August 21, 2014: Jelly update! Japan plans!

I brought Jelly in to see a specialist last week.  After a careful study of the x-rays and the my old gal, he reversed the initial diagnosis of a separated hip. Apparently, upon closer scrutiny, it looks bad - bad it isn't THAT bad.  So that was great news.  And then, Tuesday, she was unusually…

August 18, 2014: A Walk in the (Dog) Park!

Like me, my dogs are homebodies.  Jelly is dog bed-ridden while Bubba and Lulu...don't play well with others.  Oh, sure, Jelly enjoys her daily half-block walks.  Bubba loves his trips to the farmer's market.  And Lulu may be ambivalent to other dogs, she likes nothing better than to meet people.  And so, when I heard…

August 16, 2014: Top 10 Greatest Fruit!

In order of awesomeness... #10. Coconut #9. Pear #8. Papaya #7. Miracle fruit #6. Yuzu #5. Cherry #4. Watermelon #3. Blueberry #2. Avocado #1. Banana

August 15, 2014: All Hail the Conquering (Vegetarian) Hero!

5 days into my 7 day Vegetarian Week, I've far surpassed expectations.  And, by "far surpassed", I mean actually doing it.  Unlike Pescaterian Week that saw me fall off the wagon four times, I've yet to have any meat or meat-derived products (ie. stocks, animals fats, or delicious bacon bit toppings).  To be perfectly honest,…

August 14, 2014: Doggy updates and a mini mailbag!

First off, I'd like to direct your attention to a GoFundMe campaign organized by blog reader Lorinda.  Her daughter's service dog, a 12 month old Rottie, requires surgery to repair ligament damage in both knees and it's a pricey procedure.  If you'd like to donate, head on over here: http://www.gofundme.com/roxysknees.   And if you're unable…

August 13, 2014: Pre-Production update! And a mailbag!

Yashaaa! * (*Made-up exclamation of satisfaction with a recent accomplishment. Yoshay! is an accepted variation).  Just finished a first draft of episode #4! Initially, I thought it was going to be long but, in the end, it actually turned out a little long. I had WAAAAY too much fun with this one.   I'm going to…

August 12, 2014: My June Reads!

These are outrageously overdue.  Capsule reviews of my June reads.  And there were a lot of 'em... LAGOON by Nnedi Okorafor When a mysterious object crashes into the waters off the coast of Lagos, the lives of three strangers are forever changed as they become intermediaries between humanity and an alien race.  A mix of…

August 11, 2014: Dog bones! Awesome t-shirts! And Boxy!

Well, I got that second opinion on Jelly's hip.  Apparently, she dislocated it a while ago.  It's an old injury and that makes it even harder to treat.  Popping it back in will be a very painful procedure - and given the deterioration of her hip bones, it's almost guaranteed to pop out again.  Our…

August 8, 2014: News of note!

Well, hey - just in time for travel season!  Conde Nast offers up a list of the U.S.'s friendliest - and unfriendliest - cites: http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/06/travel/us-unfriendliest-friendliest-cities/ Charleston and Savannah, two cities I REALLY want to visit, top the "friendliest" list.  On the flip side, I'm reconsidering my travel plans to Newark. No wonder they had so…

August 7, 2014: Seafood! Sumo! And scripts!

Well, my Pescatarian Week was a success.  To those of you who don't know, pescatarianism is "the practice of following a diet that includes fish or other seafood" (Wikipedia).  I decided to give it a try and, after seven days, I have to say, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be -…

August 4, 2014: News of note!

Screen Rant's "1 Good Movies with Bad Endings": http://screenrant.com/good-movies-bad-endings/  Hmmm.  I agree only insofar as some of these movies have bad endings.  But to call them "good" is a bit of a reach.  Maybe 2001: A Space Odyssey - and Sunshine and The Wolverine which I haven't seen. Space noise: http://www.thedailyepic.com/nasa-probes-record-sounds-in-space-and-its-terrifying/ See, this is why I don't…

August 3, 2014: Sunday – food with friends!

Today, Akemi and I checked out the Japanese-Canadian Powell Street Festival with our friends Nicole and Lan.  The highlights (most of it food-related, natch)... The onstage entertainment. Guy mans the barbecued salmon grill. Akemi discovers how HOT the udon is. Nicole and Lan: Let the Eating Games Begin! The spam sushi - an Okinawan culinary…

August 2, 2014: The Visitors!

Today, we entertained.  First, my cousin Evelina's husband and son, Brian and Jake (pictured above on their hogs), stopped by.  They're apparently on a whirlwind motorcycle tour of Canada, covering the west coast before heading back home to Saskatoon before embarking on the more challenging cross-country leg of their adventure that will take them through…

August 1, 2014: Bookly Matters and Birthday Wishes!

I have a feeling that working on scripts for this new show is really going to put a crimp in my rapid-fire reading pace.  Last year, I read a paltry 65 books.  I was so embarrassed that I set a seemingly lofty goal for myself in 2014: 120 books!  At the time, I figured it…

July 31, 2014: This and that!

Hey, check it out! Akemi received shipment of that box of packing peanuts she ordered last month. The company also threw in a tiny bottle of some cosmetic product.  But who cares. Look at the size and quality of those packing peanuts! Last night, I got together with friends to check out Hawksworth which recently…