bated breath

Larkin's due to have her baby today! The family's all waiting with bated breath. After typing that sentence, I was so curious about where the phrase bated breath came from that I felt compelled to look it up online. World Wide Words calls the phrase a "linguistic fossil", saying that Shakespeare used it in The Merchant of Venice ("With bated breath and whisp'ring humbleness") as did Mark Twain in Tom Sawyer ("Every eye fixed itself upon him; with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words..."). Bated is an abbreviation of the word abated, so the phrase actually means that you're so terrified or anxious that you almost stop breathing. Speaking of bated breath, Jeff and I have our Lord of the Rings tickets! I opted for the first show on Wed. Dec. 18th rather than the midnight show the night before. There's no way that I'm going to properly enjoy a movie that ends around 3 a.m., no matter how wonderful a movie it is. If it was a movie that began at 5 a.m. instead of midnight, however, I'd be all over it. :-) I forced Jeff to see Solaris with me last night at the Paramount. Just before the trailers started, a woman dressed up as a Famous Players Gift Certificate came out and gave a spiel about how FP gift certificates make great Christmas gifts. I admired her spunk and enthusiasm in what looks to me like a terrible job, so I took her photo (see above). When the flash went off, everyone looked around the theatre (including her) to see who the weirdo was that wanted a photograph of a human Famous Players Gift Certificate. At the end of her spiel, she told us the person who could yell "I LOVE FAMOUS PLAYERS GIFT CERTIFICATES" the loudest would win a free gift certificate for one admission themselves. Guess what? I WON! :-D Jeff was highly amused (and embarrassed, I'm sure): Over half a dozen people walked out of Solaris during the movie. It's definitely not a movie for everyone. I spent the first third of the movie on the verge of hating it; much of it reminded me a lot of the ending of the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. But I ended up liking it more than Jeff did, mainly because of the character interactions and emotional questions (won't go into details for fear of spoilers), and was intrigued enough to buy a copy of Stanislaw Lem's novel at Chapters next door after the movie. Links/News: Jim Leonard has his OVFF photos online. One year ago, Tom West turned 40. Today's Blatherpics: From Waiting For Frodo as well as the Paramount theatre last night.

ice hotels

After doing work on my Writing World column and sending in my kids' articles proposal to the magazine I mentioned earlier in the week (fingers crossed!), I went on my first purposeful Christmas shopping expedition late yesterday afternoon. I'm not great with crowds and line-ups and chaos, so I prepared as best as I could by:

- Not bringing a winter coat or other clothing that would get too hot. I can get to the underground PATH system by going across the street, so I only spend a few minutes outdoors. Once I'm underground, of course, I have access to a vast labyrinth of shops as well as to the subway system.

- Wearing running shoes.

- Bringing my MP3 player and headphones. On my player right now: the Bohnhoffs' Manhattan Sleeps, some Hawksley Workman, Jim Boggia, Ron Hawkins, Ookla the Mok.

- My Palm, loaded up with games and things to read for when I'm in line-ups.

- Knapsack. When loaded up, also useful as a cudgel for beating off other shoppers who are trying to get to the same great sale item that I am.

- Cellphone.

Still a lot to do, but at least I've gotten started.

My Pet Peeve of the day: over-enthusiastic sales help. I was in a shop in First Canadian place where a salesperson approached me at least once every two minutes. I know, because I started timing. It was a relatively small shop with about five different salespeople; I had interactions with all of them during my visit. They either asked if I needed help (I always said no, I was just browsing) or wanted to point out some helpful feature about whatever object I was examining, or that they thought I was examining, or that they thought I should be examining.

When I was paying for my purchase, the clerk ringing in the sale asked me if anyone had helped me. I said yes, all of them. The clerk thought I was joking and laughed.





Links/News:

I've updated Waiting For Frodo.

One year ago, I met Moira Allen in person for the first time. Moira and I had been working together for about six years, but all through e-mail and the occasional phonecall. I finally went to visit her in Maryland.

Three years ago, Jeff and I went to Sara's school Christmas concert.

Four years ago, I was still trying to find a chat environment appropriate for Filkhaven.

Five years ago, I looked for Norm Brown, a childhood crush.





Today's Blatherpics:

A practical survey of ice hotels by Parki and me.

	Parki and me at the Jukkasjarvi in Sweden.
	Parki and me at the Ice Hotel in Quebec, Canada.
	Parki and me at the construction of the "Ice Palace" in Pinewood Studios that was used in the recently released Bond movie.

Okay, here's the explanation. I wanted to post a photo of Parki and me that Jeff took just before Parki went to his company Christmas party (Parki had dropped by to give us his annual Christmas CD). But just posting a photo seemed rather dull. At the same time, I came across a photo of an ice hotel which I thought was rather cool (no pun intended). I decided to combine the two. Then I wondered what other ice hotels looked like, started surfing a bit through the Google image directory. You know the rest.

impending aunthood

Within the next seven days, I will become an aunt again. My sister-in-law Larkin and her husband Rick are expecting another child, due Wednesday (induced by Monday if he hasn't arrived by then). Jeff and I visited last night; Larkin looks great, and she's also very ready to have the baby. Bags all packed, Christmas presents wrapped, everything's set.

Larkin let me put my hand on her stomach (yes, I did ask permission first) and I felt the baby kick! I'm still amazed by the whole pregnancy/birth process. It still seems like magic to me, really.





I've updated yesterday's entry with some photos I received from Hashimoto at 2 a.m. this morning, replacing some of my own. The accompanying e-mail read:

Thank you very much for dining at our restaurant Kaiseki Yuzen Hashimoto. I hope that you have enjoyed the night and as well the kaiseki. I have attached pictures of the dishes of the course that you have ate, so if you have the time, please look through them. I hope this was a wonderful experience for you and also hope you will come and enjoy the next seasons course. I look forward to your comming again.

Sincerely, Masaki Hashimoto

Wow, I'm impressed. Not only he follow through with his promise to send us photos, but he did so within a couple of days.

Links/News:

I updated Waiting For Frodo a couple of times on the weekend and this morning.

Four years ago, I upgraded BBEdit, ate weird snacks.

Five years ago, I had just finished writing "The Friendship Song".

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Today's Blatherpics:

	My niece Brittany. This photo was one of several family shots taken at Larkin's and Rick's wedding last year. I've posted one of Jeff and me on my newly-updated personal Web page, if you're interested.
	My sister-in-law Larkin.

hashimoto

I had one of my all-time favourite meals last night. Jeff and I went to Hashimoto's with our friends Mark Thompson and Jon Steinberg yesterday evening. We've been planning a high-end Japanese restaurant outing for months, waffling over the choice of a restaurant as well as a date when all of us would be free. Jon suggested Hashimoto in Mississauga after reading about the restaurant in a Toronto Star article.

Hashimoto offers kaiseki cuisine, a multi-course set dinner that changes with the seasons. The chef (Hashimoto, who works alone in the kitchen) chooses what you eat. The restaurant holds about twenty people, and it was full last night; advance reservations are strongly recommended.

Apparently Hashimoto takes notes/photos of each dish to e-mail to guests and for his own records, promising that no guest will get the same menu twice. Not realizing that I'd be getting photos anyway, I took digital pics of my own. :-) Some of the photos below are mine, some are from Hashimoto.

Our group, from left to right: me, Mark Thompson, Jon Steinberg, Jeff:





We started with a "sesame and starch with sesame flavour" dish with gingko nuts, sweet potato, lotus root chips, and a chestnut. I was somewhat skeptical about the big greyish sesame blob that came with the first dish; it came with a dollop of wasabe on top and it didn't look all that appealing. Delicious, though! We all enthusiastically cleaned our plates and awaited more:



Next was sea bream and red clam sashimi, with daikon sprouts and some other garnish we didn't recognize. It came with a dish of mouthwatering dipping sauce on the side.





I'm not usually crazy about clam sashimi, but this was wonderful!

Next, monkfish in clear soup with a green bean garnish:





Then baked persimmon filled with deep-fried eggplant, persimmon, and shrimp, topped with sweet miso paste:





After eating the scrumptious filling, we ate the persimmon itself. I've never eaten persimmon before. The baking process made the fruit sweet. Yummm!

The next course was stewed pork, marrow squash and sugar beans, on a small dollop of hot mustard. HEAVENLY. Later, Hashimoto told us that the pork takes three days to prepare:





Next: taro potato, burdock, and sweet potato. Sounds like a dull dish, but I've never tasted a potato dish like this. In fact, I've had to revamp my whole idea of potatoes after last night:





The second-last course was the traditional ending of Japanese meal, with pickles, rice and soup. We were invited to have seconds, and we all did:





Dessert was an orange jelly:





The eight-course meal (nine, if you count the fact that we had seconds of one of the courses) took four hours, but we didn't notice the time passing. I came away completely satisfied, neither over-full nor still hungry. At the end of the meal, Hashimoto came over to our table to chat, and also took a group photo of us with a digital camera; he said he would e-mail to us.

Wonderful food, excellent service; Jeff and I definitely plan to eat there again. I just wish this restaurant were in Toronto!

Links/News:

Four years ago, I started up "Filkhaven" at Talk City. That environment never really worked out, sadly. Happily, Filkhaven now thrives as an IRC, thanks to the efforts of Rob Wynne and Mike Whitaker!

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Today's Blatherpics:

Taken at Hashimoto's. 6435 Dixie Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Phone: (905)670-5559.

disclaimer

Hey, Jodi now has a Livejournal! Feel free to drop by and say hi. This means that all three members of Urban Tapestry are on Livejournal: Jodi: Journal & Muse's Muse Allison: Journal Me: Cartoons | Blatherings update Links/News: Four years ago, Annie and Sara and I play with Bisquick. Here's a wonderfully silly Disclaimer I found on my friend Pontus's site: Disclaimer: This article does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of either myself, my company, my friends, or my dog; don't quote me on that; don't quote me on anything; all rights reserved; you may distribute this article freely but you may not make a profit from it; terms are subject to change without notice; illustrations are slightly enlarged to show detail; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is unintentional and purely coincidental; do not remove this disclaimer under penalty of law; hand wash only, tumble dry on low heat; do not bend, fold, mutilate, or spindle; your mileage may vary; no substitutions allowed; for a limited time only; this article is void where prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted; caveat emptor; article is provided "as is" without any warranties; reader assumes full responsibility; an equal opportunity article; no shoes, no shirt, no service; quantities are limited while supplies last; if any defects are discovered, do not attempt to read them yourself, but return to an authorized service center; read at your own risk; parental discressionadvised, text may contain explicit materials some readers may find objectionable; keep away from sunlight; keep away from OJ; keep away from pets and small children; limit one-per-family please; no money down; no purchase necessary; you need not be present to win; some assembly required; batteries not included; instructions are included; action figures sold separately; no preservatives added; slippery when wet; safety goggles may be required during use; sealed for your protection, do not read if safety seal is broken; call before you dig; not liable for damages arising from use or misuse; for external use only; if rash, irritation, redness, or swelling develops, discontinue reading; read only with proper ventilation; avoid extreme temperatures and store in a cool dry place; keep away from open flames; avoid contact with eyes and skin and avoid inhaling fumes; do not puncture, incinerate, or store above 120 degrees Fahrenheit; do not place near a flammable or magnetic source; smoking this article could be hazardous to your health; the best safeguard, second only to abstinence, is the use of a condom; no salt, MSG, artificial color or flavoring added; if ingested, do not induce vomiting, if symptoms persist, consult a physician; articles are ribbed for your pleasure; possible penalties for early withdrawal; offer valid only at participating sites; allow four to six weeks for delivery; must be 18 to read; disclaimer does not cover misuse, accident, lightning, flood, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, earthquake, hurricanes, and other Acts of God, neglect, damage from improper reading, incorrect line voltage, improper or unauthorized reading, broken antenna or marred cabinet, missing or altered serial numbers, electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, sonic boom vibrations, customer adjustments that are not covered in this list, and incidents owing to an airplane crash, ship sinking or taking on water, motor vehicle crashing, dropping the item, falling rocks, leaky roof, broken glass, mud slides, forest fire, or projectile (which can include, but not be limited to, arrows, bullets, shot, BB's, shrapnel, lasers, napalm, torpedoes, or emissions of X-rays, Alpha, Beta and Gamma rays, knives, stones, etc.); other restrictions may apply. This product is meant for educational purposes only. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. List each check separately by bank number. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during shipment. Use only as directed. No other warranty expressed or implied. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Postage will be paid by addressee. Subject to approval. This is not an offer to sell securities. Apply only to affected area. May be too intense for some viewers. Do not stamp. Use other side for additional listings. For recreational use only. Do not disturb. All models over 18 years of age. If condition persists, consult your physician. No user-serviceable parts inside. Freshest if eaten before date on carton. Subject to change without notice. Times approximate. Simulated picture. No postage necessary if mailed in the United States. Breaking seal constitutes acceptance of agreement. 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Be sure each item is properly endorsed. Sign here without admitting guilt. Slightly higher west of the Mississippi. Employees and their families are not eligible. Beware of dog. Contestants have been briefed on some questions before the show. Limited time offer, call now to insure prompt delivery. You must be present to win. No passes accepted for this engagement. No purchase necessary. Processed at location stamped in code at top of carton. Shading within a garment may occur. Use only in well-ventilated area. Keep away from fire or flame. Replace with same type. Approved for veterans. Booths for two or more. Check here if tax deductible. Some equipment shown is optional. Price does not include taxes. No Canadian coins. Not recommended for children. Prerecorded for this time zone. Reproduction strictly prohibited. No solicitors. No alcohol, dogs, or horses. No anchovies unless otherwise specified. Restaurant package, not for resale. List at least two alternate dates. First pull up, then pull down. Call toll free before digging. Driver does not carry cash. Some of the trademarks mentioned in this product appear for identification purposes only. Record additional transactions on back of previous stub. Decision of judges is final. Today's Blatherpics: Waiting For Frodo updated.