While in Toronto, I was terribly backed up. It was a far cry from my post-move days in Vancouver when I'd been very regular, boasting two, three, sometimes even four a week! But Hogtown did a number on my routine. It got so bad, I was lucky to manage one a month - and that…
October 6, 2011: The 20 Layer Omelet Mille-Feuille! Halloween swag from the Picardos! Recommend me an anime series!
Now that I'm back home and have access to my kitchen, I can finally start cooking again. Pictured above is my latest culinary foray. I want to call it an Omelet Mille-Feuille but the actual name of the dish slips my mind. It's a variation on an old Alain Ducasse recipe which sees five different…
October 5, 2011: The %$*@#^ Dishwasher! Dinner with Remi Aubuchon!
Well, I called in the experts and finally found out what's wrong with my dishwasher. The problem is it's a Samsung. And it looks like it's going to cost me about $500 to fix. That's the ballpark cost of a new dishwasher. In the meantime, the repairman suggested I might (emphasis on the "might") be…
October 4, 2011: Samsung, Snow Monkeys, and Pet Projects!
"Just give me a second and I can direct you to a Samsung service provider in your area,"said the woman on the other end of the line. "Sure." I redirected my focus to my laptop and my Snow Monkey line-up. A buy week for the Cowboys meant I was rolling with the Amish rifle this…
October 3, 2011: 200 (continued)…
Continuing my memories of SG-1's 200th episode... This episode gave us the opportunity to do something we've always wanted to do: blow up Stargate Command. It's part of the story Martin Lloyd pitches the team. Mitchell, however, points out a potential problem. They're alive in the next scene. How is that possible. To which Martin…
October 2, 2011: Literature! Football! And News of Note!
"So what are you doing?"I asked my mother. "Reading,"she said. "A terrible book. Characters come and go. There's not background on any of them. I don't know who anyone is." And then - "The writer is from England." - as if that made it all the more egregious - "She's won awards too. I don't…
October 1, 2011: 200!
SG-1 was about to attain the loftiest of broadcast heights - its 200th episode - and we wanted to do something special. Something unique. Something everyone on the production would enjoy as much as the longtime fans watching at home. The initial idea pitched out was something called "Remember When...", trip down memory lane in…
September 30, 2011: SG-1 Memories…
Okay. Now that things are a little more relaxed, I finally have time to finish up my reminiscing on SG-1's final season. Although work on the franchise continued with Atlantis and, later, Universe, SG-1 will always hold a special place in my heart - especially those last two seasons. The show's 9th and 10th year…
September 28, 2011: The Lodger! The Oldsters! The Mailbag! Oh, and Dark Matter!
So, the fact that I'm back in Vancouver sooner than expected surprised a few people - perhaps no one more than my buddy Lawren who was housesitting for me during my exile and was fully expecting me back in December at the earliest. My speedy return means he'll have to find alternate accommodations but, like…
September 27, 2011: I’m jet-lagged so this one’s a bit of a ramble…
"Who's Michael Vick?"asked Akemi. "A guy who killed a lot of dogs,"I replied. And then, almost as an after-thought: "He also plays football." And, lately, not very well. Turns out dog-killer has regressed to his original mediocre/selfish game play. And, of course, it's all the fault of the refs, according to Vick. He did so…
September 26, 2011: The Final Goodbye Dinner!
As far as years go, I've had better. Admittedly, it's been a rough 2011 for me and, while there's a lot I WON'T miss about Toronto, there are a few things I will. At the very top of the list, is these two - Meeting and getting to know Sarah and Alexander has been THE…
September 25, 2011: From East to West!
Dinner last night... Tonight's dinner.. Back on the west coast tonight, then back to the east coast tomorrow morning! Pleased to report that, while their General Manager was flying the friendly skies, the Snow Monkeys clawed their way to a 2-1 recrod following a close shave 0.64 victory over the Autodrafts. Bamboo leaves for…
September 24, 2011: Another Goodbye Dinner!
Last night, we were out for yet another goodbye dinner - this time, with my buddy Mega from across the hall. Well, across the hall when I was working on Transporter. During my stay on the production, Mega never failed to put a smile on my face, offer an understanding ear, or filch one of…
September 23, 2011: Carl’s farewell dinner! Cupcakes! What makes you sick?
A terrific send-off dinner last night as we all gathered at Babur Restaurant for Carl Binder's farewell feast. The attendees included Carl Binder (writer, Exec. Producer, SGA and SGU), Martin Gero (writer, Exec. Producer, SGA), Jewel Staite (aka Dr. Jennifer Keller, SGA), Andy Mikita (Director, SG-1, SGA, and SGU), Mike Banas P.I. (ace editor, SGA…
September 22, 2011: One final trip to Guelph for Maximus! Mailbag!
Today, we took Maximus for his last visit to University of Guelph's small animal hospital. He finished up his radiation treatments two weeks ago and, this morning, he was in for one of his last anti-cancer vaccines. While the initial results of the radiation treatment were encouraging in that we saw a shrinkage in the…