babysitting

Allison's FilKONtario report is finished and now available online, for those interested. Scott Snyder also has one online.

CONGRATULATIONS to Scott for being invited to be a Special Guest at Conthirteena in the UK next February!!! Woohoo!!!!

Good weekend, though Jeff and I worked all day Saturday. On Friday, we went out for sushi with Luisa, Reid, Ronnie (their son), Brian, and Helen. Luisa, by the way, gave me some cool chocolate stuff for my birthday...a chocolate massage bar ("sinfully sweet white chocolate and minty dark chocolate seductively blended with moisturizing cocoa butter for stimulating after-dinner massages") from Lush (great store on Queen St. that makes homemade soaps and stuff) and a chocolate bath bomb ("13 Rabbits...Drop into a hot bath and fall into a choccy haze spiced with cinnamon and clove"). Mmmmm. Can't wait to try this!

Dinner at my sister's last night. After dinner, Jeff and Sara went off for a walk. Annie tried to keep up, but she was still recovering after a bad cold and got too tired. I took her home and we had hot chocolate. Annie was delighted to have my undivided attention for once, or at least not having to share the attention with Sara. When Ruth and I started talking, Annie started calling my name, "Auntie Debbie! Auntie Debbie! Excuse me, Auntie Debbie!"

"Yes, Annie?" I ask.

Stunned at actually getting my attention, Annie says, "Um...um...", obviously desperately trying to think of something Important to tell me. Finally she blurts out, "Auntie Debbie, look at my stomach!"

I look at her stomach. "What about your stomach?"

Annie stares down at her own stomach, as if willing it to do something fascinating. "Um...it's moving."

"Moving?"

"Yeah." She jiggles around. "I'm mixing up my hot chocolate. See?" She looks up and gives me a huge grin. Annie has one of those grins that can knock you clear across the room and turn your insides into jelly. Heaven help the young man who stands in the path of that grin when she gets older.

Just before we leave, Sara brushes my hair for me. She is very gentle. Jeff asks her to brush his hair, too, but she says, "Uncle Jeff, you don't have enough hair to brush." But then she brushes it anyway. It doesn't look any different afterward.

A FKO Highlight Scott Snyder's Concert LOTS of fun...this guy is way too talented for his own good. Charming, too. :-) Check out his web page and buy his album!

fko report

Allison's written the first part of her FilKONtario report, for those interested. And as I mentioned yesterday, Scott Snyder also has one online.

We've pretty much given up on my old hard drive contents, so Jeff is going to finish setting up a new hard drive for me today so I can get back to regular operations.

I have been restraining myself as I work my way gradually through the last bar or two of Green & Black's Organic White Chocolate that was a gift from Lissa, Phil, Annie, and Tim. It's amazingly good. Even reading the text description on the front of the package makes my mouth water: "Fine white chocolate made with real organic Bourbon vanilla blended into rich cocoa butter and full-cream milk. A luxurious, smooth, creamy taste experience." Aaaugh. (Debbie collapses in gustatorial delight here) As I devour each creamy square, however, I find my gaze inexorably drawn to the diminishing quantity which remains. WHAT WILL I DO WHEN IT'S ALL GONE?

Isn't this just like life? Not being able to fully appreciate what we have because we're too busy worrying about what we -don't- have? Life is a bar of Green & Black's Organic White Chocolate, I say. You can quote me.

A FKO Highlight Cacie Sears Wow, this young woman is unbelieveably talented! Great voice and stage presence, very nice songwriting. I believe she's only 16 or 17...wow. I'm really looking forward to following her musical development over the next few years. I've ordered one of her demo CDs. Rumour has it that she's working on her first professional album.

theatres & sticky floors

Had fun with Jodi last night. We met at the Silver City cineplex complex at Yonge and Eglinton...one of the mega-theatre structures that have been popping up all over Toronto over the past couple of years. Part of me sorely misses the good ol' "one screen, one movie" theatres of yesteryear, like University Theatre on St. George Street (*** My friend Andy has gently corrected me. The University Theatre was on Bloor just west of Belair...sorry about that!).

Y'know, the type with old-fashioned seats and slightly sticky floors, where people lining up outside the building were waiting for a single movie. On the other hand, I find myself strangely drawn to the light-and-sound circus of the new mega-theatre complexes, sort of like a child compelled by the flashing lights and sound effects of a new toy. After I'm in the lobby I'll stand frozen for several long minutes, paralyzed by the barrage of choices. What movie to see? Sappy or adventure? And what about refreshments...Evian or Fruitopia? Plain pretzel or cinnamon sugar-coated? Ok, so maybe that last choice isn't really that hard, but you still get my drift...

But back to last night. The Silver City complex was in a mall just off Yonge/Eglinton; Jodi and I had dinner in the Pickle Barrel just beside it. Ironic, since we ALWAYS have dinner at PB on our Urban Tapestry nights (but up in Richmond Hill, in Centerpoint Mall), and could have chosen another restaurant. We couldn't help ourselves, we were compelled.

The Road To Eldorado was great; we both quite enjoyed it. Animated movies have certainly gotten a lot more sophisticated since I was a kid. Afterward, Jodi and I went back to the Pickle Barrel for coffee and to share a chocolate mousse cake we had lusted over earlier but didn't have time to order. Gabbed lots, finally went home around 10:30 pm.

Got home to find the last half of my book payment from Writer's Digest waiting for me, woohoo!

A FKO Highlight Scott Snyder has a great FilKONtario convention report online, for those interested. FKO Tidbits continued... Joel Polowin's Chocolate Butterscotch Buckle cake and Interfilk: I bought Joel's cake in the Interfilk auction. I had some as a late night snack. I had some for breakfast the next morning. I had some as an after-lunch snack. Yummmm. Here's the recipe, for those interested. Interfilk auctions are way fun to watch, by the way...I highly recommend them for those of you who have never attended. Lots of schtick, fun, laughter. GREAT environment for people-watching; observing how the runners coax an extra bid from an audience member (and what they will do to get that bid :-D), watching someone agonize whether or not to raise their bid or not...and beneath it all is the knowledge that it's all for supporting Interfilk. Allison, Jodi and I have always been super-grateful to Interfilk for their support. Interfilk was responsible for allowing Scott (and Amanda!) to get to FilKONtario this year (and Erica Neely next year, yay!). They were responsible for us meeting Phil and Lissa, and they're responsible for sending Annie and Tim to Gafilk next year. For a full lists of Interfilk guests, see the Interfilk website. If you haven't already, please do check out the Interfilk page and suppport it however you can...buying items at auctions (small silly things often go for a dollar or thereabouts...this may not seem like much, but every little bit helps!), donating items or funds, or just by GOING to the auction and supporting it with your presence.

guest blather: allison

Deb has asked me to do a quick Guest Blather, so here we go... Special FilKONtario (FKO) moments (in no particular order) included:

• - Hearing a very British voice say "Can I have a hug, too?" as I'm hugging Dave Clement hello and turning around to see Annie, Tim, Lissa and Phil all the way from England!! They managed to keep the surprise that they were coming to FKO from us for several weeks and no doubt our hysterical reaction was everything they could have wished for :).
• - seeing wonderful concerts by FKO guests Diana Huey (I know the debutant wave now!), Larry Warner (who it was great to reunite with after -eight- years :)) and Scott Snyder (who I had dinner with last night along with Jodi, John, Amanda and Dave Clement).
• - the ever-fabulous Filk Hall of Fame concert, which is becoming one of the best of the FKO traditions. New Hall of Famer, Bill Roper, performed his own material and Phil, Tim and Annie paid tribute to Zander Nyrond and John Caspell, Paul Kwinn, Kathleen and Judith sang in honour of Dr. Jane ("Nessie, Come Up" was particularly fun :)).
• - having the honour of being asked to close the Hall of Fame concert and FKO with our song "Home To FilKONtario".
• - both the Friday and Saturday night filks and the rocking filk on Sunday afternoon. Tons of energy, tons of good music, some old friends, some new discoveries- the best of combinations :).
• - hearing Erica Neely is going to be the Interfilk guest at FKO next year :). So cool, I had been just on the verge of nominating her to Interfilk myself!

Hosannas to the FKO concom, they sure know how to throw a party. And I feel like I've just scratched the surface! I will get to a con report eventually, though.

guest blather: jeff ridpath

Happy Birthday Debbie! This picture of Debbie was taken in 1982--that's 18 years ago. Other than a new pair of glasses, I don't think she has changed a bit. - Jeff

Guest blatherer: Jeff Ridpath (Debbie's husband)

Today is Debbie's birthday and she is not allowed to work (including blathering) so I am posting today's picture and comment. Debbie will be spending the day relaxing (including getting a massage) and then we are going out to a Toronto restaurant called Canoe for dinner. (We will have chocolate for dessert.)

Please send her an e-mail or drop by blatherchat and tell her what a wonderful, brilliant, sweet person she is.

Oh, and please send her chocolate :-)

- Jeff

P.S. I love you Deb...