changes

Andy from HJM Insurance came through for us! A bit bizarre, since I found him simply by searching the Web...I think I lucked out. Anyway, Doug and I went to pick up our keys yesterday, woohoo! Then we immediately went up to check out our new office, which of course looks even more splendid than before since it's really ours.

Also, since it's been made official elsewhere, I can announce this here...Jeff is resigning from his job to come work for Inkspot! He'll also be doing some consulting, and the three of us (Jeff, Doug, and me) will be sharing the office space. Tons of stuff to do before we can move in...installing an alarm system, Internet access, getting office furniture (likely a mixture of hand-me-downs and Ikea to start off with :)), other supplies.

Both Jeff and I are spending the weekend working. My brain feels like it's going to explode. I was struck by a terrible craving for chocolate this afternoon...found 1/3 bag of chocolate chips hidden away in the pantry, yay!

patrick stewart in my neighbourhood!

Went to see Happy, Texas a couple of nights ago...fun movie. Just before the movie started, Helen recognized someone in the row just ahead of us...the Bell Silent But Funny guy. You know, the fellow in the Bell Sympatico commercials with the wild hair who is always standing in the background doing funny things while a fellow in the foreground talks about getting on the Internet. I'm sure that means nothing to those of you outside of Canada, but there you go. A brush with celebrity.

Speaking of celebrity (!)...before the movie, we wandered around Indigo for about twenty minutes. I asked a clerk in the Children's Section where I could find the first Harry Potter book, and he showed me the display. Then he asked me where he could get a coat like mine (I was wearing my Inkspot coat), and was I associated with the Inkspot people? :-) Turns out he's a fan of Inkspot! I was quite tickled, I have to confess...it's the first time anyone has recognized the name from my coat.

Patrick Stewart News! As some of you already know, I'm a big Patrick Stewart fan. Allison recently told me that Patrick Stewart was going to be in the movie X-Men (as a villain, which is even more fun), and so of course I've been interested in the progress of that movie. So imagine my delight upon hearing the news that the X-Men movie is going to be FILMING IN MY NEIGHBOURHOOD THIS WEEK in Metro Hall, which is across the street behind Roy Thompson Hall.

You know, I never have taken the time to full acquaint myself with the city council offices and other public venues in that building...I think that perhaps this week might be a good time for me to do a little bit of exploring.

Wish me luck, eh? :-)

national techie day

Today Is National Techie Day!

Had dinner at Andy's and Christine's last night, visited with our friend Andrew Platzer (in town from California). Their 3.5 year old daughter, Elspeth, is darned cute, and asked me to read some picture books to her.

Speaking of kids...

I was playing with my 2.5 year old niece Annie a few days ago, and she suddenly stops jumping up and down on me and says, "I ha' bones."

"I beg your pardon?" I ask. Annie still has a toddler accent and I sometimes have trouble understanding her (she's also at the age where I can no longer pretend I do understand her, and gets VERY frustrated when I clearly have no clue about what she's trying to get across).

Annie points to her arm. "I ha' bones. An' skin."

"Oh! You have bones and skin."

She nods happily, and then keeps playing.

I pondered for a few minutes on what she had said, marvelling at the implications, but then she started pulling me upstairs to show me some toys and the moment was gone.

I have bones and skin.

Patrick Stewart Search Update

Found out that X-Men filming takes place tomorrow through Thursday, and that on Friday they'll be filming RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET in Roy Thompson Hall. My friend Luisa and I are going to go exploring Metro Hall around lunchtime on Thursday. Updates to follow!

limerick memory

Crazy weather! RAINING today. Going to New York tomorrow for a business meeting as well as to hear a talk at Christie's.

Explanation of the latter: when Jeff and I got engaged eight years ago, we were in Ireland with some friends, renting a wing of a castle owned by the Knight of Glin. We had a ton of fun exploring the castle (which was a bit worn-looking, hence the relatively inexpensive rental rate back then) but full of twisty little passages, rambling castle grounds, turrets, and even a secret door. I remember snooping through a desk in the library, and finding a crumbly family manuscript that looked as though it belonged behind glass in a museum. It was also kind of neat to meet a real Knight! Though not anything like I expected...the Knight came to introduce himself the first morning, whilst wearing a terrycloth bathrobe with a newspaper and toothbrush tucked under one arm. Seemed like a nice fellow.

In the evenings, we would get dressed up for fun and have our meals in the formal dining hall, the silver settings glittering in the candlelight, walls lined with glowering family portraits. It was a wonderful time. When Jeff and I announced our engagement mid-week, our friends got together and bought us a pair of crystal goblets from Galway, which they presented to us near the end of our stay. We used those as toasting goblets at our wedding.

Anyway, one of our friends found out that the Knight and his wife were giving a talk about the castle in New York tomorrow, so we're having a semi-reunion and going out for dinner after.

I will try to do some blathering from NYC, or at least post in Blatherchat; I'm bringing a laptop so I can sending out Inklings.

Update 6 pm:
Hey, my friend David had an article published in Salon

officestuff

Several people have asked me when I'm moving into my new office. The answer: probably not for at least a month. Before then, we have to get Internet access set up, a phone system, and furniture. And a plant, of course. I want an office plant that I can lovingly name, nurture, and ultimately kill from overwatering. I've also decided to incorporate Inkspot...more paperwork (did I tell you how much I love paperwork? =:-O) but worth it in the long run, I think. Andy The Insurance Guy met us at the office yesterday morning to finalize insurance stuff. By the way, I highly recommend Andy Baile's services! (HJM Insurance) He was the only one of about five insurance people we talked to that seemed to show a genuine understanding of the Internet and my business. Many of the others seemed to have the attitude that I was insane having an online business.

Stuff going on in Metro Square across the street...from my office, I can see trucks and fences which seem to indicate that the X-Men film crew are in the area. No sign of dear Patrick, yet. ;-)

Had lunch with Andrew, Reid, and Jeff at Fune yesterday. Andrew went back to the west coast and Apple yesterday, but he'll be back at Christmas.

My computer's crashing a lot these days. It takes ages for my computer to reboot, so I was using the time to work on music. I learned how to play the penny whistle during crashes. Yesterday, I wrote a short and silly Phantom Menace song during crashes (I kid you not). I'm going to teach it to Allison and Jodi tomorrow; hopefully we'll have it ready to perform at OVFF.