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Here I go, I’m trying to quit smoking

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Ok, it’s time to quit smoking once and for all!!! My wife and I have decided that this is the right time to toss these crazy things in the old can for the final time and never look back! We have been smoking ever since we met 22 years ago. So here we go!!!

I had my first smoke when I was about 14 or so and I’m 45 now (holy shit where did the time go?) so that is way too long to of had this albatross wrapped around my neck. I’m finding that quitting smoking is not all that hard, but I must admit that this time, it has had it’s moments.

Using no drugs or gum, I’m off to a great start. My wife is a heavier smoker than I am (I smoked about 5 cigarettes a day) so she’s trying to quit by using Zyban and so far that’s working very well for her so why mess with a good thing, right?

There has been no increase in the intake of junk food but I have had an increase in more calorie wise snacks to help with the cravings. I’m staying away from chips, chocolate and empty calories like they’re the plague. I don’t want one bad habit to take over another one, that’s not all that wise now is it?!

I had my first smoke up in a tree fort in my neighbour’s backyard that was directly behind my parent’s home. There was me and these 2 other guys, I cannot remember their names for the life of me right now, in this really cool tree fort that we all helped put together. I have some very fond memories of this fortress in the sky that we all built and my first smoke is definitely a part of it.

Throughout high school I smoked a fair bit. A pack lasted me in the area of 2 weeks? I took a year and a half off after high school and during that time I had quit cold turkey. Then there was college! The amount that I smoked went up to about 1 pack a week and then there was the time that I tried rolling them myself and man was that a lot cheaper. The tobacco was called Drum and it had this really neat blue bag. I also found that Drum didn’t really hurt my lungs as much as the store bought ones. I was always doing these breathing exercises that I used for my vocal exercises all the time and man do they work.

Then after college I was smoking here and there, I was basically a social smoker. If I didn’t have any cigarettes then I didn’t smoke. I could take it or leave it, I was one of the lucky ones for sure! In the past year or so I’ve been smoking about 5 (sometimes more) cigarettes a day.

So now we both have come to the conclusion that it is time to quit for life! I’ve slowed down a ton the past 2 – 3 months, I know that I have gone on crazy cigarette binges from time to time due to stupidity, but I wouldn’t discount alcohol as a prime factor.

I had a heart scare many years ago and they still don’t know exactly what was the trigger for it. Right then and there in the ER resuscitation room I quit smoking, drinking, coffee, tea, chocolate and peanuts all at once! It lasted for about 1 year and then I had them slowly trickle back into my life. I shouldn’t have started again!

As I said earlier my wife is a heavier smoker than I am and when we both decided to quit she wanted me to be sure I wouldn’t start again since I don’t smoke as heavily and have an easier time stopping smoking than she does. Believe me, now that she’s quitting, if I do start again she’s going to be extremely upset with me because it could cause her to start up again.

So here we both are right now at another cross road our life and I hope that we can run with the ball of being smoke free right into the end zone of life!!! Wish us both luck … just in case you know?!

Keep on Jammin’




Orillia’s Old Town Fries by Bob May and Lynne Kirkby

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Old Town Fries in Orillia Ontario are the best fries in the land! An old friend of the family opened up this great Chip Wagon in the Town of Orillia that reminds me of Brantford’s own famous chips called Stan’s Chip Wagon! The owners were 2 nice guys called George and Stan. I never did get their last names, sorry bout that guys.

Oldtownfriesinorillia

Bob is one of those hard working nice guys that you just love to see succeed in no matter what they are doing! Bob and his partner Lynne Kirkby seem to be the perfect working couple.

My wife and I went up to check out their Old Town Fries and we loved their culinary delights! A mutual friend called Jerry says that Bob’s Dogs are the best thing on the menu and it’s hard to argue that one. Also did I say that Bob is a fabulous guitar player?

OLD TOWN FRIES, in the City of Orillia, is as their slogan says “more than just fries”. What better addition to your meal of fresh cut fries than a quarter pound of pure beef hamburger, half pound Big Dog hotdog (or little dog for the smaller appetite), five perfect slices of Peameal bacon, mild sausage, or crispy chicken served on a bun, or hot Buffalo wings all dressed the way you like them. Is your mouth salivating?

Their Chip wagon in the parking lot beside Trombly’s Tackle Box 595 West St. S. in Orillia. So if your ever up in the Orillia ask the locals for directions and I am more then sure everyone knows the way to the Old Town Fires! Tell bob and Lynne that I sent ya!

Keep on Jammin’

What music can do for you

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This is just a little something that I read about the other day in a magazine called CHILL. It makes a good observation about music and what it does for you. Enjoy!

Music: It does more than just get your feet tapping. Music has also been proven to stimulate the brain and improve focus and concentration. Plus, hearing uplifting music when we wake up in the morning can keep us in good spirits throughout the day. At night, soothing tunes can aid in getting a deeper, more restful sleep!
CHILL Magazine

Keep on Jammin’


How to Manage Stage Fright

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Stage fright is much the same phobia as public speaking, a phobia of being humiliated in front of an audience. Stage fright is so common it ranks among the highest of personal phobias . Not many people are born orators or performers. There are certain people that love attention and are natural performers. Some of our most famous celebrities deal with stage fright all of the time. Stage fright is a problem for Barbra Streisand, for example. There is help available for stage fright sufferers and you can learn to manage it.

Stage fright affects most people when they perform in public. You must learn to not think about  the audience when you are performing. If you have studied well, you need not worry about the audience. It is best at first to not look any audience member directly in the eye for fear of losing your place or being distracted by their demeanor. A good tip is to look just above the heads of the audience sing as if you were singing to that place, not the floor, and they will think you are looking at them.

Your first piece should be one which you can always do without thinking, an easy one. A song that has difficult technique nay be impressive, but it hardly the selection to put you at ease. Save the tough stuff for last. In order to feel good about the performance at the start, do the proper selection for the first number, the audience will applaud and that will make you gain some much needed confidence. This is one of the secrets to managing stage fright, let the small steps lead you to larger ones.

Stage fright affects all of us at one time but we can learn to deal with it. Failing is a fear we all face and this is why stage fright is so hard. You can learn to manage stage fright with these easy tips.

Is your favorite TV show way too loud

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Over the past couple of years, my wife and I have noticed that the audio portion of our favorite TV shows have become increasing louder as the series progresses!

The volume appears to be ok during parts of the show, then out of no where it feels like we’re sitting front row center at an ACDC concert! I can’t get a hold of the remote fast enough to turn the volume down on the TV.

The worst culprits seem to be the CSI shows. Like when one of the characters are working in their laboratory, doing some sort of police work, and then audio guy on the show accidentally hits the volume control to 11! I now have to keep the remote in my hand at all times, expecting the sound to take off like a screaming jet! Sorry honey, I’m holding the remote in my hand for the good of our ear drums … honestly.

So is it just me or am I too much of a sensitive man of the new millennium?

Keep on Jammin’

So how was your summer of 2008

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Ours was uneventful, but we all had a ball just hanging out together! It rained like it’s never had before, but we hung in there.

IMG_4908 copy Our area rec’d the most rainfall ever and we’re expecting an early winter, at least we’re not receiving any of that nasty hurricane weather like our neighbors to the south, hang in there gang!. We don’t mind the fall at all, but this last winter we had record snow fall. It could have been worst!

We went swimming in Lake Ontario multiple times, went walking through some neat streams in our immediate area and had a beer on a really nice, high end patio with midnight at Woofstock 2008!

It was our first summer with Midnight, since she was a puppy when we first got her, and I wouldn’t have traded it for the world! The pictures that midnight will remind both of us of the fun we had during those cold winter months. IMG_4893

So let’s sit back, enjoy and savor these last warm summer evenings in the lawn chairs and have a light refreshing beverage (that’s code for wobbly pop) like we are with midnight, as we speak! No, she has her own seat at the backyard table, it wasn’t mine.

What did you guys do over the summer?

Until we drink again!

Busker Festival Toronto 2008

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This past weekend was the Buskers Festival 2008 event in the big city! It is held in the St. Lawrence Market District of Toronto, and it always looks like a blast to see.

We’ve seen all the news station reports on TV and I wish that I had time to go and check it out.

There are all these way out there buskers, doing their thing, that kinda makes ya wonder, “how in the hell did they get an idea like that to pull off in public”? If I was a busker, then I’d probably be broke if that was my main form of income!

They’ve been doing this event for years and it always seems to have the best weather to hold an event like this year in and year out! Buster fest has everything for everyone of all ages!

Check out the site for more info. and hilarious videos!

So if you can, get of there and see all the funky and unique buskers out there during this annual event. If you do see it, tell us about it. It may even make me make some time to check them out! If not this year, then there is always the next one.

Keep on Jammin’ (or Busking if your not musically inclined!)

The second coming of Jon is put on hold

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Well we got the old back yard, our pride and joy, finely manicured, the house is all cleaned up, the BBQ all tided up, the steaks are ready and all we need now is JON!

Well as luck would have it, Murphy’s Law is alive and at work again in my life there guys and gals! Jon has graciously bowed out! Big Jon has some unforeseen moving to do. This was truly a last minute thing that kinda fell into his llap and I do hope he has fun at it! He had tons of help to work with, and that is why I did not go and help him. BTW, I have helped him move around, oh around 10 times now, and he still owes me one … not that I’m counting there Jon! 😉

So we are trying to get another date set up for another meeting of the Mensa minds later on this September so I’ll keep ya’ll in the loop!

Keep on Movin’ Jonnie!

The summer of 2008

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Well, the weather in Toronto has been more or less shitty this past year, and it doesn’t seem to be over quite yet!

We’ve smashed the total amount of rain for a summer ever since recorded weather history. Our past winter was the second most accumulation of snow in the past 130 years! Now they say that we’re gonna have an early winter, in the words of Charlie Brown, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”! How long can this go on for! We didn’t get hit with as much snow as Halifax, but it certainly felt like it!

So, howz it going weather wise in your neck of the world?

Keep on Jammin’

The second coming of Jon

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Just got off the old blower, that’s what we use to call the phone, with my old buddy Jon and he says that he needs a fix of Toronto back into his blood! We’re looking forward to seeing his old mug around the homestead here. hopefully it won’t be as expensive as the last time he was here.

The first time he here at our newish home, it was a long weekend. We had a few beverages and started to get a little hungry. So off we went to the grocery store and we happened to come across this store that sold fire works, what a bad mistake on our wallets this venture was going to be! By the time we left the store, we were about $220.00 richer in fire works. Oh well, we had fun and no one lost an eye.

So here’s to more action packed adventure with big Jon(Johnnie), aka Pinhead, and this time let’s really get a guitar lesson in ok buddy? Stay tuned for more updates.

Keep on Jammin’

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