Summer is great if you are on vacation! If you are stuck in the office though, when the sun is shining and the birds are singing, I have some tips to make the time fly.

Take a ‘paperwork office jog’, grab an armful of papers and travel about.  People will think you are busy.

Stick a post it note to your computer that says ‘meeting’, add a make believe time and date and enjoy an extended lunch.

My personal favourite is the delayed email option that a Fox Listener filled us in on.  Type out an email and when you are finished, go to your options across the top, click delay delivery then pick your date and time for the email to be sent.  Simple as that, it looks like you are hard at work while you are soaking up some rays.

If all else fails, crank up 102FM The Fox and dream of the upcoming long weekend!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am one of the biggest Led Zeppelin fans.  I own all of their releases on album, cassette and CD and have a ton of Zep memorabilia.  My one regret is I never did see them live, although the Page/Plant show at Skydome in the 90′s was a somewhat reasonable facsimile.

Although I have not always been a fan of everything that Robert Plant has done post-Zeppelin, I do still follow his recording career.

Plant has a new album coming out in September.  You can see a promo video for the new disc here

 http://www.rounderartists.com/robertplant/press.html

It’s that time of year – yes we’re in the middle of the wedding season.  Congratulations to anyone tieing the knot this summer.  Personally I will be attending three weddings this summer.  It’s a chance to put on the fancy duds and support your friends and family, but if there’s alcohol involved there is always a chance things could go wrong.

Check out this video!

There’s plenty of excitement building for the Heart concert on Thursday night at Explorers Point in Mattawa.  The Wilson sisters and their band will entertain fans, with funds raised by the Rock For The Cure event going to the Canadian Cancer Society.  There should still be a few tickets left at the gate if you’d like to check it out.

 Here’s a little something to get fans in the mood for the show!

According to the Associated Press, A 47 year old man has been released from a burn centre in Texas after his pants and prosthetic leg were set on fire by his friends.  This was the result of losing a bet with his friends.  The man was found naked beside the road with his prosthetic leg on fire on July 5^th.

Investigators have opened a criminal case to determine if the friends should be held responsible, even though the man agreed to be lit on fire.  One investigator says a person can’t consent to an aggravated battery.  Crazy but true!

So of course there is a lesson to be learned in all this…don’t make bets with friends while drinking.  Have a great weekend.

Who says you have to spend a ton of money to have some summer fun?  By now the kids are most likely starting to declare their boredom, but don’t despair, I have a few easy and cheap ideas to cure those summer blues.  So hide the video games and unplug the television and get ready for some fun!

5. FAMILY GAME NIGHT…It may sound old school, but kids love to spend time with you.  Whether it’s breaking out the monopoly game with the older kids or Candy Land with the little ones, they will have a great time…and so will you!

4. EVERYONE DINES IN…Ordering out all the time can get expensive!  How about pizza at home?  A great way to get the whole family involved.  Pick up some pita shells, and toppings.  Everyone can make their own pizza, just the way they like it!  You can even splurge and pick up items to make your own ice cream sundaes.  Yummy fun for everyone!

3. A NIGHT OUT…Grab the tent, the flashlight and the sleeping bags and get ready for a night out…in your own backyard!  Kids love an adventure, and you won’t have to head far to find one. 

2. A DAY TRIP…Remember the days when kids used to read?  Bring back that retro fun with a trip to the library!  Kids learn responsibility when they have their own library card; they have the chance to make decisions about the books they choose while having a great time as well.   

1. PACK A PICNIC…This one is a favourite with kids everywhere!  Pack up some PB&J and hit the beach.  A day out that the whole family will love…especially you while you soak up some sun!  Little effort, no cost, what’s not to love!

I hope your family enjoys some affordable summer fun!

Brandon Flowers of the Killers has released his debut solo single, “Crossfire”.  I like the song.  Some will say it’s derivative of many of his influences, mostly U2, but that’s what he does.  It’s no secret.  The video is interesting.  I have read message boards calling it cheesy, but any video with a very hot Charlize Theron kicking ninja ass is alright with me. 

What do you think?  Let me know.

When it gets hot like this, you have to do something to keep cool…I suggest eating ice cream for breakfast! 

Here are my Top 10 reasons why you should eat ice cream for breakfast…

10. You have a wide variety of topping options to “healthy” it up…strawberries, whipped cream…well, strawberries anyway.

9. Because it’s good and you like it!

8. If you burn your tongue you can quickly cool it down with your ice cream

7. It’s a great way to make room in your freezer for more important things like…those ice cream cones with the chocolate at the bottom of the cone!

6. Your parents said you could do what you wanted when you got a house of your own…today is that day!

5. Do you really want another bowl of All Bran?  Who wants to spend the summer in the bathroom anyway?

4. Putting ice cubes down your pants didn’t work out the way you hoped it would

3. You can always compensate by having salad for lunch…and dinner

2. Everyone else in the house will most likely be sleeping, so you won’t have to share

and the number one reason why you should have ice cream for breakfast…

1. Let’s face it; you weren’t really going to fit into that Bikini this summer anyway!

TRY TO KEEP COOL AND ENJOY YOUR ICE CREAM TODAY!

I have been lamenting the fact that there haven’t been any good movies this summer – nothing of the blockbuster type.  I really enjoyed “Iron Man 2″ but that was a while ago.

Could this one end up being a decent summer flick?

I could not believe my eyes when I drove past a gas station yesterday to see the sign change from 99.9 all the way to 107.  They must have made a mistake, this couldn’t be right.  When I mentioned it to my husband, he reminded me that the HST took effect July 1st.  It was no mistake, the price was up and that was that.  Even though we were all told that some items would be affected, I did not expect the increase to be quite that high.  I imagine that over the next little while we will start to notice other items and services that fall under the HST.  If you are curious, you can go online to ontario.ca/taxchange

Remember those checks we received in the mail from the government?  I hope that you saved it for the increase, although I know that I had mine spent the minute it came in!