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 [ˈfluːɪd]
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.