Summer Summary 2009

Days of summer – not so lazy, less than hazy, mostly crazy. The living may have been easy for the blog, but only because the blogger has had a busy couple of months. Before I completely disappear again into back-to-school business, I thought I’d better let you, dear readers, know why I’ve been neglecting you so this season. Here, then, is a summary of the sensational stuff of summer ’09:


Two Doctors, No Waiting

First, a happy medical update: August 19 was my latest checkup at Princess Margaret Hospital. I lucked out and was visited by both Dr. O’Sullivan and Dr. Irish who were pleased to see me doing so well. After some neck groping and a repeat performance of their favourite scope-up-my-nose party trick (it never gets old!) they gave me a clean bill of health (and no bill of sale – take that, Republican bashers of Canadian health care). My next checkup is scheduled for November 18, and guess what? That will mark two years of cancer-free living since my radiation and chemo. I believe the traditional second anniversary gift is Swiss Chalet sauce.


Soccer Sweets

Flashing back to late June, it must be mentioned that my not-so-little-anymore “Little Brother” turned 14. Jeanette contributed to his birthday celebration my making these great soccer ball cupcakes.

That they disappeared quickly at Alfredo’s household turned out to be a form of foreshadowing. Later in the summer, Alfredo and I lost his actual soccer ball somewhere in the city (we retraced our steps, but it was nowhere to be found). I considered asking Jeanette to bake a full-sized soccer ball cupcake to replace it, but decided a new real ball would be less messy. Alfredo has been consistently scoring on me with said new ball every weekend since.


Something Wichman This Way Comes

On the Wichman family front, July and August were marked by two travel highlights. The July 10 weekend was Dad and my third annual father-son getaway. Like last year, we kept costs down by not traveling too far afield. Saturday saw us in Niagara on the Lake, where we dined, explored Fort George, and took in a production of the Garson Kanin play Born Yesterday at the Shaw Festival. Although the play was being promoted on every other bus in Toronto (nothing says quality theatre like a bus ad), I knew nothing about it. I’ve not seen the 1950 film starring Judy Holliday and William Holden, nor did I catch the 1993 remake with Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Indeed, if not for the pre-show talk by festival staff, I wouldn’t have known the films existed because of the success of the original play’s run on Broadway in the late 1940s. In any case, none of that knowledge was necessary to enjoy this outstanding production. It truly is a brilliantly structured script that draws you in with the trappings of a broad comedy and then slowly reveals itself to be a sophisticated argument for the importance of critical literacy in a democracy. The audience’s dawning awareness of this argument is paralleled by the intellectual awakening of the seemingly dumb blonde character Billie, played note-perfectly by Deborah Hay. Actually, the entire cast deserves kudos for spot-on performances. Thumbs up from me.

By the pricking of those same thumbs, our theatre excursion the following day to Stratford was not quite as satisfying. This time we saw Macbeth with Colm Feore as the murderous would-be king. Mom (who joined us) and Dad were more put off than I was by the African setting, WWI-era military costumes, and occasional use of video images; in fact, I was quite impressed by that last element, geek that I am. But we all agreed that the least effective element of the show was Mr. Feore. No one is questioning his acting chops—his career speaks for itself. No, we were more troubled by his physical inappropriateness for the role. Looking thinner than I’ve ever seen him, Mr. Feore looked more like a diminutive underage recruit in his fatigues than a decorated war hero with murder in his heart. I was more impressed with the brooding performance of hulking (by comparison) Timothy Stickney as Banquo and would have liked to see him in the title role. Hmm… that would have been a great storyline for the show Slings and Arrows: Lady Stickney convinces her husband that he’d be a better lead than Colm Feore…

And speaking of dramatic happenings, the other Wichman family travel highlight this past month was another visit from Leighann. With incredible precognition, she managed months ago to book a flight on a day the fell between tornadoes in Toronto and a hurricane in Halifax. Methinks she missed her calling as an apocalyptic-weather-avoiding travel agent. In addition to visiting family, Leighann was in town to take in FanExpo, which she and I attended together last year. But another brush with Boba was not meant to be for me this year—that same weekend was the wedding of friends dearer than Darth. Our two-person AT-AT costume will just have to wait until next year.


Another Monsoon Wedding (or What’s the Happy Equivalent of “When It Rains It Pours?”)

Yes, it’s been a banner year for Chris and Allegra. Last post, I reported on the baby shower for their daughter Sofie born in May. Earlier this year they also purchased a home in Ottawa. This past weekend they perfected this trifecta of domestic bliss by tying the knot in our nation’s capital. Despite the torrential rains all weekend, Jeanette and I were delighted to make the trip, join in the celebrations, and catch up with old friends. It was a beautiful church ceremony and Sofie herself joined the latter half of the ceremony where she stole the show from the happy couple. Unfortunately, that was not the only act of theft that would mark the occasion.

That evening, the reception was held at the Moorside Tea Room on the Mackenzie King Estate in beautiful Gatineau Park. The downside of such a tranquil setting is that its isolation makes it a tempting target for thieves: two cars were burgled in the parking lot as the speeches were getting underway. One of the guests happened to be heading to his car to fetch something and caught the miscreants in the act. They were long gone by the time he summoned some of us for help, but they had busted a window and snatched a bag from Allegra’s father’s car. His receipt of the news was ill-timed—he was told seconds before his speech—but the father of the bride nevertheless shone and his gentle teasing of the newlyweds demonstrated that no one had made off with his sense of humour.

As it turns out, the other car that was robbed was our own. The good news is that we had left a door unlocked, so no windows were broken. The better news is that all they took was an old laptop which I’d had in the trunk for months awaiting a trip to the recycling center. As one friend pointed out, rather than turn a profit, the thieves will probably get stuck with the recycling fee.

Despite this ugly business, the wedding reception was one of the most intimate I’ve ever experienced. A definite highlight was the performance by two of the couple’s impressively musical friends. In addition to singing some standards, like At Last, they also performed some of their own songs, including a beautiful and moving tune written especially for the happy couple. It was an emotionally rich finale to a wonderful wedding. I’ve already warned Chris and Allegra that they’ve set the bar pretty high for impressing us in 2010.


Back to School

There was so much more to the summer of 2009, including my second summer course—a fascinating blend of education ideas and film theory—and another amazing theatre experience, Billy Bishop Goes to War, courtesy of my Aunt Linda and Uncle Steve. But this “summary” is already running long, so if you’re aching to know more, just ask me in person.

Before I sign off until who knows when, a quick note about the upcoming school year for those who are interested. This go-round marks the second and final year of my master’s degree. September to December is my academic term, during which I will have three lecture-based courses to complete. I’ll also be making weekly visits to the grade 5/6 classroom at the Institute of Child Study’s lab school, in which I’ll be student teaching from January to April. Meanwhile, the completion of my two electives over the summer has freed up some time this year which I’ll be using to work one day a week at Annick. I had an amazing experience being back there for the summer and I’m thrilled to be able continue my editorial involvement throughout the fall and winter.

It promises to be another busy school year. I’ll do my best to keep you all up to date with the highlights. Bring on the autumn!