sisters

Ruth came over yesterday afternoon. We don't get much of a chance to hang out, just the two of us, so it was nice having that time. We walked over to Starbucks at the Chapters near the Paramount, ordered frozen drinks and chatted in the cushy armchairs near the window for a few hours.

I hope Annie and Sara grow up to be as close as Ruth and me. As children, Ruth and I had the typical squabbling fights of siblings. I am horrified when I recall (or am reminded) about something of the horrible things I used to do to her, like hanging her teddy bears or leaving books with scary covers around even though I knew they freaked her out, or telling her that the mannequins in department stores used to be human beings but had been lasered by aliens. I imagine how I'd react if I heard that Sara had hung up Annie's teddy bears for fun.





But we survived our childhood, and bonded even closer after family tragedies knocked us about, our "Leave It To Beaver" suburban complacency gone forever. We've learned that bad things happen to good people, but it's still possible to go on living and enjoy life.

I think that one reason I love Annie and Sara so much is because they remind me so much of Ruth and me when we were that age.





I leave for California tomorrow! I'm really looking forward to meeting Zoë Snyder for the first time when I stay with Scott and Amanda for a couple of days.

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Today's Blatherpics:

	A quick self-portrait photo as Ruth and I passed a mirrored window yesterday afternoon.
	Ruth and me as kids. I'm on the left. Mom made our dresses. She made most of our clothes back then.
	T-shirt for the Conchord Interfilk auction.
	CD for the Conchord Interfilk auction, with two sample tracks from our upcoming CD. Mixing and mastering by Chris Conway. Tracks: "The Friendship Song", "I Am Stardust".

guinea pigs

Yesterday was a catch-up and California trip prep day for me. Jeff went off to work with a client and I stayed at home in my pjs most of the morning (my penguin pjs, a gift from Andrea a while back). Worked on my WritersMarket.com column, my novel, wrapped Sara's birthday present, started packing.

It was a wonder to me, seeing Sara on her eighth birthday. She is already so much more poised and confident at eight than I ever was. Ruth asked Sara what she wanted on her cake, and Sara asked for a guinea pig (see photo at top of this page). Stripe and Fluffy are doing well, by the way, and remain the placid little food-consuming balls of fur that they were originally, except much bigger.

I was pretty ignorant about guinea pigs until Sara educated me; she did extensive research beforehand. Did you know that guinea pigs originally came from South America? Apparently several species still roam in the wild. Guinea pigs are a type of animal that must have "EAT ME" stamped across their furry little foreheads to predators. And almost everything is a predator to them, really. Supposedly they were named because sailors selling them for one guinea and noticing that they made squealing noises like a pig.

Downtown Toronto is devoid of Catholic World Youth right now, by the way; they're all out in Downsview for a vigil with the Pope and an outdoor mass today. One church official was quoted as saying that the "most devout" will be awake through the night, which I thought was pretty funny.

Two more days until I leave for California!

Links/News:

William Shatner has a new VH1 documentary show called "One Hit Wonders", which he says is a tribute to unforgettable tunes by artists who never repeated the same success", according to Reuters.

poll: travel tips?

The photo above is of Annie, the one below is of Sara. They're wearing the kimonos that Jeff and I bought for them in Japan last year. Annie's holding a Japanese doll that my dad got her. (Photos by my dad)

Today is Sara's birthday! She's eight years old. Holy cow...she's EIGHT. I still remember the first time I took her out for a stroller walk by myself for the first time. It was the first time I had taken any baby out for a stroller walk. I was terrified. Terrified that I might lose my grip and the stroller would careen down a hill, terrified that some stranger would leap out of the bushes and grab her, terrified that she would start shrieking in the middle of the walk and I wouldn't know what to do.





Here's Sara as a baby:





Went to a game store on Front Street with Jeff and Frank last night. Jeff bought a game called Puerto Rico, which we're going to try playing at the cottage next month. Frank treated us to a ride in a rickshaw; I've seen tons of rickshaws around downtown Toronto but never ridden in one. We had dinner at King's Garden, one of Toronto's best Chinese restaurants (and a 2 minute walk away from our apartment!).

Working on my novel all weekend (since I likely won't be able to work on it much in California) as well as doing some packing. I tend to like starting prep for a trip way way ahead of time, mainly because I know that if I leave prep until the last minute, I'm likely to forget something vital.

I've done enough travelling now that I know the routine at the airport. If I know I'm going to the U.S., I usually fill out both customs forms (one for the U.S., and one for coming back into Canada at the end of the trip) ahead of time and keep them with my passport. I have a separate wallet with my U.S. money.

What I take in my carry-on:

- My flute and Urban Tapestry music. If my luggage went astray, I could survive the weekend without my clothes, but losing my flute and music would be a bad thing. I always suffer a pang of anxiety when checking my guitar (and I've never been permitted to gate-check my guitar on Air Canada).

- My laptop, basic toiletries (in case my luggage gets lost), sound-masking headphones, neck pillow, book light (in case the overhead light doesn't work properly), bottled water, eye shades, earplugs, an energy bar, socks, a sweater or sweatshirt (the latter two items are in case it gets cold).

- Magazines and/or a book. The problem with a book is that it's bulky and once you're finished it, it's dead weight for the rest of the trip unless you're willing to trash it or give it away. Magazines can be left on the plane or thrown out once you're finished with them.

- My Palm, which is loaded with games and other interesting things. I just downloaded the demo version of Scrabble, for instance, which will allow me to play 9 games before I have to pay. Other favourite Palm games: Patience (whole bunch of Solitaire card games), Pocket Rogue, text-based adventure games. Through Avantgo, I'll have the most recent Palm updates of the CBC news, Salon, and Wired news to check out. I usually keep an e-story or two from Memoware to read as well (I'm trying to choose between E. Nesbitt's The Enchanted Castle and Grimm's Fairy Tales. Or heck, maybe I'll just take both. :-)

- Most airlines list their entertainment schedule online. If I'm not thrilled by the selection and it's a long flight, I'll bring a DVD or two to watch on my laptop. The sound-masking headphones come in handy here since they help block out the low rumble of the engines. Looks like I'll be watching "John Q." (Denzel Washington) on the westbound flight. The August schedule isn't up yet.

- If a miracle happens and I find I have some extra carry-on room on a long flight, I will bring my tape Walkman with an audio book, or my CD player with some CDs. My Rio MP3 player is small but only holds about a dozen songs.

I generally don't like working on my writing during the flight, mainly because of the lack of privacy. If I can find a working power outlet in the airport, however, I do plan on writing while I'm waiting.

Other travel tips I've learned:

Don't smalltalk or joke with the customs officials or check-in staff. Don't volunteer any information, just answer the question(s). Be polite but brief.

Be wary about mentioning doing anything even vaguely work-related during your visit unless you have to. I made the mistake of saying that I had bought a plastic brochure holder in the U.S. to take to Canada (in response to their question about whether I had bought anything for commercial purposes), and ended up being delayed for about 15 minutes while they searched my luggage for other commercial merchandise. Allison, Jodi and I rely on U.S. distributors to carry our CDs and tapes instead of taking them ourselves to avoid this customs problem.

On long flights, try to sleep. Sometimes I'll take half a Gravol tablet, which usually helps knock me out. Downside: if you're a heavy sleeper, you may miss meals unless you ask the person beside you to wake you up.

On long flights, make sure you walk around a bit. Pretend you have to use the bathroom even if you don't, or walk along the aisles. Don't take this walk when meals or drinks are being served, or you might get blocked by the serving cart on the way back to your seat.

Drink lots of water (one reason I take bottled water with me). The walking around and water help offset the effects of jetlag.

On a crowded flight, don't count on being able to use the overhead bin to store a carry-on bag. This is one reason I try to book a seat in the middle of the plane rather than at the front or the back. Airlines tend to differ in whether they board from the front or back, which means that if you're at one extreme or the other, by the time you get on board, the overhead bins may all be full and you may be forced to check your carry-on.

Poll: Are you an organized traveller? Any travel trips?

Last blatherpic below: a car parked outside of the Royal York hotel last night.

my letter of the day

Updated 11:04 am: Here's more news about the Monkees' revival project.

I talked to Allison on the phone last night; the flight went smoothly, and she made it to Paul's and Beckett's fine, yay.

Toronto certainly seems to be bending over backwards to keep the Catholic World Youth happy this week. Seems like everywhere you look, there are concerts, entertainers, free stuff. I was walking through the Bay yesterday when I came across a Japan theme exhibit where they were handing out free sushi. So I munched on a plate of sushi while watching a performance by traditional dancers from the Japanese Cultural Centre, then went on my way. Well, almost on my way. While watching the dancers, I noticed that some mini indoor grills were on sale. In my defense, I have to say that I've wanted an indoor grill for a long while, the kind that filters off fat during cooking. But as I've mentioned in an earlier Blathering, I am the kind of consumer that marketing people adore. :-) Jeff rolled his eyes when I proudly showed him my purchase later on, but he did like the grilled chicken and mandarin salad that I made for dinner.

But back to World Youth stuff. At Union Station (central hub of trains, gets a lot of traffic), a recorded platform announcement repeatedly asks people to climb the stairs to the next level, "where someone will assist you in reaching your destination". The police were everywhere yesterday, including subway stations, probably to keep an eye on things because of the Papal Welcoming Ceremony at the Exhibition. Jeff and I were out for a stroll last night, and Jeff asked one of the officers about his role; there were at least half a dozen police offficers milling about at King and University.

"We're just here to make sure everything's fine," was the friendly reply.

In return, the World Youth are doing their part in keeping Toronto's economy healthy: buying souvenirs, food, going shopping. The Eaton's Centre was swarming with the now familiar red knapsacks yesterday. Three more days left.





On a different topic...

I recently received a letter from someone whom I've never met that made my day:

---

(reprinted with permission)


Hi Debbie,

I wanted to thank you for the most interesting web site. I love reading your blatherings and was surprised to see how much we have in common.

When we were planning our annual trip to Vancouver Island, I did a search for Wickanninish and your site came up. At that time the site for the Wickanninish was down and I decided to book there because of your description of the spa. Loved the foot soaks! They set you up for the great experience to come. Like an appetizer. Yum.

I don't surf on the web, but I check your site regularly to see what you've been up to. Your passion for life combined with a sense of humor is what I love most.

My husband and I have a commercial photography business in Hawaii, but I want to pursue fine art photography. To date, I am unable to say that I am an artist. When I read your blatherings, I'm inspired to pursue my passion.

Thank you for the entertainment and inspiration.

Warm aloha,

Robin
http://www.eyeoftheislands.com


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Today's Blatherpics:

	Toronto World Youth sign in Coronation Park.
	A savvy flag vendor makes a buck.
	Concert at Nathan Phillips Square last night.

poll: alcohol prefs?

Allison left for California today! Jodi and I will be hooking up with her next Thursday at the Conchord hotel.

Our visit to Niagara-on-the-Lake was great; many thanks to Ginny for taking Jeff and me every year. We had lunch at the Hillebrand Estates winery, saw Candida (by George Bernard Shaw, part of Shawfest), dinner at another restaurant whose name I can't recall. Today's photos are from lunch, and the photo and the bottom is a close-up of my dessert. :-)

Really enjoyed the play. Wonderful writing and acting, an amazing set. The entire two-act play took place in one location, the living room of an old house. In our age of zillion-dollar movie budgets, this might sound dull, but it wasn't. In fact, I found the performance far more engrossing and enjoyable than I did many of this summer's movies. It definitely shows you how effective good writing can be.

But back to wine and other types of alcohol. I confess that this particular topic is dedicated to Bill Sutton, a friend of mine with an unusually heightened appreciation of beer, and Andy Beaton, a friend with an equally heightened appreciation of Scotch. :-)

I've never liked beer, with one exception. I once participated in a beer tasting experiment conducted by friends and discovered that the beer I hated the least was also the weakest beer, in terms of alcohol content. The only time I've ever liked beer was when Jeff and I visited the Theakston brewery in Masham, near the Yorkshire Dales, with some friends. We went to a nearby pub ("The Black Swan", I believe), and I got to sample some Theakston's Old Peculier from the keg. Yummy! Didn't taste like beer at all.

When we got back home, I tried some canned Old Peculier and was mightily disappointed; it tasted like beer (ugh).

I don't drink that much alcohol in general, mainly because I tend to fall asleep after imbibing in even a small amount. Very dull, really. Also, my face gets red and sometimes I feel sick to my stomach.

I've only been drunk twice in my entire life, as far as I can recall. The first time was on plum wine, in the late 1980s. My friend John Swain was the one who introduced me to plum wine, at a Japanese restaurant. I liked it so much that I went out to an LCBO one afternoon and bought two bottles. It was my first time in an LCBO. I remember feeling guilty, as if I was doing something terribly illicit.

Anyway, I drank an entire bottle of plum wine by myself while I cooked my dinner that night, not fully realizing that this was probably a bad idea. I was sharing an apartment with Michelle Sagara and Tom West at the time, but neither of them was home. Our friend John Chew was over visiting, however.

Later that evening, Jeff came by to see me, asked where I was. Apparently the conversation between Jeff and John went something like this:

John: "She went to bed. I...er...think she's drunk."

Jeff: "DRUNK?!?"

John: "She said something about the room spinning..."

I didn't get drunk on purpose, I swear. I just really, really liked the taste of plum wine. Sadly, for several years after that experience I really, really hated the taste of plum wine.

My other experience with inebriation was even more embarrassing. Jeff and I went to Mono Cliffs pub with some male friends to hang out (including Parki). Jeff and the others were involved in some kind of pseudo-drinking contest, or perhaps they were only talking about drinking contests; I can't recall. I got very bored, sitting by myself in one of the booths waiting, so I ordered a glass of white wine. They were still going at it by the time I finished, so I ordered another. I got halfway through, and then I fell asleep. Jeff had to take me home.

Those friends have never let me forget that particular evening, and deservedly so. :-) I never got drunk again.

Apparently 50% of all Asians have a high sensitivity to alcohol. Obviously, I'm one of them. Supposedly it's because I have a slower-than-normal enzyme in my ethanol catabolism. When people drink alcohol, our livers try their best to clean up booze-laden blood. Ethanol is converted into acetaldehyde which is converted via an enzyme called aldehyde dehydrogenase to acetate. Apparently many Asians' aldehyde dehydrogenase enzymes are slower than normal in the conversion process. The result is a build-up of acetaldehyde, which can result in a flushed face, nausea, "drunk" effects.

And I completely do not understand why people like Scotch. Jeff has a bottle of 18-year-old McCallan's at home, which is apparently a particularly good type of Scotch. I tried some once, and felt like scrubbing my tongue with sandpaper a few seconds later. AUGH, how can you people DRINK THAT STUFF?? Yuk, phtooey, gross.

But enough smalltalk, I want to hear your opinions.

Poll: Do you drink alcohol? If not, why not? If so, what do you like drinking?

What kinds of beer do you like? Wine? Boozy coffees? Liqueurs? Do you cook with wine? Are you horrified when people drink white wine with a beef dish? Are you a wine snob? Scotch snob? etc.