The night’s entertainment, a wiry fellow in an ill-fitting suit, was banging out a tune on the electric piano as the middle-aged women at the neighboring table sang along, a boisterous rendition of Roll Out the Barrel in German while their dour-looking husbands concentrated on their appetizers: liver dumpling soup and lentils with sausage. “You know who’d love this?”I asked. Normally, Fondy would answer: “Jelly?”. True, that dog will eat just about anything. But, on this night, Fondy wasn’t with us and, as much as Jelly loves a good schnitzel, I know my buddy Carl loves it even more more. In fact, I could just imagine Carl, seated between the matronly woman with the fearsome blond do and the stout, bespectacled guy staring dreamily into his spaetzle, whooping it up, lustily bellowing out the lyrics and banging his beer stein on the table as he’s want to do during our writers’ meeting until Paul gets fed up and tells him to stop. Carl would’ve loved this place.
The place: The Little Munich (Le Petit Munich for pure laine Quebecers fearful that the mere presence of the original English signage would further geld their French culture). The plates: a four sausage sampler platter that included lamb sausage (the clear winner), a cheddar-bacon sausage (a tasty close second), currywurst (which I’d heard so much about but wasn’t blown away by), and Susie (a spicy sausage with a bit of an unpleasant metallic aftertaste); Jagerschnitzel (in a too-salted mushroom cream sauce), Hunter style veal strips (nicely grilled and served with some excellent spaetzle), and a Schnitzel Paprikash (served in a creamy paprika sauce), potato dumplings (meh), and bread dumplings (scrumptious!). The desserts: a hazelnut cake (kind of dry), and some sort of traditional German dessert of almonds, phyllo pastry, honey and cream (very good). I still prefer the schnitzel at Vancouver’s Budapest Restaurant, but must give this place props for the best spaetzle I’ve ever eaten.
I’ve almost finished City of Pearl (which I’m really enjoying) and, fearing I may run out of books before I run out of vacation days, I swung by Chapters where I picked up a copy of Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Talents (I loved Parable of the Sower) and the creepy-looking The Dreaming Jewels by Theodore Sturgeon. I also swung by a second-hand bookstores and picked up some titles I’ve been having a hard time locating, like Stephen R. Donaldson’s The Real Story, Stanislaw Lem’s The Cyberiad, and Poul Anderson’s Tau Zero.
My Auntie Jeanette joined us for the Mallozzi Easter Sunday lunch. At eighty-ninety, she’s still as spry and opinionated as ever, bursting with depressing or horrifying stories sourced from friends of friends of friends or the News of the Weird sections of the local rags: mothers gone berserk, grotesque bobsled accidents, weird births. Before my grandmother passed away at age 112, Auntie Jeanette used to pick up her prescription medication. Whenever she’d go by, the pharmacist would caution her regarding the possible side-effects she could experience. “They’re not for me,”my then late-seventies aunt would inform him. “It’s for my mother.” “Suuure it is,”the pharmacist would reply, exchanging knowing looks with his co-workers, no doubt mentally noting the early onset symptoms of Alzheimers – “It’s for your mother.”. Anyway, between Auntie Jeanette’s observations on everything from her lack of appetite to Islam, and the half-dozen ill-timed phone calls from relatives phoning to wish us a Happy Easter, we enjoyed mom’s home made orecchiette (“little ears” pasta), some excellent roast capretto (that’s goat for you non-Italians), great ox-tail with coconut milk and ginger (my sister’s contribution along with some very tasty -), bang-bang shrimp, fried spicy green peppers (which, for some strange reason, I can’t find anywhere in Vancouver), broccoli, and rapini. For dessert: mom’s friendship cake and ricotta-chocolate chip cake, and a Toblerone cake Fondy picked up.
Tonight, Fondy’s sister’s in-laws have invited us out for what I can only assume is the traditional Greek Orthodox Easter meal: Chinese buffet. I’ll have a report tomorrow complete with appetizing pics of the deep-fried chicken-less chicken balls, cloying honey-garlic wings, and diced hot dogs in sweet and sour sauce.
Hopefully, the festivities will wrap up well before 9:00 p.m. so that I can swing by my sister’s place for the Sopranos season premiere. I’m predicting a bad end for Tony, Paulie, Silvio, and Baccala.
Some Q&A –
SG Team Leader writes: “Has there been an episode of either series where things have gone so wrong behind the camera (accidents or technical failures or whatnot) that made filming difficult or almost impossible?”
Answer: Rain is always a problem as it screws up with continuity. Counting on a Western location that suddenly becomes unavailable was a big problem for a certain late-season three episode.
Someday Scientist writes: “Perchance, will there be any field-trip type Jumper moments? You know the kind, Rodney sniping at Ronon, Teyla searching for some sort of Athosian Tylenol, and John getting fed up and crying out “I *will* turn this jumper around!”
Answer: There will even be some jumper-less field-trip type jumper moments.
Anonymous #1 writes: “Answer: Hmmm. Well, technically I asked for ET or Access Hollywood
Hmmm. Well considering they’ve managed to get you more publicty than you’ve managed for yourselves lately I wouldn’t be so dismissive if I were you.”
Answer: Not being dismissive, just cryptic.
Sweet Pea writes: “Sorry to hear about Fondy’s aunt, please send her my best wishes, my thoughts go to you and your family. I lost my Dad not long ago, so I know how hard it is to lose a family member. It kinda puts things into perspective doesn’t it?”
Answer: Thanks to you and everyone who passed along their thoughts. And I’m sorry to hear about your dad.
Crazymom writes: “Our couch might be available post-Stargate, although you’d probably have to share with our dog. Radar seems to think it’s rude to leave guests on their own and insists on sleeping with them to keep them company. Where do your dogs sleep?”
Answer: I love Radar. He is more than welcome on our couch anytime (though it might be a tight squeeze). As for our dogs – they used to sleep on the bed until Fondy started complaining about their snoring. Since then, they’ve been banished to the various doughnut beds that dot the bedroom (although Jelly seems to prefer the laundry hamper.
Vikitty writes: “Do fans ever send the writers flowers?”
Answer: On occasion they do. By the way, what is your avatar?
Joshua Meyers writes: “Is Lt.Ford dead? Whats Tealc’s purpose in his cameo?.
Are we gonna see more about Teyla though?”
Answers: Maybe. Wait and see. Yup.
Monty the radioactive gopher writes: “I think with that episode in the works you’ve covered just about all your major fan bases (except for Ronon) Tut tut Mr M, can’t forget Ronon) unless of course he’s already been killed off in Adrift and you didn’t want to spoil it for us.”
Answer: Right. I forgot to mention Ronon because he’s part of the B plot that involves him, off-world, trying to babysit a bunch of rambunctious Athosian children. He has his hands full with the mischievous scamps but, when the camp comes under wraith attack, the little devils become Ronon’s greatest allies…
Grapesofwraith writes: “Have you ever been recognized by people on the street as a producer? If so, have you ever been asked to sign anything/ be in a picture/ do any of those strange things? “
Answer: The only time I have ever been recognized was at a pharmacy check out line where I had to provide I.D. with my credit card. The girl behind the counter looked at my driver’s license and asked: “Joseph Mallozzi? As in Latin for the Novice Joseph Mallozzi, PhD?” Yup, and that‘s Dr. Mallozzi to you.
Majorsal writes: “1- do you like ‘the ten commandments’ movie? 2- any chance of getting to see what fondy looks like? 3- have you ever been to a fastfood restaurant called ‘weinerschnitzel’? 4- have you ever been to southern california amusement parts ‘disneyland’ and ‘knott’s berry farm’?”
Answers: 1. Haven’t seen it since I was a kid so I don’t remember much. Except for the parting of the Red Sea sequence. 2. I‘ve posted pics of her throughout my blog entries. Check out my early (Nov-Dec 2006) posts in particular. 3. No, never. But it just so happen that we had schnitzel last night. 4. Not yet.
Allison writes: “Answer: Hmmm. Well, technically I asked for ET or Access Hollywood…My, my. Splitting hairs, aren’t we? XD I think the late night shows would be a better agreement. No one really watches ET/AH anyways.”
Answer: The Today Show appearance was admittedly impressive…
Tauri Sith writes: “Have you ever read “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” or any of the sequels? Or seen the movie, which was TOTALLY messed up?”
Answer: Read all the books and watched the original t.v. series, but didn’t see the movie.
Michael writes: “Will there be an episode dealing with the stargate itself next year? The technology behind the stargates and such”
Answer: Possibly.
Peter writes: “TPTB at Battlestar Galactica has been doing video blogs and all of that online stuff; have TPTB at Bridge ever thought about doing this?”
Answer: Haven’t really thought about it as I have my hands full with this blog. Oh, and production.
Shawna writes: “Once the actual act of fertilization takes place […] Okay, assuming you bothered to read all that, how close am I to the truth?”
Answer: Check out the back half of season four to find out.
Anonymous #2 writes: “I’m somewhat surprised that you haven’t read the sequels to Ender’s Game. Should you get around to it in the midst of your ever-busy schedule, I would recommend them. They are indeed different, but quite enjoyable. I find that the later Ender trilogy is very philosophical/moralistic in nature. My favorite, though, is OSC’s companion Bean series (starting with Ender’s Shadow). Great political intrigue and military strategy.”
Answer: I loved Bean from Ender’s Game. I read the first book on Martin Wood’s recommendation and will follow-up on his recommendations of some other books (including more Ender, some Greg Bear, and the Chung Kuo series).
Anonymous #2 also writes:“And speaking of books, you mentioned a few posts back that from time to time you read fantasy. Have you ever read Piers Anthony?”
Answer: I did pick up On A Pale Horse yesterday.
Joshua Meyers writes: “I’m just curious which countries you have been to?”
Answer: Italy, France, Japan, Hong Kong (I suppose we’d call that China), and the U.S.
Linzi writes: “Which episode would you say so far, has the most physical action in it? By that I mean fighting, being thrown around,running around, firing guns etc?”
Answer: Lifelife, Travelers, Missing come to mind.
Anonymous #3 writes: “What will we have to watch in first: SG-1 movies or Atlantis season four premiere ?”
Answer: Whatever premieres first.
Benny writes: “1. Who would you think will win if one was to pit an Aurora class warship in mint condition versus an Ori Battle Cruiser; that is if you were to bet money on who will you gage on? I really would like to see a fight of that nature.
2. Also I was wondering if that downed Wraith cruiser from episode Submerged will see the light in season 4?”
Answer: 1. Hard to say. The Ori Battle Cruiser is a little more contemporary. 2. Maybe.
Dori writes: “Any more hints as to this actor you’re pursueing for the show?”
Answer: I can’t reveal too much about him – except that he was recurring on a very popular network show.
Amararti writes: ” My Mum passed away a little over two weeks ago and it has been a sad time for the family.”
Answer: I can well imagine. My condolences. And thanks for the upbeat and amsuing post in spite of the circumstances.
Anthony writes: “What happens if you walk through the other side of the Stargate?”
Answer: My guess is you’ll step out on the other side.
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