How The Sopranos saved my basement

Another close call...

I've been re-watching The Sopranos lately and enjoying it even more than the first time. I highly recommend it.

And then I got to the excellent first episode of the third season, where the FBI is trying to put a bug in Tony's basement. They notice on their surveillance footage that his water heater is draining brown liquid and is due to burst. They laugh about how it'll rupture in about 4 months but they naturally won't warn him. Sure enough, the thing blows, but early than expected, foiling the FBI's plans, as Tony's basement is flooded.

And that made me think about how the hot water in my shower lately hasn't been as hot as it used to be.... and how old our water heater was. Almost 20 years. So I put in a call to Direct Energy yesterday evening and already it's been replaced, less than 24 hours after my call... no charge.

When they were draining the old one, the "drain caulk" jammed and burst which meant they had to drain it manually. They also said that it was a good thing we called when we did, 'cos it was ready to blow any time.

So thanks to creator David Chase, and everyone working on The Sopranos to make it a thoroughly re-watchable experience... 'cos if I hadn't seen Tony's basement flooded, I probably would've ignored the water heater for months more, and then gone canoeing in the basement at some point.

SO... how's your hot water heater, huh?

A Close Call and more importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

If we were parked in the spot directly in front of our house like we usually are, this huge tree branch would've landed on our car roof yesterday morning, like it did on the poor neighbour's car, instead of just bouncing of it to land in front of our car and not leaving a scratch on us. Lucky break for us.

And we've turned most of the branch into firewood for my Grandma. Waste not, want not. (I can already hear the 'ass-backwards into luck' comments from Koops)

But really, this is just an excuse to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

Hardly Working - live on Filmaka.com

My latest filmaka short, Hardly Working is now available for viewing
right here.

Only registered filmaka members can vote on it, but everyone can check it out, provided you have the right plug-ins.

Those curious about what happened with the previous short, entitled "Truth Or Dare, Nevermore" - I don't know what's happening with it. It's done and although it's been more than a month and a half of Jury deliberation on that one, it's still not a link I can send around. As soon as it is, you can be sure I will send it around.

Very big thanks to all involved and those who made it so much fun to make.

Kyle

P.S. Here's the final Gag reel for "Hardly Working.

BEAST - You can tell them you heard it here first... sort of.

The iTunes free song of the week is currently "Mr. Hurricane" from a new band called "BEAST" that is offering their exclusive pre-order, self-titled album at a very attractive price of $5.99 Canadian. Always on the lookout for new music, I typically checkout the free song weekly and this is the first time I've been truly excited about what I've found. The weird thing about it is, I could barely find anything on the web to learn more about them.

What I did discover is they are from Montreal, and they are: Beatrice Bonifassi (the voice of Champion and one from The Triplets of Belleville ) and composer and drummer Jean-Phi Goncalves. But there really isn't that much else out there about them. Maybe mystique is what they're going for... The album is apparently officially released November 18th, and they are touring a little bit. Best details can be found on their MySpace page.

To borrow and paraphrase from one of the comments left by an iTunes user, if you like Electronic music and the likes of Goldfrapp, Portishead and Massive Attack, you'll probably dig this album. I couldn't agree more, and there's something haunting and intriguing about their sound. Very strong first album, hard to pick a favourite yet, but "Mr. Hurricane" will be remembered as my discovery point that directly led to checking out what could become one of the best albums of the year.

Other stand out tracks include "Out Of Control," "Finger Prints," "Devil," and "Ashtray" - so tell your friends you heard it first... because the band is keeping a low profile for now. And for just $6, you can't go far wrong.

Holy Cows!

In Westport for Thanksgiving, I decided to take a stroll on my own with the camera with the purpose of catching some great tree shots for the desktop wallpaper. (The colours up here are amazing!) Instead, I happened upon a herd of cows grazing and crossing the road.

Choosing the right cow to approach and pet proved more difficult than I'd imagined. At first I felt like the M.C. that just announced the buffet was cancelled after the Bingo tournament. A dozen cows staring you down can be unnerving to a city-kid.

Do I choose the wary cow that hasn't taken it's eyes off me while the others now intermittently graze? No, it's officially gotten old & creepy. Besides there's a gallon of snot dripping from it's gigantic nostrils. Pass.

How about Mrs. Late-to-the-Party Cow? Her feet are all covered in a thick layer of what I hope is just mud. Maybe not. I like my clothes manure-free.

The Horny Cow helps me decide to just stick to photos and then move on. This cow has been trying frequently to mount so many of the others that I witness it trying it backwards, hopping on the head of another poor cow (see photo).

I suppose this aggressive approach to spontaneous and foreplay-free oral servicing isn't all that uncommon... but I hadn't yet seen it in the animal kingdom. I'd rather not be a grisly statistic in the database of poor souls who've been accidentally killed by bovine attackers just looking for love in all the wrong places.

Ben Folds - "Way To Normal" review

Ben Folds returns to (fun-loving) form with his third solo release "Way To Normal." Folds picks up the pace and delivers more of the irreverent humour we've come to expect that was more or less absent from the second and more mature album "Songs For Silverman" but frequently showcased on the 2001 offering "Rockin' The Suburbs" and of course a big part of the Ben Folds Five catalogue.

With so many varying styles and approaches, it's safe to say that Folds is many things to many people and "Silverman" may be a favourite to some, but I prefer the Ben Folds who likes to hammer out peppy tunes and have a good time, and that certainly seems to be the case this time around.

That doesn't mean there's a shortage of down tempo numbers with startling candour, like the 1997 hit "Brick" that put Ben Folds Five on the map. "Cologne" is the new standout track in that vein, and for the iTuners, for whom Folds has been an early adopter, the 'deluxe' edition includes an odd video for the piano orchestra version including a choir and ten pianos (plus an audio-only version). The deluxe treatment is recommended for any fan, as it also includes some studio rehearsal versions of four more songs.

One July 11, Folds and his crew decided to record alternate versions of six of the songs from the album with totally different lyrics and arrangements from the official release. Some wound up being drastically different. Then they anonymously released it into the world with three real tracks and a fake album cover, disguised as an internet "leak."

Those with a modicum of internet savvy could probably still find it, but if not, you'll be able to hear at least two of the songs on Ben's Myspace page. There's an alternate version of the "Bitch Went Nutz" and the aforementioned piano orchestra link for "Cologne" leads to the other. They apparently are present as bonus tracks on a Japanese release, and we're told they'll be made official b-sides in other parts of the world in the near future.

Rolling Stone Magazine interviewed Folds about the reasons for doing it as well as the distinctions and the article can be read here. The story behind each track and a sampling of each can be heard as well.

At first listen, the official album can be a bit disorienting. The styles and production vary from track to track. For example, the first track "Hiroshima" has a layer of adoring fans at a live concert to set the stage of the story, and then it comes to an abrupt end as Folds asks the audience, "Does This Song End?" before launching immediately into the frenetic pace of "Dr. Yang." As "Free Coffee" ends, a Confucious-type character spouts some wisdom about the nature of break-ups and then again, the jarring opening chords (and line) of "The Bitch Went Nuts" begins without warning.

Other songs get different levels of treatment, but the "alternate" versions stripped down to the bare essentials in some cases may trump the official releases, depending on your own taste. The only 'official track' I take issue with the production is on "Free Coffee" which has added noise of static and mild distortion that persists throughout, which initially made me wonder if my headphones had been blown. It was a relief to find that wasn't the case, but it didn't endear the song to me, and the static to me had a grating effect. I couldn't tell you what they're thinking when they did that, ruins the song for me. Perhaps I can enjoy it live, or maybe a no-static version will be forthcoming... anything's possible. Taking requests, Ben?

Fortunately, it's the only problem I had with the whole album. Recommended in every other regard, and looking forward to the day the not-so-Normal Folds makes a stop in town. You can check out the official Ben Folds site for tour details but at the time of this writing, there's nothing set for North America in stone yet.

Burn After Reading

"Report back to me when, uh, I dunno... when it makes sense."
J.K. Simmons as CIA Superior

My love for the Coen Brothers' work is no secret. It seems impossible for them to let me down, so fair warning folks... I am biased. I consider "No Country For Old Men" a masterpiece. And even if I can't say I always understand what they're going for (like with "Barton Fink") I still give them the benefit of the doubt and admire the hell out of all their other films.

This is about the only film that I imagine could get me back in theaters so soon after the marathon of the Toronto Film Fest (which Burn After Reading was a featured gala in). In the past I haven't put my butt in a theater seat again until November.

The only potential danger with "Burn After Reading" is that many people will be looking at this as the new Brad Pitt & George Clooney movie and be perhaps expecting a different kind of movie. Not necessarily a farce of American sensibilities nor biting commentary on internet dating, divorce, self-improvement and paranoia.

Seems this one's intention is to keep your head spinning and make it impossible for you to see what's coming or know what to make of the mess that ensues, like the clueless CIA spooks in the film, but nevertheless, it's a fun ride from a masterful team. Can't wait for the next one, whatever it may be.

Watch the Red band trailer here.

CAKE at The Sound Academy in Toronto, September 25, 2008 ~ "Now accepting callers who would like to sing-along"

On Thursday, September 25, "Cake" came back to Toronto to perform at The Sound Academy with special guest "Paper Lions."

The Sound Academy has better acoustics than I expected. I hadn't been to a concert there before but went to the "Docks" plenty of times, so I kept a lo-fi approach in mind... but the sound was great. This was my fourth time seeing Cake live and they never disappoint. Previously saw them at Massey Hall in 2004, Danforth Music Hall in 1999 and at The Opera House in 1998.

How often will you see a rock band with a trumpet player? How often is singing along not only encouraged but actually happening with just about everyone? The average Cake fan is very familiar with the full catalogue and their songs often lend themselves to easily identifiable audience participation moments. Everything from yelling out "Dude!" in perfect timing during the frenetic "Comfort Eagle" to harmonizing for songs like show-opener "Frank Sinatra." It's amazing how long the entire crowd keeps up with the outro chorus on "Sheep Go To Heaven" but it's a joy to behold and I don't look forward to the day that the crowd isn't into it. When I saw them at The Danforth Music Hall, it was damn near a spiritual moment when the crowd took on the harmonizing of "Hem Of Your Garment" with almost no prompting whatsoever. The room itself felt alive.

I've done enough song name dropping that by now you might be asking, yeah, but who is "Cake"? Whether you realize it or not, you've probably heard their music even if you never listen to CFNY/The Edge (although that helps). Their music has been borrowed many times for many films of many disciplines and the distinct, almost speaking-style signing of John McCrea truly distinguishes them. The trumpet does too.

The stage was set quite simply with a large mountain canvas backdrop, a modest array of alternating colour lights and a disco ball. When you have a disco ball, you don't really need anything else, but they gave it a little something extra to warm up the place: they brought a small tree out on stage where it sat for the entire show.

Midway though the show, McCrea said with some degree of sincerity that "without a doubt, the saddest thing about the 20th Century ending was the disappearance of the 3-4 time signature," just before playing "Mexico" followed by one of their only instrumental numbers "Arco Arena" as if to say, and here's another song not meant for radio, but just for you... or them... or whatever.

Only when the set was over and they returned for an encore did lead singer John McCrea explain that the tree was to be given away to the person who would quietly, and calmly raise their hand and answer the question when addressed directly. The rules were simple, yet not simple enough. McCrea began to get frustrated by the people yelling out their guesses, and the scene bordered on ugly after five minutes or so after he playfully berated the crowd for yelling out their answers saying that he didn't care, we'd just stay here until someone gets the answer right, and they won't play more music until the tree was given away. 20 painfully wrong answers later, McCrea decided some hints were in order and it'd been narrowed down to a type of apple tree. Finally, someone named "Carl" guessed it was a Golden Delicious Apple tree and all was right in the world again.

The encore began with "Short Skirt/Long Jacket" which gave way to an orchestrated fight of "good versus evil" as the audience of the left side battled against the right in the power of the "Na Na Na Na Na Nas" all the while McCrea fueled the urge to win into each side. Stage left side dominated. It wasn't even close. Standing in the middle, not unlike Switzerland, I had no bias or allegiance, that's just how it was.

Then they played a song they said they'd never played live before, a new track off their forthcoming, self produced album which I can only guess will be called "I Wanna Hold You." Earlier in the night they explained that "Pressure Chief" was their last studio album, and from now on they were going it alone... so "prepare for us to disappear into obscurity entirely." The last song of the evening was "The Distance," one of their breakthrough, rousing hits off "Fashion Nugget."

Another terrific, masterful performance that could easily have included a dozen different swapped songs, as their catalogue is rife with crowd-pleasing numbers that the devout will always come on out for, if only to join the choir. Next time, I'll have my newly acquired t-shirt to wear. Gotta support the team.

Full set list:
Frank Sinatra, Ruby Sees All, Don't Take Your Love To Town, War Pigs, Rock 'N' Roll Lifestyle, Love You Madly, Comfort Eagle, Stickshifts & Safetybelts, Wheels, Mexico, Arco Arena, Sheep Go To Heaven, Comanche, Never There - Encore: Short Skirt/Long Jacket, "I Wanna Hold You" ?, and The Distance.

TIFF '08 in review

Presented here for your consideration... a short review of the 21 films I saw during the 10 days of the 2008 Toronto International Film Fest. I feel it's worth noting that despite the added business of producing a short film during the festival, set to shoot on the Sunday immediately after, I STILL didn't miss any of the films I was scheduled for. Quite unusual.

Waltz With Bashir
An Israeli, animated, docudrama. Definitely an extraordinary film with an amazingly smooth narrative given the subject matter of blocked memory. But good luck finding it outside of the festival. The subject matter is grim, but a very fascinating film worth seeking out. Great way to start.

JCVD
Holee crap! Jean-Claude Van Damme plays himself with startling brutal honesty. And he can act! And it was good! Really out of the ordinary stuff. Pretty cool.

Passchendaele
WW1 flick. Canadian. Very Canadian. Could’ve been a CBC movie of the week. The kind I would’ve watched for about 2 minutes before moving on. A painful a.m. screening experience to follow after a midnight screening. Good battle scenes at end do NOT make up for what you had to go through to get there. Weak. And definitely the worst title of a war flick in recent memory, regardless of historical significance. Sounds like a new Snapple flavour.

Rocknrolla
An obvious favourite of many. A triumphant return to form for Guy Ritchie. No let down here, but no “Lock, Stock” either. Those interested will dig it.

Vinyan
Stylish and initially compelling premise… eventually turns surreal and ultimately non-sense ensues. Potentially a parent’s worst nightmare if it stayed within a modicum of reality. Some cool visuals though.

Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
Fun little film set in NYC after hours, great soundtrack, nothing wrong with story, but ultimately not extraordinary.

Ghost Town
Fans of Ricky Gervais will enjoy him in this as I did, but this one also walks a fine line between being fun in the moment but not being terribly special in afterthought.

A Film With Me In It
The most pleasant surprise for me at the festival. A simple premise, an excellent script for a dark screwball comedy. Answers the question: What if “Very Bad Things” was in fact a clever, better, Irish film? Thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Religulous
The religiously fanatic are easy targets when in the sights of Bill Maher, but that doesn’t make it any less funny. What doesn’t work that well is after 85 minutes of laughing at the absurdities of life are the dire overtones we’re subjected at film’s end suggesting a true apocalypse is in fact nigh if we don’t put a stop to blind, fanatic faith. Would’ve stuck around for the Q&A if director Larry Charles decided to dress in his black suit WITHOUT the pink crocs. (WTF?!)

Witch Hunt
A documentary about wrongfully convicted people accused of child molestation. A nightmare scenario, a miscarriage of justice with 33 judgments overturned, but despite the gripping subject matter, this doc crawls its way along and felt a bit unprofessionally one-sided at times.

The Hurt Locker
If I hadn’t been at this, I wouldn’t have met one of my heroes, director Danny Boyle. That said, the film was slick, explosive, and very tense and pretty good but I couldn’t help but feel it was a bit predictable. Don’t want to spoil this for anyone, but for those in the know, the only thing missing here were the red Star Trek uniforms.

The Wrestler
Definitely an exceptional stand-out film for this year’s fest, great performance by Mickey Rourke (and Marisa Tomei) and a harrowing look at what could await virtually any entertainer in their later years. Excellent.

Flame & Citron
WWII Danish resistance assassins. Based on a true story. You had me at WWII, but this one delivers pretty well on many levels so it didn’t disappoint. Fascinating history, and as the director pointed out, a movie could be built around any one of the many real-life subjects.

Slumdog Millionaire
The People’s Choice Award Winner, and no surprise there. A real crowd pleaser and expertly done. Danny Boyle does it again, although this is by no means my favourite of his work, it would be a tall order to top his own stuff as some of it ranks among my all-time favourites.

Good
Sometimes you know what your about to see is going to be so-so, and this one seems to be missing “Not That…” in front of its title. Adapted from a play, and it sure feels like it. They can’t all be winners. This is where the weak streak began.

Fifty Dead Men Walking
Was the Irish brogue too thick or the audio too poor? The consensus seems to be on the latter. Not a waste of time, not all that engaging. Perhaps a victim of high expectations.

Uncertainty
The title of this flick also summed up how I felt about going to it. If I was going to skip one, this would’ve been it. A tale of a couple that flips a coin to decide how to spend their day. Through the magic of cinema, we’re able to see what would happen with both choices… problem is, we’d only care about one of their stories while the other would generously be called filler. Which one you’d like best is up to you, but it’s doubtful you’d be interested in both.

Flash Of Genius
A compelling true story where the honest little guy takes on the huge monster evil corporation. Greg Kinnear is always good and the tale is as much about determination as it is sacrifice, but perhaps this one moves a little too slowly to get where we all know it’s heading.

Pontypool
Arguably, my most anticipated flick and no let-down at all. My first thought: “Thank God it LOOKS good.” A new film shot with the Red Camera, and looks terrific. That gave way to a very well established mood, creepy stuff and theatre of the mind kind of approach. There’s an original and potentially troubling device for this not-quite-but-sort-of a zombie flick that will lose some and intrigue others. A small film not afraid to set itself defiantly in Northern Ontario. I definitely liked it a lot (despite the “what the-?” moment) and Stephen McHattie was terrific as radio personality Grant Mazzy. Nice one, Bruce!

L’Instinct De Mort, aka Public Enemy Number One, Part 1, aka Mesrine
The film with the biggest identity crisis described as the “French Scarface” had three names. The life of a violent sociopath with few redeeming qualities is profiled with a kind of dangerous Machaevellian approach that flirts with glorifying violence but it seems clear what kind of road this criminal is headed for, so it’s OK. I’m certainly interested in Part 2, just not sure when I’ll have the chance to see it.

The Ghost
Russian ailing spy novel writer sparks an unusual collaboration with a hitman who becomes his muse. Very compelling until the third act takes a very drastic left turn, leaving credibility behind in the dust. Can’t help but think a few loose ends tied might’ve saved it. Quite stylish, not entirely without redemption at the end but some strong suspension of disbelief required to take it all in.

Most desired film that I couldn’t get to: “Synecdoche, New York”

The ones that weren’t that great had at least worthwhile moments or some kind of element that made it watchable. Even Passchendaele had a cool battle scene at the end.

Cool TIFF moment # 43 - Danny Boyle

Sometimes cool things and brushes with famous people happen at the Toronto Film Fest. This one was not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but it kinda is to me.

I saw "The Hurt Locker" at Ryerson tonight and spotted UK director Danny Boyle ("Shallow Grave," "Trainspotting," "28 Days Later," "Millions" "Sunshine" and this year's "Slumdog Millionaire", which I'll be seeing Wednesday) sitting in the row in front of me.

Normally, I'd be quite content to have a look and simply leave it at that but I felt compelled to meet him after the show. He was super nice, very gracious and I got his autograph too. As I explained to my buddy Peter who was there, I haven't asked for an autograph from ANYONE for over ten years... I'm NOT easily star struck. But in this case, I figured, one of these days I'll get to work for him and I'll be able to show him that I was a big fan all along... if nothing else, if I were him, I'd appreciate the occasional recognition and encouragement. So I gave it to him. I also jokingly offered to be his apprentice... but I will be calling his office when the festival's over.

P.S. On a completely side note, when Peter and I were walking down Yonge to the subway after a couple of pints, playing the part of a couple respectable, sober and TOTALLY harmless looking guys, some obviously deranged, but semi-normal looking woman took a look at us, waved her fingers towards us in the air, up & down then left to right then decreed, "bad guys... couple of bad guys."

Needless to say I'm firing my publicist in the morning.

"Double Dare" short film success

On Tuesday July 22, after returning from San Diego, I sat down with Richard and Eric and we brainstormed on ideas for the filmaka.com contest on the theme of "Truth Or Dare." In the next couple of days, we finalized a script and put the call out to some actors and with a puny crew of 3, we shot the thing at my house that weekend with about a week to wrap it up in post before submitting it.

The short won an entry slot into their final Jury Level. This means we're paid $500 for the film we already did and they'll give us an additional $1,000 to make another one in the same theme. (Big shout out to all of those who were involved on the first one. Thanks very much!)

For those who haven't seen "Double Dare" yet, click here.

The next one has got to be finished by September 28th. It'll be a bit tricky with the Film Fest coming up, but we'll figure it out.

Wish us luck on the next round!

Travel Log: San Diego - Last day, signing off

Well, that's that.

On the final day of our trip, we managed to squeeze in those last things we've been told about but didn't have time for. First we went to Richard Walker's on Front Street for breakfast. This famous restaurant got mention in the Trolley tour and the Baked Apple Pancake they're noted for was amazing. Highly recommended. Off to a good start.

The draw of Las Americas Premium Outlet Mall (very close to Mexico) was how we decided to make use of our last hours with the rental car. Bobbi managed to surpass me in shopping expenditures so all is right with the world. For those who were placing bets... as I predicted, she lost her sunglasses in some store today. Took her five tries, but she finally did it. Don't feel too badly, she didn't seem to mind and replaced them within minutes and never looked back.

On this second excursion, the allure of the mall wore thin on me a little earlier, even though I managed to pick up some cool Converse shoes, but more importantly, I began to doubt we'd be able to get everything packed away for our flight home. (We did a trial packing run before going to dinner and it's just going to fit.) Even still, Horton Plaza was beckoning Bobbi for even more shopping at 8pm, but cooler heads prevailed and we decided to get dinner instead.

We ended our night at the recommended Croce's Restaurant (Jim Croce, "Leroy Brown" and "Time In A Bottle" fame) and the meal was exceptionally good, and in the adjacent room was Croce's Jazz Bar so we got treated to some cool music over dinner. Really nice way to end the trip.

Also, when I ordered a Guinness, I was asked for I.D., which hasn't happened for many years... and in case you're wondering, this was a nice restaurant and I'm sure they're not asking everyone as a matter of common practice too. Unfortunately, as our plane leaves early tomorrow (8am) AND we ARE really as old as our IDs say, despite it being Friday night, we have to call it an early one... but we don't mind taking it easy either.

Over dinner we talked about how this vacation ranks overall and I gave it a strong 8.5 and Bobbi a strong 8. (This is a ranking on the vacation and our experience, not the city or attractions per se.) Also, with the only exception of passing on a day trip to Mexico, we managed to do virtually everything we wanted to do OR were recommended to do. Kind of amazing considering it was just one week.

"Stay classy, San Diego" - Ron Burgundy

Travel Log: San Diegeo - Sea World

Well, every vacation has highlights and lowlights, and it looks like we finally hit ours. No offense to anyone who LOVED Sea World, as there are many of you out there, but it just didn't do for us what it seems to do for many. Certainly there were parts of it that were fun, and some of the blame on our somewhat bad experience/attitude towards the park can be put on us, but it's hard not to compare it to San Diego's other main and exemplary animal attraction, the Zoo. It feels like at half the price the Zoo is twice as good.

Trying not to get into too much detail, Sea World is mainly for little kids and family oriented fun (no surprise there I expect), it's all about showmanship and at times, more about the ego of the trainers than the animals that SHOULD be the center of attention. ("Believe" is a prime example of that). Sometimes the cheese-o-meter was off the charts. While we partook in certain interactive activities that allow you to feed dolphins, sea lions and manta rays (three separate areas), we couldn't help but feel like there was something a little shameful in what we were doing as the Sea Lions went mental begging for fish and wondered if the manta rays really wanted to be touched at all, a controversial issue of late... but like I said, we were involved too.

Add to this the format of the Amusement Park which is often a "Wait and Bake" type of experience while you scurry through the park from show to show and sometimes melt in the stands without shade or risk being denied entry. AND for all their lip service to "save the environment" and the animals in it, the park itself generates a lot of useless garbage which again they could take a lesson from the Zoo on true recycling and reduction of waste.

Anyway, we made the most of our admission fee, saw most of the attractions and shows and stayed until the end, but this is an experience we don't need to repeat. At least not without little kids in tow. (You never saw so many strollers in one place!) It wasn't bad, but still a big "PASS" on Sea World if you're coming here and don't have kids to bewilder in the process. Curiosity got the better of us, but it doesn't have to get you too.

Travel Log: San Diego - Outlet Malls

Bobbi's big day of commerce utopia in an outdoor outlet mall has come and gone, and the whole experience has been very educational for me. I must say this vacation has broken down a number of misconceptions for me, and today I've made a few observations.

1) People round here sure love their bluetooth cell headsets. They are everywhere. I'm expecting kids will have them soon. They still look silly to me.

2) In the environment of an outdoor mall off the highway, it is EASY for a consumer to lose track of their spending and get out of control.

I'd watch these shows where these unfortunate souls are near bankruptcy because of their wild and carefree spending and figure they were just idiots who deserved to be heavily in debt, but I'm beginning to understand how this commonly happens. You head out to an outlet mall, the focus is generally on what you're saving by getting stuff FACTORY DIRECT (ha!) and if you're like me, you make a few trips back to the car to drop off the stuff you've been lugging about: a reset button for your shopping capacity. It's efficient, but easy to get out of hand. I found myself adding up receipts to make sure a whopper of a shock wasn't going to be waiting for me at the end of the day, and it kept my spending under control... but I sympathize a bit better for those who aren't as disciplined. (They still have to face the music, and they only have themselves to blame... but I understand it now.)

3) A full day on your feet of shopping can actually make your mind soft: Bobbi considers herself VERY lucky because when we were finally leaving the mall, it got dark and a jet black 4x4 pulled up behind us (rather stealthily I'll admit) and then the driver cut the engine and hopped out of the truck. We backed up real slow and gave it a bump. There was no damage, not even a scrape and the driver of the truck was super-cool about it, but the idea of the paperwork on a rental car was a fairly unsavoury notion.

4) Outlet mall fast food doesn't have to be garbage... and sometimes it isn't. We actually can't believe how good the meals were that we had for a modest fee. Sushi for lunch, Burritos for dinner... and really, surprisingly good. Why wouldn't you shop this way if you could do so anytime you wanted? (Well, ask our feet why not, and you'll get a different answer.)

Anyway, thanks again to those checking in with us... and those checking in on our cat... you know who you are... it's appreciated.

Adios!

P.S. As per usual, I wound up making more purchases than Bobbi... but then I'm not as choosy and let price guide me most of the time.

P.P.S. Despite her best efforts, Bobbi's sunglasses remain in her possession. She's left them in a shop no less than three times this week, it'll be a miracle if they make it to Toronto soil.

Travel Log: San Diego - Beaches & Rockin' out

We've just finished a very full day of touring beaches on a leisurely coastal drive. We rented a car today but almost were out of luck as we walked on over to the nearest Avis and found out they have ZERO cars available at all their locations. (!) They were kind enough to refer us to a lesser known agency that got us sorted out, but lesson learned. We didn't book it in advance because up until now we'd been managing just fine without it and weren't really sure how many days we'd actually need it.

So we headed to Pacific Beach first and took a barefoot stroll along the shore (not deep enough for shark attack of course). Next was a jaunt, lunch (& shopping excursion) in beautiful La Jolla that was followed by yet another beach stroll in Del Mar in the evening before we finally settled down in Solona Beach. There we had a really nice dinner prior to a rock concert at the Belly-Up Tavern (voted San Diego's best music venue) with headliner "The Duke Spirit" and "Republic of Letters." (Don't worry if you've never heard of them, but they were really good.) The venue was great, the sound was terrific and the show didn't let us down. AND it was only $8/ticket including service charge. Beat that! It was an intimate setting so we really enjoyed it and the drive home didn't take much more than 20 minutes.

I've read in some emails that some of Bobbi's friends have been quite concerned that we haven't spent nearly enough time shopping, so let me just ease their minds now and say tomorrow we're headed for the outlet malls (whatever those are) and I've been told to bring something to keep myself occupied. She also said she's going with or without me.

Looks like a day-trip to Mexico is out... Sea World is in. Simplicity is ruling the day now.

Who needs sleep?

Travel Log: San Diego - U.S.S. Midway, Trolley Tour, San Diego Zoo

We've been pretty busy since the last entry... and our dogs are barking BIG time. Still haven't rented a car, and it shows on our heels.

Our official first day we started off leisurely in Sea Port Village, which to the untrained eye could seem like little more than a tourist trap, but as it turns out, it's a breeding ground for good karma and immediate rewards.

Our good karma investment happened when we stumbled upon a local artists and his wares, a collection of Plasticine figures that were put in a kiln. Cartoony in nature, quite colourful and struck a chord with my sensibilities. I complimented this starving artist and built him up while I bought some of his figures and essentially overpaid. Short while later, we had lunch and happened to share a table with a war veteran and his wife. He'd lived in San Diego for many years and now lives in Vegas but always comes back every year. We had a pleasant chat and he recommended we check out the U.S.S. Midway which he actually served on. So we did. We casually strolled around a bit toward the giant vessel and as luck would have it, we bumped into him again. He then presented us with a couple of free passes to the tour and saved us about $34. (Thank you, Jun... and Karma)

For those who haven't been on an aircraft carrier... it's unbelievable. This floating city has been turned into a first rate naval museum and it's very interactive and really quite amazing. After this tour, all I can say is, "I GET IT NOW!" The flag-waving, the unbridled patriotism... all of it... it makes sense to me now. And while I'm on the topic of American pride, let me say there's a lot that this city has to be proud of, not the least of which is its inhabitants. (Body art and warm gestures/climate are in bountiful supply.) Everywhere we've been, we've only encountered the nicest people and I can safely say that Canadians do NOT have the corner market on politeness, as so many of us had been led to believe. (I also tried out a flight simulator and it's a lot harder to land a plane on an aircraft carrier that it looks.. and it looks really hard.)

On our second day, we took one of those Trolley tours that allow you to jump off and on at different stops and for the most part it was decent value. Although certain things at Balboa Park were ranking fairly high on the lame-o-meter (such as the International Cottages) over all it was a decent day. We spent some time on the beach near the Hotel Del Coronodo (sp?) and dined on some tasty burritos in Old Town by day's end.

And as for a true highlight for the trip, the San Diego Zoo is world famous for a reason. We literally spent the entire day there and it was terrific. Great value for the dollar and a really well run operation... Toronto Zoo could learn a LOT from these people. AND as an added bonus, we got a moment to feel good about Toronto as we ran into a Peurto Rican named Manuel thought Toronto was the greatest city on Earth. (It's only fair to mention that part of his affinity for Toronto was due to our same-sex marriage laws and overall tolerance... but he went on about all the other things he loved about T.O.) Anyway, it's a nice feeling to know our city is well regarded.

So, as you might be able to tell, things are going pretty well and tomorrow we're renting a car and headed to Ensenada (probably, but Tijuana is DEFINITELY out) and beach time (most likely) and a concert (The Duke Spirit) in the evening. At this pace, the week will be over before we know it, so can't say when I'll be able to write again... but it's always a pleasure and thanks to those who weighed in on the Tijuana debate or dropped a line. It's always a treat to check the email and have stuff to read, but obviously when people are waiting to use the terminal I can't reply to everyone individually... but know that it's appreciated.

Until next time…

Travel Log: San Diego - Safe Arrival

Weather is nice and night life is booming, in the Gaslight district anyway. Our hotel (Bristol) is quite nice, very stylishly renovated old hotel with charm to spare. A real find and close to lots of activity. The best part is that it in no way resembles an airport, which we've had our fill of today.

Of course it sounds like a cliché, but on our way here, we had the misfortune of sitting directly across from a screaming toddler. I knew the kid'd be trouble when I laid eyes on him at the boarding gate, but no idea I'd be so close to ground zero. I know I'm not alone in my wishing ill-will upon the moronic and inconsiderate parents who didn't think to bring much of anything to occupy the kid's attention over the five hours we were on that plane (family of four squeezed into three econo-seats).

I swear for most of the time the kid was wailing the mother seemed more interested in what was happening on the TV screen than her sniveling scream-machine while the father merely looked on as though he was viewing a grisly car wreck. (But perhaps mama was merely staring off into the distance thinking of a plan to get rid of the kid somehow... as everyone in the vicinity I'm sure was thinking also... I expect many will have dreams about smothering babies with airplane mini-pillows.) If this comes off as especially insensitive or if you think there's nothing wrong with what these people did, then you're part of the problem. One thing's for sure... I should paid for those seat upgrades when I had the chance.

Anyway, just wanted to share, let y'all know that all's well and we're excited to get our adventures underway. Still can't decide about a day trip to Tijuana... taking suggestions and arguments for OR against but I make no promises about going one way or another. Kinda feeling like we oughta go if only for the experience, but it ain't entirely up to me.

Adios muchachos