Hurrah! I'm pleased to announce a new Stargate-related Q&A! Mark Nicholson joined the franchise in SG-1's tenth season (Atlantis's third) and worked BEHIND the scenes, helping to build a lot of the amazing things you saw IN the scenes. He was with us until the very end, Universe's last episode, and, along the way, his…
December 27, 2012: Aspen
A sad day amid the holiday cheer. My sister's husky, Aspen, passed away this morning. He was a brave and beautiful boy, much loved and he will be missed...
December: Happy Holidays from the dogs! And Akemi and me!
From my family to yours. Happy Holidays! Jelly goes for a walk - Christmas Edition: P.S. A reminder that I will be joining Barbara Barnett on Blog Talk Radio this Wednesday night (9 p.m. Eastern, 8 p.m. Central, 6 p.m. West coast time) to discuss Stargate: Universe's first season - and field all Stargate-related questions.…
December 19, 2012: Winter Wonderland! Justice for Chino and Ivy!
I opened the back door this morning to let the dogs out only to discover that, overnight, Vancouver had been transformed into a winter wonderland. The yard, garage, and surrounding trees were adorned with a thick white dusting. And Mother Nature wasn't done yet. I looked on, amazed, as it continued to flurry, big fat…
December 9, 2012: Snow Dogs!
Well, they would be - IF there was snow on the ground. And IF they were outside braving the elements like those courageous pooches in that Cuba Gooding Jr. movie instead of just parking themselves under the Christmas tree in expectation of a treat. All the same, they're clearly in the holiday spirit - Jelly,…
December 5, 2012: Culinary creations! Bubba hanging out!
The other day, I received THIS in the mail - No, not the pug. Or the Japanese girlfriend. Or the Japanese girlfriend's Dalmatian slippers [note: no actual dalmatians were hurt in the manufacturing of said slippers]. I refer, of course, to the cookbook - a cookbook chock full o' classic German recipes like gulasch, jagerschnitzel,…
November 25, 2012: Snow Monkey fury! Jelly in: Nose-licking 101!
With two weeks left to go in our fantasy football league season, my Snow Monkeys are fighting for their playoff lives. Only 8 of 14 teams will advance to the post-season and, with a record of 6-5, my Monkeys face a near must-win match-up this weekend against Rob Cooper's Landsharks. Looking good however. We've built…
November 13, 2012: Dogs! Dogs! Dogs!
To be perfectly honest, there was only one thing I missed during my trip to Japan. And it wasn't the food or the television or the general comforts of home. It was the dogs. Even Akemi, who admittedly never "got" dogs before coming to Canada, could think of nothing but her dear Bubba those last…
November 10, 2012: Sayanora Tokyo! Dai San Harumi!
There are a grand total of three possible sleeping positions on an airplane seat and I exhausted all three today. I quite like the timing of the flights both to and from Tokyo. On the way there, the flight departs in the mid-afternoon, giving you plenty of time to sleep in and do your last…
November 5, 2012: What day is it? Oh, let’s call it Osaka Day #1! And the tail end of Tokyo Day #7! L’Effervescence! And dogs eating ice cream!
Today, we took the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to Osaka, riding (and eating) in comfort as the scenery whizzed by. It was quite comfortable (surprisingly roomier than any airline I've ever flown), with reserve seating and food vendors who stroll up and down the various cars, offering up everything from ice cream and coffee…
November 4, 2012: Tokyo Day #7! On the home front! L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon! Pieces of the Puzzle!
Here I've been wracking my brain, wondering how I could make a living if moved to Japan - when, suddenly, opportunity comes a-knocking: Japan suffers sumo wrestler shortage. The way I've been eating of late, I figure I should be ready for action in about two months. As much as I'm enjoying myself here in Tokyo,…
October 18, 2012: Oh, covering just about everything!
Well, whaddya know: Hallmark Channel Reaffirms Series Order To ‘Cedar Cove’ Starring Andie MacDowell. Our old friend, Carl Binder, takes the reins of a new series, Cedar Grove, for the Hallmark Channel. According to the interweb: "Production will take place in Vancouver". And we all know what that means. Yes! I'll finally get the opportunity to…
October 7, 2012: The kids
I was awakened at about 4:00 a.m. by what sounded like a cat in heat, a low, sustained moan that that trailed off and rose up, trailed off and rose up. Eeeewoooooooaaaaahrreeeeooooooaaaaaaa! "Damn," I thought, "it's like that cat is sitting right outside my bedroom window." And then I realized that the window was to…
October 2, 2012: Safe, all-natural dog treats! I checked! Almost smoooooooth sailing! No, really! The Frozen Sky!
A recent investigative report on suspect dog treats from China led me to do a little research on the treats I feed Jelly, Bubba, and Lulu. After all, just because it says "all natural" and "made in the U.S." or "made in Canada" on the label doesn't mean some of the ingredients don't originate in…
September 29, 2012: Dangerous dog treats! Days of Stargate Atlantis Past! The Last Man!
Watched an infuriating report last night on Marketplace that detailed the string of pet sicknesses and deaths purportedly linked to two dog treats manufactured in China: Waggin' Train Dog Treats and Milo's Chicken Jerky treats. I say "purportedly" because, even though many dogs have gotten sick and, in some cases, died after ingesting these treats,…