Moments That Matter - Early January 2009

- "Life's What You Make It" becomes "Moments That Matter" for 2009.

- Tip of the hat to Aaron Lines who's single "Moments That Matter" was the inspiration for this year's blog title.

- We rang in 2009 at the Minchau's house in St. Albert along with Warren and Lori, Dave and Carol, Tony and Nicole, Renee and Charles. The kids played while the adults watched Team Canada beat the Americans in an incredible hockey game at the World Junior Tournament. Later on we got into a game of Taboo and then, after the champagne was uncorked, broke into some Wii Tennis and Bowling. It was a quiet start to the new year but we were surrounded by great friends, all of us hoping that 2009 would be a much kinder year than 2008 was for us.

- On Saturday, January 3rd, I took Lesley, Dave and Carol, Warren and Lori, Greg and Teresa and Joe and Connie out to dinner. No, I didn't win the lottery. I used the gift certificate for the Canadian Brewhouse that I had won last fall in the Slacker's Golf Tournament. The certificate was good for a steak dinner for me and nine friends. It was one of the best prizes I've ever won at a golf tournament.
We enjoyed our steaks while watching Team Canada come from behind to win one of the most exciting hockey games I've ever seen. Canada tied the game with a dramatic last minute goal (5 seconds left in the game) and then won in a shootout. The win pushed Canada into the Gold Medal game with a chance to win their 5th straight championship.
Later in the evening, Dave, Joe, Warren and I went to Jet Nightclub to catch Default. We arrived just a few minutes before the band was due on stage. We managed to get in a quick visit with the band as well as a few good industry buddies and then watched the show from the side of the stage. The guys put on a typical great set that featured a few songs from a new CD that is still waiting to be released. Issues with their label have prevented the release from happening for over a year now but they hope to have a new label deal soon and get the disc out in the not too distant future.
On the way home we stopped on Whyte Avenue for some late night falafels. It seemed like a good idea at the time but on the drive home Warren and I both had to deal with falafel sauce dripping all over our clothing and the car seats. We had to pull into a parking lot to clean up the mess and ditch the rest of our late nate snack.

- Monday, January 5th it was back to work for me. Later that evening I watched Team Canada complete their "Drive For Five", winning the gold medal at the World Junior Hockey Championsips in Ottawa with a 5-1 victory over Sweden. The World Junior Tournament is always some of the best hockey you will see all year. Even the NHL seems slow after watching the kids play.

Snapshot of the last two weeks...

Pop Culture: What I'm listening to, reading and watching:
- Music: Plants & Animals "Parc Avenue" / Late of The Pier "Fantasy Black Channel" / One More Girl (advance) / Various Artists "Motown 40" / Alana Levandoski (advance).
- Books: "It Still Moves" by Amanda Petrusich / "King Leary" by Paul Quarrington.
- DVD's: The Dark Knight / Mystic River.

Hot Songs:
What's Hot With EMI right now:
- Country: "California Plates" by Deric Ruttan / "I Can Love Anyone" by One More Girl / "Marry For Money" by Trace Adkins.
- Pop: "Thinking of You" by Katy Perry / "18 Days" by Saving Abel.

Good, Bad & Ugly:
- Good: Team Canada wins the World Junior Hockey Championship (YAY!).
- Bad: Pirates off the Coast of Africa (Arrrrrrr!).
- Ugly: Hamas and Israel ("War...what is it good for...absolutely nothing!").

Milestones:
- Motown Records celebrated it's 50th Anniversary on Monday, January 12th. 50 years ago Berry Gordy Jr. secured an $800 loan from his family and launched a label. (Try doing that today).

Hello:
- Jordan Eberle (Oilers draft pick became a household name during World Junior Tournament).

Goodbye:
- Dawn Dwyer (departed EMI after filling in for Charlotte Thompson's Maternity Leave).
- Ricardo Montalban (Mr. Roarke returns to Fantasy Island).
- Gil Grissom (CSI won't be the same - although I am hoping for more screen time for Marg Helgenberger)
- Ron Asheton (guitarist for The Stooges).
- Doc Seaman (one of the Founding Fathers of the Calgary Flames).
- Jett Travolta.

Welcome Back:
- Big Sugar (although I missed the show on NYE at the Shaw Conference Centre I hope you guys make a comeback).
- Steve Sullivan (Nashville Predators Forward is finally back after 2 years dealing with spinal injury).
- Charlotte Thompson (back at EMI after maternity leave).

Get Well Soon:
- Steve Jobs (an apple a day might help keep the doctors away).
- Patrick Swayze (fight like The Beast - or at least like James Dalton in Roadhouse).

Rotten eggs:
- Mats Sundin (not a rental player...yeah right).

In the Weeks Ahead:
- Mally turns 8 (January 31).
- Federal Budget (January 21)
- Barack Obama gets sworn in (January 20).
- One More Girl tours Alberta with Jaydee Bixby (dates start this weekend).
- Honey and the Money tour dates in Calgary and Edmonton.