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It was announced today that the Gas City will play host to a number of summer concerts at The Esplanade and there’s two shows that really stick out in my mind that I do not want to miss.

If laughs are your thing then I’m sure you’ll want to experience the likes of Norm MacDonald not to mention the likes of Jeff Martin of Tea Party fame. (He still owes me 11 dollars)

What I’m really excited about however is that since I’m getting a little long in the tooth, I tend to have an affliction for what would now be deemed ‘classic’ rock in the eyes’ of today’s youth.

With that being said, I can’t wait to sit down to some Pat Benatar and especially the man who can make his guitar talk, the one and only, Peter Frampton, this summer.

Just in case you’re interested, tix will go on sale for all the above on June 6th.

For years, Blue Oyster Cult has played a role in my life as far as providing at least a partial soundtrack for my days here on planet Earth. And tomorrow, instead of plugging 50 cents into the juke to hear Godzilla, I’ll be able to experience the real deal first hand. Astronomy, The Red and The Black, Burnin’ For you and of course Don’t Fear The Reaper have kept me company many, many times and it’s always cool to be able to check off one of the items on your ‘things to do before I kick the bucket’ list.

I squint a lot, not because of poor vision but rather because of sunlight. I own several pairs of sunglasses and yet I have no idea where any of them could be. This is why I’ve only ever bought one pair of shades that cost more than 20 bucks and it will never happen again. If they don’t go missing, it’s only a matter of time before buddy sits on them, forever altering the way they rest on my fat head.

Wraparounds, aviators, beer cans, mirrored and my personal favorite, Blublockers.

There’s something about a pair of shades with a million little holes in them to help save your eyesight. More importantly, when you’re not squinting, you’re not furrowing your forehead and it’s been my experience that years of squinting will eventually turn your forehead into what I deem as ‘mountain ridge’.

With summer around the corner, I suggest taking 5-10 dollars out of your savings account and invest those hard earned pennies on a seriously cheap pair of gas station specials. Your eyes, and your forehead, will thank you for it.

After a weekend of spending some serious time unpacking junk, crap, garbage and everything else that deems a house a ‘home’, it’ll be nice to sleep on a real bed this weekend. Two months of catching shut eye on an air mattress is one thing but to go without TV is just plain wrong.

And while I may not have my ottoman where I want it (what is an ottoman?) and maybe the hanging of my hammock will have to wait, it’s always great to get back ‘home’, wherever that may be. It takes time to get accustomed to new digs, recognizing new sounds, getting familiar with new neighbors, new landmarks (like the cool blue van parked at the end of my street) and preventing the dog from ripping half a dozen holes in your bed.

I’m happy to say though I’m reached that point where my house does feel like my home. I know my neighbors (Murray and Adam, I think), I feel comfortable having a cold one in the back yard and I’ve almost reached that point of yelling at the neighborhood kids for any number of reasons. Ahhh, it feels good to be home!

I’m a lazy man, of that there is no doubt. I’m actually hoping that it rains all weekend so I can dodge the ‘weed pulling’ bullet, if you will. I’d much rather spend time on my hammock.

Ironically, if the grass is long and the dandelions are constantly wandering in and out of my peripheral vision, I won’t be able to relax. Knowing that I won’t truly be able to enjoy that cold one until my backyard looks like a putting green will drive me crazy and so I find myself in somewhat of a conundrum, albeit a tiny one.

I guess my point is that if I finally have a chance to get a bike this summer, I won’t have to look at my yard and all that pressure of cutting the grass. (yeah, that’s it)

Now some might tell you the reason the streets were empty last night is because no one likes walking when it’s this rainy. I call ‘bull-crap’. The reason The Hat looked like a ghost town yesterday evening is because everyone was watching the final episode of American Idol and mercifully, it’s over for one more season.

I’ve got nothing against TV and if anything, television has been a good friend of mine for a number of years now. What I don’t agree with about ‘Idol’ and every other show that incorporates the word ‘idol’ or ‘star’ in it, these programs are all about vanity, attention and the ’15 minutes of fame’ that comes with having your mug on the tube, in my opinion.

For all those ‘B, C, D, & E’ Hollywood stars, go home, make some dinner, maybe do some vacuuming. Live a normal life like the rest of the world. There’s a reason why you’re not getting gigs anymore, figure it out.

And what about those everyday people with a great voice that just wanna a break? It’s called paying your dues. Schlepp your own equipment, play those dingy, smoky bars, chase down nightclub owners looking for your 80 bucks a night and more importantly, EARN the fame you’re looking for. (the exception is Paul Potts by the way)

You reap what you sow and if you sow too shallow, well, expect to have less than a ‘bumper crop’.

When I moved here I was told from the boss man that I would be moving to the ‘Sunniest City in Canada’. And as I watch the rain stream down the windows here at our trailer beside the TransCanada, I think I’ve seen more rainy/snowy/hail days here in The Hat than sun and I’m more than okay with that.

There’s something about rain that no other form of weather can compete with as far as indulging your senses. From that fresh clean scent, to the sound it makes on the roof of your house, rain has an appealing calming effect. Bring thunder and lightning into the mix and you’ve got yourself a piece of theatre that the best thespians can’t compete with-Mother Nature. It even feels good to walk in the rain on those warm summer nights (which I’m still waiting for) and I guess if a guy wanted, you could even walk around the neighborhood, head back, mouth open, trying to taste the falling drops of weather.

Most people love the sun and while I’ve got nothing against that big burning ball of gas in the sky, ya’ gotta appreciate the rain.

Just in case you thought your May Long was less than memorable, not to fret as mine was spent touring garbage dumps and picking up beer cans with my father and 4 year old nephew. Really? Yes, really.

What’s even more troubling is that I enjoyed my time doing so. Not only did I run into more people at the ole’ landfill site than I did downtown at the site of our only restaurant, I’m pretty sure I helped Dad make at least a solid 4 dollars in empty, Club, Lucky Lager and Bud Light Beer Cans. (Sorry, Pil is definitely a Saskatchewan thing and my time was spent in Manitoba)

And as great as it was to head back to my stomping grounds, it was equally as refreshing to roll back into The Hat.

Finally, May Long Weekend!

Not since the 90′s can I remember such a gorgeous May Long.

The hard part will come in liquor, fire, and youth bans across the nation’s provinical and national parks which usual means if you’re under 25, craving an interest in pyromania with a side of cold ones surrounded by your friends, you might have better luck camping in your back yard.

Regardless of how you spend your time this weekend, any week that starts on a Tuesday is a good week.

Niki and I took a great call this morning that summed up the topic of dealing with the grumps of the world. (And there are quite a few of them) ‘You can’t please all the people all the time’ was the advice we were therein lays a lot of truth.

I just happened to stumble onto this topic after having a less than great day on Tuesday. Actually, my day ended with me driving by a man lying on his back in his front yard with a walker next to him. Thinking he might be suffering from some health issues, I checked to make sure he was okay. It turned out the old boy was only enjoying the sun and verbally unloaded on me in the moments to follow.

Individuals are similar to that of snowflakes; no two are alike, not even identical twins. It’s only fair then that everyone has an opinion, which they’re entitled to.

And while that miserable old bugger wanted to be left alone lying on his front grass staring at that great big ball of gas in the sky, I have to approach this situation from the ‘glass is half full’ angle otherwise it’s things like this that we end up driving all of us crazy.

Sure, we’re all going to run into people that we won’t see eye to eye with and that’s cool with me because let’s face it, if we all shared the same opinion I think the world would be a pretty boring place. And no one wants 7 billion happy faces, do we? 