EVILFLU

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After a very strange/snowy/emotional weekend (in which I got questioned for murder), I decided we had to celebrate Family Day this year. Usually Family Day is just an extra day to veg out and binge on Netflix (OMG do you watch Wentworth??) - usually in separate rooms (I vowed to never watch Mall Cop again in my whole entire life after having to endure it twice in the theatre. It just so happens that Mason loves Mall Cop). It's an unfortunate situation.

This year, after being trapped inside due to a snowstorm and my neighbour's murder, I figured it was a good year to start a tradition where we will never stay home for Family Day again. Not that there's anything wrong with staying home - it's just so easy to pass an entire day without even really acknowledging that the other is there.

I let Mason decide on an activity to do in the community. I had a few rules: no crowds and low cost. Mason came up with the great idea of tobogganing. I was so in to it, until I remembered I had donated his sled to the Goodwill because he outgrew it.

Then he suggested skating...and I was shocked.

When I was in grade school, every week they would make us go to the arena next door and skate for an hour or so. It was torture! I hated being cold. I hated having to carry the gear to school every week. I was lucky I even owned a proper pair of skates that my mother didn't Macguyver up for me. I just hated that feeling of my feet burning off when I took off my skates. I never learned to properly skate because my teacher always picked on me and I got frustrated and gave up. Kind of like the time my dad tried to teach me how to park a boat. I got frustrated and never learned how to park a boat (Tip: never let me drive your boat).

Mason goes to the same school I went to and is lucky to get to attend these "fun" skating trips When he recommended skating as an activity, I realized that he has not been tortured enough at the arena because who in their right mind would want to freeze and skate around in a circle for an hour.

We have a couple of options when it comes to free outdoor skating in my city. It's really quite impressive because the ice is full of people who don't mind frostbite...or circles. A lot of people had the idea to take their families skating on Family Day (go figure) but that didn't stop Mason from lacing up and joining them on the ice. I stayed on the sidelines, watching nervously, because I like my feet being warm(ish) and not falling and breaking my ass in front of a good portion of the population of London.

As he clumsily made himself around that ice pad I felt something (other than frostbite creeping into my Uggs) - I felt proud. He wasn't the best skater out there, but he tried. He made his way around in circles, dodging little Ice Capades champions - or so I assumed they were anyway - and tried his best to stay on two skates. He certainly was a lot better than I was at skating. In fact, he only fell once when I distracted him to smile for the camera.

Next year we hopefully can do something where both of us can participate - and hopefully something a little warmer. I think it was a pretty successful excursion though. Mason had a lot of fun showing off his skating skills and I didn't freeze to death (although my iPhone did - boo).

It’s that time of year again. The kids are fresh back in school, the leaves are starting to fall and the nights are a little cooler – and of course there is the scent of cotton candy and deep fried foods lingering in the air. The Western Fair is in town and Mason and I couldn’t wait to try out the new 2015 offerings.

I’ve said it before, and it never gets old, there’s something magical that happens once you walk through those big gates – memories come flooding back. What was once a parking lot has been transformed to a place where you get to relive your childhood memories of losing your tooth in a candy apple or having your first kiss on the double Ferris wheel. This year each gate of The Western Fair has been transformed in to a theme which just adds to the magic a little more.

Memories of R. and the times we spent together at the fair always come back when I walk through those gates. The time we spent together just walking around and looking at the lights, the time I was pregnant and spending all our money on lemonade and deep fried Mars bars and the time we brought our son to experience the fair for the first time (and last time together). Although attractions are added and taken away, the smell and atmosphere of the fair always stays the same. Good memories never leave.

I’ve watched my son grow through the fair. Each year he gets a little braver. I remember when he wouldn’t even think of going on those fast spinning rides, and now he’s going on numerous times in a row, while I watch from the ground biting my nails off.

For the first time this year I worked at The Western Fair. It was an incredible experience and really helped with the social anxiety I have been experiencing lately. Nothing like throwing yourself out there as a form of exposure therapy! It felt really good to help people enjoy their Western Fair experience and I met some really fantastic people (HI Khahy!!).

Mason and I attended opening night, even with the threat of rain, an opening night attendance is just tradition in our little family unit. The threat of rain quickly turned into reality, but somehow that didn’t dampen our spirit. We were still on that magical high of walking through the gates to experience memories we haven’t really thought of since the year before. I watched as Mason used his ride pass to ride the same spinning ride over and over. We were able to attend some indoor activities and visit some cute animals as the rain came down harder. I was thankful for my heated seats in my car by the time we were leaving though!

Memories were made, even though they were drowned out by the downpour, we still had a great time!

Things to know if you are attending the 2015 Western Fair:

The parking is free on Western Fair lots. That being said, it’s best to get there early because I hear it can fill up pretty quickly during peak times.
Admission is $15 for adults but if you go between 3-5 Monday through Thursday, you only pay $5 admission.
The games are cash only this year (different from previous years where they accepted tickets only). Most games cost around $5.
There are some old favourite shows and new amazing shows being put on this year. I highly recommend the Sinbad High Dive show which can be seen a few times throughout the day in the Imagination Park.

This lucky evil gal was invited to be a #JLCReviewer for the NKOTBSB concert at the John Labatt Centre on Sunday night. I can't thank them enough for the amazing opportunity! I have been a NKOTB fan for years. Of course, this blog also has a NKOTB history (here and here). Unfortunately, I was never much of a Backstreet Boys fan. I can't say that their music is terrible (because it actually is pretty awesome) but I pretty much hated them their whole boy band career because my sister loved them - and we never really got along. When it came time to pick a sidekick for my NKOTBSB adventure, there was no question - my sister had to be there with me. You know, so we could put this boy band rivalry to end.

The crowds filed in single file, armed with custom-made shirts, signs and Donnie Wahlberg tattoos. Their glitter and face paint smeared from the rain. They are the super fans ("Block Heads" and the "Backstreet Army") all together, all going crazy, all with a good set of lungs. Whether they have been fans for decades or years, the energy from the crowd was incredible.

It was absolutely surreal. Everyone was overjoyed to be there...

(except maybe this guy)

Our seats couldn't have been any more perfect for us. We were close to the stage and surrounded by some of the nicest boy band fans (and one of the best little dancers) I have ever met.

The first opening act was Neverest, a Canadian pop (rock?) band. I had never heard of Neverest before, but apparently I have heard them on the radio or something because I recognized one of their songs. They were a perfect fit as openers for NKOTBSB, and maybe one day we will even see a comeback concert from these guys (I'm sure I'll have an artificial hip and walker by then).

Next up was Mr. Schue--- I mean, Matthew Morrison. You may recognize this guy from such things as the "EVILFLU's people with weird-shaped mouths who are still kind of hot club" or from a little show called Glee. Oh and he's not gay. Just so you know. When he came on I was in the world's longest line to get a nice cold bevvie, but he still sounded amazing from out in the lobby. One suggestion for the JLC is to get some TVs up near the concession stands so fans can still watch the show while waiting in line *wink* (my brilliance at work). Once I switched the longest line (that I realized didn't move once while being in it) I got through pretty quickly and went back out to catch the rest of Morrison's amazingly (emotional?) set. He ended his tour with NKOTBSB with a pretty spectacular dance number. My sister and I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Schue very much. He looks like he would be a lot of fun at a wedding - and he has a really cute little ~~guitar~~ ukulele.

Then it was the time that thousands of women - and five men, had been waiting for - NKOTBSB (aka boyband spectacular) rose from under the stage in a big puff of stage smoke. The mother in me was watching them rise from the stage, 9 men on a little circular platform, hoping that none of them got their sparkly shoes too close to the edge.

Before I get too ahead of myself here, I have to talk about this set for a minute. This was a massive stage that gave everyone a chance to touch the hands (etc?) of their favourite boy band member. Just think of the stage in Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy video (ohh yes, I did go there) only with a bajillion more in their budget and complete with fireworks and pyrotechnics that made my sister and I have more heart attacks then when AJ came out in his undies.

I really wish I could tell you every song they played, but my memory is not like it used to be back in the early 90's when I first saw NKOTB, but I do know they played pretty much all of them - well the ones that really mattered anyway. Maybe I was just a little too distracted?

There were tons of crotch grabs, choreographed hip thrusts and shirt rippage to keep these super fans screaming. The fact that I do not have a voice today has nothing to do with me screaming though (lies).

Because this was the end of the NKOTBSB tour (for now...) there were a lot of hijinks on the stage. Boy bands got crazy and stuck signs on the backs of unsuspecting band mates, stole microphone stands and came out during the other band's set in skimpy clothing (to the enjoyment of many ladies in the audience).

Things turned serious though when the guys took a moment to thank their fans. In return the fans held up pink hearts (aww I wanted one!). They were very appreciative and emotional. To be completely honest, I couldn't believe the dedication of some of these fans. My sister and I decided to go to the buses after the show (I was still on a mission for a picture of a NKOTB or BSB tattoo at this point) and when chatting with some of the fans, we realized just how far they had traveled to be there that night. When one NKOTB fan was asked what she was going to do now that the NKOTBSB tour is over (or is it...?), she simply shrugged and said "save up for the next one".

I want to thank the John Labatt Centre so, so much for picking me to be a #JLCReviewer. I had an amazing time, I only wish it was my permanent job (okay, maybe not if I had to sit through a Justin Bieber concert or something). My sister and I go to spend some much needed time together and we bonded over boy bands - a 20 year rivalry put to rest. It couldn't have been a more amazing night.

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I was provided with two tickets to the NKOTBSB concert and coupons for concessions for doing this review. The opinions expressed are my own.