Just when things were starting to pick up here in Toronto, this morning I wake up to THIS –

Welcome to Toronto.

I mean, COME ON!  It’s the end of March!  I bet you it’s not snowing in Vancouver!

Today was a day of sporadic creative bursts as we attempted to start breaking episode 3 (Paul is doing the honors on this one) only to be continually sidetracked by meetings, some planned, some not.  We interviewed casting directors, selected sides for the fast-approaching Frank auditions, discussed the French and European shoots, and talked cars and stunts (a recurring theme, you may have noticed).  Oh, and we eventually did manage to break the tease and first act of that third episode.

 

The Germans.

 

Anna drops by with treats.

 

Homemade biscotti!

Early this morning, I started to fill out the application forms for that posh doggy daycare I have my heart set on.  It’s about eight pages (x 4 dogs in my case) of rules, requirements, and questions covering everything from dietary restrictions and touch sensitivity to grooming preferences and their general disposition toward toy-sharing (to be honest, Jelly is less than equitable when it comes to sharing her ducky).  Before a dog can be accepted as a guest, he/she must undergo a thirty minute assessment which, I believe, involves a testing of their temperament, socialization skills, and foreign language proficiency. Depending on how they do, they may either be turned down or invited to visit from anywhere from a few hours to an entire day.

Seriously.  I feel like I’m trying to secure them a placement in an exclusive private school.

Was planning to check out a couple of houses today but, alas, the snowstorm quashed those plans.  At day’s end, I was greeted by THIS –

 

My rental.

On the bright side, I hear it’s going to stop snowing.

In April.

59 thoughts on “March 23, 2011: COME ON!!! Sporadic creativity! St. Roch’s School for Gifted Dogs!

  1. April!?! I’ve seem it snow in May!

    Umm, do you know yet if you’re gonna need me this weekend?

    Elminster

  2. HAHA! Welcome back to the east coast! 😀

    I am down here in PA and man has spring …froze.

  3. I really laughed when I first read the email version. So funny… After the snow, everything was xxx! Hmm, is the hidden code for grumpy about the weather? No…just a glitch…when I pressed the button for comments… It took me to the real blog…with real words. Too funny. Thanks for the giggles. We have snow here usually through May. You on the other hand have it with great winds. Not pretty. Have you shopped for new clothes yet? Will the pups even step outside?

    Best to you Joe and your new warmer coat
    Always.
    Cheryl 🙂

  4. Joe – I realize you’re going through a frantic move, but that’s no reason to get all hyperbolic and call that a snowstorm. In Chicago, that’s more like a light dusting. No reason to downgrade from standard leather bomber to parka, no reason to downgrade from driving gloves to ski gloves. Foot apparel is no different than rain either and it doesn’t even look like enough to bring out the snowplows. The sun tomorrow will melt that off with your projected high of a balmy 27F.

    So, I wish you luck and good fortune on this challenging change in your life, but geez dude! Don’t turn into a Wuss. 🙂

  5. Joe you applied for an American express card yet ? I sen you some house links on you last post comment section seem your blog ate them

  6. Joe, have you forgotten the winters in Montreal? Suck it up, baby, it’ll be melted by next week, if not sooner.

  7. Oh, stop whining!!!

    (Actually, don’t stop. It’s why we love you. You’re like our very own Major Charles Emerson Winchester III. 🙂 And I am, of course, Hawkeye. 😀 )

    das

  8. Listening to my friend in Winnipeg matter-of-factly talk about the -10C temps and thrice weekly snowfalls, I’ve wondered about the sanity of most Canadians. You are not helping me overcome my reservations. Though your desire for Vancouver-esque weather puts you firmly in the mentally fit catagory.
    The doggie day care adventure has me chuckling. I do hope all your pooches manage to pass muster. Would hate for you to find only part of the pack accepted, forcing you to seek out a second best solution.
    Oh, and I really hope you brought or plan to bring ALL your cold weather clothing on your next doggie run. Looks like you’ll need it for awhile. Thanks for the daily laugh, and good luck.

  9. Yep I feel your pain. Since I only live an hour a way from you now I can laugh with you (not that either of us is laughing, more like crying). Shoveled the extremely heavy crap twice today!! The dogs wanted to go out and play in it! The city has been a bit slow with getting it all plowed I take the city bus and they are not running on time so should be interesting tomorrow morning!!

    Ah well maybe if we wish hard enough tonight it will go away by morning?!?

    Have a great night.
    Penny

  10. Hi Joe, inasmuch as the doggie daycare seems a bit overdone, if they really are paying that much attention, you can relax while you’re at work. Of course, one would worry about not getting accepted and the self-esteem issues that would stem from that. 😉 I’ll take your snow and raise you two horribly hot days in Florida!

  11. Oh, come on, Joe! It’s a little snowstorm… not entirely unusual for late March! Living in Vancouver has made you soft. What kind of Canadian are you??

    I didn’t have time to comment on yesterday’s blog, but I wanted to say that was quite the meal. I LOVE garlic stir-fried snow pea leaves, and that lobster dish is exactly what my parents used to make when I was growing up. That post made me drool.

    So you’re thinking of Rosedale, eh? Very posh area. The homes are gorgeous. I have family who live in the area. While lovely, some of the residents can be a little uppity, as you can well imagine for such a wealthy neighbourhood. Still, it’s a beautiful area with heritage homes and fabulous tree-lined streets.

  12. Since you and your crew enjoy great meals so much, have you all ever considered joining together to open up your own restaurant? 🙂

  13. The French and European shoots?
    So your new show goes European too?

    Do you yet miss the space-themed SFX? Will you be using any other of the folks from the Stargate family in any capacity? I’m so saddened to think of all those you introduced us to on your blog, from editors, to wardrobe, set and prop designers, special effects blast experts, etc., now looking for jobs. I believe some have been with the franchise a long time. However, such talented, creative people must be in demand.

    How is Jelly doing? I hope she feels better soon. Such a brave girl. Will Lulu and Bubba travel this weekend as I believe you have planned? If so, hope all goes well with their trip and they arrive safely. None of my cats have ever done well traveling anywhere. Much like me!

    By the way, we do get blizzards in April/May, though only occasionally, thank goodness. Welcome to the east coast of North America Joe.

    Sorry for rambling. I wish all a good night!

    2cats

  14. Joe,
    As soon as the weather clear’s hit the Pavement!!!!!…..do some lite Joging and pick it up as you begin to feel like you are getting back in Treadmill running shape….:)

  15. Two weeks back from Spring Break and my University had a snow day today.

    On a side note, your move to Toronto has a plus for me in the fact that you now reside in my time zone. Which means your blog posts now arrive at a reasonable hour.

  16. Guess I won’t mention it is crystal blue skies and 85 degrees down here in Texas. I even saw a June Bug on the back porch.

  17. Hey Joe,
    I got to say that I am surprise how fast one can change job and move cities…
    I guess you didn’t give yourself time to be scared or depressed … or maybe the circumstances didn’t let you be. And the job will keep you busy, which is after all the best motivation of all to overcome such a big change. Very interesting to see the result of that new show. Personally I am past mourning SGU. I’ll miss it a lot, but I’m over it.
    It’s so good to see you brought Rob and Carl over!

    And BTW Joe, come on man! You’re a Montrealer, that’s not a snowstorm, come on!

  18. About this Frank fella…

    Some requests:

    Pick a hot guy.
    Pick a hot guy who can act.
    Pick a hot guy who has HAIR. Tousle-able hair is sexy hair.
    Pick a hot guy who looks good with his shirt off.
    Write scenes where the hot guy has reason to take his shirt off (e.g. removes shirt to snuff out an engine fire; removes shirt to make a tourniquet; removes shirt to sew up a chest wound).

    It’s not too much to ask for, is it? I mean, if I really wanted to be demanding, I’d be asking for the hot guy to be an albino. 🙂

    das

  19. LOL the French locations seals it… since Transporter is to film in both… not that we didnt’ already know.

    @Thornyrose

    Listening to my friend in Winnipeg matter-of-factly talk about the -10C temps and thrice weekly snowfalls, I’ve wondered about the sanity of most Canadians.

    Not just Canadians… how bout them Minnesotans? MOVE SOUTH.

  20. ha! That was Ottawa on Monday [1st day of Spring?!!]… Actually, it was rather nice and SUNNY Here today! !

    Rule ONE about “Ontario” and Winter – Don’t even THINK about taking the Snow Tires “off” UNTIL *MAY*! As well as keeping that Windshield Scraper/Brush nearby.

    You know… seeing Carl & Rob [7 whoever else from SG] with you on this “Project” and considering all the probs, couldn’t you guys have just stayed in Vancouver and “phone it in”…? Cause, unless IT goes for more than 2 Seasons, is it *really* “worth” it? …just saying…

  21. I think you lived in Van way too long if you think that miniscule amount of snow amounts to a “snowstorm.” I know that much snow would bring Van to its knees (been there done that – not going back), but having grown up in Montreal, you should be well familiar with real snow. 🙂

    Besides we all know that the Lower Mainland and Island are in their own little bubble that’s slightly removed from the rest of the country and thus don’t really have “winter” as the rest of us understand it.

    Good luck with the questionnaires and best of luck to the pups on their interviews.

  22. Down here in Alabama it was 80 degrees today! Everybody has been hitting the beach. Also my boys private school application was only two pages so I hope it is a top of th line doggy day care! 🙂

  23. Brrrrr. That video sounds cold.

    It’s rather cold in L.A. too at the moment. I’ve had to close the balcony door the last few nights. 🙂 Actually, I think Vancouver sent its weather to Southern California for the week. Would you kindly call them and tell them they can take their rain back now?

    Hope you and the dogs get settled soon in your new home and daycare — Good luck on the entrance exams for the latter!

    I’m looking forward to hearing about the new show (and your other projects)… but I’ll miss the Ashleigh Chronicles. Everyone knows that no hero is complete without a nemesis.

    – KB

  24. I don’t think it was the snow, but that wind! I bet it was really cold. Brrrr. I can’t deal with cold. Put a bit of snow on top of that? I hope you have a nice parka.

    Sounds like that doggy daycare will be great, but it also does sound like applying to private school for your kid. Hope you get in.

  25. The snow is sooooooo pretty. How can you not love it? :p

    We had one of our 10 rain days per year today.

    I hope Jelly is feeling better and Bubba, Max and Lulu are adjusting too.

  26. Hi.

    Is it possible that once you´ve settled in nicely, you´d be answering some SG-related questions? Although you´ve moved on, 2.5 is still getting aired and you´re our only source of information.

    Thanks.

  27. @iom666

    Think Mr M would actually prefer a real snowstorm as you put it. It’s a lot easier to manage than the wet slushy crap that Toronto had. The slushy crap freeze up quite fast after encountering the cold air near the ground.

    We have no snow at all in Montreal today and the weather is relatively mild. The weather pattern for the North East is extremely fluid this season. Couple of days in deep freeze follow by a couple of really mild days along with a lot of frequent moisture originating from the Gulf of Mexico.

    My sister move from the balmy Bay area on the West coast to Hartford and then experience a unending string of blizzards, North-Easters & Ice storms. As a matter of fact the Boston – New York area just got more attention from old man winter. They told my sister that she is moving to a mild climate. LOL

  28. Waoou:!!!!! Mais c’est le Pôle Nord O_O ..dire qu’a Paris il fait soleil depuis 6 jours avec des températures qui avoisine les 18 degrés …rien qu’à regarder ces photos, je grelotte lol!

    Lol j’ai pensée à la même chose que vous concernant vos chiens..on dirait que vous inscrivez vos enfants dans une école privée..enfin pas sûr que ça soit aussi compliqué XD

    J’espere que la tempête de neige va bientôt finir.
    Gros bisous!
    Anais

  29. Snow in March? When I lived up in Michigan, I saw it in April and May. Not a big deal. 🙂 Of course, now that I’m down South, we’re not seeing snow anymore. We’re just seeing BIG piles of pollen. Yuck!!!! And it’s not doing me any good. 🙁

    On the good side though, seems that your new job is starting off well. Good luck with the doggie day care apps.

    Have a great day!!!!!

  30. Toronto got off easy – only 5 cm of snow. Just an hour south, Hamilton got clobbered with 20 cm! And it was pretty heavy snow, not just the fluffy stuff. It isn’t unusual to get snow in April in Ontario. Glad we saved some for you! Welcome to Ontario!

  31. Joe sorry about your sn**, see I can’t even bring myself to spell it..ha. Hope it was a short-lived event.
    I believe your pups will get accepted, to the “posh” academy, they are afterall uppercrust in society, probably royalty if we did their bloodlines.
    Enjoyed last weeks episode of SGU, thanks for all the terrific work on it! and looking ahead to tomorrows ep.
    So are you going to be traveling to these new locations with your production, what fun.
    Enjoy the day and thanks for being east coast, we get to see your posts real time now.(i get confused,lol) — fingers still crossed for a great pup/house/location, let me know when I can uncross them…

  32. I think das should get a special vote on casting – she’s on the right track!

    We’ll trade your ‘little’ snow for the Edmonton area’s. After driving home last night, I found out the RCMP were asking motorists to stay off my highway due to horrid driving conditions. I thought those 3+ ft. drifts were a little much…and it was oddly quiet on the road… Maybe next time I should check the road reports before I leave the house?

    How are the pups doing being split up? Are the dogs at home weirded out?

    Btw – it is fantastic to see Rob and Carl again 🙂

  33. Vancouver’s been gorgeous and sunny this week, downright t-shirt weather. These posts are seriously putting me off my own potential relocation to Ottawa. Snow, in March? Sigh.

  34. Cmon you grew up in Montreal.
    You know that in the east coast it still snows in April

  35. Hi all. Just saw Jewel Staite started a food blog over at http://happyopu.net/ She even started to take pics of the dishes. Sorry if this is old news. I did a search and did not find anything on the blog about it.

  36. Enjoy the snow, because come sweltering summer you’ll be praying for a snow storm. That is the curse of the East Coast; it’s never comfortable weather-wise, but avoiding all the crime takes your mind away from the bad weather! Yay!

    Yesterday I sat at work waiting for a hailstorm and thunderstorm to stop (hail size of ping pong balls) while tornado struck on the other side of town, luckily no one was hurt; see? Snow is better than tornado.

    Good luck with the doggy daycare app, hope they don’t require GRE’s with that. Maybe you can find a dog walker/housekeeper instead who has a culinary degree.

  37. Hey Joe!

    What ever you do, don’t pick Joe Flanigan as Frank. You will get stuck on set scratching his back while he reads the New York Times.

  38. I forget, which of your pups plays the cello? You can’t leave that off the application!

    Oh come on now, whining about snow in March is just whining to hear yourself whine. You can still ski in Utah on the 4th of July. Some years.

    (Sorry about the snark. I am having a Bad Day with an air duct cleaner who is either stoned, stupid or who slept in and forgot he has a job. That’s one company who has lost all my business forever.)

  39. Interesting story about the application. It sounds more detailed than my son’s application years ago. Once you get in, you are in.

    Brrr, on the weather!

    maggiemayday: (from yesterday) Hang in there on losing weight!

  40. @dioxholster – The revolution in dignity has already begun in that country. I don’t think we can force others to respect dignity when they have power, but everytime we respect the dignity of others, especially those we disagree with, there’s a butterfly effect of dignity everywhere. We can hope someone will reap the benefits when they find themselves at a disadvantage.

    Limiting the power any group can have over individuals is another solution. I’m not talking about statements of rights that will be ignored when the opportunity to do so arises. I’m talking about anarchy and personal firearms here. Society doesn’t have the gumption to forever resist the millions of tyrants that stand between us and such a solution.

  41. @das

    About Frank: Amen!!! (and lol) And please don’t be *too* demanding. (As much as I admire Wraith hotness. . .) 😉

    @maggiemayday

    Your snark is very funny. (Not that I envy you the cause of it.)

    *said in sepulchral tones, as though by a specter* Bewaaare the avalanches of April. – But you and Larry know way more about that than I do.

    @Joe

    I need to send you a pic of me as a kid, dressed in my spring-weight Easter clothes, on the porch of our Green Mountain house with about 3’6″ of snow in the background.

    We’re supposed to get a couple of inches here, early next week. In Missouri, Joe. *Central* Missouri. Where my aunt’s star magnolia is already in bloom.

    – The Germans look very, um, Prussian. Jawohl, mein herr, & all that.

    Good luck to the pooches in auditioning for the Juilliard Music School of doggy daycare with their well-rehearsed performance piece, the Tchaikovsky String Quartet no. 1. (I saw a trend; I followed it – what a sheep – hopefully an electric sheep. *w*)

  42. @Personally I am past mourning SGU. I’ll miss it a lot, but I’m over it.

    Me too, however I miss SGA/SG1 more, I loved those shows, and the style they had and the characters too.

    On the bright side, it’l be exciting to hear if someone else picks up the reigns and has a stab at doing a Stargate show, makes me wonder who will do that though?

    7 more SGU eps left till the end, kinda depressing lol

    @discussed the French and European shoots

    So cool, sounds like Transporters getting some international scenes, that would be an awesome job for a director and the crew, how I envy them lol.. Well if they’re visiting nice warm countrys with good views.

    @Frank auditions

    I’m interested as to who will get cast for this role, I assume you’re going for named actors instead of unknowns? If the budgets big you obviously are looking for the talent.

    Hope you do a blog Q&A for whoever you cast, maybe that could be a requirement for people auditioning lol, do a Q&A on Joes blog or no deal LOL

  43. @Luis

    Speaking of treadmills, you could always just start slow and work the speed/incline up slowly to a comfortable level and do that. Saves jogging around in public and you could do from the inside of your own home lol

    An exercise ball is good for a wide range of excercises to keep in shape and keep a flat stomach =]

  44. @Joe: what das said. I’ll need a reason to watch – other that my favorite Stargate writers are working on the show – so gimme a little hotness. And good stories.

    I’m not even going to dignify your snow complaints by commenting.

  45. If you’re talking cars, then you should be talking Aston Martin DB9, Verrrry Jamesh Bond 😀

    Its the best looking car ever built!

    Also wondering, will be seeing a lot of ultra hd slow motion car smashing in your new series? 😛 😛 😛 (no point in seeing cars smashed, if we cant enjoy the smashing)

    I don’t expect it a knight rider, but will we see cool gadgets? 😀

  46. Hey Joe

    Just remember, while casting, that no matter what Carl says, say NO to Charlie Sheen…

    Elminster

  47. Are you returning to Vancouver for the other two mutts at the weekend? Or are you going to wait until you have somewhere to stay.

    I love Maximus’s big smile – he looks like a placid dog. I hope that Jelly gets her plumbing sorted out – at least she wasn’t needing to wee all the time on the airplane. My first puppy did a wee on a bus (a big wee-wee) and it flowed down the bus like a river.

    I hope that Akemi manages to get settled in in Toronto. Is Toronto any nearer your mother’s home than Vancouver?

    Susan

  48. hi, joe,

    would the latest sgu ep (“Alliances”) have been a tie-in with the 3rd sg1 movie?

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