snowing, temps minus 2
Picture perfect winter day...snow gently falling and clinging to the pine and spruce trees and the giant honeysuckle in the front garden, the one with the bird feeders. We're expecting about 10 centimenters today - not huge, but nice after the rain yesterday. We need to remember there is ice under all this nice fluffy snow.
Having a great day. Sending the edit for The Hangman off to the editor. Spoke to my brother Doug - just back from India, and his kids. Did a load of laundry. Got back on the elliptical torture device (a clothes hanger of late).
Had breakfast this morning with Cheryl. Michael came too (I think because I can't stand being more than 10 feet away from his new car). We stood on the snow main street of Sutton, listening to what sounded like Turkish-Dervish-ish music piped through the loud speakers. I guess now that Christmas is over the town feels it can't really keep playing Christmas music, but it is still the festive season so in a monumental act of decision making they opted for Turkish music. To be frank, it sounded fabulous. Cheryl, Michael and I did a little dance. Then stopped.
Michael told me the funniest story from his past. Before i knew him. He was staying at this apartment and doing laundry when one of the other residents said they'd dropped something between the machines and asked Michael's help to get it back. Well, Michael didn't have anything - except...an idea. He went back to the apartment and got the biggest knife he could find...a honkin' great carving knife. Then got back on the elevator...only to realize, too late (as is so often the case) that this might look just a little suspicious. Instead of saying anything he decided to hum, and watch the numbers go down. Not surprisingly, everyone else got off at the next floor. And five minutes later security guards showed up at the laundry room.
Michael had some 'splainin' to do.
Wow, looking out the window...is it ever beautiful.
Off to Montreal tomorrow...having lunch at Lemeac with the new translator of the Gamache books. We finally have a French publisher! He apparently already has some questions. This is understandable. Indeed, when Still Life first came out we had to also do some translating, from Canadian into US and British English. I kept getting questions like...'What's a tuque?' 'What's a Double Double?' 'What's a 2-4?'
Be well, will blog from Montreal tomorrow.
5 comments:
Hi Louise,
Thanks for continuing to blog your adventures. I look forward to your sharing.
Your story about explaining the difference between
Canadian, U.S. and British English makes me think of the time I was in England and we had a little 'translation' problem. One of our new British friends asked the girl from California if people really lived on the beach and did nothing but surf. She replied that 'yes, a lot of bums did hang out on the beach' This of course brought roars of laughter because, as you probably already know, to an American a bum is someone who usually has no job and to the British it is a person's behind.....so to picture them 'hanging out on the beach' turned out to be quite a funny misunderstanding.
Hope you have a wonderful time in Montreal!
Kathy
Merry Christmas, late, and Happy New Year, early. :)
The story of Michael and the knife, and especially the humming, made me laugh out loud, and then I had to explain why, to Tom.
I've been re-reading your books, got a little ways into A Rule Against Murder and had to pause to read The Help, which is our January group read in Bookoholics. The Gamache quote you mentioned in an earlier blog, that walking takes care of everything, was familiar, since I'd just recently read it.
Enjoy everything.
Hi Louise!
Soooo...what is a 2-4? and a double double...maybe a large latte' with 2 shots of espresso?? I do however think I know what a tuque is from my new sport of ice hockey---one of those cute winter hats with the ear flaps?! I bought one in Ottawa last year :-) But should I know these other terms for this years trip?
Obviously American but a Canadian fan, Nikki
Hi Kathy,
Ha, that is great! And we should not even get started on trying to find the loo, toilet, ladies in Britain. For God's sake, don't ask for the 'washroom' or the 'bathroom' because they'll think you're 'barkers'.
Hi Barb,
I love that you're re-reading the books. I think the quote about walking might be in The Cruelest Month...or maybe not...
Hi Nikki,(Hockey Girl)
Actually, in Canada a tuque is any old knitted hat, with or without ear flaps. A 2-4 is a case of 24 beers, and a 'double double' is from our coffee shops called Tim Hortons...and it's a regular cut of coffee with double cream and double sugar.
Such is Canadian Culture.
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