WinterJam 2013

For Valentines Day Kayla and I decided to go on an adventure. Okay, it wasn't only for Valentines, it just happened to be that night, but it was still a great excuse and something fun for us to look forward to. As soon as our classes ended on Thursday we hopped in my car and headed north to Augusta for WinterJam 2013. If you're not familiar with WinterJam (and I can't really say I was. I just heard about it on the radio) it is a huge Christian concert that features ten acts for ten dollars. No tickets, just ten dollars at the door and you pick whatever seat you can get. They generally sell out and there was a chance that we wouldn't get in but we decided to risk in and luckily we not only got in but snagged some great seats.

There was a range of acts. None of them are my absolute favourites although I really like Matthew West and I like him even more now. The headliner was Toby Mac. I'm not particularly a fan of his music but as we suspected, he puts on an a-MAZING show. I was pleasantly surprised by Jason Castro as well. Remember him from Idol? Well he has a new record and the lead single is "Only a Mountain" which I've heard on the radio and really like. I purchased both Jason and Matthew West's newest cd's for $5 each. The top photo is Jason Castro, still sporting the dreadlocks :)

 There were a number of other acts as well: Sidewalk Prophets,a rock group called "Red" that neither of us enjoyed. The pyrotechnics were cool but the music was just loud and we couldn't understand any of it (does this mean I'm getting old?) Jamie Grace seems like a sweetheart and she did a great job. The lead singer for "Royal Tailor" was an amazing dancer. He reminds me of what a young Michael Jackson would have been like, complete with the moon walking :) There was a local group called Capital Kings who were pretty fun and another group called "OBB" who did sort of a pre-show. The whole thing was hosted by the guys from NewSong and they had a set as well.

Overall it's just a great night of music. The speaker Nick Hall talked about "resetting" and "recharging". It was basic stuff but I enjoyed it. Kayla and I agreed that our favourite act was Matthew West. He had some video testimonials from the people who's stories he had based some of his songs on and they were incredibly moving.

As I mentioned, Toby Mac (left) puts on an incredible show. Even so we left a little bit early so we could beat the crowds because we both had class in the morning. I'm glad we went though. It was a ton of fun.

Heidi's tips for Saving Money: Win stuff!

I'm happy to report that my track record for winning things from the local radio stations has continued in Ontario. So far I've won the newest Eric Church CD - Chief, and the previously mentioned Hunger Games movie tickets and sound track. I also "bought" (with points earned by entering bonus codes online) tickets for myself and two friends to go to to the Waterloo Region Food & Drink show at the Kitchener Market.

My latest acquisition was a "call in and win" thing on FaithFM. On Sunday nights they have a gospel hour and they've been giving away cd's and dvd's of the Collingsworth Family over the last few weeks. I've been caller 3, 4, and last night I was 2, 4 AND 7. Luckily 7 was the lucky number and I won a copy of the the "A Decade of Memories" dvd. The Collingsworth Family is here in concert this week but I can't attend because of a prior commitment so this is a nice substitute. Plus, it was freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! :D

Happy (very belated) St. Patrick's Day!

There once was a young man from Kew
Who found a dead mouse in his stew.
Said the waiter, “Don't shout
Or wave it about,
Or …

Do you know the rest of the limerick? Apparently I do! I took the afternoon of Friday the 13th off so I could pack up and head out to a retreat. On my way out of town I was scanning radio stations and I picked up on one out of Vancouver. They were running a St. Patrick’s Day, complete the limerick contest. I called in and got through and, long story short, won! My prize? Two tickets to see The Irish Rover’s at a local casino. (Guess Friday the 13th's not so unlucky after all!)

I talked my dad into picking up the tickets (way down in Vancouver) and he and I went to the show together on St. Patrick's Day. It was a lot of fun. Their set wasn’t all that long but we enjoyed every minute of it.

Dad is very familiar with their music having grown up listening to them and watching them on TV. I recognized more than I thought I would. Anything I wasn’t able to sing along to I was able to sit back and just listen to. Their music is infectious and happy. It was a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

So, what’s the rest of the limerick? Any guesses?

12 of 12 February

I haven't been blogging at all but I did manage to get enough pictures for the February 12 of 12 so let's see if I can update a bit of what I've been up to. February 12, 2009 is exactly one year before the start of the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. The hype is starting to build!!!

This 12 of 12 is on a Thursday which means it's "Country Club Newsletter Day". Enter the bonus code and get an extra 200 points.
The 13th is one month into my new job. This is my desk...before the mess starts!
And this is my desk at the end of the day. Craziness!

I'm settling in, slowly. The learning curve isn't as steep as the first few weeks but I am still getting used to all the tasks and being challenged daily to stay on top of everything that needs to be done.

It was a *beautiful* day and I couldn't resist taking a short drive to get this picture of Mount Baker. Majestic in it's snow capped glory presiding over the valley like a king on his throne :)
Excitement! Remember how I mentioned that I'm getting started in researching my geneology? Well my family got a call from the History Channel, a show called "Ancestors in the Attic" specifically and they want to do an episode on my great-uncle's, Melville and Cecil! I gave them the information that I know verbally and faxed a bit more. I certainly hope something comes of it. That would be so neat!
At home the dishes await. Thankfully these ones are clean and just waiting to be put away.
I borrowed some movies from my brother Aaron...now to find time to watch them!

Leah and I went out for all-you-can-eat-Sushi and then to Starbucks. It's been a really long time since we've been able to hang out, just the two of us so it was really nice.


Super exciting text from Meredith!!!
And my self portrait. I've been doing some devotions at the kitchen table in the mornings and just before bed.

So, that's my day. See you again next month!

The Arrogant Worms

My next two weeks are shaping up to be really busy so having a low key schedule this weekend was perfect. In fact on Saturday I didn't even get dressed until about 6:30pm when I left the house.

Sunday after church we had a potluck lunch and in the evening I joined Jenna, her husband William, her dad and two sisters for an "Arrogant Worms" concert.

My going was kind of a last minute decision. Sunday morning their mom wasn't feeling well so she asked Katherine to see if there was anyone that would like to go in her place. Katherine called me and even though I confessed to not being familiar with the music, I agreed. I'm glad I did. The concert was a lot of fun.

The Worms describe themselves as "Musical comedy at its folkiest" and nothing is safe from their super fast lyrics. I laughed out loud SO many times during the show. My personal favourite songs are now "Rocks & Trees", "Celine Dion", and of course the classic "Last Saskatchewan Pirate".

You can hear a few of the songs on their woefully outdated MySpace page.

What's on your playlist?

Okay, so I'm kind of beind the times and still working with CD's but you get the idea. So, what's in my player lately? Brace yourself. It's NOT what you'd expect.

Nickleback: All the Right Reasons

Aaron was mighty confused when I asked to borrow this cd. I admit some of the lyrics are a bit out there for me (actually a lot of them) but I really, really like Photograph and Rockstar. If you haven't seen the video for Rockstar, go to YouTube and look it up. It's AWESOME. Of course the fact that lead singer Chad Kroeger is a local boy doesn't hurt either. Gotta support local talent :D

Bon Jovi: Have a Nice Day

Now that "Who Says You Can't Go Home" isn't being played every second song on country radio, I can actually stand to listen to this cd. I really like "Have a Nice Day" and I'm loving the sound of "Last Cigarette" for some reason. I can see why this is such a popular album.

I'm not sold on their new "Lost Highway" album yet but maybe a few years down the road I'll like it too.

Newsboys: Shine: The Hits
Somehow I never connected the song "Shine" with Newsboys but when I did, I decided I wanted to hear the whole cd. I love that song and while the lyrics are kind of twisted "make a vegetarian barbque hamster?" the sentiment is good and the beat rocks.

All of these cd's have been out for awhile and are outside my usual little country box but I'm just discovering them and enjoying them.