Wednesday, May 6, 2026

April 30, 2011

"The only way to inner peace is by sticking"--American History X


    Went to the clinic at St. Clair & Bathurst and gave them a urine sample. (No doubt they want to see if my kidney's causing the trouble.)


    Dinner was lobster rolls.


    Saw the DVD of Tony Kaye's pretty disturbing American History X.  Could have used fewer arty touches (like slow motion and choral music).

April 29, 2011

    Dreamed of having a penis swollen to the thickness of a wrist; being on a plane taking off from a moving ship.


    Phoned Giuseppe and cancelled next week's singing lesson. (My energy level is low.)


    Went to see Dr. Ang again.  This time she was in, though I had to wait a couple of hours.  She arranged for me to get an X-ray and ultrasound.


    Dinner was spaghetti and riceballs.


    Saw the video of Jamboree, a 1950s rock & roll movie featuring performers from Count Basie to Silm Whitman, with cameos by DJs like Dick Clark. (Too bad about the dorky romance in the foreground.)

Monday, May 4, 2026

April 28, 2011

Matt Helm: "Shouldn't we be introduced first?"

Babe: "You're Matt Helm."

"That's good enough for me!"

--The Silencers


    Baked raisin bread.


    Tried to go see Dr. Ang about my "stitch," but she isn't in on Thursdays.


    Did some more campaign leafletting along Arlington and Rushton streets, which I'd planned to do two days ago.


    I was late getting home for dinner, which was fish.


    In the evening I finished the area west of Christie Street. (We need a new doorbell!  I forgot my house key, and when I came home I rang five times, but they only heard me when I banged on the door!)


    Saw Phil Karlson's The Silencers, the first of the secret agent series featuring Matt Helm.  A languid spoof of James Bond with an emphasis on the drinking and womanizing, it's very much a Dean Martin vehicle.  What a 1960s artifact!

April 27, 2011

    Dreamed of getting published in a periodical; a murder scandal involving a wealthy Edwardian widow that was made into a silent movie.


    Got another blood test at the Bloor & Bathurst clinic (for the haematologist).


    Dinner was salmon.


    I've had a "stitch" in my side since yesterday evening.


    At choir practice we're now concentrating on Nabucco.  A Canadian Opera Company chorus baritone came and gave us a lift.


    We've now finished the Peyton Place episodes they released on DVD. (Hope they release some more!  Mother really enjoys it.)

Saturday, May 2, 2026

April 26, 2011

"Rodney the Righteous, armored in ignorance and spoiling for a fight!"--Peyton Place


    Dreamed of seeing skyscrapers blow up; starting to write about someone starting a worldwide trade network; York University campus with new train connections.


    Went shopping.


    Dinner was more turkey pie.


    Headache.


    Saw a DVD of The Queen and the Skipper, a CBC Canadian Experience documentary about the Bluenose.


    Once again, I went to bed early, then woke up for several hours in the middle of the night.

April 25, 2011

    Dreamed of a movie comedy about a bunch of slobs in college.


    At today's singing lesson Giuseppe was going to lend me a book about Verdi for Moira but I forgot to ask for it.


    Dinner was turkey pie.

April 24, 2011

    Dreamed of Flash Gordon being on a train on a path that seemed to be circular (like in Hanna-Barbera cartoons).


    Went to a Games Meetup at the Yellow Griffin.  I played a new game called Factory Manager, a spinoff from Power Grid.  Then I played Ticket to Ride.


    Donald came over for dinner, which was turkey.


    Felt sleepy after dinner and napped for three hours.