. Got to thinking about when my kids were little how they used to always ask me, "What do you want for Father's Day daddy?" I would always reply, "love and respect". That response would frustrate them because they were thinking in tangible terms of course. They wanted to know what 'thing' or gift I wanted. Truth be told, I appreciated whatever they gave me because being kids with no, or not much money, it was always something cute or creative that they'd make themselves...or if they did buy something, it was usually endearing, like a chocolate bar or a screwdriver.

It's What People Want

As you probably know if you're a regular listener to the morning show, all this week I'm giving away free gas cards from Sunoco. It's been a real eye opener just how much the price of gas is on the mind of the public, obviously because it affects our finances and ability to budget our paychecks so directly. Let's face it, the high cost of fuel influences just about every sector of the economy. The response to this giveaway has been absolutely overwhelming. People are reacting to winning $60.(or whatever the amount) worth of gas the same way they've reacted when I've given away vacation trips.

A Fun Day!

What a great time we enjoyed on Monday at the new Dragon's Fire Golf Club on Concession 8 East in Carlisle at their first ever "Media Day"! Thanks so much to owner, Bryan DeCunha and his fine, very professional staff for ensuring that the day went off smoothly. It was so well organized, the only thing we had to concern ourselves with was what the weather might do....and even that held off (as far as any heavy rain was concerned) until the round of golf was over. The course itself, although admittedly still a work in progress, is going to be stunning when completed. Even though it's a brand new course, it has the look and feel of a mature, classically designed upscale facility....without the upscale green fees I might add. If you're a golfer of any skill level I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Bryan told me he's particularly commited to making sure women golfers find it user friendly. The course length varies  in yardages from 4994 to 7210 yards so there's a great advantage for you if you choose to tee off closer to the greens. Dragon's Fire is now open to the public and well worth checking out. I'll be challenging it again, that's for sure.  

Battling The Dragon

Good morning blog fans. Just to let you know , I'm dashing out of the studio rather  quickly this morning in order to make my way to the new Dragon's Fire Golf Club in Carlisle (which just opened to the public last month) to golf in their first annual 'media tournament'. The course is supposed to be beautiful and very challenging and I'm looking forward to the event. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Stay cool and watch the skies for wild weather today. Be safe!!

A GREAT 'SUMMER' WEEKEND COMIN' UP

OK....I know it's not "technically" summer yet but for all intents and purposed is will be a summer....or 'summer-like' weekend with temperatures in the 30s (finally) for the first time this year! LOVE it! I'll be doing things like barbecueing, golfing sitting on the deck enjoying family and friends with something cold to drink and all the other activities that can be put in the category of "hot fun in the summertime"......including maybe catching that song being played on CKOC. Hope you have a great weekend and don't forget to join me Monday morning. We're going to be giving away free gas every hour of the show all next week and at 8:15 Monday, we draw for the trip for two to Punta Cana in our Advantage Regency Tropical Tune Of The Day Getaway contest. Good luck to all! 

The Critters Love My Yard

I'm not sure why, but it seems that various forms of wildlife have decided my backyard is the place to be. During the winter some moles were having a field day tunneling around back there and after the snow melted it looked like some kind of martian landscape with all the canals they'd dug. I finally have that on the road to being dealt with (thank goodness) and now some wasps have chosen to build a couple of nests in the nooks and crannies of the deck. I shall proceed to disrupt their constructions project later today (sorry wasps but it's my backyard....you're squatters...who sting people at that).

Giving Back & "Real" Work

One of the nice things about this job is getting the opportunity help out with worthy causes and projects. I guess because we radio types are in the public eye and are to some degree, considered celebrities (although I've never really thought of myself that way....at least not in the true sense of the word) is the reason we get asked to participate in such things as McDonald's McHappy Day, various charity drives and fundraisers like for example, the big CHCH Celebration this past weekend and of course Tim Horton's Camp Day, which is today. I will again be heading to a Tim Horton's location to assist in whatever way I can.

Time to Reprogram

It's pretty obvious to any aware person these days as we observe what's going on with the price of oil and all the implications it has on our economy in general, that we really have to re-program our thinking. Just today the bad news came out that General Motors is shutting down four North American plants making pickup trucks and SUVs, including its pickup line in Oshawa. Basically, the market has vaporized for these types of vehicles amid high gasoline prices and slumping construction industry demand. As long as we're as dependant on oil as we are now, this scenario will no doubt be repeated more than a few times in the future.

It's A Gas!!!

Wanted to fill you in on a great contest I'll be featuring on my show next week, Everybody will want to be a winner on this one. We're giving away FREE GAS!! Courtesy of our good friends at "Sunoco", Monday to Friday, June 9-13, every morning, every hour of my show I'll ask for a certain number caller (eg. the 5th caller, 11th caller, whatever) and if that's you, you'll win a gas gift card worth $20 Monday, $40 Tuesday, $60 Wednesday, $80 Thursday and $100 on Friday. Again that's EVERY hour that you get a chance to win, between 6 & 9am. We'll keep you going here on 1150 CKOC, both literally and figuratively. Good luck!!

Busy Times

I'm just going through a list of stuff in my head about all the things on my agenda, both personal and work related, coming up in the next little while. Lotta things to keep on top of. This weekend for example, we have our two oldest grandkids (5 and 8) coming over for the semi-regular "sleepover" at Grandma & Grandpa's. They seem to love this ritual. I guess it's because we always try to do something with them as opposed to just letting them plunk themselves in front of a screen of some sort. This time 'round, they're gonna help cook up a dish or two for their Dad's birthday party which we will all be going to (at their house) Saturday after their visit. We also plan to take them mini-golfing, which they love to do. On Sunday, as I mentioned yesterday in my blog, I'm involved with the CHCH TV "Celebration" broadcast to help raise money for Mac Kids Hospital. Can't forget Tim Horton's annual Camp Day either, where we help raise money to 'send a kid to camp'. That's coming up on June 4th and I'm be helping out (or getting in the way) at the New street, Burlington Tim's location. I hope nobody gets fired if they slip me a free donut.......just kidding. June 9th, we're gonna get a chance to check out the new Dragon's Fire golf course north of Burlington. They just opened up for business this month and they're having their big media day tournament that day. I'm really looking forward to checking the course out. It's supposed to be beautiful and very challenging. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, June 6th is my wife's birthday. I've got to arrange her party and go shopping for a gift. As a matter of fact, as I write this, I'm starting to get antsy and feel a little bit of pressure so I'm gonna check out now. I have a son-in-law and a wife to buy presents for and I've gotta get some spareribs for dinner tonight. That's the menu request from the grandchildren. Hope you all have a great weekend. Please join me on my show Monday morning.  

A Television Event

This weekend don't forget to tune in sometime during the 16th annual McMaster Children's Hospital CELEBRATION. It's a television event that has raised millions of dollars for one of the best medical facilities in the country and it goes again this Saturday, 6pm to midnight and again Sunday, June 1st, from 11am to 7pm. It features as always several celebrity hosts, anchored by CHCH-TV's Dan McLean & Connie Smith. For my part, I'll be in front of the camera Sunday, 11am to 1pm. Mike Nabuurs and several others from our family of Astral Media Hamilton radio stations will also be on hand to lend support, just like we all do every March on our annual RADIOTHON for the same great cause.

If You Wanna Be Happy....

Back in 1963 an artist named Jimmy Soul came out with a song that contended "If you wanna be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife". I'm not sure if that really is the answer to  being happy, but I did run across an article the other day that offered the thought that the key to happiness is not having what you want - but wanting what you have. Come to think of it, I guess that's kinda the same thing Jimmy Soul was saying...in a manner of speaking. 

To quote the article, researchers at Texas Tech University and Wichita State University asked test subjects to indicate whether they owned 52 desirable items like cars, stereos, clothes, etc. and to rate their desire for these items. The results showed that simply having 'things' did not make people happy. Some grew accustomed to their possessions and derived less pleasure from them. Those who said they were happy with only the best products tended to be less content. Conversly, people who continued to want the things they'd achieved, experienced a greater degree of happiness and contentment. The bottom line the data showed, was that you need to appreciate those things you have and to keep your desire for things you don't own, in check......or.....just to quote another song's lyrics, "don't worry, be happy".  

Dream On

I was watching one of the newscasts last night and saw an interview with Liz & Doug Kinsman, the Toronto couple that just won 27 million dollars....the biggest single jackpot in the Super 7 lottery's history. Got me thinking, as I've done on more than one occasion, what would I do if I suddenly came into that amount of money? Doug sells real estate up in the Muskoka area and from what I gather, a lot of expensive cottage properties, so he does very well. Even so, he says he loves his job so much he has no intention of quitting it. Different strokes for different folks I guess.

A Fun Night

I just want to pass on a few accolades to the hard working people who organized a tremendous event this past Saturday night that I had the pleasure of attending. It was the big....and I do mean BIG, annual Knights of Columbus Lobtsterfest fundraiser in Ancaster at the community centre. This is one of the major social events in Ancaster every year...always a sellout and I must say, they've got it "down pat". To take care of as many people who pack the Morgan Firestone area and adjacent venues as efficiently as they do, is truly an impressive example of organization. The evening went on without at hitch or glitch.

Birthdayrama

My on-air cohort in the morning, Mike Nabuurs, often ribs me about how many birthdays seem to constantly come up in my family, that I usually acknowledge on the air...and he's right. It always seems like there's a kid, son-in-law, grandchild, my wife or whoever, celebrating a birthday. We always all get together for a family dinner on these occasions, usually at the house of the immediate family member doing the celebrating. Yeah, there's a lot of food to buy for the whole big gang of us and ongoing presents to purchase, but y'know what? I can't think of a better way to spend money or my time.

OK....Here's My Two Cents Worth

I haven't really written anything on my blog about "American Idol" but it did wrap up last night and everybody's talking about it today, so I might as well add my two cents worth. Lots of talented young people were in it this time around and I think the public generally did a good job with their choice of the final two, the Davids. They're who I thought all along were probably the most talented and deserved to be in the final the most. I figured Archuleta would win because more young girls would be prone to vote for him, but felt that Cook was more deserving to (although each is obviously, very talented) so I was pleasantly surprised when David C. was declared the winner. They're both gonna be big stars. The grand finale show was excellent...one of the best "Idol" shows I've seen. Even Paula Abdul didn't seem all that "wacked out" for a change. The highlight of it for me, was David Cook performing "Sharp Dressed Man" with ZZ Top. Loved it! Don't forget, if you still haven't had enough 'idolization', Canadian Idol is set to begin a week this Tuesday. I wonder what the chances of another Hamiltonian winning it all again are? 

Out On The Patio

It seems that this is the year that we're in a situation where we have to replace some of our "outdoor living" items. I just recently purchased a new barbecue (which by the way, hasn't cooked a bad meal yet...after about ten tries at it) and now, I'm in the process of buying a new patio set. Actually, we're not replacing the one we have, we're just getting an additional one to put on the patio of our downstairs "walkout". We have an elevated patio walkout going out of our kitchen upstairs, where the current one & only set is....however that's neither here nor there and probably totally uninteresting to you.

Good Intentions

Well, I DID have an ambitious weekend planned working around the house and putting the long weekend to good use but somehow, it didn't turn out that way. The weather was pretty chilly, cloudy and showery....in general "not nice" and I think THAT'S what zapped all of my incentive to be productive. At least that's my excuse and as they say, I'm stickin' to it. Seems the only half-way decent weather we had was on Saturday, so we opted to take advantage of that to do a little playing rather than working (I mean you've gotta have some fun on a long weekend, don't you?) so we went golfing, vowing to get to the 'work' part of the weekend the next day.

Have A Wonderful Long Weekend

It's Friday and obviously, what's on most people's minds is the long wekend. I hope you enjoy yours, whatever you have planned. It looks like the weather 'just may' be a little better than we'd initially anticipated. Let's hope so. Don't forget, here on Oldies 1150 CKOC we have the "soundtrack" for all your activities. We'll be playing lots of great oldies and I wanna make mention that our music director Ted Yates, has been very busy working on special "Looking Back" musical vignettes which will air every hour throughout your long weekend.

Gettin' Down 'n Dirty

The long Victoria, May 2-4 weekend is coming up of course and unfortunately, it looks like it's AGAIN going to be cloudy, cool and a little wet again this year. Mind you, we're getting used to that aren't we? It looks like the forecast isn't going to make for a whole lot of 'fun in the sun' type activities and it may not be the best weekend to go on the first camping trip of the season (although I'm sure many still will). I know an activity that a lot of people traditionally engage in, is gardening and getting everything growing outside so that the place looks pretty.

Special Days for Special People

Today I want to acknowledge a couple of groups that do a great job and are very devoted. This week between May 12th & 18th, is Nurses Week in Ontario. Nurses are the yeomen (and women) of the health care field that are on the front line with patients more than any other sector. Their hours are tougher than most of us have to deal with, their pay could be better and they experience very high stress levels. Given all of that, it's surprising that they are able to perform at their jobs as amazingly as they do, but there again is that "devotion" factor kicking in. I know we all consider them to be a very important part of any hospital or medical facility staff and that when it's all said and done, appreciate very much what they do, go through and put up with. Thank you nurses everywhere. We love you and couldn't do without you. Keep up the fantastic work! 

Do You Have A "Game Plan"?

I want to talk a little bit today about the situation with gas prices and how you perceive it's going to affect your lifestyle. We're up around a buck 25 a litre generally and the experts are saying it may fluctuate a little but overall, it looks like higher fuel cost may be here to stay. Have YOU cut down on your driving, or how fast you actually drive, in an effort to cut costs? Have you done anything at all? Our family was sitting around when we were all together this past Sunday (Mother's Day) having a discussion about this very thing. My kids, (who are all grown and drive their own vehicles) expressed thoughts they'd had recently when the pain of filling up really hit them, about what they might be doing in the future. My son is thinking of a diesel engine for his next car. My daughters with families say they will explore the hybrid option and my youngest daughter, who's still single, basically just complained about the situation. I 'have' noticed however, that she seems to be planning her excursions with a little more efficiency lately....trying to kill two or three birds with one stone/trip and combine the necessary destinations she must travel to. Interestingly, none of them mentioned public transit as an option. It's very true that people prefer the convenience and independence of their own personal means of transportation, but you have to wonder when the limits will be reached, where the price of gas will be too prohibitive for the mobility habits that we adhere to now to be maintained. We may inadvertently be forced to go green to save green. I'm sure many already have. 

Special Times and Weekends Ahead!

We're approaching the time of year when a lot of special weekends are coming up. We just came through the Mother's Day weekend of course (I hope/trust all you Moms had a fabulous time and were catered to and pampered by all your family). This coming weekend is what's considered the first long weekend of the summer, even though the season will not have officially started yet, the May 2-4 weekend...or as they called it when I was a kid, the Victoria Day weekend. We celebrate this weekend to supposedly commemorate Queen Victoria's birthday but admittedly, as years go by, that reason seems to be less and less valid and generally speaking, it's just regarded moreso these days, as a weekend to celebrate the coming of the warmer weather and having a nice break to enjoy it.

Another Blog About "Food"

Yesterday I blogged about the M&M Meat Shops Charity Barbeque coming up this Saturday and continuing with my preoccupation (seemingly) with food these days, I want to talk a bit about one of my absolute favourite foods.....lobster. This time of year is a lobster lover's delight! They are right in season and more plentiful than almost any other time of the year. You can tell that from all the special deals on lobster in the grocery stores and all the "lobsterfest" events going on throughout our community. As a matter of fact, I'm going to one....the lobsterfest in Ancaster at the Morgan Firestone Arena and the Rotary Centre.

Chowing Down For The Cause

I want to put the bug in your ear and remind you about an event coming up this Saturday that I've been involved with many times over the years and am proud to be again. It's the 20th annual M&M Meat Shops Charity BBQ Day on May 10th, with proceeds benefiting Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada research. All the M&M Meat Shops across Canada will be selling a hamburger or hot dog, a drink and a bag of chips for a minimum donation of $2.50. What a great price for a great meal! (of course you can shell out more for it if you're so inclined) The really wonderful thing about this day is that ALL the money, EVERY penny raised, goes directly to CCFC for it's research programs.

Mom's the word

Who loves ya baby? Nobody more than Mom and I know you love HER too, so why not show her how much. This Sunday is Mother's day as we all know and I hope you're making or have already made plans to celebrate the day with your biggest fan. Moms are amazing people. They give us (for the most part) unconditional love. They say dogs do that too but your Mom is infinitely better than a dog. You don't have to feed her...she usually feeds you. And, have you ever cleaned up after your Mom? Traditionally, it's the other way around. Not to mention all the many, many other reasons why your Mom is so special to you.

I can'r notice the difference, can you?

Just an observation but with the price of gas these days I've heard more and more people expressing the thought that they intend on (through necessity) driving less. It's just too darned expensive. Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny Sunday and as I was going about my business shopping for a few things and later, heading out to play a quick 9 holes of golf, I couldn't help but noticed how many vehicles were on the road. This was the case both on city streets and on the highway. There were 'tons of cars' all over the place and of course mine was one of them. I had my reasons for being mobile and I'm sure everybody else did too.

The Ol' Homestead

This is a busy time of year for us. I guess that"s true for most homeowners. There's the 'traditional' spring cleaning, tidying up and fixing up that many of us feel compelled to do once winter relents it's grip on us. Last weekend, we worked very hard making everything inside spic 'n span. We washed floors, vacuumed from stem to stern, moved every appliance in the house and cleaned the areas that are always hidden by fridges, stoves, washers, dryers, etc. It's amazing how grungy things can get behind and under those monsters. It was hard work but it felt good once it was done and it was amazing how much cleaner the  air smelled inside our place. THIS weekend, I want to get to the outside. There's lawn repairing and fertilizing to be done and just general sprucing up that should be tackled. If I get to this stuff on a weekend that seems like it's gonna be a little on the wet and cool side (like this one coming up) that'll leave me free to do things I'd rather do on the really nice weekends.....like golfing or just lounging and relaxing with family and friends.

The Clock In My Head

I don't know if you're the least bit interested in this or not, but I have a biological clock. No...it's not the same kind of biological clock that a woman of a 'certain' age is referred to having when she's contemplating the fact that maybe it's time for her to become a mother. Not that all women experience this feeling. Some are just as happy to sail through life with their complete independence intact. The biological clock I'm talking about is the one in my head that seems to enable me 9 times out of 10, to wake up a minute or two before my alarm is supposed to go off. Given the fact that I get up as early as I do (3:30am) to be on the radio at 5:30, makes this even more surprising to me. What would possibly cause a normal person to leap into consciousness in the blackness of  night? Obviously, somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of my mind, there's an awareness of the necessity to wake up at that time so that I'll be able to show up for work on time. But....how does my brain/body know it's 3:30 and not 1:30 or 2:45, or whatever? It's always a minute or so before the alarm goes off! It's a mystery to me. The only logical reason that I can think of, is that on the occasions when the alarm DOES go off because I haven't woken up and turned it off, it wakes my wife up and she, in her stupor (and who wouldn't be in one at that time of the day?) has a tendency to get a little perturbed about being stirred. Quite often she says she can't get back to sleep and as a result is tired the rest of her day. I think I subconsciously feel guilty/sympathetic toward her plight and that's why I wake up in advance...to prevent her from also having to. Actually if I'm really honest, she gets cranky about the whole situation and I'm afraid of her. (You haven't seen my wife when she gets ticked off) THAT'S what it is. My 'so called' biological clock is nothing more than a defense mechanism for self-preservation. It's completely instinctive. There....I'm glad I figured that one out.

Greening Up

Y'gotta love this time of the year! May begins tomorrow!! We've already had a bit of a 'teaser' as far as the warm weather ahead is concerned and there's a lot more to come....and....the grass is getting greener. Of course these days anything and everything green is in and THAT'S good. I'm very pleased that our society has become more enviornmentally aware. We're conserving, recycling, re-using, cleaning up etc. etc., more than we ever have. It's a great lesson and legacy to pass on to our kids. They're the ones after all, who are going to inherit this fragile planet travelling through the vast blackness of the universe that we all inhabit. It's our one and only home at the moment. We MUST do all we can to take care of Mother Earth and keep her healthy.

sports, sports, sports

This is the time of the year when a lot of  major sports overlap. Unfortunately as of today, as far as playoff action is concerned, there's only one Canadian hockey team (Montreal) left in the NHL playoffs and the only Canadian NBA team, The Toronto Raptors, were eliminated by the Orlando Magic last night. Don't forget though, all you AHL fans who pull for our Bulldogs (also unfortunately out of post season play), that the Toronto Marlies are still in contention! In fact they won their series with San Antonio last night and will go on to the next round. They don't really get much fan support so maybe it'd be nice to see a few more people attend the upcoming games. Around here, the only thing left is Blue Jays baseball and I'm not even going to speculate whether they're going to have a shot at any 'second season' action this early in the season. They will however, have to get on the ball soon (no pun intended) if they hope to be around in October.

Deadline Time

Today being April 28th, thought I'd pass on that annual reminder that you must file your income tax return with revenue canada before midnight this Wednesday, April 30th. It's amazing how many people (yours truly included) procrastinate when it come to this little obligation. Actually for some, it's anything but a triviality. It can be a very complicated procedure. For example, if you're in business for yourself, there may be many deductions that you will want to consider so you can take advantage of any tax breaks you may be entitled to. Even if you're NOT in business for yourself, sometimes the whole task of doing your own taxes can feel a bit overwhelming, depending on how knowledgeable you are about the whole process.

Hey Webmaniacs

As long as you're on our website, thought I'd extol the virtues and some of the benefits of being here at oldies1150.com. Besides the great info of ALL kinds that you'll find, perks of being an Oldies Web Club member, being able to check out interesting interviews we've aired, etc., etc., we're always encouraging you to listen on line if that's a viable option for you in certain situations, like if you're in your office cubicle at work, or want your Oldies 1150 fix but are out of town. This morning yet another reason to listen to on line was made evident. We experienced a few technical difficulties  (I personally think it was sabotage by one of our competitors) and were off the air for a time. Well, during that period of time the Tropical Tune of the day was designated to be played. Indeed, we had our programming flow continuing for when we DID go back on the air, and one of our listeners (Cathy Wood of Hamilton) was listening on line. We were still available through the cable of the website, even though OFF the air through the regular means of listening to a radio. Anyway, Cathy heard the song (Beach Baby) and called the station. I picked up the contest line and she told me I was playing the Tropical Tune of the day. Subsequently, she won the Hawaiian Tropic sun care prize pack AND qualified for the draw for the trip for two to Punta Cana. This would not have happened for her had she NOT been listening on her computer, simply because she couldn't have heard us otherwise. Way to go Cathy!

Visiting the family

For some reason, today has evolved (not deliberately) into a kind of "family-touch base day". I'm heading out in a few minutes to visit my daughter Liz and her hubbie Jay...and...my 4 month old grandson Brandon, whom we have all affectionately dubbed "Frank the Tank" because he's such a solid, strapping little guy. I'm not sure how much he weighs but I do know it doesn't take my arms long to get sore when I'm carting him around. Apparantly his 'new' thing is showing off in his jolly jumper. He bounces around and will stare alternately at whoever is watching him, start jumping furiously and then give them a big smile, making it very obvious he's sure that he's impressing the heck out of you with his jumping prowess and that you're having as much fun as he is. Cute!!

Rock 'n Roll Heaven

What a couple of days it's been in the world of rock 'n roll. Two hit-makers passed away yesterday. Al Wilson, who had chart topping hits like "The Snake" and "Show and Tell" died of kidney failure at the age of 68....and Paul Davis, who had songs on the chart such as "A Little Bit of Soap", "65 Love Affair", "Cool Night" and the smash ballad "I Go Crazy", that once held a chart record for remaining on the Billboard Hot 100 for an unprecedented 40 consecutive weeks, died Tuesday of a heart attack at the age of 60. Both artists ironically, were natives of Mississippi.

Just for you oldies fans

We're always striving to inform and entertain our listeners....you great oldies fans! We know you love the music we play and are interested in the people and personalities that are connected to it. With that very thing in mind, we were pleased to air an exclusive interview this morning, that our music director, Ted Yates had an opportunity to do with Bobby Vinton! The legendary entertainer will be at Casino Rama for two big shows this Friday and Saturday. If you missed the interview, check out our website, www.oldies1150.com  It'll be posted on there soon for you to listen to. 

Everybody's Smiling

You sure can tell everybody is pumped up about and absolutely LOVING the great spring weather we enjoyed over the weekend (and wiil continue to, this week). Heck...it was more like summer, we even had a smog advisory. So many people in my neighbourhood and I imagine yours too, were doing things like landscaping their yards or at least planting things, barbecueing and going for long walks or bike rides. Hope you were able to enjoy yourself outdoors too. We went golfing and even walked the course it was so beautiful! It was physically better for us and we didn't use/waste any energy either. I feel so-ooo responsible.

We've been WAITING!!!!

Yes, for sure this looks exactly like the kind of weekend we've all been waiting for. Lots of nice, warm spring temperatures and even though we will experience a "few April showers", hopefully we'll see some sun also. Lot's of people no doubt will be getting involved in all sorts of activities like yardwork, spring cleaning, barbecuing, golfing....etc. etc. Whatever you have planned....have fun!! I'm zippin' out now to start MY weekend. Can't wait!!

Join me on the Monday program for lots of good stuff to begin your new week.

 

Breakin' In the New Barbecue

Tonight's the night I'm 'christening' our new barbecue. I'm gonna cook the first meal on it (a nice big beef roast) and I'm very sure it's gonna be great! It better be....the whole gang (aka. family) is coming over...all twelve or so of them and I'd hate to have that many hungry, grumpy people hangin' around if dinner doesn't turn out well. I'll let you know how things went. This almost feels like the same kind of anticipation one has just before taking a brand new car on it's first long motor trip. There's always some degree of uncertainty because of the unfamiliarity factor, right? Now I'm getting myself all worked up.

FYI

Hi again! Thought I'd bring up a few things coming up you might want to be aware of. Firstly, when you log on to this very website, www.oldies1150.com, not only will you be able to read the blogs of the on-air types (like you're doing now), we'll also be available for on-line chats with you at various times throughout the week. In my case, if you'd like to engage in a textversation with yours truly, I'll be in the "chat room" on Monday mornings at 10am. Log on and we can have a discussion about 'whatever'. 

Going Green

In Burlington, we are now doing the "composting of organic scraps thing". Mind you, this is a couple of years behind Hamilton where it's been done for quite a while now. Everyone in the neighbourhood got their "green container" delivered to put the stuff in a couple of weeks ago and this past week was the first collection that they did, including this 'vessel". In our house we're still adjusting to doing the things we have to do to make the whole process effective and sometimes it does seems like a pain in the butt...however...if it's going to benefit our enviornment and make our planet a cleaner place, then it's our responsibility to make sure we do it and do it properly. That's the way I feel about it anyway. It seems everybody who's been involved in this for any length of time (including a couple of my own kids who live in Hamilton) has a hint or two to pass on to make the whole thing easier and more effective. The 'smell and bug factor' seems to be the biggest concern of most people I've talked to when it comes to composting but there apparantly are a number of things you can do to eliminate problems. If anyone out there has any really great hints or suggestions, e-mail them to me at jnovak@oldies1150.com. I'd love to hear from you and would appreciate any tips. I'd also be happy to pass 'em along to readers of my blog who may be interested.

Refreshed and ready to go!

When you return from vacation do you say "It's good to be back"? Many people do but I wonder how many really mean it? I'm back from a holiday (as of today) and in lots of ways it IS good to be back but I will confess that I do miss the warmer weather (75 to 80 degrees...in their terms, everyday) and the golfing that I was able to enjoy in Myrtle Beach last week. Amazing how many fellow Canadians are down there this time of year doing exactly what we were doing. You always hook up with lots of friendly people on the golf course I find.

It's nice to settle in again though back on the ol' radio show. We have our very exciting Tropical Tune of the Day contest on the air as of today. It's a great chance to win a sunny vacation in Punte Cana at the Grand Paradise Bavaro. Tune in and check it out every weekday morning on my show.

FORE!!

Hi there blog fans. Glad you've logged on. It gives me a chance to say "see ya"....in a week. I'm off to sunny (hopefully) Myrtle Beach to do a bit of golfing. I must admit, I'm always a little nervous about the first few rounds I play every year. I feel so rusty, not having swung a club since last October or November, that it seems like I've never played the game before. It's never as bad though, as I build up in my mind that it's going to be. Mike Nabuurs pointed out to me this morning that golf is just like riding a bike. You never really forget how to do it. Mind you, as I recall, I used to fall off my bike a lot in the spring when I first started to ride it again, back when I was a kid. I'm just hoping the weather is going to be good. I'll probably be calling my daughter, who has the house all to herself now....(be good my dear)...a couple of times throughout the week to see if what I left is better or worse than what I left for. 

Busy Busy

It certainly does seem that it's a busy time of year for just about everybody. There's spring cleaning to be done or at least, think about doing. People are also thinking about their income taxes and filing them at the end of April. Of course if you've already done the math and know you're getting a refund, you've probably already filed. Along with all that, I'm preparing for my vacation next week. Lotsa stuff to do...wash all the clothes I'm gonna take, sort out all the financial stuff, get food and snacks for my trip (to Myrtle Beach), etc. etc., you know the drill. I know my daughter will take good care of the house  while I'm gone. Gee, maybe she'll even clean the place up so that I don't have to add that duty to my list when I get back, although Im not 'bettin' the farm' on it.

How Do You Like Yours Done?

As I mentioned a few blogs ago, there was going to be/now is, a new barbecue in my life. I had my brand new Broil King Signet delivered last night and I felt like a kid getting a new toy again. She's a 'beaut'....three stainless steel burners, 50,000 BTU's of cooking power and almost 700 sq. in. of cooking surface. The thing is so nice I couldn't bear to put it outdoors on the deck because it was cold, windy and ice pellets were coming down, so it's still standing in the front hallway hogging up space. I know this can't continue and I'll have to get it outside soon. My old barbecue (which I haven't decided what to do with) is still out there. It's four years old and needs  some cleaning up but it still works. It just wasn't big enough to do the job whenever the whole (expanding) family would come over for a warm weather grill-fest. This new one will fit the bill in that department. It's quite a monster. I'm just trying to decide now what meal I will cook to "christen" it. I'm sure it'll do a superlative job on any food. Gotta go now, I'm getting hungry just thinking about this whole thing.

Are you a prankster?

Here it is again. April Fools Day...or in some circles, just plain ol' April 1st. Of course on this day, one is supposed to come up with clever, humourous but non-malicious ways of embarrassing others by playing a jokes on them...and making them feel like "fools". Has anybody done that to you today? Have you played a prank on anybody?

Every year since we've been married I've always played a joke on my wife. Some have been more successful than others but there's always some attempt. The best time , I've found through experience, to play a joke on someone is immediately after they wake up. Most people are so groggy and vulnerable when they first open their eyes that it makes fooling them almost too easy. And remember, you're not supposed to play jokes on anybody after 12 noon. Hey, but what about people who work all night and you maybe don't see until after they awake in the later pm hours? Are they exempt from being April Fool victims? If so, it's not fair. I say play the trick on them anyway.

No Foolin'

Yay!!!!! April is almost here and I must say, probably more people than ever are glad about that fact after the few months we've just come through. It looks like Ol' Man Winter has decided he won't play any April Fool jokes on us either. It'll be a bit on the wet side but at least the temperature is supposed to go up to 14 degrees. Now THAT'S more like it!!

Congratulations to those who participated in the "Around The Bay Road Race" this past weekend. You should all be proud of yourselves. We were among  those lining the route cheering on the runners, in particular our daughter....who finished quite handily. She looked like she didn't even break a sweat! It really was a great event! Seeing all the smiling faces of those taking part was, to say the least, inspirational. So much so, that my wife has vowed to be in it next year and is trying to talk me into doing the same. I'm gonna "think" about it (at least) although I haven't committed myself yet.

A "Good" Turn Off

Hey....the weekend is coming  (or is here...depending on when you're reading this) and there are a couple of things I want to remind you of. The first is "Earth Hour" which takes place between 8 & 9pm on Saturday night. Wherever you are, unless it's dangerous to do so, we urge you to turn the lights off for that hour. This is being done by many communities around the world (150 in Canada alone) and Hamilton is of course, one of them. The whole idea, besides the obvious saving of energy and the planets resources, is to create awareness that we should all be concerned about mother earth and what she means to us. Doing whatever we can to preserve what we have and what we need to survive for generations to come, is one of the most meaningful, important things any of us can aspire to. Wouldn't you agree? The lights will all be off here at the radio station Saturday night and I hope you'll participate wherever you are too.

It's Thursday Already??

Boy, this week sure seems to have gone by quickly....or maybe it's just my perception. I guess it doesn't matter. They say perception is reality and despite the fact I didn't have Easter Monday off, it still seems like this has been a short work week to me. Maybe I can alter my 'perception' to make it seem like the upcoming weekend feels LONGER than it really is? Most times though (as has been my experience and observation) it doesn't usually work that way. At any rate, hope you can join us for some, or all, of the Friday show coming up tomorrow as we sneak closer to Saturday & Sunday.

GoneToo Soon

Not to be a 'downer' but I'm saddened this week by the passing of a couple of radio 'legends'...one whom I knew personally, the other who I worked with sporadically, didn't really know well, but  respected immensely.

An old friend of mine by the name of Gord Robson was found without life signs in his apartment last Good Friday in Edmonton. I worked with Gord in Calgary in the late '60's & early '70's. As a matter of fact, he was one of the ushers at my wedding. Gord went on to become a heavyweight player on the Canadian radio scene, enjoying success at stations like CKLG in Vancouver, CFOX in Montreal and CHED in Edmonton. He has been one of the most respected broadcasters in this country for many years and countless tributes and accolades from his friends in the industry have been pouring in over the past few days on several radio websites. The last time I saw Gord was in the summer of 2007 when he came for a visit to my home while he was in the area. Like always in these instances, you never really think that it might, or will be the last time you'll ever see that person again but in this case, it was. I'll miss him. Gord was truly a good man.

Enough is Enough

It's Tuesday and they're forecasting MORE snow. OK, not much, but any amount is TOO much in the minds of most of us who are totally "winter weary". Hey the regular baseball season started today...there's gotta be a change in the weather soon....you would think!! 

I've had some people ask me what I did on my holidays last week. Well, the answer to that is....not a whole heck of a lot. I just puttered around the house and thought about how I'd like to be puttering with my golf putter but of course it was a little too nippy/snowy for that.

I've mentioned baseball and golf in this blog but the most important sport right now on the minds of most people, is hockey. Good luck to the Leafs in their two MUST WIN games coming up against the Bruins. They must win them or it's pretty much a no-go for any playoff hopes for this year. And how about our own Bulldogs? I imagine at this point, they'd just settle for a win after having set a franchise record for most consecutive losses recently. Maybe their luck will change during the road trip they go on this week.

Back at It

Hi there! Well here I am back from vacation, rested and refreshed. Hope your Easter holiday was great. It was a bit colder than usual because of the early date it fell on this year but nontheless, it's always fun to share special times with family and friends and that's exactly what our gang was up to.

Can't wait for the warmer weather of "spring??" to kick in. I'm currently in the process of replacing my barbecue and at least that's distracting me with thoughts of what's to come. I'm not even a half bad cook when I use one...if I do say so myself. Mind you, every guy I know thinks he's an 'expert' barbecuer, or at least close to it. Bring on those sunny days!!!

Like Arnold..........I'll Be Back

Hey blog reading fans, I'm on vacation next week, so my daily musings and thoughts on this forum will be N/A for a little while. Ted Yates will be sitting in for me on the show next week, so please be nice to him. Kindly cease and desist from making any complaining phone calls to him, no matter how good your reason might be. Ted is an extemely sensitive guy......OK......I'll just SAY it.....he's a big sissy and his feelings get hurt really easily, so don't call him and say "When's Novak coming back?", or "That song you just played sucks"....or anything like that. He'll take it personally. I'll be back Monday, March 24th. In the meantime, hope you all have a Happy Easter!! 

Ready For Spring?

Now that the clocks have "sprung ahead", I think were all just about ready for the season itself to catch up. Fear not, spring's just a week away. The only thing I'm afraid about (concerning spring) is that when all the snow melts on my backyard lawn, I'm gonna see these stupid mole tunnels all over the surface like I did last year. I looked on the internet when this first happened and much to my surprise, this is quite a common problem for a lot of people...at least more common than I had any idea it was. Apparantly these little pests are a challenge to get rid of. There seemed to be several suggestions as to how to go about it but no one really clear cut method. I was wondering if any of you, reading this blog have had mole issues and if so, were you successful in dealing with them?  What did YOU do? Send me an e-mail and let me know. MInd you, I'm assuming I'm going to have to deal with it again this year. Maybe the little devils decided to take their 'party' to my neighbour's back yard...or better yet, have taken off for parts unknown. I guess I'll know soon.

It's a GAS

What??!!!! They're telling us to expect (possibly) gas to be $1.50/litre by the middle of summer??!!! I'll either have to get one of those "Smart Cars" or go back to my teenage years and start hitch hiking again. Right now around here, we're generally paying about $1.09/litre. That hurts if you commute everyday (like me) but it may soon seem like a bargain! Ouch!! I'm driving to Myrtle Beach next month for a little golfing and now I'm worried about what the gas is gonna cost me. Mind you, despite the fact that gas prices are also at a record high in the states, around $3.22/gallon, that still works out to only 85 cents/litre. I wonder why the discrepancy between our two countries? After all, we ARE an oil producing nation, albeit an overtaxed one, wherein lies the answer to my question.....I guess. At any rate, I don't like it much but what can any of us do?

This 'n' That

Had an interesting 'restaurant' experience last night not unlike a few I've had in the past. We decided to treat ourselves to dinner out, after being trapped in the house all weekend because of the snowstorm. When we got to the eating establishment (which shall remain un-named) it was obvious that many others were of the same mind as my wife and myself. What followed, was probably due in part, as a result of the place being so busy....but it could also have been somewhat because of incompetence. Bottom line....they screwed up our order, bringing us the wrong items, then when they finally did get it right (after waiting for an unreasonably long time....even for a busy restaurant) the food was brought to us at different times, so I was eating while my wife watched and vice versa. If we'd waited for each other to be served, the initial meal would have been stone cold, so that wasn't much of a desireable option. We informed the manager, calmly, without losing our temper, of the negative dining experience we had just endured and to his credit, he apologized and did not charge us for the meal. Now we could have gotten steamed and abrasive...or said nothing and 'stewed' about it. In both cases, we probably would not have enjoyed the same result.

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