January 9, 2007
Joy
Joy was our dinner tonight with Natalie Bay at Okonomi House, where we partook in okonomiyaki– a wonderful Nippon treat. Oishi desu! And now home, and since I worked all afternoon, now I get to have a bath and read Human Croquet— which is brilliant. And then tune in to CSI Miami, where somebody gets killed by a bookshelf! How exciting.
January 8, 2007
Only Connect
Lucky Lori Lansens, whose novel is the first Canadian book selected by Richard and Judy’s book club. Britpop enters its latest golden age. On le history of chapbooks.
I just finished reading the bizarre and wonderful Never Let Me Go, and the imaginary sounds of Judy Bridgewater are playing in my mind. Next up is Human Croquet by Kate Atkinson, who is always a treat.
The basement neighbours’ screaming match is entering its 49th hour. We’ve deciphered that she quit her job, he never shows her affection, he declared her unreliable and she is no longer allowed to eat his bread. Moreover she has outstanding debt on rental cars and owes him a ton of cigarettes. It’s difficult to keep track of because they move between inside and out, and so we have to keep moving between the vent and the window to get the details. It’s all getting a bit tiresome, however. We’re hoping they kill each other before bedtime.
In literary connexions, my mom met a man at a party yesterday who is uncle to Ms. Z. Smith’s own Laird.
January 4, 2007
Looking back, and ahead
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is still ever growing. On bookish guilty pleasures. Forthcoming novels, and I’m looking forward to The Post Birthday World. The year in review so says the Star. And I thought their best of 06 seemed pretty thorough.
Quotidianly speaking, must get laundry out of washer, make shopping list and head out for groceries. We’ve got dinner guests tonight.
December 20, 2006
From here and there
The Penelopiad is being remade for the stage. And though it happened awhile back, John Steffler is Canada’s new poet laureate (and I liked his novel.)
In terms of non-fiction, I’m reading uTOpia at the moment, which is interesting in parts, but terribly obnoxious in others (one person wrote an essay about how he was connected to each of the forces of Toronto’s cultural renaissance [ie someone was his second cousin, though they’d only become acquainted recently, and he used to go to parties at so and so’s house, etc etc] which I think was supposed to have a point beyond that but I missed it).
The big news is that Bronwyn’s back in town, and showers galore are the theme of the holidays. As matron of honour, I have organized a fete for Saturday afternoon, but then I can’t say anything more because it’s a surprise. Just that it’s bookish. We’re keeping holiday gatherings to a minimum, as I’ve got a lot of work to do these days. Tomorrow night, however, I am learning how to make risotto, which is exciting. We’re getting to the end of the Christmas baking, like the gluttons we are. I realized I made it a week earlier this year, which probably wasn’t the best idea.
December 18, 2006
Pests
On Saturday we received phone calls throughout the day from a recorded voice claiming to have a sniper rifle aimed at us. Since early this morning, there has been a clawed creature of some sort trapped in the ceiling above my bed. I do look forward to seeing what the future holds.
December 13, 2006
Long Live the BauMaus
Though I require no excuse to rave about my husband, it’s always nice to have one. It was four years today that he came into my life, and ever since I’ve been happier than I ever thought was possible.
December 10, 2006
Bring on the Carols
It’s been a wonderful weekend, as our houseguests turned out to be brilliant fun, and Christmas plans are well underway. Saffrina and Stu went to university together, and she rolled into town Thursday night with her fantastic boyfriend Ivan, en route to England after two and a half years in New Zealand. They are coming to Canada next, they’ve decided, and they’re touring the country now to choose a city. I think we sold Toronto well, though the city sort of sold itself. We had a lovely time together, out for dinner in Little Italy, and cooking dinner at our place the other two nights. They kept themselves busy in the day while Stuart worked and I did my work at home. Yesterday I’d already scheduled a day off the toil, and so we all partook in fun (and Curtis came too). Sleeping late, and then out for lunch in Chinatown. Saff and Ivan set off for the afternoon, and we came home to buy our Christmas tree and start the Christmas baking. All of us decorated the tree together later, and I baked a pie for Stuart’s potluck at work, made a tray of nanaimo bars, and a big batch of dough for Christmas cookies which all of us made together. Dinner was started at this point, and our house was completely chaos, but the carols were going on, and we were deep into glasses of wine and Baileys. Leaves stuck in the table and we all sat down for supper, and it was a splendid splendid night that went on well into morning. Our houseguests left this morning and we were so sad to see them go.
December 5, 2006
Oh my
Take 75 undergraduate essays to be marked (though 33 are done!), one essay to write (though is 5 arguments in), a creative deadline for this Friday which has been severly not paid attention to, a multitude of Christmas things (not to mention the day I have devoted soley to Christmas baking). Please add two houseguests, who are apparently arriving Thursday, and who I’ve never met before. Oh my.
November 23, 2006
My baby works on Bay Street
We’ve been prolific here today, but cannot be silenced before we release the biggest news yet. But first, the little news. That I am baking a cake this afternoon and I have never yet baked a chocolate cake from scratch that failed to explode. Moreover, that Stuart’s PR card arrived in the post yesterday. But mostofallso, the news we’ve been keeping under our hats for weeks now just in case it didn’t fly, but now it’s safe to let it loose. Stuart’s position at the small financial firm he’s been working for for the past month is going permanent. Because they love him. It’s a fantastic opportunity with a group that’s small enough that he’ll be able to do all kinds of things, learn new skills and have opportunities for advancement in cool directions. It’s the chance he’s been waiting for, and we feel very lucky that he came across it. I feel very lucky to have a husband that comes with an assured paycheque. And luckiest of all, he’s very happy there, which is so important. I am very proud of him. Happy Birthday Proper!
November 23, 2006
Happy Birthday to Stuart
(To the right, please find a picture of Stuart rapt by the strains of You Shook Me All Night Long [and also rapt by the effects of far too much alcohol]).
May your birthday celebrations be a delight and the year ahead absolutely brilliant, though you’re certainly off to a excellent start. Happy days to the best person I know.
~Wow, look at you now. Flowers in the window, it’s such a lovely day and I’m glad you feel the same. Because to stand up, out in the crowd- you are one in a million and I love you so. Let’s watch the flowers grow~
