BT Edmonton Blogs

My family.   Sometimes that’s all that needs to be said.   These happy campers and I, are about to embark on an adventure.   We are spending two weeks in Phoenix in a reunion that we have lovingly coined:  “McDougall Melee”.  -Sure hope we’re speaking after those 2 weeks!  From left to right:  Mary Jane is leaning on her hand, behind her is Janet, I am peeking in from the back, Susan is in front of me, Dan has the dark collar, and Joe is on the far right.  And the wonderful woman who puts up with our antics–the marvelous mom who pretends she’s had enough of our Tom Foolery, is Frances.   I am back on the air on Monday, March 9th.  But please, in the meantime – get acquainted with Carla Turner on BT.   She is my replacement on morning weather and will fill your day with sunshine (and snow) until my return.   See you then!     Michele

 

After remote this morning, i was driving back to the station completely lost in thought. I’ve been lucky enough to be at this job, working on this most excellent morning show for as long as I have because of people like TOM HINDERKS with the Alberta Aviation Museum. Tom is so completely, 100% passionate about aviation and the history behind each and every aircraft, you will blush in his company. There is a reverence, a respect and such a passion when he starts to talk about the oldest aircraft in the building – the 1918 Curtiss Special, that his eyes well up when he thinks back to the time when pilots braved the skies, only 10 years after the first flight in Edmonton (1909)…Now ya see, I don’t usually remember facts. In fact, I’m terrible at remembering names…anybody who watches the show will know that. But I can tell you right now that the 1942 Mosquito ( one 5 in Canada and there is only ONE on display anywhere – and it just happens to be here in Edmonton) is made of WOOD, and goes 750 km/hour! Or that Sabre 1 with only a crew of 1, can blast to over 685 MILES per hour!! I remember these things because TOM HINDERKS told me. The man lives for Aviation, it’s his candy, his vice…his ‘ i just get weak in the knees ’round it and I can’t think of anything else!’

I know this because TOM HINDERKS is also the man behind The Spirit of Edmonton Flight – which was created to celebrate 100 years of Flight in Canada!! ( the first flight was on February 23, 1909.) The Spirit of Edmonton is an initiative by TOM and the Alberta Aviation Museum, along with many other fine folk. But Tom is one of the pilots. And there are only 2. The idea is that he will make 4 missions that liken back to the day when these first ‘trips’ were made in the same kind of aircraft…a KellyD Aircraft (think ‘convertible top’…in other words…EXPOSED!!! Or better yet, take a whole bunch of popsicle sticks, slap them together using some glue…maybe a propeller or two…that’s what I’m talking about) These trips have consumed Tom in preparation and planning and he has been tireless in raising awareness…I’m not even a member of his family – but I am so proud of him…and this AM – i looked forward to checking in with him to see how his first 2 missions had gone, only to find a somewhat bleary-eyed and understandably emotional TOM HINDERKS, as they may have been ‘technically prepared’, they were not physically prepared. Frostbite. Hypothermia. Fatigue. Here is what the update on the website for The Spirit of Edmonton said….

“The Spirit of Edmonton Team was again hit by bad weather, and completed the flight from Peace River to Fort Vermilion in a back up aircraft. The Kelly D biplane did not have the endurance to make the flight non-stop and going around heavy weather in the area of High Level. On arrival in both Peace River and Fort Vermilion the local communities turned out in the hundreds to welcome the aircraft. The Team returned to Edmonton by air and road on Thursday, February 12. The Spirit of Edmonton biplane remains in Peace River, and will continue its flight when the conditions improve. At the moment, the aircrew also needs some time to recover from the extreme cold temperatures that they faced between Edmonton and Peace River. More updates will follow when the flight resumes.”

What the update doesn’t tell you, what you all can’t see, is the steely determination in TOM HINDERK’S eyes, his absolute commitment to finishing this mission. Even tho it’s been a week since TOM has returned since being grounded in Peace River, his body temperature is STILL a degree below normal, i have every confidence that temperature is rising if by nothing other than TOM’S sheer passion for planes! 

I started writing this by saying that TOM is why I do what I do…and it’s absolutely true. People like him that are committed to making Edmonton the unique city that it is, passionate about preserving the history these planes represent, and tireless in his efforts. I am so lucky to have spent a morning with him….and the HUNDREDS of fantastic volunteers that support the Alberta Aviation Museum!

 

So it seems City News writer/producer Reid Wilkins thinks a) I’m no good at formulating hockey trivia questions, and b) I wear too many sweaters – http://blogs.btedmonton.ca/reid.

First of all, it should be noted Reid is likely still a little bitter he couldn’t remember how many Art Ross Trophies the great Gordie Howe won (six), nor could he name the three sweaters the Dallas Stars organization has retired (Neil Broten, Bill Masterton, Bill Goldsworthy). I mean, what’s Reid expecting? “What is the only number retired by the entire NHL? Where does the Edmonton vs. Calgary Stanley Cup count sit? Who is the reigning fastest skater on the Edmonton Oilers?”

(99, 5-1 and Erik Cole for those of you reading this blog from the sunbelt).

But Reid does have a point with the sweaters. I took a look back at some BT images from the past few months, and discovered Bill Cosby and I have something in common…and I’m not talking about an unsettling love of Jell-O.

 

You can tell Reid has quick metabolism. Obviously he’s never had to hide The Freshman Fifteen under a nice cardigan, or had to conceal his Holiday Heftiness under a forgiving v-neck. And don’t even get me started on how sweaters totally and completely nullify the need for ironing on a morning when you’re running late for work.

Aaaanyway. Back to hockey. The whole debate over the quality of my trivia questions got me thinking about a few other things that have made me go “hmmmmm” this NHL season…

- Remember when some Oilers fans thought $4.1M cap hit was too much for Ales Hemsky? Three more seasons at that amount might be the best contract in the NHL right now (save Drew Doughty and Luke Schenn’s entry level deals over the same time period).

- How about the worst NHL contract. Scott Gomez (NYR) – $8M? Wade Redden (NYR) – $6.5M? Michal Handzus (LAK) – $4M? David Legwand (NAS) – $4M? Mats Sundin (VAN) – $8.6M? Michael Nylander (WSH) – $5.5M? Though he flies under the radar (and doesn’t have the most lucrative deal), Legwand’s deal might be the worst, running through 2013-14. That’s a lot of money over a long period of time for a former second-overall pick who’s only topped 20 goals once. (Why does it feel so good to see other teams waste millions of dollars on underachievers?)

- What’s going on with the Montreal Canadiens? Are they favourites out of the East or are they lottery-bound? Alex Kovalev’s being asked to stay home to “rest,” Carey Price looks like Tommy Salo (post-Belarus “incident”) and Alex Tanguay’s still not back. I’m guessing they sneak into the eighth spot and get smacked by the Bruins in the first round.

- Which Canadian star might not be guaranteed a spot at the Olympics in 2010? Dion Phaneuf? The afore-mentioned Carey Price? Scott Niedermayer? On the flip side, who’s coming out of nowhere to all but solidify a roster spot? Mike Green? Sheldon Souray? I know I’m not the only one who firmly believes Canada could ice two teams and compete for Gold and Silver. When you’re nit-picking and thinking Phaneuf and Shea Weber’s “struggles” could hurt their chances, you know you’re a Canadian hockey fan.

- Don’t look now, but the Dallas Stars are seven games above .500 – good for sixth seed in the West. Knock yourself out with Avery, Slats.

- With Calgary all but guaranteed the Northwest Division crown, am I the only one crossing his fingers for a good ol’ fashioned Battle of Alberta in the first round? Of course, it’d be nice to see the Oilers seeded higher than sixth heading into the post-season…but I’d take that match-up any day. It’s been far too friendly between the two cities as of late!

- Speaking of making and missing playoffs, who foresaw Anaheim, Minnesota, Colorado, Pittsburgh and Ottawa out of the playoffs past the All Star break? (Don’t believe any talk you’re hearing about the Penguins trading Evgeni Malkin. If the team needs to clear salary space or make room down the middle, they’ll move Jordan Staal. Then again, trading an Art Ross Trophy winner seemed to work out for the Boston Bruins a few years down the line…)

We typically keep the hockey talk to a minimum on BT, but that doesn’t mean we don’t obsess behind the scenes. Let me know what you think – what’s caught your attention this NHL season? If you have any sweater-related comments, I’ll be happy to pass those along to Mr. Wilkins as well…

rpj.

I think that we can all agree that a long weekend is a beautiful thing.

But I may be alone in thinking the Family Day weekend is the best of the bunch.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am certainly happy to not show up to work on a Monday in August. But you know, at that point, it’s August.  It’s warm. It’s sunny. School is out and Casual Fridays are on. Everyone’s in a good mood already.

February, however, is a totally different deal.

Christmas credit card bills have arrived. Tax season is around the corner. And it’s cold.

It no longer feels like the “as long as you dress for it you’re okay” Dry Cold that we brag about to Easterners.

By February we are into month 4 of Just Plain Cold. I Don’t Feel Like Going Out Cold. I Am So Sick Of Down Jackets Cold.  At this point, we need a reprieve.  And a long weekend is just what the doctor ordered.

I hope that you were able to get out and enjoy one of the free events around the city.  The Leg. was offering wagon rides, ice sculptures and guided tours. You could skate at City Hall and help yourself to complimentary hot chocolate.

My family chose to take advantage of the free admission at the Royal Alberta Museum. My daughter is a little young yet for most of the exhibits, but I feel duty-bound to let all parents of toddlers know that the Wild Alberta section will keep even the most hyperactive two year old captivated for a good hour.

(You’re Welcome.)

 
Hope you had a good one… from my family to yours xo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday night at New City rock and roll madness took the stage around midnight inside the likwid lounge. Eamon Mcgrath was Joined on stage by the Wild Dogs, well… actually Eamon stood in the crowd as he played. Maybe stood isn’t the right word.., and i guess Eamon did roll on to the stage a couple times. I took a couple pictures, I don’t think i can convince any of words to describe the wild dogs performance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preceding this was Dropping Out who played a fantasic set. My favorite part was probably ”Sometimes is sometime not” or was it ”lets Create”? 

 

Oh yeah, it was the first time I had the pleasure of playing live in Gold Rush.

the opening act

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngycU76wvoQ

 

 

Yesterday was the Hair Massacure at  West Edmonton Mall…there were over 1000 people there to get thier heads shaved and the goal this year is 1 million. To date, the Hair Massacure has raised over 1.8 million dollars and it continues to grow….but i remember it’s humble beginnings some 7 years ago, when a father named Gordon was absolutely distraught when his daughter, Kali, was striken with cancer and decided to do a headshave at the Post Office that he worked at at the time! Well, that event grew and grew and grew and Tammy macDonald (the amazing mom!) has gone on to create and event something that is truly amazing. My hat off to the MacDonald family. Every one of them is brilliant and tireless in their efforts! And to all the volunteers…all 400 of ‘em!!! You guys rock!

 

 

Then there’s the folks who came to get shaved! From the adults (Mike McGuire here just about to take off the beard he’s had for decades and standing by, the mom who can’t wait to see it go ‘bye-bye’!!) to the kids! Ah the kids! Some many schools involved! The atmosphere at West Edmonton Mall yesterday was electric as the groups of kids came in to the rink area! Talking to kids who have raised $280, $1000 and some over $2000!! I am so amazed at the courage of today’s youth! Going bald is a concept this 38 year old can’t even imagine right now…but to them, ‘heck yes’ i was told! ‘It’s cool, Ms. Ryan’ someone yelled! ‘Do it!’ the lil’ FIVE year old said and she squeezed my hand. 

One day,

 I hope to grow up and have the strength and courage of that five year old!!