Hester

Whole wheat spaghettini, with Primo Romano Cheese & Basil sauce, to which I'll add a package of veggie ground "meat". And salad from a bag. Not so much "cooking" as "assembling". [Wow, Jenny. Your Beach Party menu sounds delicious!]

Terrif! Thanks, RST. I spend my entire summer in a broad-brimmed straw hat anyhow. And I intend to wear it to the Pirate Festival at Fort York this weekend. (Although my "garb" won't be anywhere near authentic. The hat will be decorated with an Alexander-McQueen-knock-off pirate-skull scarf. And I plan to wear my black tiered peasant skirt, a t-shirt with a silk-screened silhouette of a pirate ship, and sport sandals. And the same garb will have to do me for an English Country Dance in High Park later that evening.)

I'm hoping to check out the Toronto Pirate Festival at Historic Fort York this weekend: http://www.myspace.com/torontopiratefestival http://www.thepiratefestival.com/index.html Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it to either of the adult-only "Nights of Jolly Rogering" held on the following two Saturdays. Oh well, maybe next year.

Daiquiri

Patrick, that's brilliant! I think you should find a publisher for your Girl Pyrate adventure comic and turn it into a series -- or a graphic novel. I'd buy it!

Wondering why I can't access either GMail or Facebook... Hmmm... wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that my computer seems to be full of virus and won't shut down unless I physically pull the plug?

Captain Blood?

Sorry to hear of you loss, Silkie. My thoughts are with you.

While on hiatus up at the northern beach hut, I read The Pirate's Jewel by Cheryl Howe: Slow to start. No steamy bits until midway through, but then it picks up. Plot seems derivative of Cutthroat Island, but not as good (yikes!). Pretty standard "Pirate Porn". Then, I read Sea Star by Pamela Jekel, a romantic fictionalization of Anne Bonny's life: (My copy had a different cover.) The author had obviously done a lot of research into the history of pirates of the era, and certainly evoked a sense of what New Providence would have been like then. Much better written than your average bit of "Pirate Porn", but it still had lots of steamy bits (especially early on). My only quibble is that I didn't find the character of Anne to be very likeable. She seemed quite cold and self-centred. Although, the character did grow and become more empathetic once she met Mary Read. Currently, I'm reading the Blood vampire/detective books by Tanya Huff, which have been made into the TV series Blood Ties, which is due to air this Monday on CityTV: They're very well written. And I enjoy the local colour, since they're set in my home town of Toronto. I'm hoping the TV show will be as good as Forever Knight. Here's the Blood Ties website: http://www.citytv.com/bloodties/index.asp Oh, and here's a fansite for the old Forever Knight show (now available on DVD!): http://www.avenuepotter.com/~kristin/Forev...ight/index2.htm Once I'm finished the Blood books, then I'm going to read the last Harry Potter. (Mr. H. just finished it.) Then, I need to find something more highbrow [suggestions welcome!], to take with me on my week-long visit with the in-laws on the other side of the continent. Either that, or I have to find a brown-paper wrapper for my Pirate Porn.

bum

The woman in line ahead of me at the liquor store bought Alize Gold Passion and St. Remy Napoleon brandy. I wanted to ask her if she intended to mix them together in a cocktail, but I was too shy to ask. (Secretly, I'm shy.)

I discovered Alize Gold Passion cognac & passionfruit liqueur this summer: Too good to mix with anything. So, I had it all on its own, on the rocks, in a giant martini glass, decorated with a pineapple wedge. Goes down even smoother than a rum cooler, but ouch -- it's a bit pricey. I also took my blender with me to the cottage, and mixed Bacardi's frozen Strawberry Daquiri mix with Appleton Estate V/X Jamaican rum. Oh, yum! I went through several blender-fuls of this stuff. Now ... it's all on my hips!

Well, let's all hoist a coconut drink in salute as he sails off into the otherworld, to the strains of his big-band novelty hit, I've got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Td4uqWTDt9w Aloha, old Merv!

^ I couldn't stand raw tomatoes as a kid. Now I like them on hamburgers and toasted sandwiches (but still not just on their own). The first time I tried both avocado and cilantro (as an adult), I really disliked them. However, they've grown on me, and now I love them. < Eating tons of black pudding these days, nearly every breakfast. [in fact, I'm just about to go grill some now, with scrambled eggs and grilled tomatoes.] Fighting off that anemia! I'll need all my strength for an upcoming visit to the in-laws. And head cheese is one of my mom's favourites. I don't mind it. V What's the worst meal you've ever been served as a guest at someone else's home?

Buried treasure: half of a Hershey's Special Dark chocolate bar with almonds, which I found while cleaning out my purse. Probably should have saved it for the car trip tonight, but too late now.

Tom Waits, "Hoist that Rag!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cke0Ue4kmHQ

Jamaican patties

Cleaning the bathrooms ... so I needed a break!

For Red Cat Jenny, because she has a thing about Mounties, a song about Pirates AND a Mountie: "The Last Saskatchewan River Pirate" by the Arrogant Worms: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvs9ctCen2E [Note the perfect casting of Norrington as "Salty Bob"!] ... and the same song, this time acted out by some actual Saskatchewan kids: And the same band, singing a song just about Mounties: ... and the same song with clips of Paul Gross in Due South : And shipboard romance for Mounties (I think I missed this episode!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gHPR_jfjok ... and the "Mountie" singing a shipwreck ballad (complete with bagpiper, because we Canucks are all part Scot anyway): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnT3Ppf2Wdg

Natural fibres only, thank you, Callenish. I mean -- what would the Twill set say if they saw me in spandex?

of Tinkerbell residue from

Haute couture

and jobbled and wangled

so he limped slightly

And of course, Harry Nilsson has some sound medical advice about what to do with coconuts: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzWlcbOay5I "Put the lime in the coconut, drink 'em both up!"