Category: Uncategorized

Xmas goodies produced to date:
– 2 dozen pecan puffs (melt-in-your-mouth balls of pecany goodness);
– several dozen raisin-filled cookies (even Dina likes ’em);
– about 4 dozen ginger dots, all of which were rapidly consumed by my colleagues, some of whom had apparently not eaten in days;
– an army of gingerbread men (not necessarily an effective army, considering some of them look more like gingerbread thalidamide babies) and various other shapes with the rest of the dough;
– a vegetarian Christmas pudding;
– a trifle.
Ok, now this last item. “Trifle?” Whose idea of a cruel misnomer is this, anyway? Eight perfectly good egg yolks later, and it’s bye-bye lumpy custard, hello Bird’s canned powder. Anyway, it’s done now, sitting in the fridge, looking trifly. I used Nigella Lawson’s Domestic Goddess recipe, slightly modified to accommodate the lack of brandy – so it’s a cherry trifle with amaretto.
Next up is the cranberry gravy – I love this recipe. It’s got all the cranberries one could want, but in a savoury, red wine and red onion sauce that tastes way better than the usual cranberry jelly, IMHO.

Well, the year is fast winding down, which of course means it must be time for the last Blork et Martine Monkey.
The theme for the December Monkey is “give me a year.” What would you do if you had a free year, all to yourself, to dedicate to whatever you wanted? Assume money was not a problem — you’ve just received a $60,000 Monkey Grant.
This may sound mundane, but with a year with no responsibilities and enough cash, I would definitely travel. There are hundreds of places I would love to experience – but I would narrow it down to three or four places, and spend three or four months in each place, living as a local, getting to know real people, and really absorbing the culture.
So, where would I go?
Well, Africa, definitely. I would love to spend a few months living on a wildlife preserve, working with the animals, learning about the native flora and fauna. Plus, I’d get to wear a safari hat and not look like a poseur.
A Greek island – no idea which one, as long as it’s small and sunny and Shirley Valentine-esque. I want to stroll down to the market and buy fresh fish from the Mediterranean and haggle with the locals, and wear floaty sundresses all the time.
Vietnam, Korea or Laos. (It’s possible that my travel plans have been slightly influenced by Anthony Bourdain.)
Final destination? I can’t decide – maybe India… but Australia would be neat… then there’s eastern Europe… and western Europe… and South America… and the Caribbean…
Sigh. Back to the Arctic blast of reality. Maybe Santa will bring me my Year of the Monkey!

Yesterday’s temperature, with the windchill. was -40. And remember, folks, that’s -40 C, and -40 F.
Today’s forecast high is -12 C. Today’s forecast high for other places, like, oh, I dunno, Tucson, is 20 C, or 68 F.
Merry Christmas, Bruce!

Dr. T has just ensured our holiday spirit will be well-fueled with holiday spirits. He bravely faced the pre-Xmas crowds to stock up on Yellow Label, amaretto, porto, and various other bottles of Xmas cheer.
This may not seem like such a big deal, but out-of-towners should take note that at the moment, the SAQ is on strike.
The SAQ is the provincial liquor commission, the ‘Societe des alcools de Quebec’ – yes, ‘societe’ – we may drink a lot, but we’re really only social drinkers. We can quit anytime. Taxes and other revenues collected from the SAQ, which is a government body, help fund our educational and health programs. Our children are schooled and our sick are healed, thanks to our passion for porto. We’re saving the world, one merlot at a time.
That said, it’s interesting to note that although the SAQ workers are on strike, there are several outlets that remain open, because let’s face it – providing us with wine and spirits is an essential service. There’s a limit to how pro-union we can be, and clearly, we’re more sympathetic after a bottle or two of a nice Cabernet Sauvignon.
Our blue-collar workers are also on strike, but y’know, like, what else is new? Sure, there’s snow in the streets and ice on the sidewalk. We can handle it! We’re tough! We’re resourceful!
But if we have to navigate streets covered in fresh powder and ice-dance with random strangers on downtown sidewalks, we’re gonna need a stiff drink.

Bumpass, Virginia.
Now, is that pronounced ‘bum-pass’ or ‘bump-ass’?

I have laryngitis.
My colleagues are, shall we say, unsympathetic. I believe Zeffie’s exact words were “I have been waiting for this day for a year and a half.”
😛

BOYCOTT SHAMPOO! DEMAND REAL POO!

Good: the end of the semester is two weeks away.
Bad: I have a pile of marking to do – a pile that is steadily growing, no matter how many students I encourage to take extensions.
Good: the new furnace will be installed this Friday (and not this February, as the phone message we received last week indicated).
Bad: I spent the better part of the daylight hours on Saturday replacing the ballcock assembly in the toilet.
Good (bonus): I get to use the words ‘ballcock assembly’ and watch people struggle against the giggles.
Good: I had dinner with Maher Arar* last night. He was here to give a talk on ‘Human Rights in a Post-9/11 World’ – the Centennial Theatre was packed with students, profs, and locals (who I think I’ll take to calling ‘the Village People.’)
Bad: My inner sceptic is apparently dormant. Arar is a nice guy, and his story is terrifying. I’m finding it very difficult to approach his talk objectively and critically – perhaps it’s the cynic in me, more willing to believe evil on the part of the government – be it the Bush League, the Syrians, or our own Martinettes – than on the part of a nice guy (despite his background in engineering).
Good: Did I mention the end of the semester?
Bad: Did I mention the end of the semester?
So, when all is said and done, the math seems to indicate that Good is currently prevailing against Evil (except, of course, that this calculation requires math, which brings us back to a tie).
*The link above will take you to Arar’s site. You can also find loads of information about his case and related incidents elsewhere on the net, including the substantial coverage provided by the CBC.

The famous Citroen commercial. Apparently, Citroen got Justin Timberlake’s choreographer involved.
Needless to say, if anyone’s got a few thousand dollars but no idea what to get me for Christmas…