powdered peanut butter

Went to see A.I. last night with Parki, Frank, and Jeff. Despite the excellent acting (especially by the little boy) and intriguing premise, I was majorly disappointed. I was not the only one...by the time the final credits rolled, many of the people in last night's audience were shaking their heads, catcalling, snickering. I will not say anything else for fear of giving away spoilers except that my favourite part of the movie was the Harry Potter trailer.


Annie and Sara have been going to Bug Camp. Both recently came home with pet snails. I can't help but remember the traumatic demises of Snail and Fish last year. Sara has started asking for a puppy.









The photo above is of the dehydrated food I ordered from Walton Feed, in preparation for our hiking trip next month. I have dehydrated mushrooms, mixed peppers, hash browns, diced carrots, diced potatoes, flaked potatoes, broccoli, sliced celery, margarine, butter, cheese powder, tomato powder, sweet corn, sour cream, chicken, beef, milk, eggs, and peanut butter. The dehydrated chicken and beef look like dog food. Our pantry is full of mysterious-looking cans with plastic lids.


To conserve weight, we're going to try taking as much dehydrated food as possible. I've been testing various recipes over the past little while. This morning I made a Bisquick biscuit, cut it in half, and filled it with a mixture of precooked bacon crumbles, powdered egg mixed with water and cooked, pieces of Velveeta (which seems to last forever without refrigeration until you open the package). It actually tasted okay! I'll schedule this for late in the hiking trip...people are more likely to eat Anything by then.


I've been gradually trying out small samples of each type of dehydrated food. My favourite so far is the powdered peanut butter. With a little sugar and water added, it tastes very close to the real thing. Hm...peanut butter and jam biscuits? peanut butter cookies? peanut sauce?


It's going to be more of a challenge packing for this trip than any of our other camping trips, primarily because of the weight issue. We'll be lugging everything on our backs the entire way. So I find myself agonizing over questions like whether or not to take a book, for example...after I'm finished the book, it's just dead weight. Or perhaps I can load up my Palm Pilot with a book, but then do I really want to lug along a recharger as well? There's no way I could survive 10 days without at least one book. I wish someone would hurry up and finish inventing electronic paper. :-)


Jeff and I have also been researching for our trip to Japan. To anyone out there who is familiar with Japan: we are looking for recommendations on what to do and where to go! We have about 9 days, and are staying with our friend Alison in Tokyo. I've been getting lots of advice from my dad, Ruth, Gail Kesner. Take toilet paper (not all public washrooms have it), a handkerchief (not all public washrooms have paper towels), be prepared for the locals to sneer at me (someone who looks Japanese but can't speak the language, just like a gaijin), etc. After browsing through our Japan tourist guides (Lonely Planet's guide as well as the mini rough guide for Tokyo), Jeff and I are realizing that 9 days is way too short to see more than a fraction of what we want to see. Our timing is unfortunately limited, however, because of plans made just before and after.


I'm hoping to take my laptop (hopefully an iBook by then) on all our trips except for the hiking trip, and keep posting my Blatherings and photos along the way.









Today's Blatherpic:


- Annie and Sara.


- Dehydrated canned food from Walton Feed.


- Childhood picture of Frank and his doll.

Feel free to suggest a daily poll question.


Today's Poll: (Courtesy Chris Conway)

Are you a vegetarian/vegan?

O Canada

* Why I'm Glad I Live In Canada *

We pronounce "process" correctly.


When listening to the Barenaked Ladies' song, "If I Had A Million Dollars", we know what Kraft Dinner is.


We know what serviettes are.


We have Mounties.









We invented Superman.


We have back bacon.


We spell "neighbour" and "colour" correctly.


We're nice.


We have chesterfields, runners, and elastics.


Our money is cooler-looking.


We don't mix up our "e"s and "r"s (like in the word "centre").


We have FilKONtario.


We have ketchup chips.


We're modest. ;-)








Hey, you other Canadians...any other suggestions? :-) Please post them in Blatherchat, thanks.





Today's Blatherpic:


- Me modelling a Waiting For Frodo" t-shirt, baby doll t-shirt version (there is also a regular t-shirt).


- A typical Canadian mountie.


- Our flag, eh?

Feel free to suggest a daily poll question.


Today's Poll:

Do you like back bacon more than strip bacon?

frequent flyer

As most of you already know, I spent much of last year and early this year flying back and forth between Toronto and Philadelphia on US Airways. Whereas flying was previously a thrill, I quickly grew tired of the novelty, especially when at least half my flights seemed to be delayed or cancelled because of weather or air traffic. I remember sitting miserably in the middle of the Philadelphia airport during the Christmas holidays, having had one flight home cancelled and waiting to see if the next would be as well, whilst listening to some local high school choir cheerfully singing, "I'll Be Home For Christmas".


I had counted on the frequent flights adding up to a free flight and upgrade package, however, so was Not Happy when US Airways failed to send me my upgrade package despite repeated phonecalls, e-mails, and faxes. They finally 'fessed up last week with humble apologies, saying that I had somehow slipped through the cracks. As compensation, they've extended my "Silver Preferred" status to 2002, FexExed my upgrade package.


Anyway, it looks like I can visit California this October! I'll be visiting with Paul and Beckett (and twins!), Jeff and Maya Bohnhoff, and my friend Andrew. I'm pretty hyped about this trip. Conventions are wonderful, but I'm really looking forward to some relatively quiet one-on-one time with friends I don't get to see that often. A few days after I get back, I take off again, this time on Air Canada frequent flyer points, to spend some time with Andrea and Tom in Cincinnati (as well as visiting the offices of Writer's Digest) before going to OVFF.


Packing up to go back to the city today....


Today's Blatherpic:


- Ivan Semeniuk, at Andy's and Christine's bbq. Ivan is the host of Discovery Connection on the Discovery Channel as well as an excellent improvisational blues pianist.

Feel free to suggest a daily poll question.


Today's Poll:

Are you (at least somewhat) afraid of flying?

butterfly cakes

Throughout childhood, my birthdays were celebrated at home with my family. I never had a birthday party with friends from school or neighbourhood children, though I attended many. I'm not exactly sure why, but I don't remember feeling at all deprived. I was quite content with a homemade cake with candles, presents, and a dinner menu of my choice. I did miss having loot bags, but I received plenty at other children's parties.


Not having children of my own, I'd be curious to hear how kids' birthdays are celebrated nowadays. I know that some in Toronto become elaborate affairs, with parents spending as much as a thousand dollars or more on catered events with hired entertainers. I've helped out with a few of Sara's and Annie's birthday parties, which usually consist of a craft session at the dining room table (masterfully orchestrated by my sister), outdoor games where everyone gets a prize each time, and then pizza and cake.


I'd especially be interested in hearing about special foods that you tend to have at your children's birthday parties. Yesterday, Helen taught me how to make butterfly cakes, which is apparently a common treat at children's birthday parties in England. From what I can tell, a butterfly cake is basically a muffin-sized white cake with the top sliced off and cut in half. A dollop of buttercream icing is dropped on as filling, and then the two cut halves of the top are arranged to resemble butterfly wings half-raised.









Absolutely no nutritional value, I'm sure, but very yummy.


Hot and humid at the cottage; we're spending a lot of time in the lake. We paddled canoes to Adaskin's Bay yesterday afternoon. No moose, but we did see ducks, a blue heron, two adult loons with a youngster, and a beaver. It was Alec's first time in a canoe.




Today's Blatherpic:


- Helen's Action Man feeds a chipmunk.


- Butterfly cakes for Helen's birthday.

Feel free to suggest a daily poll question.


Today's Poll:

Do you tend to see your birthday as more a positive or negative event? Choose 'Yes' for positive, 'No' for negative.

cottage birthday

Here is a Guest Blathering from Alec Bruce....

GUEST BLATHERER: Alec Bruce

My first vacation in Canada has proved challenging despite roaming the lands with my own personal tour guide (a.k.a. Helen -Melen- Waters). Challenge List as follows (warning: I like lists):

Survive daily slobberings by Bertie the dog at the Pimblett's bed and breakfast in Cabbagetown.

Adjust eye vision to bedroom with luminous orange shag carpet and kitch 70s multi-colour wallpaper in said above bed and breakfast.

Accompany Helen on a whirlwind social tour of her ex-boyfriends.

Experience my first camping trip in Canada.

Experience my first camping trip in Canada in a 12 hour thunderstorm with vintage equipment and leaking tents.

Attempt to view a movie at a Paramount cinema that does not include Dreamworks cartoons, inaccurate war dramas, American neo-partism or digitally enhanced breasts.

Horseriding Western style under the guidance of a French-Canadian who has eyes for my girlfriend (he was all over her!).

Suffer two weeks 'cold digital turkey' without access to mobile phone, text messages, email, or laptop (I want SMS).

Start three months über-diet (no sugar, no yeast, no dairy) in the company of a chocolaholic.


Despite these difficult challenges, the 'no sugar or laptop' Canadian Vacation has proved immensely relaxing and enjoyable. Toronto is a seriously cool city with a chilled attitude and a great vibe. My three favourite places in Toronto:

High Park for trekking and cycling.

Cruising the hip fashion of Queen Street West.

Cabbagetown's weird streetlife.


Our trip was impressively timed for gigs and tours. On a three-day window, Toronto:

Calexico at Lee's Palace

Jim White at Horseshoe

Howe Sleb at Horseshoe


Recommend that everyone has a Calexico CD in their collection so that they can dream of open deserts and love on the Texan/Mexico border.


As always when I travel, I attempt to fit with the local culture and collect new words. My three favourite new words:

Blogger: a person who publishes daily 'blabberings' on an online Web journal.

A Rack: a well-endowed women's set of breasts (by all accounts, Angelina Jolie has an impressive 'rack')

Nerd-Bird: flight between Austin and San Francisco


(thanks to the Dudes at Open Cola for the first two items)


Highlights of the vacation are as follows:

Horseriding in lush meadows of Shelbourne (check it out here).

Hanging at Jeff's cottage on Canoe Lake.

Laughing at disaster that was our 24-hr camping trip during the great flood.


Writing this morning on the peace of Canoe Lake and celebrating Helen's "21st" birthday (yes again!). She played 'hunt the present' to find her gifts from Alec. It appears her three favourite pressies are:

50s surfer girl short sleeve shirt

Short cut denim jacket

Rufus Wainwright CD


Can anyone confirm who Rufus's musical mother is? (either one of the Indigio Girls or the McGarrigle sisters)


Finally, the solitude of the cottage offers myself the calm and inspiration to rekindle my poetry writing. In the first five hours of arriving, I had written 9 haiku poems and 3 sonnets. Here is my favourite dedicated to Jeff and Debbie. Humble thanks to their hospitality and friendship:

Zen Golfer No. 2

The solstice warriors

fire into evening darkness

seeking resolution.

- Alec

---

Looks like the no-see-ums (the insidious little midge-creatures who sucked out most of my life's blood during the last cottage visit) are gone. Jeff says their lifespan and season is very short. I have no pity for them whatsoever.


Last night as we had a fine Mediterranean pasta salad prepared by Alec. During dinner, we watched the mosquitoes cluster on the screen windows, staring in at us hungrily, probosci (sp?) trembling with anticipation. I delight in torturing them by breathing gently through the screen, my face an inch or so away, imagining their mental screams of insectile suffering.


Jeff claims he doesn't react to mosquito bites anymore, and that this is probably due to all the time he's spent at the cottage over the years. He suggests it would be an interesting experiment to engage in the practice of lying on the dock, allowing bugs free access to one's blood, in hopes of eventually become immune to the bites.


I think I'll leave this bold experiment to someone else.


Today is Helen's birthday. Sadly, I left her birthday present at home. :-( I hope to make up for this act of gross negligence by baking her a cake. Considering that I haven't made a cake in quite a few years, this should be interesting, especially since the cottage oven exerts a great deal of creative freedom when it comes to how accurately the temperature dial reflects the actual temperature of its interior.


Anyway, cross your fingers for me and the cake. Tho I'm sure Helen will eat it, just to be polite. :-)


Today's Blatherpic:


- Another bbq pic. Scott, me, my sister Ruth.

Feel free to suggest a daily poll question.


Today's Poll: (Courtesy Paul Stockton)

Have you met Debbie in person?