Erin's Journals

Hey – set the PVR (or as they call it down here, the DVR) and get set for the big Thanksgiving Day Parade, if you have little people to share it with.
 
Yes, it’s a holiday down here in the US and we have a sort of Turkey Wellington ready to go, along with a sweet potato pie that pal Lisa and husband Derek brought when they arrived here on Sunday. We’ll pair it with some whipped cream (unless it’s a side dish as opposed to dessert). All I know is that it’s Patti LaBelle’s own brand and recipe and it’s something obscene like 400 calories for an eighth of the pie, so…it’s going to be sweet, all right. 
 

 
Having Lisa and Derek here (from London, Ontario, where she’s just made the same leap out of radio that I did two years ago) has made us try to find our bearings really quickly. Just as doing a radio show in Victoria for nine months after we moved there made me figure out in a hurry where we were and what end was “up” (so that I could talk on the air about local things going on), having company has made us find interesting places to see and things to do.
 
It helps a lot when you have local knowledge and it turns out that our friends worked with a woman years ago who now calls Palm Springs home. She sent a list of things to do and see and restaurant recommendations, too, so we set out to cross a couple of those items off the list.
 
We sauntered up and down El Paseo, which is neighbouring Palm Desert’s answer to posh Rodeo Drive. While we didn’t buy anything, Rob and Derek spent time in a Tesla showroom, we moseyed through a few stores and Lisa clowned around with one of the whimsical artistic renderings that line the streets. We call this one, “Is there someone in my nose?” 
 

 
Then we set the GPS to go to 1077 E Granvia Valmonte. It’s a house – or we assume there’s a house somewhere in there – set in the old Movie Colony section of Palm Springs once called home by such old time luminaries as Liberace and Dean Martin.
 
What’s at 1077 E Granvia Valmonte? Well, it’s a unique Palm Springs holiday attraction known as Robolights. We’ve all seen homes that go all out during the holidays. But this? This is something else. It has its own Facebook account and website. It’s on Tripadvisor. And I have concocted my own story of how it came to be: the son or daughter of a rich Hollywood legend (now departed), was left this enormous property and decided to indulge in their passion of turning discarded items like old TVs, monitors or microwaves into creatures. Don’t believe me?
 

 
Many of these Frankenstein’s creations move, too, like the monstrously-sized rabbit here riding the grocery store motorcycle.
 

 
It’s the stuff that a Stephen King novel is made of, I swear to you. Of course, some of it gets downright Christmassy and it’s going to be open to the public for donations anyday now…
 

 
Even this shot from a distance doesn’t capture the sheer enormity of this contemporary art installment now in its 30th year! There are more than 8.4 million lights on some four acres.
 

 
A man in his 60s out walking his dog just kind of shook his head and rolled his eyes when we asked what he thought of it. We’re not the only ones who had to come and take a look – a local news crew was on the scene as well. And undoubtedly the crowds will grow exponentially as the holidays approach.
 

 
The real story behind Robolights can be found on its Facebook page. It is described as “the largest residential light display in the country created by artist Kenny Irwin” who is, as it turns out, a Muslim who doesn’t mark the Christian holidays but who certainly makes them memorable for many. 
 
The Desert Sun news website describes it as “beloved by some but a nuisance to others.” There were attorneys working on its behalf (and it did open for the first time this year yesterday) and next year Mr. Irwin has to agree to put the exhibit at a commercial location instead of in this otherwise bucolic neighbourhood. Here’s the view down the street.
 

 
Now that you’ve seen Robolights, who needs that Macy’s parade today anyway, right?
 
Have a great one and tomorrow I’m going to start a Friday tradition from here to Christmas – and I may just help you with a gift idea or two, who knows?
 

I’ve a movie review for you today, but honestly – what fun cinema experience doesn’t include a trip first to the snack bar?
 
I can’t lie – I’m a popcorn piggie. To be fair, I might not have a choice: it could well come from deep-seated emotional issues. When I was a kid, when all of us kids were either out or tucked into bed for the night, I could hear the telltale sounds and smell the irresistable aroma of popcorn emanating from the kitchen. Alone for so many nights while Dad was away in his job as an armed forces officer, Mom would enjoy some TV and a bowl of stove-popped corn.
 
To this day, even though we have a domed rotary popper and it does the job well, my favourite way is to use a pot on the stove with the lid off just slightly so that the kernels don’t escape, but the steam does. I’ve got it down to an art, if I do say so myself.
 
Popcorn memories go back even further in our family: when we’d visit my grandparents at their small home in Alberta, Gram would make – or better still, let us make – popcorn in a flat square black metal basket on a long stick on the stove. There was an iron plate over the gas burner and with just the right wrist action, you’d end up with the perfect basket of corn. 
 
So it’s no surprise that when we go to the movies as we did this past Monday, popcorn is one of the big stars. Our friends Lisa Brandt and her husband Derek Botten are here from London, Ontario and we all wanted to see Bohemian Rhapsody.
 
What a great surprise when we got to the concessions counter. Rather than let each person order a large popcorn, the guy serving us gave us our free refill of popcorn on the spot! That was mighty nice of him. So we all ended up with a colossal popcorn (and leftovers to take home – instead of the usual three or four that end up in my bra). Fortunately, the snacks were not the highlight of the night.
 

 

 
A box office leader when it came out earlier this month, Bohemian Rhapsody offers a master class in casting. Rami Malek plays Freddie Mercury deftly and believably, although to be very honest, until Mercury matures and eventually grows a moustache, Malek’s prosthetic overbite is really distracting. The protruding front teeth (caused by four extra teeth in the back of the singer’s mouth) feature so prominently in Malek’s portrayal that they take away from the character, in the opinion of everyone in our party.
 
But that’s really the only thing that detracted from the film, besides the licence taken with the timing of such events as Freddie’s departure from the group and his AIDS diagnosis. The latter is used as a way to add dramatic and emotional heft to the band’s Live Aid performance in the summer of 1985, although it’s believed Queen’s lead singer didn’t get the terrible news for another year or two. 
 
Still, the performances are spectacular. Malek shares vocal duties with Canadian Marc Martell as well as actual Freddie Mercury tracks. It’s seamless and enthralling. My pal Lisa spent the second half of the film in tears.
 
Me? I was remembering seeing lead guitarist and Queen co-founder Brian May in person. It was during a special milestone performance of We Will Rock You and I was invited by Mirvish Productions to see the show. I set aside concerns about my usual early alarm and invited our producer Ian MacArthur to come with me. You can imagine the surprise we both experienced when, during “Bohemian Rhapsody,” Brian May himself stepped out to play the incredible solos we’d come to love in the original recording.
 
As we stood screaming, tears poured down my face. It remains one of the highlights of my life. I wish I’d seen Freddie, who died in November of 1991, live, but for now, I hope you’ll get a chance to see this film that takes you from the band’s early days to their soaring performance at Live Aid. If you’re like me, you’ll be amazed at the depth and heart of this band’s incredible songbook and of Freddie Mercury’s musical legacy. A real winner.
 
I’ll be back with you here tomorrow.
 

How about some coffee talk today? You know that when it comes to that ol’ black magic, I’m really serious. How serious? Let me give you a few examples: Rob actually packed a cappuccino/espresso machine in the car as he drove down to California where we’re staying for a few months.
 
And that’s not all: these were in my suitcase for those 16 days on the road this month.
 

 
Yes, indeed, four kinds of coffee – all ready for whatever brewing system the hotel room offered. It seems that I went to a lot of trouble, and you’re right, I did, but it’s such a shame to have two people, two coffee pods and that’s it. Who exactly gets by on just one coffee? (No show of hands necessary – that’s okay.) 
 
Last week, during my final chance to introduce Michele Romanow of Dragons’ Den on CBC, I thought I’d play up my small addiction. I pulled out of a bag all four of those coffee pods/bags and said I had an idea for an invention: an app that would tell travellers just what kind of coffeemaker is in a hotel’s rooms. She asked me from the floor, “Wait, don’t they have coffee in the rooms?” And I answered that of course they did, but there was never enough!
 
Now, to be fair, Michele doesn’t drink coffee; if she has a tea at lunch, she’s still buzzing by evening. (Lightweight!) But I think there’s merit to it, if the logistics weren’t so darned daunting.
 
I mean, I will go on a hotel’s website or look up on TripAdvisor to see if any mention is made of a coffeemaker. I love just to sit in bed (if our schedules allow) and sip on a coffee or two or three before we get our day going. Luckily, last week for the Nespresso in the room, I was able to pad out to the hall in my robe and slippers and ask Karen in housekeeping if she could give me some more. She filled a bag with them and ensured a big tip on the spot – and when I left!
 
I told Michele I would let her in on it for only five million dollars. And since there’d been a story about her and her life/business partner having secured $70 million for Clearbanc loans (it was in the Globe and Mail Monday, November 12) I thought it would be a no-brainer, right?
 
Well, clearly, Michele thought my idea was a bit of the same. Only I was the no-brainer and we had a big laugh. By the way, Michele says people come up to her with ideas all the time. Come to think of it, I bet Simon Cowell gets sung at in airports, for that matter. One of the hazards of being in the business of discovering, I guess.
 
Although I would totally use that hotel coffee maker app, I just don’t know how to make it happen. (Perhaps I could get TripAdvisor or SeatGuru to look at it…CoffeeGuru?) I could come down from my five million…do I hear four? Okay, three, but that’s my final offer!
 
Have a good one and we’ll be back with you here tomorrow.
 

Boy, you sure do keep me on my toes! Thank you for the incredibly positive response to Friday’s journal and the details of our new coordinates for the next few months. 
 
(Strangely, we were on our Molly walk yesterday and we saw a sign on someone’s lawn that read: “Neighborhoods are for Neighbors. Stop Short Term Rentals.” Wow, nothing like that to make you feel welcome. Rob was unpacking the car the other night and a couple walked by. He said, “Hi – we’re your new neighbours for the next three months.” They just kept walking. Like I said, nothing like feeling welcome.) 
 
So, besides kind encouragement following Friday’s journal, the biggest question was “Where’s Molly?” and I should have expected that! Of course, she is with us, but I realize I didn’t mention that.
 
Rob and Molly had a little road trip and she slept snuggled up to him in every Motel 6 along the way. (In one room, it might have been for protection; there was a murder there a few months ago according to Rob’s Google results. Not that Molly would be much help, I suppose….) Anyway, they had a great trip together, she sleeps buckled into the seat that would normally be mine, and she has already made herself very much at home.
 
I was going to shoot a picture of her with a recent newspaper, like a hostage, so you’d know she’s alive and well! But, a) we don’t get the local paper, and b) I know you’ll take my word for it if you see a bit of sunshine in the background. So here she is. 
 

 
Did you notice the little black bird on the hearth? That’s our travel-sized urn with a few of Lauren’s ashes. Is that weird? Having a large one at home and a little one that sometimes comes with us? Well, we brought it with us, and we also have a lovely framed picture of Colin that Phil and Brooke gifted us with during our early Christmas this month. So no matter where we are, our family is intact. And that’s a good thing.
 
Not such a good thing: we got Molly trimmed at the local PetSmart on Friday. We chose a shorter cut than usual, forgetting that it’s still quite chilly here in the mornings and evenings before heading up to the low 20s. Plus, we sleep in cool temps and she’s been shivering. So I think we’re off to buy her a nice sweater today. That jacket was Pepper’s and really doesn’t show off her figure! (If you go to my Facebook page, you’ll see a little rainbow on the hearth, too. What a nice little bit of light and love to wake up to!)
 
Back with you here tomorrow and have a gentle Monday.
 

Well, here it is Friday. It’s also the end of a long couple of weeks that included our dear friend’s funeral, a Celebration of Hope (did you see the pics of Mike and me on Facebook?) and two truly enjoyable emcee opportunities with Canada Awards for Excellence and the Canadian Real Estate Association’s Real Time: Let’s Talk event.
 
Between flying into Toronto from Victoria, then driving to Ottawa, driving back to Toronto, flying back to Ottawa (stay with me here…) flying back to Toronto again, on to Markham and then heading to Halifax, you can just about imagine how anxious I was to unpack my big blue suitcase and stay put for a while.
 
That’s exactly what is going to happen, but we’re going to do this together, you and I. You see, I didn’t fly from Halifax home to Victoria, BC on Wednesday. Instead, I took a nearly six-hour flight to Calgary…and it was gorgeous as we took off after a three-hour wait. 
 

A comfortable three-hour flight took me to beautiful Palm Springs, California where Rob and I are going to be for a while.
 
Why Palm Springs? Because of the climate (warm and dry), the politics (not a red state) and the fact that it’s familiar: my mom and dad, as well as my sister Cindy and her husband, spent a few winters in nearby Palm Desert, so Rob and I came to know and love the area.
 
In case you’re worried about the rampant fires that have made California history this month, Rob drove down from BC in safety and met me at the Palm Springs airport and we are situated hundreds of kilometres from where the flames are at this time. Of course, we’ll be careful and, although Rob experienced smoke during part of his three-day trip, his travels were not affected. We know full well how lucky we are and will be contributing to those who are not.
 
You can see some of the smoke in the distance in this shot I took as we began to descend for our landing.
 

 
We’ve got a calendar filled with guests over the next little while (almost all from Ontario, looking for a chance to visit while escaping the cold) as friends come down to share in our rental home’s three bedrooms and some sunny hospitality. We’ll spend time here unwinding, recharging and escaping the Victoria winter rains until we have to pack up and get set for the hectic but exciting book tour in February. 
 
Although this journal has always been about transparency, I have had reservations about sharing these travels with you and it’s about you, not me. Because my outright disdain for the political situation in the US is no secret, you may wonder why I’d choose to put myself or our money here.
 
The reasons: we had reserved this place months before Canada became Trump’s imagined “enemy” and, besides, we weren’t going to let Orange Julius Caesar spoil our visions of becoming snowbirds for the first time. All of those years of dark, cold, early mornings, I think we dreamed of doing something like this. And this year we’ve carved out the time to try it on for size. And if there’s an engagement that I have to come back for, the airport’s just minutes from us.
 
Maybe we’ll love spending the winter in California. Maybe we’ll hate being away from Canada for so long. We have no idea what to expect as we shift gears and try something new. 
 
Here’s where you come in: if you’ll keep coming back and stay with this daily journal, I’ll continue to write here. Some of the stories will be observations of life in and around this area, some will be perspectives on Canadian stories, just as I’ve always written. Many will come from within me (as usual) and I’ll also be sure to keep you updated on what’s going on with life in general.
 
For the most part, you won’t notice a difference from my Victoria-based journals. I won’t intentionally make you growl at me for posting pictures of warmer climes than you may be enduring at any given time between now and February, but I may post a stunning sunset or a view or adventure that anyone on a vacation might share. Sound fair?
 
Stay with me here – this could be a lot of fun. In the meantime, enjoy the parade(s) this weekend and know how much I’ve loved sharing these many, many adventures with you. I’ll do my best to make sure you’re glad you do, too. Talk to you here Monday with the perspective of a dear friend on her way here as I type, who’s also just hung up the headphones (sort of)!
 
Take care.