Practice makes poutine

Carla Coma and Mean Little Momma

If you've read the blog entry title and are saying to yourself "What? Poutine?", don't worry. This blog entry will explain everything... and it'll do so in such a way that you don't need James Burke to explain... (although it would be really cool to have him make a cameo on this blog)



I was at home having nothing better to do than wash a few loads of laundry. It's no way to spend the only day off after working a six day week, That's what I kept telling myself. Elsewhere the Hammer City Roller Girls were at practice, gearing up, training, for their upcoming appearance at the Beast of the East in Montreal.

It was shortly after realizing this fact that I decided to hit the road and go on my second Zip car trip. Away to Hamilton! or more accurately Caledonia.


Gora Secord


Dicey


Ivy Rupted



Perky Set jams with Lock and Roll


Tempura Tantrum takes her lumps.


Judge Jody


Chainsaw Mary


Dark Passion Play

With the thought of going to Montreal came the thought of eating food in Montreal. Specifically smoked meat, poutine, and bagels (not necessarily in that order). That then is the connection, be it not a complicated one, where I then had to run off and get some poutine.


Poutine... meal from the gods.

Poutine at Harvey's is the best poutine I've had outside of Montreal. They actually use cheese curds, the gravy is pretty good, and the fries aren't soggy.

Zip Car to the Brick Works

The "Tough Cookie" shot


My first zip car rental.

I had gotten my approved zip membership card the other day and decided to take a car out to not only test drive it but figure out how the whole gas thing works. Gas is included in the rental fee. They give you an Esso gas card that you can use however if there's no Esso near by fear not, you can use any gas station and just email or fax a copy of the gas receipt to get financially reimbursed.


King's Cafe... another photo from the wall of gluttony

I picked up Leanna and got some food at King's Cafe then happily stuffed with vegetarian food we made our way down to the Brick Works to do a mini photo shoot. Travelling with all the lighting gear in the zip car is a great alternative to owning a car or lugging all that crap in a taxi or worse on the TTC. Plop it in the trunk and go.

Feel the Heat

I picked up some hand warmers today. Working on set the last week has been a pretty cold experience. Even though it's spring, the temperature has dropped down to 5° C. With the ice on the ground and being near a body of water it feels colder.



Dave, the other matchmover on the show, brought in some heating devices that came with his coat. He gave me one to keep in my pocket to warm my right hand (the one I use for taking notes) while we were on set. It helped a lot. So I bought two today and a bunch of fuel sticks (charcoal) for future use.

The nice thing about this particular heating device is that ash is the only product left when it's done. Unlike the chemical versions like hot shots that leave behind unwanted chemical crap. The only drawback is that you have to have a lighter to be able to start the charcoal going.



I need something for my boots the steel in the steel toe is making my feet freeze.

Back to the old hood

Awesome sign on Queen Street and Portland

Today's day off had me wandering around queen street and eventually making my way over to the old apartment to pick up my bike. Unfortunately there's a lock on the bike and the key is buried in some random box.

Today's goal was to help (or more accurately watch) Chris break the lock so I could wheel the bike home. In the end the lock didn't break and I'd have to make a second trip back. On the plus side I got to see the old neighbourhood again.


Ever wonder what's on the other side of the Queen street fence?


Heather and Jeff


Felix "I'm cute and rolling around. Pet me."


Carl goes to pet Felix


Felix attacks.


Felix still attached to Carl.


Simon wants nothing to do with this.


Meanwhile on the other side of the house Pumpkin is oblivious to the attack taking place and simon sneaking away behind him.


Simon runs for the hills to avoid being implicated.

First day of work

A cold wet College street

I woke up early to go to work today. It was raining. By the time I got out of the house it was 5am. The sun hadn't come up yet. For all intensive purposes it was still night. It was wet and cold and I was making my way over to the Sutton Place hotel at Bay and Wellesley or there abouts. It would be in front of a garbage bin that I would be picked up by Harrison (the visual effects coordinator) and driven out to Stouffville for my first day working on The Thing. I didn't forget what I was working on. It's not something, it's the Thing as in a movie like the John Carpenter's Thing from the 80s.


Parking Lot

There's an interesting thing about morning outings. Maybe it's the light, the lack of people, maybe the water washed all over the roads. Makes for some great photos. I didn't have a lot of time to soak up the surroundings (I realize that that was a bad pun) as I had to make my way across town.


The Timmy's across the street from the garbage bin

Pizza Time

Today's pizza

I arrived home early and made a pizza. Today's toppings included: mushrooms, purple onions, pepperoni, cheese, Prego spaghetti sauce, and asparagus.


Pizza crust

While the technique for making a pizza round still needs work, the pizza was quite tasty.

Rice Crispex Squares

Ingredients

• 4 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 2 cups Crispex cereal
• 250 gram bag of mini marsh mallows
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/4 cup of butter

Directions

1. melt butter in pot until liquid
2. add marsh mallows
3. add vanilla
4. stir marsh mallows until uniformly melted
5. add cereal, careful not to crush, by stirring into marsh mallow goo
6. turn off heat
7. pour mixture into glass tray
8. spread around so that it's even
9. let cool

Additional notes

You can pretty much use 6 cups of any type of cereal you want. Originally this recipe called for just Rice Krispies. Since I like Crispix I replaced two cups of the Rice Krispies with the Crispix.

Additonal additional notes
I was going for the sci-fi, X-files look with the above photo. The space age food container and lab like lighting. While the food may not look as appetizing with the dramatic sci-fi lighting, it is tasty. Especially just out of the pot. Trust me on this.

The Search for a Gretsch

Yonge and Dundas (near the HMV superstore, Future Shop, Best Buy, and the Game shack)

Spent the day looking for a wireless guitar for rock band. Specifically the Gretsch model made during The Beatles rock band game launch. It's supposed to look like George Harrison's guitar.

A while ago, William and I saw the guitar at Toys R Us. It looked a lot better made than the equivalent Guitar Hero version. It was also a bit more money ($90 vs $60). When I see something that there's only one of I should really buy it at the time. In the long run it would have saved me this day to walking around.


Getting lunch in the depressing, cheaply designed, sparse, dundas square mall

I travelled to a few places looking for the guitar. Yonge and Dundas, Yonge and Eglington, Dufferin mall. None of the video game stores had it in stock for the Wii. Actually, there were no Rock Band guitars for the Wii of any model. Guitar Hero or Band Hero yes, Rock Band no.

I never got the guitar today and ended up settling on the purchase of a used copy of the Rock Band AC/DC track pack. It was only $5.


Dufferin mall Toy R Us, no guitar here either.


huh.

On the way home from Dufferin mall I saw a blue bear mascot for Boston Pizza. Weird.

Late night snack

Homemade Cinnibon

Made some cinnibons from one of those Pillsbury pre-made can things. While I love the smell of these things I find the icing way too sugary. I'll have to attempt to try to make these things from scratch one day (when I have more time).

Greta Constantine, two for two

FW 2010 Greta Constantine line

The Greta Constantine catwalk tonight was a success. At least to this photographer. The designers, Kirk and Stephen, still coming up with some great designs to wear. This is the second catwalk I've photographed of theirs and the second one I've been impressed with.

For more on the Greta Constantine line click here.

I have to give these guys props for doing their catwalk independent of Toronto Fashion week. Getting a nice venue and having good lighting isn't something that comes cheap. But perhaps not having any association with Toronto Fashion week is a good thing.

Generally only a handful of designers get press during fashion week. It's generally the same designers year after year. The newer designers get nothing in terms of media coverage. For a designer that's a lot of money to shell out for 15 minutes of runway time. Toronto Fashion week was late this year as well. Way after buyers would have bought anything for the fall/winter season.