I just got back from an amazing 7-day cruise vacation with my family onboard the Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom of the Seas” (currently, the world’s largest cruise ship until they sail the Oasis of the Seas in November)! 

We visited Royal Caribbean’s private island, Labadee, Haiti where I soared on a zip line 500 feet above the water for 2,600 feet (the longest zip line in the world over water), climbed a waterfall in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, sampled and made Mexican cuisine in Cozumel, Mexico and even jumped on a boogie board on Royal Caribbean’s “Flowrider” on the ship – amazing!  

Of course, my vacation wouldn’t have been complete without capturing my gastronomic adventure on and off the ship.  Below is an assortment of some of my favorite culinary delights:

Favorite dinner: Fresh lobster tail and shrimp combo with melted butter

Most well-prepared dish: Braised lamb shank (perfectly complemented with mint jelly)

Best breakfast: Puff pastry with salmon, egg and avocado

Best classical invention: Prime rib (medium) over hollandaise sauce

Best app: Scallop risotto (’nuff said)

Tastiest dessert: Raspberry panna cotta

Best drink: Margarita at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville (believe it or not!)

Best pasta: Gnocchi in cream sauce with ham and peas

Favorite repeat dish: Shrimp cocktail

Proud culinary moment: My plate at cooking class in Cozumel with mini “huaraches” (Spanish sausage, cube potatoes, corn dough, shredded lettuce, crumbled cheese, refried beans)

Biggest indulgence: My birthday cake (I only ate one piece folks):

Shameless (non paid) plug: If you want to try out some of these recipes, you can pick up a copy of Royal Caribbean International’s “Savor” Cookbook Volume 2 – or better yet, take a cruise and let everyone do the cooking and clean up for you.

Friday, September 25, 2009 – Workplay Theatre – Birmingham, AL

From Diane on Vimeo.

What a thrill it was to witness this live from the side balcony. I had a perfect view and perfect sound – who could ask for more?

Billy Earl shared a story from when Taylor was “a kid” (probably around 19 or 20): He said Taylor’s dad asked him if he thought Taylor had what it takes to make it in this business. Billy Earl told him it was a tough “bidness” and it took a lot of talent and drive to make it in the bidness … and he said, “I’m sorry to tell you this, sir, but Taylor has what it takes.”

I’d have to agree with Mr. McClelland – Taylor Hicks has what it takes.

I thought moms were supposed to have eyes in the back of their heads.

Picture by: dunno source. Submitted by: Bianca via Fail Uploader

Thank you luvtaylorhicks for finding this first article re: the two Workplay shows this weekend:

By Mary Colurso — The Birmingham News
September 26, 2009, 1:59AM

Over time, it’s become clear to me: Taylor Hicks is the most dynamic, interesting and consistently entertaining member of Birmingham’s “American Idol” trio.

Perhaps it’s unfair to lump Hicks, 32, into a category with Ruben Studdard and Bo Bice, because their music styles are so different — soul-pop, R&B and Southern rock, respectively.

But all three are local guys who made their fame on the same TV reality series, and their successes happened within a span of just four years. I can’t help but compare and contrast them, and frankly, Hicks always stands out.

When the Gray Haired Guy returns for a concert here, as he did Friday night at the WorkPlay theater, it’s always a professional, high-energy show. Hicks works hard as a singer-instrumentalist (guitar and harmonica) and the set never feels amateurish or slapdash.

If anything, Hicks’ 11 p.m. performance at WorkPlay proved that he’s gained in confidence and stage stature in the years following his 2006 “Idol” win.

Very nice comments from Ms Colurso!  You can read the entire article here.

luvtaylorhicks and taylorwow found and posted the following on The Boogie last night. The Mullet Wrapper apparently loves Taylor Hicks. This is the third article in the last two days! yay!

14 Questions with Taylor Hicks

Taylor Hicks is a Birmingham native, but he’s also Pleasure Island’s adopted son.  Only three years removed from picking up gigs at Lester’s and the Flora-Bama while trying to keep a working band on the road, Taylor has committed to tour with Grease well into 2010. “I’ve been in 45 cities since December,’’ he said days before his Sept. 11 concert in Biloxi.

Mullet Wrapper: What is one thing that most people do not know about you?
Taylor Hicks: I’ve become a pretty good photographer.’

MW: Considering anyone dead or alive, with whom would you like to have a conversation?
TH: Martin Luther King, Jr.’

MW: Besides parents, what one person(s) has greatly influenced your life?
TH: My grandmother.’ (Pleasure Island resident Joni Hicks)

MW: What is one thing that you would like to change about yourself?
TH: I’d like to be more healthy.

MW: What is one thing you would not want to change about yourself?
TH: My love for entertaining folks.

MW: How do you cope with stress?
TH: I run and I listen to my ipod.

MW: What is your favorite childhood memory?
TH: Watching Ray Charles in person in concert and, I guess, getting that first noon spot in the main room at the Flora-Bama when I was 18.

MW: What are your biggest pet peeves?
TH: People being impatient.

MW: Who are your favorite entertainers?
TH: Bobby Darin. That guy was the ultimate entertainer.

MW: What was your first and your worst job?
TH: My worst job was stripping and waxing floors. My first job was as a lawn service care provider. In other words I cut the freakin’ grass.

MW: If you had the political pull, what is one issue you would address?
TH: Partisan politics.

MW: What is the dumbest thing you ever did?
TH: How many days do we have to talk?

MW: What is the smartest thing you ever did?
TH: Listen to people who were older than me and had more experience and wisdom.

MW: If you could somehow will any team in any sport, to a championship, who would it be?
TH: The Detroit Lions win the Super Bowl. (Taylor spent a month in Detroit with Grease.)

MW: A perfect day is …
TH: Hanging out with great friends at the beach and not having a curfew or an interview.

Okay, so it’s really 15 questions, but it’s a fun little interview and who can blame him for being excited? (I don’t know the author’s name, though – anybody?)

Found by luvtaylorhicks, these two articles from The Mullet Wrapper.

Taylor Hicks is literally in control of his future
By Fran Thompson

An excerpt:

[Taylor Hicks] made his Broadway debut in Grease, a gig he will keep through next year.  “It’s like getting a brand new instrument,’’ he said of acting.  “I know how to put a band together and go out and play music, but I don’t know how to act.  I’m learning and it’s interesting.  In a way it is similar to riffing off of a musician.”

“My part in Grease is small and I play it over the top,’’ he added, “but it has to be over the top.  And the show is Idol friendly.  It’s perfect for me.’’

Taylor sings one of his songs on stage after every Grease show and then signs CDs and visits with fans afterwards. It is a connection he does not take lightly. “Reporters have to take a negative slant. But they don’t see the down syndrome child who comes up and throws his arms around you and gives you a big hug, while you and his family share a few moments of joy,’’ Taylor said before a recent show in Biloxi. “That’s something I see every night. I do eight shows a week and I’m on the floor with the public in every part of the country. “Something like that hits you hard and it’s real, and it gets to me,’’ he added. “It’s not about what you’ve been talking about in interviews all day. It’s what happened right then and it brings you right down to Earth. God has a way of not letting you get carried away.’’

You can read the entire article here.  I especially like the way Ms Thompson summed up Taylor from his days pre-Idol to now.

Hicks releases “The Distance’’ on his own label

Taylor Hicks new CD The Distance is the first he has released on his own label, Modern Whomp Records.  Produced by Simon Climie (Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana, Faith Hill), it features eleven tracks ranging from soul to ballads to country, including the first single What’s Right Is Right.

“A lot of popular music sounds the same,’’ he said.  “From track one to track 10, it’s the same thing. I just picked songs I liked and felt like I had enough of a unique voice to pull off.   I have creative control,’’ he added. “If I want to go against the grain playing every kind of style that I love, I will sink or swim with it.  Hopefully, I have good songs.   I feel like it’s a solid effort, but every record is a learning curve.  What’s Right Is Right is the soulful love song of the album,” said Taylor.  “I think its wonderful message about love that people can relate to.’’

You can read the entire article here.

From AL.com, a terrific new article:

Posted by Alec Harvey — Birmingham News
September 18, 2009 7:00 AM

Taylor Hicks is still amazed at what’s happened to his life.

And he’s not talking about going from virtual obscurity to winning “American Idol” in 2006 or putting out two CDs — “Taylor Hicks” and this year’s “The Distance.”

Now, sitting at an outdoor table at Vestavia Hills’ Diplomat Deli, Hicks is talking about his stint on Broadway and on tour as Teen Angel in “Grease.”

“I never thought in a million years that I’d be putting on makeup every day for one-and-a-half years,” says Hicks, who plays Teen Angel in the national tour of “Grease,” which opens in Birmingham Tuesday. It’s happened so much, the singer known for his gray locks jokes that he’s pre-conditioned to flinch around showtime, even on off days, when no one is fiddling with his hair.

Hicks has owned the role of Teen Angel — who urges beauty school dropout Frenchy to go back to high school — since joining the musical’s Broadway cast in June 2008. He’s headlined the tour since it started in December and is contracted through June 2010.

In “Grease,” Hicks is able to perform a single from “The Distance,” and he’s played in clubs along the tour route, adding to his legions of fans known as the Soul Patrol.

Read the entire article here.  My favorite part:

• On his “Idol” season-mates, which included Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, Ace Young and Katharine McPhee: “I text everyone from that season,” he says, adding with a laugh, “That’s my favorite season.”

BJCC – Birmingham, AL
September 22 2009 – 8:00P
September 23 2009 – 8:00P
September 24 2009 – 8:00P
September 25 2009 – 8:00P
September 26 2009 – 2:00P
September 26 2009 – 8:00P
September 27 2009 – 1:00P
September 27 2009 – 6:30P

luvtaylorhicks is on a roll!!

Taylor Hicks on Grease, Hamlet, going the distance
Posted by Joey Guerra at September 10, 2009 01:04 PM

Taylor Hicks says starring on Broadway “never crossed his mind” as he was building his post-American Idol career.

But the season 5 winner knows (along with several other Idol graduates) that a reality-show win doesn’t necessarily translate to real-world superstardom.

“The sustainment of high success is very tough. You have to own as much as you can in this business. If you don’t, then your future is going to be a tough one,” he says.

“Having the freedom to go into different musical fields, living and dying by your own sword, I think that creates drive for me.”

Hicks heeded his own advice and stepped onto the Broadway stage in 2008 as the teen angel in the Broadway revival of Grease. He’s reprising that role in Theater Under the Stars’ current production. He’s also plugging a new CD, The Distance, with an acoustic show Monday at Warehouse Live.

He never once uttered “soul patrol!” during our chat. (Damn.) But Hicks did talk about guardian angels, sparring with another famous Taylor and the one crown that rivals his Idol title -

Your one number in Grease, Beauty School Dropout, comes during Act 2. What’s happening backstage the rest of the time?

You are just hanging out, but (I’m also) writing songs. We’re trying to work on the next record. The time I spend off the stage is spent working to try to get back on it, so to speak. Doing eight shows a week, along with press, and working a record that you have out already — it’s a lot to work. But this is what you have to understand about this business. You have to work for the next thing.

Why was theater the right step, right now?

I never thought in a million years that I would be flown to New York City to star in a Broadway show. But as I evolve in theater and from this part, it makes complete sense. I’ve been performing live for a long time. Music is not necessarily the means to an end. I think entertaining is a means to an end. You have to reinvent yourself, and you have to be versatile to withstand a long career.

You’ve performed onstage for more than a decade. Has theater taught you anything new?

The rapport between the actors and actresses, it’s instantaneous, as far as creativity. I’ve always been able to play off a musician with my instrument. But now, I’m actually playing off a role. I find that fascinating, the first-hand experience that I’m gaining, playing off of someone’s character. It’s like the first time that you communicated musically with someone. It’s like a brand new toy.

There’s a video and a few more questions here.  Check it out – they’re good ones!

Taylor Hicks: 7 p.m. Monday at Warehouse Live, 813 St. Emanuel. $25; 713-225-5483 or warehouselive.com.

Grease: 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, through Sept. 20. Hobby Center, 800 Bagby $24-$87; 713-558-8887 or tuts.com.

Boogie Boarder kmoss17819 found this gem of an article – it’s an interview with Temptation Otis Williams … and he mentions Taylor Hicks!

The relevant portion:

Geek – You say, “Great singing will always prevail.”  That’s what they push on American Idol. Do you watch that TV show?

Otis Williams – Oh yeah, I watch it.

G – What do you think of it?

OW – Some of it is funny.  Every now and then you run across somebody who can sing, but a lot of those people up there are kind of funny.  I really like Taylor Hicks.

G – He’s good because he’s different.

OW – Yes, he is.  I like his deliverance and he can sing.

You can read the rest here.  It really is a very interesting article with an icon of the music world.  Thank you, kmoss17819!!

luvtaylorhicks is on the scoop again!  This morning she posted this oh-so-cute interview Taylor did for Tampa Bay’s Bay News 9:

Taylor Hicks is your Teen Angel!
Virginia Johnson
Friday, August 21, 2009

Step aside Frankie Avalon!

Teen Angel Taylor Hicks is in the house and in Tampa in the musical Grease.

Grease plays at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center through August 23rd.

Tampa Bay On Demand spent some special moments with Taylor, including a reenactment of Beauty School dropout.

We think Virginia Johnson is looking her best.

Hicks told TBOD that he turned down larger Broadway roles because he wanted to gain more acting experience.

Virginia and Taylor talked about his passion for SEC football.

As an Alabama native, Taylor could not discuss whether he loved Alabama or Auburn more. (Note: It is a seriously deep rivalry)

There’s more here.  This one was adorable and includes a couple of great pictures.

Thanks so much, LTH! 

Grease in Tampa:

Carol Morsani Hall – Tampa Bay, FL
August 18 2009 – 7:30P
August 19 2009 – 7:30P
August 20 2009 – 7:30P
August 21 2009 – 8:00P
August 22 2009 – 2:00P & 8:00P
August 23 2009 – 2:00P & 7:30P

What a freakin’ lot of phony baloney creeps there are hanging out at the Boogie Board nowadays.  Not all of them, mind you, but the BB has been hijacked by those who think it’s just too cool to find fault with Taylor while singing the praises of Adam Lambert.  Is it ok to not like Taylor anymore?  Sure.  Knock yourselves out.  Is it ok to drool over Adam Lambert?  Whatever rings your chimes.  

I think the problem most people have with you people is the lack of class you are showing by running Taylor down on his own site.  Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think the Boogie Board is a Taylor Hicks fan site.  If you don’t like Taylor anymore, at least show him enough respect to not bash him on his own fan site.  I also find it quite tacky and disrespectful to throw your sleazy Lambert Orgasmafests on a Taylor Hicks board. Make your own damn board and have at it. Just a suggestion. 

Really, if it wasn’t so pathetic, it would be funny.  I kind of wonder where it all comes from.  It’s no secret that there was/is a chroll infestation at the BB.  I suppose they could have something to do with it.  Of course, the Gray Charles groupies have the same above it all attitude that GC has.  He seems to love to pull pranks against Taylor.  Then again, maybe it’s those people who have been reading the anti Taylor media out there and are too weak to ignore or stand up against the crap, so they pretend to have seen the light.  Whatever, folks.  Just try to muster up enough class not to show your ignorance on a Taylor fan site. It really is very ugly.

Here comes Hurricane Bill! LBI is slightly buzzing with chatter about the approaching storm. While it appears that the storm will remain off the coast, it certainly qualifies as a near miss in terms of the big picture. New Jersey will be spared, but it’s a big storm and it’s coming close enough.

But what is exciting about this is the predicted swell. My lifeguard said something about 12 feet. While that would be fantastic news for Long Beach Island’s surfers and boarders, it is awful for people on boats. My experience has been that these storms produce huge waves that are almost worthless because of the painful currents that block you from them. No matter how big the swell, it is pretty useless if you travel across an entire jetty beach just to get out there. But considering the size of this storm, the early and late stage swell could make for lots of fun in the water.

Have a look at these great maps. Make sure to scroll forward to the weekend! 12-15 foot waves. I’m having trouble imagining what this will be like.

Despite the total lack of tropical storms in July, we had great waves. By comparison August has been dull, so this will be fun regardless and a welcome change.

The expectation is that there will be lots of ocean chaos on Friday & Saturday, and the high hopes are for Sunday. A calm day with huge swells is currently expected. I’m personally excited, but also remaining skeptical. I still have not forgotten Hurricane Bertha in July 2008. She sat out in the Atlantic for almost 2 weeks bringing death to some children (rip tides) and basically an unusable ocean for those of us with body boards. Just nasty currents. I personally mastered Guitar Hero III during that unfortunate time.

We shall see. I’m hoping to find some nice sea glass in the aftermath!

Taylor Hicks – Smith’s Olde Bar – Atlanta, GA – TONIGHT!!
10-ish EST

Buy tickets here.

Wish I was there.  I was lucky enough to be there September 12, 2006 when he played Smith’s on the original Shadow Tour (during the American Idol tour).  That evening he was joined by members of LiMBO and Spoonful James.  Tonight, Ben Deignan will be opening and Taylor will be performing with Spoonful James (and it’s acoustic!!!!)

We are holding a cellcert on The Boogie.  Just hop on over any time today to join in the festivities (we usually get so excited that the hoopla starts early in the morning).  Legacy is our onsite reporter – if you’ve ever heard a cellcert from Legacy then you know we are in for a treat, and if you haven’t then you have to join us.  She is hysterically funny!  Cali50 will be hosting and I am going to setlist.  It’s been a while for me, but I know The Man’s catalog pretty well, so it should be like riding a bicycle.

Here’s to great reception and a fun time in the Hot Town tonight! 

Boogier luvtaylorhicks posted more news this morning – and what fabulous news it is!!

According to Video Business Online (aVariety group newsweekly):

Title: TAYLOR HICKS: WHOMP AT THE WARFIELD
Release Date: 11/03/2009
Label/Distributor: IMAGE
Prebook DVD: 10/06/2009
Retail Price: DVD $19.98
Genre: Musician Taylor Hicks performs some of his biggest hits.

Yay!  We have all been holding our breath and watching for news about Whomp at the Warfield for so long.  I hope so much that this comes to pass.  The timing is great for Christmas shoppers (and is just in time for my birthday).

AND, according to Image Entertainment, there is a BONUS Taylor Hicks interview!  Squee!

So many goodies to look forward to, let’s add this shall we – The Cover Art:

That is a damn fine picture.

From a previous post re: Whomp at the Warfield:

This DVD was recorded during Taylor’s concert at The Warfield Theater in San Francisco, May 9, 2007:

Setlist
Gonna Move
Give Me Tonight
Heart and Soul
- Brown-Eyed Handsome Man
Medicated Goo
Just To Feel That Way
My Friend
The Deal
Hold On To Your Love
- Lonely Avenue
Wherever I Lay My Hat
Soul Thing
- Eastbound and Down
Heaven Knows
- Ain’t It Funky Now
The Maze
- Warm Love
The Right Place
The Runaround
- Big Boss Man (harp tease only)
- Willie Brown Blues

Encore:
The Fall
Badge
Naked in the Jungle
- Dance to the Music
- I Wanna Take You Higher

This concert has aired on the TV channel HDNet a handful of times and word is Medicated Goo was left off the menu.  No explanations were given, but it is possible they were unable to clear the rights to air the tune.

No explanations on why such a long wait between filming and release either, but if I had to guess I would say that it boils down to distribution rights (Van Morrison is known to be especially protective of and vigilant about his work).  It’s pure conjecture on my part, though.

I can’t give firsthand details on this concert as I wasn’t there nor do I receive HDNet, however I did see some vids by a Boogie poster named caligal.  Naked in the Jungle is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Thank you, luvtaylorhicks - you made my day. 

As you may or may not know, Grease is currently in Atlanta and Taylor has joined the production once again after some time off (I don’t know what he was doing, but I hope he kicked back a little – he needs it!)

luvtaylorhicks posted this terrific interview on The Boogie Board that Taylor did with Rodney Ho of the Atlanta Journal Constitution.  Rodney has covered Taylor in the past and has always treated him well.  I remember chatting with him (Rodney) for a minute or so when I went to see Taylor at the Tabernacle.  Seemed like a nice guy.

This article includes mentions of Grease (“It allows fans new and old to see me in two different lights,” he said. “One as an actor performer, the other as a singer songwriter.”); a photo from his last shadow tour at Smith’s Old Bar (where he performed with LiMBO and members of Spoonful James after the Idols Live show in 2006); discussion of AI8 (“Hicks, ever the diplomat, refused to name favorites.”); and a Q&A with user submitted questions – I do believe I see a few Boogiers listed there (make sure to read the last question and answer ’cause it will make you smile). 

Taylor Hicks interview for “Grease” show at Fox Theater August 11-16
August 10, 2009, by Rodney Ho

Taylor Hicks three years ago said his life ambition was to live on a bus and just play music.

After winning “American Idol,” the prematurely gray-haired soul singer has gotten that wish. He has no house, no rent or mortgage, no utility bills. “I’ve been living out of a suitcase since 2006,” he said in an interview last month to promote his role as Teen Angel in the national tour of “Grease,” which is at the Fox Theatre. “My bills get sent to my parents.”

But even a vagabond like Hicks says he actually would to have roots again someday.

“I’d like to have some home setting in five years, some sort of anchor,” he said.

Of course, Birmingham is his hometown. But Atlanta, he said, is “like a second home,” given how many friends and family he has here. He will also make a return visit to Smith’s Olde Bar on Sunday after his final “Grease” performance. This is where he also performed in 2006 after his appearance on the “Idols Live” tour at Gwinnett Arena.

Follow this link to read the rest.  I hope you do because it’s a GOOD one. 

The following post was written for us by Boogier tishlp:

Taylor is in 3rd place currently for Mr. Twitter North America. If he stays in the top 20 until the end of this round of competition, he will move on to the Mr. Twitter World Competition. When I first found out about this competition and discovered that Taylor was included, I posted it on the Boogie Board. That was on July 11th and the contest was for Mr. Twitter USA. At that time, Taylor had 391 votes. The leader, a Adam Lambert fan news site had 19,268.

As a community, we moved Taylor all the way up to the 2nd place, where he stayed until almost the last when a movie star’s fans found the competition and started voting. I felt proud that we were able to keep Taylor up so high in votes and as a result create a lot of buzz on Twitter about him.

Now Taylor is in 3rd place for Mr. Twitter North America following behind 2 movie/TV stars. He is the top musician in the competition. This is amazing when you consider that Taylor has 3,590 followers on Twitter and the 2 front runners, Peter Facinelli and Zachary Quinto have 683,110 and 50,556 followers respectively.

Soul Patrol we are the Little Engine That Could. We’ve done it before and we can do it again. I know that Taylor really gets nothing from this “popularity contest” except some free publicity but I think it’s a easy way to create some buzz and perhaps curiosity and interest on Twitter for our Soul Man. So let’s keep voting as often as we can for the next 9 days and while you at it, request his music from radio stations, both commercial radio and online radio. Let people hear what we hear. Thanks, and now back to voting.

Tish

Thank you, Tish!

To cast your vote for Taylor Hicks, please go here.  You can vote once every twenty minutes.

After my first visit to the beach in LA, I decided I needed to get a boogie board.  I went in the ocean and the waves were NOTHING like waves on the East Coast.  I nearly lost my bathing suit three times, and got completely knocked over several times.  ‘Playing in the ocean’ is a bit more serous when you’re dealing with waves like that.  So I decided it would be smarter to grab a boogie board and surf ‘em.

I lucked out when at TJ Maxx two days later I found boogie boards for only $9.99.  It was then Boog was born.  Affectionately named by Steph, he only ended up hitting the waves twice.  And it was a miserable failure both times.  Nonetheless I would have liked to have taken him home with me so I could try it out here on the East Coast.  Unfortunately two shipped boxes, one oversized suitcase, and two carry-on bags later there was no room for Boog.  I rate that a 2.  I saved a lot of money leaving him behind, and realistically I probably wouldn’t have used it again anyways.  But seriously, pretty awesome board.

Grease is doing Ottawa this week and there was a special guest in the audience for opening night – Prime Minister Stephen Harper. What fun for all of them! No matter what your political bent, meeting the head of a nation is (almost) always a thrill.

Originally reported on Broadway World:

Taylor Hicks, currently starring in the Broadway tour of GREASE had a visit from Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper last night, after the opening performance at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, ONT.

Taylor Hicks, Teen Angel, meets Canada's Prime Minister Stephen Harper after the opening performance of Grease National Arts Centre in Ottawa, ONT.

The cast of Grease poses with PM Stephen Harper, Harper's daughter, and one of her friends after the opening performance of Grease at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, ONT.

Two more photos and an article about the play can be found on Broadway World.

I got the chance to go surfing this weekend, and had a total blast.
However, the guy who made it even better was this exceptionally intense boogie boarder. He had flippers, and this hat, and a full wet suit, and he charged right out there with the surfers, and honestly… kind of put them to shame with his riding the waves ability.

I got out there at one point, bobbing about on my boogie board as I watched my friend surf… and he came over, and offered me his flippers. I didn’t take them… mostly because the guy honestly kinda creeped me out, because upon closer inspection, the man had to have been in his late 60’s, early 70’s and had the skin of an American Indian (like in the pictures… weathered, and wise).

But, I thought it was nice of him to offer me the flippers… He simply shrugged when I said no thanks, and then kicked away, and flew into the curl of a wave… Totally gnarly man.

Maggie and I spent most of Friday in the water by ourselves. It was said that we looked like two little kids as we (er, I) beat down waves and Maggie frolicked. However, on Saturday, everyone else got a taste of salt water and realized how much fun boogie/body boarding are, and just why we had spent so much time in the water the day before. Here are just a few shots from playtime in the water of Aptos. And remember, don’t forge to click “keep reading” for more.

So "Blue Crush" it hurts.

]]> http://bangerville.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/do-the-boogie-board/ Wed, 08 Jul 2009 18:52:52 +0000 habitat419 http://bangerville.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/do-the-boogie-board/

I wanted to post this a while ago but i couldn’t find the link to the song. I don’t usually like all these dancing song but this shit was kinda catchy.

Download Here: Boogie Board