Fuzzy Thursday

I'm fuzzy from last night (see previous post), so today's schedule is the same as yesterday's. I didn't have anything to add, but tomorrow's will be slightly different...


Virgin: win a $500 gift card to Metropolis at Metrotown every single day. I will tweet the Santa Song of the day as soon as I know it, and try to guess when they'll play it. I'm usually wrong... Monday was at 1:30. Tuesday was after 7 pm. Wednesday? Any guesses? 

Jack: qualify for a family trip to Disneyland multiple times per day. You can usually predict the time they will give the cue to call - they'll be 2 hours apart. The No Time to Google prize is $60 to someplace in New West and your name in a draw for a hotel stay in New West.

QMFM: Mike and Tara are giving away theatre tickets (West Side Story) and VSO tickets (Traditional Christmas Concerts) in the morning. Also Lady Gaga tix. Olivia Jones will be giving away Blue Rodeo tickets during her show, and there will be Gaga tix in the afternoon too...

Sonic: Bright Nights in Stanley Park plus $50 to Spaghetti Factory, $100 for Highstreet, Down With Webster tix. Oh, and a Google Nexus 7 Tablet (enter on their FaceBook page). And qualify every day at 8:01, 12:10, 5:10, and 8:10 for a trip to TO to see Lady Gaga!

The Peak: Imagine Dragons,  Hannah Georges, or Head and the Heart tickets. Decisions, decisions...

JRFM: three times per day they will play the cue to call to win a $75 Shell gas card. Nice! But that's not all! Oooooh no. There's more. Waaaaay more! Call the Waking Crew during their show anytime this week and you could win a trip for two to Punta Cana to see the Eli Young Band!!! That's right, all you have to do is CALL them! Take part in the show, comment on what they're talking about, make them laugh/squirm/cry/think, and whoever was their best caller at the end of the week will win this trip. It's just that easy. So call in, be charming, and don't insult/brown-nose/one-up Clay or Karen, and you may win! Unfortunately I'm a complete dufus when I talk live on the radio, so I won't be taking part. But I hope YOU do! Nice folks, those waking crew peeps...

The Beat: listen at 7:05 for the Tacori Word of the Day. Go enter the word on their Contests page and you may win a $10,000 ring! While you're on their site, enter the contest to see Hedley. Lady Gaga tix at 8:09, and again in the afternoon.

Shore: Enter in the Shore Club to win a ski trip, some skis, or Head and the Heart tix.

Breakfast Television: amazing prize up for grabs - a trip to watch the Canucks play the LA Kings AND Anaheim in January! It's airfare, 2 nights accommodations, and hockey tickets. Freaking SWEET!!! Make sure you pvr BT and enter to win at 5:35, 6:35, and 7:35. You will probably have to email in to win: contests@btvancouver.ca. I will tweet when I know the details. @contestsVan.

Don't forget to enter these contests over at Global: http://globalnews.ca/bc/contests/

Here's what the schedule looks like so far. I will add to it as the day goes by, so check back when you can:

5:40 - JRFM, Secret Word (4 tix to Fly Over Canada)
6:00 - QMFM Wake Up and Win words
6-10 - Sonic, $100 to Highstreet in Abbottsford
7:00 - Jack, Lady Gaga tix
7-9 - JRFM, Secret Word is said (Fraser Downs Race Track and Casino prize with dinner for 4)
7:09 - QMFM, Lady Gaga tix
7:05 - Beat, Tacori Word of the Day
7:20 - Jack, ZZ Top tix
7:30 - Virgin, $1000 Minute
7:40 - Sonic, Lady Gaga tix
8:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
8:05 - Beat, Lady Gaga tix
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:20 - Jack, No Time to Google
9:15 - Peak, Hannah Georgas at the Commodore tix
10-3 - QMFM, Blue Rodeo tix
10:15 - Shore, Bastille at Commodore tix
11:30 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
12:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
12:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
3-7 - Sonic, Tix to Stanley Park Bright Nights and $50 to Old Spaghetti Factory
3-3:30 - Virgin, Lady Gaga tix
4:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
4:10 - Beat, Lady Gaga tix
4-5 - JRFM, U-Turn traffic update (Lady Antebellum tix)
4:15 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
5:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO

If you hear of anything else, let me know. And good luck!

Mudhoney and Pearl Jam

As I scooch down under my quilt, fuzzy Xmas socks on my feet, polka dot jammy pants and long sleeved cozy shirt on, I reflect on this night. This odd, odd night. It's 1:00 am and my ears are ringing,  but from the silence...

I won Pearl Jam tickets quite some time ago and I remember snickering, thinking I would give them to a friend as an early Xmas present. I told her if she couldn't find a date, I'd go with her. I was SURE she would find someone else to go with her! Positive! A lovely girl like that should have guys falling all over her! Nope. Not this month.

So off we went,  much to my husband's annoyance - he had to stop working to come watch the kids while I was out. Bitter cold greeted us after we parked the car - rock star street parking, only 2 blocks from the stadium! Woot! We scuttled our way to the venue with hoards of others, eau de pot wafting all around us. I was not excited. At all. But curious.

The opening band was Mudhoney - you know, the guys neither of us has heard of. Mudhoney played to a small crowd, maybe 20% of the stadium had arrived. They were tight - literally. They had a small portion of the centre stage set up for their performance, and stuck close to each other throughout. The lead singer was entertaining, flopping about like a rubber chicken. I didn't understand a word he said, but I appreciated the visceral reaction I was having, my toes tapping and my head bobbing. Hmmmm...not bad so far...

When Pearl Jam started, I noticed the arena was packed! To the rafters! Not a single empty seat visible in the sea of bodies. The stage was open and even all the seats behind the stage were jam packed! And the never ending concert had begun. It went on and on. I didn't know the words to any of the songs, save the incredible version of Pink Floyd's The Wall, which was impressive and endearing. But I enjoyed myself. Unbelievably.

I enjoyed the lead singer's (what's his name??) halting speeches, the mesmerizing lanterns, the black and white live music video on the ten foot screens. I enjoyed watching the guy two rows down belt out every song, talk to everyone around him, and wave around his poster tube like a maestro. He was gesturing enthusiastically and smacked a passing woman right in the face! She didn't see it coming, but it didn't seem to phase her much. She was probably stoned from the clouds of pot like the rest of us!

I felt sorry for the baby inside that clearly pregnant woman walking past me. I wondered at the 4 year old on his Dad's shoulders with the headset on. I marveled at the brave security teams taking down rowdy and/or drunk revelers, three of whom left in handcuffs. I admired the stage set, with the beaver dam hanging overhead (oh, that wasn't a beaver dam? What was it? I thought they put it up 'cause we're Canadian. Eh?)

I have been into all kinds of music over the years, and my pot phase was '83-'86, long over by the time Pearl Jam hit the big time. But tonight I got (unintentionally) high, and I totally got into their music. I could see myself back in '91 listening to Pearl Jam with my friends in the house we rented, dancing to their music at 86 Street Music Hall, etc.

As much as I enjoyed it, I was glad when it was finally over (after 3 hours and two looooooong encores)! As we drove home, the Fox played back songs that we had just heard live, and I smiled. It was nice. You know what else was nice? It wasn't loud. At all. My ears are not ringing from the music, they are filled with deafening silence from a quiet house with sleeping babies. I didn't need those ear plugs I had so cleverly stashed in my purse.

Now please hand me a fork, I'd like to eat my words...

What does Wednesday bring?

Lady Gaga!


Virgin: win a $500 gift card to Metropolis at Metrotown every single day. I will tweet the Santa Song of the day as soon as I know it, and try to guess when they'll play it. I'm usually wrong... Monday was at 1:30. Tuesday was after 7 pm. Wednesday? Any guesses? 

Jack: qualify for a family trip to Disneyland multiple times per day. You can usually predict the time they will give the cue to call - they'll be 2 hours apart. The No Time to Google prize is $60 to someplace in New West and your name in a draw for a hotel stay in New West.

QMFM: Mike and Tara are giving away theatre tickets (West Side Story) and VSO tickets (Traditional Christmas Concerts) in the morning. Also Lady Gaga tix. Olivia Jones will be giving away Blue Rodeo tickets during her show, and there will be Gaga tix in the afternoon too...

Sonic: Bright Nights in Stanley Park plus $50 to Spaghetti Factory, $100 for Highstreet, Down With Webster tix. Oh, and a Google Nexus 7 Tablet (enter on their FaceBook page). And qualify every day at 8:01, 12:10, 5:10, and 8:10 for a trip to TO to see Lady Gaga!

The Peak: Imagine Dragons,  Hannah Georges, or Head and the Heart tickets. Decisions, decisions...

JRFM: three times per day they will play the cue to call to win a $75 Shell gas card. Nice! But that's not all! Oooooh no. There's more. Waaaaay more! Call the Waking Crew during their show anytime this week and you could win a trip for two to Punta Cana to see the Eli Young Band!!! That's right, all you have to do is CALL them! Take part in the show, comment on what they're talking about, make them laugh/squirm/cry/think, and whoever was their best caller at the end of the week will win this trip. It's just that easy. So call in, be charming, and don't insult/brown-nose/one-up Clay or Karen, and you may win! Unfortunately I'm a complete dufus when I talk live on the radio, so I won't be taking part. But I hope YOU do! Nice folks, those waking crew peeps...

The Beat: listen at 7:05 for the Tacori Word of the Day. Go enter the word on their Contests page and you may win a $10,000 ring! While you're on their site, enter the contest to see Hedley. Lady Gaga tix at 8:09, and again in the afternoon.

Shore: Enter in the Shore Club to win a ski trip, some skis, or Head and the Heart tix.

Breakfast Television: amazing prize up for grabs - a trip to watch the Canucks play the LA Kings AND Anaheim in January! It's airfare, 2 nights accommodations, and hockey tickets. Freaking SWEET!!! Make sure you pvr BT and enter to win at 5:35, 6:35, and 7:35. You will probably have to email in to win: contests@btvancouver.ca. I will tweet when I know the details. @contestsVan.

Don't forget to enter these contests over at Global: http://globalnews.ca/bc/contests/

Here's what the schedule looks like so far. I will add to it as the day goes by, so check back when you can:

5:40 - JRFM, Secret Word (4 tix to Fly Over Canada)
6:00 - QMFM Wake Up and Win words
6-10 - Sonic, $100 to Highstreet in Abbottsford
7:00 - Jack, Lady Gaga tix
7-9 - JRFM, Secret Word is said (Fraser Downs Race Track and Casino prize with dinner for 4)
7:09 - QMFM, Lady Gaga tix
7:05 - Beat, Tacori Word of the Day
7:20 - Jack, ZZ Top tix
7:30 - Virgin, $1000 Minute
7:40 - Sonic, Lady Gaga tix
8:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
8:05 - Beat, Lady Gaga tix
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:20 - Jack, No Time to Google
9:15 - Peak, Hannah Georgas at the Commodore tix
10-3 - QMFM, Blue Rodeo tix
10:15 - Shore, Bastille at Commodore tix
11:30 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
12:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
12:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
3-7 - Sonic, Tix to Stanley Park Bright Nights and $50 to Old Spaghetti Factory
3-3:30 - Virgin, Lady Gaga tix
4:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
4:10 - Beat, Lady Gaga tix
4-5 - JRFM, U-Turn traffic update (Lady Antebellum tix)
4:15 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
5:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO

If you hear of anything else, let me know. And good luck!

Tuesday, Dec 3rd brings...

...Pretty much the same as yesterday for the most part, but a few extras:

Virgin: win a $500 gift card to Metropolis at Metrotown every single day. I will tweet the Santa Song of the day as soon as I know it, and try to guess when they'll play it. I'm usually wrong... Monday was at 1:30. Might be before 10 if Nat and Drew are back...

Jack: qualify for a family trip to Disneyland multiple times per day. You can usually predict the time they will give the cue to call - they'll be 2 hours apart. The No Time to Google prize is $60 to someplace in New West and your name in a draw for a hotel stay in New West.

QMFM: Mike and Tara are giving away theatre tickets (West Side Story) and VSO tickets (Traditional Christmas Concerts) in the morning. Olivia Jones will be giving away Blue Rodeo tickets during her show.

Sonic: Bright Nights in Stanley Park plus $50 to Spaghetti Factory, $100 for Highstreet, Down With Webster tix. Oh, and a Google Nexus 7 Tablet (enter on their FaceBook page).

The Peak: Imagine Dragons,  Hannah Georges, or Head and the Heart tickets. Decisions, decisions...

JRFM: three times per day they will play the cue to call to win a $75 Shell gas card. Nice! But that's not all! Oooooh no. There's more. Waaaaay more! Call the Waking Crew during their show anytime this week and you could win a trip for two to Punta Cana to see the Eli Young Band!!! That's right, all you have to do is CALL them! Take part in the show, comment on what they're talking about, make them laugh/squirm/cry/think, and whoever was their best caller at the end of the week will win this trip. It's just that easy. So call in, be charming, and don't insult/brown-nose/one-up Clay or Karen, and you may win! Unfortunately I'm a complete dufus when I talk live on the radio, so I won't be taking part. But I hope YOU do! Nice folks, those waking crew peeps...

The Beat: listen at 7:05 for the Tacori Word of the Day. Go enter the word on their Contests page and you may win a $10,000 ring! While you're on their site, enter the contest to see Hedley. Aside from that, they aren't offering much, unless you're one of the lucky few heading to Punta Cana in January...

Shore: Enter in the Shore Club to win a ski trip, some skis, or Head and the Heart tix.

Breakfast Television: amazing prize up for grabs - a trip to watch the Canucks play the LA Kings AND Anaheim in January! It's airfare, 2 nights accommodations, and hockey tickets. Freaking SWEET!!! Make sure you pvr BT and enter to win at 5:35, 6:35, and 7:35. You will probably have to email in to win: contests@btvancouver.ca. I will tweet when I know the details. @contestsVan.

Don't forget to enter these contests over at Global: http://globalnews.ca/bc/contests/

Here's what the schedule looks like so far. I will add to it as the day goes by, so check back when you can:

5:40 - JRFM, Secret Word (4 tix to Fly Over Canada)
6:00 - QMFM Wake Up and Win words
6-10 - Sonic, $100 to Highstreet in Abbottsford
7-9 - JRFM, Secret Word is said (Fraser Downs Race Track and Casino prize with dinner for 4)
7:00 - QMFM concert announcement and tix
7:05 - Beat, Tacori Word of the Day
7:20 - Jack, ZZ Top tix
7:30 - Virgin, $1000 Minute
8:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
8:05 - Beat, new concert tix
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:20 - Jack, No Time to Google
9:15 - Peak, Hannah Georgas at the Commodore tix
10-3 - QMFM, Blue Rodeo tix
10:15 - Shore, Bastille at Commodore tix
11:30 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
12:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
12:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
3-7 - Sonic, Tix to Stanley Park Bright Nights and $50 to Old Spaghetti Factory
3-3:30 - Virgin, Lady Gaga tix
4:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
4:10 - Beat, Lady Gaga tix
4-5 - JRFM, U-Turn traffic update (Lady Antebellum tix)
4:15 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
5:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO
8:10 - Sonic, qualify for trip to see Gaga in TO

If you hear of anything else, let me know. And good luck!

Basics for Babies

You might not know this if you aren't a fan of country music, but JRFM works tirelessly to provide our most vulnerable, helpless population with necessities.

When I first started listening to JRFM 16 years ago, I always heard their plug for Basics for Babies. Far from even dreaming about having babies myself, I didn't pay much attention. Now that i have my own and know how agonizing it is to not have enough diapers or formula, i get it. I soooooo get it.

All year long, they come up with creative ways to get people to donate:

- they set up a booth outside concerts and if you donate to Basics for Babies you get a chance to win upgraded seats.

- they have special events and ask those attending to bring donations.

- they throw a wicked FUNdraising event with performances by local celebrities, admission by donation.

You can donate money or goods, all of it is needed. Soy formulas, diapers, foods and cereals are especially needed.

For more information, history or links, visit: http://www.jrfm.com/basics-for-babies

I personally have some unopened packages of diapers that my 3 year old doesn't need anymore 
that I could donate. I mean, WILL donate!

December is off to a roaring start!

Wow, lots going on this week! Where to start?!?! Let's go down the list in the order that I have them in my favourites (completely random):

Virgin: win a $500 gift card to Metropolis at Metrotown every single day. I will tweet the Santa Song of the day as soon as I know it, and try to guess when they'll play it. I'm usually wrong...

Jack: qualify for a family trip to Disneyland multiple times per day. You can usually predict the time they will give the cue to call - they'll be 2 hours apart. No idea yet what the No Time to Google prize will be, but will update when I hear.

QMFM: Mike and Tara are giving away theatre tickets (West Side Story) and VSO tickets (Traditional Christmas Concerts) in the morning. Olivia Jones will be giving away Blue Rodeo tickets during her show.

Sonic: this morning they will do the draw for the trip to the Grammy Nominees Concert in LA on Dec. 6th. If you're in the draw, good luck! I wonder what they will have coming up...?

The Peak: Imagine Dragons,  Hannah Georges, or Head and the Heart tickets. Decisions, decisions...

JRFM: three times per day they will play the cue to call to win a $75 Shell gas card. Nice! But that's not all! Oooooh no. There's more. Waaaaay more! Call the Waking Crew during their show anytime this week and you could win a trip for two to Punta Cana to see the Eli Young Band!!! That's right, all you have to do is CALL them! Take part in the show, comment on what they're talking about, make them laugh/squirm/cry/think, and whoever was their best caller at the end of the week will win this trip. It's just that easy. So call in, be charming, and don't insult/brown-nose/one-up Clay or Karen, and you may win! Unfortunately I'm a complete dufus when I talk live on the radio, so I won't be taking part. But I hope YOU do! Nice folks, those waking crew peeps...

The Beat: listen at 7:05 for the Tacori Word of the Day. Go enter the word on their Contests page and you may win a $10,000 ring! While you're on their site, enter the contest to see Hedley. Aside from that, they aren't offering much, unless you're one of the lucky few heading to Punta Cana in January...

Shore: Enter in the Shore Club to win a ski trip, some skis, or Head and the Heart tix.

Breakfast Television: amazing prize up for grabs - a trip to watch the Canucks play the LA Kings AND Anaheim in January! It's airfare, 2 nights accommodations, and hockey tickets. Freaking SWEET!!! Make sure you pvr BT and enter to win at 5:35, 6:35, and 7:35. You will probably have to email in to win: contests@btvancouver.ca. I will tweet when I know the details. @contestsVan.

Don't forget to enter these contests over at Global: http://globalnews.ca/bc/contests/

Here's what the schedule looks like so far. I will add to it as the day goes by, so check back when you can:

5:40 - JRFM, Secret Word (4 tix to Fly Over Canada)
6:00 - QMFM Wake Up and Win words
6-10 - Sonic, $100 to Highstreet in Abbottsford
7-9 - JRFM, Secret Word is said (Fraser Downs Race Track and Casino prize with dinner for 4)
7:05 - Beat, Tacori Word of the Day
7:20 - Jack, ZZ Top tix
7:30 - Virgin, $1000 Minute
8:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
8:20 - Jack, No Time to Google
9:15 - Peak, Hannah Georgas at the Commodore tix
10-3 - QMFM, Blue Rodeo tix
10:15 - Shore, Bastille at Commodore tix
11:30 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix
12:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
3-7 - Sonic, Tix to Stanley Park Bright Nights and $50 to Old Spaghetti Factory
4:00 - Peak, Imagine Dragons tix
4-5 - JRFM, U-Turn traffic update (Lady Antebellum tix)
4:15 - Peak, Head and the Heart tix

Stations doing good

This is the time of year where everyone feels the most charitable. They drop money into kettles, put food in food bank bins, and donate warm blankets and clothing to the homeless. We all try to help in some small way. Even a single loonie helps the food bank buy $3 worth of food! Have you ever stood in line at a food bank? Have you ever received a paper bag full of groceries? I have. Filled with shame and embarrassment despite being surrounded by people in the exact same situation, I stared at my shoes while I waited my turn. I was so grateful to receive that bag of food, even though I didn't normally eat the foods it contained. A bag of dried peas?? What was I supposed to do with THAT?! You know what? I learned pretty damned fast how to make pea soup! There was no Internet to help me then, but there was a recipe on the back of the bag. Luckily.

So I donate what I can whenever I can, but it doesn't usually occur to me to donate except during this time of year. This year I will try to remember to donate year round. After all, I was hungry every day too...

The radio stations do good all year long, and some go all out at Xmas. For example, Virgin Radio does a yearly Break and Enter - they choose one family from probably hundreds of nominees and give them a Xmas they will never forget. Presents, furniture, food, a tree, whatever they need. It's a wonderful, wonderful surprise for someone who doesn't expect it at all. And they do it live on air, so we get to experience the excitement right along with them. Very cool. It would be great to have the resources to pull that off. I would love to win one of those $500 Metropolis at Metrotown gift cards from Virgin and then spend the whole thing on making some stranger's Xmas wishes come true! Anonymously. I will keep you posted. Meanwhile, think about who you would nominate...

Other stations do good all year long, like the Peak and their Peak Action League. They go around cleaning and fixing up parks and beaches! Whaaaaaat?! That is so incredibly kind and generous. And so Vancouver! If you ever want to hang out with a bunch of cool people and do something for the community, join them - they always need volunteers! In fact, the next time they are near my 'hood I'm going to take them all some hot chocolate. I really appreciate them and their good deeds! Check the Peak website to see if they will be in YOUR neighbourhood!

Jack was taking donations for the food bank all week, even broadcasting on location in front of grocery stores. Thrifty Foods customers stepped up in a big way, and probably Jack listeners went out of their way to donate just so they could meet the radio personalities! I would have too, but they were nowhere near me and I can't afford the gas to go traipsing around town. If they come to my neighbourhood though, I will make a point of stopping by and saying hello (and donating, of course!)

Do what you can. Gave at the office? Thank you. But dropping even a single loonie or box of pasta into a bin goes a long way. I know I personally throw out more food in one day than some families have to eat. I'm going to think about that next time I see a donation box...