Fast on Friday

Date:                               Friday, September 10th, 2010
Word of the Day:            rubric; a title, heading, or the like wtitten or printed in red or otherwise                        distinguished from the rest of the text; any established mode of conduct or                                    procedure
Weight:                           224 pounds
Goal:                               lose 100 pounds in one year duration
Pounds to lose:               92 pounds
Waist Size:                     51 inches
Rowing Duration:           110 minutes, 28 seconds

Last night I transferred those Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland movies from tape to DVD, I plan on giving this dvd to my sister Judy, who is a big Judy Garland fan, who isn't?   I was able to successfully transfer the movies onto a DVD, but unfortunately could not make copies of the DVD, I was hoping to give the original to Judy and keep the copy for myself, too bad for me!!!!

I was quite pleased with my results from my first rowing session today, I was just coming back from being sick again,  and inside the screened-in porch, which is the location of Cruella, was very windy and cold, especially at two o'clock a.m., if you can imagine that.  But, I just put on a sweater that was close by,  got on Cruella,  and tried not to think too much of the cold.  I thought I would be too hot, but fortunately, I didn't get overheated as the wind kept blowing cool air on me, it was rather refreshing, albeit long.  Sometimes when I am rowing I think of the movie "Groundhog Day" and how things don't seem to change.

I do intend to do my second rowing session but I want to do it at a later time in the hope that it may warm up outside, although from the look of things, I don't think that will happen, but my second session on Cruella will definetly happen.  I shall record the length of time on tomorrow's post.

I find that how it looks outside affects my mood greatly, of late,  I have been in a slump and feel rather lazy, I just don't seem to have the energy to do anything, but I have to acquire some so that I can do my exercise.

I was talking on the phone last night to my darling Goddaughter Sally who is feeling quite worried that Gainesville is going to be bombed because of that idiot minister who wanted to burn all of the Korans.  Thank goodness, common sense has prevailed and I hope there will be no backlash from this one person's idiocy.  Have no fear Sally, you, your siblings and your Mother, Louise,  can come up here anytime, and live with your Uncles Efrem, Zac and cousin Winter.  We'll even let you bring the Goo.

Okay, so what did yesterday's post have to do with Theatre, absolutely nothing, I never got around to talking about The Toronto Film Festival (TIFF,) which was my intent when I first started the blog, but I never got around to it as I wasn't feeling well, as previously stated.

The Toronto Film Festival started in 1976, it regularly starts on the immediate Thursday after Labour Day, which is why I called yesterday's post, Theatre Thursday.  My blog/post was supposed to kick off the film festival,  and it really should have, alas, you know what happened or more accurately, what didn't happen.  Something interesting to note is that I have never attended  THE TIFF, I always say, next year I am going to go, but something always happens and next year never seems to come around for me.

The attendance at TIFF grows each year and I think last year over 250,000 people went to the various events and films.  The festival is quite prestigious and is only second to Cannes which is something to be proud of, people love Toronto and can you blame them?  Roger Ebert claims that Cannes is larger but Toronto is just as great, so there France!!!!

The TIFF is considered the launching pad for many studios to begin oscar-buzz for many of their films due to the festival's non-competitive nature, relatively inexpensive costs, eager film-fluent audiences and convenient timing!

The festival is known for the celebrity-buzz around Yorkville with international media setting up near its restaurants and stores for photos and interviews with the stars.  That is something I truly regret not doing;  I've never asked to take a photo of the movie star that I have stopped and talked to,  and perhaps they might have liked to have had their photo taken with me, my life is not yet over and you just never know, I could still make the headlines, please God I hope in a good way.

Since Zac, Winter and I moved from the downtown core of Toronto, we don't see as many movie stars as we did when we lived at Bay and Wellesley Streets.  Bistro 990 was right around the corner from where we lived, and I frequently saw movie stars having lunch or a glass of wine there, and I would stop and briefly chat with them.  The only star that ever looked uncomfortable with my talking was Canada's own Victor Garber,  but perhaps he had something on his mind.

Over the years I have seen and chatted with:  Bette Midler, Patty Duke, Jane Alexander, Clay Aiken, John Malkovich, Willem Dafoe, Roger Ebert, Meredith Baxter Birney, Deborah Winters, Gary Grimes, Jerry Houser, Danielle Brisbois, Hayley Mills, Kevin Spacey, Rex Reed, Liza Minnelli, Roger Minami, Richard Thomas, Yves Montand,  Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Maggie Smith,  (I also shook Diana Ross's hand during one of her concerts; she will never forget it as when Ms.Ross shook my hand, I in turn,  scratched her palm,  and she told the audience about this.  I will never forget the look on Diana's face when I scratched her palm, she truly was shocked!  Of course, when I did this, the audience went berserk with applause!, I guess they approved!,) and I've probably forgotten a dozen more or so celebrities, but as you will note, I have got around and chatted with the creme de la creme!, if I do say so myself.

So over the next ten days, why not pay a visit to Yorkville, do some shopping, have some lunch or dinner, or maybe stroll down Bay Street and go to Bistro 990, the food there is pretty good and not that expensive, as an aside topic, Zac and I celebrated New Years Eve there,  and I don't think either one of us will ever forget it; we got sloshed on all the drinks that were served to us!!!!   However, the thing that you should do most of all is see a movie, it could be next year's Best Picture at the Oscars, and perhaps take in one of the gala events, how often do you get a chance to socialize with George Clooney?, it is an occasion you will never forget and you will love to learn that movie stars are just like you and me, well, almost!

Topics coming soon:

Sex
Travel
Twins