Getting in your Facebook

mainly sunny, mild, temps minus 5

Lovely day. got up at 4:15 this morning, and drove in to Montreal with Doug. Him in his car, Michael and me in ours. Doug continued on to Toronto.

The trick, especially for Doug who needs to drive through Montreal, is to avoid rush hour here, and rush hour when he arrives in TO. The best way to do that is leave really, really early. We could have just seen him off and left later, but we quite like getting in early too.

So we arrived here about 6:15am - unpacked the car and went for breakfast at Nick's on Greene Ave. Lorraine served us eggs and bacon. And loads of coffee. Then home to do some copy editing. At 10:45 we decided we needed fresh air so we walked from the apartment along rue Ste Catherine to Michael's eye doc on Drummond street. Great walk...took about 25 minutes.

The doc gave Michael some drops to lower the pressure in one eye, but beside that everything looked great. Always a relief. Thanks to all of you who wrote to give support. You know what it's like.

Then we wound our way home stopped at the Nespresso store for cappuccinos and cookies and to pick up more capsules. What a gorgeous store/cafe. Beautifully designed and even comfortable.

Then to the DVD store - then the bank and picked up sandwiches and salads (and pastries) for a lunch at home...and some magazines. In Westmount Square, where we got the food, they'd set up easy chairs and a flat screen TV and everyone was gathered around watching the Olympic curling.

Speaking of which - Michael, Doug and I watched the hockey last night. Canada vs the US. Canada...lost!!! But what a great game. Fast - clean...hardly any whistles. And while the Canadian team played great, so did the americans...and their goalie Miller was wonderful. See, I sound like I know what I'm talking about. I generally don't watch hockey. Don't really like it. But Olympic hockey seemed a national necessity - as was the pizza Doug bought. Anyway, Canada lost.

However - far more important - Canada defeated the Americans this afternoon at curling.

By the time Michael and I got home we were hitting the wall and just trudging along.

Once home Michael put the curling on, I got our lunches ready, and he watched the Olympics while I spent the next 4 hours finishing the copy edits. Quite easy - but some gnarley issues - like at least one day lost and how to fix that.

Marjorie, from Connecticut - wrote to say she had no idea I was on Facebook. She just sent a 'friend request' and a gentle suggestion that maybe it would be better not to keep my social networking such a secret. I agree. So I'm telling you...I'm on Facebook. Now - I'm also a Facebook luddite...I have no idea what to do with it.

If you could tell others I'm there and they too can friend me, that would probably be a good thing too. And, since Marjorie seems to know how these things work, I've asked her help in also getting the blog up there.

If any of you know how to spread the word better - and how I might better utilize Facebook, please help me. I'm happy to do it, as long as it is absolutely no work. Ha.

I now feel like a stuffed toy...all floppy and tired. Time to sit and watch the Olympics. Go ice dancers. Now there's a beautiful sport!

Hope you're all well...speak to you tomorrow. Storm expected tomorrow night.

'Honour' "Honor"

overcast, light snow, mild, temps about freezing

I have no idea what it's like out - haven't been beyond the threshold, expect to yell at Tony as his snow-blower roared. Wanted him to come in and have a coffee. Besides that, I've barely been off the sofa. Great day.

My brother Doug arrived from Toronto with the whirlwind that is his dog, Buttercup. The Hound from Hell. Actually, BC is joyous, with a tail like a thick whip - that goes constantly. She also levitates. She managed, when our backs were turned to eat a package of hot cross buns, some bread and a pita. Carbing up. Does not bode well.

Having Doug here is such fun - we laugh until no sound comes out. over lunch I thought Michael would be permanently red he was laughing so hard...at Doug's description of traveling with our mother.

Nancy came by this morning to fix Doug;s computer, which he brought from Toronto for her...we only trust her, and she was fab - fixing it in an hour or so.

Doug went off visiting, Michael watched the Olympics and I spent most of the day going over the copy edited version of BURY YOUR DEAD. Quite daunting at first...a huge pile of pages, covered in red. But then I realized most of the red ink was to Americanize the manuscript. I write dialogue using just one quotation mark, '. but in the States they use two, ". and, of course, there's the spelling. Draughts, drafts. Honour, honor. It's extremely interesting to see the differences, but as I said, disconcerting to see all that red ink.

But there were also extremely interesting issues of time and dates and other things that demanded attention...and some references that needed further research. I like this part of the process...especially this year when it happens when I'm not yet writing the next book. I find it very difficult to write one book in the morning and edit another in the afternoon. Besides the always present issue of being way too lazy to want to work that hard.

We're having a relaxed dinner at home tonight...cheese, pate and baguette - carrots and celery, hummus and tatziki by the fire...then probably off to watch a bit of the Olympics. I've lost a little track of what's happening. Big game tomorrow night - Canada vs the US at hockey! Mary and the kids are there. Doug keeps getting texts from his oldest son, Brian, to say how much fun they're having at the Olympics. They saw Robinson get the gold in skeleton yesterday, and heard a live band and just got back from skiing themselves at Whistler. Sounds like the trip of a lifetime.

Did I mention I stayed on the couch all day? And....loving it.

Thank you too for all your beautiful comments after yesterday's post. I really, really appreciate it. Your support means so much to me.

Speak to you tomorrow!