CN tower stair climb post mortem

i did it!!!

albeit, halfway up the climb i was starting to second guess my decision, but it was really good. and i'm glad i did it. 1776 steps. 144 flights of stairs.

i finished in 25:50. the website said the average person takes 30-40 mins to complete the climb. but i think they're overestimating to make people feel better. i stopped at least 5 times to catch my breath, but happy to report that my first rest stop wasn't until around flight 55. while we were standing in line, there was an old man who had to be over 60 years old, wearing his shirt from a previous climb, and he finished in 20:41! this is my shirt, if it wasn't 5 sizes too big, i would wear it with pride:

apparently this year's money is going towards fighting climate change (which i didn't even know the WWF was involved with, but it makes sense they would). so this is the front of the shirt:

i don't know if i will do this again. the next one is in october for the united way. i'll consider it, but next time, i'll actually train for it!

surprisingly, my legs aren't too sore right now. ask me again tomorrow, that might be a different story.

CN tower stair climb

a few months ago, i foolishly told a friend i would do the CN tower stair climb with him in april. and all of a sudden it's next saturday and i've done no training and no fundraising.

so if anyone is so inclined to help the WWF (for all you animal lovers out there), go to this page and type in my name and pledge me.

https://wwfcentral.ca/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?&pid=380&srcid=375&tab=1

no pressure though b/c i'm most likely doing the hbc run for canada again this year, and will be asking for donations. so ration out your pledges people! or be super generous and pledge twice!

thanks in advance! and think about me next saturday morning when i'll be huffing and puffing up 1776 steps. oi vay, what did i get myself into.

concert count

#25: John Legend with Corinne Bailey Rae (17-Apr-07) - Hummingbird Centre

this is the show i chose over the john mayer show. i didn't see john mayer's show, but i don't regret this decision at all. such a great show! i went with my friend vanessa b/c we both love john legend and corinne bailey rae. i love it when i'm as excited about seeing the opening act as i am the main one. it rarely happens, and i can't remember the last time it did.

we missed the first 15 mins of corinne's set, which was too bad, but the rest of it was still amazing. her voice was so clear. sometimes artists sound different when they perform live, but her voice sounded just as good as it does on the CD. and apparently corinne used to be in a rock band (she told the audience), so she sang this led zeppelin song to bring her back to those days, but she "made it her own," as the judges on american idol would say.

and then it was john. oh john legend. i didn't even read the old post from when i saw him the first time, but i'm pretty sure i'm about to describe him the same way. john legend is smooth. in every sense of the word. his voice, the way he walks, the way he plays the piano, how he dresses, everything about him.

i like his 1st CD more than his 2nd, so i was happy that he played a good mix of both. and this tour was definitely a bigger production than the last time he was in toronto. there was a light show, a screen at the back of the stage, and a larger band. he even had brass instruments! the 3 guys playing the sax, trumpet, and trombone even have to do the choreographed dancing like the back up singers. i was pretty amused just watching them. a few times i had to remember that i came to watch john legend.

for one of his songs, called slow dancing, i think, one of his people chooses a girl to dance on stage with him at the end of the song. i wouldn't want to do that b/c i would literally freeze up (i hope sandy reads this post, she will tell me if i used the word "literally" correctly). but i was really excited for the girl who got chosen.

john also called corinne back on stage to do a duet. it was really good. and since i missed their performance on the grammys (with john mayer, coincidentally), seeing them perform live is obviously better.

all in all, an amazing show. and just like the first time i saw him, i left the show giddy like a school girl.

next up: damien rice at massey hall.

concert update

next show: corinne bailey rae and john legend.

tickets i had to sell: john mayer (why do the johns have to play on the same night!)

tickets i will have to sell soon: ten second epic (it's on the same night as my roommate's bachelorette party).

tickets i just bought: justin timberlake (yes he's coming again, and yes i'm going again).

on another note: i have to find a new place to live and i hate apartment hunting. urgh.

mill hood

got my new chart magazine in the mail today and they have a section called stylin' which is basically a picture of an artist, and them talking about what they're wearing, etc.

this month's feature is on canadian hip hop artist, cadence weapon, aka rollie pemberton. if anyone doesn't know, he's from edmonton, and more specifically, from millwoods, my neighbourhood.

so millwoods has gotten it's fair share of bad press, and now has somewhat of a bad reputation for a southside neighbourhood. i still stand by my feeling that there's no way millwoods is as bad as the northside. anyways, this is from part of the article on cadence weapon:

"pemberton, who grew up in the sometimes rough neighbourhood of millwoods in edmonton, alberta, still wears his local childhood soccer team shirt. 'i like to rock my kids' soccer shirt to the club and people are like, 'millwoods? what's your problem, man?' and it's blue.'"

at least they put "sometimes rough." it probably gives him more street cred to say he's from a rough neighbourhood. but wouldn't it be funny if he was actually from riverbend?!

there's nothing wrong with millwoods. i still think it's safe!

concert count

#24: Tokyo Police Club (04-Apr-07) - Mod Club

so my previous dilemma was averted, my friend james came to the show with me, but i was going to go alone if i didn't find anyone.

i'm glad i went b/c it was a great show! got there in time to see both sets, and they were both great. cold war kids opened up for tokyo police club, and i hadn't heard any of their music before, but wanted to check them out based on stuff i read about them. and they didn't disappoint. i really liked them and ended up buying their CD at the merch table. marco - they do a great live show, i wouldn't be surprised if you are right and they're the next big thing.

then tokyo police club came on and they were really good too. although, all their songs do kinda sound the same in the sense that they're all very high tempo, fast songs. they're from newmarket, so i'm all for supporting canadian bands.

as many concerts i've been to, and as many concerts that are at the mod club, i, surprisingly, had not been to a show at the mod club until this one. i like it, it's a good venue. ten second epic are playing there when they come back in may, so i'm looking forward to that show.

in other concert news: billy talent, alexisonfire, cancer bats, attack in black, and die mannequin are playing a show together at the molson amphitheatre on july 13th. i CAN'T wait for that show! love billy talent and alexisonfire already, have seen attack in black before and like them, want to check out cancer bats, and don't know who die mannequin are. i love the molson amphitheatre for shows too.

next up: john legend and corinne bailey rae at the hummingbird theatre.