I need to hit a gym. It's been about two weeks since I last worked out and I'm beginning to feel myself getting fatter. I spend the greater part of my days sitting down spinning stories, updating this blog, and sampling menu selections from a plethora of new restaurants. It's a situation eerily similar to…
March 20, 2011: Damn, I miss Vancouver!
The title of this blog entry should leave no doubt as to how I'm feeling right about now. So we got to the airport late last night, dogs in tow. Check-in and security were a breeze. The airport personnel were very kind; all smiles and great with the pooches. After some initial scratching and whining,…
March 19, 2011: Travel Day! Actually, no! No, actually, yes!
After much back and forthing, stressing, and weighing of options, I decided to just pull the trigger and charter a jet for the cross-country flight to Toronto. Expensive, yes, but at least this way, I would only have to do one trip, wouldn't have to cram the dogs under any seats, and wouldn't have to…
March 13, 2011: March Madness! Dog transport! Moderne Burger!
Well, damn. I just realized that traveling next Saturday and the following Saturday will mean missing a big chunk of this year's NCAA tourney. It's the one extending sporting event I look forward to more than any other and I hate the prospect of being on a plane while, somewhere, a Cinderella thirteen seed is…
March 2, 2011: More T.O. travel planning! Akemi’s scalloped sweet potato recipe! Production Office treasures!
In addition to the mad scramble to get things settled before leaving Vancouver, I now face the added complication of trying to find suitable accommodations for the length of my Toronto stay. I say "complication" because, for a city that purports to be "production friendly", Toronto is shockingly lacking in its ability to provide a…
February 25, 2011: I think yogurt very mysterious. Always likids on the tops!
"It's like a smoodjie,"said Akemi. "Huh?"said I. "It's like a smoodjie,"she repeated, assuming I'd misheard. I hadn't. Again, "Huh?". "A smoodjie,"she said. Then, slowly, doing her best to clearly enunciate: "Smooodjieeee. Smoooodjiieeee." I glanced down at my milkshake and the penny finally dropped. "Smoothie?" "Smoodjie,"she corrected herself. "Smoooooothiieeee,"I corrected her correction. "Smooooothiiieeeee." It reminded me…
January 31, 2011: Toronto-bound!
Okay. All set and ready to fly! Looks like it'll be an all-travel day, so I've lined up a few things to keep me occupied: On my kindle: The Boys from Brazil, by Ira Levin Kitchen Confidential, by Anthony Bourdain Medium Raw, by Anthony Bourdain It Must've Been Something I Ate, by Jeffrey Steingarten The…
January 28, 2011: Just wake me up if I have to go to Toronto! Lunch with Ryan! Still no word – in case you’re wondering! Clearing my DVR!
So, to recap: 1. An opportunity presents itself that would take us to Toronto. I agonize over the prospect of upending my life and moving back to the east coast, suffering sleepless nights, dizziness, stomach problems, and hives in the process. Friends and business associates tell me I'd be a fool to pass up this…
January 25, 2011: What was your favorite Stargate VFX shot/sequence? Dinner with the gang!
Looking back over your Stargate viewing experience, what would you consider your favorite VFX shot/sequence? It's tough. So many to choose from. I'd love to hear what the fans have to say. But I'd also love to hear what an expert has to say on the subject. An expert like, say, this guy - Stargate…
January 24, 2011: Hey, look who’s in town!
Hey! Look who's back in town! Yep. Executive Producer Carl Binder is in Vancouver for Two Days Only in order to organize and pack up a few things. Correction. In order for his wife, Karen, to organize and pack up a few things while he sits in his office trawling the internet for hairless monkey…
January 19, 2011: What a deal! Foodly updates!
My garage door has stopped working. Whenever I hit my remote, it makes an ineffective clicking sound and refuses to engage. So, today, finally, I got around to calling up the local LiftMaster dealer in my area. I explained the problem and their representative seemed genuinely sympathetic - before informing me that the company only…
January 15, 2011: Pick my next read! Brunch at Refuel! More mailbag!
So I'm a little over halfway through Stephen King's The Stand (in retrospect, going with the expanded, uncut edition was a mistake) and I'm looking ahead to my next read. The candidates are : The year's best science fiction and fantasy in one essential volume. An annual commemoration, the Nebula Awards are presented by the…
January 13, 2011: The Chairman touches base! Jelly on the move! Lunch at Romer’s Burger Bar! Dinner at Peckinpah! And &$%#ing Shaw Cable keeps &$@#$ing calling me and getting on my &%$@ing nerves!
Hey, guess who I heard from today? Mark Dacascos, aka The Chairman (Iron Chef America), aka Tyre (Stargate: Atlantis), aka Eric Draven (The Crow: Stairway to Heaven), aka Mani (Brotherhood of the Wolf) - and, most recently, Wo-Fat (Hawaii Five-O), who touched base after I mentioned him on my list of The Top 10 Food…
January 8, 2011: Things I’ve been making!
Apple-Stuffed Game Hens with Rosemary Butter (source: The Fearless Chef). I know, I know. That one on the left is almost pornographic. I went off-recipe and let the hens sit in a buttermilk, garlic and chive marinade. The results were fantastic. Scalloped Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle (source: Bobby Flay). I thought I'd screwed up because…
January 7, 2011: Not that I’m squeamish, mind you. I just generally consider it bad luck for someone to see copious amounts of their own blood.
"You lost weight!"marveled my co-worker. "Actually, I've been sick." "It looks great on you!"she enthused. Well, rather than wait two weeks for my scheduled physical, I opted to head down to the clinic first thing this morning to submit my blood samples. I ducked out of the rain and into the building at a little…