It's Only Rock 'n Roll, But I Like It.

This morning I watched The 25th Anniversary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Concerts on HBO. It was 4 hours of epic. I was thoroughly entertained. There were many excellent performances by many excellent performers. You know it is going to be good when U2 is singing Gimme Shelter with Mick Jagger, Fergie, and Will.i.am. When Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are belting out Born To Run it makes for great music.

I think one of my favourite performances was Metallica singing Sweet Jane with Lou Reed. This performance highlights to me what music is all about.

I'm sure most people today know who Metallica is. They are the best at what they do. If you don't know what they do, they play heavy music. Really heavy music. I have seen them twice and they are amazing performers.

Some of you may not know who Lou Reed is. He was the force behind the late 60's early 70's New York band The Velvet Underground. I know that may not help all of you. Without going into too much detail, this band is one of those bands that influenced everyone to come after them even though they never really sold any records.

So you may be wondering why I like this performance so much. When you watch it there are a couple of things that I noticed.

First and most obviously, this is not the style of music Metallica plays. For a band that has albums called 'Kill Em All' (only because their record company would not let them call it 'Metal Up Your Ass', and 'Death Magnetic,' who sing songs about nightmares and death, this is a rather poppy song. Watching James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett smile and bop along as they play is quite different from how they normally project themselves. It shows that they are true fans of all music, not just the type they play.

Second, you can see that the band members truly respect and admire Lou Reed. The genuine looks of amazement on their faces as they play with him in Madison Square Garden, is refreshing. Remember, Metallica is the best in the world at what they do and they are the ones in awe. It shows a human side to them.

Third, this is a cool song, it always has been and it always will be. It is one of those songs that will never go away. You probably won't hear it every day but it will keep on coming back.

Stuff like this is plastered all over this concert. Watching the greats be truly in awe of each other reminds me of why so many people like music so much. Music is the background and foreground to our lives. It is everywhere and enjoyed by everyone. For some it is their great passion while others it is their companion. It brings people together and produces a commonality that is rarely enjoyed.

If you are a fan of music you should take the time and sit down and watch this concert. It is worth your time and your effort. When you get a chance look up some of the music you don't know, there are probably some real gems out there just waiting to be discovered.

Christmas Shopping

I am the most laid back Christmas shopper ever. I don't get wound up, I take my time as I know it will be busy. I roll with the punches. It may be because I am a Christmas buyer more than a Christmas shopper. I know what I want and go out and find it. Being this relaxed has allowed me to figure out when the busiest times are. There are a few factors that play into this but it seems to have some logic to it.

Week-ends and evenings are always busy. There are a lot of people who really only have time to shop at these times. If you can avoid these times it is best. Not only will you be less frustrated but you will make it easier for the people who can only really shop at these times.

If Christmas is late in the week, lets say a Thursday or a Friday, then school will be out for nearly a week before the big day. The Monday after school lets out will be really busy. A lot of people have the same thought. I am off during the day, it won't be as bad, I will get this done on Monday and enjoy the rest of the week. If yo can avoid that day it is probably to your benefit. Tuesday and Wednesday will not be nearly as busy and you probably can find parking much easier, and move about the shopping establishments much better.

Now, if Christmas is early in on a Monday then the week-end before is super crazy but some people identify this and get it done in the evenings the week before. However, if Christmas is a Tuesday then that Monday Christmas Eve has all the makings of the perfect storm. School has just let out on Friday so the Monday is busy from that and the Monday is the end of opportunity so the real die hard last minute folks are there too. To survive this encounter you must either be really patient or the Alpha Male.

Christmas Shopping is really a great sociological watching ground. It exposes the good and bad in everyone. You will see things you will not see any other time of the year.

I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays.

I May Be Getting Older, but Sometimes I Don't Act Like It

Saturday night I celebrated my 33rd birthday. We went to a hockey game. The home team scored two early goals, and visitors scored 3 after that. So, it was a losing effort, but it was fun. I had a couple of beers at the game.

From there we carried on to Shannon's Irish Pub. I may have had a few beers there. I may have sang with the band and played the tambourine. I may have not been very good. Through all that, I had a lot of fun.

I am getting older. We all are. I can't deny that. I find that as I get older it seems that I am acting older, a lot more often. I seem to take the responsible position and the responsible actions most of the time. I don't often throw caution to the wind and just giver any more. This is probably a good thing, but once in a while, buckle up your chinstraps, I'm going to party like a rockstar.

I'm quite sure everyone needs to let really loose on occasion. I think it is good for the psyche to do so. I think we need to act young from time to time.

On Saturday I definitely partied like a rock star. I had fun. My friends had fun. On Sunday we licked our wounds and commented that we probably shouldn't do that too often. One good friend missed his flight. It was a moment in our personal histories that we will all look back at and never quite replicate. We will have other great moments. Some will probably include a couple of drinks and staying out late and that's ok, because we are all getting older but we don't always have to act like it.

Another Spin Around the Sun

Today is my last day at the fine age of 32. Tomorrow I move onto 33. It's difficult not to look back at the year that was. Since I was born just before the end of the year the urge is even bigger. I know this is cheesy but this is my blog so indulge me.

In the last year I:

Got rid of my Motorola Razer for an iPhone and my PC for a Mac. Two of the best purchases I have made in a long time. Apple makes great products that interact so easily with humans. Way to go Steve Jobs.

I did my 2500th glider flight. I have been flying gliders since I was sixteen. It is part of who I am. Looking back 2500 is a lot of flights.

I was awarded a medal. I received my Canada Decoration, awarded for 12 years of honourable service. On the day I was presented it I was surprised how I felt so good about myself.

I went to Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Both places are like no other and I enjoyed the trip immensely.

I reconnected with some old friends and made some great new ones. I continue to be amazed by the quality of people that choose to hang out with me, way above the national average in people quality.

I bought a Playstation 3. Watching movies and playing video games in HD makes it easy to stay in and save some money. Music is also amazing on the PS3.

I started writing two blogs. If you told me in High School that I would write for my own enjoyment, I would have called you crazy. I guess that's why we get up every day, we really don't know where life is going to lead.

There were several other moments, as there always is, but we all have to look back from time to time and I realize I am fortunate.

Oh, I know, this is a bit cheesy, but its my blog and once in a while I gotta indulge.

Common Courtesy

Apartment living has some realities attached to it. You have to watch how much noise you make. You may have to wait to wash your clothes as all the machines are busy. You can't just paint the interior of your place. I accept these are parts of living in an apartment. I also expect people to do their best to not make it any more unreasonable for others.

Tonight I was doing my laundry. I needed three washing machines and two dryers to get it done. The washing machines were immediately available. I went back to the laundry room when the washing was done. There was still a few minutes left on all the dryers so I waited. The dryers finished. I waited. The person who was using them left their clothes in the dryer for 21 minutes after they were done drying.

That's ridiculous.

Laundry is a necessary evil. We all want to be done it as quickly as possible. So, why would anyone leave their laundry in the dryer for 21 minutes after it is done drying. I think it is rude. I think it is wasting my time and theirs. Don't you want to be done your laundry as quickly as possible. I know I do.

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

We are definitely rolling into the holiday season. There is the hustle and the bustle. We go to functions and parties. We give well wishes and greetings. It often feels like we are going through the motions. Many people get stressed and worried. Many people feel lonely and sad.

For me, Christmas is all about taking some time for people that matter.

It doesn't matter what you do for them or with them. It is the who that matters in the equation. It is easy to do good things for people who matter in your life. It is easy to take time for those people you hold dear to you. At least it should be easy.

We often get caught up in everything that doesn't really matter about Christmas and as such forget about what does. If you take some time to do something nice for someone you will be rewarded. It won't make you rich. It won't make you famous. It will make you feel good about yourself and the world around you. It doesn't have to be anything big, it just has to be genuine.

To me the holiday season is a time to reflect and enjoy with people who matter. If you do something nice for someone this time around you will be surprised how much it will enrich your life, during the most wonderful time of the year.

Guilty Pleasures

We all have guilty pleasures. We all have more than one. There are the trashy TV shows we watch. There are the bad songs on our iPods. There are the cheesy movies we just seem to like and there are the foods we know we shouldn't eat but we do.

I have them all.

I'm only going to talk about one of them. KFC. Yes you heard me. Kentucky Fried Chicken, the unhealthy, greasy, yucky chicken that, from time to time I just need to eat.

I don't know why I ever eat KFC. I always regret it a few hours later but, once again I just couldn't help myself and stopped and picked up some chicken on my way home from the gym. I ate some. I enjoyed it in the beginning. I'm already starting to regret my decision. Just like every time before.

I can feel the junk that is KFC oozing though me. I am starting to feel sluggish. All I can think is I should have had a salad.

I guess that's why its a guilty pleasure. I know its bad but for a brief moment it seems so, so good.

The Grand Canyon

On the last day of my trip to fabulous Las Vegas, we rented a car and headed out to the Grand Canyon. I have seen many pictures of the place over the years and thought that's nice, but I don't know if that's worth the trip. The picture I included is a nice picture but I'm not sure if it says you have to go see this place.

Everyone should go see the Grand Canyon.

Located entirely in the state of Arizona this natural spectacle is so far amazingly beyond any natural destination I have ever seen. I have not been everywhere. By no means have I seen it all. I have been a few rather cool places in my life. The Grand Canyon tops my list.

The canyon is wide. The canyon is deep. You can see many layers of the earth. You feel small as you stand at the edge. It is difficult to write about as words do not do justice to how I felt as I stood next to this natural wonder.

Since we were in Las Vegas we went to Grand Canyon West. The Hualapai Indians own the land and manage the attraction. They are business people, it will cost a bit more than a couple of bucks to visit, but I was completely satisfied and felt I got more than I paid for.

I also pulled out my iPhone and turned on the GPS app I have in it. The south rim at the west end of the Grand Canyon has an elevation of over 4600 feet. That's higher than Calgary but not quite as high as Denver. It added to the feeling of being with nature to be up in the thin air.

Although it was fairly cloudy the day we were there, it was quite the place to be as the sun set. As the sun gets lower in the sky and strikes the canyon walls at different angles the experience is enhanced. As the sun was setting it did manage to find a bit of a hole in the clouds. Sunshine on the bottom of clouds is always breath-taking, even more so at the Grand Canyon.

There was one thing I did find a wee bit strange. There is was no safety barrier along the edge of the canyon and the ground is not prepared along the edge. If you mis-step, you could stumble and fall over the edge. That would be it. However, it was part of the amazing experience that it was not too prepared. The adrenaline rush from standing so close to the edge without any safety equipment was unique in this day of over safetied everything. It felt closer to nature.

I've tried but I know I have not done justice to this amazing natural spectacle. All I can really say is everyone should make every attempt to visit the Grand Canyon in their lifetime.

Vegas - There is Nothing Like the People You Will Meet

No matter where you go you inevitably meet people. Las Vegas is no different. How people are in Las Vegas is unique.

I'm sure many of the people you meet in Las Vegas are normal when they are at home but, since they are on vacation is Las Vegas they relax and act like the person they sometimes want to be. They probably have a few more drinks on vacation. They let their hair down on vacation and Vegas is all about vacation.

We talked to a couple of dudes from Finland in Coyote Ugly, they were there to relax and have a good time. One looked like Kirk Hammett's long lost brother.

We danced with girls from Brazil in Body English. They seemed rather impressed we took the time and put in the effort to wear suits out for the night.

We posed for a picture with a group of women from Calgary that were in town for a wedding the next day. They had all gone to see the Chippendale's and appeared to have enjoyed a few more drinks than they normally do. The were kind enough to point out that we were not like the Chippendale dancers, but we were still cool anyway. They were cool as well, but would never do that back home.

There are also the people who live and work in Vegas. Some of them are just as unique.

There was Al the bus driver. Al drives The Deuce up and down the strip for a living. He likes to talk on the bus PA system. He talked about the wives he had. He told us about the peanut pecan cheese cake waiting for him when he was done his shift. When he was asked how late the bus ran he replied, "In the words of the brother Lionel Richie, All Night Long!" He greatly added to the bus riding experience.

There was also our waitress in Hooters one night. She had a rather sharp tongue and quick wit. She told us about her bookie back in Florida and how it was so inconvenient to bet on a football game in Las Vegas.

There were others that we encountered throughout the trip and only served to enrich the experience. If you are ever in Fabulous Las Vegas watch the people and enjoy the interactions, they are a big part of the trip.

Vegas - Getting Around is an Adventure

In any city there is usually different ways to get around. Las Vegas is no different. You have several options to get around each with their advantages and disadvantages.

No matter how else you travel you will have to do some walking. Inside hotels and casinos it is big. To get to where you want to be you will have to walk. You can also walk outside. There are two distinct advantages to walking. It is free and it is healthy. There are also disadvantages to walking. You cannot walk in a straight line anywhere in in Vegas. In the casinos you are always walking around slot machines, game tables and various other things. Outside is not much better, you need to get over the overpass foot bridges. They do not just line up with the sidewalk, but that's ok since the sidewalk is not straight anyway. Add in some street vendors and your mile walk is probably closer to a mile and a half. However if you walk you sure get to see a lot, even if it does take a lot of time.

If you are really in a hurry you can take a cab. They are pretty much like any other cab in any other city. They are priced fairly similarly to any cab I've been in. However, the cabbie is probably going to try and hustle you and take you to a strip club. I don't blame them, they make good money from the strip clubs taking customers there. Taxis will pick you up and drop you off on the main entrance to the big hotels. For the most part these entrances are located on the side of the hotel back a bit from the strip. So, once you are dropped off you may have to walk a bit inside the hotel to get to where you want to go. The additional upside to a taxi is the drivers can be really interesting to talk to and know were everything is.

I between there is the bus. For $15 you can get a pass that is good for 72 hours on the whole system anywhere in Las Vegas. You will probably only need to ride 'The Deuce' up and down the strip and out to Freemont Street at one end and the outlet mall at the other end. The Deuce is a Double Decker bus that runs 24/7, only the frequency the bus comes by changes with the time. On the bus you will probably have a chance to chat with other tourists. The downside to the bus is it is not very quick. Probably 90% of the people on it do not ride public transit regularly and it takes a long time to load and unload. If you are on a schedule it may not be the best choice but if you have been walking quite a bit, you probably don't mind taking a load off a little longer.

If you rent a car in Las Vegas at the airport you need to take the shuttle from the airport to the car rental facility. It is free and takes about 7 minutes. Overall not a bad idea as it gets the tourists away from driving near the terminal. The facility itself is quite big but well laid out, organized and easy to get around. Car rentals cost about the same as any other city. I don't think you would want to rent a car unless you were headed out to the Grand Canyon or Hoover Dam.

There are also limos, but we never took one anywhere, and that's all I have to say about that.

Navigation in Las Vegas is not difficult, but the time it takes to get around inside and outside is staggering. It may look like your destination is just over there but it is probably quite bit further than you initially thought. Each way you travel has its upside and downside but you should probably use a mix to get around when you want within your budget. And like everything in Vegas, have fun with it.

Vegas - Everything is Huge

Las Vegas is built on a different scale. It is big. However, since everything is so big, it looks normal, until you start to move about. At that point you realize it is really, really big.

We stayed at the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas. This is a hotel with nearly 700 guest rooms. This hotel appeared to be really small. It was dwarfed by the massive MGM Grand, which is dwarfed by the incredibly massive Mandalay Bay.

If size matters then Las Vegas wins.

All these places are big. The casino floor just keeps going and going. The attractions are all encompassing. The buildings are tall. Everything is built to be an impressive size. Yes much of it is over the top. Yes much of it is cheesy, but that is what you look for in Las Vegas. If you like big you will like this city.

Even more amazing is they are still building more. There are partially built structures. There are new sites just being set up. As far as I can tell, Vegas is big but is going to get even bigger.