World Enough and Time

Had a lovely meal with friends at Fat Tuesday's in the market, celebrating Martha's birthday. I'm not sure exactly which birthday - she didn't say and I didn't ask - I suspect she's a year or two older than I am, but I'm not sure.

Anyway, I good time was had by all. I had calamari and Caesar salad, and Martha and I each had our palms read by the resident palm reader, Joslyn. It was a wonderful reading, really was.

Last time I had my palm read, it was by walkingowl, who has now been dead almost a year. I still miss her. But her absence no longer feels raw and painful.

My new job (which is more or less a return to an old one, at least on a temporary basis) is more wonderful than I can express, but it does cut into one's LJ-writing time. And reading time. And everything else. Funny how that happens.

Today:

1. Had lunch with gamergrrl at Taste Fusion on Bank Street, where Ichibei used to be. I had Pad Thai; liked the place very much, though I mourn the loss of Ichibei, which was wonderful, and which I associate in my mind with good birthday gatherings. I hope to persuade lunacy_gal to eat with me at Taste Fusion sometime soon.
   
   
2. Dropped into the Silver Snail to buy Iron Man 2.0 #1, and he showed me ( something I now covet... )
   
   
   

Lunched with Sheila at the Red Lobster. It was a conundrum what to order: I settled for Lobster bisque, a delicious compromise - decadent but not over the top.

In the category of "watch what you wish for, because you may get it": I'd been wanting to watch Highlander again, bemonaning the high prices of the DVS, and wishing I could get them. Well, today I inherited Harry's Highlander DVDs. I am delighted. (And yes, I will remember him as I watch.)

Dinner with Beulah, after which she taught me some more knitting. I didn't know she knitted... or forgot, if I had known. She's a very good teacher.

Then I bought and downloaded the comic cateloguing software at collectorz.com, after some agonizing over what program was best. This one seemed to fit most of my requirements, and my aesthetic sense, too. Time to get to work on this.

Did all my exercises in time to go for dim sum with Marion and Vicky. We all ate sparingly, and it was delicious - wonderful. Afterwards, we did some shopping at the Chinese grocery next door to the Mandarin Ogilvy, then went to my place to watch and episode of Moonlight (1x03, "Dr Feelgood") and Hawaii Five-O, the 2010 version, 1x01, "Pilot".

Enjoyed both, especially Alex O'Loughlin's roles - and of course, Jason Dohring in Moonlight. Marion tells me a lot of people slash the two leads in Hawaii Five-O,, and I can see it - the dialogue is quite catchy. Sadly, I don't much like Scott Caan, and I don't think he'll grow on me. Still. Never say never. The slash I would like to see would be in Moonlight, where I don't like the girl at all - don't like Sophia Myles - but I'd love to see a Mick/Joseph pairing. (Note to self: search online for such a thing. If anyone knows of any stories with that pairing, do let me know!)

I wouldn't have had time to watch both because I had to be off to a potluck dinner at Lisa's, but Marion helped me chop vegetables for soup while we were watching Hawaii Five-O and the timing worked out perfectly. Lynne drove me to Lisa's and we had a lovely dinner - I brought Asian Mushroom Soup, Lynne made macaroni and cheese with tomatoes, and Lisa made peanut butter cookies. A good time was had by all.

Then we went to see the Christmas music concert by The Hallelujah Gospel Chorus. Not my choice - I really dislike Gospel music, and the alternative was a student production of Twelfth Night which I'd have loved to see. But Lynne loves Gospel music and Lisa chose that too, so I was outvoted.

And though I really still dislike Gospel music, I did enjoy the concert. Some of the new tunes for familial songs were lovely, and I particularly liked their version of Handel's Messiah. There was lots of singing along, and I didn't flinch at the religious angle because... well, just because: I can't say I didn't know it would be there. They encouraged the audience to sing some of the songs too, especially before the concert. I amused myself by singing some of O Come All Ye Faithful in Latin just because I love the Latin words. "Chorus angelorum" in particular.

The concert was at the church where I used to go as a child, and where I was baptized, Kitchissippi United Church, which used to be Kingsway United. I looked around for ghosts of my past, but aside from it being a familiar and standard style for Canadian United churches built in (probably) the 1940s, there was nothing familiar about it, not even the Sunday school room, where I stuck in my head for a peak. I endured some horrible hours there. Not too many, fortunately - my parent's weren't so cruel as to force me to go when I hated it so much.

As a child, I thought that church boxy and ugly, and longed for something with Gothic arches or a traditional spire. It seems nicer to me now; plain, friendly architecture without pretensions. Not the loveliest of buildings, but there are so many much worse.

For breakfast, maaseru and I went to Bobby's Table. Now, Bobby's Table is a relatively new restaurant, inspired by Nate's, a popular deli that had been near Rideau and King Edward for fifty years. I often ate there when I worked at the Ottawa Little Theatre. Best cheap breakfast in town. When it closed, some of the staff opened this new place, which we hadn't gone to yet.

It was smaller, busy, with a similar menu and slightly (but only slightly) higher prices. A worthy successor, I'd say, but I have yet to try their smoked meat.

After that, another trip to Costco.

After that, I met Lynn for coffee at Bridgehead, and bought millet for the little feathered guys.

Then I went to Tasia's to watch episodes of Forever Knight with Beulah, Tasia, gamergrrl, Jim, and Andrea. I'd seen a couple of episodes of Forever Knight when it was first on, including a pilot that had Rick Springfield playing Nick Knight. I wasn't impressed and didn't watch much more; only one episode, I think, that featured Joan of Arc in a flashback. I wondered what the point was of a vampire that didn't act like a vampire. Some of my friends loved the show - and they loved Lacroix, the antagonist, the vampire who sired Nick Knight. I expected that I'd really like Lacroix.

So I saw Lacroix for the first time today, and wasn't impressed in the least.

Still, it was fun to watch, and I did a great many arm exercises while watching at Tasia's. Her living room sofa has an arm that is just perfect for the arm-straightening exercise. I should visit her more often.

We had a lovely dinner with two pumpkin pies, one of them being the first pumpkin pie Tasia has ever made. I encouraged her to make more. It was delicious.

When we left, there was a shock in store: snow. Heavy, wet, thick snow. First snow of the season. Pretty... but cold and wet and I felt unprepared.

Morning: Breakfast with maaser and explodedteabag at Da Bombe.

Then went to Macies' Best Western Hotel for Sheila's wedding. Hung out with her, Susan, and her family for most of the afternoon. Took pictures at the wedding: it was just as lovely as it ought to be. Her granddaughter Miranda - the flower girl - was cute: "My mother's beautiful - and so am I!"

The APA collation was held in a special room with a table, which was terrific. But be the first collation ever with us all dressed up. Because Vince was still printing his zine (on the spot), we had a lot of time to chat, which was fun - especially talking to Glen, who was there, but whom I don't usually get conversational time with. Talked to Barbara about Bristol. Beulah drove me home.

Had a lovely evening feasting on fruit, vegetables and quiche with commodorified, pecunium and fairestcat. We watched some music vids, and White Collar 2x06 "In the Red", and Due South 4x07, "Mountie Sings the Blues".

The nozzle to my dishwasher fell apart, and pecunium fixed it with aplomb. Yay!

Today, maaseru and I went to a wedding at a house on the Mississippi River, in Lanark County, Ontario. We started out getting lost - on the road to Pembroke - and then failed to find the right turn-off on the tiny country lane that led to the house, so we arrived after the ceremony.

But it was lovely. The newlyweds were happy, the rain held off, and the setting was lovely.

My pictures:

( 1. The bride )

( 2. The Setting )

( 3. The Mississippi River )

( 4. The wedding cake )

( 5. Flowers in the garden )

Today felt like a weird day. I'm not sure why, but I was out of sorts or edgy most of the day. Worrying about my arm - and trying not to. Did many exercises, but right now I can't see progress, which is freaking me. And I had no appetite. For me, that's weird.

Had coffee at Bridgehead with maaseru and explodedteabag - well, actually I had tea. I got upset when explodedteabag said redmtl might be angry with me; I talked to redmtl and said everything's copacetic, she isn't/wasn't angry, for which I feel relief.

Worked on cleaning up and decluttering my bedroom, to get rid of the shelving in there. I can't unscrew the supports for the sheves with one hand; hoping to find a friend with two hands who can do it for me.

Managed to cut paper with scissors in my right hand, holding the paper in my left - it was precarious, yes, but it really is progress: I can put my thumb and index finger together. Couldn't do that a few days ago. Somehow this didn't reassure me today as much as it ought to.

An exciting thing: booked my plane to Paris in October.

Watched Fringe 1x14, "Ability". A favourite.

Lisa and David came over, because David found a present for me - a tissue box cover in the design of an Egyptian mummy. Perfect!

I got a call from Sheila this afternoon saying she was just leaving the house and would pick me up for my doctor's appointment in half an hour. Waaait a minute, says I, the appointment is on Thursday.

I phoned the hospital to be sure, because Sheila was there when the appointment was made. But, yes, Thursday. (Tuesday had been mentioned, which was probably the source of the problem.)

I did laundry and house cleaning - well, as much as one may, with one arm. Folding the bedsheets was a challenge.

In the evening, Jo visited from Whitby - she's visiting her sons here - and we had a nice pizza and wine supper with Beulah, Alayne and Marcelle.

One of our TV channels had White Collar listed so I optimistically recorded it, but of course it was a rerun from series one. As far as I know, no Canadian station has picked up the show. (Damn!)