LIVING YOGICALLY: Hoppy Fathers Day
This week I decided to do a video post.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSStQn88Q8A
TOE JAM MONDAYS: Chuck Ragan Live at The Casbah
Photo by Trevor Johnston
This week has been a busy one. Working overtime at my 9-5 all in preparation for a 15 minute meeting in Banff. So after 2 days of pretty much airplanes, airports and meeting rooms, I was happy to come home and do something that would balance this crazy week out. I had been a little stressed to say the least so Jordan surprised me with something he knew would make me happy – tickets to see Chuck Ragan!
I had heard of Chuck Ragan from being a lead singer in the band Hot Water Music, but didn’t think anymore of him when the band went separate ways in 2006. Skip to 2009 when my main squeeze and I painted our new home to the sounds of this gritty country rock record. Before the first song was over my obvious question was “who is this!?” It was Chuck Ragan – his solo stuff. Needless to say that record played through painting the bedroom, bathroom and living room.
Here is a very brief musical history of Chuck Ragan. Former lead singer of Hot Water Music from Florida. Had a folk inspired side project called Rumbleseat with fellow lead singer Chris Wollard and Bitchin’ frontwoman Samantha Jones. The side project formed in 1998, but didn’t release their first and only album until 2005. He started his solo effort in 2007 after HWM disbanded and has been touring extensively for the albums.
*****TIME LAPSE OF 7 HOURS WHILE ATTENDING CONCERT*****
Ok, it’s 2am and I need to be at afformentioned job in 6 hours, but I just got home from Chuck Ragan’s show at The Casbah and these fingers couldn’t wait to hit the keyboard. I need to gush about this night before it’s lost in dreams.
Chuck Ragan just re-energized a girl who thought work was getting to her. Sharing songs of hard work, sacrifice, reward and loss. Ragan is the king of the working class – and living in a city where steel is our main industry and hardwork isn’t an option, it’s a way of life – you could say his songs struck a chord tonight.
He shared the stage with Joey Turner and Jer Widerman who definielty held their own, playing great acoustic sets. We missed most of Joey but caught the end of what I’m sure was an amazing set. Jer pleasured us with his brand of Hill-billy rock that could have been the soundtrack to a Wild West duel. Well done sir.
Next was Dave Hause who is a fellow punk rock veteran and has the pipes to prove it. His voice filled the Casbah like it was an empty church – so loud, yet so precise. I have to admit that I had never heard of Dave, but that didn’t stop my ears from taking notice. I liked what I heard and was waiting for more – I’ll have his new album Resolutions on repeat for sure.
But something that was just as entertaining as his music, was Dave himself. I think most of us know how intimidating a crowd can be. If you’ve ever had to give a speech, you know the look of a sea of blank stares, but Dave won their approval with funny anecdotes and crowd banter. Even the drunk guy who’s wife was about to have a baby was embraced by these guys and congratulated instead of mocked.
Dave Hause – Meet Me at The Lanes
Dave Hause – Meet Me At The Lanes
Then there was Chuck. Oh Chuck, our manly man with the whiskey soaked voice and bear-paw hands – you made us happy tonight.
While playing songs from his vast catalogue of songs written by himself and former band Hot Water Music (who is reuniting and playing Toronto this week) Chuck managed to cover songs from Alkaline Trio, Canadian treasure Northcote and even a song about the life of a coal miner, taught to him by Hazel Dickens.
Northcote – Worry
Northcote – Worry
Chuck was accompanied by Jon Gaunt on the fiddle and Joe Ginsburg on the stand up bass and they were such a treat to watch. With their beards, duster mustaches and plaid shirts, I felt like I was at a 1930s bonfire in an old train yard, after a hard days work and these guys were my co-workers and entertainment. It was that honest. These instruments were the perfect compliment to Chuck’s hard edge – proving his raspiness is capable of much more than his punk rock past.
This was my favourite kind of show. The ones where I am giddy off the talent of others and appreciate their abilites so much that I don’t care that I am at a loss for words because the experience is burned in my brain – and even though I can’t share what I keep locked in my memory, its my gift from an artist, and mine to keep.
Chuck is a guy that needs to be witnessed. I could blab all day long about the feeling I felt in my gut as my heart pounded and the burning in my eyes as he sang about missing his dear wife while she left on a train, but this is a guy who you need to experience in the flesh to truly appreciate.
Chuck Ragan – Rotterdam
Chuck Ragan – Rotterdam
A musician who will have beers with fans at the bar and play until it feels right to stop, even though its 1:30am on a Sunday is a treat and a rarity, so keep this in mind next time Chuck rolls through your town.
A big thanks to Chuck, Dave, Joe, Jon, Jer and Joey for putting on a show that felt as much like watching friends jam as it did witnessing greatness.
Fellow Canadians, if you missed Chuck in Hamilton, he is playing the El Mocambo in Toronto on June 15th for NXNE. Enough said. Good Night.
* If you are a member or manager of the above band and you would like your track removed, please contact us and we will swiftly oblige. Fans – new or old – please support these bands by using your coffee money to buy their records.
GO FORK YOURSELF: Get Crackin’
When I was younger, I remember taking one egg out of the carton and hiding it in the fridge. I figured that if I could stop my mom from cracking this one egg, it would eventually hatch a cute little baby chick that I could raise to be my best chicken friend.
Fast forward about 15 years later when I had a job at the CNE working for the Ontario Chicken Marketing Board (yes, there really is one). I started to learn why my best chicken friend never materialized; it wasn’t because I didn’t sit on the egg, it was because cooking eggs are never fertilized. Battery hens (or egg hens) never come into contact with a male rooster. I hope this helps other people out there who are sitting on an egg right now, waiting for their clucky plucky friend to arrive. Get up and get on with your life, honey, Chicken Little is not coming.
Here is the lowdown on what’s inside the shell:
One egg contains 70 calories and 5 grams of fat. That might sound like a lot of fat for one little egg, but it’s a good kind of fat. Only 1.5 grams out of 5 is saturated fat (the part of the fat that raises cholesterol). If you really want to steer clear of fat, for whatever reason, you can always eliminate the egg yolk and you’ll be left with egg whites, which are a pure source of 6 grams of protein.
Most of us remember reading Green Eggs and Ham as kids. Bring that Dr.Suess classic to life with your own green eggs. These scrambled eggs add the goodness of spinach and flaxseed.
GREEN EGGS MINUS THE HAM
1 egg
2 egg whites
2 cups of spinach
1 tsp of flax seed
Place all ingredients in a blender or Magic Bullet. Blend until spinach is completely pureed. Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add cooking spray or a tsp of oil and scramble egg mixture. Makes one serving. Double accordingly for more.
I make this recipe and then take a couple of squares in the morning. I like eating them cold, but you can also easily reheat them for a hot breakfast.
CRUSTLESS QUICHE
250g of egg whites.
1/2 cup of cottage cheese
1/2 an onion
1/2 a red pepper
1/2 a zucchini
a handful of sliced mushrooms
a handful of baby spinach
leftover brown rice (optional)
Preheat over to 375F. In a large casserole dish add all ingredients together and mix to evenly disperse. Cook casserole for about 30 minutes, checking with a fork or toothpick for a dry inside.
Top Five Fridays: Most Disappointing Times In My Life.
What’s a random website without a “Top Lists” section. You’re right. nothing! So today marks the first instalment of Top Five Fridays. Each Friday I’ll post a new Top Five that may have a personal connection with my life, some sort of current event, or maybe something completely random.
I thought I would start off with listing the Top Five Most Disappointing Times In My Life.
5. Finding out Michael J Fox’s middle name doesn’t even start with a J.
Growing up, I felt a special connection with Marty McFly. I was super young when the Back to the Future movies came out, but I always wanted to be Marty. The thought of time travel (especially doing it in a sweet sweet DeLorean) was something that sparked my imagination and I needed to do it. How could you not love these movies? I mean, TBS played them non-stop every night for years. As good as he was playing Marty McFly, he was even better as Alex P. Keaton in the television series Family Ties. As I write this, I even wonder if his middle name even started with a ‘P’ in that show.
So what is his middle name? Was this going to be as disappointing as finding out that Homer J Simpson’s middle name is just ‘J’?
A couple months ago I seen a post on Twitter about this and had to investigate. There it was. Michael Andrew Fox. Andrew??? What the.???
For a simple explanation, I’ve copied this from Wikipedia:
Fox was discovered by producer Ronald Shedlo and made his American television debut in the television movie Letters from Frank, credited under the name “Michael Fox”. He intended to continue to use the name, but when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, which does not allow duplicate registration names to avoid credit ambiguities, he discovered that Michael Fox, a veteran character actor, was already registered under the name. As he explained in his autobiography, Lucky Man: A Memoir, and in interviews, he needed to come up with a different name. He did not like the sound of “Andrew” or “Andy” Fox, so he decided to adopt a new middle initial and settled on “J”, as a homage to actor Michael J. Pollard.
I felt like I didn’t even know him..
4. The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Watch the trailer below and you’ll understand why I was so excited for this movie.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jU3AimFaz0
It looked so good and I was so stoked to see it. I should of realized it was going to be a flop when some theatres weren’t playing it and I had to drive an hour to the closest theatre for it. Fantasy films are some of my favourite. Just like Peter Pan, I have a fluid imagination and thought this movie was made for me.
fluid [ˈfluËɪd]
adj – capable of flowing and easily changing shape
fluid
Although the set designs were unbelievable, I still have no idea what the movie was really about. It made absolute no sense and I contemplated walking out on it. I was so upset. Heath Ledger, Johnny Depp and Jude Law are some of my favourite actors and was expecting more. (Sorry, Colin Farrell gets no love).
What did you think of this film?
3. Wayne Gretzky high sticks Doug Gilmour and no call.
So I guess this is the Leafs fan coming out in me. It was the 1993 NHL playoffs and the Toronto Maple Leafs were well on their way to the Stanley Cup. Could it be?? Could I finally see the Leafs win the cup? The Leafs were leading 3-2 in the series and then this happened:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N51jmflc5Io
And then Gretzky goes on to score the winning goal that would send it to game 7? The Leafs had it. So disappointed. We all know how good the Leafs have been since. Why Kerry Fraser didn’t make that call is beyond me. Fraser, who is now retired from the game and writes for TSN, wrote a great article about this incident. Click here to read it
It would have been a Toronto/Montreal final. Imagine how good that would have been for hockey in Canada? Here’s hoping Vancouver can bring the cup back to Canada.
As for us Leaf fans. the future looks bright. I mean, our team is lead by Dion Phaneuf (*sigh).
2. Getting cut from the Junior Boys Volleyball Team.
I was in Grade 4, and tryouts were coming up for the Junior Boys Volleyball team which included anyone from Grades 4 – 6. I was super excited. I remember practicing with my brother a week before tryouts even started. My parents purchased me new running shoes so I would be quick on my toes. Tryouts came and I thought I killed it. A week later and the team was posted. I looked over it once and didn’t see my name. That’s ok, because I was so filled with anticipation that I was reading too fast and missed it. So I looked one more time and I still remember my heart breaking into pieces as ‘Jay Perry’ was nowhere to be found.
The team went undefeated that year and won the city championship. Their photos were in the local paper, names all over school, and they were treated as celebrities. The heart break was getting even worse and felt like it was being rubbed in my face.
[insert quick story about turning failure into success]
Some say I was the Michael Jordan of Volleyball. Few may know this, but Michael Jordan was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Imagine he gave up? So instead of giving up, I kept practicing. I knew next year was a new year and a fresh team. I was in grade 5 and wouldn’t you know.. ‘Jay Perry’ had made that list. We also went undefeated and I got to experience what hard work paying off felt like at such a young age. I would go on to play volleyball every year in elementary school, went on to lead my high school team when I was only in grade 9, and played CANUSA volleyball. Ok, enough about me, but yes, hard work does pay off (but this is a top five list Jay).
1. Ketchup Doritos
Who remembers this delicious delicacy? Growing up, Ketchup was always my favourite flavour of chips as well as I was a huge fan of Doritos. The day I found out the two were combining into one incredibly magnificent flavour, made up for the Leafs not winning the cup since 1967.
I rushed to my local convenience store and immediately grabbed two bags because I just knew how amazing they would be and didn’t need to waste time ‘trying one bag first’.
Time would go by and I continued enjoying my Ketchup Doritos. Then one day.. I went to purchase a bag and they weren’t on the shelf. I thought, “That’s understandable. They’re a delicious snack and people probably enjoy them as much as I do. I’ll just go to the next store and pick up a bag or five”. Store after store after store and I finally realized that there was no way every store would be sold out. It was then I realized that Doritos had committed chip suicide and discontinued their Ketchup flavour. I felt like hitting this button.
I’ve never been the same since. Everyday I wish Dr. Emmett Brown would build me a sweet DeLorean and I could go back in time and buy a warehouse full of product.
Anyone else a die hard fan of these chips too?
Honourable Mentions
– Finding out Milli Vanilli was lip syncing
– Not being allowed to run Cross Country in Garde 2 because “my lungs were too small”
Would love to hear your Top Five Most Disappointing Times in your life. Let me know in the comments or if you have experienced anything like me.
Until next Friday.
LIVING YOGICALLY: Nice Rack
Well now that I got your attention… I would like to talk about something even sexier than the above picture.
Random Acts of Kindness … oh ya so sexy!
You all must have heard the story of Edmonton Oilers player Gilbert Brule and his girlfriend Kelsey Nichol who picked up a hitchhiking Bono. That was pretty sexy. Although the good deed did not go unnoticed, it was a great display of generosity. I was at the receiving end of an act of kindness this week when I received flowers for NO reason at all. Can’t get any better than that- in my eyes! I witness kindness every time Toe Jams Monica and I walk passed an expired meter at the General Hospital in Hamilton, which she fills with her spare change to save someone from the diligent parking police in the area. I am pretty sure she has saved a lot of people from a pricey ticket, without them being aware of it.
Inspired by all three of the above examples I too wanted to try to give anonymously. So my intention was to do one nice RAK (Random Act of Kindness) each day. I wanted to do something nice for a friend or stranger each day and not tell anyone about it.
So the post ends here. I have nothing more to share but the encouragement to go out do something nice for someone else today! Feel free to share your story- anonymously. Buy a stranger a coffee. Send an anonymous thank you letter. Give a stranger standing on Barton St a giant hug on this sweaty day!
The sun never says to the earth, “You owe Me.” Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky. – Hafiz
Peace, peace, peace
NAT
NEXT WEEK! My dad and I make a yoga video for fathers day!
TOE JAM MONDAYS: Warm Weather Means A New Running Mix!
I usually don’t get too personal on these posts, but when I do, it’s to share something I hope you might find interesting. If you follow me (@ToeJamsMonica) or Monsters vs Me (@MONSTERSvsME) on Twitter, you know that I ran my first 5k race this weekend. I love to think that I am this super fit, athletic person who enjoys nothing more than a long run to get me going, but the truth is that although I love my daily walks around town, running was never my strong suit.
When I was young, I was a gymnast so I never thought about having to exercise to keep fit, I was just always this muscular little kid. My sister on the other hand bought Jane Fonda work out tapes at the age of 11 and would do 100 sit ups before we went to bed, to make sure she was in peak performance at all times – like someone was going to wake her up in the middle of the night and tell her to do 500 push-ups or they would send her to boarding school. So, while I quit gymnastics but kept eating Big Macs, she would tell me that one day I would gain weight like everyone else and that I better start running. I ignored her warnings and would only agree to run with her if she dressed up in ridiculous outfits while we ran around our small town. Even my sister wearing neon spandex could not ignite my passion for running.
Jump to 15 years later and my experience with the “Freshman 15” and just a more sedentary lifestyle in general. I didn’t recognize this former athlete in the mirror and it was time to make a serious change.
I am the first to admit that left to my own devices, I will sit at the computer and search for or read about music until the sun goes down – so I needed a goal – something that would be difficult, but attainable. A 5 kilometre race was the perfect challenge – and running to help the Trauma Centre in the next town over was the spark on this run to fan my flame of change.
But let’s get to the jams right? I trained for a couple of months and the run was a great personal accomplishment for me, but no run would have been possible without some great tunes to pump me up and keep me going. So if you’re thinking of getting in shape – whether it be walking, running, biking, kayaking….you get the idea, I hope this playlist can help ignite your athletic fire like it did for me.
click HERE to download the playlist.
If you want your very own Monsters vs Me running (or biking, or kayaking… you get the idea) shirt email jay@monstersvsme.com
Happy Listening and Happy Running!
* If you are a member or manager of the above band and you would like your track removed, please contact us and we will swiftly oblige. Fans – new or old – please support these bands by using your coffee money to buy their records.