Studio 105 - blog

yuck!!!!

why do you think it is that just because we have a foot or so of snow on the ground people decide to use the great outdoors as a garbage can. i can't believe the amount of garbage i am seeing just laying around everywhere. if i told you what i saw in my son's school yard this week it would make you gag. people need to understand that a low tech thing like a garbage can works in both warm and cold weather. it's not rocket science. just a reminder that we move the clocks ahead one hour this weekend and there is no harm in changing the batteries in the smoke and carbon detectors while you are at it. a man and his daughter were killed in a fire in ontario this week because the smoke detectors did not work. seems a simple and inexpensive way to save lives. on the horizon we are looking forward to st patrick's day on wednesday and the first official day of spring saturday the 20th.

pass the tanning butter

okay, that line from the b52"s classic rock lobster may not apply just yet but wow, an entire week of sunshine and plus temp so far in early march and more on the way!!!
as we zero in on the first day of spring next saturday (20th) dont forget this saturday night (13th) before you go to be we "spring forward" one hour. we may lose an hour of shut eye but we gain and extra hour of daylight and with all the sun we have been getting it will be worth it. good time to change the batteries in the smoke detectors and carbon monoxide alarms too.
talk later.

we jinxed ourselves

you knew it was going to happen right? as we got closer to the end of february all the talk was about the lack of snow this winter. less than half of our usual amount to be exact. then along comes our last weekend of the month and WHAM!!! we expect 20-30 cm of snow between thursday afternoon and sunday.
eveything always evens out when it comes to the weather. maybe there is some way to send this weather out to whistler where they could use it for the olympic ski hillls.
take it slow and safe and remember that spring is just three weeks away.
talk soon.
brett

Brightening up Feb-blah-ruary

So, how are you making it through Feb-blah-ruary?  I guess they made it the shortest month of the year for a reason.  The groundhog did not help things much either by forecasting another six weeks of winter. Some of the gang here at EZ Rock have had a rough go so far this month.  Mark Munroe is currently recovering from having his wisdom teeth out.   OUCH!!!

For me, the pain was in a different area. Specifically, in my backside where my wallet is.  The power steering system on my car went bye bye this week and it cost me more than I care to admit to fix it...OUCH OUCH OUCH!!!  At least there are still plenty of fun things going on to enjoy.  

blue monday

hello
well, the experts tell us that if ever there was a time that you were going to feel a bit depressed it would be this time of year generally and more specifically, today. blue Monday. we all suffer from it a bit. lack of sunlight, getting dark early, the cold and snow, feeling trapped inside all the time and of course those pesky bills from Christmas start to show up at the door. it all adds up to a bit of the blues for many.
what do do??? experts say get as much light in your life as you can. even if it is man made. get up and exercise and keep the blood moving which is good for both mind and body.also, stay in touch. call or visit friends and family but not by email or text. get some direct human contact. oh, and start saving for next Christmas now so you wont get nailed with all those bills this time next year. if it makes you feel better circle Saturday march 20th on your calendar. that is the first day of spring.

oh, so now it snows.

it's funny what a difference two weeks can make.
two weeks ago this weather and all this snow would have been beautiful, festive and magical.
now it seems that most people agree that it is just a pain. that is unless you are too young to drive or own a ski lodge. perspective is everything.
speaking of which, with the new year here have you decided how you will say it?
are you a two thousand and ten person or...are you a twenty ten person?
either way, happy new year to you and yours.
we will talk again soon.
brett

Happy New Year!!!

Christmas has come and gone and now it is time to welcome in a new year and a new decade. has it really been ten years since the millennium when our toasters were going to attack us and the world was going to implode??? wow, where did that ten years of my life go???
anyways, have a safe and happy new years and all the best to you and your family in 2010.
talk soon.
brett

christmas musings

hello.
well, the countdown to Christmas is on. plenty of hustle and bustle over the next few days.
for parents of young kids here's something you may want to keep in mind. if you are planning on going from mall to mall to mall you might want to leave the kiddies with a sitter. either that or prepare yourself to answer endless questions on how Santa Clause can travel from mall to mall to mall soooooo fast and still have time to talk to all the kids. trust me, this is from personal experience. my five year old Alex was very mystified as to how this could happen and very persistent with his question. 

what would christmas be without...

the christmas count down is on. the kids are set for christmas vacation and a visit from santa, houses are decorated, yummy stuff is being baked, cards are being sent, gifts are being bought, parties are happening and everyone just seems to smile a little easier. also, the employees at the LCBO and the beer stores are bracing for the rush and long lines!!!
with all this going on one of my favourite traditions for this time of year are the special movies and cartoons. i love the old black and white smultz films i used to watch with my parents like it's a wonderful life, miracle on 34th street, white christmas and the bishops wife. of course, every christmas eve it is tradition at the ness house that my sister karen and i started to watch the 1951 version of a christmas carol starring alastair sim. my parents used to host a family party every christmas eve and we used to sneak away to watch it on an old black and white tv in the basement. ahhh memories.

a record in november

it is official. as we welcome in december we can look back on november and a record breaking month.
record breaking that is for what didnt happen and no, it's not about the leafs.
for the first time since weather records have been kept we had a snow less november. i guess that's the make good we get from mother nature after she threw us a blah summer.
funny. we had so much snow last year i won't even mind if we have a green christmas this year. usually i am a white christmas kind of guy but i'm just not ready for the white stuff yet.maybe by december 24th i will be. i managed to get the christmas light up this year and was able to keep my language in check and still be in a good mood when i was done. that is certainly a positive.

the deed is done

we did it. marlene, alex and i have all had our h1n1 shot. other than a little pain in the arm ( better than the other place we could be feeling the pain) we have had no side effects what so ever.
just in case you did not know, all the restrictions are off an anyone can now get the shot.
the weather has been absolutely fabulous for mid november. hopefully you have had a chance to get out and enjoy a last round of golf, a nice hike or maybe get the christmas lights up.
speaking of which, get ready. it wont be long before 105.7 ez rock is your official home for the holidays!!!
take care. we'll talk later

ouch!@#!@#!@#

Yes, getting a needle is no fun and watching as your young child cries while getting one is no picnic for any parent either.  That said, my wife, my son and myself are all getting the H1N1 shot.  Everything I have read from credible and reputable sources say that getting the shot is one of many ways to help lessen the risk of getting the flu or reduce the severity of the flu if you happen to get it.  It's just my opinion but my feeling is that it is a bigger risk not to get it and end up really sick than it would be to get it and suffer any side effects which is very very unlikely.

octoburrrrrrrrrr...

well it sure didn't take long for the chilly temps to roll into niagara this fall. one week after thanksgiving and we already have the winter gear out. i still hold out hope for some warmer days ahead but if you havent already, you might want to get the snow brush and warm pair of gloves in the car. you know it's coming. i recieved my first piece christmas mail this week. ready or not, it almost "tis the season". my son alex sure seems to think so. we read to him every night and this week he dug out a book about christmas and he is already putting his list for santa together in his head.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, here we go heading into the Thanksgiving looooong weekend.  This will be the last long weekend while the weather is still "summer like"; Meaning that there is no snow... yet.   After that, we will be just three weeks from Halloween, falling back one hour with the clocks and our next long weekend will be Christmas!!!  Yikes.

In the meantime, we can enjoy the holiday weekend that is just about eating.  Yes, we eat a lot during all the other holidays, but this is the one set aside for showing our thanks by eating, eating and more eating.  It's a tough time to be on a diet.  For me, it is all about the pumpkin pie.  Like egg nog, pumpkin pie is a seasonal thing for me so when that season rolls around, look out!!!  No, I certainly won't be late for dinner this weekend.  A lot of the kids will be enjoying an extra long Thanksgiving weekend as Friday is PD day (or PA day).  I forget and to be truthful, I'm not sure of the difference.

welcome to EZ rock-tober

the end of september has been a busy time for me personally. my wife marlene and i celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary on the 28th and then it was our son alex's 5th birthday on the 29th.
also, hockey season has started for alex and once again i am coach dad/brett. it is a lot of fun but i forgot how tough it is on the back spending and entire hour early on saturday mornings picking the first year kids up off the ice!!!
now we welcome in october with the start of the nhl season and thanksgiving long weekend just ahead and halloween in the not too distant future.
before we get ahead or ourselves dont forget about two events that are going on this weekend.

so long summer. we hardly knew ya.

with this weekend comes the end of the summer of 2009. this tuesday, spetember 22nd we welcome in fall. is it me or did we kinda give summer a miss this year and just have a real long spring and then straight into fall. september so far has certainly been the highlight of summer. with the forecast we have through til monday we will have had 19 straight days of sunshine with no rain.
but you know fall is here and colder weather is close at hand because my son alex starts hockey again this weekend, turnig in his fishing rod and tackel for skates and a hockey stick and for mom and dad it means those cold 6am saturday mornings are back. burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!!!! 

My Oh My!

Well, Labour Day weekend has come and gone, the kids are back in school and we see a few leaves beginning to fall off the trees. You know what that means? That's right, it's time for another federal election!!!  Oh, and it is almost fall too.  Ironic that we would be having the best stretch of summer weather now in September just before fall begins.  For the record the first day of fall this year is September 22nd.   I hope your transition back into the "regular routine" was smooth and painless.  I know for me personally, I have always found this time of year more of a time to make a new start than New Years Eve even though it has been twenty years since fall meant back to school for me.  Wow, that hurts!!!   

it's all come together

so here we have it. the last long weekend for the summer of 2009 and finally all the planets are aligned and mother nature has smiled to give us sunshine and blue skies all weekend long.
get out and enjoy it so you will have some memories tolook back on once cabin fever sets in this winter. happy labour day.
talk later
brett

dancin in september

from earth wind and fire's ode to september. 
my wife marlene always says she instantly feels colder when september comes because it is the first of four months in a row that end with the "ber" or "burrr" sound. i guess you can't argue with that. soon begins the showdown. how long can i hold her off before she insists that i turn on the furnace. one thing that is for certain. back to school is fast approaching. our last long weekend of summer is on the horizon and then ( to quote staples) ' it's the most wonderful time of the year"...

two weeks notice

the name of a funny movie staring sandra bullock and hugh grant. also, a funny quote from a friend of mine this week. with this weekend we are now on "two weeks notice" for the summer of 2009.
two weeks from now it will be the labour day long weekend. yikes!!!
yes, i think we can agree that we all wanted the warmer summer weather but i think we can also all agree that we did not need the wicked storms we had this week. that was just scary and we here in niagara really and truly escaped the worst. my brother larry was driving down from ottawa to niagara along the 407 during some of the worst of it and he said he has never seen anything like it.

well, we asked for it!

wow, talk about crazy heat. i guess mother nature heard our plea's for some summer weather and decided to give it to us and make up for all the cool wet weather all at once. glad to see the sun but i could live without the humidex readings off the charts. i like it better without the air conditioning on. i played golf a couple days ago and it was hard to keep the sweat out of your eyes and your hands dry so you could grip the club. the beer cart server had a good day that day for sure.
thanks to eveyone that was part of 105.7 ez rock day at fort erie race track. it was fun, hot day and the gang at fort erie race track did a great job.

like living in a rain forest

if ever it was your dream to visit south america, now there is no need. humid and wet is what we are getting right here in niagara. the bugs are thriving and the driveways, patios and outdoor furniture never seem to get dry. you get "wet bum" everytime you try to sit on the furniture outside.
looks like we have a stretch of dry warm weather on the horizon. let's hope so. we deserve it.
well, the countdown is on. we are exactly four weeks away from the first day of school.
back to school is all the rage. if i follow the adds that are out now i need to buy my five year old son alex a new computer, stereo, wii system along with a diamond ring and a new car to go back. okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration...but not by much. i love the new staples tv add with the father pulling the kids around the store on a couch. classic!!!

summer halftime

wow, that was fast. the august civic loooooooong weekend is here already. or, as it is officially known in ontario, monday is simcoe day named after the first governor general of upper canada.
there's your history lesson for the weekend. seems odd not to be setting off fireworks this weekend. i mean, we did on the may 24 and canada day long weekends. why not this weekend???
should be a new rule. every long weekend in summer we should blow some things up.
we are exactly half way between the last day of school in june and the first in september.
so, is the glass half full or half empty. guess it depends on if you are a parent or if you are a student.

look out ottawa!!!

my son alex is going to be able to write quite a "what i did with my summer vacation" story when he returns for SK in the fall. so far it has been trips to african lion safari and safari niagara along with boating for the first time on lake ontario and spending some time camping and fishing with oma and papa in their monster size motor home. now...alex is off to ottawa for a week with uncle larry and aunt sue. he is going to tour the parliment buildings and check out the dinosaour exhibit at the museum of natural history among other things.
to be honest, this is the trip my wife marlene and i are a bit nervous about. our little guy will be soooo far away in the "big city". we know he could not be in safer hands and he is so excited about going but i guess we would not be good parents if we did not worry a bit.

this is july???

as i write this it is a dreary, drizzely, cool afternoon in mid july. certainly not the july's we had when we were kids!!! actually, it's kinda funny. for the last few years we have had very hot, sticky, smoggy summers with alot of smog days ( 21 by this time last year) and huge hydro bills because the air was on 24 hours a day for a month straight. this year we have had only one smog day and only three over 30 degrees. the yukon has had more than us. to be honest, i don't mind the fresher air and smaller hydro bills. maybe a little less rain would be nice though. strange to see the grass still very green and flowers in full bloom this late in july. usually things are scorched and dry by now. again, something different this summer that i really don't mind.

We have a name!

The Ness family laid out the welcome mat for a new family member this week. Her name is Samantha and she is a one year old calico cat. I call her (uncle) "Sam" because we adopted her on the 4th of July.  If you are thinking of a new pet for your family I really encourage you to visit your local humane society.  They are all full of wonderful animals just waiting for new friends and a good home.

Marlene, Alex and I have another busy weekend ahead of us.  We will be visiting Safari Niagara on Saturday and then we have a family reunion to attend at Queenston Park on Sunday.  It seems as if every weekend between now and Labour Day is already booked up (Ahhh summertime).  Congrats to everyone who won passes for Theo Tams or tickets for the Counting Crowes by visiting our website.  Be sure and to keep checking for your shot at more great and exclusive prizes.

welcome to the family..whatever your name is!

hello
so it is official. we have a new cat. she is a one year old calico that we adopted from the niagara falls humane society. problem is we can't seem to settle on a name.
we are down to "maggie", "tika", "sam" ( cause we adopted her on the 4th of july) or "snack".
my son alex wants to call her "cutie pie" but i have a funny feeling he will feel different about giving her that name when he gets closer to his teen years. i can hear it now. "you let me name the cat what"!!!
what do you think? feel free to leave me a quick message and let me know which name you like best.

it's like running downhill

hello,
well, we have flown past canada day and we are now full speed ahead into the month of july.
summer is kinda like running downhill. it just keep going faster and faster and before you know it's  flown by, it's over and you are tired. i think we have only one weekend between now and labour day where we are not busy. i guess it's true what they say. time flies by when you are having fun.
this is the weekend we welcome the newest member of the ness family. we pick up our new kitten from the niagara falls humane society. she is a one year old short haired calico and as of now, she is still nameless. we want to get a feel for her personality before we give her a name.

missing out on one of summers great pleasures

hello.
well this is a strange week. we work two days, then canada day falls on a wednesday,then it is back to work for two and then it is the weekend???
somehow it all seems so unfair. i mean. i'm not one to complain about a stat day off in the middle of the week but one of the great things about summer is the long weekends. i feel we are being denied one of summers great pleasures. we should change the rule and make canada day the friday that falls closest to july 1st. sound good?
this saturday the ness family welcomes in a new member. we are adopting a new kitten from the niagara falls humane society. or should i say the kitten is adopting us. my son alex is so excited he can hardley sleep at night. stay tuned for the name of our new family member. we are still working that part out.
talk soon.
brett

here kitty kitty kitty

i have a funny feeling i will have a new cat in my life very soon. my son alex brought home some of the school work they have been doing in his jk class. one was a hand drawn picture of the family.
his picture had mommy, daddy, alex and...a cute new kitty!!! last time i checked we don't own a kitty so i guess that means that alex is thinking we need one. my wife marlene will be an easy sell on this so i guess it is a done deal.
it's official. we are into summer. or as i call it "bug spray and sun screen season".
i dont ever remember having to put that stuff on as a kid. yuck. i still don't. poor alex has to be smeared in both before he is even allowed to even think about going outside. just another way childhood has changed since we went through it.

Father's Day Weekend!

Well, here we are heading into Father's Day and the first day of summer all rolled into one on Sunday.   Usually by now we have had several hot and smoggy days but not so this spring.  We can go without the smog but here's hoping for a few of those hot summer days soon.

As for Father's Day, personally I am very excited.  My four year old son Alex has been telling me all week that he is working on a present for me but that he can't tell me what it is because it is a surprise.

I can tell by the look in his eye and the tone of his voice that he is excited to give it to me and that alone is present enough for me.  My wife Marlene and I are the hosts for this year's Fathers Day fun.  I can just see it now, me and five other fathers standing around the BBQ.  All with a co ld beer in hand and all giving advice about how best to cook the meat and how to keep the lawn looking nice this summer.   It is also time for the end of the school year trip for Alex's JK class. We are taking a double decker bus trip for a picnic to the Falls.  I hope the weather is nice.  I'm not sure if I could take two hours trapped on a bus with a class full of JK's...Just being honest here.

click...it's over

hello.
just back from a weeks vacation. it's kinda like the movie "click" with adam sandler. it's like someone hits the fast forward button the second your vacation starts and before you know it you are back at work wondering where the heck the time went.
i did have a great week off. marlene, alex and myself went to african lion safari. that's always fun seeing all those animals in the flesh. it certainly humbles you. they do a great job there. i was also able to take alex out on a boat in the niagara river fishing for the first time with his papa and uncle larry. alex was thrilled. i worried the entire time we were out on the water. (i seem to be turning into a bit of a worry wart like my mother was oooooh nooooo). throw in three rounds of golf and a weekend getaway to sauble beach and it's no wonder time goes by so fast. i was having way too much fun!!!

You know that special feeling...

Is there anything better than that special feeling you get just before you start vacation?  Me thinks not. I will be enjoying the next week off.  It will be a "split week".  The first half will be me spending time around the house checking a few things off my "honey do" list and spending some extra quality time with my son Alex.  The second half will consist of a boys weekend up north playing golf and sampling some fine barley and hops products in bottle form.  I hope that mother nature is kind to us weather wise.  Enjoy the week and we will re-connect on Monday June 15th.

this is june???

hello and welcome to april...er, i mean june. certainly not the best of starts to the month. we canadians enjoy a short enough summer season as it is. we like our summers to hit the ground running by may 24 and last til thanksgiving. looks like after today we should be okay. sunny and in the 20's temp wise.
not bad. coming up on the horizon for june we have fathers day and the first official day of summer on the 21st and the last day of school on the 24th. don't forget the new passport if the family vacation includes a trip across the border.
congrats to patricia knapman of niagara falls who was the winner of the $100 gift card for goemen's lakeshore meats this week. fill out your online ballot for you chance to win next week.

the weekend's here the weekends here!!!

congrats!!! you made it to another weekend with your sanity! that is saying something these days.
the month of may ends sunday and the end of the school year countdown is on. and i dont mean just for the kids. a few of the teachers i have talked to are ticking off the days on their calendar too.
seems like just last week my wife marlene and i bought our son alex his first back pak and with tears in our eyes sent him off to JK. now the year is almost done. they say your kids grow up in the blink of an eye. boy, are we learing that is sooooo true.
speaking of june. the prediction is for a wetter and cooler than usual june. rats!

a farewell to may

seems like just last week i was saying once we get to april we will be safe from the wrath of winter. suddenly we are in the last week of may. how did that happen????
anyways, looks like alot of people spent the weekend the same way my wife marlene and i did. digging in the dirt, pulling weeds and planting what we hope will be a beautiful and full garden.
it is really neat to drive down streets around town and see the colours the "sprung" up over the weekend. it's kinda like when everyone puts up the christmas lights around the same time. sudden seasonal colour.

bulbs,buds,bunnies and bbq's

well you gotta love those short work weeks. the bonus of having a long weekend day fall on the monday is that you get your long weekend and then the short work week. i mean really, after a long weekend who has the energy to work a full week anyways?
ironic that last weekend was the "may 24" and this weekend is actually the 24th. go figure.
looks like lot's of sunshine and steady if not blistering temps so it should be safe to plant the garden. i hope so. we need to add some colour to the existing brown and green.
my four year old son alex planted a cookie tree this week. how you may ask? well, you dig a hole and throw in three cookies and some milk. logic tells me this wont work but deep down inside i sure hope it does!!!
we had a rabbit den in our garden this spring. when the babies were first born it was really neat. now we have little bunnies bouncing all over our backyard. i have to let alex and my wife marlene do a "bunny check" before i cut the grass these days. better safe than tears i say.
looking forward to another patio party this weekend. last weekend it was fireworks and fun at larry and kelley's, this week it is food and fun at doug and lisa's. guess it is our turn to host next weekend.
enjoy the weekend. hopefully the rising price of gas wont put a crimp in your travel plans.
brett

bulbs,buds,bunnies and bbq's

well you gotta love those short work weeks. the bonus of having a long weekend day fall on the monday is that you get your long weekend and then the short work week. i mean really, after a long weekend who has the energy to work a full week anyways?
ironic that last weekend was the "may 24" and this weekend is actually the 24th. go figure.
looks like lot's of sunshine and steady if not blistering temps so it should be safe to plant the garden. i hope so. we need to add some colour to the existing brown and green.
my four year old son alex planted a cookie tree this week. how you may ask? well, you dig a hole and throw in three cookies and some milk. logic tells me this wont work but deep down inside i sure hope it does!!!
we had a rabbit den in our garden this spring. when the babies were first born it was really neat. now we have little bunnies bouncing all over our backyard. i have to let alex and my wife marlene do a "bunny check" before i cut the grass these days. better safe than tears i say.
looking forward to another patio party this weekend. last weekend it was fireworks and fun at larry and kelley's, this week it is food and fun at doug and lisa's. guess it is our turn to host next weekend.
enjoy the weekend. hopefully the rising price of gas wont put a crimp in your travel plans.
brett

Happy May 2-4!