United Breaks Guitars

If you live in the Maritimes, you most likely heard this today, as it was all over the news.

Many more of you who DON'T live around here, may be aware of it as well, seeing that it hit YouTube, went viral, and had over 524,000 views - last I checked.

Local musician, Dave Carroll of Sons Of Maxwell released a video a couple of nights ago.

It detailed his experience with United Airlines, and their (baggage handlers) mis-handling of his Taylor guitar.

This event took place last year.

After many calls & email exchanges between Dave and United, the final result was that United refused to compensate him for his loss.

At all.

Finally, Dave fought back.

With music.


Way to go Dave!





Be sure to check out the Sons Of Maxwell official site HERE!

See Dave's interview and read his story HERE (click the last video link over on right for the interview).

Oh, and since his little music video became such a sensation HERE, he's fielded calls from all the major networks, and United ... yeah, they want to play nice now ;-)

Apparently, this 'struck a chord' with them. (Their words, not mine lol)

K.

And It Only Went Downhill From There

With news of Michael Jackson dominating ... everything, lately, it was no surprise when the boys started asking questions about him.

There's a full fledged post coming on that later.

I mean, how can you answer ALL THOSE questions related to EVERYTHING MJ in just a few sentences?!?!?

Some of those answers aren't easy, People!

Until then, I'll leave you with this.



The other day, Adam pipes up from the back seat and asks ...

"How did he go from being a black man to a white man?"

and then in the next breath, says "... and what was WRONG with his nose?"


Sigh. And it only went downhill from there.


Damn you, Michael. Leaving me with all these unanswered questions!

K.

Now What The Heck Can I Say To THAT?

When one of the WWE Wrestlers enters the ring, there is a 'theme song', pyrotechnics, screaming fans and depending on who is making the entrance, total chaos.

After working the crowd from centre stage, they make their way down - what the boys & I call - The Ramp.

See below during the entrance of Jeff Hardy. One of the 'house favourites' here in the Korner ;-)

After Jeff does his entrance dance, fireworks explode, down the ramp he goes and into the ring.



As I've mentioned in previous posts, Adam is my little system engineer.

As I've also mentioned in another post, Adam LOVES anything WWE.



When left to his own devices and 15 minutes alone in the backyard, THIS is what he came up with last weekend.

I looked out the kitchen window, and just ... stared.

Now what the heck can I say to THAT?

A 'ramp' leading to his 'ring'.

Note the trampoline in distant background. Yeah. That's the RING in case ya didn't know.

It starts from the end of the deck.

Those pieces of block wood on either side of the wide 'ramp' pieces ... uh-huh ... careful around those, THAT'S where the PYRO shoots from!

He originally had the ladder turned the other way, so he could climb OVER it.

He didn't win that argument.

The ring ramp has since been dismantled ... and turned into a bike ramp/jump.

I'm really starting to wonder what he can do, if I set him loose with a hammer in my (w)rec(ked) room!

K.

As a side note - No, I don't want to get into the fact the trampoline doesn't have a net around it. It should have had a net around it when their dad dropped it off on my back yard about 3yrs ago.

That's a whole other post.

That red tape around parts of it is NOT to hold it together, it's where their 'WWE Signs' were once hanging lol.

And no, they don't jump onto it from the top of the play set.

Anymore.

They tried it once. Trampoline was taken apart.

Come on! You have a heart! Now GIVE, So Someone Else Can Too!

Are you an Organ Donor?

No, you don't have to actually answer that question in the comments. I just needed an opening line ;-)

I'm a donor. Sort of.

Considering I'm blind as a bat without my glasses/contacts, I doubt anyone would ever want my eyes.

And since I've been a smoker for almost 20yrs, and have had a double lung surgery in the past 6 - where they removed 15% of my lungs - yeah ... don't think anyone will be lining up for those either.

Everything else?

TAKE IT!

If I'm left in such a state that I'll never be able to use my organs again, why not let someone else have them?

They're not going to help anyone tucked away in a pine box, 6ft under dirt, grass and the occasional dog/bird/wild animal poo.

I don't believe anyone in my own family has ever required an organ to survive.

But I DO know of others who have.


Recently, a fellow Blogger (Hallie, from the Wonderful World of Wieners) brought the importance of the subject to my attention again.

She is trying to raise $5000 for the United Network for Organ Sharing, in honour of her father, and the boy (and his family) who donated his heart 6yrs ago, so her dad could continue to live.


Read their full story HERE.


Visit the site to DONATE here! http://www.firstgiving.com/hallietwomey - I just checked the site, and she is at 60% of her goal! WooHoo!

To raise organ donation awareness, she has put together a Raffle as her fundraiser, and will be drawing 25 prizes for 25 days in Aug.

You can receive a ballot to enter the raffle by donating through the link above.

Some of the donations for prizes she has already received are:

*gift cards
*stunning jewelry
*$200 worth of steaks
*lobster feast for 2 to be mailed wherever you live
*expensive high end cosmetics*gorgeous artwork
*tickets to the RED SOX!!!!!!
*handcrafted items that make me weak with jealousy
*Starbucks coffee maker
*$400 round of golf for 4 @ Andover County Club - (New England only)
*4 passes to OMNI Theatre - (New England only)
*4 passes to Franklin Park Zoo - (New England only)
*4 passes to the JFK Library and Museum - (New England only)

and so, so SO MUCH MORE!!!

You can also see pics of some of the prizes listed above, as well as MANY more HERE!

I have offered to send her something for the Raffle.

I was going with a Nova Scotia theme. But it turns out some of the items I ended up with were actually made in New Brunswick, and SOLD in NS.

So now, it's more of a Maritimer theme ;-)

From My Heart To Yours

I'm sending a bottle of NS Maple Syrup, a bag of Salt Water Taffy from Jennifer's of Nova Scotia, a bag of NS Maple Kisses from Jennifer's and a Celtic cross pewter pendant necklace, from a local shop, Aitkens Pewter.

I also pestered my favourite afternoon DJ at FX 101.9 and he gave me two CD's to send along of good 'ol NS Country Boys ;-) Thanks Russell!

JD Clarke, who I know and is absolutely AWESOME! And Tim Who? Who I'm honestly not familiar with (and couldn't find a website for), but if you like country music, you can't go wrong with Maritime Country Music!

A co-worker (thanks Dave!) also answered my request for 'donation stuff' and gave me a Multi-function Pedometer

and an FM Auto Scan Radio with headphones, to throw into my 'From My Heart To Yours' box.

I've also donated to the fund.

Which means ... I have the opportunity to win any one of the other prizes being drawn.

YES! Mama needs some new jewelry!



When I brought home the first items, and explained to the boys what they were for, it opened the door for the conversation of organ donation with them.

They asked of course what it meant, and I gave them a couple of examples.

Then I told them I was an organ donor.

It didn't quite bring about the reaction I expected.

I'm not sure WHAT I expected, but it wasn't the 'WHATNOWAYHOWCOMEAREYOUGONNADIENOW?' that I got.

Then, I told them THEY were organ donors too.

Yeah.

That didn't go over so well at first.

'You mean they're going to cut us open while we're ALIVE and take out our INSIDES?!?!?!'

But once I explained, AGAIN, that I would NEVER give away any of their body parts, unless I was ABSOLUTELY SURE they were never ever ever ever going to use them again, and they wouldn't feel a thing, they were OK with it.

They understood the importance of it.

What if their heart or lungs could save another child.

That was a pretty powerful thought.

And it's a very important decision.

I hope I never need an organ transplant. Although, with my lungs, it wouldn't surprise me if I found myself on one of those lists 30yrs down the road.

I just hope, when MY time comes, that my 'match' took the time to fill out that little organ donation section on their license.

Did you fill out yours?

Would you like to donate to Hallie's fundraiser? Either by donating an item for the raffle, or giving to the fund.

Sure you would!

Come on! You have a heart! Now GIVE, so someone else can too!

K.

Nobody Said We Had To SOUND Good!

Up until about five years ago, the only time I had ever sung in public was my last year of high school.

I played Rizzo in Grease.


Pic taken from HERE

After the ex and I split, I tried something I had never done before.

Karaoke!

And you know what? I LOVED it!

Don't get me wrong, standing up there, looking out at a crowd of expectant faces, knowing I have nowhere near a great voice, I was SCARED!

Freakin' scared!

I'm not a singer. I'm a mom who likes to sing.


But I got up, did it, and had a GREAT time!

It's not something I do on a weekly basis. I don't haunt the local Karaoke bars.

But every few weeks, my partner in crime and I will head out to a spot where (usually) nobody knows us, and sing our little hearts out.

Nobody said we had to SOUND good!




We're not out to be the next Carrie Underwood & Shania.

The only goal we have for one of these Girls Night Out, is to have FUN!

And THAT is something we always manage to do ;-)



Give it a try some night!

The audience is there FOR the Karaoke ... it's OK if you suck!

Besides, you don't have to sound good to have fun with it.

Just ask William Hung ;-)

K.

But WHY Can't I Have Red Hair?

Adam decided last weekend he wanted to be a redhead.

First I said 'NO! You can't colour your hair until you hit 'teenager status'.'

Of course, as any kid would, he came back with , 'But WHY can't I have red hair NOW?'

I thought about it for a second.

It's only hair. It didn't have to be permanent. Seriously, what's wrong with letting him try it?

When I was younger, I wanted to be a redhead too.

And I was, for awhile, during the high school years.

I'm sure many kids would like to try different colours. And it's just so acceptable, 'these days'.

So, when it became apparent he wasn't giving up, I decided to pick my battles, and bought a 'lasts for 8 washes' red for him.

Which made him happy :-)


This is his new look.

For another few washes anyway ;-)

K

That Lawn's SMOKIN'!

I hate mowing the lawn.

I had never mowed a lawn until my ex and I split five years ago. I never had to.

I don't mind the actual MOWING of the lawn. If it's a straight, flat surface. No hills, no pits.

It's the lawnmower itself that I actually hate. I'm on my third in five years.

They're my nemesis.

Won't start when I need it to. Works fine on a rainy day.

Does it need gas? Is it out of oil?

Was that a branch, a rock, or small animal I just ran over?

Someone, please, just get me a freakin' GOAT!


Last week, the lawnmower wouldn't start.

Yesterday after work, I finally took a look at it.

Lots of gas. Must need oil.

I put oil in the beast, and told Alec (who has only recently taken over this mowing chore) that he was good to go.


Did you know you're not supposed to OVERFILL a lawn mower with oil?

Have you seen how tiny that 'Fill' line is on that stick?

Do you know what happens to a lawn mower that has too much oil in it?

What happens ... is that your neighbours think your vehicle is on fire, and want to call the fire department.

Thankfully, what they do instead, is show up in your front yard, shouting "What's wrong with your mower?"

A minute earlier, after first starting it, when Alec turned to me and asked through a cloud of smoke, "Is it SUPPOSED to do this Mom?"

I guess "Keep going Hon, It'll burn off!" wasn't necessarily the right answer.



Don't worry. He shut it down after a few steps. Neighbour and I drained it. The ex happened to show up and he ended up mowing it instead.

And, it looks great.

Neighbours might even say, "That lawn's SMOKIN"!

Oh yeah ... they did.

K.