I am pleased to report we are back home following a thoroughly uneventful flight from Toronto. A 4:50 a.m. wake-up, much fussing and fretting over the dogs, a seemingly endless walk from one end of Pearson airport (check-in) to the other (our boarding gate), five straight hours of Preacher, and a slew of Vancouver errands,…
May 13, 2017: Final day in Toronto until….season four?
Almost finished packing. Almost finished my farewells. Tomorrow, we're up at the crack of pre-dawn (5:00 a.m. here, 2 a.m. for those of you on the west coast, and 11:00 p.m. today for those of you in Hawaii) to catch our early flight back to Vancouver. As always, my big concern is the dogs -…
May 7, 2017: The Week Ahead!
MONDAY Minor surgery for Suji. Lunch with Zoie. Dinner with some of the old Student Bodies gang. TUESDAY Lunch with my favorite network exec, Gosia Kamela. Dinner with Jay Firestone to discuss Dark Matter's third and fourth seasons. WEDNESDAY Catch an early flight out to Montreal. THURSDAY Catch a late flight out of Montreal. FRIDAY Sit in…
May 6, 2017: Aches and Pains!
Eons ago, while I was on a journey through the Far East, a practitioner of the mystic, manipulative arts foretold I would experience dark times later in life. Specifically with my left shoulder. Okay, so she was the masseuse at the Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong back in 2006, but she turned out to be eerily accurate.…
May 5, 2017: Courting Controversy!
The admission that I abhor kiwis is often met with outrage. And when I clarify that I am, in fact, referring to the fruit, not the people of New Zealand, that outrage is often doubled. Today, in an bid to further alienate blog readers scandalized by the aforementioned aversion, I present to you a list…
April 28, 2017: Akemi’s Toronto Art, Graffiti, and Other Tour!
Next to natto and shopping online for dog clothes, there's nothing my girlfriend enjoys more than good old-fashioned outdoor photo op. #oddballgirlfriends
April 22, 2017: Jodelle is back in town! Oh, wait! She never left!
My phone started buzzing at approximately 7:30 a.m. I was, of course, still sleeping off last night's Dark Matter season 3 wrap party and in no mood to get up, much less answer - but something told me it, maybe, wasn't a wrong number. I reached up, grabbed my cell, and checked the number on the call…
April 16, 2017: Sunday musings!
Daddy's home!!!! (Sorry. Akemi took it portrait for instal-story. Whatever that is.) Exchanged emails with my prospective real estate agent in Vancouver. Apparently, following a brief downturn, the market is picking back up. Once again, we're in for another round of "Should I or Shouldn't I?". If we get that fourth season pick-up, it…
March 30, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 80 of 91!
Thanks to all who participated our episode naming poll. We have a winner! Dark Matter "Episode 25: Isn't That A Paradox?" Well?! Isn't it?!!!!! Four more chances to choose your favorite episode title to come! While the action continued at the Ishida Palace, I was at the production offices prepping the BIG season finale. AND making…
March 19, 2017: Mailbag!
It's been a while. Let's hit the mailbag: Jessica writes: "Your day-to-day schedule is filled to the brim with tasks, work, activities, etc galore. How do you maintain such a strict schedule of managing your time to accomplish everything, including writing this blog?" Answer: I get asked this question a lot and the honest answer…
March 18, 2017: Thank you’s!
(illustration by Juanita Nakamura) Thanks to everyone who took the time to reach out via posts, texts, emails, phone, and personally to offer condolences on Bubba's passing. Akemi and I are truly touched by the kind words and gestures of friends, co-workers, and strangers alike. It's been an exhausting week and it has meant a…
March 9, 2017: Dark Matter Season 3 – Day 65 of 91!
Ah, there we go. A totally natural candid shot of Director Melanie Orr in action. Pictured above: discussing shots with Director of Photography Craig Wright. On the Raza mess triptych: the ladies. And the guys. Keep that fan mail coming! Hey, as promised, it's time to vote for a new Dark Matter episode title. YOU get a…
March 4, 2017: Finally, the weekend!
Akemi says that her single big regret about adopting Suji is not getting her earlier in her life. Bubba's condition hasn't really changed much. His cough is unchanged and he has his good and bad days. So, no discernible improvement but, on the other hand, no marked decline either. Lulu, meanwhile, continues to sport her…
February 22, 2017: A new Dark Matter episode title!
We have a new episode title! The people have spoken. And the winner is... "Episode 30: All The Time In The World" Thanks to everyone who voted. You'll get another say in another episode-naming poll next week! Today marked Bubba's first day since starting the Palladia treatment and we're not sure if it's drug, the…
February 19, 2017: Spicy and scary!
Another day, another hot sauce. This one is a cascabel pepper and yellow bell pepper base with shallots, garlic, salt, apple cider vinegar, pear juice, honey, dehydrated organic Japanese pepper, and dijon mustard. Surprisingly, a touch hotter than the cayenne pepper-based sauce I made yesterday. But it will no doubt pale in comparison to tomorrow's…