So, yesterday’s dog transport went surprisingly smoothly. My awesome dogs-sitter, Christine, was kind enough to offer me a lift to the airport. Once there, I met up with Leah and, dog carriers in hand, we fairly breezed through check-in and security with minimal whining. Bubba and Lulu were pretty good too. With plenty of time before our 11:30 flight, we parked ourselves in front of Gate 145 and chatted away the time. Until about 11:15 when Leah glanced down at her watch and noted it was kind of weird that, with fifteen minutes to go before our scheduled departure, we had yet to board. I also found it odd that Gate 145 was sparsely attended – and by sparsely, I mean Leah and I were the only ones there. Leah checked her ticket. Sure enough, it said Gate 145. I checked mine. 146!
Fortunately, we were able to stroll over and right onto the plane with moments to spare. It was fortunate I wasn’t a more interesting conversationalist because, if I had been, I’m sure Leah wouldn’t have even realized the time! Anyway, we slipped the dogs underneath the seats in front of us and they were amazingly well-behaved for the entire flight. With the exception of the five minutes when the air hostess hunkered down to say hi.
The dream trip lasted for as long as it took us to disembark – at which point Bubb and Lulu started crying and scratching. I’ve never heard Lulu make the sounds she made over the course of those unbearable twenty minutes. She sounded downright indignant.
Once outside the terminal, I phoned up Fondy who was supposed to be giving me a lift – and nowhere in sight.
“Where are you?”she asked.
“Terminal one,”I informed her.
“Yeah, but where? What section? Check the number on the pole!”
“There is no number on the pole. Just a letter. A.”
“What terminal are you at?!!”
I pushed my $2 baggage cart along, using my right hand to steady the two dog carriers on the pile of suitcases, my left hand clutching my cell phone, and approached an airport employee. “What terminal is this?”I asked. He informed me it was terminal 1. “I’m at terminal one,”I repeated.
“But what section?”she asked, the frustration clearly mounting. “What’s the number on the pole?”
I checked. “There is no number. Just a letter. C.”
“Are you sure you’re at terminal one?!!”
I forged ahead, stopped and asked an airport employee, considered resuming the roundabout conversation and then, thinking better of it, simply handed HIM the phone. “He’s at terminal one,”he informed her. A beat. “No, you’re at terminal three. Follow the signs to terminal one. Your passenger will be in section E.”
I thanked him and took back the phone, whereupon I was immediately reprimanded. “You said section C! You’re in section E!”
I wanted to ask her what difference it made since she was at the wrong terminal anyway but, before I could protest, she clicked off.
Eventually, she found terminal one (as did Leah’s sister who was also waiting for her at terminal three) and dropped me and the dogs (including Jelly and Maximus) off at the apartment where we settled down –
To an exhausting evening.
It was bitterly cold. I took the dogs out in two’s – Jelly and Maximus first, then Bubba and Lulu. Lulu caught her foot under the automatic door and loosened a bloodcurdling shriek that startled the hell out of the heavy-set security guard sitting at the reception desk. Then, this morning, jumped off the bed and injured her paw/leg. She’s been limping around all day. Bubba, his anxiety quotient cranked up to eleven, screams (and I do mean SCREAMS) when he is left alone in the place. Jelly, suffering through a bladder infection, was up at 4:30 a.m., crying, because she needed to go to the bathroom. I ended up sleeping the last two hours until my 7:00 a.m. wake-up on the floor to comfort her. Maximus, on the other hand, is his usual lazy old self.
This morning, it was another double round of walkies in the miserable Toronto cold. Unlike Vancouver, the high point of the dog walks here in Toronto are the moments when you actually pick up the dog crap (toasty warm on your numbened fingers through the plastic of the poopy bag. Heavenly!). Then, I headed out early to check out another two daycares. One was located on a sketchy-looking block, flanked by a tattoo parlor and a psychic; the other wasn’t even open at 9:00 a.m. when I rolled by.
Back in the office, we started spinning another story, got to the end of the first act before I had to bow out to check out three more houses. Desperation has set in and I’ve reached the point where I’ll settle for pretty much anything. Which is what I’ve done. It’s old, unfurnished, and the basement is creepy, but it’ll do. Until December anyway. My offer goes in tomorrow. If it’s accepted, we move in this weekend. If not, I’m going to make an offer on The Shining place (see March 25th entry, ed.).
P.S. I’m loving Tarconi!
Oy, Joe, what a mess you’re in! Why don’t you just hire somebody to stay with the dogs at home all day in lieu of the daycare? You sound absolutely miserable! Here’s hoping things settle down a bit with the pups. Give them all a smoochies from all of us. And for you, a big hug. 🙂
Oh, the poor dogs. I hope everything goes better once they get settled.
Happy house hunting…. Whatever house you choose, be sure to get air conditioning. T.O. can get quite humid in the summer.
And, regarding the unfriendly elevator riders in T.O. (yesterday’s post)…. I find that people are willing to chat if you make the first move. And yes, that applies to Torontonians, too.
I’m not from T.O., but I’ve spent a lot of time there as a regular lifelong visitor, and I can honestly say that even in T.O., if you’re friendly and make an effort to talk to people, they will reciprocate that effort, just like in almost any other city in Canada.
I’ve always felt that strangers chatting with each other in line-ups or elevators is a wonderful Canadian thing. Start with every Canadian’s favourite topic: the weather. Smile and make that effort, and it will come right back to you, more often than not.
I think you’re supposed to return those carts to a thingie outside and get your 2$ back, right?
I’m watching a great docu on Dolly Madison on PBS. What a life, she survived yellow fever, the loss her husband and had to flee the White House when the british attacked during the war of 1812 and burned the White House to the ground.
Here’s something to cheer you up; the trailer for very retro “Hobo With a Shotgun.”
at least the clan is together in one city again. Good luck on the offer, and on getting the place funished quickly. We, your adoring readers, would be glad to offer you decorating advice, but I trust you’ll manage with more professional input.
Hope your pups feel better soon.
On the bright side, I’m sure you’ve copyrighted, trade marked and patented your new All Natural Environmentally Friendly Dog Poopy Hand Warmer invention… 🙂
You’re a good doggy dad. I hope you get settled soon, for their sake, and for yours.
Also, enjoying the ep tonight. Mr. Das loves the idea of two women in one body (the pig), and I got a giggle out of the ED comment. For some reason, I doubt either of us are gettin’ lucky tonight. 😛
das
LOLOLOL!
You REALLY need to be here watching Mr. Das watching the needle scene. LOLOL! He’s having all sorts of fits, jumping around the room and making psuedo-pain noises! The man does not like needles, at all. (Okay, now he’s dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld in front of the mirror…I think he’s finally gone over the edge. 😛 )
das
🙁 Sorry, things are not going well at all. Hopefully you’ll settle in and the dogs will start feeling more settled. Truly wonder if a dog sitter 4 hours a day wouldn’t be cheaper and less stressful than a doggie day care. Anyway, glad you are back and working since it does seem to help give you at least something to feel good about. Spring will hit you soon too.
Way to go Mr. Binder. Good episode tonight!
Old houses have lots of charm. And ghosts in the basement. Hope you get the house. The apartment makes me nervous. Never know when your neighbor will fall asleep on the couch leaving a pan on the stove.
Maybe you could find a home dog sitter/house cleaner/light yard worker/meal preparer/script proof reader. Kill several birds with one big huge rock.
Joe, on the bright side, you have been blessed with a wonderful support system in all your friends. Leah looks just like her picture on her blog!
I hope you finally get settled in real soon.
You guys better not be plannin’ something bad for Greer…
Otherwise, a great ep!
das
Hope…You guys are really knocking it out of the park this season. The first two episodes were 10’s, last week was a 9, and this weeks was again a 10. Simply amazing. Twin Destinies was still the best, but this might even beat out Time for #2 overall by a hair.
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Spectacular performances by all, but especially A. Huffman and D. Blue. Both had really emotional stuff to work with, and both were letter perfect. T.J. really showed the toll all of this is taking on her. She is just a medic, but she is forced to be so much more and this week the stakes were even higher. I liked that they weren’t simply able to bring a Doctor from Earth via the stones to help, but at the same time opened a new door with the Ancient database opened by Rush’s cracking of the code, as well as some cool new medical devices as well. And Eli was put in such an unfair position. He had put his grief aside as much as possible, and now the woman he loves comes back from the dead in a way that only science fiction can deliver. And it was something that makes sense, given what we know about the stones and other tech in the Stargate universe.
And kudos to you for bringing back two such wonderful guest stars in Julie McNiven and Kathleen Munroe, whose characters you never should have killed off in the first place by the way. I was stunned at the halfway mark in the episode when Perry appears. I was not expecting that at all! I never pay attention to the credits that roll by at the beginning of the episode, so I don’t know if she was credited or if they withheld her name so that it would be the surprise that we got. Both actresses gave very strong performances in the episode. I think that it was brilliant having Perry “appear” to T.J. in her moment of need, although everyone else probably thought she was losing her mind. I think that this is all almost a happy thing for Perry, after being trapped in her damaged body for so long her comments to Rush about being “free” ring true. And poor Ginn. She is strangled to death by a madman, and she has to keep reliving that moment again and again. I am so glad that you didn’t recycle the plot point of last week with Dr. Covel and have either woman try to keep Chloe’s body. Ginn agreed that the stone should be pulled if Chloe was in danger, and Chloe agreed to sit in the chair to try to save the other two women. I think the only thing that could have been cooler is if we saw what the characters saw. Three different people trapped in one body. All we would see is Chloe but with the mannerisms and body language of the other two. But the final product is so good that it probably shouldn’t be messed with.
And again we have Greer, constantly risking his life to save someone else. He volunteered to stay behind in Twin Destinies, and now he agrees to an extremely risky surgery to save Volker. At the end of the episode, it almost looks like he is starting to see the toll this trait is taking on him.
The sad thing is if SGU continued we could have seen both actresses again not just as manifestations of Destiny but as themselves. The one thing I don’t understand is at the end when Young is summond to the Communication’s Lab and he immediately asks “David” and Telford says “Yes it’s me.” Why would he automatically assume that it is Telford. I know, with the frequency that Telford uses the stones the odds are good it would be him but it is still strange.
Another amazing performance by everyone involved. This is science fiction at it’s best, and very soon it will be gone for good. Next week looks like it will be great as well. Bring on Seizure!!!
Whoa, I thought raising kids could be hard but…
Hope it all settles down for you, I know it will… lots of pugkid cuddles …
Thought this might amuse you. It’s how a hopeful author should NOT react to a review that’s even partially bad.
http://booksandpals.blogspot.com/2011/03/greek-seaman-jacqueline-howett.html
It’s gone viral… the comments are gold. Hopefully you’ve got a little time to peruse this.
Mwahs to all xx
Hope things improve in Toronto. The weather will…eventually. I’m on the Atlantic coast and what a bummer it is to have it below zero for the last week of March!
I was wondering if you’ve ever spent any time east of Montreal? Having read your opinion of a few spots across the country I was wondering what you thought of the Atlantic provinces. Or if, like most, you don’t think of them at all!!
Okay, here’s the thing, Joey. I’m not used to you being in a new time zone. I’m not sure if T.O. is in my zone, or an hour off. So, first, you have to let me know this so I can adjust my goof-off time accordingly. Secondly, I need to know what time you’re going to bed (so I don’t stay up too late waiting for you to approve posts before you call it a night), and what time you wake up (so my coffee will be ready when I sit down to read the new posts approved in the morning). We MUST coordinate these things so MY life can get back to normal! (‘Cause, ya know, it sounds like your life is gonna be screwed up for a while yet. 😉 )
das
I know your busy with your new show/city. But I had two Stargate Questions for you if I can.
1. Will we find out Jonas’s fate next week? If he survived the ORI.
2. Where is Homeworld Command? In the pilot it is shown at the Pentagon. But in the pic you posted on Telfords id the address is the real Home land security building in DC?
Joe are you aware that “Hope” marks the first cross-gendered Stone swap.
Telford swapped with O’Hara, who is a woman!
http://www.gateworld.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=921&pos=78
Now this maybe a dumb question. What about the supergate? It’s power source is a black hole and the black holes give off alot of power. So why not use instead of potentially killing off McKay, I actually like McKay.aQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and my cat Beta says hi
I forgot that the link I clicked was to an erlier post.
One more note…I loved the music bit in the OR…hilarious!
das
Joe,
God forbid, but I reckon they’ll be a place in doggy heaven for you if you so choose.
It’s brilliant reading your blog seeing how much you care for your dogs. I’ve got the pleasure of sharing the lives of 2 Border Collies and reading your blogs gives me giggle thinking of similar crazy stuff we’ve been upto, mind you we’ve never been on a plane together.
Just watched SGU S2E14 Hope, Brilliant! A great all rounder, writing, acting an bringing the Ancient medical equipment into was great.
Hope the wee fella’s get settled into their new place OK.
SaveSGU
Hope things settle down for everyone soon.
And just had to say—kudos to Mr. Binder. Loved, loved, loved the episode last night!! Everyone did a great job!!!!
Hi Mr M!
Been off line for a while. Catching up on all the blog news. So…Toronto it is? Moving ever closer to Ireland you know!!
Glad the dogs made it safely across. Also delighted to see Carl there. Is the project still super secret or have you revealed the details?
Any chance you’ll be back in Vancouver in June? I’m flying in late June for the Star Con.
Hope all is well and best to all!
S’n’T
Great Episode!
I hope you can get a nap today.
Sending peace vibes for pups!
Joe,
Just watched SGU s2e14 again, they just get better and better with each episode, parts of this 1 are so funny.
Can’t believe we’ve only got 6 left.
It would/will be great to see how the story continues, what you had/have in mind for us as things progress.
I wonder if there’s maybe an Ancient or 2 stored in Destiny just waiting to make an appearance?
Nielsen Ratings are a nonsence!
SaveSGU
Awww…poor baby doggies. They’re gonna need lots of TLC and tummy rubs. Hope they adjust well to their new home. Moving is hard enough for human beings. I’m sure for dogs it’s just plain confusing and chaos.
Joe, I just want to say that I absolutely love the way you guys brought Ginn and Amanda Perry back in last night’s ep! I especially like that, unlike the Faith planet people’s return, this wasn’t a return to say goodbye! It was an excellent ep all around and makes me even sadder that these are the final episodes… 🙁
oh, the poor dogs!
That’s pretty bad when the best part of being outside in Toronto is picking up dog poo. I’ll not complain about Vancouver’s rain this morning, just because of that 😀
*another squish for the poor dogs :(*
Your dogs need a nanny.
But hey, a tattoo parlor? Score!
@Shiny, no you only get $0.25 back when you return them so most people leave them wherever. You can make decent Timmies money returning those carts 🙂 Any time we fly at Pearson me and my son run around while waiting for our ride returning carts…
Hope the dogs settle in soon!
It’s ALIIIIIIVE!!!
Thought maybe we had lost you there for a sec.
das
Though I liked the recent ep Carl did, I didn’t see a point to it at all, well the main story anyway.
Most people accepted that Ginn and Amanda were dead, the story didn’t actually need them returned to it, nor would it of been a huge difference in the grand scheme of things if they wern’t around. They were never really built up as characters, and I found little reason to feel sorry for them beyond the fact they both had a tragic end in their mortal bodies.
Though this story tied into the side one with the kidney stuff and the operation i.e Amanda helping TJ, had this story about them coming back via Chloes body not occured, TJ could of just used Destinys systems to help her during the operation.
I found it more dissapointing than anything else, Hope doesn’t really move the story forward.
Though that said I can tell this
Joe, you do your best stuff when your episodes are action/adventure/with humor related.
Paul is mostly the same.
Carl seems to be a mix of those though he does do some decent drama episodes and has a good ability to slow the story down to add some elements that push his episodes forward.
Brad is a mixture too, can tell his best episodes in this season have the drama blended in with some action.
Though I think you and Paul did amazing on SGU Joe, your best episodes are best suited on shows like SG1/SGA, can see why you’re doing the Transporter as it goes well with your writing style in my opinion.
Hope you dont mind me saying.
I liked that you (and Mr. Binder) brought Ginn and Amanda back. It was hard for me to accept that both of them died! It seemed that the person in the murdered body would be dead but why the other one?
These two specialists in the computer will add a nice touch. If the show would have continued, a body or two might have been had for them, as well. The possibilities are many!
Great episode! I wonder how Eli is going to explain to his mother that he is dating a computer? 🙂
I’m sorry this has been such a difficult time for you all and the dogs. Hopefully life will start resembling a routine soon.
To @Escyos — Actually the first stone-gender swap was Vala and Daniel on SG-1. As Daniel she walks into the men’s locker room at the SGC.
I loved that Ginn and Amanda were back (and could possibly be back in the future).
But let me just say this storyline with Volker is hitting too close to home. I sort of looked like that on Sunday and Monday. Started me on another antibiotic and I’m better today. It would be Greer who would do something so selflessly though, huh?
Your move sounds stressful. I hope it quiets down soon. You are very good to your dogs. I remember a night or two on the floor with my dog. It’s hard but it is worth it
@das Toronto is on Eastern Standard Time. Vancouver is on PDT (or 3 hours difference)
Oh phooey.. EDT cause we are not in Daylight savings time. I hate time change. Should be outlawed everywhere. Leave the damned clocks alone.
Wonderful, brilliant episode. I loved to have both Ginn and Perry back in a way – not only because they are the love interests of two of my favourite SGU characters, but also because I love these characters for themselves. Of course, now we know for sure, that the other Rush (or rather his consciousness) of “Twin Destinies” must have died, as soon as the ship was destroyed by the sun. Poor guy! I suspected as much, but still hoped it would be different. Interesting and very realistic was the reaction of both Perry and Ginn to what has happened to them. Understandable that Perry feels free, after leaving such a crippled body behind. For Ginn on the other hand, this must be so much worse. I wonder if we will have the chance to see either one of them again in the few remaining episodes.
Anyway, the episode is in the top 5 for me, together with “Twin Desinies”, “Greater Good” and “Malice”. The performance of all actors was spot on and I loved, that many characters got a more or less meaty piece. And those remarks of Volker reminded me of how I felt about “Also sprach Zarathustra” – only I didn’t become a scientist. Should have! A decision I will probably regret forever.
I hope you and your dogs will soon settle in. But I do wonder, why you are in such a hurry to find a dog day-care or dog-sitter. Can not Akemi stay with them for a while, until things have settled down a bit more and you have moved to your new home? That would give you some more time to concentrate on finding a new place to live in and she could have some really nice, long hikes and enjoy the country-side around Toronto. But ok, maybe she doesn’t like hikes. It’s just what I would do.
Hello there Joe! 🙂
Its sad to read thats very cold at ur place, if i could i would give u some sun-rays from my place here, where the spring is approaching very fast. Everything is growing, blossoms everywhere. So, the good thing i can tell u is that my flu is nearly cured (the toilet is still calling for me sometimes, but not so loud as the flu starts, fortunately.
Also it´s very sad to read that the gang isn´t feeling good at the moment. Hope that Lulu has nothing broken. I can well imagine that you care for the puppy as a nurse.
To howl of Bubba when he is left alone I can give you the advice that you should change this, perhaps. Once this is established, the howling will always remain. But even if I think that you, as pet lovers, get well settled that.
And again I congratulate you on an extremely beautiful episode of SGU.
When I saw this, I reminded myself of a thought I had when I summed up the recent episodes.
Since the episode “The Greater Good” is clear that the Destiny is on a mission to fathom the mystery of the origination of all things, and of course the Destiny of all things.
Self-explanatory (or not if I’m wrong) that it carries a spiritual component in itself. And I thought that the very religious Ronald a deeper role in this story is, it available for him still holds some surprises and experiences.
Poor Ronald endure so much, he selflessly donate bone marrow and a kidney, and he dispensed painkillers because they like not many have. Also he does not lose faith that Dale would do the same for him. I would have explained everything that fascinates me about SGU, so likely the court would not be enough. Stargate Universe is getting better from episode to episode. Please Joe, please let not die this great story, do your utmost to tell this to continue.
Btw i´m sorry for the lousy grammar many times. When you laugh it is okay, because I have you at least make laugh. And this is also something beautiful. 😉
Best regards from here 2 all of u, stay healthy and in good mood.
Whining Wolf