delightful and sweet

So, how did you spend your extra day?

I started mine by spending it in bed with George Clooney. Well, I was in bed and he was on the television. He was wearing a suit with an opened shirt and no tie, so I was a little confused about the dress code, but I thought I should make an effort and so wore my silky pyjamas. I actually met up with him the night before, but I didn't read the schedule properly and didn't realize he was on Inside the Actor's Studio for 2 hours. Fortunately the show was repeated overnight, which was a little awkward, but it was George after all, so I made it work. He was charming and delightful, and I went to work with his lovely smile in my mind, making me smile.

I don't get the chance to meet up with too many people when I am at work. At certain times as night blends into early morning, you meet the same dog-walkers who will acknowledge you and the same joggers, who will not. It is rare that I actually see any of my customers, which I guess is partly the point - you wake up and your newspaper is sitting at your door as if delivered by elves or spirits. But occasionally, if there is a delay and I am a little later than usual, I may run into someone as they open their door.

Such was the case one time when an apartment door opened just as I was about to drop the paper. We laughed at the synchronicity of the meeting, and through the doorway I caught a glimpse of the most amazing sunrise. I was invited inside to have a better look out over the lake. He had a telescope positioned for watching the ships that slowly pass by. We chatted amiably and I have seen him maybe three other times over the past eight years. He always takes a holiday for a couple of weeks at Christmas and again in the summer. He doesn't cancel the paper when he is away, but instead leaves a note with the dates, which is generous as I still get paid for the paper. For some reason he thinks my name is Sasha. Not sure where he got that idea (though it could be from my sloppy handwriting after writing out several hundred Christmas cards). He is also the sort of man who uses your name when he speaks (or writes) to you and it has become embarrassing to correct him, so I let it go.

So, when I got on the elevator this morning and there was a man who looked vaguely familiar, and he said good morning Sasha, I knew it was the nice man from #704. I was idly wondering what it was he was carrying in his hands when he offered an explanation.

"I was just down in the laundry room"

Okay, it wasn't much of an explanation, but by now I recognized the small appliance.

"It is just so noisy, and I don't want to wake my wife" he further explained "so I take the coffee grinder down to the laundry room to grind the beans".

Is that not the sweetest thing?

Yes, waking to the smell of fresh ground coffee is certainly preferable to hearing the fresh grinding.

And waking to George Clooney's smiling face can make the day brighter.

tiff tizzy

So, another TIFF has come and gone. The frenzy is over for another year. And not one movie star did I see. Of course, it might have helped to go to one of the Red Carpet events, but that seemed like far too much trouble. And I'm not sure I really want to meet a big name star. Just seeing George Clooney walk into a theatre or out of a restaurant might fill me with tingly excitement for a few hours, but to actually talk to him would fill me with nervous dread. What would I say that could be original? Or not stupid? You hear of people who have met one of their favourite stars and gushed over how much they were loved in a certain role... except they were not the one in that movie. I would be mortified if I made that mistake. I would probably be so tongue-tied, I would either forget to breathe or would come up with some gibberish before my idol was gently steered away by some brusque handler. Besides, I would much rather see someone famous actually doing something, even an interview, or a reading. Or better yet, a play.

As much as I love the idea of the Toronto International Film Festival, I feel no need or desire to pay more money to see a movie that may be Oscar worthy first, before it goes into general release. I also don't need to see it on opening night. Though, I do draw the line at waiting for it to come to television. Films were made for the big screen and seeing with dozens of other people to get the shared experienced and excitement. The movies I went to see were the more obscure ones and the 'shorts'. Okay, I only went twice. Way back, in TIFF's infancy when it was still known as The Festival of Festivals, a group of us from work would head up to the theatres and wander from one to the other and talk to people in line to find out what they had seen and then rush from one screening to another. i saw a lot of interesting films that never made it into general release. Now, your selections must be pre-ordered and they aren't held in any of the no longer standing independent theatres. And, because I don't live in Toronto, it makes it even more challenging to attend.

Anyway, I wonder if any of you have met anyone famous? Or if not, who would you like to meet? And more importantly what would you say to them?

having coffee and dreaming

These past few days it has been all about TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) and the appearance of Himself - George Clooney.

No, I have not seen him, except on numerous news reports and on the front page of all the newspapers, because, who wouldn't want to see George Clooney on the front page?

But, I discovered today, that while I was sitting at one of my coffee haunts last weekend, the owner was setting to prepare a meal of a lifetime for ... yes, Clooney. He wanted a special Italian meal to take out. Okay, for his plane trip home. Airline food that isn't anywhere near airline food. Unfortunately, owner Mr Albanese wasn't allowed to meet Mr Clooney in person. But it was two degrees of excitement to that 6 degrees of separation to Himself. I lunched at the bakery where the owner (who, okay, I've also never met, still...) made lunch for Clooney (who he also didn't actually meet, still...)

I bet it is crowded in there today. Sigh.