Sunday, September 30, 2007

Dream a little dream of Ma.

So well, here's something that doesn't happen every day!

I had a dream last night and it starred none other than Ma Horton!

It wasn't a long dream, but it was cute. Ma was visiting her youngling N@ and on her return drive to her home she gave me a lift to work and we have a lovely little chat...

Now, geographically this is not probable because I live further East than N@ does, so it's less than likely that Ma would pick me up on her way, having left N@'s. But then she DOES have a heart of gold...

I don't recall the specifics of what we talked about, but I do remember that it was all very nice,and I do recall some discission of Tim Hortons (but then that goes without saying). As when I woke up the first thing I thought was, "Awww, woulda been nice to keep talking to her..."

So there you have it...
...my first nocturnal blog experience....

Friday, September 28, 2007

Thanks!

Ijust wanted to take a moment and thank everyone for their support and donations. I was able to make my goal of $500.00 and in fact, just surpassed it. The total is $505.00

I was of course supported in my walk, not only monetarily, but with my walking partner Didier. As well, while not there physically, both my parents and indeed all of you walked along with us tonight.

I spoke to my parents immediately after the walk tonight and they indicated how proud they were of me, in fact, it is I who am proud of them. They have begun their walk on the path to battle my Father's Lymphoma. I know they join me in thanking you all. And they appreciate your kind words of support, prayers and positive energy.

Thanks again.
So who wants to walk next year?

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Me? Shameless?

Well, tomorrow night I will be walking around Ile Ste-Hélène, shivering, in the cold, damp, rainy, autumn weather, doing my part for the Light the Night walk...

...and I'm only $55.00 from my goal of $500.00

If anyone gets the urge... there's still time.

:-)

Hey... it can't hurt to ask!

Book Meme

Saw this on the Urban Pedestrian's Blog, so thought I'd give it a whirl...

Total number of books owned:
Difficult to answer.
I've twice purged my book collection. In 1991 for my move from Halifax to Montréal: estimated 300
Then again in 1999 for an anticipated move from Montréal to Dallas (Don't ask): estimated 600*
Currently it is at: 291

(* before both of these book purges I had worked at bookstores which led to the quick increase)


Last book bought:

Sex and the Queen. ~ Elanor Herman

Currently Reading:
Sex and the Queen.
~ Elanor Herman















Last book read:
The Family of Max Desire.
~ Robert Ferro













Five Books that Mean a Lot to You:

In no particular order...

Orlando. ~Virginia Woolf
There just ain't nothing like sexual lines and boundaries being blurred.













The History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters. ~ Julian Barnes.
I'm still not sure how I first found this book, but I recall just how equally amused and impressed I was when I read it.












Tales of the City.
(series) ~ Armistead Maupin.
I devoured the original 6 volumes in a matter of weeks. Based around a group of characters in San Francisco in the 1970. And now... there is a 7th book, a mere 18 years after the 6th book. I cannot wait to read it!













The Griffin & Sabine Series
~ Nick Bantock.
A more original set of exquisitely designed, and illustrated fiction you'll never find! The 5 books follow the corespondance of the two main characters. You literally read their post cards and letters. (Going so far as having to open envalopes, remove the letters and hold them as you read.









Love you Forever. ~Robert N. Munsch
Because my Mom gave it to me.










Best Five Books You've Read in the Last Year:

The Camino.
~Shirley MacLaine
Always been a fan of her movies and even bigger fasn of her auto-biographical writing. This one about her experiences when she decided to do the Pilgrim's walk of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela.













Wittgenstein's Mistress.
~David Marksen
One of THE most difficult reads of my life. I challenge you to read this. It's a total Mindfuck!













Not Wanted on the Voyage.
Timothy Findley
My favourite Canadian author... and this is my favourite. I hate to say it but I'd love to see this one made into a movie.













Sons of Darkness. (Tales of Men, Blood and Immortality.) and Brothers of the Night.
(re-reads) These are two anthologies of gay vamperic short fiction. I cant help myself, I do like me some erotic gay vampy trash now and again.



The Rituals of Dinner. ~ Margaret Visser
I really love reading non-fiction, on customs, traditions, rules of etiquette and the reasons behind them all. And this was a book I'd been long wanting to read. (I'm now looking for her other book, Much depends on Dinner)

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

twelve minus one equals eleven.

Well, we weren't really surprised here, were we?


Josie Maran and Alec Mazo are gone. A shame really, at least as far as Alec being gone... I could have coped with looking at him for a few more weeks. As for Stick Girl, well, god love ya, you can pull off green metallic eye-shadow; dancing on the other hand... that was just off.

But really there were quite a few that could have been #1 this season, #1 voted off that is. There's a lot of eligible men to be cast off ... all infact except for Helio.

Hopefully America gets it right this season and votes off all the dead wood at the beginning and allows those with more talent to make it worth watching each week, and keep my bitching down to a dull roar. :-) Yea... like that's gonna happen!

Now... can we talk about Dolly.

You know, god love her, I think she's fab, but HON-NEY we really need to talk about your choice in clothes... and wig, and lipstick! I know you once said "It's a good thing I was born a girl, otherwise I'd be a drag queen." sLook we know you're ARE a girl...as is made readily apparent by the Grand Tetons, so why do you need to tart up the face and the bod in makeup and clothing only a REAL Drag Queen can pull off?

Aww, who am I kidding I don't care, she was fab. Loved seeing her sing "9 to 5" and she's still writing a gazillion new songs and has a new album... Some might not consider her a true artist, and to those I'd say FU... she does have talent, as big as, well... you know where I'm going..

OK Let see what happens next week. I know I'll be tuning back in.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Babel

So we watched Babel tonight.

Didier has been wanting to watch it for some time now. So, since it was on TMN ce soir we watched.

I'll admit I was not that drawn in. I found myself walking back and forth from the living room, to the computer room... (never a good sign for me)

It was good, I guess. I'm sure I'm alone here, but I though it was a bit too, preachy for me. heh, guess I'm one of the jaded masses that this movie was about. There was this whole 'artsy' pretense that was a little too much for me. (and I can get into some rather artsy and alternative flicks!)

I honestly wonder, it not for Kate Blanchet and Le Brad, would this movie have done so well? To say a film needs the cache of a 'superstar' is a tired. I am a firm believer that if a movie is good, people will see it regardless, and word of mouth is the one of the most powerful sources. I actually avoid more movies because of particular actors, as opposed to seeing movies with those I prefer.
Seeing as they were the only two actors I recognized, It made me think I'd have preferred two other 'unknowns' in their roles.

What I did appreciate was the whole '6 degrees' aspect of it, the connectedness of everyone and I'll admit it makes me think of how my actions here, might actually affect those elsewhere in the world, but that's about it.

I dunno. I'm glad I saw it, but more glad that it didn't cost me $12 for a ticket and $12 for snacks.

Misster-Kitty give's Babel 6 hairballs outta 10.

The Doofus Factor

Can't say I was much impressed tonight with the men... save for Helio Castroneves. He and Julianne impressed the pants off me (well if I had been wearing pants anyway. HEY! it was too bloody hot n' humid for pants!)

The rest of the men seemed like a bunch of hipster doofi that, to quote Shania... "...don't impress me much."

So far it's Helio & Julianne and Sabrina & Mark that I think I'll be rooting for.

I reserve my final pick for next week.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Corner Gas dances it's way into my heart...

It's no secret that I'm a huge Corner Gas fan. Hell I like Gas humour... heck I even like fart humour. It's low-brow, but I lurvs it. And sometimes it's both together in a Gassy-Farty one liner.

Tonight was their 5th Season's Premiere! Ahhhhhhhhhh the fall season has officially begun in earnest, if you ask me.

The only thing that could have made me love Corner Gas more was their commercial tie-in with the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars that preceeded the Gas. I wish I had a link to a video of it, but alas I could find none. Hopefully though you know the one I refer to. Here at least is an image I found on the weeb.


Looking forward to another Gassy good season! Corner Gas, you bloat me with your canuk funnyocity.

the Hootch Factor.

Was it just me or was the Hootchie reading a little high on Dancing With the Stars? Really, was there not just a little too mutch hootch for the first night And really who wants to see Marie Osmond attempting anything remotely sexual. Sure we know she and her siblings all breed like rabbits (presumably with their own partners and not together... although the jury is still out on Donny and her... heh), but do any of us see any sexuality in an Osmond?

And please, gurls, you think that you can get me on your side, you can get my vote just because you're all in Leopard Print and or are a so called "Cheetah Girl"... well ok, you can. Honestly though, it was a tough call as to who got my 6 votes tonight. So in fairness, as I could not quite decide who should get them all, I divided them between:

- Jennie Garth (I think the judges should have given her at least 8's, but with any competition, Dancing with the Stars or otherwise, the first out of the gates are always marked lower that they should have received...)

- Sabrina Bryan (I have no freakin clue, WHO the hell you are, but you're very 'kitten with a whip' and I loved the subtle cheetah/leopard print Grrrr! Lose the hip-hop though, cause really, that's just so damn street.)

and

- Melanie Brown (Sure you've got the trashy tabloid Eddie Murphy Love Child, Sure you're a Spice Girl, but mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Momma! that dress! ... can I have it now that you're through with it? and you can dance too...)

All three were in my opinion the top three, it's just too soon to say who will be my favs.... but with Maksim dancing with Mel, I think that is where my loyalties will lay... at least with the female contestant teams.

And that's not to say that Marie Osmond and Jane Seymore were not good, they were both far better than I thought they's be... but how long will they last? Only the male dancers tomorrow night will tell us that!

As for Josie Marar, honey, yes the judges were a skotch too hard on you tonight, but jeeze-louise there's not a dancing bone in the stick figure of a body of yours, is there?

All and all a good start I guess, but just a little too much hootch and not enough cootch... y'all can do better... well, except for stick gurl.

PS. All the guys this year look like grade "A" doofi (I fear tomorrow night will be a snooze fest)

Hey Ma Horton...

8 PM ce soir...

'Dancing with the Stars' season premiere.

You feeling me?

We on?

lemmie know...

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Sunday in the park with...

SQUIRRELS!

Well I've not posted much lately, I guess we all go through dry spells. ...

Don't really have much to post even at this moment, but I said waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back on Sunday April 29th when I reported our mis-adventure at Parc Lafontaine and our narrowly escaping with our lives whilst feeding the squirrels I said next time we went back I'd take some video...

...et voila...

(Sorry the quality is not 100% And I'll admit right away, Didier has a much more cinematic eye when recording video...)

"Stand for your dinner!"...


"We do not serve meals on the bench"...

Squirrel fun was had indeed.

We will be back, and sooner than last time... and in more light so the vid will come through more...

-----

On another note, We caught Bjork on Friday night, down in the Old Port. The Volta Tour. Didier was beside himself in gleeful wonder, as he's a freak-ass fan. I'm telling you... he Lurvs Bjork... we'll be just walking down the street, and he'll start singing "Oceania"... not the most melodic song out there people! It never ceases to impress me.

Bjork is like a Bag Pipe... amusical, discordant and yet remarkable beautiful and lyrical etherial all at the same time... It was a great night! we'll certainly go see her again, next time she's in town...

Well that's it for now..

How y'all doing?

Thursday, September 13, 2007

the Gag Reel.

Because even though I've shared lots of pictures of our vacation with you already, we still have tons more! lol So I figure, there's always room for a few more that will hopefully put a smile on your face...

There are some more of our more 'Touristic Duty" pics... Some times you just gotta have a little fun...

On August 26th we went to the Mastodon Ridge MiniPutt Pack, in Stewiake, Nova Scotia. We just got all primitive...


And yes... there WAS a Mastodon...

We're still not sure if it was a He-Mastodon or a She-Mastodon...


Who Knew that Bedrock was in Nova Scotia?!



Guess who won?


We finally we made it to the Mini Putt. This was as close to a hole in one that either of us got...


And if you will recall, Stewiake is 'Halfway between the North Pole and the Equator' I swear it's a really big deal for them...


Ah yes... the obligatory fiberglass animal pics...


Didier cum Atlas...


On the 27th we made our way to Peggy's Cove.. They have a funny way of greeting people and saying 'Welcome"...

... Have fun now... y'hear!

Most people think the reason to go to Peggy's Cove is for the incredible views, the only Lighthouse Post Office in North America... but it's not. Ultimately, it's all about their Ginger-bread. No foolin'! this stuff kicks serious ass! If I only do one thing when I am home in Nova Scotia, it's to haul ass to Peggy's Cove and get a piece of Gingerbread at the Sou'Wester restaurant.

... just ask Didier... this was his 2nd visit to the Cove...



Okay, okay... it's not about the Gingerbread at all... it's the chance to bronco-bust a buoy...


On the 28th we were at the Citidel. This is a fort that was built back in 1700's and rebuilt in the 1800's. And it's CLEARLY obvious that they were of a far more delicate and refined 'European stature', back in the day, as can be confirmed by these two photos of us both standing in the same doorway... (and notice who is obviously reaching to gain an extra inch...)




We made it over to PEI on the 29th, and within a few hours Didier was asking "Who is this Anne of Green Gables" Her picture is every where and it's all over every sign and guide book and pamphlet...?"
Well on the 30th I took him up to Cavendish to Green Gables, and there he made a new friend...



...actually he made two friends... This is Bessie the Fiberglass Cow...


But it's not just Fiberglass animals that we will abuse... oh no... Give us a five foot tall stuffed moose and we're gonna be all over that too!...




Not only was my face as red as a lobster from all the sun, but I actually sprouted Lobster Antennae!


... It's over there... O're yonder...
(Even Leo Bear is like. "Yeah... Whatever Shawn...")



*sigh* I'm missing our Vacation....

SHEPOOPI.

- that is all.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Walking for my Dad.

As I mentioned back on September 6th, I will be walking in honour of my father this year at the annual Light the Night Walk (Marche Illumine La Nuit) This is a walk at night around Ile Ste-Hélène, open to individuals, families, groups and companies to help raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada . All money raised fund its lifesaving research, patient information and support programs. (All monies raised in Canada will remain in Canada for research and patient services.)

Today, my father received the first of 8 chemotherapy treatments and, knock wood, all went well. It was a long arduous day. My parents left the house at 6:30 am to get to the hospital for 7 am and only arrived back home at 4:30pm There was extra work to do today, they went over then endless list of possible side effects, discussed the clinical trial and so on. For as tired as he was when I was speaking to him tonight, Dad sounded in very excellent spirits.

If you'd be interested in sponsoring me, you can do so online HERE. My goal is to raise $500.00. Anything you can give is most incredibly welcome, but that said, all I can really ask is what we've received already from so many of you, and that is your positive support, energy, kind thoughts and words, they in themselves already help so much. :-)

My body is in Montréal, my Heart and Spirit are in Halifax.

My Dad is having his first treatment of Chemotherapy, even as I type these words...

Dad,

I thinking of you and sending all the positive energry I can.

Lova ya.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

my Dad...

So well, for those of you that have been following my blog for the last few months, you know that my Father was recently diagnosed with Cancer. Lymphatic Cancer was all they could say back on August 8th.

Wel, he had more tests done, another CAT, a Bone Marrow test and lots of blood work.... Seems it's Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. He is Grade Two, Stage Three. Basically it's 'treatable, but not curable"

The Doctor's say it's not quite a death sentence, he could easily be around five to ten years... even longer. They want to add him to a clinical trial taking place in Canada at the moment. There are only 100 spaces available for the whole country, 10 at the hospital he is being taken care of in Halifax. We're still awaiting the final OK for him to start, but he has two appointments next week on the 11th and if the final tests are ok he'll have his first chemotherapy then.

They want to aggressively treat him as soon as possible to get him into remission (as this is the most they can do) and hope that he remains in remission for a few years. They will then re-treat him in the future (while keeping him under close observation) should any flair ups occur... and, sadly we know already that they will.

His Doctors have been wonderful and both my parents and we, cannot say enough good things about both the fine Doctors and Nurses at the Victoria General and Dartmouth General Hospitals. For as brutally honest as they are about the diagnosis and details, this is how my Father asked to know. He wants to know everything, the good, the bad and the ugly.

On Tuesday the 28th, the day of the final complete diagnosis, Dad was more calm and happy than he'd been in months. He knew what he was up against now. He knows the opponent he is fighting, and that clarity have given him a new found strength. That and his faith, and love from family and friends.

When he turned 65 back on April 21st of 2006 he made a milestone for the male side of his family being the longest lived male Ellis in 4 generations... And it's his full intent to blow that record out of the water, and we'll be there supporting him in any way we can.

I will be walking again this year for the "Light the Night' walk. It's a charity event to aid the Canadian Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I walked last year with a group from my workplace, Bristol-Myers Squibb. They are a major contributor and sponsor of the event. Little did I know then that just one year later my interest and involvement in this would take on a whole other level.

I know it's an odd request, but if any of you would be interested in sponsoring me for the walk on the evening of September 28th, on Ile Ste-Hélène click here, or if you are interested yourself in participating, visit the official website here.

- - -

On the evening of Saturday September 1st, as I previously posted, When I went to take pictures of the sunset at the beach, I met my father as he was returning from his evening walk. We talked. We don't talk a lot on a deeply emotional personal level, but when we do, it's incredibly deep and heart felt. I love BOTH my parents very much. I'm more close to my mother, but in the past few years developed a much closer relationship too, with my Father. It's my most sincere hope and wish that we have many years ahead to grow closer together.

After our talk, I took a couple pics of him, I wanted to remember this moment for as long as I can. And after than he looked at me so... exposed, and so I said, "how 'bout we take a picture together?" He said he'd like that, so I set back up my tripod, set the timer and this was the result...


We hugged each other for a long time after that, and then as the light faded we returned to the cottage we built together, 25 years ago...

Sept 3rd

Our final day of vacation. Up and at em' we showered and said good-bye to the auberge...


...and made our way down to the St-Lawrence to take the Ferry. We took our Breakfast at a little resto overlooking the Ferry Terminal and then strolled around the beach and wharf...




... waiting for the Ferry to arrive...



Once we were on board and the ship set off to the north side of the river, and St-Simeon, we took picture after picture...




There was no access to the Bow, so I could only get a pic from inside... jusr as well because the waves crashing on board were coming out the the 3 level lounge!


Finally, 70 minutes later we arrived at St-Simeon...


...and then headed south towards Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré. I made my father a promise we'd do there, light a candle and say a prayer for him, and a promise made, is a promise kept...

We passed the Montmorency Falls...


Then crossed the St-Lawrence yet again in Québec City. ...and in a couple more hours... it was all over... as we crossed the St Lawrence one last time and exited the Jacque Cartier Bridge and made our way home-o.