Akemi’s belated birthday presents arrived today courtesy of Vancouver’s Beta 5 Chocolates…

The selection included: the Brown Sugar Milk Tea yellow birdies, the Vietnamese Coffee darker chocolates, the Cookie Monster cookie-themed chocolates in blue, my personal favorite Caramelized Banada directly below them, the Peanut Caramel in pink below them, and the Matcha-Yuzu in green.

Her two favorites bars: London Fog (46% milk chocolate + earl grey tea / white chocolate + vanilla bean / digestive biscuits) and the Queen of Hearts (Freeze-dried raspberries and candied earl grey tea in 35% white chocolate).

And this bag of peanut butter eggs for me.

Stargate-related questions…

You have acquired the Infinity Gauntlet and can snap ONE Stargate episode out of existence (along with all of its ramifications and ripple effects). Do you use its power? If so, which episode are you snapping out of existence and why?

Me: Likely Emancipation as it was the first episode I watched that turned me off the series for years until Paul and I were eventually invited to pitch for the show.

What was your favorite season premiere in 17 seasons of Stargate?

Me: This one was tough and I eventually decided “Rising” (written by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper) was my favorite for the sheer spectacle and also how I felt at the time, watching the series launch.  SGU’s second season premiere, Intervention (written by my former writing partner, Paul Mullie) was a close second.

I am presently trying to make my way through these 48 Crime Writers of Association longlist finalists ahead of the announcement of the shortlist.  Here is how I have progressed to date along the various categories:

CRIME FICTION IN TRANSLATION (7/12)

The most successful category by far.  3 strikeouts.  2 DNF’s.  2 recommendations.  1 promising-read-in-progress.

WHODUNITS (2/12)

2 strikeouts although I was enjoying one until the final third.

TWISTED (5/12)

2 strikes outs and 3 DNF’s.

GOLD DAGGERS (6/12)

3 strike out sand 2 DNF’s.

20 down; 38 to go!