Oh, Gary, just one little thing...

driving rain, temps 10

Blech. Still, we're home and that is wonderful!!! We had planned to stay the night in Montreal and drive back this morning, but the forecast was so horrible we decided might as well face the rush hour traffic out of the city and get back to Sutton. Which we did, and happy for it!

We got back to Montreal mid afternoon Sunday after a terrific Bloody Words conference in Ottawa. Loads of fun. Extremely well organized. This is actually an annual convention and is normally held in Toronto, but they're trying to expand it...hence the Ottawa locale this year...back to Toronto for next year. But the year after is very exciting...it will be in Victoria, British Columbia.

Bloody Words is really very fun, and if you can make one it's well worth it! You can go to their website for more info.

One important thing I forgot to mention about the Arthur Ellis awards - indeed the MOST important thing - is that Michael got to present the award for the Best Unpublished First Novel. This is an award he and I helped found a few years ago, but is the first time we've actually been at the ceremony. He looked stunning in his suit...one actually made by a Monsieur Gamache...his tailor and the initial inspiration for Armand. Interestingly (at least, I find it interesting) by our bed in the hotel room there was a piece of art signed by the artist. Gamache.

Gamache is not a common name, so this was quite surprising...and actually sort of neat.

But - back to Michael. I just wanted to say what a very beautiful job he did. Dignified, warm, thought...he made certain everyone knew what a big night this was for those on the shortlist for Best Unpublished Crime Novel. (the entrants send in the first 3,000 words and if shortlisted they send in their entire book to be judged by editors and agents and other writers.)

He did a wonderful job!

Well - just had a power outage - started this blog at 11:30 and it's now almost 6pm. and power finally on again.

Just also wanted to thank everyone for their support over the past couple of days! And nice comments.

yesterday we started on our apartment move...Gary came and took down the light fixtures and curtains and moved them to the new place. We adore the new place! Thrilled we're making the move. But it's a lot of work getting packed up, and co-ordinating things. Thank God for Gary. Poor man is going to start screening our calls...it's always something not very fun. Septic tanks exploding, dogs throwing up in electrical sockets, roofs ripping off, balconies either collapsing or verandahs leaking. And now having to take down and put up curtains.

Nancy, who fixes our computers, and I were talking about it this morning...how people ask for favours and feel if they put the word 'just' into the sentence it sounds easy. And, actually, it might be easy. But multiply it by the 150 people asking for favours that day and suddenly it isn't so easy. It feels bad to have to say no to people - especailly since they feel their request isn't so unreasonable. Just a little favour.

I wonder if Gary feels like that with us?

Well, we are more than just a little grateful to him. As we are to all the people who help us. Like Lise and Donna. Nancy, Pat and Tony, Wayne. Deanna. Ken and Mary. And Gary, of course. In the summer it looks like a theme park sometimes, with trucks and cars everywhere. I'm not even sure what most of the people are doing, but I do know they're doing more than I am.

Have the week in Sutton to relax. Was planning to watch wall-to-wall videos and eat gummi bears, but the TV stopped working 20 minutes into CNN last night. Serves us right. Then with the power failure even if we'd had TV it wouldn't have worked. So we drove to US - got gas, mailed some books, had lunch in the 1950's at The Crossings restaurant...hot beef sandwich.

Now home.

Talk tomorrow...