I’ve been listening to the music of Better than Ezra (BTE) for over 2o years and the only time I had seen them in concert was back in 1995 when they played Lee’s Palace in Toronto. After writing this blog post back in 2014, I connected with a fellow BTE fan named Dave. He tipped me off that Better than Ezra was going to be playing a concert within driving distance from the Toronto area in Buffalo, New York.  The best part was that it was an all-ages show and over the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend so the whole family could go!

The VIP Game Day Experience package included lunch, front of stage access to the concert, a ticket to the Buffalo Bulls football game, as well as a fountain drink and chips at the game for the low price of $36.

VIP Game Day Experience Pass – Better than Ezra

With it being Homecoming Weekend, we had no idea what to expect in terms of crowds so we arrived on campus a few hours early. As we rolled into a parking spot, I could hear “King of New Orleans” playing on a loudspeaker. Exiting the car, we realized that the music was live. We followed our ears and found ourselves watching Better than Ezra doing their sound check. Dave and his lovely wife, Paula, showed up a few minutes after we did. We watched BTE play some old favourites and a new song that Dave knew but I had never heard before. Right after the sound check, Michael Jerome Moore, BTE’s drummer, came over to say hello to us. So cool!

We wandered around the University of Buffalo North Campus for a bit, and then joined Dave and Paula for lunch at the VIP tent, which consisted of pizza, boneless Buffalo wings, and garlic bread knots from Santora’s Pizza Pub & Grill. I am admittedly a very messy eater, and as I wiped the grease and sauce off my fingers with a napkin, I considered heading over to one of the nearby buildings to wash up. This thought was interrupted by a smiling young woman who approached me and asked, “Would you like to go backstage and meet the band before the show?” There was no official Meet and Greet planned for the event, so this question came completely out of the blue. I hesitated for a moment, purely out of shock, before squeaking out an excited, “Yes!”

Meeting the entire band was amazing. We weren’t allowed to take photos (the university staff did) but the experience was not something that I will soon forget. Kevin, Tom, Michael, and Jim are very nice people and even though Meet and Greets are usually kind of rushed and weird, they took the time to actually chat with us.  Immediately after, we made a beeline for the front of the stage, and ended up smack dab in the middle of a pep rally, complete with marching band, cheerleaders and the entire Buffalo Bulls football team. Oops!

I could hardly contain my excitement during the show, and being there with my family nearly made my heart explode with joy. I jotted down a set list on my phone hoping that it didn’t look like I was texting.

1. King of New Orleans
2. Misunderstood
3. Sunflowers
4. Rosealia 
5. A Lifetime
6. Feel Good (cover)
7. Crazy Lucky
8. Extra Ordinary/I Can’t Feel My Face (cover)/What I Got (cover)
9. The Great Unknown
10. Good
11. Rush Medley
12. Desperately Wanting
13. Laid (cover)
14. Miss You (cover)/Juicy/Rapper’s Delight (cover)/OPP (cover)
15. In the Blood

According to the kids, these were the highlights of their day:

1. Meeting Better than Ezra.
2. Catching BTE guitar picks flung by the band into the audience.
3. Watching the stage security guard. He scooped a guitar pick off the stage for himself, then danced and sang along to “Desperately Wanting” like no one could see him, even though he was facing the audience.

For me, a picture is worth a thousand words and this one says it all…

Watching my favourite band, Better than Ezra, front row centre with my kids.

The post VIP Game Day Experience with Better than Ezra appeared first on Canadian Cheapo.

As any immigrant to Canada will tell you, living and succeeding in this country comes with many challenges. The financial principles my dad instilled in me allows me to have the lifestyle I enjoy today.  Only when I actually started following these basic rules of thumb (instead of complaining about them) did I fully understand how hard work and sacrifice can lead to big rewards.

Dad’s financial rules of thumb:

1. Only buy what you can afford.
2. Ask yourself why you need to buy something.
3. Don’t throw it out if you can re-use it.
4. Save money for a rainy day.
5. Stock up on toilet paper and toothbrushes. You’ll always need them. (I’m working on curbing this habit – but that’s another blog post.)

Recently, my mother was watching me organize my coupons and I told her some of my shopping tips. She just stared at me in disbelief and said, “You’re as cheap as your father.” I’m not quite sure that she meant that as a compliment but I still beamed with pride.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

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Two of my favourite cartoon characters of all time, Snoopy and Charlie Brown

Right from the start of the movie I noticed that the cartoon style and even the character’s voices remained true to the original TV specials and I loved the “flashbacks”. The movie takes place over a six-month period and focussed on Charlie Brown’s crush on the Little Red-Haired Girl. There was a subplot with Snoopy as the Red Baron which was just plain boring, causing kids (and some adults) to zone out.

Charlie Brown is too shy to approach his crush, and he pays five cents for psychiatric help at the stand that Lucy, the sister of his best friend Linus, runs in front of her house. Lucy tells him he needs to be confident and gives him a book: 10 Ways to Be a Winner. We still don’t know the Little Red-Haired Girl’s name, but we watched as Charlie Brown did what he could to make himself successful so that she would notice him. I thought this movie would be lighthearted fun, but I empathized so strongly with Charlie Brown that it made me feel extremely sad. The bright spot of the movie was at the end, which came as a total surprise to me. Charlie Brown had not said one word to the Little Red-Haired Girl throughout the entire movie (and he never did in the comic series either), but on the last day of school, she chose him to be her summer penpal. Right before she left for summer camp, he finally mustered the courage to approach her and ask why she picked him. She replied that she admired all of his qualities that she had observed, shocking all of his classmates, who hadn’t been very nice to him.

For a children’s movie, I’d have to say it was pretty deep. All my life, I have identified with Charlie Brown. Although I was never a bald-headed boy with a dog, I had very few friends and was not good at sports. As I watched this cartoon character struggle with his insecurities and bravely try to get a little girl to notice him, I was overcome with emotion. Maybe the reason Peanuts has stood the test of time is because we all have a bit of Charlie Brown in us.

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This is what my first cell phone looked like. Photo credit: Getty Images via CNN

Times have changed, and telephone booths are no longer on every city street corner. A large majority of people now use smartphones that are a fraction of the size and weight of those old Motorolas and allow access to messaging, social media and the Internet.

I am quick to admit that I’m guilty of always clutching a mobile device these days. When I’m with family, I do not allow texting at the dinner table. But I am usually not as courteous when I’m with friends. However, the other day, I went out for lunch with a friend that I don’t eat with very often. For first time in a very long time, I put my smartphone in my purse instead face up on the table or in my pocket where I could feel the vibration if a message came in. As a result, this is what happened:

1. I was not tempted to look at the device and check for messages every few minutes.
2. I had a real face-to-face conversation with my friend. (Not a “Keep talking, I’m still listening while I’m texting someone else” conversation.)
3. When the food came, I actually ate it instead of taking a photo first.

Are these novel concepts? Most definitely not. Call me an old-timer, but I remember this was the norm before 4G networks and Wi-fi hotspots turned everyone into technology zombies. For all of you reading this, I’m issuing a challenge: Try putting down your device long enough to savour the food in front of you and give your undivided attention to the people you’re eating with. I guarantee that you will enjoy both so much more.

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It was many years ago and my husband and I had just moved to a brand new community. There weren’t too many options for groceries at that time so we often shopped in the neighbouring town. During one shopping trip, after I paid and was loading a mountain of groceries into the shopping cart, a man and his young daughter were checking out with a small number of items. When he went to pay, the cashier told him that his bank card was declined. The man reacted faster than anyone else by grabbing his daughter by the hand and said, “Let’s go,” as they fled the store. Her face and words are still permanently etched in my mind: “What’s wrong, Daddy?”  I was completely frozen from shock.

The person that I am today would never have allowed that father and daughter to leave the store without their dinner. I’ve learned from observing the kindness of others that there are so many small and simple ways to make someone’s day. There is always someone who has less than you do.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it is a good time to remind myself how fortunate I am to have my health, a wonderful family and great friends. This year, I am especially grateful that someone special to me is on the mend after suddenly becoming ill. These are all the things that make this cheapo a very rich person, and I am very thankful for what I have.

The post Being Thankful Every Day appeared first on Canadian Cheapo.

Lee’s Palace in Toronto, where I first saw Better than Ezra perform in 1995. A restaurant called Big Fat Burrito moved into the main floor back in 2009.

Since I last wrote about Kevin Griffin’s music, the streaming music service Grooveshark went under and I lost my playlist. Good thing I keep a spreadsheet of the songs he’s written, which I update once or twice a year. Isn’t that what all nerdy music fans do? I was able to recreate most of the playlist in Spotify, another online streaming service that finally went live in Canada last year. If you already have a Spotify account, you can check out my playlist “Kevin Griffin Songs“. You’ll be surprised at the number of hit songs that you recognize! I have not included the Better than Ezra song catalogue, only the songs he has written for other artists. There are many albums/songs that are not available in Spotify, which I sometimes attempt to purchase but there is a lot of music that I now have access to and I don’t have to feel guilty about illegal downloads. I probably wouldn’t be a fan of Matt Nathanson or Graham Colton if it weren’t for the Kevin Griffin connection because these artists just don’t have the exposure through Canadian radio. However, songs that he wrote with Canadians Daniel Powter (“Cupid”) and Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies (“Odds Are”) get a ton of airplay due to CRTC regulations that dictate the amount of Canadian content on the radio.

One of my goals to celebrate my 20 years as a fan (Ezralite) was to see Better than Ezra live in concert. However, it just wasn’t meant to be because Better than Ezra did not tour anywhere remotely close to home this past year. My husband has always known how I feel about the group but timing was the main issue. To my absolute delight, he is taking me to New York City this weekend to see Kevin Griffin perform at the City Winery. It’s going to be way better than seeing him perform only 4 songs as he did at the Songwriters show in Niagara Falls!

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Well, another thing off my bucket list. I’m almost 65 years old and peed standing up for the first time today.  The one major side effect is uncontrollable laughing.  Believe me, it’s very empowering!

A British female urination device called a Shewee made this possible. You don’t even have to take your pants down. You just unzip like the guys, move your underwear aside, hold it in place and go.  They say to practice in the shower first but I didn’t bother and found it very easy to use. I purchased my pink, portable urination device from Mountain Equipment Co-op for $26.75 and it comes with a case and an extension pipe for added length. The pipe is good for using with a container or if wearing bulky outdoor clothing. No need for toilet paper either. The Shewee wipes you dry, even drier than using toilet paper!

Here is the Shewee urination device. I purchased it at Mountain Equipment Co-op for $26.75.

Apparently the Shewee is widely used throughout Europe.  It’s great for both outdoor enthusiasts and those with mobility issues. I have tried it in both the standing and sitting position and it works flawlessly.

Being a senior and having to go frequently, it’s going to come in very handy on extended car rides. No more sitting on filthy public toilet seats is a bonus too!

Who knows, with practice I could be spelling my name in the snow this winter. No matter what season, I must remember to keep the wind on my back!

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All the stars were aligned for me to see this concert. The number of tickets was limited, but I had no issues getting a pair during the pre-sale. Also, the show date was scheduled for the weekend, which meant not having to deal with timing issues related to work and child care.

I was worried that traffic and parking would be an issue because of the Taylor Swift concert down the street and Nuit Blanche closing off some major roads, but finding parking once we got downtown turned out to be a breeze and it only cost $5 for the entire evening. We ate at the Bristol & Bombay Pub that shares the same address as the Great Hall, meaning we were literally separated from the venue by a glass door. I watched the tour bus the entire time I was eating and saw Matt Nathanson walk by 4 times. I am certain that he saw me through the glass because I was wearing his “Modern Love” hoodie. It’s pretty hard not to notice when your name is stamped on a stranger’s sleeve. His sound technician was actually in the restaurant with us as well.

My one disappointment of the night came from expecting to buy “Some Mad Hope” from an American superfan (otherwise known as a member of The MattWork) who took pity on me when she read my blog post but she couldn’t find it at home. She ended up selling me one of the discs that I already own but I politely bought a second copy. I had hoped that there would be CD’s for sale at the show but they only had “Show Me Your Fangs”, which I bought with no hesitation even though I received two digital copies of the album for buying the concert tickets. I tried burning the downloaded MP3 files onto CD and it sounded terrible. I am such an audio snob. I also purchased a t-shirt for $35 that I would have bought online last December if it hadn’t been sold out. Not only did I finally get the shirt I wanted, it also came with a wristband for a meet and greet with Matt Nathanson after the show!

My meet and greet wristband

Music Is Better Than People t-shirt

The seating was general admission and the first two rows were taken up by people who chose to stand for the entire duration of the show. We were in the third row, which was outstanding, considering we stayed out of the rain and leisurely enjoyed our child-free dinner before lining up.  The stage was raised enough so that we could comfortably sit and watch the performance. (Hey, why stand for hours when you’re on #TeamElderly?)

The acoustics in The Great Hall were pure magic and the entire concert was incredible. I thought Massey Hall, Koerner Hall and Markham Theatre were excellent concert venues, but none of them are as small and intimate as The Great Hall. I was nervous because my husband didn’t really know Matt Nathanson’s music, other than hearing my nasty homemade Show Me Your Fangs audio CD during the relatively short car ride to the show. But Matt, accompanied by Aaron Tap (who was also the opening act), completely won us both over. The music and harmonies were amazing, and the banter was hilarious. I would glance over at my husband and I felt happy to see him laughing and enjoying the show as much as me. The people who were standing up front spent a lot of time taking video and photos, but I just sat back and took it all in. I allowed myself to be enveloped in the music instead of having the technology rule me. I didn’t even type up a setlist during the show like I usually do. I can remember that he played the entire Show Me Your Fangs album, all of his popular songs such as “Faster”, “Wedding Dress”, plus the Wheel of Matt songs “Bulletproof Weeks”, “Kill the Lights”, “Modern Love”, “Lucky Boy”, a Simon and Garfunkel cover and finishing the show with “Come On Get Higher”. One of the highlights of the night for us was Matt doing acoustic covers of Rush’s “Limelight”, and a slightly mangled version of The Tragically Hip’s “Ahead by a Century”. It always makes me proud when American artists acknowledge Canadian music!

A wheel of Matt Nathanson songs

Meeting Matt Nathanson after the show was also a treat. There’s really not much you can say when you’re in a meet and greet situation with a ton of anxious people behind you in the line. But Matt was gracious, hugging everyone and posing for photos. He complimented me on my Modern Love hoodie, which surprisingly, I did not see anyone else wearing. He even introduced himself to my husband, who was not in the line, but standing off to the side waiting for me. After I left the room, I realized I didn’t have a photo at all (Blackberry fail). I went back in, flustered and sweating, but Matt calmly posed for another photo with me and checked to make sure it turned out okay before saying goodbye again. It was such a kind and friendly gesture for a musician who had just spent the past 2 hours entertaining and would probably spend the next hour meeting fans. Once I stopped freaking out, I realized, “Wow, this guy isn’t just talented, he’s a super nice human being.”

Meeting Matt Nathanson was one of the many highlights of the night.

The post Matt Nathanson Show Me Your Fangs Acoustic Tour – Toronto appeared first on Canadian Cheapo.

I’ve always dressed conservatively for work. Being an IT professional for so many years has meant working with a lot of male colleagues and I never felt the need to be flashy around them. Let’s face it, women dress to impress other women. Many times, I’ve found myself wearing the same outfit as the men in the office. The typical IT worker’s “uniform” is a blue shirt and khaki pants. Go to any technology conference wearing that combination and you are guaranteed to fit right in.

Blue shirt and khaki pants – your basic IT worker’s uniform (Photo credit: SNL – nbc.com)

Recently, I’ve tried to shake up my wardrobe a bit. Before she retired, my friend Sophie told me that my spring/summer clothes are much nicer than my fall/winter clothes. Now that the weather is cooling off, I am starting to panic about the wardrobe that I have been reluctant to refresh because I find my clothes pretty darned comfortable. The problem with comfort is that it’s not necessarily stylish. To their credit, my male friends have been very kind. They’ve tried to help me by encouraging me to buy the trendy item they see me eyeballing, telling me what their wives would wear, or even pointing out which women in the office I should approach for assistance. But this is a personal journey I have to take on my own. I need the confidence to pull off a current fashion trend and not feel like a geeky girl dressed up for Halloween.

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Where have your soybeans been?

Bean curbs are also known as tofu, or bean curd.

The following sign must have been made with voice recognition software because it is beyond a spell check fail. I had no idea what “Prmpkin with pock bonk” was until I looked at the package, which was a soup-making kit. The sign should have read “Pumpkin with pork bone”.

Prmpkin w/pock bonk translates to Pumpkin with pork bone.

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