Sometime between I can't recall when and recently, the face of the Vancouver food street changed. Whereas, a year ago, Japadog stood head and shoulders amid a see of hot dog vendors, today, a plethora of food truck vendors offer everything from Vietnamese sandwiches to Japanese octopus balls. Suddenly, it's a veritable United Nations street…
October 13, 2011: Dog Day Afternoon! And Crispy Duck with Mark and Ken!
Today, Akemi and I hit Yaletown (Lulu and Maximus in tow) where we met up with blog semi-regular (apparently, she' s been all sorts of busy) Nadine and her dog Bella. While we strolled and macaron shoped, Nadine pitched me the merits of The Hunger Games, Lev Grossman, and Comic Con. A pleasant few hours…
October 12, 2011: On SG-1’s Tenth Season!
Reflecting back on SG-1's tenth and final season... COMPANY OF THIEVES (1009) The Lucian Alliance return in fine, occasionally over-the-top fashion - in contrast to their later appearance on Stargate: Universe. Damn, what I would have given to have snuck Tenat or Jup into the team that invades Destiny at the end of SGU's first season.…
October 11, 2011: Akemi-isms! A trip to the dentist! The Smackaron-Off! Only the highest quality geeks!
"Tokyo crows are very smart. They eat McDonald's garbage and their brains get bigger." - Akemi, October 11 2o11. Today, I brought Akemi to the dentist to get a cavity filled and, I assure you, she was not very happy about it. Oh, she doesn't mind visiting the dentist. In fact, unlike most, she actually enjoys…
October 10, 2011: More SG-1 Memories! Mailbag!
Back to SG-1 memories... COUNTERSTRIKE (1007) The second of three scripts I wrote over a fourteen day period during one hiatus, I loved this one for the Daniel-Vala moment (something I expand on in the ensuing episode) and the fact that it had all of our team members - and Landry! - in play. I recall…
October 10, 2011: My Port-Braised Meatacular! Another Football Feast! And my Snow Monkeys are on a roll!
So, how was everyone's weekend? Do anything interesting? More interesting than, say, read, cook, and watch football? That was the extent of my weekend and it was glorious. Finished Wizard's First Rule last night and still waiting for a fantasy series to fall in love with. Well, in addition to George R.R. Martin's Song of…
October 8, 2011: Yours Truly, Way Back When!
So I was clearing out the library today, packing up the various chemistry textbooks, V.C. Andrews novels, and back issues of Us (none mine, let's make that clear) for a quick trip to the garage, when I happened across a box of photos. A lot of photos. Some dating back as recently as ten or…
October 7, 2011: I’m regular again! Pasta problems! And sushi with Ivon!
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…