Well, after much hemming, some heeing, and a touch of hawing, I am finally Tokyo-bound. Today, I booked my flight and hotel for my 11-day culinary adventure in the Far East. Actually, not as far east as I remember it. The direct flight from Vancouver will take a little under ten hours. For some reason,…
October 17, 2008: Birthday Dinner Rundown, Links, and Reminders
Well, as predicted, my birthday dinner at Fuel was pretty incredible. Apparently, Chef Belcham and his crew were working on the special event meal preparation all day and, in the end, all of their hard work paid off. Well, at least it did for Fondy and I who enjoyed a fantastic nine-course dinner.…
October 16, 2008: My Week-Long Birthday Festivities Get Underway!
Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes. In addition to all of your much-appreciated posts, my inbox was full of e-cards and personal notes, and my voice-mail held some truly memorable messages. My favorite was from fellow Exec Producer and writer Carl Binder who I kind of raked over the coals last week as he…
October 15, 2008: Stargate Atlantis Stunt Coordinator James “Bam Bam” Bamford Takes Your Best Shots
Today, I turn this blog over to the toughest guy on Stargate: Atlantis. No, no John Sheppard? Puleeeze. I'm talking about the real deal, the fearless one, the show's oft-bruised and bruising Stunt Coordinator: James "Bam Bam" Bamford who has kindly taken time off from being shot, stabbed, kicked, punched, thrown, blown up, and set on fire to…
October 14, 2008: Cookie Monster Is On The Case!
Yesterday, I received an email from a Miss Florance Michael, the daughter of a reputable “busness magnet” (sic) who mysteriously passed away in france during a business trip on May 5th of 2007: “Though is sudden death was linkd or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who traveled with him…
Octobe 13, 2008: Ratings and Travel Plans
Well, aint this a kick in the head. Just got the early numbers for last Friday’s episode, The Lost Tribe. We did a 1.5, our best rating in recent memory. I think that says a lot about the quality of the show as well as its legion of loyal fans. I mean, if you think…
October 12, 2008: If You’re Missing a Roast Chicken, Please Leave Your Contact Information
“The lady’s chicken!”cried a wide-eyed Fondy. I stared dumbly back at her. Lady? Chicken of what? Briefly, I imagined my wife throwing down with a rival shopper, slapping her silly and forcing some poor, overwhelmed soccer mom to turn tail and run. “The lady’s chicken!”she repeated, motioning down to one of the grocery bags I’d…
October 11, 2008: Fuuuudge! Upcoming Guests! My Thoughts on Your Thoughts.
In the immortal words of A Christmas Story’s little Ralphie: “Ooooh, fuuuudge!” A wrench has been thrown into our planned trip to Asia for the second year in a row. Last year, we were going to hit Hong Kong and Tokyo but had to cancel because things were looking busy on the pet shop…
October 10, 2008: Checking in on Aloysius P. Hazzencockle
Yesterday’s mention of recurring contributors to this blog led me to check in on our old friend, Aloysius P. Hazzencockle, who, for a while last year, really seemed to form a warm and lasting relationship with a dying man who had contacted him via email in a his search for a worthy heir to his…
October 9, 2008: Actor Tyler McClendon Answers Your Questions
Several weeks ago, I was leaving Stage 3 after saying my goodbye's to the crew when somebody called my name. I stopped and turned to meet the guy who fast approached. He looked vaguely familiar but I couldn't place the face. "Tyer,"he said, no doubt reading my confusion. "Tyler McClendon." Of course. Tyler, our new resident wraith. …
October 8, 2008: Meet-and-Greets, Bad Neighborhoods, and Ice Cream Cake
Since our dance cards have finally opened up, Paul and I can now look forward to several rounds of industry meet-and-greets, those ubiquitous sit-downs with studio and network execs so crucial to future employment. We’ll head down to L.A. and spend a week making the acquaintance of players big and small, sometimes pitching projects, sometimes…
October 7, 2008: Author Glen Cook Answers Your Questions
Several months ago, I announced that author Glen Cook would be joining us to answer your questions about his book, and September’s fantasy Book of the Month Club selection, The Black Company. So several of you read the book, took part in the discussion, and posted comments for Glen. And waited. And waited. And waited…
October 6, 2008: Insomnia, Stargate, Guests, Books, and Mailbag
Hmmm. For some reason, I’ve been having trouble sleeping of late. I’ll be in bed by 10:00 p.m., read for three hours, eventually nod off - then wake up at around 3:00 a.m. and just lie there, my mind racing with thoughts of missed opportunities, looming responsibilities, and elaborate revenge scenarios against all…
October 5, 2008: Sandy’s Cuisine
Despite appearances to the contrary, I don’t frequent upscale restaurants every night, and I do check out new places every now and then. Take today for instance. With Fondy out of town, I decided to just hop into my car and motor off in search of…
October 4, 2008: September’s Top Reads, Following Through on Your Recommendations, and The Return of the Mailbag
With the month of September behind us, it’s time for me to look back over my recent reads and pick my favorite titles of the past month. It was a pretty good crop but, of the bunch I did read (and not including the book of the month club selections) the, following were my favorites:…