HOCKEY BABY!!!

HOCKEY is back brothers and sisters!! You know you’re a fan if you actually sat down to watch Thursdays NHL kickoff in Finland between Carolina and Minnesota. I always love this time of year, mostly because Leaf fans are so cute when they try to tell you how this year is the year for them. Reality check. If you can’t score goals, you can’t win games. Until that happens, you will NOT make the playoffs, AGAIN. As a Sens fan, that just brings a smile to my heart.

I may call Hali my new home, but my hockey heart will always be in the Nations Capital! How can you not love them? I mean, did people in Toronto see a Leaf driving a Zamboni down Younge St.? NOPE! But it happened Thursday in Ottawa, thanks to Jarkko Ruutu! How Canadian is THAT?

Check out the pic:

Go Sens Go!!

Bluesfest VS EDDIE!!!

We are less than 48 hours away from the kickoff to one of the best music festivals in North America, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest!! Tent city at Lebreton Flats went up earlier this week, the final touches are being made on all the stages, it is TIME! Bluesfest has opened with some pretty big names like Van Morrison, Jeff Beck and the Tragically Hip. But it’s never opened with so much METAL!! Maiden, OUTDOORS this Tuesday night!! For those not in the know, Iron Maiden rule. Here’s a primer, it’s about 7 minutes long, but well worth it:

Maiden hit the MBNA stage at 9pm July 6th. Make sure to get there early and catch my buddy’s in Loudlove, one of the BEST bands around, never mind Ottawa. They play the Claridge Homes Stage @ 8pm. It’s always a party with LL:

Best bets for opening night:

Dream Theatre

Lights

Wayne Brady

For ticket and schedule info, make sure to check out the official site, www.ottawabluesfest.ca.

I wonder if Scarface is available as a book on tape?

If so, I don’t think this man should be asked to provide the narration. But I can see why Robert Munsch was sooooo animated while reading!

Robert Munsch

See what I mean?

Beer can chicken, Cubby style.

Who knew that I would have so much free time on my hands? I’ve settled in nicely into my role as house husband. Light ironing chores, running errands, allowing my wife the opportunity to NOT use OC Transpo:

My favorite role as house husband would be cooking. Not fancy tea parties and crap like that, no, I’m talking about BBQ! I decided to make a beer can chicken recently. I started with a rub, I decided to go with a Memphis style rub:

1/4 cup paprika

1 tsb brown sugar

1 tsb sugar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1-3 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried mustard

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Rinse the chicken under cold water inside and out. Blot with paper towels. Apply the rub to the chicken:

Next step, grab a can of beer, I chose to go with a can of Red Stripe. Pop the lid, use a church style key opener around the top, spoon in about a teaspoon on the rub into the beer:

Slide the chicken onto the can of beer:

It’s optional, but I used a bowl of mesquite wood chips soaked for an hour in water and a smoker box. I don’t have a picture of it:

The key to this whole thing is indirect cooking. Put the smoker box on and heat the left side of the grill. Once hot, adjust the temp to medium and place the beer can chicken on a drip tray on the cooler side of the grill. Cook for two hours, DON’T PEEK!!You’ll loose all that delicious wood smoke flavour. You can turn the chicken at least once halfway through to even out the bird.

Let stand for 5 minutes to allow all the juices to cook and VOILA! Beer can chicken, bitches!!

C’mon Montreal, you’re classier than this…

I grew up as a fan of les Glorieux in my hometown of Aylmer, Quebec. To be honest, I didn’t know a single person who cheered for anybody else. I refuse to acknowledge certain members of my family who may or may not cheer for a random group of clowns called the Maple Leafs:

I’ll admit it, being a Habs fan was in my blood, my Grand Uncle, Leo “Le Gazelle” Gravelle played for Montreal back in the late 1940′s. So suck on it. I was at the Montreal Forum for Guy Lafleur’s final game in the NHL, I remember my Mom got me his autograph on the back of her pack of Rothmans while the Flower made an appearance at Les Galleries D’Aylmer. The joint was packed! I remember bawling my eyes out the first time the Nordiques eliminated the Canadiens in the playoffs:

I know that wasn’t the clip of the Nordiques knocking out the Habs, but to hell with it. While I hope they get another team in Quebec City, the Habs fan in me still thinks they suck.

But c’mon Montreal, you’re better than this:

Think this image is good for the NHL? Idiots. Not the true fans, but the parasites who thought the best way to celebrate was to smash a window on St. Catherine and grab as much shit as they could find. What the hell were the cops doing? Did they not think that this could happen? Did they just move to the city? Did they forget this?

Too bad, cause they’re on a hell of a run. Go Sens Go however and stay classy.

Oh Judice, if I weren’t already married…

The Lawrence Welk sketches on Saturday Night Live could possibly be one of the funniest sketches SNL has consistently churned out over the course of the last decade. Mostly because of Judice, played by Kristin Wig. She’s hands down the funniest cast member on the show. This past weekends sketch got me thinking of the last time the Finger Lakes sensations made an appearance. Kristin would know a thing or two about the Finger Lakes, being from Rochester, New York:

Rochester, New York is about 5 hours from Ottawa and for anyone who grew up with cable tv in the National Capital area, it was our first real glimpse into life in a US city. For me it will always be the home of Gabe Dalmath:

The Rochester Amerks:

…and the Great House of Guitars:

If I were on drugs, that tv spot would’ve blown my mind man….

Oh yeah, here’s the last time the Finger Lake sensations made an appearance on the Lawrence Welk show, snl styles:

The Finger Lake sensations

New tattoo

If you would have asked me 20 years ago if I would end up with 11 tattoos before I hit 40 years old, I’d say you were nuts. In 1987, I was more interested in Polo, Benetton and Roots. Need proof? I submit this for your viewing pleasure:

That’s me on the left and yes, that is a sweater over my shoulders. The more I think about it, based on how I looked then, I had more in common with football hooligans in England than Kat Von D. Now I’m older, grayer and have much more ink than I ever thought I would have! Thanks again to Jimmi Roberts and the crew down at Planet Ink Ottawa for my latest piece:

Here’s another shot:

Thanks Jimbo!

Stupid hippies….

An overwhelming number of Canadians support the legalization of marijuana. As Ricky from Trailer Park Boys would say “everyone smokes dope. Doctors, lawyers, CBC employees”. That remains to be seen, but according to the US Government at least, drugs are bad.

I’m not here to advocate this or that. Do what ya want, I’m no cop. But there’s a reason why you don’t see average, everyday normal looking people at pro pot rallies. You see people like this:

…and this:

..and if you hang out long enough at a rally, you might even see this:

I know, all peaceful easy going guys right? You get a good feel for everything, then all of a sudden this happens and your cause is set back:

Marijuana March

Zombie birthday cake!!!

My birthday is coming up in June, the 26th to be exact, so there’s plenty of time for you to find something to give to me as a present. I don’t mind gifts from strangers. Sometimes, as an adult, some of the best presents come from people you barely know

That being said, I’m putting in my order right now for a Zombie cake. I LOVE Zombie movies and since I can’t bake a cake, I would like my artist/baker/wife to whip up something like this for me. Don’t worry dear, I’ll keep myself busy with NHL 2010 on the PS3 while you’re baking….

Click here for more zombie cakes

Rare Led Zeppelin stuff….

Led Zep fans should check this out, rare recently found audio of Zeppelin’s first ever North American tour back in Dec 1968, very cool stuff:

…and NO, there will NOT be a reunion. Get over it.

Spring cleaning….

The weather in Ottawa has been amazing for the past few weeks, especially this past Wed-Sat with temps hitting the high 20′s! Like many of you, it’s spring cleaning time. Because spring came early, the Carson household was able to get a head start on cleaning outdoors, the backyard, patio furniture, raking, you know, stuff like that. Turns out, that was the easy part, now comes the hard part. INDOORS!! Mostly the basement, Mrs. Carson wants to have a garage sale, so the workroom MUST be gutted! It’s amazing how much useless crap people can build up over the years. Let me perfectly honest, my house does NOT look like this:

…and besides, my wife says it’s spring sorting not cleaning. Kinda like how lying on the couch isn’t sleeping….

Cub & TL on Daytime – March 1st 2010

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