But I'm an Aries!

How Do You Spell Relief?

2011-06-29T20:48:00.000-04:00

After months of appointment postponements and weeks of worry from some persistent mouth sores, I'm happy to report that Dr. O'Sullivan has given me a clean bill of health. Walking into Princess Margaret Hospital this morning, it was impossible not to have a sensory flashback to the autumn of my treatment. The crisp, windy air was cool against my skin like a fall morning. The lobby of PMH greeted me with its familiar yet subdued sounds and smells. I had to remind my legs to carry me up the stairs to the Head & Neck clinic, rather than down to radiation oncology. I couldn't shake the memory of feeling as if the world was shrinking away from me like the closing of an iris.

Twenty minutes later, when the good doctor gave me the all clear, I realized how much I had feared the return of that constricting iris. Amazing how a few words from a man in white can spring that sucker back open again. So here's to the world being wide open with possibilities again.

What shall I do first?

Online Love for Medical Man!

2011-06-22T16:25:00.000-04:00

Summertime and the living is... queasy?

Well, Dodie Jones over at School Library Journal online obviously had sickness in mind for last week's "Remarkable Reads" column. Jones features four children's titles about medicine and guess which one leads the pack? The Adventures of Medical Man! SLJ has been a big supporter of the book, having previously published an enthusiastic review back in February. As a writer and a teacher, I'm thrilled to see the book getting repeated praise from a source that is so well-respected by educators and librarians.

And speaking of teaching, click on over to But I'm a Teacher! to get the scoop on my most recent adventures in education -- if you have the stomach for it, of course.

Springing Forward, Looking Back (to the Future), and Launching The Never Weres

2011-05-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

First, a quick health update: My next PMH check-up, originally scheduled for April, has been postponed by the hospital twice. I'll now be seeing Dr. O'Sullivan in late June. Fortunately, I have not been experiencing any problems (hooray!) so there's no rush.

Meanwhile, school has continued to dominate my attention these past few months. I'm happy to report that after surviving the dizzying intensity of the first six months, I am finally starting to feel more on top of things. Check out my "But I'm a Teacher!" blog for more details.

Being more organized at school means I've been able to emerge from my lesson-planning cocoon and venture out into world more often -- ah, the rebirth of spring! Alfredo accompanied me on two of these excursions to the Toronto International Film Festival's new Bell Lightbox cinemas in Toronto's theatre district downtown. The good folks at TIFF were hosting a Back to the 80s mini-film festival and we took in The Princess Bride and Back to the Future on separate Saturdays. Alfredo was seeing both films for the first time, but for me it definitely felt like stepping into that famous DeLorean and going back a few decades to see those films on the big screen again.

Film nostalgia was not my only time-traveling experience this spring. March also saw the publication of Annick Press's science-fiction graphic novel The Never Weres, written and drawn by Fiona Smyth and set many years in the future. This work marks my first time as an editor on a comic book and I loved the experience. I've always felt that working on picture books meshed well with my filmmaking background, and comics are an even tighter fit. Indeed, the conventions of visual story-telling in comics predate motion picture technology, and when film eventually came along, early filmmakers lifted many of the editing devices wholesale from that older medium.

This comfort and delight I felt working in comics helped make up for the fact that I had limited experience editing in this medium. I suspect mere gusto wouldn't have been enough to build a project from scratch, but fortunately I was working with Fiona, who has volumes of experience drawing comics; in fact, she teaches a course on "sequential narrative" at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her panel-to-panel storytelling instincts are astounding (as is her ability to liberate that narrative from traditional panels). This level of expertise at the page level allowed me to focus on supporting the bigger-picture, so to speak, elements of overall story and pacing. The result is a sweeping dystopian epic that is nevertheless anchored in the personal and emotional stories of three teenaged friends.

Of all the amazing projects on which I've worked as editor, The Never Weres is the one of which I'm the proudest to have been involved. So I was thrilled to be a part of the official launch at Toronto's Gladstone Hotel in March as part of This is Not a Reading Series (TINARS). I had the chance to sing Fiona's praises before a packed crowd before they were treated to a dramatic reading of the first chapter by a cast of actors.

The comic pages were projected at the back of the stage as the actors read the dialogue and narration. "Not a reading series" indeed! It was an engaging and effective way to give a "reading" from a graphic novel. Following the presentation, Fiona sat down with Globe & Mail arts columnist R.M. Vaughn for a conversation about her career and how she went about creating a graphic novel for young adults.

After the interview, Fiona sat down to sign books at the sales table. The line was long and the book supply eventually dwindled, but I managed to sneak in at the end and get my copy signed.

I hope so too, Fiona! Who knows what the future will bring?

I'm Still Here

2011-02-26T22:36:00.000-05:00

Yeesh -- It's been four months since my last post. Anybody still paying attention? For those who are, I can assure you that I am indeed still here. The reason for my online absenteeism is the new job; in fact, work is also the reason for my in-person and on-the-phone absenteeism. My apologies to all whom I haven't been in touch with these past few months. My life has been, and continues to be, dominated by getting up to speed as a full-time teacher. All the teachers I know told me that the first year of teaching is a blur. Four months into my first year I can wholeheartedly vouch for that assessment.

Beyond having limited time and energy for blogging, I have had another nagging concern holding me back. Most of my thoughts these days are about my teaching--especially my frustrations at not yet being the quality of teacher I hope to become. Aside from being terribly boring for most of you to read about, there is the sticky issue of making public my private concerns about my still-developing teaching skills. Although I feel such reflections would help me grow as a teacher, they are not necessarily thoughts that I'm ready to share with everyone. It's not that I want to bad-mouth anybody (other than myself), but rather that it's a struggle to honestly reflect on my own job performance if I'm worried about how the parent of a student might (mis)interpret it.

This blog was originally set up to keep y'all posted about my health after my cancer diagnosis, and the act of writing for you turned out to be very therapeutic for me. Now as I struggle with being a first-year teacher, I'm finding my mental health could use the same kind of writing therapy to give me some perspective and help me cope. Did I just compare teaching to having cancer? See! I'm getting myself into trouble already...

Anyway, the solution I've decided on is to start a second blog. But I'm a Teacher! is already up and running with parts of this message as its first post; however, access to this new blog is restricted to those whom I've granted permission. In order to access it, you'll need to set up a blogger account (if you don't have one already), which is a pain. I've already e-mailed invitation details to some of you. Anyone else interested should contact me and I'll set you up. If you're not interested in my teaching-related ramblings and/or don't want the hassle, no problem. I will keep But I'm an Aries! as a public blog and will continue to update it with non-teaching related info for family and friends. If you're interested in neither my teaching nor the rest of my life, then why have you read this far? It's the Internet, dude! Go find some singing kittens or something.

For those curious about what else has been going and have hung in this far, here are two quick highlights from these past few months:

Earlier this month was Jeanette's Mom's birthday. We took her out for lunch and then for a visit to the Cambridge Butterfly Conservatory. It's a spectacular place to visit in the middle of winter.

And finally, way back in November, Alfredo and I celebrated our seventh anniversary with Big Brothers of Toronto by returning to the site of our first-ever outing: The Hockey Hall of Fame. Below are pictures comparing then and now.

That's all for now, folks. I hope it will be less than four months before my next post here. Thanks for your patience as I continue to work at this teaching thing. With any luck, it won't be too much longer before I get better at striking a balance between work and having a life. Until then, see ya on the other blog.

JOB!!!

2010-10-23T17:23:00.009-04:00

I am thrilled beyond words to announce that after 164 applications, I have found a full-time teaching position! As of November 1, I will be one of two teachers in a Grade 1 & 2 classroom at a wonderful private school in Mississauga.

I could not imagine a better fit for me -- the school's founder and principal is an alumna of the same program from which I've just graduated. And the teacher with whom I'll be team-teaching was a graduate of the same program just last year! Needless to say, the school's pedagogical approach is a seamless match for the theories and practices in which I've been steeped these past two years.

Meanwhile, the school's location will help get Jeanette and me get further west, as per our plans. We'll stay put for now to let the coffers refill, but eventually we'll pull up stakes and settle as far west as we can comfortably manage (sorry, Vancouver friends; not that far west).

It is an indescribable relief to feel the pieces of our life plan falling into place at last. Indeed, September proved to be an emotional month. After Labour Day came and went, there descended a cloud of disappointment at not having found a teaching job for the start of the school year.

This gloom hit the low point in mid-September when I lost my wedding ring. Faithful readers of this blog may recall that after the weight loss resulting from my cancer treatment, I'd started wearing my wedding ring on my middle finger. A few weeks ago, I foolishly thought I'd gained enough weight back to safely return to using my ring finger. That very weekend, while playing soccer with Alfredo in a local park, I noticed the ring was gone.

Alfredo was a champion in helping me look for the lost ring, but we found no trace of it. I returned on my own later that afternoon with a metal detector and searched until sundown. No dice. The ring was gone. I've since put up posters offering a reward for its return but have heard nothing.

You'd think this would be grounds for divorce, but Jeanette was a rock. I, on the other hand, was a wreck. The problem with shaping stories for a living is that you can't help but read symbolism into this kind of event. It was hard not to see losing my wedding ring as a sign of our marriage falling apart as a result of my being unemployed and in student debt. Jeanette just rolled her eyes at my melodrama.

But the bills still needed to be paid, so I turned my attention to finding other work. Fortunately, this search was more fruitful. At one point, I was up to six part-time jobs, including my publishing work, bookstore hours, some tutoring jobs, and facilitating play-based workshops for a marvellous company called PlayLab. With a full-time teaching position now wonderfully imminent, I will be stepping away from all but two of these jobs. I hope to continue on with Annick and PlayLab as much as my time will allow.

Beyond the stress of job searching and the distress of losing my ring (I'm currently wearing a temporary replacement, by the way), September also offered some buoyant highlights. For one thing, the weather has been gorgeous. We've enjoyed some beautiful weekends up in Harriston, whooping it up at the Fall Fair and spending Thanksgiving in short sleeves taking in the fall colours.

On the cooler (as in arena ice) side of things, Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto has outdone themselves in generosity this fall. Alfredo and I have been to not one but two Leafs games! We've been waiting seven years for tickets, and then boom! Two sets of tickets in as many weeks. The first was a pre-season match against the Philadelphia Flyers. The seats were two rows up from the ice, and a friendly usher named April gave us two pucks from the Leafs' warm-up session! The Leafs lost in an overtime shootout, but it was exciting right up the end.

This past Thursday night, we were back at the Air Canada Centre to see the Leafs take on the New York Rangers. The Leafs lost again, but this time we got a goody bag with hats and a foam finger. We were also shown on the Jumbotron during the first intermission, which was pretty cool.

So, it's been an eventful week. In addition to attending the NHL game and landing the teaching job, there was one last amazing highlight that I have to share. Wednesday morning was my most recent checkup at Princess Margaret Hospital. I brought copies of The Adventures of Medical Man signed to Dr. O'Sullivan and Dr. Irish. Often I won't see either doctor at these appointments, but I was in luck on Wednesday--they were both in the office.

After Dr. O'Sullivan examined me and gave me the all-clear, I presented him with his book. He was so thrilled, he went dashing out to fetch Dr. Irish. They returned together and ooed and ahhed over their copies. Bear in mind that during my treatment it was rare to have them both in the same room at the same time. Being able to give them both their books in person simultaneously was more than I'd hoped for. I couldn't stop smiling.

What an unbelievable week. I am so, so, so, so grateful for having so, so, so much to smile about.

No Job News Yet, But Here Are the Stats

2010-08-11T20:13:00.002-04:00

A great big thank you for everyone's support and encouragement during my search for a teaching position in Southwestern Ontario. I'm afraid I have no news to report in terms of a job offer, but for the curious (and for fellow stats geeks) I've compiled the data of my search to date in the table and chart below.

As you can see, I have submitted a total of 86 applications. These applications have been in response to job postings from the 10 school boards to which Jeanette and I are willing to move. It is interesting to see that kindergarten positions are the most in demand, likely as a result of the ongoing implementation of full-day kindergarten across the province. More surprising to me is that the second most advertised positions have been for grade 6. Whatever the reasons behind these numbers, I'm encouraged; the lowest and highest grades were the practica I enjoyed the most.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, folks. By now some of you are starting to look pretty claw-handed, but hopefully I'll find something soon. Stay tuned!

The Adventures of Medical Man

2010-07-14T17:15:00.006-04:00

They're heeeere! Advanced copies of the children's book I co-wrote with Dr. Mike Evans have arrived, hot off the overseas presses: The Adventures of Medical Man: Kids' Illnesses and Injuries Explained published by Annick Press. As a lifelong book lover, and as a worker in the book industry lo these past 15 years, I confess to feeling a great thrill at seeing (and holding!) a published book with my name on it (as a writing credit; no doubt David Wichman: The Unauthorized Biography would produce a wholly different sensation).

Better still, it's a book with which I'm tremendously pleased. We combined Dr. Mike's medical expertise with my movie obsession and created cinematic analogies to explain common childhood ailments: allergies, concussions, broken bones, ear infections, asthma, and strep throat. None is exclusive to childhood, of course, as I was painfully reminded a few weeks ago when I contracted strep throat. (It would have been a brilliant marketing move had the book been available for sale yet.)

Despite my ill-timed infection, the strep throat chapter is, in fact, one of my favourites thanks to superstar illustrator Gareth Williams, who lovingly created that chapter's superhero artwork in true comic book style. Indeed, Gareth was a real find. He's based in South Africa, and as his first art samples for the book came in electronically, it became clear that he's no less a film geek than I am. He carefully recreates the look of the various film genres we rip off, er, pay homage to: b-movie sci-fi serials, film noir, horror, submarine films, and, of course, Indiana Jones. It was a lot of fun watching Gareth bring the book to life before my eyes.

The whole project was a blast to put together, which is pretty amazing considering it took almost two years and I was working on my Master's degree at the same time. Hopefully it will be as much fun to read and it will have a long, healthy run in bookstores. You'll find it on shelves by the end of the summer.

And speaking of long, healthy runs, I post about the book here not only as an act of shameless self-promotion:

Thanks, docs. I literally couldn't have done it without you.

The Graduate

2010-06-20T12:45:00.030-04:00

Well, folks, it's official: After two years of study, 11 full-time courses, and 659 hours of practica, I have graduated with a Master of Arts in Child Study and Education! As Mom pointed out on graduation day, I've come a long way from being the kid in grade 3 whom she remembers slouching at his bedroom desk, homework open before him, and crying "I don't waaaaant to do this!" Or maybe not so far... Jeanette may have witnessed a similar scene (or three) over the past two years. But for all the challenges that this degree presented, the experience has confirmed for me that teaching is what I want to be doing. I love it!

Indeed, I am eager and excited to land my first teaching gig, and so the job hunt is on! As many of you know, Jeanette and I are hoping to move west of Toronto and settle somewhere closer to our parents in Ayr and Harriston. My hope is that the flexibility of this willingness to move is an advantage; however, I worry about having fewer professional and personal connections outside of the GTA. Being known directly by schools as a strong teacher is so important given that most principals receive hundreds of applications per job posting. All of my mentor teachers have offered to be references, which will certainly help, but the key will still be to connect directly with schools as much as possible. Postings for fall positions are only starting to appear and I'm sending out applications steadily. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

But enough shop talk. Below is a quick visual walkthrough of my June 3, 2010 convocation. Tickets for the live show were scarce, only 2 per student, and mine went to my parents. You, dear reader, get the benefit of the visuals without having to endure the entire 2 1/2 hour ceremony.

Above is a behind-the-scenes shot courtesy of Erica (left). She, I, and Kira (right) all have surnames that begin with a W, hence our three-fingered "gang signs." As we robed up then lined up, we reflected on our lifetime of spending school events near the rear of the alphabetical line, a tradition which you cannot escape even in grad school. Below, you can see us at the back of the pack on the walk over to Convocation Hall.

Thanks to the magic of editing, we move from the processional above to my time with the Dean of Students below. This first picture is me waiting my turn (in the bottom right-hand corner, just ahead of the woman in a red robe) to shake hands with the Dean, seated on the stage. He earns his salary at this time of year; it was announced that he oversees 24 convocation ceremonies every June. That's over 2500 handshakes. I suspect he keeps hand sanitizer tucked in the sleeve of his robe.

And below is a snapshot from my five seconds of glory. Forget the grades, the tuition, and the piece of paper itself; it's this handshake that seals the deal. This perspective was Mom and Dad's view from the balcony. Yes, Mom let loose with one of her patented ear-splitting whistles.

And here I am with my proud parents after the ceremony. They assure me that they were bursting with happiness, so I suspect their smiles here were impaired by the pain of their legs reawakening after all those hours in those ancient Convocation Hall seats.

On a much sadder note, you'll see in the photos that I and my fellow Institute of Child Study graduates are each wearing a purple flower on our robes. These flowers were a tribute to honour our fellow MA student Janee Dupuis who passed away last month after a battle with cancer. Janee was with us all through the first year of the program and her gentle soul was so well suited to teaching. She and I had bonded in that year's psychology class over our shared interest in Carl Jung. It was a shock for us all to lose her.

All this was certainly on my mind later that afternoon when Jeanette and I welcomed a small gathering of family and friends back at our apartment for a little celebration. All of those people had been through our apartment to help out when I was undergoing my own cancer treatment. It seems impossible to be appreciative enough about all the luck and support I've had that has allowed me to be here at all, let alone to be here celebrating earning a degree. Cheesy as it is to say, I hope I can show some of that appreciation by going on to be the best teacher I can possibly be. So thank you to all who have helped and continue to help that to happen. You know who you are.

Maudlin moment over. Aunt Linda snapped this photo of Jeanette and I in mid-celebration. Yes, we're thrilled about my graduation, but true happiness that afternoon came in the form of Jeanette's warm homemade rhubarb crisp. Mrs. Williamson, you're trying to seduce me.

(Actually, the photo is by James Carrier, Sunset, but you get the point)

A-OK @ PMH & TPS

2010-04-21T19:43:00.004-04:00

Just a quick post to say that I had a checkup today at Princess Margaret Hospital and all is well. My "cancer crew" was thrilled to hear of my upcoming graduation, and I let them know it's in no small part thanks to their efforts. Without the RNs and MDs at PMH there'd be no me to get an M.A.

I then walked along College Street to the headquarters of Toronto Police Services for a check of a different kind: a request for the criminal records check required by the Ontario College of Teachers. Rest assured, dear reader, that this too will come back all clear.

While I was at Toronto's police HQ, I checked out their free Museum and Discovery Centre. I've long been curious about it, but because it is only open on weekdays, I've never before had the opportunity. It's very well done and outlines the history of Toronto's police force from the first ragtag bunch of conscripted locals in the early 19th century to the world-class organization of today. It even explains the choice of yellow for those taxi-like squad cards from the seventies! I recommend having a look if you're in the neighbourhood (and you make bail).

Teacher! Teacher! Author! Author!

2010-04-18T13:55:00.011-04:00

The ICS 2010 M.A. Grads
(Who is that handsome centrefold?)

Teacher! Teacher!

Yes it’s true: after two years of course work and more than 650 hours of practicum experience, I am now slated to graduate with my master’s degree and a certification from the Ontario College of Teachers to teach Kindergarten through to Grade 6. It has been a record-breaking four months since my last blog post and my teacher training has been the reason for my absence. Indeed, since January, my heart, soul, and energy have been devoted to my student teaching internship at the Institute for Child Study’s lab school. The 14 weeks I worked there as an intern in one of the Grade 5/6 classrooms proved to be the most challenging, and ultimately the most rewarding, of my time in a program that is full of challenging and rewarding moments. I have emerged from this internship feeling like a teacher.

That result may seem a given, especially after experiencing no less than 360 hours of practicum in the program’s first year. However, compared to those first-year placements, the second-year internship came with a considerably greater level of responsibility. The expectation was for an intern to run the whole classroom for a full week before the end of the internship. Although I began the internship supported by my first-year studies and experiences, I came to realize that running the big show is a whole different ball game. For all the theory of education I’d studied, the careful lesson planning I’d learned, the creative teaching approaches I’d been shown, there was no substitute for the experience of being the teacher in charge. The best-laid plans quickly go astray if you lack classroom management experience.

“Astray” is putting in mildly. The early weeks of those experiences weren’t pretty and my looks-good-on-paper management strategies resulted in more embarrassing blunders than I’d care to admit. Despite the encouraging support of my mentor teacher and the ICS staff, and even though I kept telling myself that student-teaching was the best time to make and learn from such mistakes, by March Break I was thoroughly doubting my skills as a teacher. Even after having two weeks off to recharge my batteries, I was feeling anxious about my post-break week in charge. That anxiety spiked when, on the last day of the break, I learned that my mentor teacher had fallen sick and would likely be away for the week.

For the first two days, I was the only teacher in the classroom. Thereafter, ICS staff came in to support me when they could. During that time, something amazing happened: I discovered my teacher self. The immediacy of running the day took me out of my head and put me into the classroom. When a management strategy didn’t work, I fine-tuned it on the fly or switched to another. Very quickly, the part of my brain devoted to classroom management was able to run in the background, allowing me to concentrate on teaching and pay attention to how the students were learning. Interestingly, these feel like exactly the same cognitive skills I used back in my improv comedy days.

As it turns out, my mentor teacher was away for two weeks, and I managed just fine. My confidence grew and my own teaching style emerged. Other ICS teachers came by at the end of the day to chat. Parents popped in to ask questions about homework. There were even a few student behavior issues that had to involve the vice-principal. I managed to deal with it all thanks, in no small part, to my accumulated experiences in this two-year program. Indeed, as if by clockwork, the entire M.A. program culminated for me in these final weeks when, for the first time, I felt like a qualified teacher.

To be clear: I have enough teacher friends and family to know that when I am eventually hired, my first years of teaching will feel, at times, overwhelming. Self-doubt and second guessing will come with the job. But at least I head into it knowing that I can do it. I can rise to the challenge and even thrive despite, or perhaps even because of, my worrywart nature. Thank you, ICS, for delivering an education as advertised.

Author! Author!

On a side note, one of the things that kept me sane throughout the tremendous workload of the M.A. program was working for Annick Press. This idea may seem insane unto itself—taking a break from work to do more work?!—but there is something to be said for balancing academic writing with creative writing. In late 2008 I was fortunate enough to be paired with Toronto pediatrician Dr. Michael Evans to write a children’s book explaining common kid illnesses and injuries. I had a ball running with Dr. Mike’s analogies and fitting them to various movie genres, but the Oscar has to go to fellow movie buff and illustrator extraordinaire Gareth Williams. The project is now in its final phases and is scheduled to hit bookstores at the end of the summer. In a shameless act of self-promotion, here is the catalogue page for The Adventures of Medical Man:

Spit Take

2009-12-09T21:32:00.003-05:00

Another trip to PMH today, this time for my annual post-treatment dental checkup. It was a stormy day in Toronto town, but neither snow nor rain could stay me from reaching the hospital. Snow and rain, however, was enough to bring the TTC to its knees. Despite my being tardy by 45 minutes, Dr. Bob took me in and gave me some surprising news: my zapped salivary glands have rallied somewhat. My mouth rated far moister on the dryness test than it has in any previous post-treatment appointments. I can't say that I've noticed, but it's certainly welcome news considering I'll soon be making my living by talking all day. Knowing I'll be able to do so without completely dehydrating is a great reason to get me grinning.

Happy Anniversary... Four Days Early!

2009-11-25T16:56:00.002-05:00

This coming Sunday marks the two-year anniversary of the end of my radiation treatment. As an early present, today the good folks at Princess Margaret Hospital gave me the all-clear on my latest CT scan and chest X-rays. Two years cancer-free, baby!

I'll be celebrating tonight by preparing for my student-teacher group's Health & Physical Education presentation tomorrow. Seems fitting.

Picture (Book) Perfect!

2009-11-20T17:52:00.000-05:00

I don’t often write on this blog about my work in publishing, but last night’s TD Canadian Children’s Book Awards ceremony was such a big occasion for Annick Press that I can’t resist gushing. Of the four categories, Annick had nominations in three and won in two! And of the five nominees for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award (a cash prize of $20,000), two were Annick picture books… both of which I was involved as editor.

The first was Chicken, Pig, Cow written and illustrated by the wonderful Ruth Ohi.

I’ve worked with Ruth now on more than half-a-dozen books, all of which have been well-received critically. But it’s especially gratifying to see her getting so much attention for this one which is the first of a series about the adventures of three toy animals. From the very first draft of the manuscript, Ruth captured the quirky personalities of these characters and it has been a delight to watch them, and the series, develop. We’re already developing the fifth book. Here is Ruth and I at the ceremony:

The second Annick nominee in the category was also the winner: Mattland written by Hazel Hutchins and Gail Herbert, illustrated by Dušan Petričić.

This was another one that practically glowed with life when it was still only words on a page. I’m so proud to see these marvelously talented storytellers receive such an impressive accolade (after all, my gushing is only worth so much).

Congratulation to all the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Award winners, including The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland, and nominees, including The Apprentice’s Masterpiece by Melanie Little.

The Fall Guy

2009-11-07T17:49:00.008-05:00

Yikes! Has it really been two months since my last post? A busy autumn it has been. Below are the highlights, but first a health update:

This past week was my tri-monthly checkup with Dr. O’Sullivan at Princess Margaret Hospital. After a quick physical examination he announced there were no signs of anything that concerned him, but it was nevertheless time for my annual CT scan with a chest x-ray thrown in at no extra cost. Both were also done this week and I’m scheduled to return on November 25 to discuss the results.

This will hopefully bring me peace of mind if not peace of neck. Schlepping a heavy backpack around and endless hours of hunching over a laptop have not been kind to the ol’ neck muscles. It’s been a season of spasms. As such, I’m looking forward to getting back to the comforting embrace of scarves and turtle necks.

Not today, though—it’s a warm and beautiful November afternoon and, in fact, it has been a rather mild fall. Here is what I’ve been doing with it:

It’s (Not) All Academic

There remains just over a month left of the academic term in my master’s program. Although my full-time student teaching doesn’t begin until January, I’ve nevertheless been enjoying my weekly visits to the grade 5/6 classroom. Better still, I was invited to join the class camping trip to Sandbanks Provincial Park back in September. There was a misty rain when we arrived, but we lucked out with mild temperatures and sunshine for the two days following. Our tents stayed dry and our spirits high as we enjoyed campfire songs, marsh exploration, and playing on the sand dunes.

The whole trip was an excellent way to engage the students in their biodiversity unit and build a sense of community. Given my part-time presence in the classroom until January, I was especially grateful for this chance to get to know the kids outside of the school.

Niece to See Ya!

Late September also involved a trip to Harriston where good things came in threes: Jeanette’s birthday, our niece MacKenzie’s birthday, and the Harriston Fall Fair. Jeanette preferred to keep the first item a low key affair, but Mackenzie was more than happy to hog the spotlight. Here’s a self-portrait of the two-year-old princess in her birthday boa:

Andy Warhol couldn’t have made her more iconic.

Meanwhile, I got to shine as well when I joined Jeanette’s Dad as he drove the Harriston Motors tow truck in the town parade.

I tell you, if you ever need a self-esteem boost, you can do worse than being in a parade as crowds of people smile and wave at you. You can’t even hear them say to each other “who the heck is that?” It was a memorable ride for me, but Jeanette and Mackenzie likely preferred their spins on the midway rides later that evening. Who else gets a parade and tilt-a-whirls on their birthday weekend?

A Gran Day Out

And speaking of birthday girls, this fall was also marked by another memorable milestone: my grandmother’s 90th birthday! Mom decided to mark the occasion by throwing a family bash in Georgetown. Although the party wasn’t a surprise, much of the family in attendance was: my sister flew in from Halifax (unbeknownst to even me) and Mom’s brother Bruce and family (sans Cousin Lisa, who, like Jeanette was stuck working) traveled up from Tennessee. It was especially good to see Uncle Bruce looking (and sounding) so healthy as he recently underwent surgery on his tongue for… oral cancer! We commiserated about the misery of such procedures but agreed to be thankful for how quickly the mouth heals. We’re both lucky to be able to wish Gran a happy birthday verbally! Not to be outdone, Mom’s verbal birthday greeting stole the show: her playful poem offered insightful highlights into the life of Gran.

The birthday girl was all smiles and it’s safe to say a good time was had by all. I’m assuming plans are already underway for her 100th birthday bash.

That’s it for now and likely all I’ll have time to post until late December. Things at school promise to ramp up steadily until my final assignment deadline in the middle of next month and then there’s the usual holiday madness. I hope everyone is enjoying a fabulous fall and I look forward to catching up with each of you… eventually!

Summer Summary 2009

2009-09-05T17:43:00.006-04:00

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!

Monsoon Wedding and other Summer Celebrations

2009-07-17T19:45:00.007-04:00

What a summer! Here we are not even halfway into it, and so far I’ve been blessed to be involved in no two major family and friend milestones with more happy occasions to come.

Scooby Babies

First up was the baby shower for little Sofie, the first child of our good friends Allegra and Chris. Sofie was born back in May, but last month was her Toronto debut at Allegra’s dad’s home in Etobicoke. Proud parents and grandparents were all eager to show off Sofie, and who could blame them? She is beautiful and perfect in every way and she napped angelically even as she was passed from adoring arms to adoring arms. Jeanette and I were delighted to make little Sofie’s acquaintance and we look forward to getting in more snuggle time with her at Chris and Allegra’s wedding in Ottawa next month.

Not to be outdone, our Peterborough friends Selene and Dennis also delivered a daughter, their second child, back in May. We haven’t yet met baby Miriam, but we’re hoping to do so during the above-mentioned trip. Like Allegra, Selene is part of my original Scooby gang who worked and played together in Toronto’s west end at the turn of the century (wow, that makes us sound old). Of the core couples that formed that group, Jeanette and I are the only ones without kids—and now Selene and Dennis have two! Congratulations to all my fellow Scoobies, but yeesh, talk about peer pressure! ;-)

Monsoon Wedding

It wasn’t long after celebrating Sofie’s arrival that it was time to mark another life-affirming occasion: my cousin’s wedding. In my last entry, I talked about Anton coming to town from New York City for his bachelor party. This time, it was our turn to go to them, as the wedding was held in Long Island where Vinaya’s folks make their home. So Jeanette and I joined my folks, my sister Leighann, and her partner Marianne in a rented van for the 12-hour drive to the Empire State. Between my always entertaining family, the built-in DVD player, my iPod full to bursting with podcasts, my PSP, and a good book, I had enough distractions to minimize the boredom during the drive. But who could concentrate on such things when every mile of the journey seemed to bring news of another celebrity death? Ed McMahon on the radio when Jeanette and I first left Toronto. Farrah Fawcett on a TV in a McDonald’s off the interstate. Michael Jackson via text message while we were stuck in traffic near the George Washington Bridge. It’s a good thing we arrived when we did. Who knows how many more celebrities we would have lost had we stayed on the road?

Long Island proved to be a beautiful spot and we had some time to explore it the day before the wedding. Mom, Marianne, and Jeanette explored the impressive deals at the factory outlet malls. Dad, Leighann, and I explored the impressive and palatial homes of the Hamptons. No joke, as we ogled one stretch of ginormous sea-front estates, we watched a helicopter land on a roadside helipad and disgorge its passengers—shopping bags in hand—whose car and driver patiently awaited them. Sure our rented van had a built in DVD player, but next time I’d prefer to travel to New York by helicopter. Oh, and we also saw a gift shop shaped like a duck.

As beautiful as some of those Hampton homes were, they pale in comparison to beauty of Anton and Vinaya’s ceremony. Their hope was to hold the ceremony outside, but the odds were against them. One local told us that some 20 days of the past month had been rainy. Indeed, the rain was pouring down on the venue only 30 minutes before the ceremony was to start. But then, as if on cue, the clouds parted the sun shone, and there was just enough time to set everything up as the first guests were arriving. I never doubted the weather for a moment, as evident by my having doused by face in SPF 60 sunblock, whose skin-paling effects, when combined with my black suit, gave me a distinct undertaker look.

Fortunately, my macabre make-up did nothing to diminish the spectacular setting of the ceremony. In the sunshine under the blue sky against a backdrop of green, the flower bedecked Hindu altar (known as the mandapam) was breathtaking. All the more so when we learned that all the flowers had been flown in from India.

The ceremony itself was far more casually performed than typical western weddings, but no less sacred. Officiated by a Hindu priest, the service involved the performance of various rituals symbolizing various aspects of marriage. For instance, in addition to traditional rings, there was also the Mangala Sutra, two gold pendants on a thread symbolizing the uniting of bride and groom. In tying the thread around Vinaya’s neck, Anton symbolized the bonding of their lives. Then Anton’s sister was invited to tie an addition knot in the thread, thus demonstrating Vinaya’s acceptance into their family. The considerate couple supplied their guests with a program of sorts that described the significance of many of these rituals. Although I trust we can take Vinaya’s family’s word for all of it, I nevertheless advised Anton to run everything past an international business lawyer, lest he discover he has, in fact, accepted ownership of an offshore holdings company. It’s the least a best man could do.

After the ceremony, we all adjourned to the reception hall for an evening of fine food, fun, and speeches, including one by yours truly. Anton’s father certainly stole the show, however, with his moving words about the importance of family and his acknowledgment of the bringing together of nations represented by this marriage. Indeed, the wedding itself was a truly international affair, with guests hailing from Australia, Canada, England, India, Italy, and Switzerland just to name a few of the countries represented. At one point, while on the post-dinner dance floor, I looked around and realized that at least one person from each of the above countries was dancing around me. And we were all dancing to the King of Pop. As if we needed a further reminder of his worldwide fame.

In the end, I danced till I dropped (which wasn’t that long, of course—see previous entry re: inner codger) and then joined my tired family for the short trip back to our hotel. We caught some Z’s (not zeds—hey, when in Rome…) and then hit the road back to Canada the next morning. All in all, it was an amazing wedding and I couldn’t be happier for Anton and Vinaya, both for finding each other and for surviving a wedding that looked so effortless, it must have been a killer to arrange. My heartiest congratulations to them both, and to my baby-bearing friends, all of whom are making this a summer memorable for more than celebrity farewells.

Parties, Paintball, and Whiskey

2009-06-14T14:21:00.006-04:00

How white trash is that for a title? Actually, despite the questionable content implied therein, the last month and a half has been wonderfully family-friendly – and thank goodness! After a year of academically imposed hermitage, it has been glorious to start catching up with family and friends. Here are the highlights.

Bowling for Sexagenarians

A few weeks after finishing my student-teaching stint in Guelph, I was back in the Royal City with Jeanette to celebrate her dad’s 60th birthday. She had craftily arranged a surprise party for Gary, who thought he was just meeting us for lunch. Instead, he was met by a bowling alley full of family and friends. Despite threatening to take Jeanette out of the will, Gary was all grins through an afternoon of grandkids, good friends, gutter balls, and gâteau. I was thrilled to see him have such a good time, but I was especially moved to see how happy Jeanette was in organizing the whole affair. It made me all the more eager to move closer to both sets of folks that we might make more time for these kinds of family gatherings.

Paintball by Numbers

The weekend after shooting the breeze with Jeanette’s side of the family at the bowling alley, I threw a party for my cousin that involved shooting of a different kind. Anton gets married later this month in Long Island, but he flew back to Toronto last month for his bachelor party. As his best man, I arranged for an action-packed morning of paintball at an outdoor venue in Bowmanville. Five of us made the early morning drive on a Saturday morning, uncertain of what kind of paint-splattered experience lay before us. All the guys except me had played before at least once with mixed results. This day we’d be sharing the field with strangers (five is not enough for a private game), and when we arrived and saw players – men and boys! – suiting up in thousands of dollars worth of combat gear, we feared the worst.

Once the games began, however, we had a ball (pun intended). The referees fairly mixed the teams, a variety of scenarios (team elimination, storm the tower, defend the fort) kept things interesting, and no game lasted more than 15 minutes with plenty of rest time in between. By lunchtime we were all hot and exhausted, with aching quads from all that crouching and with more than a few welts from high-powered paintball impacts, but we were also abuzz with tales of our valiant victories and inglorious defeats. As Anton had hoped, it was an exciting testosterone-based bonding experience for guys who didn’t know each other very well. And, as one of the other guys observed, it was just plain fun to run around outside and get dirty.

After an afternoon of napping and getting cleaned up, we reconvened for an evening of dinner and carousing at Toronto’s trendy Drake Hotel. This portion of the party was arranged by Anton’s good friend David J., an expert in all aspects of T.O. nightlife. I’d been to the Drake by day for work functions, but had no idea what a popular nightspot it was. I doff my hat to Dave for getting nine guys into the dining room and onto the rooftop patio bar on the busiest night of the week. Indeed, I was especially glad to have his hosting expertise when I hit the wall shortly after midnight. Since my cancer treatment, evenings have not been my prime time, and the early morning paintball pandemonium quickly caught up to me. I went from best man to need-a-rest man in a matter of minutes, and Anton was gracious in letting me bail and head home to bed. I hear the guys went on to have a great time into the wee smalls and I salute their constitutions for outlasting the groom and showing him a great time in the process. Anton is now back in New York and the countdown is on until we join him there for the wedding!

A Long Overdue Drink of Big Whiskey

Although now absent from Toronto, Anton was nevertheless instrumental to another huge recent highlight: the Dave Matthews Band concert at the Molson Amphitheatre last Tuesday night. As mentioned above, I’m not one for the nightlife these days, and I have never been much of a concert guy. Of the dozen or so concerts I have attended in my life, only two have lived up to the incredible experience I always feel concerts should be. One was seeing Spirit of the West with Ashley MacIsaac at York University’s intimate pub The Underground. The other was Tuesday night’s concert promoting the DMB’s new album Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King.

Whatever your feelings about their music, I personally have a special place in my heart for Dave and his band. Anton introduced me to their music in the summer of 2000 when I tagged along with him to see them in concert in Buffalo. I didn’t know any of their songs then, and so my experience of the concert was typical – about halfway through my inner codger emerged cold, hungry, tired and wondering when it would be over. Nevertheless, I was impressed enough with their show that I later picked up their live album Listener Supported. Little did I know it would become my anthem album for 2001, one of the most important years of my life. I played it all through that winter as I made plans to travel the world. It was in my CD player everyday that summer as Jeanette and I began dating and fell in love. It was my comfort music that fall after I moved to Japan when homesickness threatened to overwhelm me.

Today, the music of the DMB is such a touchstone of comfort for me that Jeanette complains how often I play their music. Her complaints only make me love her more, given the irony that that these songs remind me both of falling in love with her and being so far away from her. Appropriate too, then, that she was stuck at work Tuesday night when I headed down to the concert on my own, having dropped everything when, by fluke, I discovered they were performing that very night. Dave and the boys didn’t disappoint and I felt their familiar songs wrap around me like the arms of an old friend. Meanwhile, their new stuff was rocking and conveniently spaced for regular trips to the bathroom. In fact, washroom breaks were the only appearance by my inner old coot, and I experienced the rare sensation of being truly disappointed when the concert eventually ended. In the words of a loud fan audible at the end of #40 on Listener Supported, “Thank you. Thank you, Dave.”

A Summer of Stories
In between the above events, I’ve been completing the first of my two summer courses at OISE. This first course was a children’s literature course, so obviously I’ve been in heaven. I was especially impressed by Professor Judy Caulfield’s focus on storytelling. While I have had plenty of experience reading books aloud, telling a purely oral version of a children’s book was a new experience for me and I am fascinated by how this change in perspective has enriched my understanding of such stories. Indeed, this course and all the learning I’ve done this year, both at the university and in elementary school classrooms, have loaded me with ideas that I’m excited to bring back to Annick Press, who have very generously hired me back for the summer. How incredibly lucky I am to be so thoroughly wrapped up in work that excites me! Bring on the summer!

Gateway to Guelph

2009-05-03T08:41:00.006-04:00

First, a health update: Last week I received another all-clear from the good doctors at Princess Margaret Hospital. An associate of Dr. O’Sullivan gave me the full scope-up-the-nose examination, followed by a thumbs up (not the nose), so I’m all set for another few months. Until then, heaven knows no nose scope is dope with me.

Moving on to teaching news, I have officially survived the first year of my Masters program, having submitted my last academic assignment last weekend. Despite my fatigue coming out of March break, I had a fantastic time finishing up my fourth practicum placement in Toronto. That grade 5/6 class was made up of a great bunch of students and a calm and confident male teacher, all of whom taught me so much about working with that age group.

As fortunate as I was to have landed a placement that suited me so well, it made me all the more anxious about taking on an optional fifth placement—a placement I would be solely responsible for arranging. Because Jeanette and I have our sights set on Guelph, I sent out letters to several elementary school principals in the Upper Grand District School Board. However, without the benefit of the practicum coordinator’s match-making expertise, I had concerns regarding what kind of classroom I might end up in. It turns out the fates are smiling on me still, for I landed at Gateway Drive Public School.

Let me just say that I have had incredibly positive experiences with all my practicum placements this year. Each of my teachers has been friendly, supportive, professional, and inspiring. But it is worth noting that they all had relationships with the Institute for Child Study and so were expecting student teachers. Gateway Drive PS has no such familiarity with ICS, yet they took me in and have made me feel more than welcome from the beginning. The principal has especially gone out of her way to see that I’m included, inviting me to meetings and checking in with me regularly despite how busy she is. The grade 5/6 students as well have taken me in their stride and made me feel at home in their classroom.

But best of all is my mentor teacher. Once again I’m with a male teacher and we couldn’t be a better match. He is well-organized, committed, and fun. He has been teaching for five years, long enough to know his stuff, but not so long that he’s forgotten what it’s like to be starting out. His tips and advice on getting hired have been invaluable. Meanwhile, we share all sorts of interests and our after-school chats have sometimes stretched passed five o’clock. Most relevantly, he is passionate about children’s literature, especially books for boys. In addition to having an impressive in-class library, he also runs a Boys’ Club once a week after school, where boys from all grades gather to listen to a book being read aloud, have some snacks, and play some games. Another of the male teachers, who has a background in professional voice acting, participates in the readings. His mastery of accents has made the current reading of Roald Dahl’s The Twits a joy to behold.

And speaking of books, here is one last interesting connection to Gateway. Until recently, the school boasted as one of its staff members the woman after whom Robert Munsch named his protagonist in The Paper Bag Princess. I spoke with Elizabeth while editing the 25th Anniversary Edition of the book, in which her photo appears. She now works for another school within the Upper Grand District School Board.

My own time at this school comes to a close this week, but if my good luck carries into 2010, Gateway will not be my last gig in the city of Guelph.

March Break(down)!

2009-03-20T14:53:00.005-04:00

Whew! It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and little wonder: school has run me ragged. I finished up my special education placement at Clinton Street Public School just before Valentine’s Day—appropriate considering how much I loved my time there! Despite my limited knowledge about teaching special ed, the wonderful classroom teacher and TA offered gentle guidance and all the students seemed to enjoy the activities and lessons I planned for them. All, that is, except one boy who seemed to have permanent ants in his pants.

He was frequently disruptive during circle time, and on occasion had to spend time with the teacher elsewhere in the room so I could proceed. Each time I scolded him, my mind thought of the various articles I’ve read that caution against the systematic exclusion of such students. In an attempt to harness his energy rather than punish him for it, I planned one of my final lessons around dance and body movement. He shone. At the end of the lesson the boy who up until that point had mostly scowls for me and occasionally called me a nincompoop (or what we call, speaking truth to power), that same boy ran across the circle and gave me a hug. I’ve since been back to visit Clinton to give a talk to a grade 6 class about my work as an editor. When I popped in on my special ed students, the same boy gave me a huge smile and another hug. Definitely a high point of this year’s teaching experiences.

Despite coming from that high point, or perhaps because of it, I’ve so far felt less successful about my latest placement. I am now at a school near Yonge St. and Sheppard Ave. in Toronto’s north end in a grade 5/6 split class. At last, the age group I’ve been so eager to teach! Although I’ve been super keen to work with the “juniors” (as opposed to “kindergarten” or “primary”), my first three weeks have not found me as organized as I’d like to be. The added responsibilities of this fourth placement combined with the long haul and heavy workload since the Christmas break have had me feeling a little burned out. Because our program is tied to the public school calendar, we get March Break rather than the typical Reading Week break in February. Those extra few weeks, I found, take a toll. As desperate as I was for this break, I’ve tried to balance down time with school prep. Nevertheless, as the break nears its end, I’m already feeling stressed about not being prepped enough to go back. Hopefully I’ll find my stride in time to savour my final weeks with the grade 5/6s.

Beyond my practicum, the push is also on for the end of my school year. Classes finish up the week after next, and so all the major papers and projects are due in April. Meanwhile, I’m working on setting up an optional fifth practicum placement at the end of April in Guelph, where Jeanette and I are hoping eventually to settle. Friends and family have provided some suggestions for schools. We drove around for a look-see while were in Guelph earlier this week visit Jeanette’s uncle Gerald, who has very kindly offered a room if I need it. Thank you to all who have been helping me in my search to make contacts in the Upper Grand District School Board!

I’ll try to keep you posted, but the next few weeks look like more sustained craziness. Onward!

Lord of the (Wedding) Rings

2009-01-28T21:37:00.003-05:00

Last week was my latest tri-monthly visit to Princess Margaret Hospital for a post-treatment checkup. Maria the volunteer and fellow oral cancer survivor was once again on duty so we caught up and compared notes on living with dry mouth. Then it was on to see Dr. O’Sullivan. All was well and so he sent me upstairs for a routine chest x-ray and that was that. My next checkup will be in three months.

At my weigh-in I checked out my weight history in my chart. For those keeping score, I am now more than halfway back to my pre-treatment weight. All told, I lost 20 kg (44 lbs.) by having part of my tongue removed, getting irradiated, and eating through a tube for several weeks. A guaranteed weight-loss program, but one that makes heavy duty exercise look awfully appealing.

Anyway, although I’m well on the road to regaining my girth, my fingers remain stubbornly svelte. Slim digits pose a problem for keeping the ol’ wedding ring in place, a problem exacerbated by the cold, dry winter’s effect on the skin. After a very brief scare last winter when I thought I’d lost my ring (it fell off in my glove), I began wearing it on my middle finger, where it fits perfectly. I’d hoped by this winter it would be ready to return to the ring finger, but no dice. I’m hesitant to get it resized lest my finger finally fattens up again. Jeanette insists she’s fine with this strategy, but I still feel weird about wearing this symbol of our love on a finger that traditionally sends another message entirely. You’d think I’d be used to it – after all, the ring on the same finger of my right hand is the actual ring we used at the wedding because the real deal was being, yes, resized. Ah well. I supposed there are worse problems one can have involving rings.

In other news, I have now completed four of my six weeks at Clinton Street Public School and am continuing to have a great time. Today I was “in charge” of the class for the full day. I use quotes because I still greatly relied upon and appreciated the support of the teacher and the E.A. Today we finished up our taste portion of the five senses unit. We graphed the results of students’ likes or dislikes for samples of sweet, sour, and salty foods. No surprise, strawberries and pretzels were met with universal acclaim. What was unexpected was that all the students voted for “like” after biting into pieces of lemon. Most kids even went back for more! Only the teacher and I found it too sour to endorse.

Hmm. Maybe I have more in common with Gollum than I thought. In any case, I am happy to report that this has been my only sour experience with these great kids. I’ll miss them when I move on to my grade 5/6 placement in three weeks’ time. Stay tuned!

Following in My Mother’s Footsteps

2009-01-11T13:10:00.002-05:00

My mom was delighted when I announced my plans to go into teaching. Being a retired teacher herself, she seemed thrilled by the idea that I would be following in her pedagogical footsteps. Just how closely I’d be retracing those steps has come as a surprise to us both.

This past week I began my third practicum placement. This time around, I’m at Clinton Street Junior Public School — the same school where Mom completed her first practicum back in 1960! Actually, it turns out that it’s the same entity but not the same building. The original structure, built in 1888, was demolished in 1966 and then the current school was built on the same site (a few blocks southwest of Honest Ed’s).

While Mom was placed in a grade 1 class, I am student teaching in a special education class of eight developmentally delayed students. Interestingly enough, Mom went on to be a teacher of the deaf and of special needs students, although much younger children than the eight-year-olds in my class.

My own experience with special needs students is minimal. I spent a few weeks during my time teaching in Japan working with two developmentally delayed grade 7 students, but otherwise I’ve had no other formal experience or training. Fortunately, my host teacher at Clinton is a 20-year veteran who has worked with her current teaching assistant for more than ten of those years. They’re both fantastic with the students and their classroom routines and materials are exceptionally well-organized. Meanwhile, the students themselves, who are mostly autistic or children with Down syndrome, are quite high-functioning and cheerful. As such, it has been a very gentle introduction to special education for me. This week I’ll begin teaching a five-week unit on the five senses. Not surprisingly, the teacher already has some material in her impressive stores and I’m further mining Mom’s experience for more ideas, so I’ll have no shortage of resources with which to work.

Although there are plenty of differences between Mom’s experiences and my own, I nevertheless feel a shiver of excitement to be covering a lot of similar ground. It’s almost fulfilling enough for me to contemplate also trying my hand at accounting to further connect with Dad … almost, but not quite — sorry, Dad!

Happy Holidays at Last!

2008-12-24T10:36:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful year it has been! Last year at this time, I was just emerging from the misery of cancer treatment and welcoming the fledgling return of my taste buds. This year I have completed four months of a masters degree including over 190 hours of elementary school practicum and met some truly amazing people in the process. Meanwhile, I have also managed to fit in some editorial work on the side. Even though I now welcome these badly needed weeks off, I have loved almost every minute of Fall 2008.

My holiday officially started with the submission of my final assignments last Friday -- an adventure in itself as it was the day of a big snowstorm -- which was followed immediately by the Annick Press holiday lunch. Although I am no longer on staff, they were kind enough to invite me. For a peek at how Heather and Monica festively transformed the already gorgeous party room at Heather's condo, check out the blog Tea Time at Annick Press.

Although working and being busy with my studies has kept me from being as in touch with you all as I would like, please know that you are in my thoughts this holiday season. To all our friends and family whom we can't be with for Christmas, Jeanette and I offer you big hugs, lots of love, and the best of everything for the holidays and 2009.

Merry Christmas!

Kindergarten Coup

2008-11-22T11:39:00.008-05:00

Phew! November has proven to be the busiest month yet in the ICS masters program. Between an increase in the number of assignments due and the greater responsibilities of the Block 2 practicum, it hasn’t left a whole lot of time to catch my breath let along update the ol’ blog. And November isn’t finished yet, nor is the work, so this will be a quick one.

You’ll recall that Block 1 placed me in a grade 3 classroom in an inner city school. For Block 2, I am in the junior/senior kindergarten class in a much wealthier neighbourhood. Although kindergarten is at the opposite end of the elementary school spectrum of the grades I’d ultimately like to teach (grades 5 and 6), I am having a ball! The children are all fascinating and I’m enjoying the creative challenge of finding activities that engage their curiosity and fleeting attention spans.

The kindergarten teacher, who is an exemplary teacher to see in action, introduced me to a book called Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming, which is about a mouse who builds each letter out of different materials. We developed that idea into a letter-building activity for the students.

I read the story and then asked the children to work with me in pairs to build each letter of the alphabet (upper AND lower case) using classroom materials. Our foreman for this project was a construction-worker puppet I named Alpha-Bert:

With Alpha-Bert overseeing their efforts, children got to choose their building materials. This kindergarten is very well stocked, so there was no shortage of knickknacks and doodads to use. Many students are still learning their letters, so they needed to work from a blueprint, but in the end every pair succeeded in making two letters.

Children picked plastic letters randomly out of a toolbox (of course). There was one letter left at the end so I made it myself. How appropriate that the “W” was made by Mr. Wichman.

I’m currently arranging the photos into an alphabet book. Next week, Alpha-Bert will return to the class and share the book with the students. I’ll also me making laminated letter cards out of each photo. I’ll cut them in half for students to match upper case and lower case letters or arrange them into words. Good fun!

This Block 2 practicum placement continues through to the first week of December. At the end of that week, I’ll learn in what grade I’ll be placed for Block 3, which begins the first Monday in January. I’m counting on the time off in early December to complete all my major assignments, each due on December 19 before the university closes for the holidays.

Almost there. Double-phew!

Ave Maria (and Let's Hear It for Grades 5 & 6 Too!)

2008-10-22T14:58:00.009-04:00

This morning I had a quick check-up with Dr. O'Sullivan. We were both pleased to report that everything looks and feels fine. Huzzah to that, I say! My next appointment isn't until January.

While I was waiting to see the good doctor, I chatted with a hospital volunteer named Maria. She too is an oral cancer survivor and, like me, had part of her tongue removed. Unlike me, however, her surgery significantly affected her speech. She was impressed that I'd undergone similar treatment but was left with so few obvious side effects. Maria now volunteers at the Princess Margaret Hospital's head and neck clinic, answering questions for cancer patients who are dealing with treatment, as I was at this time last year. It never hurts to have a reminder of how well I have fared in this whole business, and to meet people who have faced even more daunting challenges and overcome them with dignity and grace. Ave Maria, indeed.

And speaking of meeting inspirational people, I have officially received my next practicum placement and it is indeed in a Kindergarten... in the nearby neighborhood of Lawrence Park! One of my fellow student-teachers was there for her first placement, and she raves about the children, their teacher, and even the grade 2 teacher down the hall (I'm told I absolutely have to meet him). I can hardly wait! Monday will be my first day.

Meanwhile, this week was a break from practicum, with the exception of Tuesday morning when I observed a grade 5/6 class at the Institute for Child Study’s Laboratory School. Even though I was only watching, I had an amazing time.

First of all, the school is an old (and huge) Toronto house. You may recall that Annick's offices are also in an old house (though not nearly as big). Such environments are full of character that I believe encourages creativity. I’m a sucker for character and creativity both.

Second, as the term "Lab School" suggests, this is a place where the latest theories of education (the kind I’m reading about daily in my textbooks) are put to the test. It's very exciting to see such innovations in action. For example, the school believes in immersing students deeply in a subject. Right now, this class is in the middle of a multi-disciplinary study of space, which means the classroom is adorned with student artwork of planets, the bay-window sill displays books on all aspects of space (from astronomy to mythology), and the students are editing their own creative creation myths about the origins of the universe.

Third, grade 5 and 6 students are definitely the age group with whom I'm most keen to work. Although my interactions with the students yesterday were limited, I felt very comfortable with them.

Fourth, the classroom's permanent library of books is amazing! My personal litmus test is always whether or not a collection includes my beloved Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. Not only did the classroom have that and several other titles in the Tillerman family cycle, but no less than nine of her novels! Homecoming, indeed.

Fall Fun with Family and Friends

2008-10-19T14:38:00.013-04:00

Fall is in full swing and so is the fun. Actually family-time has been ongoing this past month, but as I have just finished my first practicum placement, only now am I getting a chance to catch my breath and catch you up on all the action.

First of all, Dad is back home and doing great after his surgery. Although his week-and-a-half stay in the hospital was almost more than he could stand, he’s up and out and about with minimal discomfort. Jeanette and I dropped in to see him and Mom on the Thanksgiving weekend, and Dad looked great. You’d never ever guess he’d had open heart surgery two weeks prior. With the surgery off his chest and the healing well on its way, he’s all set heading into winter – complete with “no snow shoveling” orders from his doctors. Well, if they insist.

We spent the rest of the beautiful Thanksgiving weekend with Jeanette’s family in Harriston. It had been less than a month since we’d last been up to celebrate our niece MacKenzie’s first birthday. Being the first grandchild on both sides of the family, she was utterly showered with gifts. Despite all the new toys, MacKenzie seemed to have the most fun with the laundry basket in which the gifts were delivered… with a little help from Aunt Jeanette:

As the beautiful weekends just keep on coming, I wanted to take full advantage by venturing into the great outdoors with Alfredo. Last weekend we headed for High Park for some high-impact (i.e. I could hardly walk the next day) one-on-one soccer. He’s getting bigger and faster and leaving me further in the dust than ever. As if he weren’t skilled enough, a friendly onlooker from Mexico (where they know a thing or two about the beautiful game) taught Alfredo some helpful tricks while I caught my breath. Perhaps I should start steering us toward something more my speed. Chess, maybe? Oh wait, he beats me at that too…

This weekend I did successfully find a place for us to go that harkens back to a slower pace of life: Toronto’s Black Creek Pioneer Village. The gorgeous fall day was perfect for wandering around the period community, chatting with the miller, and hearing ghost stories from the baker. Indeed the village’s Halloween Hootenanny was in full swing, and although many of the activities were decidedly un-pioneer-ish, Alfredo loved them. The apple slingshot was a particular hit (literally, as he got to launch apples at pumpkin targets).

The free pumpkin to decorate with markers was also a winner:

And the biggest delight was the surprisingly scary haunted maze. Often in total darkness, we timidly made our way through narrow corridors, brushing past things hanging from the ceiling and jumping at thumps and screams from unseen entities. At one point, something let out a banshee-like scream right in front of Alfredo and he tumbled back into me. “That was so cool!” he said, once he’d found his voice again.

More scary but less cool for Alfredo was the Creepy Creature show involving a man producing a live tarantula and asking for volunteers to pet it. It turns out that Alfredo, a devout Spider-Man fan, is not a spider man himself. He wanted nothing to do with even watching other people petting a giant hairy spider. Opting to bite rather than be bitten, we left the show early to eat lunch. All in all it was perfect mix of freaky and fun and a great way to spend a fabulous fall day.

As for school, my next practicum will begin the week of October 27. I haven’t yet heard where I’ll next be, but if I enjoy even half as much as I did my time in a grade 3 class, I’ll be in good shape. I still expect the next placement will have me in a kindergarten classroom. Maybe I can beat them at soccer.

Mr. Wichman in Action!

2008-10-01T16:00:00.007-04:00

First, news about Mr. Wichman senior, i.e. my dad: he’s doing great!

This morning Dad finally underwent the bypass surgery to address the problems that led to his heart attack earlier this year. We were expecting a quadruple bypass, but the surgeon super-sized it up to a sextuple! No doubt the passages of his heart now resemble the intersections of the 400-series highways (but hopefully are more effective at relieving congestion). Despite the procedure being more extensive than we expected, my sister reports that Dad is recovering well in the ICU. Leighann flew in from Halifax to keep Mom company, a trip that is becoming a regular autumnal pilgrimage to help ailing Wichman men. Last year she made the same voyage to support me during my cancer treatment. I’d give her a Florence Nightingale award, but she’s not big on ceremonies, so instead I’ll just give her a hug when I see her.

This leads me to news about Mr. Wichman junior, i.e. me: I wasn’t able to be at the hospital in Kitchener today because I was teaching my second (ever!) lesson in a classroom here in Toronto. Yes, I’ve now been a student teacher in the grade 3 classroom in Cabbagetown for four weeks (has it really been that long already?). I’m in the classroom in the morning from Monday to Thursday and I’m having a ball!

The class consists of 22 children from Regent Park (a community housing neighbourhood just south of the school). Most of the kids’ parents are recent immigrants to Canada. Given my notoriously bad memory, I had concerns about remembering some of the unfamiliar names, but each child’s personality shines through so clearly, it wasn’t a challenge at all to remember everyone’s name. My favourite moment so far is when I was standing next to one girl’s desk. She looked up at me and said, “You’re really tall.” I agreed with her. She thought for a moment and then concluded, “You must have eaten a lot of bananas.”

Mostly I’ve been observing as my host teacher runs the show and she has proven herself to be an exemplary model. A graduate of the same Master program I’m pursuing, she has now been teaching for several years and she runs a tight ship. She clearly lays out for the students her expectations, her rules, and the consequences for breaking the rules, and she applies them consistently but not harshly. Rather than bend the kids to her will, she’s more interested in encouraging the students to take responsibility for their behavior. For example, rather than ordering chatty students not to sit together during story time, she’ll suggest that students “think about their choices” of where and how to sit. All of this was great for me to witness considering that group discipline is an area in which I have the least experience; most of my work with kids has been individually or in pairs.

Indeed, I’m quickly learning how tricky it can be to balance the needs of 22 children instead of one or two. For example, at the end of one class in the computer lab, a student was unable to print her work due to a faulty network connection. Passing in the work was her ticket out the door for recess. Even though she was printing late due to wasting time in class, I didn’t want to see her punished for a technical malfunction. So, I promised her I’d print it for her at the beginning of recess. Well, after 10 minutes of running around the school trying to find a free and working printer, I had to admit defeat and return to the class empty-handed. I’m still struggling with having to admit that ten minutes spent on one student’s technical difficulties is not realistic, no matter how just I feel her cause. I’ve since been paying closer attention to the quick decisions my host teacher makes on the fly – always being sure to lay out her reasoning to the students – so as not to lose too much time. Like every job, teaching requires a thousand little skills that you don’t think about until you are in the thick of things yourself.

Okay, so I’ve focused on behavior and time management so far, but only because that’s where I’m looking to most improve. I should emphasize that in general, this class is a very well-behaved group. The typical misbehavior I’ve witnessed simply stems from the ants-in-your plants nature of being 8 years old. Fortunately, my host teacher also has a knack for harnessing that energy and keeping the students engaged. Currently she’s teaching a Language Arts unit on personal narrative writing and featuring the picture books of Patricia Polacco, one of my favourite author/illustrators. Meanwhile, each student has been given a mini-book of stapled papers the size of a passport. Like a passport, they are to fill out each page with the name of a book they’ve “visited” by their favourite author. They are also to write something notable about how the book was written that they can use in their own writing. Though the narrative unit will come to an end in a few weeks, the class will continue to use these passports all year long. How great is that?

As I mentioned at the top, I too have had a chance to teach two lessons myself. The first lesson was two weeks ago. I made an interactive self-introductory presentation (not unlike the one I did by the dozens in Japan) that segued into a lesson about personal narrative using a writing frame (boxes identifying the main plot points). I told the story about how, one morning on my way to school in Japan, I rescued a dog that had fallen from the bed of a pickup truck. The students seemed captivated and had no trouble recalling the plot points of my tale to fill up the chart.

The second lesson, just this morning, was longer, but involved fewer students. Because today is Eid, the celebration that concludes the fasting month of Ramadan, more than half the class was absent. The remaining nine students and I again used writing frames, but this time as a tool for taking notes from the Social Studies textbook, specifically food and transportation of the Wendat people, early native inhabitants of Upper Canada. This topic was an interesting tie-in for me to A Native American Thought of It, one my final editorial projects before my departure from Annick.

As I stood there this morning encouraging the students to share what they’d learned from their readings, I felt like I was home. I know I have much to learn about being an effective teacher, but I feel like I’ve completed a circuit that started with me working in a bookstore, continued with me working in publishing, and now has me in front of a group of young people engaging in books. It is an electrifying feeling.

Good thing too - I need that power to keep me energized through the heavy coursework and readings that are keeping me busy the rest of the time. I’m enjoying that aspect of school too but realizing that my I Love Lucy analogy for publishing applies just as much for grad studies. (Actually, I’m starting to suspect that the only occupation for which that analogy doesn’t apply is working on an actual chocolate assembly line!)

My next practicum placement begins in three weeks and will likely be in a kindergarten. Stay tuned!

End-of-Summer Shenanigans - Part 2

2008-09-07T21:31:00.008-04:00

And we’re back with more highlights from the end of summer 2008. When last we left our intrepid hero, he had just escaped the clutches of the evil Darth Vader and his nefarious henchman Boba Fett.

After returning from a galaxy far, far away, driving two hours north of Toronto was a pleasure – especially when it meant spending time with some dear friends. Chad, Janice, and their new baby Eric had traveled from Vancouver to Penetanguishene to stay with Chad’s mom and step-dad, who were kind enough to also invite us for a weekend.

Such gracious hosts were they (Chad’s mom knew of my love for cold soups and made vichyssoise) that I don’t know who was more coddled, us or baby Eric. Okay, Eric wins. But nobody could resist the little guy and the proud parents made sure everyone got a turn with him.

Never ones to miss a photo opportunity, Eric and I had pre-arranged to wear matching-coloured shirts.

When not showing off his son, Chad also proudly passed around his new iPod Touch. It was neat, but Eric definitely stole the show (even if I couldn’t check my e-mail on him). It was a relaxing visit in a peaceful setting.

As much as we were enjoying ourselves, we didn’t have time to linger. The next day we headed back to the city with a stopover in the town of Erin for dinner with our friends Alanna, Tim, and Max. We had invited Alanna, who teaches high school drama, to crash with us that week while she was taking a video production and editing course in Toronto. And so after dinner, we returned to Hogtown.

A short night’s sleep later I was on the road again. It was time for the second annual Father-Son Getaway! This year we decided to keep costs down by staying closer to home. We used Mom and Dad’s place (in Ayr) as our base camp and then spent one day in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the following day in Stratford. The weather was on our side and we enjoyed lunch the first day on the deck of The VIEW restaurant at EastDell Estates winery looking across Lake Ontario at the Toronto skyline.

After lunch we browsed some galleries and then worked up a new appetite walking the main street before a fabulous dinner at the Prince of Wales Hotel. After dinner we took in a production of Anne-Marie MacDonald’s play Bell Moral: A Natural History. Fortunately it was captivating enough to compete with a belly full of food and wine and I was rapt throughout. (The Shaw Festival has my permission to quote me on the poster). As an added bonus, after the show the stage director and main actors Fiona Byrne and Jeff Meadows stuck around for some Q & A. with the audience. Fascinating stuff!

Day two saw us off to Stratford for lunch at Fellini’s and an amazing dinner at The Old Prune. In between we visited another gallery and then had a long stroll and a good chat along the Avon River. That night’s theatre outing was the highlight of an already incredible couple of days: Hamlet. I have never seen Hamlet on the stage, but I found Ben Carlson’s portrayal of the dour Dane completely electrifying. Spoiler alert: most of the main characters die at the end. But that’s a rather downer way to end the fabulous second annual Father-Son Getaway, so let’s instead say it was the touching story of a young prince who loves his dad like crazy.

Before heading back to Toronto the following day, the core Wichman clan took advantage of our all being together and enjoyed a family lunch.

I can think of no better way to wrap up the summer before my next big adventure: going back to school.

And that adventure begins tomorrow morning, when I start my first of four six-week practicum placements in the Toronto District School Board. As of 9:00 AM I’ll be in a grade 3 classroom at a school in the downtown neighbourhood known as Cabbagetown.

In the afternoon, I’ll zip over to U of T for my first lecture. Stay tuned for my adventures in the Canadian education system.

End-of-Summer Shenanigans – Part 1

2008-09-05T19:21:00.008-04:00

Phew! The end of our summer proved to be more crazy than lazy, but the company of good friends and family helped ensure the living was easy.

The first big event actually harkens back to the end of July. On a sunny Sunday we traveled to Guelph’s Victoria Park for a picnic with Jeanette’s family, including uncles and cousins and grandmas, oh my! The rain that has defined most of this summer briefly threatened, but otherwise left us alone. The young ones had a blast at the playground and riding the kiddy train, while we old folks made merry by eating, chatting, and playing a friendly game of croquet (it is my policy to keep any game involving large hammers as friendly as possible).

We capped off the day with a walk through the park’s beautiful gardens. And by walk I mean a mostly sitting on a comfy bench with my lovely wife.

I mentioned that it has been a rainy summer. Not being very outdoorsy, this hasn’t been a major issue for me. However, I sometimes worry that my lack of wilderness-savvy may be depriving Alfredo of the fresh air and outdoor adventure craved by boys the world over. Turns out, he’s not so much with the craving. Born and bred in the city, Alfredo isn’t a big fan of the countryside, with its bugs, odd-tasting tap water, and overall lack of plumbing.

Nevertheless, I cannot forget his delight at our snowshoeing adventure in 2004 and his excitement during our day of fishing in 2006. Therefore, I try to get us out on at least one significant outdoor outing a season (Canada’s Wonderland doest not count). This year, I chose a day of hiking atop the Niagara Escarpment at Rattlesnake Point in Halton east of Toronto. After several rained out Saturdays, we finally got our chance in mid-August.

It was a spectacular day and Alfredo seemed suitably impressed with the panoramic views, the dramatic cliff faces, and the derring-do of the groups of rock-climbers doing their thing.

But then I took us on a hiking path down into Nassagaweya Canyon. Bad idea. The wind up top of the Escarpment kept the bugs at bay, but down below they attacked with a vengeance. And there was mud. Alfredo didn’t care for the mud.

We beat a hasty retreat back uphill. Tired, hungry, and bug-bitten, we broke out the PB&J sandwiches and took in the lookout view. I feared my case for nature was in tatters, but with the bugs gone again and our bellies full, all it took was a little reminder of civilization to bring back the fun.

I’m telling you, if you haven’t played Mario Kart in the woods at the top of a cliff, you haven’t lived.

Okay, you may think that episode is enough to further re-confirm my nerd-for-life status. Well, I have news for you: I had not yet begun to geek. The following weekend I attended FanExpo Canada 2008, a three-day geekstravaganza of anime, comics, horror, and sci-fi creators, stars, and fans. My dear sister, who insists on trying to out-geek me, joined me for this surreal journey into the physical manifestation of my 15-year-old id. How surreal? I think this picture sums it up best:

Yes, there were fans in get-ups of all kinds – so many that Leighann and I began playing a game we called “Costume or Clothing?” Indeed, it was often difficult to tell whether certain outfits were simply typical street-wear for those turned to the geek-side or, in fact, homages to some super-obscure manga character. No matter. These were my people, and I wished for them all to live long and prosper.

And prosper many of the vendors did. We saw a Gene Autry cowboy comic on sale for $1500.00. More outrageous to me was the Lisa Simpson hand fan on sale for $10.00 bucks – it was basically a piece of paper stapled to a Popsicle stick (I’ll make you one for $8.00!). But the most outrageous of all was the $60.00 charge for an autograph by Battlestar Galactica’s Edward James Olmos. Maybe he would have brought down the price to sign some West Wing paraphernalia instead, but I doubt it.

Fortunately, the rip-offs were easy to avoid and there was plenty to enjoy for the price of admission. I had fun sitting in on the Star Wars presentations, including a workshop on how to build your own Imperial Stormtrooper armour (for only a few thousand dollars in tools and materials, and with only a few years hard work, you too can have your own set!), and an appearance by Jeremy Bulloch who portrayed Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back.

I was also fascinated by a workshop called “Writing Comics from Start to Finish” given by a guy named Matt Fraction. I hadn’t heard of him, but it turns out he’s a writer for the X-Men comic. He said he’d never given a workshop before, but you’d never have known it. He was charming, engaging, authentic, thoughtful about his craft, and with a quick wit that would make Joss Whedon chuckle. He also deftly handled every question tossed at him by the would-be comic writers in the crowd. Although writing comics is not something to which I aspire, I am fascinated by the fundamentals of how any creative product is put together. Fraction clearly laid out the basics and helped to demystify the process for me. I really enjoyed his presentation and am now interested in reading a comic he writes called Cassanova.

Whoah – didn’t mean to geek out on you there. Anybody still reading?

There are a lot more shenanigans yet to tell, but I’ll break here for now. For the best really. Witty X-Men writers and Darth Vader sipping juice are tough acts to follow. More tomorrow.

Adieu, Annick, Adieu

2008-08-17T17:24:00.004-04:00

Perhaps you recall the famous chocolate factory episode of I Love Lucy. Lucy finds herself working on a candy-wrapping line when the conveyor belt starts sending the sweets along at an alarming rate. I’ve often used this example as analogous to the feeling of working in publishing: with so many projects flying towards you, there is seldom much time to savour each one upon its completion. My time at Annick Press drew to a close this week, and as future projects were diverted to other staff members, I was able, for the first time, to truly appreciate the individual books I was finishing.

And yet, how could these final “chocolates” not be bittersweet? It would be one thing if I was leaving a job that I disliked, but here I am walking away from the most amazing job I’ve ever had. Yes, I’m excited about the new adventure involved in becoming a teacher, but it is nevertheless with a heavy heart that I leave the offices of Annick Press behind.

It is no small choice to give up a role in shaping books for thousands of young readers. As cool as that has been, though, the real heartache comes from saying good-bye to my co-workers. The people with whom I’ve worked so closely over these past six years have seen me at my best and at my worst. Through these highs and lows they have offered me their patience, support, generosity, and even friendship. They have taught me with their skills and experience, their words and actions, and their ability to laugh even in the midst of crazy-making circumstances. These lessons extended well beyond the boundaries of the job and have served me well in dealing with life. As I told the Annick staff at the farewell lunch they held for me this week, there is not one person among them who hasn’t deeply impressed me on a number of occasions. I will dearly miss interacting with them on a daily basis.

The good news is that Annick is keen to let me continue to work with them on a freelance basis as my time allows. That offer instills in me the hope that this “adieu” is really more of an “à bientôt”. And so, to Brigitte, Colleen, Diana, Heather, Kathy, Katie, Marion, Melissa, Monica, Rick, Sandra, Sheryl, Stella, Susan, Toni, everyone over at Firefly Books, and all the amazing authors, illustrators, and editors with whom I’ve had the pleasure to work: I truyl truly look forward to seeing you later!

A Tightrope between Terror and Triumph

2008-08-10T18:29:00.004-04:00

So, on the Friday we went to Ottawa, I woke up with a new lump in my neck. I’ll save you the panic and suspense: IT’S NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT. It’s not even a lump, just the tightening of tissue as my neck continues to heal. But it feels an awful lot like the pressure I experienced last August that was a lump and that led to more surgery followed by the chemo and radiation. And so when I woke up with this new but similar feeling a month ago, I was gripped by a familiar icy panic that I thought was behind me.

I decided to wait until after the weekend to contact the hospital. If it was something to worry about, going to the doctor immediately—even if he was available on such short notice—wasn’t going to help. And bringing such terrible news to the weekend with friends we’d been so looking forward to seeing was not an appealing option. And so, I kept it to myself and tried to make the most of our weekend. Nothing like being faced with your own mortality (again) to make you appreciate the hell out of your friends (again), but it’s also a heavy load to bear alone. Allegra called me on it at one point, asking why I was so quiet. I dodged the question. I’ve tried to be very open about my cancer and treatment, but I’ve also tried not to worry people unduly.

By Monday, I was a bit of a wreck and finally shared my fears with Jeanette, making her a wreck too. Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of Dr. O’Sullivan and he saw me immediately. He was worried by my description of the pressure in my neck, but he could feel no lump, whereas last year’s lump had been easily felt. To be sure, he booked me for another CT scan. The earliest available appointment was 12 days away. I asked him what my options were if the scan revealed new cancerous growth. He delicately avoided answering with any specifics. I’m not the only one worried about unduly alarming people.

The Friday afternoon of my CT scan, I decided to also go to the University of Toronto to have my student card photo taken. After the scan, as I made the short walk from Princess Margaret Hospital to the U of T campus, I was suddenly struck by the opposing fortunes that these two very different portraits represented. The CT scan—a look inward—could reveal the shutting down of my options. The student card photo—revealing my outward appearance—represented all the new opportunities that lay ahead.

Unlike the scan, my T-card was available immediately. I looked at it often and treated it like a totem to summon that brighter future. It seems to have worked. Dr. O’Sullivan called me back on August 5 to tell me the CT scan was clear. I’d once again survived a perilous journey from terror to triumph.

With that experience fresh in my mind, it’s no wonder I was so intrigued this past Friday to read a film review of a documentary called Man on Wire. This film by James Marsh tells the astonishing story of how, on August 7, 1974, French acrobat Philippe Petit and his team snuck to the rooftops of the World Trade Centre and rigged a 26-foot long steel cable between the Twin Towers. Petit then traversed that high-wire, without any net or safety harness, an astounding eight times over 45 minutes before stepping back to safety and into the custody of the NYPD.

I took Alfredo to see the film to escape the rain yesterday and also because Alfredo is fascinated by tall buildings. He knows the ranking of all the world’s tallest structures and was immensely proud to live in the city with the world’s tallest tower until that title was usurped by a building in Dubai. Alfredo also knows about the Twin Towers, but unfortunately most of his knowledge comes from their destruction in 2001. How wonderful, then, to have this film that shows not only the buildings being constructed, but their also being used in such a breathtaking act of pure joy and mischievous fun. The stunt itself, of course, is ridiculously dangerous and rightly out of reach for the rest of us. And yet what a joyous, life-affirming story this film has to tell. It’s comforting to know that things we associate with something terrible can still hold the power to inspire.

We Oughta Go to Ottawa

2008-07-20T16:54:00.014-04:00

A distinct disappointment of being in your thirties is that most of your friends have scattered to the winds and settled elsewhere. The upside of this dispersion is that you can travel to more places and find close friends willing to put you up (and put up with you) for the weekend. So it was that last weekend Jeanette and I traveled to Ottawa to spend a weekend with our good friends, Allegra and Chris.

The wonderful house they rent in the city's west end came complete with a back deck, overhung by a vine-draped trellis, that overlooks an impressive little garden focused around a pond. We spent much of the weekend lazing on the deck and watching as Allegra cultivated her green thumb. In fact, both she and Chris boast many green body parts -- chlorophyll figures prominently in their passions at work and play (check out Chris's new blog on environmental issues here).

But when it came to colourful body parts, nobody could compete with their neighbour, an Elvis impersonator prone to hanging out on his balcony in his "tighty-whities". This is a family blog, so I must refrain from posting a picture, but given his resemblance to the King in his later years, you'll agree that this is for the best.

Indeed, their neighbourhood is full of not only colourful characters, but colourful locations. In the case of the nearby farmer's market, quite literally:

We stopped there one evening to stock up on some fresh goodies for dinner.

Other neighbourhood highlights include the great little bookstore Collected Works, which hosted author and funny man David Sedaris on Saturday night (we didn't find out until Sunday afternoon), the 3 Tarts bakery (written up in the Globe & Mail that weekend, but closed as the owner's were on holiday), and the West Park Bowling Centre which we were able to enjoy on Friday night. Lured in by the vintage sign that promised "Fully Automatic" pin-setting, the four of us went in and enjoyed two games of five-pin bowling. Clearly my time spent at the lanes with Alfredo has paid off, as I rode back-to-back strikes to victory in both games. Jeanette had no idea she'd married a jock.

On Saturday, we hopped in the car and drove through Gatineau Park to the village of Wakefield, Quebec. After a tasty patio lunch, we explored the shops, including this one where Jeanette scored a cute dress on sale and Chris and I found hats to our liking:

Keeping with the theme of things covered on top, we decided to head for Wakefield's popular covered bridge, seen here (barely) in the background crossing la rivière Gatineau:

The view from inside the bridge is also fun:

But the best spot to see it is from the river itself, especially on a hot and hazy day:

It was a great way to spend a summer day with good friends.

We were all the more spoiled on Sunday when we were joined for brunch by more good friends: Tara, Derek, and their daughter Vienne who drove up from their place near Perth. So great was it to see them all that we lingered late into the afternoon before gearing up for the four-hour drive back to T.O. A distinct advantage of being far away from your close friends, is that the distance makes you appreciate them all the more.

Doc Proximity

2008-07-09T20:14:00.003-04:00

Today I had a checkup with Dr. O'Sullivan. Everything looks A-okay; so much so that he feels another appointment isn't necessary for another three months. I'll be back to see him on October 15, at which time he'll do some more in-depth tests, such as a chest X-ray and checking my thyroid via blood work.

And speaking of blood work, also today I gave up some of the red stuff for my family doctor, Dr. Ian Gallimore, as part of my standard physical. Considering that he's just a few blocks from our apartment, and that my body has been through the wringer the past year, I thought it was high time to check in with good ol' Dr. G. At the risk of being labelled a hypochondriac, it's good to know that I can dash over to see him after any and every sniffle, sneeze, or muscle twitch. A fella can't be too careful.

In other health news, my dad contacted me shortly after my last blog post with an exciting correction: his motor vehicle privileges were reinstated on July 3. Go, Dad, Go! Now his only barrier to hitting every golf course in Ontario is the cost of gas.

And speaking of dads with big hearts, we were shaken to learn last week from our good friend Alanna that her father was also struck by a heart attack last week. He's still in the hospital, but he's doing well and in good spirits. He was playing softball when the attack occured. Luckily some of the other players were paramedics, so help arrived very quickly. Let's hear it for fathers who have the sense to exercise in the vicinity of emergency medical services!

Check, Mate, and Rides by the Dozen

2008-07-06T20:20:00.007-04:00

It’s been another busy few weeks! First, some health updates as a number of you have been asking:

My dad is doing fantastically well; in fact, this past week he received the green light from his cardiologist to go golfing. Although he’s still not to operate a car, I expect he’s just as happy driving golf balls.

As for me, last month’s PMH checkup was postponed to this week. Stay tuned for that update, but suffice it to say I’m feeling fine and full of beans, as is evident by all I’ve been up to of late.

Check

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto (BBBST) has done their usual stellar best to keep Alfredo and me active and entertained. Mid-June was the annual Celebration of Friendship picnic. This year’s theme was superheroes. There were opportunities to show off one’s super agility and strength in dodgeball and tugs of war, but Alfredo and I preferred testing our super-brains with a few hands of cards and a super-sized chess match. He checkmated me soundly. I knew I should have brought my kryptonite.

Mate

The weekend after the picnic was Jeanette’s and my fifth wedding anniversary. Thanks to a generous Christmas gift from my parents, she and I returned to the scene of the crime: we spent the weekend at the Millcroft Inn where we were married. The place was as beautiful as we’d remembered, the food as amazing, and the massages as relaxing. Not having a wedding to be in allowed us to spend more time lazing around by the pool and on our patio, and when it poured rain Saturday night we escaped to the movies in town. It was another altogether amazing weekend at the Millcroft and it bodes well for our next five years of marriage.

A week later we were on the go again with a trip back up to Harriston for long-weekend visit with the Williamsons. We enjoyed having the extra day to spend with the family during which we enjoyed patio lounging while her dad barbecued, a birthday party for Jeanette’s Uncle Ken, and extra hugs from MacKenzie.

Rides by the Dozen

This past week was also a big milestone for my man Alfredo: he turned 13. As luck would have it, this week BBBST – courtesy of the Toronto Police Association – once again offered us free passes to Canada’s Wonderland. You may recall we enjoyed a similar visit to Wonderland last year, when Alfredo’s enthusiasm for the rides was unfortunately tempered by my sense of nausea. This year, I was worried that my post-chemo system might be even more inclined to motion sickness. Some wise soul casually suggested taking Gravol. And so I popped the pills all day long and they worked brilliantly! They kept the nausea at bay and inevitable sleepiness that results was utterly offset by the adrenaline rush of no less than 12 rides! Nine of which were roller coasters, including the new and aptly name Behemoth – the tallest and fastest coaster in Canada. Alfredo and I agree: Best. Ride. Ever.

Honorable Mention

And finally, a shout out to “But I’m an Aries” super-fan Monica, whom I had the pleasure of dining with recently along with some other work colleagues at Toronto’s Peter Pan Bistro. It was truly a highlight of that week and Monica insisted that I mention it and her on the blog.

Fathers

2008-06-15T16:41:00.013-04:00

One year ago this week, Dad and I spent a few days in Ottawa. It was the first of what I hope will become an annual tradition of father-son trips.

Two weeks ago, Dad gave us all a scare when he was hit with a heart attack. He was at his gym at the time. Personally, I find exercise can seem as excruciating as having a hear attack -- fortunately, my father is more savvy in spotting the differences; he quickly identified the symptoms and instructed his trainer to call 911. He was at the hospital having an angioplasty approximately 20 minutes later. He is now home and feeling great, and the doctors are commending the swift response time for the minimal damage to his heart. Even so, he will undergo bypass surgery later in the year. Jeanette and I had lunch with him and Mom last weekend, and it was amazing to see him looking so well. We may have to postpone this year's father-son trip, but I couldn't ask for a better reason to celebrate Father's Day than still having him with us.

Sadly, we were not so fortunate last month. On May 25, Jeanette's grandfather (her mother's father), Robert Sterrit, passed away in Mount Forest, Ontario. We attended the funeral two days later in Harriston, and it was very moving to have the family gathered to remember him. Jeanette's cousin Dennis shared some heartwarming memories of being a kid on his grandpa's farm -- including a tractor-driving lesson that sent Bob flying off the lurching vehicle. Later, Jeanette's cousin Suzanne (below, with Grandma Melinda and Grandpa Bob in 2003) and her sister Nancy beautifully sang "Amazing Grace". It was a loving tribute to a much-loved man.

Although the occasion was a sad one, we are always grateful for an opportunity to get up to Harriston and see the family. Especially so since Jeanette's father had recently had a birthday (this photo of Jeanette and her brother with their dad is from his birthday in 2004).

Despite the fact that it was his birthday (not to mention that Father's Day was hot on its heels), he couldn't resist an outpouring of generosity to us. Not only did he oversee the maintenance and cleaning of our car (we don't yet have a mechanic in Toronto), he made a generous contribution to our most recent life-improvement project: a balcony free of pigeons.

To date, I have spared you from Jeanette's and my vitriol against pigeon poo. If you have ever had an apartment balcony, you likely know the annoyance endlessly trying to chase away these dirty birds. Jeanette theorizes (only half-jokingly, methinks) that I developed cancer from one too many times scraping up pigeon excrement. Well no more! This week we hired a company to power-wash the floor of the balcony and then to install netting the keep the birds at bay. Success! Our newly reclaimed patio now gleams, has a little container garden, and is fully furnished. We have spent most of the evening this week out there enjoying the warm weather and we look forward to a long summer of pigeon-free open-air lounging.

We are spoiled to have such wonderful fathers in our lives. Thank you, Dads, for all that you do for us and all that you mean to us. Happy Father's Day!

The Godfather, The Queen, The Slayer, and The Chef

2008-05-19T21:08:00.015-04:00

Several weeks ago, Jeanette's brother Mike and his wife Krystal made us an offer we couldn't refuse: they asked us to be godparents to their daughter. Last weekend, we made it official by participating in MacKenzie's baptism. Appropriately enough, the event took place on Mother's Day and our niece looked adorable in her baptism best.

Her godparents were looking pretty cute too...

...but all eyes were on MacKenzie, who seemed to love her frock and all the attention. She smiled and cooed all through the ceremony, and then giggled her greetings to adoring guests at the reception that followed. We were thrilled to see the family, especially so considering that we hadn't been to Harriston since Thanksgiving. After a long, snowy winter, we were thrilled to spend a great day with an array of mothers, godly and otherwise.

Our jet-setting continued over the Victoria Day weekend, though this time we headed in separate directions. Jeanette headed to Manhattan for work, while I flew to Ottawa for a reunion with my beloved "Scooby gang".

It has been a vampire's age since we were all together, so we celebrate like we did in the old days -- with a pot luck dinner and episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Some of us even caught up with Buffy's "season eight" in comic book form.

The weather also cooperated enough to allow us time for some lakeside hijinks...

... some bird-watching...

...and some watching of damage done by birds. Check out this tree pecked to pieces by a pileated woodpecker (say that five times fast):

And speaking of unusual meals, during my flight back to the T-dot, I read a fascinating article in The New Yorker about up-and-coming Chicago chef Grant Achatz. During my experience without tastebuds, I often found myself wondering how a professional chef would cope in a similar situation. Well, lo and behold, this article describes that very thing.

Achatz underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment roughly around the same time I did -- and continued working even after his taste disappeared. It's a fascinating story with some interesting information on oral cancer that challenges conventional theories about how taste works. Curiously, sweet was the first taste to return for Achatz and the article suggests a link to our hominid ancestors to explain why, and yet my experience was the exact opposite. Could be that I'm the next step in human evolution... or at the very least, the missing link.

Back to School

2008-05-01T21:50:00.004-04:00

It's official: I'm headed back to school. Graduate school and elementary school.

After six amazing years in publishing, I have decided to return to my original career plan and become a teacher. To that end, I have been accepted to *deep breath* the Institute of Child Studies' two-year Master of Arts in Child Study and Education Program in the Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. Or ICSMACSEPDHDAPOISEUT for short. At the end of the program I'll have earned both a Masters degree and teacher certification for primary grades (kindergarten to grade 6).

My decision to change careers has not been an easy one to make. Publishing has been incredibly rewarding and continues to be an amazing creative challenge. I will especially miss the wonderful people with whom I've have the pleasure of working these past six years. Despite all these positives, my recent tango with cancer resulted in some major soul-searching. I realized that as much as I enjoy editing books for kids, I have always missed working with children directly. Also, Jeanette and I decided we should no longer delay our plans to set down roots outside of the city and a teaching career offers better opportunities for moving to more affordable pastures.

I'll be working until mid-August. The program begins in September, so if all goes well I will be certified to teach by 2010. The year we make contact... (with earning a salary again.)

Return to (and Escape from) Alcatraz

2008-04-24T20:54:00.013-04:00

A quick health update:

This week I had my bi-monthly checkup with Dr. O'Sullivan at Princess Margaret Hospital. I'm pleased to report there were no problems detected during the physical exam; in fact, I appear to be slowly gaining weight back, which is an excellent sign. At a later appointment I'll undergo a chest x-ray, but nothing currently indicates the need for a peek at my insides. Hooray! My next checkup is scheduled for the end of June.

And now, we return to Alcatraz:

I have had a number of requests to post my photos of the Alcatraz exhibit about the infamous escape from Alcatraz of June 11, 1962. So here we go...

From the signage at Alcatraz:

"Using the unlikeliest of supplies, Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin made the most creative escape attempt in the history of Alcatraz.

"Placing dummy heads made of soap, cement, and paint under their blankets in the middle of the night, the escapees crawled out of their cells through small vents, scaled the utility corridor to the roof, slid down a stove pipe, and crept to the shoreline.

"The three men had reached the bay. As they slipped into the water -- using a raft fashioned out of a raincoat -- they met an icy current rapidly ebbing out to see. They were never seen again."

In the photo below you can see the view looking into one of the cells. A dummy head is just visible beneath the blankets on the bed. At the back of the cell, beneath the sink, you can see the exposed vent hole, widened by the escapees over two years using utensils stolen from the mess hall.

To keep their digging hidden from the guards, the inmates created fake vents from cardboard and paint.

The excavated openings were just wide enough to crawl through...

...and opened into a narrow utility corridor filled with pipes that enabled the trio to climb to the roof. Here is an archival photo of police investigating the corridor after the escape:

The official word is that the three men drowned trying to cross the bay on their makeshift raft, but no bodies were ever recovered. In season one, episode 8 of the marvellous Mythbusters -- the first episode I ever saw, in fact -- Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage proved that a safe crossing was possible using a raft made from the same materials used by the escapees.

The 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz starring Clint Eastwood tells the story of this escape, but whatever really became of Morris and the Anglin brothers remains a mystery.

San Francisco? San Frantastic!

2008-03-26T22:14:00.014-04:00

Jeanette and I have just returned from three days in San Francisco. Although we didn't wear flowers in our hair, and our hearts are still with us, we nevertheless had an amazing time. The sun shone every day and we took full advantage on our first afternoon by walking across the Golden Gate Bridge.

Our search for a bus stop that would get us back to the hotel led to an unintended but lovely stroll along the beach and then into the Presidio, home of the George Lucas' Letterman Digital Arts Center. I was in geek paradise, but I was only getting started... more on that later.

Our brush with movies continued that night when we dined at John's Grill, made famous in Dashiell Hammett's 1930 novel The Maltese Falcon. The seafood cioppino a la marinara was delicious and launched what was to become three days of the heaviest feasting I've enjoyed since before my cancer treatment. Climbing up the hills of San Francisco sure builds up one's appetite.

Given the steepness of those hills, and our limited time in the city, we opted for a bus tour on our second day. The bus took us to all the major sights, inlcuding the Haight-Ashbury district, Golden Gate Park, Alamo Square, and the scenic overlook known as Twin Peaks. After the tour, we set out to do a little more exploring and hopped on a cable car near our hotel.

There was no shortage of thrills as we clung on for dear life, swooshing past other cable cars with only inches to spare, and experiencing two near misses with motorists who seemed not to realize a vehicle on tracks can't veer out of their way.

We were happy to disembark near Telegraph Hill where we began walking up to Coit Tower.

Dusk was falling and all was quiet as we climbed Union St. toward Montgomery. The scene became even more peaceful when we reached the beautifully landscaped Greenwich Steps, where the scent of flowers mingled with the songs of birds -- although there was no sign of the famous parrots of Telegraph Hill. We encountered very few people and our time in the twilight here was one of our favourite moments of the trip.

Returning down Telegraph Hill to Washington Square, we had another incredible meal at one of the many Italian eateries in the area, the Cafe Divine. Believe it or not, it was accordian night and accomplished musician Danny Cantrell played a surprisingly romantic set right next to our table.

The romance continued the next day as we boarded a couples cruise to Alcatraz.

Okay, so it wasn't a couples cruise, nor was it romantic, but the award-winning audio tour of the notorious prison was surprisingly engrossing. Walking through the cell block as the voices of former guards and inmates play on your headset is chillingly effective.

The tour brings to life both the monotony of day-to-day prison life and the handful of dramatic escape attempts in Alcatraz's history. A memorable tour, but as they say, it's a nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.

Alcatraz was interesting, but as far as captivativing visits go, nothing can compare with our final night in San Francisico. Chris Williams is a family friend and former neighbour from my childhood in Halifax. Chris is now a project leader at LucasArts, the video game division of the Lucas Empire and he was kind enough to invite us for a quick tour of his workplace. Yes, it was back the Letterman Digital Arts Center in the Presidio. But we weren't just walking past this time. Oh no. This time, we were going in.

Yes, I experienced the ultimate geekgasm. The triumvirate of my geekhood -- filmmaking, video games, and Star Wars -- had arrived at its mecca: the home of Industrial Light and Magic, LucasArts, and the marketing, online, and licensing departments of the Lucas Empire. The non-disclosure agreement we had to sign (no joke) precludes me from going into detail, but highlights include seeing the original optical printer used for the first effects shots in Star Wars, original matte paintings from many ILM movies, conceptual art for yet-to-be-released video games, and, of course, the Yoda fountain:

After the tour we enjoyed a tasty dinner at the nearby Presidio Social Club restaurant followed by drinks at Chris' place. It was fantastic to catch up and reminisce about the hijinks we got up to back in the day. Jeanette showed tremendous patience both in enduring the geek-a-thon and the walk down memory lane. I think meeting Chris' lovable golden retriever (and a mojito with dinner) helped ease her pain.

It was a memorable finale to a wonderful trip. We couldn't be happier with the time we had in San Francisco. It really was the perfect way to enjoy all that we have to celebrate.

Latest CT Scan is Clear!

2008-02-27T11:22:00.002-05:00

Yeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!

Jeanette and I have just come from meeting with Dr. Irish. My head and neck CT scan from last week shows no signs of cancer! We were expecting this result, but it is nevertheless an absolute relief to have it confirmed.

This scan will now become the baseline to which my future CT scans are compared. I am now back on schedule for getting check-ups every two months for a year, then every three months for the year after that, and so on.

My new motto: "Cancer-free since 2007"

The Skater and the Sideliner

2008-02-24T17:02:00.006-05:00

It seems that I'm destined for the sidelines. About 24 hours prior to my skating date with Alfredo, a muscle seized in my chest and it made putting my boots on a major challenge, let alone pulling on a pair of skates. Although ice is recommended for muscle pain -- and no doubt my chest would be touching the ice more than my skates -- I decided it safest to leave my skates at home on Saturday. Ah, my dilapidated body.

Alfredo was disappointed that I didn't join him on the ice, but after a few laps zipping around the rink at Mel Lastman Square, he was all smiles.

It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I had a fine time on the sidelines snapping pictures, chatting with the other land-lubbers, and cheering on Alfredo. Considering that this was only his second time on skates, he did remarkably well and stayed on his feet most of the time. My lack of skating skills prevented me from offering any advice for improvement, but a kindly Big Sister took him under her wing and offered some tips on how to turn his ice-trotting into more of a glide.

Between Alfredo's hour-long skating sessions, we took breaks to check out the other activities arranged by Big Brothers, including a pizza lunch, a scavenger hunt, a martial arts demonstration, and a couple of clowns making balloon animals. Alfredo scored their last creation of the day -- an impressively complex balloon version of Spider-Man.

On the bus ride home, we both enjoyed that pleasant dozy feeling that comes after a busy day of outdoor winter fun. I've promised Alfredo that we'll hit the rink again just the two of us before the skating season ends (assuming the warranty doesn't expire on yet another part of my body).

Scans, Skates, and Shoes

2008-02-19T20:40:00.006-05:00

Today I had my follow-up CT scan of my head and neck. Next week I meet with Dr. O'Sullivan to review the results. Fingers crossed for a spotless scan!

Moving on down to the feet, Alfredo and I spent a fun foot-focused Saturday this past weekend courtesy of Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto. First stop was Play it Again Sports where the crack staff fitted us each with a shiny new pair of ice skates!

BBBST, Play it Again Sports, and Capitol One have generously joined together to purchase skates for every skateless Big and Little who signed up to attend Big Brothers Winter Carnival next weekend. Alfredo loves to skate but has never owned a pair and so was over the moon at the gift. As for me, although I have yet to learn how to skate, Jeanette keeps threatening to teach me and now there's no excuse not to learn. Watch this space next week for photos of Alfredo and me in action (read: falling a lot) in our matching skates.

The footwear fashion parade continued when we zipped over to the Rexdale Bowlerama where we donned some bowling shoes and joined the Big Brothers Bowl for Kids Sake community day.

This was a more laid back affair than the media day of two weeks ago, and Alfredo was relieved not to have to give a single interview this time around. Instead, we had an entire lane to ourselves for the entire three hours. The extra time did our bowling skills good and by the end we'd racked up a number of strikes between us.

It was another amazing weekend thanks to Big Brothers and there are more to come. My ongoing thanks and appreciation to the hard-working folks who organize all these great activities. After all, buying skates and providing bowling shoes for all these Littles is incredible enough but for the Bigs as well? That is no small feet! (Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Running on Full

2008-02-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

This morning I managed a full run of my old jogging route!

Less than a minute into my run I could just feel that my energy was going to hold, and sure enough I managed to complete the full circuit without slowing to a walk. Given my recent difficulties with running and the icy ruts on the flash-frozen sidewalks today, I wasn't expecting to get very far. Let's hear it for surpassing low expectations!

Until I can do the full route consistently, I'll continue to supplement my running with walks whenever I can. On just such a walk through Mount Pleasant Cemetery last month, I had the breathtaking experience of spotting a very large hawk swoop low among the gravestones and land on tree close to me. Its huge wing span (four to five feet, I would guess) was hard to miss, and even with wings folded, the bird appeared too large for the tree in which it perched. I managed to snap a photo with my crappy cell phone camera, but it doesn't do justice to this majestic bird:

Here's hoping this is a symbol of how my health and energy will soar in the year to come (we'll ignore the symbolic implications of this being a bird of prey in a cemetery).

'Bots, Books, and Bowling

2008-02-10T11:15:00.000-05:00

Despite my fluctuating energy levels and recent back-to-back-to-back snowstorms, it's been a busy few weeks. My weekends have been especially filled with fun stuff thanks to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto. I had promised Alfredo that we'd get together every Saturday (as opposed to every other weekend) in January to make up for the time we missed during my treatment. Big Brothers has been kind enough to schedule all sorts of events to chase away the winter blahs, and we've been attending them all.

First up was a build-your-own robot workshop sponsored by Celestica at the Ontario Science Centre. We attended a similar workshop in September of 2006 and were delighted to discover that this year's robot was different from last time. In 2006, the 'bot was more of a "some assembly required" contraption. This year's robot was more about programming than putting it together. Its easy-to-use software came on a CD that Alfredo was able to take home, along with the robot itself... but not before kicking some robotic butt on the various challenges set up around the workshop room. Here he is winning an intense race against a Little Sister competitor around a Martian obstacle course:

Last weekend we were out and about again to attend the 2008 Bowl For Kids' Sake. Being last year's Big Brother / Little Brother of the Year, we were specifically invited to attend Media & Corporate Day to give interviews. Alfredo learned the exhausting side of fame and soon tired of posing for pictures and talking into microphones.

Fortunately, we were also there to bowl and we had a blast on the lanes. Also fun was bowling on the Nintendo Wii, several of which were set up for the event. This was my first experience with the Wii and it took some getting used to, as Alfredo also discovered when his first virtual ball went flying into the crowd of electronic onlookers. I was grateful he had more control with the real bowling balls.

A Wii was also up for grabs as the grand prize in the fund-raising raffle. I bought some tickets hoping to win it for Alfredo. Our number didn't come up for the Wii, but we were shocked to win the fourth-place prize: a gift bag of makeup products! Despite his disappointment at winning makeup rather than a video game console, Alfredo couldn't wait to take his prize home to his mom. What a kid!

When not bowling or building robots, Alfredo has been helping me out with a project for work. I'm currently finishing up editing on a book called The Seventh Expert that combines non-fiction information about the Middle Ages with game-playing elements to keep readers engaged. Alfredo and I have been field testing the game and I'm thrilled to report that Alfredo has really been enjoying it. We have yet to finish it and will continue to play through the book in the coming weeks.

And speaking of work, last month I mentioned the launch of the Tea Time at Annick Press blog. This past week I posted an entry there about editing picture books. Check it out for a further glimpse of my job.

Running on Empty

2008-01-21T20:06:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning I succeeded in going for a run for the first time since before my treatment started. And for the first time since I started jogging almost nine years ago, I was unable to finish my entire route (and my usual route is rather short). I managed about two blocks before I had to slow to a walk and catch my breath. I continued alternating running and walking until I completed a loop equivalent to half my route and spent the rest of the day recovering on the couch. Today the sore muscles have set in and I'm moving about like an old man with arthritis. Ah, fitness.

Of course, none of this comes as a surprise. Resuming jogging after a four month hiatus would be a challenge at the best of times, let alone after what my body has been through. So, I'm focusing on the fact that this is simply a beginning. Here's hoping it's not the beginning of a permanent charley horse.

Tube is Out!

2008-01-16T16:16:00.000-05:00

I no longer have a tube coming out of my stomach!

This afternoon, Jeanette drove me down to Toronto General Hospital. They took me in at 1:00 PM and by 1:15 PM I was tube-free. It only stung slightly as the doctor slid the tube out; no anaesthetic necessary. I'm not to eat or drink until after 6:00 PM today and I'm to keep the bandage dry for the next 48 hours, after which the wound should be all healed up. What a contrast to the fiasco of putting the tube in.

To celebrate being newly unencumbered, I've purchased a water bottle with jogging holster. I hope to start running again by the end of the week. Hey, once you're free of the Matrix, you gotta rebuild those atrophied muscles.

Join Me at Work for a Spot of Tea

2008-01-15T14:20:00.001-05:00

Now that I'm back at work, some of you may be interested in getting a glimpse of where that is. It just so happens that today marks the launch of Tea Time at Annick Press, a blog offering a behind-the-scenes look at the very children's book publisher for whom I work. Have a look and then run (don't walk) to your neighborhood independent bookseller and buy lots of Annick books so I can continue to afford things like food and shelter.

A Warm Welcome, A Fond Farewell

2008-01-14T19:34:00.000-05:00

I cannot say enough about how wonderfully supportive my work colleagues have been throughout my treatment. True to form, they were just as generous in welcoming me back to the office last week. I was met by enthusiastic greetings, balloons, Timbits, and even a sign. Our Production Manager, Heather, pointed out that while there should be a comma after "back", it's inclusion looked weird next to the extended leg of the "k". First day back and I was already boning up on my copy-editing and typesetting knowledge. I spent the rest of the week reacquainting myself with the various projects and catching up with all that had progressed in my absence. After months of having been confined to our apartment, it felt good to be back at work.

Since returning to work I've also had two follow-up appointments at Princess Margaret Hospital. Last week was with PMH dentist Dr. Lee, who commended me for, so far, fending off the plaque fiesta that usually accompanies the dry mouth of post-radiation. Today was an appointment with Dr. Chen for a post-chemo checkup. He was pleased to see that I'm doing well and said that there is no need to see him again. As swell a guy as Dr. Chen is, I was not at all sorry to say happy trails, kemo sabe.

Next stop, G-tube removal on Wednesday.

Back to Normal (Almost), Back to Work (Mostly)

2008-01-06T20:19:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to say that I am officially back to eating all my meals the old fashioned way (albeit more slowly than before). With the return of my eating abilities and my energy levels continuing to improve, I will be making my triumphant return to the office tomorrow, January 7th.

Although I'm technically returning full-time right away, my work weeks will be interrupted over the next while by various hospital appointments:

Tuesday, January 8: Dr. Lee at the PMH dental clinic.
Monday, January 14: Dr. Chen (who oversaw my chemo).
Wednesday, January 16: Feeding tube removal at Toronto General!
Tuesday, February 19: CT scan at PMH.
Wednesday, February 27: Dr. O'Sullivan to review CT scan results.

I may be done with hospitals, but the hospitals aren't done with me.

Happy New Year!

2008-01-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

Over Christmas Jeanette and I enjoyed some much needed peace and quiet with my folks at their home in Ayr. In a unexpected twist, I was feeling (and eating) well while Jeanette ended up being the patient. After months of worrying about me and stressing about the usual insanity of retail at Christmastime and dealing with countless sneezing customers, Jeanette finally succumbed to a doozy of a cold. We spent part of Boxing Day at a walk-in clinic in nearby Waterloo. I was relieved when the doctor diagnosed her with nothing more serious than a cold, but Jeanette was disappointed that he couldn't prescribe anything powerful to ease her suffering. Instead, we stocked up on over-the-counter cold medications.

Back in Toronto, we continued with the peace and quiet right through New Year's Eve. And what better way to wish good riddance to 2007 and welcome 2008 than some take-out from Swiss Chalet? Although my taste buds still aren't back to 100% and swallowing is still a bit of a challenge, I was no less pleased to finally satisy my months old craving.

Jeanette (who is feeling a little better but still coughing a lot) and I wish you all the best for 2008. We look forward to seeing everyone whom we weren't able to see over the holidays!

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T11:03:00.001-05:00

I am thrilled to have two big Christmas wishes come true.

First, and most importantly, I am feeling well enough to see friends and family. Today, my father will pick up Jeanette and I to spend Christmas with them at their home in Ayr. And this past Saturday, I visited my Little Brother Alfredo for the first time since October. It was so great to see him! After that visit, I managed to meet up with my friend Kim and her husband and nephew, and then later I met my good friends Allegra and Chris, visiting from Ottawa. Each rendez-vous took place at Yorkdale mall on the last Saturday before Christmas -- yikes! Despite being surrounded by panicked shoppers, I was thrilled to be out and seeing my friends. It was definitely the happiest I've ever been in a mall at Christmastime.

My second wish was to have at least some taste back to enjoy a bite or two of Christmas fare. That too has come to pass, and although most tastes are still dull (especially anything sweet), I am managing three tiny meals a day now. My throat is still sore as it gets used to having food pass through it, but that's not going to stop me from sampling some turkey and stuffing tomorrow!

Jeanette and I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We hope you enjoy every friend, family member, and taste of Christmas that comes your way!

Check-Up from the Neck Up

2007-12-19T10:18:00.000-05:00

I had a quick check-up with Dr. O'Sullivan on Monday morning. He was very pleased with my progress and I was very pleased to be able to answer his questions directly again. Not that I don't appreciate how skilled Jeanette became at translating my goop-mouth-speak to English.

The next step will be to remove my J-tube once I'm completely back to taking food orally. I'm to call Dr. O'Sullivan when I reach that point and he'll arrange for the procedure to remove the tube. In the meantime, he has booked another CT scan for me on February 19. I'll then see him again on February 27. I'll also see Dr. Irish around the same time.

Next up are follow-up appointments with the PMH dentist on January 8 and with Dr. Chen (who oversaw my chemo) on January 14. That means I can spend the holidays free of any medical appointments. Another great Christmas gift; it's just what I wanted.

TASTE!

2007-12-14T16:45:00.000-05:00

I can taste!

Today was my workplace's holiday lunch. They kindly booked a restaurant within walking distance of our apartment in case I was feeling well enough to make an appearance. Happily, I was feeling well enough and I braved the cold for the ten-minute walk.

I had warned them that I wouldn't be eating, I wouldn't stay long, and I wouldn't say much -- in other words, the perfect party guest. Once I arrived, however, it was so fantastic to see everyone that I couldn't help but make conversation. And once I was surrounded by all the delicious smelling food, I couldn't resist a nibble. I tried a single sweet potato frite and was amazed to discover... I could taste it! I went on to have a little cream of mushroom soup. It was rich and delicious. I felt like an invalid who suddenly rises from his wheelchair.

Having some of my taste back feels like a miracle, but I'll remain cautious about returning to the world of solid foods. Who knows how testy my stomach will be after not having anything in it for four or five weeks. My goopy throat also has some objections to my taking in too much grub.

Nevertheless, the surprise return of my taste buds was truly a cause to celebrate. I ended up staying for the entire lunch. Not such a perfect guest after all, but who cares? I can taste!

Oh, So Much Better!

2007-12-09T15:37:00.000-05:00

What a difference a week makes.

I have been feeling so much better these past few days, I can't even tell you -- but I'll try. My mouth pain has subsided to almost nothing. Free of the constipating qualities of any painkillers, my guts have returned to their regular and painless functionality. Thank you all for enduring last week's unpleasantly graphic post.

With my pain all but gone, I have even ventured outside for two big walks this weekend. The cherry on the cake (or the star on the tree) is that Jeanette and I travelled across the street (literally) to little Garden Court Nurseries and purchased a Christmas tree. I was beginning to worry that I'd miss out on any Christmas cheer this year, but a festive little tree in our living room is helping to turn that around. It's also pleasing to have that pine smell replace the odour of my plastic feeding bag and the Nutren stuff I pour into it.

Feeling better is fantastic, but I'm also trying to keep my expectations in check. My medical team has told me repeatedly that I'll need to be patient during this time. So I'm not even thinking about how long it'll be before I'm free of goop in my mouth, before that patch of hair on the back of my head returns, before the radiation-burned skin on my neck clears up, or how long before the triumphant return of my taste buds. Nope. Not thinking about that at all...

Rock Bottom

2007-12-05T11:43:00.000-05:00

(Warning: the following post contains images and descriptions of severe grossness. If you think it's bad to read about, try experiencing it.)

Worst. Week. Ever.

True to the warnings, the pain is my mouth has continued to worsen despite the end of treatment. To deal with it, I was taking the prescribed liquid codeine every four hours. One of the side effects, drowsiness, was immediate and helped me sleep. The other side effect, constipation, was slower to take effect. In preparation, I was also carefully taking the prescribed laxative and stool softeners. As it turns out, it would have been more effective if I had been prescribed a midwife.

On Sunday, the constipation arrived. It was more painful than any of the mouth pain I've experienced -- immediate and unrelenting. Between convulsions on the toilet, I stopped taking the codeine and continued with the anti-constipation stuff. What followed was a gruelling 72 hours of hell as I dealt with both the full-blown mouth pain and the far worse ordeal of trying to pass objects the size of tennis balls and five times as dense.

At one point on Monday, my writhing pulled loose my J-tube from my stomach by a good four inches. Jeanette rushed me down to the nursing clinic at PMH where they determined the tube was still properly in place internally (thank goodness) and re-secured its external dressing.

Today, at last, the worst seems to have passed (so to speak). I finally have the strength to sit at the computer again and am even managing to do so some laundry. For my own sanity, I need to believe that this episode is the worst things will get and that it's all uphill from here. Rock bottom is neither a place I want to dwell nor a nickname I want to keep.

Done, Baby, Done!

2007-11-29T12:53:00.000-05:00

No more zap beam! No more mask! No more daily trips to and from this awful task!

Mom and Dad drove me down to my final radiation appointment this morning. Other than a 10-minute delay to change a light bulb in the machine (or so they claim; I suspect the technicians couldn't bear to see me leave), the session went smoothly. Before I left, the technicians reminded me that the side effects of radiation may continue to worsen for up to two weeks after treatment ends. Well, I'd hate not to have something else to look forward to.

Anyway, I'm feeling weak and nauseous enough today without contemplating feeling worse over the next fortnight. All the more reason to be thankful that I'm not hooked up to a bag of chemo and sitting in a hospital bed right now. Instead, I'm celebrating with a series of naps on the couch at home. In fact, I'd better get back to it... after a shot of liquid codeine, of course. Time to get this party started.

Two More Days, No More Chemo!

2007-11-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

Jeanette and I spent a long morning at the hospital yesterday. A big chunk of that time was spent waiting to have blood taken. Of course the computers went down, resulting in a room full of cranky patients staring at the unmoving take-a-number board for an hour. I could barely hold my head up and was sorely tempted to give up and come home. I'm glad I didn't.

Today we met with Dr. Chen, who announced that my blood work showed lightly low blood counts, and therefore I will NOT be undergoing the third dose of chemotherapy, which would have kept me in the hospital at least until Friday. This means my treatment will conclude after my last radiation therapy session this Thursday morning.

And it won't be a minute too soon. Today on the treatment table was the first time in 31 sessions that I had to ask them remove the mask soon after they strapped me in. The pressure from the mask exacerbated the goop in my throat and I started gagging. Not an activity I'd recommend when you're locked into an immobilization mask. Hopefully I'll fare better tomorrow and Thursday.

Meanwhile, the tongue pain has returned with a vengeance and brought with it a friend: an intensely sore throat. I'm all the happier to skip chemo because a raw throat is not a comfortable conduit for surging stomach acids. Heck, it hurts to even try swallowing water. I'm now on liquid codeine and 100% dependent on the tube for all my food and water intake.

Enough, I say. Let's get to the healing, dammit!

Greetings from the Well

2007-11-19T16:25:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm trapped at the bottom of a well these days. The chemo has resulted in slight (and hopefully temporary) hearing loss -- a ringing in my ears that occasionally muffles the sounds around me. There is thick goop in my mouth that tastes awful. And most days all I can do is lie on my back and stare upward. Fortunately, I can relish the media brouhaha and movie-of-the-week deals when I'm eventually rescued. Eat your heart out, Baby Jessica.

Okay, I'm being a little melodramatic. There is no Food Network to watch at the bottom of a well, after all. And I did manage two walks in Mount Pleasant Cemetery this weekend, one with my Aunt Linda and one on my own, which is more activity than I'd managed the two previous weeks. I'm also down to only eight more radiation sessions.

Other good news: at today's weigh-in, I'd only lost one pound since last week. Hopefully that means I've bottomed out on the weight loss... and the hair loss. The hair at the back of my neck has thinned to nothing and I had to shave what was left of my goatee. Jeez, if my voice got higher and I started shrinking this would be just like puberty but in reverse.

My continued gratitude to everyone for the calls, cards, and gifts of support. I promise more individual and substantial thank-yous when I can manage them. For now, extra special thanks to Uncle Steve and Aunt Linda for drives to the hospital and emergency liquid-food pickups, to Kim for her chauffeur services and for recording season 2 episodes of Dexter, to Jeanette for constant emotional and logistical support, and to my parents who arrive in town today for two weeks of David-driving duty. Thank you all for helping to keep me from wallowing in the well.

Sick and Tired and Longing for the Swiss

2007-11-12T19:01:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the doldrums, people.

I've entered a period of constant exhaustion and free-floating nausea. My thickened saliva has taken to gathering at the back of my throat like a schoolyard gang of bullies barring anyone from entering the lunch room. The result is a hair-trigger gag reflex that even liquids risk setting off. Despite how exponentially disgusting this condition sounds, I am hungry.

Although the tube is working well enough (I've still managed a maximum of 5 cans of liquid nutrients so far) and my taste buds are long gone, my stomach is not ready to relinquish the memory of solid food. I feel like my body is screaming for food, especially meat. I'm constantly fantasizing about meals that I'm months away from tasting.

Topping my wish list is a Swiss Chalet quarter chicken dinner with fries and an extra dipping sauce (I am my mother's son). A close second is a barbecued smoked cheddar sausage in a toasted, seasoned bun trimmed with ketchup, mustard, zucchini relish, sliced olives, and sun-dried tomatoes. The Food Network is now my pornography.

After confessing these longings to dentist Dr. Lee at Princess Margaret Hospital today, she discouragingly reminded me that my taste buds may not return to full force until 6 to 9 months after treatment ends. Anyone free for lunch at Swiss Chalet in August 2008?

Honk If You've Had Chemo

2007-11-09T08:43:00.001-05:00

Apologies for the delay in an update this week, folks. I did indeed enter the hospital on Tuesday fro the second of my three chemotherapy treatments. Although the dose was slightly less than last time and they discharged me on Wednesday, I've nevertheless been laid up by constant nausea.

My hair-trigger gag reflex is exacerbated by my thickened saliva and my olfactory senses which seem to be working overtime in the absence of my taste buds -- every smell, no matter how subtle, sets the ol' stomach a-churnin'. All in all, it's not the good times that have been flowing these past few days.

Full calm has yet to return to my stomach, but I am feeling slightly better today. My focus now needs to be on nutrition. I am supposed to be taking in six cans of nutrients via my feeding tube daily, but so far I haven't managed more than four cans.

On a more positive note, the pain in my mouth has mercifully lessened since leaving the hospital; in fact, I haven't taken a painkiller since yesterday. I'm not sure the reason for this happy hiatus, but I'm not going to look a stiffed sore in the mouth.

Speak No Evil... Or Anything Else

2007-11-05T20:25:00.000-05:00

Speaking has officially become too painful. For me to do, that is; some would argue that hearing me speak has always been too painful. But if you think I mangled the English language before...

Jeanette and I visited with Dr. O'Sullivan today who took a peek in my mouth and confirmed that it should hurt. He prescribed some Xylocaine, the key anesthetic ingredient in that magic mouthwash, that I can apply directly to my mouth sores as needed. Otherwise, I'm to stick with my Tylenol 3s until they no longer do the job. After that, I'll board the Percocet express and ride it until I reach morphine town.

Tomorrow I check back into Princess Margaret Hospital for round two of chemo. I should be home again by Thursday.

Third Week Ends, First Weak Begins

2007-11-02T12:10:00.000-04:00

Hooray! Today marks the end of my third week of treatment. Almost halfway there.

To mark this occasion, the side effects of the radiation have taken things up a notch. Real fatigue hit me for the first time yesterday -- it was all I could do to keep my head upright. Today, my tongue has developed a nasty sore that's making speech and eating difficult. Fortunately, I now have a anesthetic mouthwash that numbs the pain. No, that's not a euphemism for alcohol.

Yesterday I used the ol' feeding tube for the first time at home without problems. Taking in food in this way will become more and more important the sorer my mouth becomes. Today's weigh-in at the hospital revealed that I've lost three pounds since last week. Only in the topsy-turvy world of health care is such a revelation not accompanied by cheers and a commemorative plaque.

Down the Tubes (in a Good Way!)

2007-10-31T16:10:00.000-04:00

I'm home again!

The second tube attempt at inserting a feeding tube was a success. This tube is a jejunostomy tube or J-tube. It is longer than the G-tube and goes through my stomach into my jejunum (small intestine). This type of tube is much more common, which no doubt helps account for this attempt's success... that and the fact that my stomach wasn't doing the cha-cha from chemo.

This morning I successfully took in nutrients via the J-tube and so they let me go home. Although the pain still isn't too bad in mouth and I'm still eating solids, I'll nevertheless be ingesting a can of this stuff a day from now on. The does will increase to six cans daily once I can no longer eat orally.

Meanwhile, my taste buds are now fully gone. I'm already compiling a list of foods I plan to gorge on when my taste returns in a few months' time. Mmmm. Cheeseburgers...

As always, thank you to all for your comments, calls, and cards of support. You sure know how to make a guy with a tube in his stomach feel better!

Take Tube

2007-10-30T20:18:00.000-04:00

David checked back in to PMH this morning to prepare for another go at inserting the feeding tube. He'll be testing it out tomorrow. Let's hope it goes better than last time. We'll keep you posted.

Two Weeks Down, Four and a Half To Go

2007-10-26T09:01:00.000-04:00

It has been a good week.

The nausea lessened day by day until it disappeared altogether and then my energy level steadily increased as I managed to eat more and more. Meanwhile, the side effects of the radiation are still only annoying (dry mouth, loss of taste) and not yet painful. This is one case where it's better to be tasteless than have a sharp tongue, I suppose.

Next Tuesday I check back into the hospital for another go at inserting a feeding tube. Fingers and eyes crossed that this attempt will go more smoothly.

Home for the Week!

2007-10-22T10:56:00.000-04:00

I'm home again! After this morning's radiation appointment, I dutifully returned to floor 17-B to check back in. Imagine my delight when Dr. Thompson said I could go home. He's booked the next G-tube insertion attempt for next Monday, Oct. 29.

I couldn't be happier to be recovering at home. Before we left the hospital I collected some items I'd left in the hospital room and found a meal waiting for me. The sight of it almost set me spewing anew.

Have I mentioned I'm happy to be home?

Home for the Weekend

2007-10-21T10:29:00.000-04:00

There's no place like home... even if just for 48 hours.

After an eventful six-day stay at PMH, Dr. O'Sullivan was kind enough to give me a weekend pass. Never has fresh air tasted so sweet as when Aunt Linda wheeled me out the hospital yesterday afternoon. I swear, after this week's ordeal, it has become hard not associate every sensation of being on floor 17-B -- the smell of the soap, the sound of the IV pump -- with discomfort and nausea. The car ride back and the familiar comforts of home immediately made me feel better. Not to mention eating for the first time since Monday.

Unfortunately, my stomach is still not 100% at peace, but it is nevertheless a treat to be worshipping at the home bowl. I'm taking it as easy as possible before checking back in to PMH Monday morning to prep for tube insertion part II. Hopefully they'll have more success in a week when my stomach isn't doing the cha-cha from chemo.

Thanks to all for your outpouring of calls, comments, and cards. You sure know how to make a sickly fella feel supported.

Thanks also to my lovely and talented wife for keeping the blog updated during my hospital stay.

Not So Tubular

2007-10-18T21:55:00.000-04:00

Well, they removed the tube today. Another attempt of flushing the tube with water caused more pain and vomiting. We don't know if the tube was placed incorrectly from the get go, or if normal stomach contractions pushed it out. Regardless, it's been taken out for now. Once David's stomach has had time to heal they will put in another tube.
The good news is that David's nausea has passed. Now, he just feels very weak. A day of vomiting, no food and chemo will do that. David had a slight fever when he returned to PMH after his procedure. They started him on antibiotics right away. As I said before he is susceptible to infection and they don't want to take any risks.
We thought this was going to be the easy week. There's no turning back now. The good news is that David has almost completed one week of treatment. Only 5 1/2 weeks left.

Side Effects

2007-10-17T23:38:00.000-04:00

The chemo is making it's way through David's body killing off any cancer cells. Unfortunately, it is making him vomit like clock work every 3 hours. This is a common side effect and will pass. His temperature, blood pressure and oxygen level remains good. His spirits remain positive.
He has not tried the feeding tube again as he's really not up to it. They will try in the morning and if it is a success send him home with a baggie full of anti-nausea medication. Hopefully, he'll be coming home tomorrow.

Feed the Tube

2007-10-16T20:46:00.000-04:00

Just a quick update to let you know that David is doing okay. He has completed his first round of chemo and radiation treatment. So far, he hasn't experienced any nausea.
The G-tube on the other hand is causing some pain. Hopefully, it will subside as his tummy heals.
Thank you to everyone for all your well wishes. Keep them coming. They are much needed and appreciated.
One final note regarding the chemo (which I'm sure David will outline in his post) is that David will be extremely susceptible to infection 10-14 days after treatment. This means, please don't visit if you have a cold or think you are coming down with something. We'd love to see you, but keep your germs to yourself.
David will be home blogging in no time.

Game On!

2007-10-13T21:13:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow I check in to Princess Margaret Hospital. By the time I return home on Wednesday, I'll have my G-tube in place and I'll have undergone my first dose of chemo and my first two sessions of radiation therapy. As much fun as this all sounds, I decided I needed something a little more enjoyable to look forward to while recovering at home.

And so, I've traded in a bunch of old PS2 games and gotten a deal on a shiny new Xbox 360. My folks have been kind enough to throw in an early Christmas gift: a 19" LCD-HDTV (thanks, Mom & Dad!). Our second bedroom, soon to be my recovery room, now has a sweet little set-up for virtual distraction.

Alfredo was kind enough to help me break it in this afternoon. The time flew by as he thoroughly trounced me in a car racing game.

I've kept Alfredo up to date about my cancer treatments and we both knew today was likely our last visit for a few months. Even though I've promised to phone and e-mail often, it was a pretty sad good-bye when I dropped him back home. No worries, little buddy. I'll be back in the driver's seat before you know it.

Let the games begin.

Tubular!

2007-10-10T20:29:00.000-04:00

A quick update: I'll be checking into the hospital this Sunday, October 14 for a few days. Monday they'll be putting in my gastric feeding tube (or "G-tube"). Having this procedure now, while I'm still feeling fine, is actually much better than dealing with it in three weeks when I'll be a wreck. The G-tube will look something like this (no, that's not me in the photo):

Don't you wish you could have one?

Tuesday, my chemo and radiation treatments will begin as planned.

Treatment Begins Tuesday, October 16

2007-10-09T19:24:00.000-04:00

Before I get to the medical stuff, let me wish everyone a belated Happy Thanksgiving. Jeanette and I spent the weekend up in Harriston and joined her parents, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Dorothy for a feast of turkey with all the fixings. We also fit in more visiting time with Mike, Krystal, and baby MacKenzie. Here, at last, is a picture of the little cutie:

Despite the freakishly hot weather it felt like a good ol' fashioned Thanksgiving. I was particularly thankful for being able to taste turkey, 'cause who knows when I'll experience that again...

...which leads me to today's cancer treatment news. Jeanette and I met with medical oncologist Dr. Eric Chen to discuss my upcoming chemotherapy. Dr. Chen confirmed the treatment that Dr. O'Sullivan had predicted: three doses of chemo administered at the beginning, the middle, and the end of the 6 1/2 weeks of radiation.

The chemo drug, called Cisplatin (SIS-pla-tin), is a clear liquid that will be administered to my bloodstream via an intravenous line. These sessions will take between 30 minutes and 2 hours and they'll keep me overnight each time to deal with the nausea, to do each other's hair, and to talk about boys.

At today's appointment, they didn't yet know the start date of my radiation treatment. By the time we arrived home from work,however, there was a message on the machine from Dr. O'Sullivan's office confirming that treatment will begin at 9:15 AM on Tuesday, October 16. The countdown is on!

We go back to PMH tomorrow afternoon for another appointment with Dr. O'Sullivan to further review the details of what's a-coming.

Tongue To Be Treated

2007-10-04T20:01:00.000-04:00

It's official: I have agreed to undergo radiation therapy on my tongue. I spoke with Dr. O'Sullivan late this afternoon. On Tuesday he reviewed my case with the panel of UHN doctors, including Dr. Irish, and they came out supporting Dr. O'Sullivan's recommendation to zap the tongue. I was considering taking my friend Chad's advice and holding an American Idol style phone-in vote to decide the course of my treatment, but I suppose listening to a panel of doctors works too.

Aware of my concerns about risks to my jawbone, Dr. O'Sullivan offered two points that offer some comfort: 1) my tongue will be treated with a low dose of radiation to minimize side effects; and 2) I've never broken my jawbone, nor have I had any surgery on it before, which lessen the chances that it will be damaged by the radiation.

Nevertheless, having my tongue zapped will still be an ordeal. I'll need to be on liquid codeine to deal with the pain, and by the third week of treatment, eating will be nearly impossible. At that time I'll be admitted to the hospital for a few days to have a feeding tube inserted in my side that will provide food directly to my stomach. The tube will remain until I can handle solids again orally some time after treatment ends. Unless of course I get hooked on such an efficient means of administering nutrition. Maybe chewing is overrated?

Bad to the Bone

2007-10-01T20:10:00.000-04:00

Well, today I was all set to give Dr. O'Sullivan the thumbs up for zapping my tongue when he hit us with a new piece of information: there is a "5% to 10% chance" that radiating the tongue will cause damage to the jawbone. Repairing that damage can require surgery. Keep in mind that radiation is so hard on the mouth, that doctors worry about even extracting a tooth even years after treatment. So jaw surgery? Yikes!

My decision to go for it had basically resulted from weighing the risks of cancer recurrence in the tongue against the long-term side effects of radiating the tongue. Until today, I'd thought those long-term effects were the same as those for radiating the neck, which I'll experience regardless. But this jaw thing has thrown me for a loop. I'm back to not knowing what to do.

Seeing my renewed hesitance, Dr. O'Sullivan offered to review my case with a panel of University Health Network doctors who are meeting this week to discuss cancer patients and their treatments. He expects that they'll agree with Dr. Irish that radiating the tongue is unnecessary. Even so, Dr. O'Sullivan is worried enough by the initial spread of my cancer that he doesn't want to take any chances and so he still recommends treating the tongue. I'm to call him this Thursday to discuss the panel's thoughts. I can make my decision then. In the meantime, preparation will continue for the neck treatment.

And so, today was also my CT planning appointment, which was a replay of the mask-making appointment I had last November 15. They made me a spiffy new mask, but were able to use the same pinpoint tattoo, which means no playing connect the dots on my chest. I don't have a start-date yet for treatment, but they tell me it's usually 7 to 10 days after the planning appointment.

As for chemotherapy, we have our first meeting with the medical oncologist, Dr. Eric Chen, next Tuesday, October 9. Let's hope that appointment is less of a jaw-dropper.

Hospital Hopscotch

2007-09-21T09:46:00.000-04:00

Dateline: Palmerston

Baby Mackenzie Averi Williamson, who weighs in at 7 lbs. and change, is schedule to leave Palmerston & District hospital today and head home to Harriston with proud parents Krystal and Mike. Sorry, no baby pictures yet!

Dateline: Toronto

I've just spoken by phone with radiation oncologist Dr. O'Sullivan to discuss treatment vis-à-vis the pathology report. He confirms the need for chemotherapy and for treating both sides of the neck with radiation (though only lymph nodes level 2 & 3 on the left side, to preserve the salivary gland). These combined treatments will necessitate 6 1/2 weeks of treatment. As for the tongue, it is still "a tough call" as to whether or not it needs radiation treatment as well. I have until my first planning appointment on October 1 to decide. Does anyone else hear the Jeopardy! theme playing?

In the meantime, Dr. O'Sullivan will arrange for me to meet with a medical oncologist, who will also review the pathology report, assess my suitability for chemotherapy, and explain what chemo involves.

I also inquired, based on an inspired suggestion from Aunt Linda, about receiving treatment at Sunnybrook's cancer treatment center. Sunnybrook is 5 minutes away from home, as opposed to PMH which is 40. Dr. O'Sullivan said it is possible, but that I would have to go on a waiting list and that preference is given to those who a) aren't already in the system elsewhere, and b) are coming from out of town via the 401. He also pointed out, while admitting his own bias, that PMH is the largest, most organized, and best developed cancer treatment center in the country. Sounds good to me.

I'm an Uncle-in-Law!

2007-09-20T11:03:00.000-04:00

Much happier news!

Last night at 2:30 AM (missing Jeanette's birthday by only 2 1/2 hours) a baby girl was born to Krystal, wife of Jeanette's brother Mike, at the Palmerston and District Hospital in Palmerston, Ontario. This is their first child and everyone is happy and healthy. No word yet on the little gal's name or weight, but rest assured I'll have all the details -- and pictures -- very soon.

Hooray!

Extra-crap-ular

2007-09-20T10:54:00.000-04:00

Moments ago Dr. Irish phoned me with the results of the pathology test. Once again, it's a good news, bad news scenario. The good news is that the cancer was only present in 1 of a possible 38 lymph nodes. The bad news is that the cancer was indeed extracapsular. That means it had started to spread beyond that 1 lymph node, which, as Dr. O'Sullivan suggested earlier this week, indicates the need that I be treated with a higher dose of radiation plus chemotherapy.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled to call Dr. O'Sullivan to discuss the treatment specifics now that the pathology report is in. Stay tuned.

That's Good! That's Bad!

2007-09-17T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today's post-op appointment with Dr. Irish was full of good and bad. The pathology report wasn't in yet, which was bad, but he was able to get us in to see radiation oncologist Dr. O'Sullivan which was good.

But without the pathology report, Dr. O'Sullivan could only talk about all possible results and corresponding treatments, and that was bad. You see, if the pathology report shows that the cancer was extracapsular (i.e. spread beyond the lymph nodes), then I'll be undergoing chemotherapy simultaneously with my six weeks of radiation, which itself will be at a higher dose and on both sides of my neck (though only halfway up the left side to preserve my salivary gland). If the cancer wasn't extracapsular, then the radiation will be a lower dose on just the right side of my neck, which is, well, not good, but better.

As for the tongue, Dr. O'Sullivan will leave it to me as to whether it should also get zapped. Chances are low that the cancer would recur there, which is good, but chances were also low that the cancer would recur at all and it did, which is bad. If they radiate the tongue, there will be zero chance the cancer will recur there, which is good, but Dr. O'Sullivan reminded me again that a radiated tongue is "very unpleasant", which is bad.

I now have a new series of appointments to prep for treatment which is good, but it means missing more work, which is bad. My six weeks of treatment will begin in about three weeks time. That's good... right?

It's Alive! Alive!!!

2007-09-12T19:07:00.001-04:00

Just a quick update to say I am recovering well at home. I'm still pain-free, but my energy levels aren't yet back to normal. Mornings are better, and so I try to get in a little excercise; today I enjoyed a long walk through Mount Pleasant Cemetery. This gave me a chance to listen to a CD of good friends Allegra, Tara, and Derek performing improvised songs and acting silly between such hit tunes as a disco version of the Star Wars theme and the song from Shaft. Thanks, guys! How much will you pay me NOT to post one of your songs here on the blog?

Indeed, thank you to all for your cards, flowers, and goody baskets which have been arriving all week. A very special thanks in particular to my wise-ass sister and her partner Marianne, whose package contained the Frankenstein mask pictured above. I suppose it is important to accessorize with one's wounds. Too bad I didn't receive it earlier; I could have worn it during my morning cemetery stroll. Maybe tomorrow.

A Cutthroat Business

2007-09-09T14:24:00.000-04:00

I am home!

As Jeanette posted previously, my neck dissection was a success. Although the scar immediately after surgery was a horrific sight to behold (see above), amaziningly I experienced no pain. Instead, there is a tightness in my neck, rather like the feeling of wearing a t-shrit that's tucked in too far. The stiffness and the intensity of the scar will fade in a few weeks (so much for my surefire Halloween costume), and the only other side effects are a loss of feeling in my right ear and neck, which may or may not return. Not a big deal. My major concern was the risk to my mouth, arm, and head movement; fortunately, Dr. Irish and Dr. Bachar were able to preserve 95% of my muscle tissue and those areas haven't been affected at all. All good news!

The three-day stay at Toronto General Hospital was to allow the excess fluid resulting from the removed tissue to drain out of my body. Two tubes sutured to my chest led to a device the size of a briefcase that had a plastic window to measure the accumulation of the thick red fluid. It was kind of like the tote board at a fundraiser but without the phone pledges. Lucky for me, I had plenty of visitors who brought me reading material over those three days. I don't reccomend watching chest fluid accumulate as a fun way to pass the time.

My thanks to all for your support and words of encouragment, to my Mom and Jeanette for waiting through hours of surgery to be by my side for my groggy awakening, to my friends and family who were able to visit, and to Dr. Irish, Dr. Bachar, Cheryl, Mahadai, Ginette, and the rest of the staff at Toronto General who took care of me.

I'll remain home all this taking it easy. Radiation treatment will begin in about four weeks' time.

It's good to be home!

Post Surgery

2007-09-07T22:05:00.000-04:00

My apologies for not updating the blog yesterday, but it was an extremely long and exhausting day.

I'm so pleased to report that David's surgery went as expected. The surgical team removed the growth in level 2 of his lymph nodes as well as a small growth in level 3 (did you know that there are 5 levels of lymph nodes in your neck). They also removed some of the muscle in his neck - the muscle that assists you in raising your arm from shoulder height to above your neck. This was done to create an area of margin. It should not prevent David from waving his arms about in the future.

David is not in any pain and in fact, turned down the pain medication they offered him. He has 2 small tubes draining blood and fluid from his neck. It's a little gross.

(a picture of David and his incision was to be inserted here but blogger is not letting me upload)

We should have results of the pathology report next week. Dr. Irish's office has kept Dr. O'Sullivan apprised of David's situation and we expect to meet with Dr. O'Sullivan in the next couple of weeks to discuss radiation therapy.

David will be discharged in a couple of days - Sunday or Monday. He is up for visitors. It would greatly help fill his days if you could pop in to say hello. He's staying in the Robert McEwen building of TGH which is located in the west wing(University entrance). You'll find David on the 6th floor (6B) in room 158. He has a lovely view of the Delta Chelsea Hotel. Not to be missed.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and well wishes. We're so lucky to have such many amazing people in our life.

'Twas the Night Before Surgery...

2007-09-05T21:45:00.000-04:00

...and all through my neck,
the cancerous tissue would soon be removed, every last speck.

Just a quick update before my surgery tomorrow morning:

Jeanette and I met with Dr. Irish this afternoon, who finally assured us that the recent CT scan did not reveal anything unexpected. This is good news as it means the cancer hasn't spread any further. I check in to Toronto General Hospital tomorrow at 8:00 AM for the 10:00 AM surgery. Mom and Jeanette will hang around for the 3 to 4 hours until it's complete, then they will send out word as to how it went. Watch this space tomorrow for a posting from Jeanette with all the news.

In the meantime, for those interested in seeing some action-packed* footage from our recent trip trip out west, I recommend visiting the blog of our good friends Chad and Janice. Chad was a little over-excited about the video capabilities of his new camera and laptop, as you'll see. Enjoy!

*May not contain only trace elemens of action.

Up in the Mountains, Under the Knife

2007-08-24T11:08:00.000-04:00

Jeanette and I safely arrived in Canmore yesterday. This is my view out the window as I type this:

It was also the view I had when I received the phone call from Princess Margaret Hospital earlier this morning. I am now officially booked for surgery on Thursday, September 6 at 8:00 AM -- which means I have to be at the hospital for 6:00 AM. Yeesh! There's no anaesthetic to the dull the pain of getting up that early.

I haven't yet spoken directly with Dr. Irish (the call came from Barbara, his nurse at the Head & Neck Clinic), but evidently the CT scan results confirm the need for surgery. Barbara said he's in the OR today, but that she'd pass on a message reminding him to call. I'll post another update if he does get in touch with more information.

Triopsy

2007-08-21T12:49:00.000-04:00

Jeanette and I returned to Princess Margaret Hospital this morning and met with Dr. Gideon Bachar (who took the sample for biopsy last week), Dr. Irish, and a biopsy technician. Dr. Irish tells me it's not uncommon for a tissue sample to yield insufficient cells for a proper diagnosis. The technician was present today to check right away that the new sample was sufficient.

So, once again, Dr. Bachar inserted a needle into my neck and jiggled it around to obtain a sample. Alas, the technician gave it another thumbs down. Third time's a charm they say, but there was nothing charming about the longer needle Dr. Irish used on the third attempt. He didn't say whether or not he got what he needed, but he did take pity on my aching neck and said that was all they would do today. Jeanette agreed I looked a little like a vampire victim.

Next will be the CT scan tomorrow night. To discuss the results, we've arranged for Dr. Iris to call me on Friday in Canmore where we'll be on holiday. Next week is vacation time for the good doctor as well, so it's unlikely any treatment will take place until September, but I'll know more on Friday. If need be, I'm prepared to return early from our trip out west.

More news on Friday.

My Cancer's Back and There's Gonna Be Trouble (hey la, hey la, my cancer's back)

2007-08-20T10:44:00.000-04:00

Just when things were growing quiet here at the ol' blog, I'm sorry to report that a suspicious lump has appeared in my neck. I noticed it a week ago Sunday and was in to see Dr. Irish the following Wednesday. He immediately took a sample to biopsy, booked me for a CT scan (the evening of August 22), and had me sign the consent forms for more surgery.

Although Dr. Irish can't confirm the lump is cancerous until the biopsy results come in, its location is exactly where they'd expect any previously undetectable microscopic cancer cells to have grown. Treatment will be more surgery (less invasive than the tongue procedure, but with a longer hospital stay of two or more days) and likely radiation therapy. I'll be reuniting with radiation oncologist Dr. O'Sullivan soon.

I was hoping for the biopsy results today, but I just received a call requesting I come in for a second biopsy -- the nurse didn't have any information as to the need for a second. So, it's back to Dr. Irish's office tomorrow morning. Stay tuned for more news.

I swear this isn't a ratings grab. (Don't forget to cast your vote for "But I'm an Aries" at the 2007 Weblog Awards.)

Irish's Eyes Are Smiling... and So Is Alfredo

2007-07-11T17:54:00.000-04:00

Just a quick post to say I've received another all-clear from Dr. Irish at Princess Margaret Hospital. Today was the third of my bi-monthly post-op check-ups. In his words, everything looks "perfect."

And if that wasn't reason enough to smile, check out this photo:

A rare giant smile from the camera-shy kid. Last Wednesday (July 4) Alfredo and I enjoyed a day at Canada's Wonderland and a barbecue dinner courtesy of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and the Toronto Police Association. Alfredo had never been on a roller coaster before, so for his maiden voyage, I took him on the "gentlest" coaster in the park: the Ghoster Coaster. As you can see, he loved it. Wish I could say the same for that poor kid in front of us...

We graduated up to such supercoasters as the Vortex (fast!) and even the Bat (upside down! backwards!). Alfredo loved 'em all and would have ridden every ride in the park if not for the limitations of his Big Brother's stomach. Fortunately, he let me intersperse gentler activities (mini-golf, waterfall divers) between things that spin. Thank goodness, because the threat of rain kept the crowds away and the line-ups were very short. I'd never before realized the benefit of an hour-long line for a coaster: it offers you time to recover from the last ride!

Fathers and Sons and Wives and Sisters and Brothers

2007-06-24T18:14:00.000-04:00

It was another action-packed week, making this my busiest June on record (well, if you consider this blog the record). Early Monday -- appropriately, the morning after Father's Dad -- Dad picked me up for what I hope will become a regular event: a father-son trip. For our maiden (boyish?) voyage, we headed for Ottawa.

I hadn't been to our nation's capital in a decade and was looking forward to checking out the city's impressive list of galleries and museums. In particular, we were both looking forward to the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography; unfortunately, it is currently closed for major reconstruction.

Instead, our first museum stop became the National Gallery of Canada. Their single contemporary photography exhibit doesn't compare with an entire museum of photographs, but we did very much enjoy the feature exhibit of Renoir paintings. Further to my Met visit earlier this month, I'm becoming quite the Impressionista. So inspired, and craving more contemporary photos, I took this picture of a fountain in the Gallery's lobby. Consider it a limited edition Wichman.

We also explored the Canadian Museum of Civilization, where I enjoyed seeing many of the Inuit artifacts featured in a book I recently finished editing. But it was the Canadian War Museum that really blew us away (pardon the pun). We spent an entire afternoon there and only made it as far as World War II before closing time. We were particularly fascinated to learn more about Canada's role in the Boer War. It was the first time Canadian soldiers served in an conflict on the other side of the world, and the citizens of our newly formed country were divided as to how they felt about it. Sound familiar?

Apart from the museums, a real highlight of the trip was the fine dining we enjoyed in the evenings: the restaurants Beckta and Signatures (the latter is run by Le Cordon Bleu culinary institution). The food was stunning, both litearlly -- I was stuffed almost to the point of pararlysis -- and figuratively; I can honestly say that Beckta served the best foie gras in a mushroom terrine with white truffle oil and an apple-sherry jam that I've ever tasted. After full days of museum tromping, it was wonerful to sit and enjoy such fine meals and good conversation with my father. Thanks, Dad. Here's to more such trips in the future.

(That's a paper boat sailing down the Rideau Canal. For the purposes of this blog entry, consider it the equivalent of riding off into the sunset.)

But the fine dining wasn't over yet. No sooner was I home from Ottawa that Jeanette and I celebrated our fourth wedding anniversary with a meal at our favourite neighborhood restaurant Kamasutra. For the record, flowers are the traditional gift for the fourth anniversary so:

I gave Jeanette a bouquet of her favourite peonies. Happy Anniversary, my love!

But wait, there's more! My sister Leighann and her partner Marianne were in town with some friends and a busy agenda of their own, including the True Colors tour, a conference in Guelph, and Toronto's Pride Week.

Between our busy week and theirs, we managed to see each other for two dinners and a brunch. Are you sensing how much we like food in this family?

And finally, this weekend was also the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto 2007 Celebration of Friendship picnic. This year had a pirate theme, so every kid received a pirate hat. Alfredo loaned me his when I grew too pooped to play more soccer.

While I was content to look like a dork on the sdielines, Alfredo looked cool (and kept cool) by continuing to play even with a sno-cone in hand.

He scored a goal without spilling a drop. Let's see Zidane do that!

All in all, a busy week filled with fun activities with people I adore. And that also makes it one of the best Junes on record (even beyond the record of this blog).

From Big Apple to Big Brother (of the Year!)

2007-06-13T20:23:00.000-04:00

*phew* It's been non-stop action since Jeanette and I returned from New York. So much to catch up on! First, the rest of the Big Apple:

We began our last full day in the city with a leisurely brunch in the village, followed by a trip to Magnolia bakery. Jeanette wanted to try those much-talked-about cupcakes, while I opted for the banana pudding -- highly recommended by Anton and now by me. Later, we strolled through Central Park on our way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. At the Met, we spent most of our time among the impresionists, though it was neo-impressionst Georges-Pierre Seurat's "Circus Sideshow" that most intrigued me. Amazing to see pointillsm up close and personal, though it does make you feel like you need your eyes checked. Maybe all the impressionists were near-sighted?

From the Met we headed south on foot and paid visits to Bergdorf's, Grand Central Station, and finally the Dean & Deluca at Rockefeller Center to meet Antonio. Sadly, he couldn't dine with us due to a work crisis, so Jeanette and I headed back to the apartment. We hit the Village once again for a wonderful last-night meal at Extra Virgin (wonderful gazpacho soup!) and spent the rest of time at Anton's gorging on his HBO and Showtime on demand (Curb Your Enthusiasm and Dexter).

We arrived back in Toronto Wednesday night, and Thursday morning I donned my finest suit and went to work. I don't normally wear a suit at work (though perhaps I should -- lots of compliments!), but that night was the Big Night Out -- the annual black-tie fundraising dinner for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto. Alfredo and I were invited to accept the Big Brother of the Year award! I received the call a few weeks ago, and right up until they handed us our framed award, it hadn't really sunk in.

It's an incredible honour to have received this award, and Alfredo and I both were a little overwhelmed at the scale of the event: Hundreds of guests dressed to the nines, CEOs, celebrities, TV cameras... We weren't required to give a speech or anything, but even so we both felt more relaxed once the ceremony was over and we could dig into our desserts. We made room for the chocolate mousse (his) and strawberry-rhubarb tart (mine) even though neither of us had finished our main course -- fortunately, Alfredo had the presence of mind to request doggie bags to take the gourmet food home to his mom and sisters. What a kid!

Here we are (far left) with the Big and Little Brother and Sister award-winners from all the other categories. On the far right is BBBST interim president Sandy Somers, who phoned us in May with the good news.

And here we are with Match Support Coordinator extraordinaire Michelle Bernstein.

As you see, Alfredo was in full-blown deer-in-headlights camera-shy mode, so it's wonderful that the framed award includes such a great picture. I've never been able to capture one of Alfredo's big smiles on camera. Lucky for me, Big Brothers doesn't grant this award based on photographic evidence!

That weekend we played our first game of soccer this season in the park, then went for burgers and ice cream. A little more our speed after the Big Night Out, and a wonderful way to round out an unforgettable week.

When David Met Reuben

2007-06-04T18:23:00.001-04:00

Jeanette arrived on Saturday without problem and we managed to meet at the convention center, despite our decision to meet "at the Starbucks." It turns out that at the Javits Center, agreeing to meet at the Starbucks is like agreeing to meet "at the tree" in a forest. Nevertheless, we found each other and were swept off by friend and author Mark Shulman for a quick tour of his neighborhood (the guy is -- no kidding -- a card-carrying tour guide fully authorized by the city).

It wasn't long before our stomachs were rumbling, so Mark took us to the world famous (take note Druxy's) Katz's Deli. You may know the place from such films as When Harry Met Sally ("I'll have what she's having.") It turns out that Meg Ryan wasn't performing -- the food is that good.

(photo by Leon Barnard: http://www.leonland.com/travels/ny4/)

I ordred a Reuben and I can honestly say it was the best sandwich I've ever experienced. And "experience" is le mot juste. Mark showed us the ropes, including the proper tipping technique to get the best pastrami and which beer goes best with which sandwich. He even proved his chops as a true New Yorker by finishing his own sandwich and a good chunk of a friend's. Jeanette managed less than half of her roast beef while I had to leave a third of Reuben behind. I'll miss ya Reub. We had some good times.

After the world's biggest sandwich and a glass of beer, I slipped into a food coma, so Jeanette carried me back to the hotel. Unfortuantely, this meant missing Mark's ensuing pub crawl tour of the lower east side. Fortunately, I awoke from my coma the next morning feeling refreshed. I was able to work the last day of BookExpo America without any ill effects, and Jeanette enjoyed a day at the spa. That night, we met Anton and Vinaya for dinner at the Blue Smoke restaurant for some top notch barbecued ribs. More meat-induced unconsciousness soon ensued.

This morning, we woke up to tropical-storm-level rains. Fortunately, they let up by lunch time and Jeanette and I set out for Soho, where I visited the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art while Jeanette did some shopping.

The museum had an interesting retrospective of Stan Lee (including some of his original type-written "scripts" for the first The Fantastic Four comic) and a fascinating exhibit on the depiction of African-American characters in 20th century comics.

The sun has now come out and it's a cool, beautiful evening in New York and tomorrow is supposed to be equally gorgeous... much better for seeing the sights.

Return to New York: BookExpo America

2007-05-31T14:09:00.000-04:00

I rose bright and early (well, early anyway) this morning at 3:50 AM to catch my 6:20 AM flight to NYC. This head start on the day gave me enough time to drop my bags at my cousin's apartment, race to the Jacob Javits Convention Center and set up the Annick display booth, and then meet Anton for lunch at 12:30 PM. I'm now back at his place to pick up my bags and head for the hotel -- check-in time is 3:00 PM.

For the folks in the office, here's the booth (Kathy, those zip-ties were a life-saver!):

Some fine-looking books, no? More New York adventures to come.

Two Shows. One Week. No waiting.

2007-05-20T17:29:00.000-04:00

A quick shameless plug for two shows I'm involved with this week:

BPPA CABARET 2007

Everyone's favourite publishing event of the year has arrived. Yes, that's right, it's the BPPA's annual CABARET! This must-see show featuress nudity, strong language, strobe lights, and cheaper tickets than ever before!! But wait, there's more! Cabaret is also culturally and intellectually enriching, with skits on topical issues such as children’s books on capital punishment, attack ad campaigns, and a new rating system for books.

Warning: This show may cause excessive laughter. Fun will be had.

May 23 2007

Doors open at 7:00pm, Location: Back Room of Clinton's Tavern, 693 Bloor Street, the corner of Bloor and Clinton - Christie is the nearest subway station.

To reserve tickets RSVP to info@bppa.ca

And...

The Blue Margarets @ The Charlotte Room

New York Potpourri

2007-05-13T19:18:00.000-04:00

I arrived safely back in Toronto from New York on Wednesday afternoon. Here is an update on the rest of my adventures in the Big Apple, including a few details I neglected in earlier posts.

My Cousin Rocks with Frank

Upon arriving at Anton's apartment from the airport the day I arrived, I found a note in the front hall instructing me to immediately hit "play" on iTunes on the computer. Doing so cued Frank Sinatra to start singing New York, New York. What a perfect welcome to the city.

Spider-Man Week in NYC

My time in the city overlapped with Spider-Man Week, another promising omen of the good luck I'd have duirng my visit; I obsessively collected Spider-Man comics in my teens. As part of the promotional brouhaha, the public library had classic Spider-Man comics on display, including several issues I have in my collection. Am I really that old?

Day of Rest and a Festival Film

Last Sunday was spent not only recovering from last Saturday, but also attending the final day of the 6th annual Tribeca Film Festival. Every year, festival attendees vote on their favorite film of the festival (known as the Cadillac Award). Anton, Vinaya, and I saw this year's winner, a very moving documentary called We Are Together (Thina Simunye). British filmmaker Paul Taylor followed the efforts of a ramshackle South African orphanage as they tried to raise money by producing a CD of their orphans singing. The music was beautiful and the personalities of the young children, most of whom had lost their parents to AIDS, were irrepressible. The children had been in New York to accompany the film at the festival, but unfortunately had already left by the screening we saw. A wonderful film. See it if you can.

Author! Author!

On my last full day in the city, I paid a visit to Mark Shulman, long-time New Yorker and co-author of the first book I edited for Annick, Attack of the Killer Video Book: Tips and Tricks for Young Directors (available at fine bookstores everywhere -- get yours today!). Mark gave me a great skyline tour from his building's rooftop and then took me for a pair of mini-burgers at Pop Burger.

We finished up with a quick jaunt through the Chelsea Market, housed in an old Nabisco factory. Unfortunately, I had to rush off to finish my prep-work for the following day's sales conference, otherwise I would love to have spent the rest of the day touring the city with Mark -- he's an excellent guide (and a talented writer, why not pick up a copy of Attack of the Killer Video Book and find out?).

Leave 'em Laughing

I spent my last night in New York rounding out my Broadway experience (begun on my first night with Deuce) by seeing Monty Python's Spamalot. Lotsa laughs -- a great time at the theatre.
My presentations at the next day's sales conference went smoothly, and I managed to catch an earlier flight home, making for a perfect ending to a fantastic trip. Forget San Francisco; I left my heart in New York. Fortunatley, I can pick it up when I'm there again next month.

Surprise Guest at the Comedy Cellar

2007-05-08T02:23:00.000-04:00

Just got back from an evening of stand-up at the Comedy Cellar. Chris Rock showed up and performed about 45 minutes of new material he's working on. Not bad value for my $10.00 cover and two drink minimum. Gotta love this town.

The City So Nice, I'm Visiting Twice

2007-05-07T19:13:00.000-04:00

I don't travel much, but when I do, it comes in twos. Consider May and June of 2001, when -- having never before been any further afield than Florida --I traveled to Europe and then Japan. Now, six years later, here I am in New York City. I'll also be visiting again in early June. Both trips are based around work and on both occasions I've arranged for vacation days in order to explore the city, this time alone and next time with Jeanette.

Two trips are clearly not going to be enough. Nevertheless, I'm doing my best to pack in what I can. It will be a photo finish to see who gives out first: me or my wallet. Thankfully for both, good ol' cousin Anton lives here in Manhattan. He's been generous enough to lend me his apartment as a free base of operations and his expertise on what to see and where to eat. Here is a quick run through of some what I've been up to in the Big Apple.

Inside, Outside, Upside Books

Friday afternoon, I stopped in at the main branch of the New York Public Library. This place is enough to make anyone who likes libraries weak in the knees. I lingered in the main reading room just long enough to recognize it from Ghostbusters and to fantasize about spending long afternoons among the hushed presence of all those books. That day was too beautiful to stay inside, however, so I quickly returned to the sunshine.

Behind the library is Bryant Park, where I was pleasantly surprised to find an outdoor reading area, complete with several racks of books, provided by the library. I grabbed a book of short stories (Sky Over El Nido by C.M. Mayo) and read until they came to close up shop for the day. This was my view:

Angela does Deuce

That evening, I met Anton and his girlfriend Vinaya for a Broadway show called Deuce. It was remarkable to see these two powerhouse talents performing as two retired tennis pros reflecting on their lives and how the world has changed since their heyday. On the other end of the spectrum, and to roundout my Broadway experience, I'll be seeing Monty Python's Spamalot tomorrow night.

Saturday in the Park with Anton & Vinaya

Saturday morning we met for breakfast, stopped by the famous Magnolia bakery (see Sex in the City and the SNL digital short "Lazy Sunday") for some cupcakes, and then headed to Central Park. It was another amazing day weather-wise and we had a wonderful time strolling this most impressive of urban green spaces. Before lunch we popped into the Metropolitan Museum and marvelled at their newly rennovated Roman and Greek Calleries. Lunch was directly across the street at the Viennese eatery Cafe Sabarsky.

That night we hit the town. Anton and I went for drinks at the Stone Rose lounge at the Time Warner Center and then joined Vinaya and her birthday-girl friend at Art Bar for more drinks. We finished up the evening at a friend's party, where I spent most of my time fending off the children's book pitches from a school chum of Anton's.

Day of Rest

Sunday was spent mostly recovering from Saturday night's liquid dinner.

Live from New York, It's a Disappointing Tour!

Today I hit the Rockefeller Center where I took the NBC studio tour. Most of it was rather hokey, but we did visit the studio where Saturday Night Live is shot, which greatly pleased my inner and outer improviser. And speaking of comedy, in a few minutes, I'm heading out to the Comedy Cellar for an evening of stand-up at a place that's seen more than a few not-ready-for-prime-time players grace its stage. It's gotta be funnier than the corny jokes of the NBC tour guides. After the tour, I took the elevator to the "Top of the Rock" for my first high-up perspective of the city. Breathtaking.

Tomorrow I check in to the hotel for Wednesday's sales conference. I head home to Toronto Wedneday night. I'll post details and photos of my further adventures sometime thereafter. But wait! There'll be even more shenanigans to report when Jeanette and I return to the Big Apple in June. You lucky devils.

Let the Games Begin

2007-04-29T12:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not sporty. I made this clear to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto when I began volunteering with them. I was haunted by visions of being matched with a sports-crazy kid who would inevitably be disappointed by a non-athletic, bookwormy big brother. So I was thrilled when they matched me up with Alfredo, an awesome, clever, and upbeat kid who loves to read. Sure, on the day we met four years ago he showed me his track and field ribbons. But hey, the only sport I was invovled with in high school (albeit briefly) was the track and field team; in fact, running very fast was the only athletic ability I'd had as a kid. It was a perfect match!

Since Alfredo and I have been friends, I have witnessed (with growing alarm) his increasing interest in sports. He can now rattle off detailed sports statistics for the NHL, NBA, and FIFA. We now regularly kick around the soccer ball in the summer, and he can already run rings around me. I am considering fitting him with lead cleats to improve my chances, but am I only prolonging being permantly left in the dust?

Two recent sporting events have made me appreciate our diverging interests. Big Brothers gave us tickets to last weekend's basketball game at the Air Canada Centre and to the home-opener of Toronto's new soccer team the FC this weekend. I've seen two previous Raptors games in my life, but enjoyed last Sunday's game more than I ever have before. It was a close, exciting game (Raptors 107, Knicks 105) and I had a blast cheering on the team alongside Alfredo.

Yesterday's soccer game wasn't nearly as exciting (Toronto is still a fledling team and they lost 0-1 to the Kansas City Wizards), but being there for the first ever game in the new BMO Stadium was a lot of fun in itself.

It was while sitting with Alfredo in our excellent seats, wearing our Toronto FC inaugural scarves, that I was struck by two things. 1) How really cool the experience was; and 2) That I wouldn't be having it if it weren't for Alfredo and Big Brothers. And therein lies the reward of any relationship. Common interests may bring you together, but unexpected richness can be found in exposing each other to passions outside your own comfort zone. I've often made a conscious effort to introduce Alfredo to new things (such as plays at Toronto's Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People and foreign films at Sprockets), but I haven't often considered how it works both ways. Thanks to Alfredo, I've now enjoyed basketball and soccer games, fishing trips, snowshoeing excursions, and other weekend outings I wouldn't likely have otherwise experienced.

True, none of the have turned me into a jock, but they have made me more appreciative of Alfredo's interests and a richer individual. You gotta love a volunteer position with those kind of benefits (and the free tickets aren't bad either).

Another All-Clear from the Doc

2007-04-23T11:12:00.000-04:00

This morning was my second follow-up appointment with Dr. Irish since January's surgery. After a quick check of my tongue, throat, and neck, he declared that everything looks fine. This is as I expected, but nevertheless comforting to have confirmed by a professional.

My next appointment is the morning of June 25, when I'll also be participating in a research study, which consists of a 90-minute interview on the topic of "Cultural Syndromes, Coping, and Illness Intrusiveness in Cancer."

It's Like Moviephone for Your Eyes!

2007-03-26T13:58:00.000-04:00

More details about Saturday's show:

The Cuban Missive Crisis

2007-03-25T14:23:00.000-04:00

Despite my less than stellar performance with The Blue Margarets last month (see last post), they've invited me back for this month's show: Saturday, March 31 at 8:30 PM at The Charlotte Room (12 Charlotte St., between King and Adelaide). Want to see some high-octane side-splitting improvisational comedy? Well, Second City is just down the street. But we're so much cheaper (pay whay you can) -- in every sense of the word.

In other performance (i.e. desperate for attention) news, I was asked by co-worker and IBBY Canada president Susan Shipton to emcee at last week's Hot Hot Cuba! fundraiser. The International Board on Books for Young People is a non-profit organization that works to bring children and books together around the world. The biennial Cuban-themed party raises money to send books to kids in the land of Castro. This year's shindig was held at Toronto's Lula Lounge and featured salsa dancing taught by a smoldering Venezualan, the passionate rhthyms of Lady Son and her band Articulo Veinte, and, er, me.

It seems that a higher-profile individual with stronger ties to the Latin American community was unavailable. I can only assume that all those hours of watching I Love Lucy as a child are what got me the gig. So, I took the pre-written announcements, grabbed the mike, and gave it my Presbyterian-white-boy-from-London-Ontario all. In spite of this, there was an impressive turnout and a good time seemed to be had by all.

On with the Show

2007-03-08T10:58:00.000-05:00

I see by the ol' calendar that it has been almost a month since my last post. I started this blog to keep family and friends apprised of my cancer situation. Although I'm unspeakably grateful that the threat has passed, I now face the daunting possibility that my non-diseased self is less interesting than my cancer-facing self. In the interest of keeping myself (and, by extension, this blog) interesting, I will be wrestling sharks on a weekly basis and posting the photos here.

Okay, not really. But I will continue making regular posts about the goings-on in my life that I hope you, dear reader, will find interesting and entertaining. Today: two quick updates on my fledgling hobby as a comedian.

1) The Tongue Was Willing, But the Brain Was Weak

This past Saturday night, I once again joined the improv troupe The Blue Margarets for their monthly performance at The Charlotte Room here in Toronto. It was my first performance since the surgery and although my reduced tongue hasn't impacted on my speech, I was nevertheless nervous. Turns out it was my brain that I should have been worried about. Four months without improv has left my skills a little rusty. I was slow on picking up other performers' offers, forgetful about key elements of scenes, and generally sloppy about keeping the audience entertained. Nevertheless, I was grateful for the chance to shake off the rust. Hopefully I'll be all the more prepared for the next show, assuming the Margarets ask me back...

2) Sure, It's Funny in Practice, But Is It Funny on Paper?

Last fall I joined a group called the Book Publishers' Professional Association. The BPPA puts on an annual cabaret of sketches and songs poking fun at the year in publishing, and I've volunteered to contribute some scripts. This will be my first time scripting comedy since my internship at YTV in '98-'99 and the first writing I've done since studying improv. I've found it fascinating to feel my improv skills kick in while I was writing, especially concepts such as advancing the scene, upping the comedic stakes, and the benefits of strong characters. I've already submitted three sketches and will be interested to see how they come to life (or not) when performed. The cabaret committee met last night to firm up the set list and I think it's going to be a fun show. If not, I'll go back to wrestling sharks.

Happy News

2007-02-12T10:08:00.000-05:00

Jeanette and I have just returned from my follow-up appointment with Dr. Irish and the news is great: all signs indicate that I am now cancer free!

A microscopic trace of cancer was found in 1 mm of the several centimeters of tissue he removed from my tongue. It's very good, then, that that 1 mm of tissue was removed, and it is better still that the rest of the excised tissue was more than enough of a buffer to safely ensure the cancer hadn't spread any further. Dr. Irish reports a less than 5% chance that the cancer will reappear.

To help ensure early detection of any such reocurrence, the good surgeon and I will be entering into a long-term relationship: I'll see him every two months for the next year, every three months in year two, every four months in year three, every five months in year four, and every six months in year five. After five cancer-free years, Dr. Irish typically breaks up with patients over 40, but because of my youth, charm, and good looks, he'd like us to keep seeing each other biannually beyond year five. Given all that he's done for me, it's the very least I can do for him... especially so close to Valentine's Day.