Tomorrow, I depart for a seven day writer's retreat. In reality, it's just a week in Montreal to assist mom while my sister is out of town, but given the fact that my mother doesn't have internet, I'm expecting it to be a highly productive getaway. There are two high-priority projects on the docket. The…
April 20, 2018: A Visit to Japan via Kit Kats!
April 19, 2018: Akemi’s Birthday Festivities!
Yesterday, I redirected my thoughts off all this recent unpleasantness to focus on my birthday gal. We kicked things off with an early morning surprise - a present, lovingly wrapped in cardboard and tape, compliment so the fine folks at Amazon. For Akemi = the two bottles of Thann wood essential oils that actually smell…
April 17, 2018: Sampling Japanese Snacks!
April 16, 2018: My Top (and Bottom) 5 Old-Fashioned Desserts!
A couple of years ago, Chatelaine magazine offered up a recipe collection titled 25 of our favorite old-fashioned desserts. Ever late to the party, I just came across the article and, while scrolling through the various pics and recipes, thought it might be fun to put together a list of my top 10. Only problem…
April 14, 2018: Suffering for Art!
"Oh my gosh!"said Akemi. "It's gorgeous!" We were strolling through the Art Gallery of Ontario at the time, so you might be forgiven for assuming she was referring to a painting or sculpture or some other piece of avant-garde art. Instead, Akemi bypassed the display and went straight to the couch in the middle of…
April 13, 2018: When one door closes…
...another opportunity for escape is thwarted and the chances of you ever leaving that locked room decreases in likelihood. Or something like that. Well, Friday the 13th is certainly living up to its moniker. This morning, I was expecting news on a certain project. I was enthusiastic about the possibility of good news, but I…
April 12, 2018: Scrap those long-term plans!
Well, I guess that's it. It was nice knowing everyone. Cram as much fun as you can into your final eleven or so days on Earth because, apparently, April 23rd is A- Day. A, of course, for Armageddon. This according to (at least one) esteemed(?) numerologist: "...the so-called Planet X, which is also known as…
April 9, 2018: The Pitch!
There inevitably comes a moment, at the end of every phone pitch, when, after concluding my spiel, I am met with complete and utter silence. It can last anywhere from approximately one to five seconds but, in those one to five seconds, my mind always drifts to the distinct and horrific possibility that the call…
April 8, 2018: Is this the week it all comes together?
Maybe? Who's feeling confident?!! Yeah!!! That's what I thought! Yes, this looks to be the week when it all falls into place, when those countless hours of painstaking research, writing, and rehearsals finally pay off in a big BIG way! No, really. I realize that this business has a way of constantly frustrating expectations and…
April 7, 2018: A trip down blog memory lane!
It's hard to believe that I've been updating this blog daily for over eleven years. Over that period, I've covered a lot of ground in a lot of entries and I thought it might be fun to randomly select some photos, one for each year this blog has been in existence, to see how far…
April 5, 2018: Home Shift!
Well, that was...unexpected. We put in an offer on one of the condos we visited and received a counter. As we were preparing to counter their counter (because, if six seasons of Million Dollar Listing New York has taught me anything, it's that no one ever starts with their best and final offer at the…
April 4, 2018: Best Comic Book Covers of the Week!
These were the ones that caught my eye... The Amazing Spiderman #798 (cover art by Alex Ross) Avengers #687 (cover art by Mark Brooks) Black Bolt #12 (cover art by Christian Ward) Eternity (cover art by Jelena Kevic-Djurdjevic) Norah #3 (cover art by Jordan Westlake) Paradox Girl #6 (cover art by Yishan Li) Redlands vol.…
April 3, 2018: Things seem to be coming together. SEEM to be coming together.
"Oh!"said Akemi, throwing her hands up to cover her face as though trying to avoid some terrible sight, this just five minutes into my pitch. "I don't think I can watch your new show." In all fairness, it's technically not my new show. Yet. But if I were a betting man, I'd put money on…
April 2, 2018: I’m THAT guy!
I'm the guy who strikes up a conversation with the person standing beside me in the checkout line. The guy who will approach someone on the street to ask them where they got the coffee with the unique lid they're holding in their hand. The guy my girlfriend considers crazy for talking to complete strangers…