by Tish MacWebber | Mar 12, 2017 | Events
Tish MacWebber
Not that long ago, I wrote about Dealing With Unexpected Grief. I have lost two friends since I moved to Fredericton, and I had met them both after moving here. One of those friends died almost a year ago. She came to mind suddenly when I found out that a band we had seen live together the last time they were in town, was going to be putting on another show here. I had a bit of a moment when I had a flashback to that show, and I decided to write the story I linked above.
I shared the ad for the show on my wall and asked in my comments if anyone was interested in checking them out with me. Because of the unexpected grief, I felt I didn’t want to go by myself, in case I got too melancholy. My friend Kathy asked me to share some of their youtube videos with her, and she decided to join me. I was so relieved to have a friend with me, it was a show I did not want to attend alone.
I found out while I was getting ready to go out that the opening act was a local band, Kill Chicago. So I jumped on Spotify and had a listen. I liked what I heard. So I spent a few minutes online while eating supper and saw a twitter contest for a free vinyl from Kill Chicago for the first person to tweet back. I tweeted and was told to introduce myself and they would hook me up with a prize. I chose a CD because I do not have a record player, and while a record is a cool prize, I am practical.
Kill Chicago
We arrived while they were on stage, and had to stand back a bit. It is a narrow, long bar, and it was packed! This made me really happy because I had seen the other band, The Stanfields play here before; in fact, this is the band I was referring to seeing with my friend before she passed away. It was the biggest crowd I had seen show up for them, (with the exception of the night they played at The Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival). I am sure Kill Chicago fans were also contributing to the turnout, but I was really pleased to see the size of the crowd that came to the live show.
During the Kill Chicago set, Kathy made a friend. There was a woman there with a really cute purse, and boots with bling, sitting nearby. Kathy said hi, and admired the purse. It had a Union Jack on it and was made of canvas. The lady said she loved it because she could throw it in the washing machine, and wanted us to feel the fabric. My eyes saw the purse but LOVED the boots! Tan coloured with sparkles all over them. I would SO wear those boots. Kathy is going to try and have a friend find her that purse, which the lady bought in Freeport, USA.
I happened to see Jon Landry, before the show and said hello. He was getting ready so sing in the next set, so I didn’t bother him too much. I think I introduced Kathy, but I can’t remember. I almost didn’t recognize him, it had been a few years since I saw him at the last live show I went to.
When I saw Jason MacIsaac, I said hello, introduced Kathy, and shared an awkward hug in greeting with Jason. It would have been funny to watch, it was kind of like a do si do happened before we managed a friendly hug. He is also in The Stanfields. When we were growing up in Cape Breton, we used to ride the bus together to and from school. We had a nice chat while Kill Chicago was rocking out on stage. We were far enough back, at that point, that it was a little hard to hear at times, but we talked for a good little while.
When he came in from the cold, he couldn’t see very well. It happens when you have glasses, they fog up. Kathy then told us that she has a tip for that. She told us that if you walk into a room backwards, after being out in the cold, and you give a few extra seconds before you turn around, your glasses won’t fog up. She says it works. I have not tried it myself yet. When I do, I will leave a comment below on how well it works.
The Stanfields
Kill Chicago finished their set, and The Stanfields had to get ready to take the stage. I wished Jason luck for a good show and decided to head over to the merchandise table to wait for my free cd. I had money out just in case, but I was told that it was a gift for replying to the twitter contest, and I could have it. How awesome is that? I then asked if the band could sign the cd for me, and most of them signed it. We decided that this location had a better vantage point, and stayed by the table for the rest of the show. ( No Grammarly, we were not “on” the table, but beside it. LOL)
Kathy and I had a conversation earlier in the night about the heights of different people in the room. She was feeling tall because most of the people she spends her time with are also tall, so she was realizing why people like myself think that she is tall. I am not so lucky. It amused me later on when a kind gentleman who was towering over everyone asked me if he was in my way. I laughed it off, and told him, no he was fine, because really if it wasn’t him there I would have to look around other people. It was a nice of him to ask, though.
I was approached by a different man who wanted to know if I knew the band. I told him I did, and he asked me if I had known John Walter. It took me a minute to place the name. I told him I had seen him at other shows, but didn’t know him really well. I remember the day I asked Jason what had happened. John was a good friend to the band and was at a fair number of their shows. He was the lead actor in their first video, The Dirtiest Drunk In The History of Liquor. One day in November 2015, John hit a patch of black ice with his car. He died, and I remember that it was a shock to a lot of people that knew him. Losing a friend is a hard thing to deal with.
The young man introduced himself as Thomas. He was looking for a safe place to stash the winter coats. Kathy & I had put ours on the floor by the table, and so I pointed to the floor. Thomas laughed and said, “I have never seen a finer corner to put my jacket in.” A coat check would have made money that night, for sure. He asked if he could buy me a drink, in honour of his friend. I accepted the offer, and he came back with a glass of draft for me. By the time he was back, I had put two and two together, and I told him the story of missing my friend that night also. Another friendly hug happened, the side by side kind of a hug. (You would think I was a huggy type of person, but I’m not most of the time). The drinks probably made me a little less worried about hugging people. I had a few in me at that point. He introduced me to his girlfriend. I *think* her name was Ashley, but I am not 100% certain. He told me they were both there to honour their friend’s memory because he was a good friend to them both, and he was with them the night they became a couple. When we were done chatting, they asked me to join them on the dance floor. I declined, it was a little too crowded there, and I was happy in my little space by the table. I was able to dance a little and clap and sing with the band from right where we were.
When I reflected for a moment, I do think my friend was there in spirit with me. I say this because when we attended the show together, there was not a crowd like this time, and we did watch from the sidelines a bit before hitting the dance floor together. It reminded me of that and thinking that she had cleared a special place from the cosmos to allow me to have a good vantage point for the show with Kathy, made me smile.
The Stanfields had one encore. Part of it was a favourite from their self-titled debut album, Crocodile Tears. It is quite the memorable tune, and those of us that have been fans since the beginning, know all the words and sang along. We got our coats, and I had paid Jason earlier for the new CD and DVD I wanted. They are going to be recording a new album soon. I can’t wait to hear what they do next! I guess it was the night of the one missing band member because I am missing one signature on the cd I bought from them too. I’ll try to remember to bring it with me for the next show.
Swag and Merchandise I took home from the show. Whenever I get a chance, I do like to support local talent and buy directly from the bands. They get a little more money in their pocket that way, and I am an artist who understands that this is how you keep the bands making more music, by supporting them at live shows.
In summary, it was a great experience. I always have fun when I go to see The Stanfields, and now I will try to make it out to go to see Kill Chicago when I can. I had recognized a local celebrity at the show, a radio personality, and we talked briefly while there. The next day we carried on a facebook chat about the show, and he enjoyed the show, as a fan as well. I am glad I was able to be there. I am also glad Kathy came with me, she is an awesome friend that I don’t get to hang out with as much as I’d like to. Make time to do things with your friends while they are here so that you can honour them after they are gone. Then you will have memories to smile about, and stories to share.
Thanks to Kill Chicago and The Stanfields for a fun and memorable live show.
by Tish MacWebber | Mar 5, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
It is Sunday. I am gearing up to do all the things I haven’t done yet this weekend that are on my weekly list. That is not to say that I have been lying around on my couch until now, either. I have been out and about this weekend, spending time with friends. That is important, too.
Friday night I was invited to celebrate a friend’s birthday, hosted by a mutual friend. I need to make sure that I eat, and that I keep it healthy. I made deviled eggs, Big Mac Salad, with regular meat and soy meat options, and I made dessert. We played board games and just dance.
This was my second time making deviled eggs. They were a hit both times, so I think it may become a potluck staple for me to bring. They are on plan. People like them. Win win!
The salad is a version of a THM recipe. It can be found easily online. The soy meat was for the vegetarian of the group, and he got the leftovers since it was his birthday celebration. The THM plan is not big on Soy products, but I wanted my friend to have the full Big Mac Salad experience. So I improvised, and everyone seemed to like the salad too.
Dessert was an adventure. I made Rainbow cake in mason jars.
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Rainbow Cake in Mason Jars
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Unicorn Rainbow Dip
I made Unicorn Rainbow Dip for a cake topping, and of course, added rainbow sprinkles. I probably won’t be making this cake in mason jars when I make it again. The dip was amazing, and not too sweet like icing would have been. I think it would be wonderful for cake pops. I made it the night before, and let it set in the fridge overnight. This was a quick assembly after work on Friday. It took longer to make the deviled eggs. My friends added dips and loaded potato skins and bruschetta and deep fried pickles to the table. It was a lot of food for a party of 4.
Yesterday I wanted to spend time with another couple that my husband and I are friends with. We went out for supper, and back to their place to watch some movies on Netflix. I had not seen the John Wick movie, and they all rewatched while I saw it for the first time. Now I can be ready for the newly released sequel, that we want to see as a group if we can plan it that way.
I was busy, and now I am scrambling to play catch up before Monday rolls around again. I am still working from lists. Some things get done, and other things carry forward to the next weekend. It is time to crank the tunes and get some chores done. I have a few hours to spend on that, and then it’s time to get ready for another week at the day job. Until next weekend, when I become the Weekend Warrior again. Although I was more of a warrior of the social scene this weekend, there is still some time to make progress on the chores, if I hurry! Time to Bounce the House once again!
by Tish MacWebber | Feb 20, 2017 | Weekend Warrior
It’s time for another Zumba story! I enjoy going to Zumba twice a week, with a great group of people. It is a steady group, and there are some of us that are regulars, and some that come once in a while, and there are even people who join the group and become regulars. We call ourselves the Zumba Crew.
When I started, I was a long way from the same level and speed as everyone else. When I start a new song, with new moves, I improvise. I will not use my arms if the moves are new, it can be too much to learn all at once. I didn’t spin on my feet for a long time, I marched instead. Sometimes, when everyone else was doing a fancy move that had them turning, I would smile, or wave, and stay facing forward.
That’s one of the things I like about the class I take. I am encouraged to do what I can, and to not feel like I have to be the same as everyone else. There are options. If I don’t want to move my arms, I don’t. Sometimes they do get tired. It helps to enhance the exercise when I move them, so other times, I do. There are times when I can keep up with everyone, and there are times where I go at half the speed. And there are times where I mess up. When I do, I laugh. Out loud. At myself. Usually for zigging when everyone else is zagging.
I wear a pedometer in class, and I broke 4,000 steps today. I like it when I get more than 5,000 steps in a class, and it has happened before, so I always try to get as many steps in as I can.
You have all heard of playing the “air guitar” to a favourite song. At my Zumba classes, sometimes we play the “air drums.” Today we were shown how to do this properly. If you just flap your hands around from the wrists, it is rather pointless. The way to move correctly is to swing your arms from the elbows right through to the hands. Hard. As hard as you can. I also saw a different method on TV, on the show This is Us. There is an actress on that show that went to what was called a “Fat Camp.” I watched her exercise with actual drum sticks. It wasn’t a Zumba class, they were in an air drumming exercise class. We don’t use sticks at Zumba. We could, but it might get dangerous.
So we drum out the beats. We were told to just pound the drums that weren’t there, like we were making the beat ourselves. I was going for it, when a funny thought struck me. As I was beating the air drums, going side to side, and up and down, I thought I’d better watch out for my cymbals. I am well endowed, and that could hurt too! I shared the thought with someone else, and when she laughed, I knew I would write another Zumba Blog post tonight. So I found myself laughing with a new friend at Zumba. I left with a story to tell, and I was also feeling good after a great class.
by Tish MacWebber | Nov 22, 2016 | Weather Stories
Webster’s Encyclopedia of Dictionaries defines accumulation as a collection; a mass; a pile. It is also the word that my sister used to describe winter in Fredericton, usually with a colourful expletive or two in front of it, depending on who she was talking to. When I got the assignment of writing a story around the topic of Winter In Fredericton, this word naturally came to mind. I think a fitting title for this category is weather stories, as the accumulation of snow is something that is talked about all winter long in Canada. So I am going to try to apply all three meanings to it.
A pile of snow last year has quickly grown into a much bigger pile this year. If there haven’t been records for snowfall, then we must be at least acknowledging that we have been pummeled with winter storm after winter storm, along the whole East Coast, if not the whole country this year. So yes, the word pile does accurately describe winter in Fredericton, at least this year. I don’t remember having snow here like this, at least not since moving here.I am now shorter than most snow banks. It is intimidating to think about it, and one does wonder where it will all go in the spring. Hopefully not into my basement.
Which brings me to my second thought on the definition, a mass. There is a whole mass of ice under all of that snow out there, that makes it treacherous to walk or drive anywhere in this town. Not using salt on the roads is better for the bodies of the cars we drive, but I am not so sure that it is the safest thing to do this year. The mass amounts of ice on the trees since the storm we had on Sunday night is nice to observe, but not so nice to the trees. Some are bending under the sheer mass of the ice on their limbs, and some of them will not be alive in the spring. This being said, there was also a mass of water that came down in the last storm, to make new ice on the trees. It also caused temporary flooding in the city. I drive a Neon when I drive. I didn’t know that when I was driving to work, and came up to Lake Dundonald, that it was part motorboat as well. The water went in every direction, and the poor car stalled after that particular ordeal, but I made it to work, although I was a little bit late. The Neon is tougher than it looks.
Finally, the description of a collection. This is the good side of Winter in Fredericton, which came to a rather high point last weekend when Fredericton was the host of this year’s ECMAs. There were performances in every bar in town, from Thursday right through Sunday. It was an event I was proud to participate in, as a fan of music. The amount of talent may have varied in style, but nonetheless, it was a collection to be noticed. This weekend, as winter in Fredericton continues, we get ready for Winterfest. It is a different venue for Frederictonians to revel in the wonders of sledding, a snow maze, and to take part in other winter-themed activities.
So, winter in Fredericton is definitely an accumulation of all sorts. I guess my sister was right.
Note: This story was written in 2011. As the first snow of the season is starting to fly, the accumulation will begin for another winter. It brought this story to my mind, and I thought I would share it here. The Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a bad winter this year, so there will be more snow to come.
The assignment was from when I was in a creative writing group called Freddy Words, that I was a part of at that time. I did name the group, and it seems to have busy moments, and lulls. It has been in the lull mode for several years. I hope to stir it back to life again, someday.
There is no “Lake Dundonald.” The water had accumulated to flood the street. It was a short-lived flood that I thankfully did not get stuck in.
I attended one of the performances of the ECMA weekend. I chose the Nova Scotia venue, being from Cape Breton. I had a wonderful time and discovered The Tom Fun Orchestra for the first time. I enjoyed the show.
Now I will go to my window one more time before I go to bed, to look out into the night, and watch the snowflakes fall from the sky for the first time this year. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. But not too much, as the accumulation leads to a lot of shovelling.
