Hartamophone

Having been the kid who couldn't run a full lap around the track in gym class, and having finished university as a happy-but-slovenly beer and pizza aficionado, completing a triathlon of any length would have been a laughable notion a few years ago. After starting out with short races and working my way up to a half-ironman last summer, however, I've decided to take the plunge. I'll spend the next year training for it, and next July will aim to swim 3.8K, bike 180K and run 42.2K without, well, dying. Here goes nothing.

Sympathy bump from someone who just died a little inside when he put his own Gorge tickets in the mail.

Last chance for romance. I'm mailing them out this afternoon to a buddy who is going to try and unload them at the show. Damn me and my spontaneous decision to come East for the month of August.

Check your PMs.

Post-weekend bump.

HYPE IT

Indeed. Les Lye was a mainstay of the show, and played pretty much any male character over 25 they needed. Apparently Rich Little - who was an old friend of Lye's - told him that he could easily get him in the showbiz door south of the border, but Les Lye had zero desire to leave Ottawa.

I wondered if a Les Lye thread would get any love around here. Rest in peace, Barth. Thanks for making my youth that much more entertaining.

Thanks for the offer, Basher. Another friend has offered to do the same. I would certainly prefer to sell them beforehand, but if it comes to sending them down there with someone I might get in touch with you. That's a really kind offer. And dancingbear - I should have them in hand shortly. I scored them through the lotto, not TM. Let me know if you want them, as I've had a few nibbles but they are still very much available.

Thanks, I'll fire him a message.

A pair for each night. PM me if interested. Oh yeah, I have Shorelines, too. (My summer plans have taken a bit of a sudden left turn). Merci beaucoup.

Neither is Drugfest '09.

That may very well be true, Jay. The problem is, when the promoter of an event like that says they are surprised by drug use or were trying to discourage it, it holds about as much weight as the sixteen year old telling his parents he didn't know the older kids would be drinking. Edit to add: and I'm sure that CBC is blowing it out of proportion. I think we all know how much the media loves to jump on these things, with the help of local law enforcement. "A half ounce of marijuana was seized with an estimated street value of seventeen million dollars."

Favouurite Albany moment: walking through downtown the morning after a show a couple of years ago. My girlfriend wanted a coffee and knew that Washington Ave. (I don't remember the exact street, but that's irrelevant) had a bunch of coffee shops. We walk up to a couple of cops standing nearby: "Excuse me, can you tell us how to get to Washington Ave.?" "Sure, just head straight up this street three blocks and you'll see it. Turn left if you want to buy coffee, turn right if you want to buy drugs." Sure enough, when we got to the intersection we took a look, and it got sketchy in a hurry to the right. We turned left. As for venues, I'll second AD's call of The Egg. Beautiful venue inside, and cool as hell from the outside. Revolutaion Hall in Troy, NY (just outside of Albany) often has quality shows going through.

I don't know if anyone else around here had the privilege of knowing/playing with/listening to Lorne, but he was a great guy and played in a bunch of blues and rock bands around the city (although he was originally from Peterborough). He was also the drum kit teacher at Carleton, and taught in the basement of Metro Music at Bank and Glebe for a long time, which was where I got to know him. I had lost touch with him over the years, but found it fitting fitting that on the night my old drum teacher passed away (Friday), I was sitting in behind the kit at a backwoods bar out in the sticks. Take care, Lorne. Thanks for the music, buddy.

Our site-mates at Rothbury found the best way to do it was stash as much as you could fit inside a lawn chair. ::ducks:: So true. I learned from my father that walking with purpose - especially while wearing a tie - can get you past most security guards working at any concert or sporting event.

Thank Gawd. Because if I can't lean on Basher's fourth-hand PT-filtered rumours, then I've got nothin'.

"How much does a polar bear weigh?" "I don't know." "Enough to break the ice. My name's Hart."

Blogger.com is enthusiastically endorsed by the world-renown and shamelessly plugging Harty Meal. Looking forward to the Velvlog.

Great write-ups, folks. It was indeed a special weekend yet again, and the setting and little extras (Sherwood Forest) make for a more complete feel than other events of similar size and scope. Highlights for us: YMSB, Brett Dennen, the first set of Dead, Peter Rowan (though I was bummed that Tony Rice wasn't there) and Dr. Ralph Stanley. All around a great time, with the exception of some rather selfish neighbours. Sorry to not have connected with most of you, though I would imagine our paths did cross. Great to see some Canadian flags flying in the campgrounds and I'll say again that you're not going to find a better package in a big festival.

Yeah brah! Here's to you.

Yeah, we know. Enjoy the run, brah!

Do 'er up, brah! Happy birthday.

Nice! My girlfriend and I are in Utah now, heading to New Brunswick for a wedding the week after Rothbury. Just yesterday we started kicking around the idea of hitting up the fest. We were there last year and had an awesome time, so there's a very good chance we'll be there. If anyone sees a station wagon with BC plates, bikes on the roof and a ton of crap in the back, please say hello. Peace, Hart

I'm glad you guys made it out unscathed. I kept waiting for Chad Kroeger to emerge from the storm and crotch-thrust the cops out of your way, but it was an awesome story nonetheless.