new nephew!

James Spencer Ridpath
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RAND!

Belated birth announcement:

I'm pleased to announce the birth of my new nephew, James Spencer Ridpath!

Parents: Debbie and Case Ridpath

Born: Friday, March 28th, 2003

Stats: 8 lbs, 8 ounces, 21 inches tall

Jeff and I are going to be meeting Spencer for the first time this weekend. :-)

Collections Poll follow-up

Fascinating to read in Blatherchat and Livejournal what different people have collected or collect. Here is a sample:

Mary Ellen: charms, dolls, children's books, Maurice Sendak, Edward Gorey

Delennara: seashells

Epi-lj: collectable card games

Lissa: cat figurines

Heather M: high-bounce balls, clowns, sand-art google-eye bottles, Jesus statues, snowglobes

Plaidearthworm: pencils, Scooby Doo stuff, Charles de Lint

electricland: stamps, model horses

Lynn: dolls, comedic and rare records

Lunahare: dolls, plastic swords you get in drinks, unicorns and dragons and small figurines, feathers and stones, rabbits

Parki: deco hood ornaments

CartoonKate: 50's kitsch with an emphasis on spaghetti poodles and headvases

Christo: photos of Frances Drake

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | Livejournal

POLL: what did/do you collect?

Jeff & I went to Caledonia for ScottM's birthday party.
The doll in this photo is from his girlfriend Karen's collection.
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When I was much younger, I use to collect spoons; the often tacky tourist kind you can usually find for about ten bucks. At the time I was collecting them, of course, each one was precious to me. I can still clearly remember the tiny bear on top of my Yellowstone National Park spoon, the miniature buildings, animals, symbols. I remember being immensely pleased whenever my mother used some of my spoons when company came over for tea.

A few years, I came across my old spoon collection while going through some old boxes. They looked so junky, jangling inside the worn plastic storage bag, and I decided to throw them out. It was tough, though; part of me felt like I was throwing out an important part of my childhood. The other part argued that if I kept every "important" childhood memory, our apartment would be so jam-packed with memorabilia that Jeff and I would barely have room to breathe.

As a child, I also used to collect stamps, but lost interest. As an adult, I collect:

- Bookmarks (Allison does too!). This is my favourite collectible item because they're small, relatively inexpensive, and I use them all the time.

- Weird food items (non-perishable). One of these days I'll post pictures of my collection online. Examples: Musk life savers (Kathleen Interfilk donation), small can of Meat Product (purchased at a small food store in Buffalo).

- Rubber stamps. Don't use these as often anymore because I don't write much personal snailmail these days.

- Small percussion instruments. I'm starting to run out of space, however, so have had to put some of these in storage.

- Soaps. I admit it - I'm a sucker for soaps of all kinds, but especially weird, food-related, nice-smelling or miniature ones. I don't actually USE most of them, but just like taking them out and smelling them, and/or looking at them if the packaging is especially nice. For soaps I actually use, textured soaps are my favourite (soap with gritty bits, like ground-up herbs or oatmeal or other interesting exfoliants). I keep a wrapped Scottish "Evening Primrose Bath Brick Moisturising Vegetable Soap" in my office, a gift from Beckett Gladney, just because I love the faint fragrance that permeates the room while I work. Plus the name is so cool. Just substitute "soup" instead of "soap", and it becomes even more interesting.

Poll: collections, past and present

What did you collect, as a child? Do you still have those collections?

What do you collect now?

Feel free to answer in your own Livejournal, but please do post the URL so I can find it (and others who may not be in Livejournal).

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | Livejournal

(please note that some people are opting to post comments in my Livejournal feed instead of in Blatherchat, so don't forget to check that page for poll responses)



Went for a walk along Front St. yesterday,
discovered that the St. Lawrence Market hosts a flea market
every Sunday (!). Easy walking distance from Torcon.
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getting there

My sister-in-law's cat. I'm not really a cat person,
but even I can read the "what the heck are YOU looking at"
expression in this furry face.
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Toronto's not a particularly cozy place right now, what with the SARS scare and the freezing rain. I looked out my window this morning to see a car slowly spin out of control at a nearby intersection, unable to find traction on the icy road.

It's been only a week since I started my physio treatments, and I've already been impressed with the results. A few weeks ago I could type only with one finger on my left hand (and even that was painful), could barely hold a spoon when eating my breakfast cereal. Now I can type with (*gasp) ALL MY FINGERS for short stints at a time.

I've been writing somewhat longer Blatherings recently as a gradual warm-up to getting back to my regular writing, testing the waters. I have good days and bad days, but there are more good than bad recently, which is encouraging.

The whole experience is certainly teaching me a new appreciation of what it must be like for someone with longterm problems using one or both arms. Even a simple walk through the underground malls can be challenging, what with the multiple swinging doors that have to be pulled or pushed, fumbling in one's wallet for change to pay for a drink...tasks that are no-brainers normally, but become tricky and somewhat painful challenges.

Last night I went to a Greek restaurant with my friend Luisa, and felt extraordinarily proud of the fact that I could actually cut my own food. Sounds like a little thing, but I felt like doing a Snoopy happy-dance right there on the table (but I refrained).

Everything takes me longer, from eating a meal to putting on my coat and boots for a walk outside. I write my daily Market Watch column over several hours, taking frequent breaks from the online research, e-mail, and text editing that I have to do for each column. I wrote today's Blathering over one and a half hours the same way, with frequent breaks, ice/heat packs, doing the hand/arm exercises I learned from my physiotherapist.

Not quite ready to plunge back into my regular writing, but I'm getting there. :-)

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | LJ

more FKO highlights

My snowshoes, at the cottage a few weeks ago
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More FKO highlights:

- Hearing Helen Marshall's poetry and songs.

- Many thanks to Kathleen Sloan for the gift of a gorgeous turquoise beaded bracelet she had made herself. She had also given handmade beaded necklaces to Allison and Jodi, saying the gifts were in thanks for the contributions we've made to Interfilk throughout the years.

- Running into Robert Cooke on Thursday night. What a sweet guy. Thank you, Interfilk, for bringing him to FilKONtario!

- Getting a chance to chat with Barry and Sally Childs-Helton. Sally has half-convinced me to start learning drums. My only concern is the amount of stuff I already have to lug around (guitar, flute, percussion thingies, music), but she says I can get a very child's jimbe (sp?) that will work just fine.

- To Diana: thanks for the dark chocolate-covered raisins!

- Hearing the Fibs again, or at least some of the Fibs (Carl and Jim; Tom was unable to attend). I lust after Jim's percussive tie.

- Spending a bit of time with Dr. Jane Robinson before the official start of the con. She looked over my arms and worked them over, gave me some helpful advice. A VERY cool person...I tried convincing her to move to Toronto, but I'm not sure how successful I was.

- Sunday brunch with Rand, a tradition we've had for a number of years now whenever we're attending the same convention.

- Chatting with Andrea Dale at Montana's at dinner Saturday night. Partway through the conversation, she noticed a sign over my shoulder that read, "WE DARE YOU TO TELL US IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!" and her face immediately assumed a Very Evil and Delighted Expression. Evading my attempts to clap my hand over her mouth, she told Adam English about the sign, and then I knew it was game over (others at the table: Andrea, Allison, Jodi, Tim Jennings, Helen Marshall).

Adam immediately and very enthusiastically began telling any passing waitstaff that it was my birthday ("I'm not kidding, it's REALLY her birthday!"). He took crayons and drew on the paper table covering right in front of me: BIRTHDAY GIRL, with a picture of a birthday cake and candles, with arrows pointing at me. I tried changing some of the pointers to point to Helen, who was sitting beside me, but she changed them back and then hid the crayons from me.

After dinner, the Montana waitstaff came out with dessert and a candle, banging on a cowbell, loudly announcing that it was my 16th birthday. Something heavy was put on my head and a moment later I was blinded by a camera flash as everyone sang happy birthday:



Wearing a birthday moose hat at Montana's. Helen
Marshall observing in delight and relief
(they almost put the hat on her by accident)
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I didn't realize what had been dropped on my head until I was shown the photo above a few minutes later, after the waitstaff and hat had gone away.

I hereby swear that I will someday have my revenge on Adam English and Andrea Dale, by the way...both of them were WAY too smug about the whole thing. I still owe Andrea for several other incidents, including a certain watergun photo t-shirt.

Now just to choose the means of my revenge...

<insert maniacal laughter fading into the distance here>

Links/News:

For your networked cooking needs (thanks to Mark Osier for the link :-))

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | LJ

SARS, FKO highlights

Brittany at the cottage last month.
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Toronto is still SARS-worried, with certain local media encouraging public fear about the virus. The Toronto Sun's bold headline today reads "2 MORE DEAD" with a photo of someone in protective medical gear including face mask, surgical medical gown, gloves. Reminds me of a scene from the movie "Outbreak" with Dustin Hoffman.

I've seen several people on the local transit wearing face masks, including a bus driver who donned the mask after an elderly man near the front of the vehicle started coughing. "Sir, please cover your mouth when you cough!" the driver told the man as she pulled out the mask. "You're making me nervous." Before my dentist's appointment yesterday, the office called to screen me for SARS symptoms. My physiotherapist told me that at least one patient has cancelled her appointment yesterday because of fear of getting SARS.

From what I've read, the chances of catching SARS in Toronto is extremely low. Ticks me off to see headlines like the one in The Sun, obviously trying to stir up fear and panic. Sure, the virus is a serious one that shouldn't be ignored, but it's no reason to be afraid of leaving one's house or apartment each day.

I'm curious to know what SARS coverage is like in other countries or areas of Canada (if there is any coverage, that is).

A few FKO highlights (more to come):

- Letting Joey Shoji convince me to have ice cream pie as my main course on Thursday night. I had also ordered some beef stew for later (dessert, I suppose), but was full by the time it arrived.

- Hearing Lyanne Quirt play a gorgeous Debussy piece on flute in open filk Saturday night (thanks for the chocolate birthday cupcakes, too, Lyanne!).

- To Greg & Maya: Thanks for the chocolate raspberry, yum!

- Getting to hear some rough mix tracks from Ookla the Mok's upcoming CD, "OH OKAY L.A.". Veryvery excited about getting hold of the final product! I've pre-ordered my copy already.

- Lounging in the hot tub and the pool with Dave Clement. We arrived early on Thursday and spent about an hour alternating between both. I was in happy relaxed raisin mode by the end, ready for the official start of the convention.

- Celebrating my birthday at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday in the hotel room with Allison and Jodi.

- Being surprised by Jeff, who visited the hotel on the morning of my birthday to take me out for breakfast. He went looking for me in the hotel restaurant, where he ran into Joey Shoji and Lyanne Quirt. Lyanne had already seen Jeff's photo in Blatherings but said she had never actually seen him MOVING before. :-)

Links/News:

My sister Ruth is being interviewed on TVO at 7:30 pm.

According to an announcement on the Air Canada Web site, the airline filed for bankruptcy protection yesterday. They claim they are operating "business as usual", however, and that all Aeroplan points will continue to be honoured. Sure hope so, since that's how I plan to get to Concertino in July.

Apr/2003 comments: Read | Post | LJ