Kate's Bad Cat 'Thank You' Cards

I am not a hugely crafty person. 

I used to really like scrap-booking, but I am pretty crap at it. I cannot cut a straight line to save my life. But, in a book I recently read; 'ADULTING: HOW TO BECOME A GROWN-UP IN468 EASY(ISH) STEPS' by Kelly Williams Brown, I learned the importance of 'Thank You' cards. I have sent them out before, but usually on occasions that involved presents. I am now actively trying to be a gracious adult, who sends out 'Thank You' cards. 

When I started this practice I had one problem, I hate buying cards. Cards are SO expensive and people just end up throwing them out anyways. Okay, I don't throw out cards because I love having fragments of the past to remind me of things and people that are now gone (and I have a minor hoarding problem). I guess the moral to this part of the story is that I love people spending money on nice cards for me, but I do not like to spend money on cards. Also, there are some pretty sweet cards for occasions but I think it is quite possible that all of the slackers are posted to the 'Thank You' division in card companies. When shopping for a nice set of 'Thank you' cards all I could find were cards featuring birds or flowers with semi-sentimental messages, not ideal for a 24-year old radio presenter who loves South Park.

Continuing on to the point of this blog post, I now make Cat Cards. In order to save a little money and add a little Kate Bruce flare, I have begun to make my own 'Thank You' cards. I found a box of great generic colored cards, a hilarious book of cats behaving badly (not my first choice but sassy cats are SUPER trendy right now) and combined the two things for a unique take on 'Thank You'. 

Share your unique ways to say 'Thank You' with me kate@mountainfm.net!

2015: The Year of the Blockbuster

This summer has been filled with tremendous blockbuster movies hitting cinemas, as an avid movie fan I have felt the pressure to stay afloat with the steady stream of new releases opening in theatres. I have definitely missed a fair share of the movies I wanted to see this summer because there just hasn’t been time. This summer’s movie release line-up is stressing me out (well in advance) of what is promising to be one of the biggest years in movie history, 2015.

I love going to the movies. I love being one of the first people I know to see a film. I enjoy nearly every element of visiting the theatre; I consider it money well spent. I am going to have to budget my money wisely for 2015 to manage the CRAZY list of blockbusters that will be on the big screens.

Here are the films we know (so far) that will be in the stellar 2015 line-up:

Star Wars: Episode VII
Jurassic Park IV
The Avengers: Age of Ultron
Avatar 2
Cinderella
Man of Steel Sequel (Untitled)
Pirates of the Caribbean 5
Finding Dory
Mission: Impossible 5
Terminator 5
Bond 24
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
Kung Fu Panda 3
The Fantastic Four
Die Hardest
The Adventures of Tintin: Red Rackham's Treasure
Crimson Peak
Assassin's Creed
Snow White and the Huntsman 2
American Sniper
Hotel Transylvania 2
The Outsider
Spy's Kid
Slaughterhouse-Five
Alvin and the Chipmunks 4
The Penguins of Madagascar
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Silence
Pitch Perfect 2
Ant-Man
Untitled Jason Bourne Sequel
The Smurfs 3
Peanuts
Popeye
A Thousand Splendid Suns
After Earth 2

Those titles are just a few of the highlights from IMDB.com’s list of 554 films set to be released in 2015; scary, right? How much will you budget on theatre expenses in 2015? What movie are you looking forward to seeing the most? 

Sharknado: The Worst Movie I Have EVER Seen

Sharknado (2013) is officially the worst movie I have ever seen and I have seen some pretty horrible movies. I usually love cheesy, made for TV movies but the SyFy network totally took advantage of my weakness; exploiting it with Sharknado. 

I had to check Sharknado out, it was all everyone was talking about online. I thought it would be a fun summer thriller, instead it was pretty much comedy. Even though the story kept me asking, "what is going to happen?" I never forgot I was watching a D-list TV movie that even Netflix would call bad. I honestly think none of the actors in Sharknado will never get jobs again, even Tara Reid. 

The movie focuses on a storm system bringing a tornado full of sharks to parts of California, which is all you really need to know. 

I know I need to chill out a little bit about how much I disliked Sharknado, it is supposed to be a silly summer movie; but I honestly think Downton Abbey is more thrilling than this piece of turd of a movie. The worst part of all of it is that Sharknado's second airing brought in 38% more viewers than the premiere. And, it will be hitting select theaters in a limited release because there has been SO much buzz about it.

I am really sorry if you loved Sharknado, we can still be friends. Here's a tip if you are a Sharknado fan, get ready SyFy will be releasing their next shark themed gem on August 22. Ghost Shark is another shark movie with a title that explains exactly what the movie is about perfectly, I hope you enjoy it!

Nelson's Marketfest

Buy local is a movement very close to my heart. My parents both own their own small businesses in my hometown in Nova Scotia. Our family farm is a constant reminder to me when I am shopping for groceries that it is important to source where your foods (and products) are coming from. I had a great time checking out Nelson's Marketfest last Friday night; it was a really cool spin on traditional market style shopping. 

            Marketfest has everything from gelato to homemade jewelry and clothing. I was so impressed with the assortment of food trucks and vendors out on a Friday night. The streets were packed with people, lining up to look at all of the marvels of Marketfest. On top of it all there was great live music on the two stages on opposite ends to the market.

            I strongly recommend checking out the next Marketfest, Baker Street will transform again Friday, August 23 from 6pm to 10:30pm. It is a great night full of fun for the whole family. 

Kate's Reading Challenge Book 2: ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War’ by Max Brooks

One of my goals I set for myself on my twenty-fourth birthday was reading a book a week.  I am a little behind, moving twice and finishing school put a damper on my plan. To help motivate myself to finish books on time every week my new plan is to share my latest read with you on my blog. I will read anything and everything and I would love your suggestions, feel free to email them to me at kate@mountainfm.net.

         Book 2: ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War’ by Max Brooks.

My second book in my reading challenge is Max Brook’s ‘World War Z’. I have seen the Brad Pitt blockbuster and I must admit (even though there are references to my home province Nova Scotia in the movie) I MUCH prefer the book.

         ‘World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War’ is a non-stop adventure that takes the reader on a trip around the world, learning the history of a fictional war on the undead. I loved reading every page of this novel, as a radio nerd I imagined the audio art that could be created recording an audio book. I imagine the audio book for this ‘oral history’ is incredible; it is a book that would be incredible to listen to.

         I love the different perspectives presented in this book, other Zombie works do not have the detail or story that is created in ‘World War Z’. Other works leave you asking what is going on in other parts of the world as the story progresses, ‘World War Z’ answers these questions and presents a global picture. 

         This book is perfect for all types of Z-heads, I am a fan of Zombie culture; I watch ‘The Walking Dead’ and some of my favourite movies are zombie-flicks (28 Days Later). The oral account of the Zombie war in the novel is absolutely riveting; it far surpasses the plot of the film. 

Kate's Reading Challenge Book 1: ‘Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps’ by Kelly Williams Brown

         One of my goals I set for myself on my twenty-fourth birthday was reading a book a week.  I am a little behind, moving twice and finishing school put a damper on my plan. To help motivate myself to finish books on time every week my new plan is to share my latest read with you on my blog. I will read anything and everything and I would love your suggestions, feel free to email them to me at kate@mountainfm.net.

         Book 1: ‘Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps’ by Kelly Williams Brown.

For my first blog I picked a book that is incredibly relevant at this point in my life, it is called ‘Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps’.

         I really enjoyed ‘Adulting: How to Become a Grown-Up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps’, author Kelly Williams Brown is hilarious. Her book is the perfect guide to transitioning between childhood and adulthood. I wish I would have read this book earlier in life, I think it would have better prepared me for some of the mini-disasters that have plagued my life in the past.

         In fact, I was reading this book when I went through my current life crisis (click here for the story) and it really helped me get through it with her AFGO theory in Chapter 10: Times Were Tough (Step 389 especially). My little car incident did not ruin my vacation the next day and everyone commented on how calm and reasonable I was being... unlike my previous car accidents. 

         I recommend this book for anyone who needs someone to help to get it together (I did). I think it is pretty hard to get everything in parenting; this guide to ‘adulting’ is perfect for helping move between stages of life. From ensuring furniture will fit into your new apartment, choosing a partner or even just recognizing that not everyone can be a special snowflake; this book can help you out in any stage of life.

Next Week: 'World War Z' by Max Brooks

Tanker Spill Breaking News Update 2:00PM

Mountain FM's latest updated on the overturned tanker leaking into Lemon Creek and the Slocan Valley evacuations. The evacuation order put in place yesterday has been lifted and Highway 6 has reopened.a 24-hour restrictive order for people using source water for drinking and irrigation remains in effect. A total of 579 residents were evacuated during the 'State of Emergency' to three reception Centre. 

When Life Gives You Lemons, Write a Blog

I have tried to hush-up about a little car accident I was part of a little over two weeks ago on my vacation, but today I just have to vent about it a little bit.

Here is the story: On our drive back to Calgary to leave for my boyfriend’s family trip to New York we left Mountain FM when I was done work around 5pm, we knew we would be getting into Calgary late but we wanted the extra time at home to check out Stampede. Around 11:30PM we were on a dark stretch of road (somewhere between Black Diamond and

Pincher Creek) and a bear found its way onto the road. My car was pretty damaged by the hit and the bear died as a result. After around 45 minutes of waiting for emergency services we finally were able to get out of the car (the bear had been alive for a while and we did not want to cross paths with it so we stayed in the car), I don’t think I have ever had a longer wait for anything my entire life. We had to keep the car on, it was pitch dark outside and we only managed to have one bar of cell phone service between the two of us. Looking back at it we were pretty lucky to get a complete phone call in to 911 at all.

Now almost three weeks later I still am trying not to think about it because it makes me pretty sad. My little car was a brand-new, three and a half month old 2013 Ford Focus and I love (maybe loved) it so much! Every time I get into the 2006 Ford Taurus I am renting it makes me sad, I have never connected with a car before… now I know that feeling. Even though I had only had it for three months we had been through a lot together, driving from Nova Scotia all the way to the Kootenays. We spent many hours together… especially a rough one stranded in Fargo, North Dakota after my boyfriend misinterpreted the amount of kilometers left on the gas meter.

Part of me feels a little stupid for having such an emotional response to a material thing, even though my iPhone shattered when the airbags deployed I don’t get the same response when I look at it… I am not a huge fan of the glass shards sticking out of it, but that is a physical thing. I had been pretty hardcore about protecting my little iPhone, after seeing some of the damage people I know have done to their iPhones. The feeling I get when I look at it now is just a little reminder that instead of sliding into my cute little ‘candy blue’ Ford Focus, I will be climbing into a vehicle that still has a tape deck.

I am so thankful no one was injured (past bumps, bruises, cuts and soreness) in the accident, but my heartaches for my little car. I can’t wait to have her back (or one of her many twins), until then I will continue to be petty; hoping and preying for her speedy recovery. 

The Best Thursday Night Surprise EVER!

I love animals.

Last night I was so excited when I got home, a dog was just hanging out in the kitchen of the house I am renting a room in. For a while I wondered, where did this dog come from? Did a miracle happen? Was the dog I had been dreaming of? Or, maybe life had gone in a ‘Lone Ranger’ direction; could this be my spirit dog? The answer to all of these questions (of course) was no, my roommate had run out quickly without mentioning that he was watching his family’s dog.

Golden retrievers are my favorite breed of dog so I was super excited when Teva showed up, unfortunately she pays way more attention to my boyfriend than to me. We played house with her all evening, we let her trick us into feeding her (we did not know she had already been fed) and she joined us while we watched TV and played Yahtzee. I even got to experience the best feeling ever, when a large dog leans into you and stakes their claim on your attention until your body goes numb.

Having Teva around was the best surprise ever. I love animals, I grew up on a farm and we always had at least one dog. We rescued our current dog Levi, an energetic boarder collie, one summer while I was home from university and I miss him everyday. But, if growing up on a farm has taught me anything is that they are a commitment not to be taken lightly. Growing up we never got to go on vacations (or any other trips) because of the dedication needed to live with a bunch of animals.

I am moving into my own apartment next week and I have been fighting the urge to visit the SPCA everyday, I would love to adopt an older dog. But, I know I am at a point in my life where I want to travel (and I work 9-5) so having a dog in my little apartment would be cruel.

But, on a happy note, there is a 100% chance of playing with a dog in my immediate future; which is way better than the 0% chance of dog time every other night. 

Update, the next night another dog was there too!

He was not nearly as fun though...

Rant: How Do You Keep Your Glasses Clean?

I live with the curse (as I am sure many of you do) of wearing glasses. 

There is nothing I despise more than my second set of eyes. I hate that I would be a better athlete if I wore them, I dislike needing them to drive anytime/anywhere and I wish I could just pick any pair of crappy sunglasses to sport for a summer without prescription lenses. 

I was sentenced to needing glasses in April 2005, I was 16 years old and going to get my license when it was determined that I was in need of visual aide. Both my younger brother and sister were prescribed glasses five years earlier, my mother had forgotten to take back to the optometrist (as he requested) to check-in the next year... which snowballed into five appointment-free years.

Why am I telling you this? I am hoping you can help me out a little bit. What do you do to keep your glasses clean? Mine always seem to be dusty or dirty, regardless of care of cleaning patterns. I am a learned, I have learned to manage living with glasses better as I have aged. I used to sit on them, lose them, run over them and a few pairs have just fallen apart. My current favourite pair of Raybans have been retired for home use only because my brother tackled me for a loonie a couple of months ago, they ended up bending in the process. 

Someday I will be able to afford surgically correcting my eyes; until then I need your help easing the frustration brought on my fingerprints, dust and splatter. 

End rant. 

Though you can find me wearing my glasses 90% of my active day, you will not find me wearing glasses on my Facebook page... the closest it comes is in the photo below.

Street Eats at the Element Club Bar and Grill

Photos do not do this food justice... not even close. 

            If you have listened to my radio show on Mountain FM you know I love food*. After missing out on Calgary (my previous home) I thought I should check out Castlegar’s own “tribute to street food”, at Element Club Bar and Grill. I grabbed my bite to eat this afternoon, ordering my own personal gourmet shrine to street food… and was I ever impressed.  

the vast array of food trucks in

            You could serve me this food out of a dumpster and I would still eat it. Seriously, if you have leftovers from you visit bring them to me at the studio, I work 9-5. I settled (after a painstaking elimination process) on the ‘Notorious P.I.G’ (almost as fun to say as it is to eat) and the ‘Pulled Pork Yam Poutine’ for a starter.

            The ‘Pulled Pork Yam Poutine’ was perfect for sharing. My boyfriend and I tore the plate apart, fighting for every last bite of it. The house made gravy boosts the sweet flavour of the yam fried out of this world! The pulled pork adds to the party.

            And the ‘Notorious P.I.G.’; how can you go wrong with crisp pork belly, bacon, a fried egg, garnished with bacon jam and baconnaise on a bun? I would graciously accept a lesson in making bacon jam any day of the week, it is incredible.  I don’t eat bread, but I ate the brioche bun just to ensure I got as much of the bacon jam and baconnaise as possible.

            Just a note, I am not trying to get free food by blogging about the Elements slam-dunk take on street food; they are more than welcome to take my money.  Here is the rest of the slammin’ ‘Street Eats’ menu:

-The Fried Chicken & Waffle Club Sandwich

-Vietnamese Banh Mi

-Bavarian Smokie Reuben

-Rickard’s Red Cheese Burger

-Souvlaki Pita

-Crunchy Fish Tacos

-Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar Mac

-Pad Thai

            Next time I visit I will be trying the lobster tempura tacos for sure. Picking out your next meal before you leave, that’s the mark of a great restaurant right?

*If you don’t listen to my radio show on Mountain Fm, get with it! It runs daily from 10am until 2pm PST.

Castlegar Sculpture Walk Sandsations

If you are in Castlegar you need to go down to Pioneer Arena and check out the amazing sand sculptures produced in this years Castlegar Sculpture Walk: Sandsations walk.

They are amazing! I look at them and envy the skill used to make such incredible mounds of art. I kept an eye on the process a couple of weekends ago when the artists were creating their works and the process is simply extraordinary.

Growing up on the East Coast (in Nova Scotia) I never was even able to work out the process to make the perfect sandcastle with a mold. I cannot imagine the time, effort and skill used to make these masterpieces.

I have never seen sand made into art in such an impressive fashion. I saw some incredible pieces of work while in Nelson in Canada Day too, does everyone in the Kootenays know the secret to sandsculpting?

John McKinnon, Peter Vogelaar, Denis Kleine and David Ducharme know the sand secret, that is for sure. They have mastered this year's theme 'Fairy Tales', each work is an adventure into another world where the mystical and magical can happen. You must make a trip down to Pioneer Arena and see these incredible pieces of art this summer! 

New #RoyalBaby! What He Shouldn't Be Named...

Today we saw our first glimpse of the future King of England. Well as long as there is not a Zombie apocalypse in the near future, I think the end of days is more likely right now than abolishing the monarchy. At this fever pitch in popularity, office pools everywhere are paying up the correct bets on the date and gender of the baby; only one thing is uncertain... the little guy's name. 

Fortunately, I think the Duke and Duchess are the most level headed of the new-celebrity parents out there. Though the baby may have a dozen names and titles, a royal mouthful, they will all be traditional (I'm guessing). Boring in comparison in comparison with his pint-sized contemporaries like Ace Knute, North West and Blue Ivy; our new prince will have the name Albert amongst others (my mother guesses).

In honor of the hottest topic on earth right now, the '#RoyalBaby' here is a list of children that probably wish their parents would have stuck to a traditional name. 

When I started this post I thought it would just be a fun little post, but this long list of celebrities with odd baby names took WAY longer to research than I thought it would!

-Moon Unit Zappa, daughter of Frank Zappa.

-Kal-El (after Superman's birthname) Coppola Cage, son of Nicolis Cage

-Maple Sylvie, daughter of Jason Bateman

-Zuma Nesta Rock and Kingston James McGregor, sons of Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

-Moroccan Scott Cannon, son of Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey

-Memphis Eve, daughter of the ever-pretentious Bono

-Ever Gabo, daughter of Milla Jovovich

-Moxie Crime-Fighter Jillette, daughter of Penn Jillette

- Destry Allyn Spielberg, daughter of Stephen Spielberg

-Sagemoon Blood, son of Sylvester Stallone

- Kyd , son of David Duchovny

-Reignbeau and Freedom Rhames, daughter and son of Vig Rhames

- Harlow Winter Kate and James Midnight Madden, daughter and son of Nicole Ritchie and Joel Madden

-Audio Science, son of Shannyn Sossamon

-Sailor Lee, daughter of Christie Brinkley

-Daughters: Zahara Marley and Shiloh Nouvel. Sons: Maddox Chivan Thornton and Pax Thien. Parents: (you guessed it) Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt

-Daughters Poppy Honey, Daisy Boo and Petal Blossom Rainbow. Son: Buddy Bear.  Children of celeb-chef Jamie Oliver

-Banjo Patrick, son of Rachel Griffiths

-Egypt Daoud Ibarr Dean, son of Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

-Tennessee James, son of Reese Witherspoon

-Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf Lee, son of Jason Lee

-Blue Ivy, daughter of Beyonce and Jay Z (duh!)

-Bronx Mowgli Wentz, son of Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz

-Antonio Kamakanaalohamaikalani Harvey Sabato III, son of Antonio Sabato.

-Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa, daughter of Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet,.

-Rainbow Aurora, daughter of Holly Madison

-Breeze Beretta, daughter of Levi Johnson

-North West, daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian

-Ace Knute, son of Jessica Simpson and Eric Johnson

-Jermajesty Jermaine Jackson and Jaafar Jeremiah Jackson, (I think you can see what they were going for with this one) sons of Jermaine LaJuane Jackson

- Destiny Hope Cyrus, daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus.

From A to F-listers, apparently stars like to give their kids unique names. I didn’t include some of the easy ones, like ‘Apple’ because honestly I think that is a cool name and really what is so weird about it? If you can think of any genuinely strange ones I missed on my list feel free to give me a shout @katebruce on Twitter or kate@mountainfm.net. 

I am really hoping forward William and Kate will be the King and Queen of normal and boring with a traditional English name… like George. 

        

My First Car Wash Experience

Over the weekend Mountain FM had the chance to team up with the crew at the Lion’s Head Pub in

Robson for their charity bikini car wash. I was pretty excited, I had never been part of a car wash before, not even as a kid in girl scouts.

I had so much fun! Although I clearly missed the note about bikinis (as you can see in the photo), I still had a great time. And, the Mountain FM cruiser never has sparkled like it does right now! The entire crew of brave women (and one gentleman) who sported bikinis for this great cause need to be commended for putting on such a great event, they worked their ta-tas off!

After hours in the hot sun, the crew raked in $1600 for breast cancer! AMAZING! They spent the entire day out in the hot Kootenay sun and did not quit until every last vehicle, boat, fire truck and motorcycle was shining.  

Callie was also their getting ready to chop her locks off to make wigs for those who loss their hair to cancer. Below you can hear her story. 

The Conjuring with Jenny & Kate

When I was a child I loved horror movies.

As an adult, horror movies make me feel old and silly.

Why? Still not 100% sure. I think it has to do with a feeling that I was invisible, as an adult I have realized I am SO totally vulnerable. Also, pretty freakin’ co-dependent, watching a horror flick melts my mind. I live in fear of shapes and shadows until the sunrises. I can't even watch late night TV without my remote close by, every time a creepy trailer airs I have to change the channel. 

As a child, I would hide my eyes and wait for the shocking part of the scare to be over and then look up at the screen. As an adult, I do the exact same thing… longer. So long in fact that I scared myself more than needed, catching the most terrifying moment of ‘The Conjuring’ when I saw it Saturday night. I missed an entire scene of the movie and popped up at the worst possible second. I was so scared a full scream escaped my lips, making me look (and sound) foolish; giving the entire theatre a laugh.

On the plus side, I have not lost a minute of sleep yet (it has only been two nights since the viewing). But, I have a feeling that will change living in the basement (the most haunted part of most houses, as horror movies have taught us) of an old house in Nelson.

My little scream at Kootenay Centre Cinema is one of the most shameful moments of my life. It has been a long time since I have been so embarrassed. Thank goodness Afternoon Drive Hostess; Jenny Fines was beside me, screaming at the exact same time.  

Give the following sound clip a listen to hear our ‘The Conjuring’ experience! If you love to be scared (or to watch people be scared) you need to go see it!

NHL Players Will Play in Sochi

Photo credit: www.TheStar.com

I know I can't start every blog saying, "I am pretty excited."

But, that is how I feel this morning hearing the news that NHL players will be allowed to play in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. 

Honestly, I will be watching regardless of who is playing. Seriously, TIMBITS could be on the ice and I would be sitting in my red and white cheering. 

I think we need to pursue the idea of a International TIMBIT tournament, it would be adorable. 

Back to the serious stuff, I like seeing the best represent our country. I like seeing NHL teammates square-off and rivals join forces. To me, that is part of the spirit of the Olympics. 

And, this announcement means that the NHL can now move forward with the schedule for the 2013-2014 season.

Double win. 

The Griffins Meet The Simpsons

I am pretty excited.

It looks like it is time for the residents of Quahog and Springfield to finally meet. I never thought the day would come when Homer Simpson and Peter Griffin would share the small screen. The plot line has the Griffins on a road-trip that leads them to Springfield. Even though Homer refers to the Griffins as his new "Albino Friends" from what I have read there seems to be a lot of love between the characters (despite digging at each other in the past).

Why am I excited about this? I was let down by Seth MacFarlane's efforts to combine Family Guy, the Cleveland Show and American Dad. I think combining two different creative teams for a show will be much more interesting and more importantly much more fun (that’s why we watch animated shows, right?).

It will be just like when The Flintstones met the Jetsons.

The joint-episode reportedly titled, "The Simpsons Guy" will air sometime in the autumn 2014.