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November, 2010

  1. Fishbowl

    November 30, 2010 by Gail

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    Not exactly living in one, but showering in one… it’s my new shower curtain, kind of a tradition I’ve concocted whereby at the end of every year I change my shower curtain because it turns the bathroom into a different environment. It’s the cheapest major change you can make to a room (less than $20!). I’d really like one of those clear plastic maps of the world, but I haven’t been able to find it in the local shops (haven’t looked online, though).

    I was trying to get one of the cats in on this shower curtain photo — it would make an interesting scene, a fishbowl and a cat — but as per usual they wouldn’t cooperate. Apparently a plastic fishbowl is no substitute for the real thing.

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    Posted in House of Fielding | 1 Comment

  2. New York: The Food Post

    November 29, 2010 by Gail

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    The House of Fielding is snowed under by editing work, still, and falling asleep at the computer. I just can’t keep my eyes open any more, I’m calling it a night. Plus, I’m driving my youngest cancer patient to date in the morning: a five-year old boy.

    People ask me all the time why nothing seems to faze me, not even a stolen wallet or my car breaking down. Everyone says the same thing: that I’m very calm about it. You know why? In part it’s because I drive cancer patients in the morning. Whatever else happens that day gets put into perspective. Last week a patient told me how grateful she is that the volunteer driver program exists, and said that good things will come my way. “They already have,” I said. “I’m healthy.”

    And now on with the food…

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    As seen through a restaurant window. Sorry, vegetarians.

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    Eric’s baklava — it was the biggest piece I’ve ever seen!

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    Eric eating a street falafel (not so evident by a black and white treatment of this photo), from a stand that won a vendor award.

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    The proud vendor, who gave us free samples!

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    It’s all about the food shots, even the food I don’t eat (maraschino cherries – ick!).

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    French toast stuffed with cheese — I believe it was mascarpone or maybe a Greek equivalent?

    And last but not least, White Castle, the home of the slider and where Gene ate NINE of them, much to our horror!

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    Posted in Food + Drink, Volunteering/Charity | No Comments

  3. Ricoh Coliseum Ice Skating Party

    November 28, 2010 by Gail

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    So last night I had this bright idea for us to wear hats at Ricoh Coliseum this morning while we were shooting a company ice skating party. (Actually, it’s my company, which I refer to as The Firm.) Byron wore the elf hat:

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    Most of the party was entertainment for little kids, of which there were many! There were inflatable bouncy castles, face-painters, balloon artists, pony rides, a Mad Science show, a gingerbread cookie-decorating station, mini electric cars, a caricature artist, hockey, and general skating time. But I’m only going to post photos of the food, of which there was a great abundance:

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    Next year I’m going to pile up a big plate and put it by the portable photo printers so I can print and eat at the same time! Here’s something I found handy while shooting this event: put people in front of the white snowman made of inflatable balloons to set white balance. Thanks, snowman!

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    Posted in cameraphone, events, Food + Drink | 1 Comment

  4. Black Creek Village By Cameraphone

    November 27, 2010 by Gail

    After sleeping in for the first time in what felt like forever, I suddenly had to step on it to get all my errands run on time: get a new bank card, fetch the car from Parkdale where I’d left it on Friday and forgot about it in the kerfuffle of the wallet getting stolen, get to a ServiceOntario office that was open on Saturday to replace my drivers license before they shut at 1pm, rush to the vet in midtown to pick up the cat supplies (kidney diet food and Beano’s subcutaneous fluids) before they closed at 1:30, then north of the city to Black Creek Pioneer Village for 2pm to meet the clients and assistant and location scout for the winter wedding.

    Since I had my passport in my bag as my only major piece of photo ID to replace my bank card and drivers license, I didn’t want to tempt fate by carrying the DSLR around, too, and relied on the cameraphone to take photos at Black Creek Pioneer Village.

    All missions accomplished today! Whew! Well, except for one: I went to the 52 Division police station downtown to report the stolen wallet because I waited so long for them last night I fell asleep. I tried to report everything over the phone, but they told me I had to speak to an officer and dispatched a car to my house. It being Friday night, I gave up waiting, but I was willing to wait at the police station because I thought it would be faster. They can’t ignore you when you’re the only person sitting in the waiting area. I also didn’t want them to ring the bell at 2am or the neighbours to wonder why the police are at my door at all.

    One desk person told me I could report it over the phone — !! — and I said no way, I phoned twice and I was told I couldn’t do it except in person. So he phoned and got the same story I did. I wasn’t there long before another officer told me to go home and try again Sunday, when it was quieter. Apparently the entertainment district keeps them very busy on a Saturday, which I totally believe since I used to live next to it — lots of drunk-and-disorderlies. We’ll see what happens tomorrow. I’ve got a company function to photograph at Ricoh Coliseum from 9:00-1:00, and then I can get this police report finally sorted.

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    Posted in cameraphone, Urban Life | 2 Comments

  5. Petty Thievery Strikes Again, Three Years Later

    November 26, 2010 by Gail

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    Astoria, NY

    Well, it’s been three years to the month, but my wallet was stolen AGAIN, this time not when I was travelling but while I was at a cafe at Eaton Centre. This time it’s simpler because:

    • I’m not in a foreign country
    • I don’t need a translator at the police station
    • I don’t have to rely on the kindness of police officers to take up a collection so I can take a bus to the airport because I only have foreign currency
    • I don’t have to sleep in an airport
    • nor do I have to make my way from one airport to the next in a third country
    • I can go home and eat instead of go hungry because I can’t pay for anything and I’m not in one place long enough to get emergency cash
    • et cetera!

    In short, this isn’t ANYWHERE near the saga of Fez-Barcelona-London-Toronto. I still haven’t written out the whole story, but there’s part of it.

    I cancelled the bank and credit cards, but by that point the thieves enjoyed multiple shopping sprees. I decided to report this to the police in case the thieves decide to take things a step further, i.e., identity fraud. I have plenty of information in the wallet to do it: drivers license, health card, auto insurance, etc.

    To put things in perspective, if this had happened a week ago just before my trip to New York or during the trip, I’d be in trouble and it would’ve killed my weekend. As it stands, there was hardly any cash, I’m REALLY glad they didn’t take my DSLR (which had the newest lens on it and was right beside my bag), and the stuff I’d just bought at Best Buy and need for Sunday’s event wasn’t touched. It could have been so much worse! I’ll get a new debit card in the morning — I’m a block away from my bank, rather than six time zones — and get a replacement driver’s license for $10 right away.

    While this sort of thing is extremely aggravating and inconvenient, I didn’t lose more than $30, postage stamps, and the time it takes to cancel and replace cards. The important part is, I’m not losing any travel time and this weekend can continue as planned.

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    Posted in Consumer, Raconteurism | 11 Comments

  6. Confessions Of A Reluctant Editor

    November 25, 2010 by Gail

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    So long, and thanks for all the fish, Astoria!

    I should title this “Confessions of a Procrastinating Editor”. I make no bones about the fact that editing takes 1,298,451 times longer than shooting and drives me to drink bananas. (Heh, that looks like I’m saying I drink bananas, but anyway.) I’m a hunter, not a cook. So unlike the non-Catholic that I am, I am going to make a short confessional list of what bits of the internet I blame for distracting me these days:

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    As for the fish pictures, if there is a connection between them and this post, it is purely accidental.

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    Posted in Blah Blah Blah, Working Life | 2 Comments

  7. On Being

    November 24, 2010 by Gail

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    Astoria, NY

    A teenager who watched me shoot recently asked if I’d always wanted to be a photographer.

    I don’t know why it struck me as a funny question, but my first involuntary response was to laugh, then I said no. Then I thought I’d better take the question a little more seriously. After all, I started this photography thing later in life than most do, but how would anyone really know unless I mentioned it?

    My goal isn’t to be a photographer. It still isn’t. I want to photograph well, but my only goal in life is to be a good person. I want to do many things, continue to learn and grow, improve my competencies, but to be a [insert occupation here] is not a goal for me. I just want to be a good person with an interesting life.

    I’ve been thinking about my answer for a while. I don’t know if it was adequate. I remember being a teenager and how unclear the future seemed to be. I wasn’t even particularly excited about it while in high school. (This year was my 20th high school reunion. I didn’t go, I was in Ottawa instead.)

    It’s not to say that I was lacking ambition, but I was certainly lacking a direction. I was also discouraged because I thought I needed more than what I had in order to get somewhere. I know there are people who get nostalgic for the teenage years, remembering (or perhaps mis-remembering) the relative simplicity of teenage life, but not me! I’ll take the clarity I have now as an adult any day of the week. The lack of a vocation or singular occupation has never stopped me from having an interesting life, nor will it ever. I know who I am and what I can do, and that is all the “being” I need.

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    Posted in Gail at Large | 9 Comments

  8. Santa Came To Bay Street

    November 23, 2010 by Gail

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    Actually, it was St. Patrick’s Church on McCaul Street but Santa didn’t use his GPS.

    Here’s a couple of preview photos from the Santa Comes To Bay Street charity event held tonight, until I get a chance to post the rest.

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    Posted in Volunteering/Charity | No Comments

  9. Monday’s Post Will Be Brief

    November 22, 2010 by Gail

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    Saturday’s sunset over Astoria, NY.

    Excuse me, I have some sleep to catch up on…

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    Posted in USA | No Comments

  10. Inaugural Visit To White Castle

    November 22, 2010 by Gail

    Home now, 1700kms later. Cameraphone dumping.

    I can’t believe White Castle’s been around since 1921. Amazing they survived the Great Depression, wars, lots of competition, and health kicks in American diets. I’m sure there’s a Guinness Book entry for # of sliders eaten. Is that person still alive??

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    Posted in Mobile Blogging | 2 Comments

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