Smitten

cloudy, rain, temps 18

All this rain has really eased the forest fire situation. Thank God. We've had more rain than they have, but I understand most of the fires are now under control. Very frightening for a while. We continue to watch.

As we watch the dreadful situation in the gulf. It seems inconceivable that this should happen - and yet it is. Hubris.

On a much lighter note, we got the car!!! And I'm smitten - as is Michael. We took turns driving it, because of course we had to use his car to get there...it's about an hour away. so I took the first turn on the highway. Was hoping to be able to put the top down, but the rains came (including in the distance some magnificent and unsettling fork lightning). So the top stayed up.

What a peppy - and surprisingly roomy - little car! Nothing fancy - and I love that. No sat nav, no mp3 hook up, hardly any electronics...just good old fashioned and very clear dials. It does have heated seats - practically a necessity in Canada - and a CD player - also a necessity given the distances we sometimes have to drive.

So I adore the car but the most important thing?? The colour. It's perfect!!! A baby blue. Powder blue perhaps more accurately. either way, it's the colour I wanted. As the salesperson was describing the features I just stared at the colour. He also gave us a lesson on taking down and putting up the convertible top. I must say it sort of confused me...and I didn't do it very well - but thankfully Michael got it right away.

So now we have a new baby in the driveway...and both of us just drift by it, casually, all day long. Catching glimpses of it.

Off to Montreal tonight...leaving Michael and Trudy, and Pat who comes to look after them, here. With the new car. My gift to The Big Guy. I have to take the train to Toronto Saturday so the car would just sit in the underground parking. He might as well have it here to play with.

Did the photo shoot for Vita magazine yesterday. Four women came down...art director, make-up, photographer and her assistant. We had a riot. Michael was wonderful - catered the event. While I was having the make-up applied (scaffolding, caulking, cranes) he was making tomato and cucumber sandwiches and what we call 'mixes' - combination of cranberry, pomegranate and ginger ale. Yum.

Took four people (not including me) three hours to get two usable photographs. And you know - it's exhausting. I remember reading interviews with the Hollywood starlets complaining about how hard their lives were - endless photo shoots and interviews...and thinking...well, I won't tell you what I was thinking.

but now - very humbling - I find it is tiring! Not actually sure what makes it so - it's not like I'm digging a ditch or repairing a heart or doing anything actually useful. But interviews and photos isn't quite the cake-walk I thought they were. Still - to be fair - it's not a bad way to pass an afternoon.

Writing/editing going slowly but well. I decided to drop yet another subplot...complicated and not actually totally in the character's character. An easy fix, though it does present some structural issues later - but better than keeping it in. I find most of my second and subsequent drafts are really about simplifying and lightening up.

Off to pack and then meet a friend in Sutton for a coffee - then driving to Montreal tonight.

Speak to you tomorrow.