my big fat greek wedding

Allison, Jodi and I went out for sushi and then to see My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Wow, Janet, were you ever right in Blatherchat...the three of us really enjoyed this movie. I cried a lot, mainly from laughing pretty hard but also because bits in the movie that were so genuine and moving that I couldn't help it. I'm such a sap. Andrea Martin was brilliant. I want to go see this again, especially since Allison told us on the way out of the movie that it was filmed in Toronto.

I wasn't interested in seeing the movie until I saw Janet's comment in Blatherchat (she objected to my comment that there haven't been a lot of good summer movies). I hadn't gone to see it before because the trailer made it look a bit too slapstick and silly for my tastes, plus the basic plot premise didn't sound particularly interesting. I was way wrong.

It was refreshing to see a movie which relied on good writing and strong characters rather than special effects and big names. Also wonderfully refreshing to see a movie with a plot that assumes that people are basically good, and that doesn't leave the audience wondering what really happened at the end.

This is a straightforward, character-driven love story without the existential angst so common in most modern movies. I loved it.

And there wasn't a SINGLE EXPLOSION in the entire film. :-)





Hey, Chatelaine magazine is interested in one of my article ideas! I've been pitching them regularly but have had everything rejected with a form letter so far. This is the first time I've gotten a bite. Because they've never worked with me before, I have to write the article on spec (i.e. they may not buy the piece even if I write it), but that's understandable, and I'll pitch it elsewhere if it's rejected. Deadline: end of October. Wish me luck. I'd love to get something in Chatelaine...I enjoy the magazine (I'm a subscriber), and they pay well. :-)

Sent out two more article queries last week, sent in my completed article and some scanned photos to Country Connection magazine, and I'm continuing to revise my novel.

Jeff and I are continuing to look for houses. After passing up a few potentials and each time angsting over whether we've missed the opportunity for The Perfect House, we've resolved not to be in a hurry, to take our time until we find one that we're both happy with, in the right location AND the right price range.

Our real estate agent, Kathy Gordon, is really great. She's amazingly efficient, easygoing yet professional, friendly but not too chatty, has tons of experience and she never pressures us to buy. Many thanks to Parki for recommending her. If anyone else is interested in using her services, please let me know and I'll send you her contact info (and she's e-mail savvy! no phone tag, yay!).





Links/News:

One year ago Bryan Fullerton, Craig White, Dave Clement, Ruth Sanderson and Allison were over to visit.

Two years ago I watched a Powerpuffs episode in Philadelphia.

Three years ago, I reported what happened at Word on the Street.

Four years ago, Allison blathered.

Iris-scanning at Toronto airports? Source: Toronto Star

Yesterdayland has an interview with Lucy Liu

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Annie and my dad.
	Jeff in the hammock at the cottage during our last visit.
	Allison, Rand, Paul and Jodi at FilKONtario earlier this year.

poll: childhood cartoons

Grocery Gateway seems to be experiencing some rough spots these days. The delivery guy brought the wrong order yesterday, plus charged me the wrong amount. He was very nice about it, however, going back to his truck for the right order and promising me I'd be credited for the overcharge. I told him about the mutant bananas, and he said that yes, Grocery Gateway had a problem with the bananas, was trying to work it out.

Have to wonder if the customer service for Grocery Gateway is answering their e-mail anymore; I never got responses from the last messages I sent (one was for an article I was writing, one was about the bananas). I finally ended up calling about the bananas, and Customer Service gave me a credit but no explanation. I didn't really care about the money; I wanted to find out about the mutant bananas! Ah well.

Poll: Saturday morning/after school cartoons?

Which ones did you like the best as a kid? Which ones do you watch now? (as an adult, with your own children, whatever) My favourites included: Archie, Astro Boy, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Davey and Goliath, Dudley Do-Right, Mister Magoo, The Flintstones, H.R. Pufnstuf, Jetsons, Jonny Quest, Kukla, Fran and Ollie, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Pink Panther, Prince Planet, Popeye, Rocket Robin Hood, Scooby Doo, Spider-Man, Ultraman, Underdog, Banana Splits, Bugs Bunny, Captain Kangaroo, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, Harlem Globetrotters, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, The Shazam/Isis Hour, Zoom.

Dear lord. Did I really watch that much tv when I was a kid?!?

If you need reminding of what cartoons were around when you were a kid, check out Yesterdayland.

Answer in Blatherchat





Links/News:

One year ago, I watched the premiere of "Enterprise".

Two years ago, AmandaF and I manned the Inkspot booth at Word On The Street.

Three years ago, I manned the Inkspot booth by myself at Word on the Street. Allison, Jodi & Rand came by to visit.

Four years ago, Toronto had an earthquake and I didn't notice.

SF author Michael Crichton was robbed at gunpoint at home on Monday. Source: Star Tribune

A promotional trailer for "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" will debut on AOL, according to Reuters.

Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller as Starsky & Hutch? Source: Reuters.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Annie blowing bubbles. Photo by my dad.
	Sara and Annie decorate Ruth's birthday cake, with my dad supervising.
	Ruth gives Annie a kiss after Annie and Sara present her with her cake.
	Characters from the cartoon, "The Weekenders". The two on the left are by Sara (8 years old), the two on the right are by Annie (5 years old).

ruth birthday

Happy birthday to my sister, Ruth!




With the weather cooled off, it's perfect outdoor running weather. Yesterday I was doing my usual run along the waterfront, listening to music on my Rio, when I suddenly noticed how pretty it was on the lake, with the late afternoon sun slanting across the water and the sailboats and yachts clustered along the docks.

So I decided to take a break. Took off my headphones, sat on a bench and watched the water for a while. I could hear a faint jingling; it sounded like it was coming from the tops of the masts of the boats as they swayed in the gentle breeze. Maybe you boat-types out there will know what caused the sound, but it certainly was a lulling sound.

Jeff had to do some work in the evening (making something for Ruth's birthday :-)), so I decided to go out by myself. Took a book (The Dominant Blonde by Alisa Kwitney -- thanks, Rand), had the red curry chicken bowl at Milestones on John Street. Finished the book, then went to the Paramount to see Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever.

Even ignoring the stupid title, the movie was pretty mediocre. I suppose I knew it would be, but I couldn't resist a movie co-starring Lucy Liu. Ballistic was so obviously a Matrix-wannabee. And geez, I'm a Lucy Liu fan but even I got tired of seeing the camera pan slowly up her Trinity-lookalike skin-tight leather-clad body to pause meaningfully on her face.

Other things I got tired of real fast:

- headbanger music during chase sequences, running sequences, heck...through pretty much everything

- slow motion sequences of feet walking and running

- slow motion sequences of Lucy Liu shooting things

- Antonio Banderas (does the guy EVER shave??)

- explosion after explosion after explosion

I can almost imagine the conversation during script-writing:

WRITER 1: Hm...so what should happen next in the movie?

WRITER 2: I dunno. How about an explosion?

WRITER 1 (scribbling): Great idea! And then maybe a slow motion sequence of Antonio Banderas walking across the living room.

WRITER 2: How about running?

WRITER 1: Okay sure, running.

WRITER 2: And then another explosion!

WRITER 1: And then a slow-motion sequence of Lucy Liu shooting something.

WRITER 2: I love it! This is great stuff!

WRITER 1: And then TWO explosions! Big ones!!!

WRITER 2: God, I love my work.

The best thing about the movie was that I got to see the trailer for "Nemesis" on the big screen.

Also can't wait to see "Spirited Away". Jeff says he wants to see it, too, so I'm waiting until next week.





Links/News:

One year ago, I was chopping wood.

Three years ago, I bought Great Big Sea tickets.

Four years ago, I went to the Ontario Science Centre with Annie and Sara and almost threw up.





Links/News:

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Ruth and her toy rabbit.
	My sister and me. Ruth's on the left.
	Ruth in the hospital with Sara.
	Ruth, Kaarel, Sara and Annie.

poll: doctors

Remember those mutant bananas I talked about last week, that I bought from Grocery Gateway at the beginning of September? Some of them STILL AREN'T RIPE. From time to time, Jeff and I will try peeling one (like this morning), but inevitably it's still hard and tastes green. Of the bunch of six or so, only two have ripened enough to eat.

I sent e-mails to Customer Service at Grocery Gateway, but still haven't received a response. Don't think I'll be ordering bananas from them again. Thing is, the remaining bananas are starting to get black specks on them, which nixes my idea of keeping them forever as an interesting conversation piece; my current suspicion is that the outside peel is going to start rotting while the inside stays green and inedible. Augh.

The next part is not for the squeamish.

Speaking of augh, I hate blood tests. I had one yesterday. It's not so much the needles that I hate, those I'm not crazy about those either. It's the fact that doctors and nurses can never find my veins, so I end up being jabbed multiple times. Same thing happened yesterday, when I was sent to the bloodwork lab in my doctor's building. The conversation went something like this:

ME (when it was my turn): "Just to let you know, everyone always has trouble getting blood from me. The last couple times I was here, they had to use a 'butterfly needle'."

NURSE: "Okay, sure. What's that from?" (points to the wad of gauze taped onto the inside of my elbow)

ME: "My doctor was trying to give me a blood test but was having trouble finding my veins, so she sent me here."

NURSE: "Ah ok." (prepares a needle)

ME: "Is that butterfly needle?"

NURSE: "No, I don't think you need a butterfly needle. Let me try this one first." (jabs me, makes concerned and annoyed noises, shifts the needle) "Hm...your veins are being difficult..."

ME (gritting my teeth; it feels like she's doing a little excavation in my arm with the needle): "They had to use a butterfly needle last time."

NURSE: "I didn't think a butterfly needle was necessary. I'm using a very small needle. Hrm. Too difficult." (pulls out needle, tosses it, finally prepares another needle, jabs me in the same place as last time)

ME (gritting my teeth more since it hurts more this time): "Is that a butterfly needle?"

NURSE: "Yes. Good, it's working. There we go."

Next time I come in for a blood test, I'm going to print up a t-shirt with the words "USE A BUTTERFLY NEEDLE" in big letters on the front and back. Maybe tattooed across my forehead, too.

And no, I don't have any idea how a butterfly needle differs from a regular needle; I've never been able to bring myself to look while she's doing it.

Ha, to think that at one time I was considering going into medicine.

Poll: Doctors

Do you mind getting needles? Do you get regular check-ups? Do doctors make you nervous? When's the last time you were at the hospital as a patient? Do you give blood?

Answer in Blatherchat

News/Updates

One year ago, I was looking for work.

Three years ago, I showed my friend ScottM the new Inkspot office space at The Toronto Carpet factory.

Four years ago, I shared my chili recipe.

Five years ago, I saw "In and Out" with Jeff.

The CIA is consulting sf writers. Source: Wired

Deep-fried Twinkies? Source: Globe & Mail (and BoingBoing!)

SF writer and physicist Robert Forward has died. Source: Locus. You can see the author's obituary, which he wrote himself, here.

poll: pies

Whenever Jeff and I go to visit his mom in the country, I start reminiscing about the days when we lived out there as well, with trees all around us, birds doing the Disney Snow White routine every morning, fresh air and sunshine bla bla blah. I start thinking, Geez, maybe we should move back out into the country again.

Then I remind myself of the reasons we moved into the city in the first place, including the fact that country living was starting to drive me mad with cabin fever. Needing a car just to go into town for a loaf of bread. Feeling trapped and resentful whenever Jeff drove into the city without me. Going through the phone book and finding out not a single pizza service would make deliveries to our area because we were too far from town.

Don't get me wrong...I love the outdoors. I look forward to our visits to the cottage, the canoe trips, exploring nature. I just don't want to live there year round, at least not yet.

Anyway, we had a great visit with Ginny. Parki, Alison, JeffL and Kye were there as well. I hadn't seen Kye in ages. He's a pretty happy baby. He hasn't quite yet learned how to crawl, but can get around pretty well by dragging himself on his stomach. He must have baby arm muscles of steel by now.

We went for a lengthy walk in the afternoon, with lots of hills. Loved the conversation dynamics: the group kept breaking up into twos and threes along the way, natural pockets of conversation that shifted as we walked.





Dinner was amazing, thanks to Ginny's culinary prowess. I'm so jealous. To create a dinner like this (even if I had the skill), I'd be stressed and frantic in the kitchen the whole time, my clothes speckled with oil and pepper, snarling and exhausted by the time dinner was served (in stages, since I inevitably wouldn't be able to have everything finish cooking at the same time).

Ginny does it so casually and is still able to hang out with the guests and chat, always looking comfortable and relaxed, without a speck of oil or pepper on her clothes. We had corn chowder and lobster soup with tarragon, barbecued sea bass with an Asian glaze, homemade salsa, green beans, baby potatoes with some fantastic dressing, tomatoes (grown in Ginny's garden) with basil oil and fresh basil. Dessert: chocolate cake and peach ice cream.

Ginny showed us an e-mail from someone who must have found her restaurant Web site through a search engine:


Hello!

I want to send the friend a chocolate pie, my friend in Canada in city Toronto. I from Azerbaijans. Is it possible? I shall send you money :) you a pie to my friend. Help me if you in Toronto.

if yes, then can send me a photo of your pies? i am sorry me for mine English. I communicate with you with help of the program of the interpreter

thanks :)


We looked up Azerbaijan in an atlas; it appears to be near or in Russia. How cool that someone that far away wants Ginny to bake a chocolate pie for someone in Toronto! And what a great PR/marketing opportunity, too. "OASIS PIES -- SOLD WORLDWIDE". :-)

Speaking of pies, I haven't had a food poll in a while, so...

POLL: Pies!

Do you like pies? What's your favourite? (or favourites) Have you ever baked a pie? What's the best pie you've ever tasted?





Three years ago, my dad-in-law was in the hospital.

Four years ago, I went biking with David and talked about food movies.

Five years ago, I was curious about the neighbours across the hallway.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	Kye, 8 months old.
	Our walk yesterday.
	Table setting at Ginny's.