So, I haven't updated in a while.
We'll start with New York. In a word, it was awesome. We went to Upper Canada Village and the way they had decorated it was beautiful. The had some candles that when you burn them, the drips are multi-coloured, they're so cool. Michelle and I went to see New Moon, that was fun. It was great seeing them all again and having Christmas there. I got a beautiful crystal angel that I absolutely love. I'll put the pics. on facebook.
Celtic Thunder-It's Entertainment is coming out in 6 days, I am so excited for that. I can't wait, literally.
My shift at work has been changed to 8-5, I love the sleeping in part.

I'll update some more soon.

3 more days and I'll be in New York. I is so excited to see everybody again. Can't wait. That's about all for now.

Ok, new stuff.
I'm going to Michelle's next week for Christmas. We're opening presents on the 18th, so christmas is coming early this year. So excited for that. So, it is officially 7 more days.
Celtic Thunder-It's Entertainment went on pre-order yesterday or today and I looked at the cover, it's amazing. I can't wait for the DVD and the CD to come out on Feb.9th. The DVD has the songs "Take Me Home (Ensemble), Ev'ry Breath You Take (Ryan), Just Like Jessie James (Caroline), Hard to Say I'm Sorry (Keith), Home (Damian), My Life With You (George), You Raise Me Up (Paul), Hallelujah (Neil, Ryan, Keith), Standing on the Corner (Damian), Bad Bad Leroy Brown (Ryan), Surfer Medley (Keith), Doo Wacka Doo (Paul), 500 Miles (George),Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Ensemble), Lough Swilly Railway (Celtic Thunder Band), Ireland's Call (Ensemble)," same as the concert and the CD has "My Life With You (George), Home (Damian), Sway (Paul), Hallelujah (Neil, Ryan, Keith), Lough Swilly Railroad (Celtic Thunder Band), Everything I do (I do it for you) (Ryan), Just Like Jessie James (Caroline Torti), Surfer Medley (Keith), Amazing Grace (Ensemble), Standing on the Corner (Damian), Hello Again (George), Doo Whacka Do (Paul), Hard To Say I'm Sorry (Keith), When you wish upon a Star (Neil), Bad Bad Leroy Brown (Ryan), I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (Ensemble) on it. I can't wait to hear all the songs again and hear the new songs. I's shaking with excitement. I'm not pre-ordering it, though because it won't get shipped until the 9th and I don't want to have to wait another week to get it so I'll buy it at the store on the 9th and then watch it and listen to it the same day.

Toronto

So, I should probably tell you about my Toronto trip. I'm sorry guys, I'm awful at journaling and this is pretty much like a journal. I'll try to do better.
When I first got to the International Centre and got inside, the first place I went was the merchandise table and spent a small fortune there. I bought a "Celtic Thunder Sorm" sweater, a t-shirt made specifically (say that Mish. lol.) for the Toronto filming, a photo pack, a keychain and a program. I felt bad for Alex, Sharon's son, he was helping me and I had been given a medium t-shirt so I asked him if I could get a small one and I guess they didn't have any left at our table and so he went to the other table and brought back a huge pile. There was also a CD for a girl named Deirdre Shannon and I asked someone who that was and she told me I would find out. Then I found my seat, it was in Section B row J seat 4 but I was able to move up to row H seat 2. So, the concert starts. I was on the edge of my seat with excitement. A bit of an aside- George, Paul, Keith, Damian and a few others are farmers and Ryan and a few others are gypsies. All of these songs are originals except Mo Ghile Mear, Phil Coulter wrote them all, so they're unfortunately not on the internet.
The first song was "Storm overture," it was instrumental except for all the guys, including the band, vocalizing.
Then it was all the guys singing "New Day Dawning," here's some of the words. "Thank you Lord for a new day dawnin, all over our mountains and valleys below" "Thank you Lord for a new day dawning...all over the land that we love." "This is our land, this is where we belong." "We'll drive the invader back to the sea."
Then Ryan sang "Outside looking in," here's some of the words "I'm on the outside lookin' in but I like it that way" "Here on the outside lookin' in, I see the games that they play" "Be sure to lock up your daughters" "...I don't care... So long as I get my share..." "...When it's late at night and you blow out the lights, If you hear a sound, I might be around..." "...I'm a dark and deadly stranger..." Ryan stood in the trees and jumped down, it was awesome.
Then Damian sang "When you are 18" "I've got more of the answers And I'm only 18" "...I don't need protecting, just need respecting..." "I'm a man who's ready I'm strong and I'm steady..." "...Love's complicated and overrated..."
George sand "Life in the old dog yet." I loved this song, it was hilarious. "...You can't put an old head on young shoulders" "My advice is the best I can give..." "...I'm still the top banana, they still answer when I call..." "...I only have one daughter..." "People need reminding I'm the boss around here..." "...I'm not ready to roll over, there's life in the old dog yet" "... I'm the daddy of them all..."
Paul sang "Not the One." " She's not the one for me Not the one that heaven sent for me And though I haven't found her yet She's not the one, she's not the one..." "She's young and oh so pretty with a twinkle in her eye..." "To make a young man sigh..." "She's sweet and sunny like a morning maid Just the kind of creature who could steal your heart away..."
Keith sang "Stand and Deliver." I love this song too. When Keith first started singing, I was like "Keith, a bad guy?" It cracked me up. " Look out! The highwayman's about..." "Stand and Deliver, I'll take your money or your life. Stand and deliver And tonight, I just might, take your wife" In the background, there was a screen and as Keith was singing it showed a highwayman stopping a carriage and stealing their money and jewelery and after the highwayman leaves, the man goes to talk to the driver and the wife gets out of the carriage, puts on her cloak and runs after the highwayman.
Then Deirdre, the new female singer, sang "The Highwayman." " Who is the highwayman?" "...As he takes your diamonds he'll flash you a smile..." "...easy to remember and hard to forget..."
"...He's dashing and daring and devil may care..." "...He'll take all your jewels, but do it with style
As he pockets your diamonds he'll flash you a smile..." "...He's stolen from princes and stolen from earls, but his greatest pleasure is stealing from girls..."
The next song was "Lagan Love" Paul sang it. " ...Now, My Lagan Love..." "...the twilight gleam is in her eye, night is on her hair, the song of heart's desire..."
Then Ryan sang "Midnight Well." Love that song. "In the town, the people stay away From the midnight well For it's dark and evil, so they say The midnight well
-They'll tell you a tale of a lovely young maid The fairest that they'd ever known What a beauty, they say But she went her own way On that night, she set out on her own
-For they say, she had a rendezvous At the midnight well With a gypsy man she barely knew At the midnight well
-Nobody knew where he came from But they remember the fire in his eyes His earring of gold And his hair black as coal And a look that could just hypnotize
-When he said Come away, come away with me Come here and lay with me Come away out of the light Come away, come away Come and ride with me into the night
-Never more, they never saw her face At the midnight well She was gone, and never left a trace
At the midnight well
-They say when the summer nights come to an end The harvest moon glows in the sky A black horse will appear and a sound you will hear As the ghost of a gypsy flies by
-And he says Come away, come away with me Come here and lay with me Come away out of the light Come away, come away Come and ride with me into the night."
I think Caroline Torti sang "Shadows Dancing." I didn't really like this song, it was kind of eerie.
" Shadows, Shadows dancing Shadows dancing in the moonlight shadows dancing in the dark..."
I think all of them sang "Harry's game," I don't remember. It's all in Gaelic so I don't know the words either.
Paul sang "Tender is the night. "...I'm yearning for your touch Yearning for your tenderness..." "...You've made me whole Touched my very soul..." "...The future is so bright Tender is the night..." "...I believe in love, just as I believe in you..."
I think George sang "This was my life. "...I've known contentment in a woman's arms and felt the warmth of her devotion" "...I've known ? and dark despair as deep as any ocean..." "...I'm so glad that this is my life..."
Keith and Damian sang "Look at me." I loved this song, it was hilarious. "Look at me..." "I'm cool and I'm charming...I'm debonair and daring" "I don't need no fandangos I've got all of the angles..." "I ain't no beginner A natural winner That's me to a T... I can sing a cappella I'm a hell of a fella"
Take a good look at yourself What do you see?...For goodness sake..." "A natural loser Take it from me "...All the ladies are laughin'..." "...You're headin' for trouble..." "...Be patient with ladies..." "...They'll eat you for supper and spit you out in the street..." "...It's a bad time to be cocky..." Damian thinks he's ready for love and Keith is saying you're a loser, the ladies are laughing ask yourself why.
They all sang "Mo Ghile Mear." It's mainly in Gaelic, but you can find the words on the internet.
So that was the first half called "Storm." Then we had a 45 minute intermission because they needed to change the set. I bought Deirdre Shannon's CD at this time, she's very good. Then the second half started, it's called "That's Entertainment." You can find all these lyrics on the internet, a few of them are originals. The lads are all back in their suits now.
They all sang "Take Me Home." I absolutely love this song, it's one of my favourites. This is an original.
Ryan sang "Ev'ry breath you take." Yes, it the stalker song. I hated this song until Ryan sang it, now I love it.
Deirdre sang "Just like Jessie James." I loved this song. Deirdre is mad at Keith, he did something to hurt her. "it took a lot to get my heart and it'll take a lot to break it" "tonight you're going down in flames, just like jessie james."
Keith sang "Hard to say I'm sorry." He's apologizing to Deirdre for hurting her.
Damian sang "Home" by Michael Buble. I must say, Damian did a fine job. I loved it.
George sang "My life with you." It's a love song.
Paul sang "You raise me up." He does a fairly good job, but he sounds depressed the song even when he's supposed to be happy, so it's not my favourite version.
Neil, Ryan, Keith and Paul sang "Hallelujah" I think it was just them, I don't remember. It's the song from Shrek.
Damian sang the old, old song "Standing on the corner." I loved Damian's version.
Ryan, obviously, sang "Bad Bad Leroy Brown." I'm sure you've all heard this song before.
Keith, again obviously, sang "Surfer medley." It had surfing in the USA in it but I don't remember which other ones were in it. Sorry.
Paul sang "Doo wacka doo." This song cracked me up, it was hilarious watching Paul tap dance. This one is an original.
George sang "500 miles." Absolutely love this song.
They all sang "Still haven't found what I'm looking for." I really liked this song, too.
"Lough swilly railway" was an instrumental. I think Phil wrote this song, I wouldn't swear my life on it, though.
Then they all sang "Ireland's Call." Celtic Thunder wouldn't be Celtic Thunder without this song. Phil also wrote this song. There's another version of it and Phil wrote that one too. The first one talks about the war and how when Ireland called the people listened and fought for their country. Phil wrote the second version for Celtic Thunder. They were wearing kilts for this one. Absolutely loved the kilts.
If I remember correctly, they came out again to sing "Caledonia." I could be wrong, though.
So, that was my amazing time at the concert. I had help with the lyrics via their forum. As the Irish say, the craic was mighty, and it indeed was. I can't wait 'til next year when these songs begin touring.

So, Krystin tells me that I should update. She's right, I should.
We'll start with the fact that I'm going to Toronto in October for a Celtic Thunder concert, it's the taping of the new show "STORM" next year, so I'm gonna be on the DVD, won't that be cool. It'll be great craic. Michelle and Tony and the kids will be coming up too, and it'll be great to see them again.
I had hurt my knee on Wednesday, so I walked in to a clinic on Thursday after work, got in to see Dr.Rai and he didn't like the way I was walking so he gave me a WCB for a week off. But by last night, the pain was all gone so I booked an appointment with him today so I could get cleared to go back to work. As soon as I said that the pain was gone, he got suspicious and wanted to look at my knee and he began pressing it so get a flinch or any reaction of pain but he didn't get anything because it didn't hurt. At one point, he's like "You flinched" and I'm like, "no, I didn't." Finally, he cleared me to go back on Monday and he's like "I'll clear you for MONDAY, if you admit you're faking it." And I say "I'm not faking it." But I did get the clearance for Monday with the promise that if it gets worse again, I'll go straight in and hey, I'll take what I can get, right? The funniest thing, though, was that he thought I was lying the whole time, but I wasn't. Anybody who knows me, knows that I can't lie, I'm awful at it which he said. He's said "You're such a bad liar," and I am. There's that news.
Anything else to post about. I did go to Utah and Vegas in the Summer. The pictures are all on facebook. I should actually post the pics. from Head-Smashed in Buffalo Jump. I'll do that today.
I'm planning a trip to Scotland and Ireland next year with mum and since we're already gonna be across the pond, we'r planning on going to Spain and Italy, too. I'm trying to convince mum to go to Denmark because I want to see the 2 oceans colliding in Skaagen. I think that would be so cool. I'll have to save Germany for a different trip because I want to spend more time there, go to Auschwitz and some castles. There are so many places I want to go. I'll just list them all, Italy, Spain, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, Germany, India, Australia(apparently there's a beach in Australia that you can actually use the sand to polish your jewelry. Isn't that cool?), Nauvoo, I think I'd also like to go to each of the provinces, so that I can say that I've been from one end of the country to the other, I might not go to the Northwest Territories, not sure if I feel like freezing my butt off. I also want to ride a train. That would be fun.
Sorry, I can't think of much else. If I think of something else, I'll post it. Laters skaters.

If you make it bigger you can see their autographs.
Their buses, obviously. They had 4 of them.
And can't forget the stage. It looks like a ship. I think that's cool.

Ok, here's the long awaited Celtic Thunder pictures. The first is Paul, then George, then Ryan, then Damian. I guess I didn't get one of Keith, my bad.