the pod bay door

:: I had a nice time this evening with some of my cousins, visiting them and their families, and my Auntie Carol, at Birds Hill Park, north of Winnipeg. I arrived home to find a note from my dad regarding my mom, who has been in considerable pain for about six weeks, with an infected left shoulder. The note said that she is in the hospital having surgery. My dad called a few moments ago, and told me that the surgery is over, but my mom will need to stay in the hospital for a couple days. He said an orthopedic surgeon did the work, and that a scope was used. I hope they were able to discover the problem.

:: This just in: watch for the new right-wing weather channel from Fox News.

:: The Emmy Nominations, released today, were as usual, predictable for their omissions, if nothing else. But I was astonished that Ian McShane did not receive the nod for Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Series for his portrayal of saloon operator Al Swearengen, in HBO’s Deadwood – unbelievable, unforgivable and regrettable. HBO received 124 Emmy nominations, including 20 for The Sopranos and 11 for Deadwood, which was also passed over for Best Dramatic Series. McShane gave the performance of his career in the 12 episodes of Deadwood which aired this year. Gary Dretzka, writing in TV Barn, agrees, highlighting the snub of McShane by the Academy, as well as other predictable omissions. One nomination that was long overdue was Mariska Hargitay for Law and Order: Special Victims Unit. Read every prime-time Emmy nomination here, if you need to know them all.

:: As mentioned below, it was raining on the morning of July 9, but stopped around 10 am. Later in the day (Friday, July 9), Charles and I drove to Bowring Park, where the wedding was held, to discover that the chairs had been set up on the lawn, meaning the ceremony was to be held outside! A microphone and speaker were in place, along with a long extension cord for the guitar amplifier.

I set up my equipment, tested the sound system and amplifier, and everything was working fine. People began to arrive, and around 4:40 pm, I began “noodling” on the guitar, playing a selection of pieces, even making up stuff on the spot. At 5:00 pm, Kim’s Uncle Dave, who was officiating the ceremony, began walking towards the area where the wedding would take place, followed by the groomsmen and Geoff. Then, the bridesmaids and Kim and her father followed, while I played Pachelbel’s Canon.
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:: Greetings from The Rock. I am in Paradise. Paradise, Newfoundland, just outside of St John’s. Kim and Geoff are to be married in about 3 hours. I am staying with Charles and Debbie, friends of Kim’s, and they are the most incredible, gracious hosts. The flight from Toronto was delayed two hours on Wed night, and didn’t land in St John’s until 1:45 am Newfoundland time. I hit the sack around 4:15 am Thursday morning.

Last evening, there was a short wedding rehearsal, followed by a bbq, with a number of invited guests. It was sunny and warm, but when the sun set, the temperature dropped to under 10C! We were in our jackets, but having a great time. I played some guitar, and was joined by a family friend, John, who played the spoons. A few Beatles tunes were sung, and John sang three traditional Newfie songs as well! It was also Geoff’s birthday, and we had drumstick cake to celebrate. Needless to say, I am eating well, and not exercising, so am feeling a bit sluggish!

It was raining heavily this morning, but stopped three hours ago, so the prospect of a 5:00 pm outdoor ceremony is looking better. Tomorrow, Kenton and Susan and I will begin a three-day, post-wedding stay in St John’s and surrounding area, including a whale watching boat trip.

:: Some of the latest news on Fahrenheit 9/11 and Michael Moore:

• Fahrenheit 9/11 has set a number of box office records, and continues to do great business in its third week.
• Craig Unger, who appears in F9/11, and is the author of House of Bush, House of Saud, responds to Michael Isikoff of Newsweek, with How Many Mistakes Can Newsweek’s Michael Isikoff Make?, in partial response to Isikoff’s June 28, 2004, Under The Hot Lights column.
• A stunning photo of Moore is featured on the cover of the July 12, 2004, issue of Time. Featured articles include:
  – The World According To Michael;
  Taking aim at George W., a populist agitator makes noise, news and a new kind of political entertainment
  – The Moore Method
  – The Cultural Campaign
• Moore now has a blog.
  

:: The trip to Winnipeg thus far has been a lot of fun. Very busy, visiting both relatives and friends. Last night, Mike, Steve and I spent a couple hours visiting Chester Cuthbert, local book collector and member of First Fandom. Chester is now 91, and will turn 92 later this year. He remains in good health for someone in his age range, and he enjoyed our visit. We were able to spend a bit of time rummaging about the hundreds of boxes of books in the basement and second floor of his home, stirring up a few memories along the way.

On Saturday, we attended Tony‘s 50th birthday party. On Sunday, I went to another party, celebrating the 4th of July, at the home of my Aunt Eleanor and Uncle Carl, who previously lived in Tampa, Florida, for over 20 years. While there, I saw another friend, Natasha, who currently lives in Germany. She had flown in the day before, to attend two weddings later in the month in Winnipeg. Aunt Eleanor and her sister, my Aunt Ida, were in Germany in June, visiting relatives, and this morning, she shared her photos of the trip with me. The relatives there are descendants of my grandfather’s brother, Leslie, and his sister, Margaret.

I have otherwise been lazy, sleeping in, and then taking afternoon naps. Having not exercised for over a week, I feel like a slug! Tomorrow I fly to St John’s for the wedding, and will return to Winnipeg on July 13th. The time flies.

:: I drove into Winnipeg this afternoon, from Langenburg SK. The 4-hour trip took me through a storm system that alternated between a few drops of rain and a steady downpour. Driving at times was hazardous.