27th - SATURDAY 2010 - ONE MORE SLEEP AND OFF TO THE GREY CUP!

ANDY FANTUZ #83 - TOP PLAYER
IN CFL AWARD 2010

Well now, ain't that the Cats' Pajamas!

WAY TO GO ANDY - CONGRATULATIONS

What a great way to start the day and the weekend. Andy Fantuz copped the Top Canadian Player Award in the CFL as we heard on the news tonight. That certainly makes things look a little brighter. He has the top receiving yardage in the CFL (over 1,300 yards) which is even better, and let me tell you this handsome fellow has hands like glue. If that football is coming to him, he's got it, doesn't matter where he is on the field, he WILL have that ball.  He is one of the greatest Ive every seen and I absolutely adore him.

Fans have been arriving in Edmonton and are gearing up for the party.  If you've never been to a tailgate party with Saskatchewan Roughrider Fans, you are missing out on one of the great experiences in life. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Sask. Fans are like no other fans you will ever see in your lifetime.  Sooooo, if the guy on the blog in the Riderville site, is reading this, your blogs against the Riders are absolutely ridiculous.  I don't know who your teams are, and I don't particularly care.  But if you want to bad mouth the Riders, why put it in the middle of Rider Nation, we pretty much look at what you say and immediately think ..... Jealous.  At least we have Pride in our team, looks like your venting to us because you don't know where your pride belongs.  Anyway, getting away from that rant - Also, Saskatchewan got a humongous boost from the Edmonton Commissioner, who is so impressed with all the Saskatchewan Fans, and all the Edmonton Fans who have taken this opportunity to cheer for the Riders at the Grey Cup , that he gave the Commissioners Award to the people aka fans. He said that all you can see is a sea of green in Edmonton this weekend, and dang it, he's right. 

What have we got for news with Montreal - Oh Gee! They aren't happy about their dressing room, or their hotel room.  This is how it goes, The Game Stadium for the Grey Cup this year is The West - Edmonton.  The Home Team playing for the West is The Riders, The Visiting Team from the East is the Montreal Alouettes.  The Home Team (The Riders) get the Home Team Dressing Room which is rather nice and roomy, and they also get the same Hotel that the Home Teams have gotten over the years.   Here's where it gets interesting - Montreal says that Edmonton isn't treating them fairly, and that they should get the Home Team Dressing Room because they won the cup last year. The organizers tells them that's not the way it works.  Home Team West, gets Home Team Dressing Room. The other beef is that they aren't happy with their Hotel either because it's not a first rate hotel like they "expect" BUT the Home Team Hotel is a first rate hotel, and they are upset that they aren't in it either....Follow me here on this - Do they not have better things to do than diss the Riders about using the Home Team Dressing Room and The Home Team Hotel because they aren't the winners? Oh Gawd come on boys (yes Anthony Calvillo, I'm talking to you).  Get over it.  If you win next year, the Home Team Dressing Room and Home Team Hotel will be in the East, so you'll have what you want there.  Get ready for the game on Sunday, because we are going to play the best game we can play, for the West, for our Fans and for ourselves.  Get over all the petty little idiosyncrasies and get on with the game.  That's what you guys are getting the big buck to do.  Last but not least, to the Guy (another one who dislikes the Riders - and YES we do have a sense of humour but INSULTS LIKE THIS ONE WILL GET YOU NOWHERE.) at Regina.com who wrote the Q & A Section.......THIS IS INSULTING!

Q. What do the SASKATCHEWAN ROUGHRIDERS and possums have in common?

A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.

You may not know it, but way back in Rider History, there were a group of Riders heading for a game that was out of Province.  They were flying to their destination and the plain crashed killing them.  So no matter how innocent or funny you think that Q & A is, WE DON'T AGREE WITH YOU.

No more to say on the subject of Montreal and the bloggers.  Just wanted the intelligent people to know what I thought of todays little episodes with tantrums and stupidity.

GO RIDERS AND WE WISH YOU THE BEST - AND NO MATTER WHAT THE OUTCOME IS, WE ARE PROUD TO CALL YOU OUR TEAM.

GOOD LUCK THIS WEEKEND, SEE YOU ALL WHEN YOU GET HOME WITH THE CUP.

 



SOOOOO-WE'RE GOING TO THE GREY CUP AGAIN!

RIDER PRIDE

Well, as unlikely as it seems, we finally (after a few losses and a lot of pouting)made it to, and WON the Western Finals! Man, what a roller coaster. I'm not a sport nut, but I AM a RIDER FAN, and always have been. Didn't matter where I lived in the world, I turned Green during Football Season, along with God knows how many other people. We built ourselves up and went on to do a job. This year it's about "Salvation" The 13th Man curse, is about to be settled and this time we'll do it right. I have faith in my team. If I can actually boast that I wished a hug from Andy Fantuz and GOT IT, I can definitely, keep the faith and wish to WIN the Grey Cup. Last time we ended up losing the game because there were 13 men on the field - a big NO NO, and lost by 1 point which is a slap in the face. Who did we lose to...same team we'll be playing against this year - MONTREAL. I firmly believe we are ready for them. No 13th man on the field. What are the odds, welllll, according to my information it's cold in Edmonton. The game is being played in Edmonton. Montreal has been practicing in a covered dome stadium where there is climate control - no snow, no wet slush on the field, no ice, no wind. (Lucky boogers).....We have been practising (get this people) in an outdoor stadium, gloves, shoes, long sleeves and all the rest to keep warm, playing in wind, snow, and all the other good stuff you get in winter. We will be playing in an open air stadium, and there will be big heaters to keep warm. If the game yesterday is any indication of how it's going to be on November 28th, I'm expecting a WIN. Oh yes!: and I don't think Montreal is going to be very happy about it. Okay, I'm jumping the Gun, but I DO HAVE FAITH ON MY SIDE, and I HAVE RIDER PRIDE. We are a team like no other team. Watch the game and you'll know exactly what I mean. We're Grey Cup Bound and bound to come home with the Grey Cup. How's that for full circle. I LOVE THESE GUYS!
Jaye^j^

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WENDY O. (You know who you are?)

Free digital greeting card made with Smilebox

ANOTHER GOOD DAY!....OR WAS IT!

WELL OF COURSE WE DID IT!

How long have we waited for this years' Football Season??? Well, 365 days of course. And aside from the pregame losses (which don't count anyway, although Mosaic Stadium was packed both times), we opened the season with a sellout crowd again. It's nice to know that we are the only league who has consistently had sellout audiences since the beginning of last year, through to this year and it looks like we are going to be sold out again this season. Kent and I have worked for the Rider Green Team Re-Cycle Team for about 3 years now, and we really enjoy it. The main perk for us is that we get to see the games. This year I opted to do the PreGame Field as well as After the Game for recycling. Both Kent and I work the truck. This is where all the bags of cans and bottles end up, and we are the crew that separate and bag the bottles and cans. We do a pickup in the "south" end zone to help those who are working the stands, and I don't envy them one bit. PreGame is a matter of making sure there are no bottles or cans left on the practice field. Seems everyone and their dog loves to come to the PreGame to A) Drink Bear and B) Eat ..... and YES it is in that order. In previous years, the field was always a total mess, and it took almost the first half of the game to do. This year, I noticed that the crowds are a lot cleaner than usual, and we were in the Stadium within 5 minutes of the game starting. Now for us, that is unusual. We actually got to SEE the game this time.

There is nothing like watching your team play a team who has accumulated former Saskatchewan Roughriders in the draft. They (former Sask now BC) are all about showing Saskatchewan what they can actually do, and that's supposed to make us feel guilty about letting them go to another team. Well, you know how it is! Everyone comes out with the intention of Booing the other team, and to bug the few BC Fans who actually dare to sit among a sea of green and cheer for the BC Lions. Lets' face it, WE OUTNUMBER THEM. We're always telling them "there are a whole bunch of orange teeshirts on the east side, wouldn't you like to be with them. At least these poor guys wouldn't have to take the snide remarks like 3,000 people changing "BC SUCKS, BC SUCKS" (Catchy isn't it? - No I'm not one of those who does that - Really, I'm NOT!) When we're off the field, we'll make friends with anybody, and that includes BC. We party with them, and console them over their loss, because we are concerned fans, so while they are crying in their beer, we are usually carrying our beer around the bar and being extraordinarily happy and boisterous about our win. Then we are back to consoling our new found friends. It would be a total fantasy if I said we were friends in the Football Stadium - WE'RE NOT!

It was not a perfect game, and our new guys are still learning the ropes, but they are learning fast. Our American Imports always have to get here and learn how we play the game, because everything is different for them. Even the rules are different, and that sometimes poses big problems for our Americans. Things they can do in the States, just aren't done in Canada, so penalties flow. Seems after a couple of penalties, the Americans get the idea. It's either get it right or get off the field, and the fans definitely let them know if they've messed up. There were unnecessary penalties on both sides but it all worked out that we won the game by 4 points with a 28-24 win. It was a good way to start the game, but not perfect.

Recycling starts after the game, and this is the "OR WAS IT?" part for me. Again I am limping. Gout has set in and I'm definitely not a happy camper. Seems that I am destined to have this problem when it's football season and Buffalo Days (soon to be Queen City Ex). We were at the truck until 3:00am, which was being there about 12 hours this includes the pregame, Game and postgame. It's not easy, but we are making this world a little greener by getting those bottles and cans into the recycle depot and keeping the landfills a little smaller. I cannot tell you how many thousands of pounds we collect to recycle in a season. It's "a lot". We are paid for volunteering which is a plus made almost $100.00 and once in awhile we get pizzas from the concessions, as well as other freebies which they give to us by the boxes - which feeds Kents' snack button. (I don't snack FYI)

We arrived home at 3:30am, I had something to eat, took the "big-as-a-horses-leg" Naproxin, had a nice hot bath and off to bed, totally exhausted and happy. What did I dream? Why Winning the next Game of course.

Now back to doing for Buffalo Days, and get that over with for this year. If I am going to end up with gout every year at this time, it may very well be our last year. I will be walking the parade route, and we will have a convertible to ride in this year. Kent can't do the walk, but since I'm passing out roses this year, with little "Thank You for your Support throughout the Years", I'm going to have to be in top shape, because those costumes get heavier and heavier each year. I've made it through Canada Day, made it through July 4th, now comes July 12th for my brothers' and my birthday, then Buffalo Days for the last time.

I am going to miss those yesterdays we lived in for one week in the year. Perhaps it will come back and perhaps not - I do know there will be many wonderful memories and many great moments to remember. It may be a FAREWELL TO YESTERDAY, but we will never completely say goodbye.

HMMM - MONDAY ALREADY!

Pink/Black Masquerade Gown - 07 The Infamous Gold Gown - 08

First of all, let me just say "I HATE MONDAYS". Yes, I do! It's not that they are bad days, it's just that they are the first day of the week, and you have to use them to gear up for your full days' work. 24 hours just never seems to be enough for me. I hate mornings, and work much better in the late afternoon and at night time. Sleep??? What is that? I'm up at 9:00ish and in bed by 5:30am the following morning. Don't ask me how I do that, it just seems to be the way I'm built for some reason or other. I'm still fighting the cold I got in May but it's not because of low resistance. It's because hubby still has his cold, and it's a vicious circle going back and forth from him to me to him. I'm doin' the best that I can, but boy-o-boy is it ever hard.

Weather here in Saskatchewan has been absolutely gorgeous, with above average temperatures. There's been some smatterings of rain, but not enough to drive anyone crazy at this point, and our farmers definitely need it.

As for news, well of course there's the Regional Finals for the Senior Idol Competition which I'm entered in. (My voice is actually feeling much better. Still a little raspy but that should be gone by Tuesday Night). All my music is ready to go, and I'm probably about as ready as I'll ever get. I have two gowns to choose from "The Infamous Gold Gown" and the Pink/Black Masquerade Gown, both of which I love. (Both are at the top of the Blog)

Now, since this is the last year for Buffalo Days, our activities have been cut down tremendously. We are doing only "ONE" Fashion Show - you don't want to hear my opinions on that....it was supposed to be one every day, and the Final Tour - which is the parade. The rest of the time is spent doing whatever comes to mind that will help us get through the 4 days of Exhibition. Next year is a completely different thing and we don't know if we will be involved with the Ex or not. There are a lot of changes being made and we are not 100% happy with any of them. When it comes to people having a great fun time at the Fair, or making money, the new owners are opting for the Money. That being said, means that all of the individuality of the fair will no longer exist. There are no exhibits, no baking ribbons to be passed out, no photography contests, no art exhibits, no hobby exhibits. (you get my drift don't you) The Heritags Fashion Show is out, the Bay Fashion Show is out, No Rowdy Gang, No Spirit of Buffalo Days Costume Committee, No Pemmican Pete, No Pemmican Pearl, No Saskatchewan Express, and definitely NO BUFFALO DAYS. The only reason we still have it this year is because Kent and I would not let the group be pushed down the tubes into nothingness. We fought for wearing our heritage costumes this year, we fought for the fashion show, and we fought for the right to be on the grounds with our costumes on until the end of the ex instead of wearing the costumes downtown, changing into jeans n tees on grounds, then changing back to costumes when we were doing something that specifically required us to be in costume. (Duh - Where are peoples heads). Next year, there will be no mention of Buffalo Days, and the name will be different, so prepare yourself to be in an absolute sterile world of informercial type displays at your nearest event building. I will let you all know what plays out on that. Meantime, I'm getting ready for the competition, will start sewing another outfit for this year (if possible), and get ready for the Rider Game on the 23rd. GO RIDERS!

OH HAPPY DAYS & THE MAGIC OF IL DIVO

Who ever said that you can't have a dream. I had one, and danged if it didn't come true! IL DIVO, and I say this name with reverence. I have never experienced anything like this in my lifetime. I cannot tell you how magical it was for me to see David, Urs, Sebastien and my personal favourite, Carlos. Let's face it guys, I live in a small City, which is the capitol of Saskatchewan, Canada. We do not have 1,000,000 people in our city, more like 400,000 (if that), so we do not get the big name concerts. They skip over us like skipping stones over the water on a hot summers' day. 2009 - The best (and worst-that's another story) year of my life. IL DIVO! I get goosebumps when I even think of this group. I am a pretty reserved female when it comes to music. I hate hiphop, can't stand grunge, dislike Kiss with intensity. Give me Mario Lanza, John Denver, Perry, Bing and Frank anytime. Give me Nana Mouskouri, Julio Iglesias, Mirielle Mathieu, Demis Roussous,Heintje and any other european singer you care to name, and I'm a happy camper. So like a dirty shirt, I along with a few others purchased the platinum ticket for An Evening with IL DIVO. Did I get my moneys' worth? You bet I did, and more. I cried when they walked into the room, I cried when they sang Mama and Amazing Grace, and I cried because the entire centre was filled with magic that night. It was a program to die for, and you can bet that if they'd had 3 shows that day, I would have gladly been at every one of them. I wore the "Infamous Gold Gown" It didn't matter that we were in a Hockey Arena, it was a dress up affair for me. They were a class act, and I wanted to dress in a classy dress. Throw all caution to the wind here, I'm wearing "the" dress and that took care of that. The dress did cause conversation with Carlos and Sebastien. So I had to explain it all to them. I wish I'd had a video of this concert. It is very hard to describe something this fine. The Monitor was to die for (eat your heart out ACDC, Kiss and any other rock band who has to use a monitor - Yours doesn't come close! The stage took up close to 3/4 of the inside of the arena, and the boys made use of every foot of it. That ramp was great, we were surrounded by IL DIVO for 3 hours - can't beat that! The Music, and songs were powerful. This is a group where Carlos makes the song live. His voice is the power of the group, and when he sings, you feel the vibrations through every part of your body. The entire arena fills you with the sound of those 4 voices singing in unison and meaning every word they sing, no matter what language it is. Would I do it again - You bet I would, I would have done it even if I hadn't liked their singing - just to sit there and watch 4 good - no, not good - GREAT looking men who can actually sing and knock you off your feet with their good looks. The ceiling filled with lights, photos coming in over the monitor, along with fantasy backgrounds, the monitor like film coming down on the stage in 4-6 sections, with pictures being put on them like the monitors, spotlights covering the entire ramp, and coloures lights on the stage. This was a concert that I would give 10 thumbs up to (if I had them). I was left in absolute awe of the performance and the performers. These guys are true artists and I'm very proud to have met and shared some time with them at their concert in our fair "little" City. It didn't matter how big our population was, it didn't matter, that most of our music was C&W, and it didn't matter, that some of us wore our best and the rest of us wore our blue jeans and cowboy hats. On that one night, everyone got the same feeling, and it was transcending. We were all one, and for a lot of us - A Dream Came True.