Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 524

September 18, 2011

September 18, 2011: Dogs on vacation! My Auntie Jeanette! Sampling Montreal's finest! Au Pied de Cochon!

I'm not the only who's enjoying the time off.  My dogs seem to be having a grand old time at mom's place, making the most of her comfy couches…


Lulu finds that cats make the best head rests.


Bubba enjoys some long overdue R&R.


Today, we headed east to pay a visit to my Auntie Jeanette.  At 93, she's still as chatty as ever.  I remember, back when my grandmother was still alive (my grandmother who lived to 112 by the way), my aunt used to pick up her meds for her.  One day, when she went by the pharmacy for a pick-up, the pharmacist handed her the meds and started giving her very specific instructions: "Now, when you take these pills, you have to take them with food – "


"Oh, they're not for me,"my aunt informed him.  "They're for my mother."


"Sure they are,"said the pharmacist, no doubt assuming my elderly aunt had lost her mind.  "They're for your mother…"


Auntie Jeanette always comes armed with a story about a friend of a friend of some friend...


Akemi does the rounds.


We had dinner reservations at my fave Montreal restaurant, Au Pied de Cochon.  But we got downtown early to hit a few places: Fouvrac (where I picked up some maple chocolate), Rhubarbe (a little pasty shop where we enjoyed a buttery mille-feuille), and Point G (where I had a terrific pistachio macaron – and bought a half dozen for good measure).


Me and my macarons.


And then, it was dinner time!


Sis and Daisy


The crosmesquis with their liquid center foie gras.


Foie gras poutine.


Sushi Cake: scallops, tuna, tobiko, avocado, cucumber, and nori. Not the type of dish I'd think to order here - it was Akemi's choice - but it was surprisingly good (although a little heavy on the mayo).


My sister and I split the confit pig's head. Okay, but it didn't come close to the Refuel version I enjoyed last year.


I was really looking forward to the Pouding de Chomeur for dessert – only to be told it wasn't on the menu.  Apparently, the restaurant uses their own maple syrup for the dish and, since they were out of their own maple syrup, they elected not to take it off the menu.  Very disappointing.  Their pecan pie for 2 was fine, but their lemon meringue tart was another pleasant surprise.


And tomorrow, we're Toronto-bound.  A big week lies ahead: Jelly goes in for her stem cell booster, Maximus goes in for his anti-cancer vaccine, and we bid a fond see-you-later to Carl who wraps up his Toronto stint on Friday.



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Published on September 18, 2011 19:32

September 17, 2011

September 17, 2011: Okay, a lot to get through! Let's get started…

A full day today.  Let the pictures tell the story…


Some of you have asked how all the dogs are getting along.  Well, I'm happy to report: "Great!".  We adopted a go-slow approach, introducing members of my gang one at a time, starting best behaved to worst…


Maximus is by far the gentlest and easiest-going of the pack. He'll sniff a greeting, give a wag of his tail, and then be on his way - that's about as excited as he gets. He'll keep his cool in the face of even the barkingest of big dogs.


Lulu may be tough, but she's actually very sweet. Sure, she's interested in meeting other dogs, but her priority is sucking up to people in order to garner maximum attention. Good with other dogs but, surprisingly, prefers to stick with those she knows (ie. Bubba).


Jelly is the alpha female of the pack and likes to set the ground rules. She can be a bit bossy and likes to order the bigger dogs around, but shown proper deference, she is incredibly friendly.


The crazy one! When on leash, he'll put on the tough guy act, barking and howling at any dog in sight. Off-leash, he's a bit of a chicken - and fairly well-behaved if he sees that the rest of the pack are cool with the situation.


Anyway, yes, my dogs get along well with mom's dogs and cat.  That being said, I don't think Felix and Caramel are that enthusiastic about having guests.  They're like the long-time members of a country club that's opened its doors to riff-raff out-of-towners.  They prefer to spend much of their days upstairs on mom's bed, leaving my gang the run of the downstairs.  And Baby cat.



Last night, Akemi stayed up late to assist mom in making pie and pasta…


Mom rolls out the dough.


She cuts up the dough into individual squares.


The dough squares are put through the pasta machine - stretched and flattened.


Twice!


The sheets are used for the lasagna. Mom then shifts her focus to rolling her handmade orechiette.


And voila!


The finished dish!


Today was a family reunion of sorts as I got together with my cousins Paul and Marco (and uncle Vic) who I haven't seen in almost seven years!


Cousins Paul and Marco. Both single, ladies.


Uncle Vic. Shades of a young Uncle Junior!


Paul mans the grill.


Friends visiting from Italy.


Marco and Akemi. BTW - Marco = HUGE Stargate fan. He was NOT very happy with SyFy's decision to cancel the show.


Me and the kids (Jake, Erica, and Logan - apparently named after a certain Uncanny team member).


We were so stuffed that Sis ended up canceling our dinner reservations.


Sis


Akemi gets a present from Sis.


And check out what Sis got me. Early birthday cufflinks. And not just any cufflnks. From left to right: Iron Man, Wolverine, Spiderman, and the Hulk.


Okay, equally big day tomorrow.  Off to get some sleep.  But first…


Today's entry is dedicated to birthday gals Debra and Penny, and Daryl and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter who will be tasting bitter defeat at the claws of my fearsome Snow Monkeys tomorrow (and Monday night).



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Published on September 17, 2011 18:29

September 16, 2011

September 16, 2011: Tara Yelland wants to hear from you! Road Trip!!!

Look at her, all Hollywood!


Yesterday, I receive an email from my old friend/onset nemesis Tara.  She wrote: "o pass the time on set, I'm playing a game called "Blind Portrait"; I approach people on set and ask if they would like their portrait drawn by me–but it has to be done with my eyes closed. I'm quite brilliant at it. I didn't want you to feel left out, so here is a photo of the one I drew of you. I've annotated it for clarity. I've also signed it. It'll be worth a great deal some day.  Anyway, your schnitzel stories have been boring me, so I thought this might help spice up your blog. I'm sure your readers will note the resemblance."


Intrigued, I clicked on the attachment, half-expecting a nasty virus would be instantly uploaded onto my computer.  Instead, this is what greeted me (and, possibly, a trojan virus)…



A couple of points.


1. She does a nice job of capturing my soulless eyes and mocking smile.  Most photos don't even do them justice.


2. Why am I bald?


3. My shirts are, of course, not ridiculous but very tasteful.  I received many compliments from Damion in the costume department.  Of course, sometimes, Damion also wears a kilt to work.


4. Not sure about the collar.  Mine are less starchy, much more relaxed to compliment my equally relaxed personality.


5. Maximus is a nice addition and he appreciates being included.


Portrait of the artist as a young nerd.


Anyway, I thought it might be fun to turn this blog over to Tara – actress, publicist, and most loquacious stand-in in North America (a 54 year old Belgian holds the European distinction) – by having you grill her.  When I told her I wanted her to do a Q&A, she thought I was kidding little realizing that I NEVER KID. She eventually agreed but insisted I overestimated reader interest in her.   Silly, no?


Prove her wrong.  Post your questions for the lovely (kinda weird) Miss Yelland.


How much does Bubba love doggy daycare?  THIS much -




Well, thanks to all the computer experts who weighed in.  Holding the power button for 20 seconds did, indeed, force a shutdown – and when my laptop restarted, my dock and desktop icons were restored.  Many thanks for your help.  And, hey, while I've got your attention, my car keeps making this knocking sound…


I am writing this blog entry from sunny (but windy) Montreal.  We made the trip in record time, shaving about an hour off the Garmin's ETA and arriving just in time for lunch…


The kids were incredibly well-behaved. Not once did they ask "Are we there yet?".


Apparently, dog butts make better pillows than...er...pillows.


Lunch with mom.


The spread: home made pizza, pickled eggplant, crab mousse, sweet and spicy peppers.


Lamb, ribs, and sweet and spicy sausage.


Home made Milanese salami from - where else? - Milan.


I finally got the chance to pass along a gift for mom, compliments of blog regular Shirt 'n 'Tie.  He managed to secure an autographed copy of Circle of Friends signed by mom's favorite author, Maeve Binchy.  It was MUCH appreciated.


Thanks, Paul!


@iom666 – Thanks for the invite but I'm only in town for three days, on the West Island, and my schedule is packed with visits to relatives.  I return for a lengthier stay at year's end.  Maybe then?



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Published on September 16, 2011 12:11

September 15, 2011

September 15, 2011: Akemi, SG-1 and Uh-oh!

Yesterday, Akemi had her first good night's sleep in a long time.  The news that she'd been approved for an extension of her visitor's visa had wiped away months of anxiety.  Until early this morning when, while showering, she suddenly wondered if I'd made a mistake.  Had Immigration Canada's automated call center really informed me that Akemi's recent application had been approved – or were they simply reconfirming the approval of her initial application made in 2010?  My first thought was "Don't be ridiculous."  My second thought was: "Where's my phone?!!".  I called and was much relieved to hear that, indeed, her application made in June of this year had been approved September 9th.  Now, provided "approved" means what I think it does (to judge favorably; to confirm or sanction formally; ratify) then I think we're okay.  Still, I anxiously await that official letter…


Okay.  As promised, allow me to continue my trip down memory lane.  When I last left off, we were just getting into SG-1 tenth and final season…


One of the great things about working on Stargate was the relative ease of the production.  I've always likened the it to a well-oiled machine replete with checks and balances in place to ensure that any bumps experienced along the way would be minor and quickly addressed.  Chalk it up to the hundreds of supremely talented and experienced individuals who did their jobs so well.  Careful planning also helped in the form of early preparation in the lead-up to each season.  We would usually wrap in October and then, while most of the production headed off for hiatus, we – the writers/producers – would spend a month dealing with post-production and planning the next season.  In the case of the SG-1′s tenth season, we ended up breaking/outlining about eight stories before going our separate ways in December for a much-deserved break (which always involved writing).


I remember sitting down to start work on my first script – what would be Morpheus – and finishing a first draft in less than a week.  No procrastination, no first act second-guessing, no third act delays – I wrote, straight through, from FADE IN to FADE OUT.  A first!  I was amazed – and so emboldened, I jumped on my next script right away.  Counterstrike also went exceedingly well.  So exceedingly well, in fact, that I decided "What the hell" and jumped on the third script, Memento Mori.  I ended up writing all three solid drafts in two weeks, gave my writing partner the hiatus off, and gave the production a great head start on the show's tenth season.



MORPHEUS (1002)


The original idea for this story was actually ship-based.  I pitched out an episode in which the Odyssey, on its way back to Earth following an off-world op, encounters a seemingly derelict ship floating in space.  SG-1 and some members of the Odyssey team investigate and discover the crew long-dead.  As they search through the mystery ship's database, they fall victim to the "sleeping sickness".  One by one, they drift off until, eventually, only SG-1 remains to put together the pieces before it's too late.  The location was changed to a planet and we ended up using our standing village set in the VFX stage (the sight of such memorable sequences as the interior hive ships, the Atlantis cafeteria balcony, and the big Sheppard/Zelenka space jump in SGA's Adrift), shot to creepy effect by the fabulous Andy Mikita.  I loved a lot about this episode: Teal'c saving the day, Daniel and Sam slowly succumbing late in the episode, the slow-mo funeral-like montage and, of course, the B-story which focuses on Vala's attempts to cheat her way through a psych evaluation.  Claudia Black and Ben Ratner (who, coincidentally, I had drinks with the other night as he's in town promoting his new movie, Sisters and Brothers) were a joy to watch.  Their comic timing was impeccable – quick, restrained, and hilarious.


Hmmm.  Finishing up this blog entry on Akemi's laptop.  I took a break from working on today's entry to upload some pics.  For some reason, I couldn't transfer photos from my camera so I decided to restart my Mac.  It came back to life with the beautiful Japanese background.  And nothing else.  No desktop icons, no docks, nothing.  It won't even turn off and, unlike a PC, I can't just pull the battery.  I have no choice but to leave it on and drain the battery in the hopes that the next restart will restore everything. 


Clearly, you Mac users have this problem all the time.  Nothing to worry about, right?


Right?



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Published on September 15, 2011 18:26

September 14, 2011

September 14, 2011: Let's Celebrate!

What a difference a day makes.  Well, a day – and a decision. Yesterday, I briefly outlined the problem we faced regarding our desire to extend Akemi's visitor visa. In short, we'd made a mistake by applying online rather than going through a lawyer – a mistake that, I feared, could result in Akemi being forced to return to Japan on October 18th.  Following a sleepless night, I was struck by a thought – a Hail Mary idea that could undo the potential damage and set things right. All I had to do, I figured, was cancel the online application and defer to our immigration lawyer.  Simple, no?  Yes, you guessed it.  No. Try as I might, I couldn't figure out how to cancel the application. Akemi's profile page simply informed us that the application was pending.  Following many fruitless attempts to find any how-to information on the subject, I elected to phone up Immigration Canada's call center and ask.  I got the automated system and, eventually, an answer. But not to the question I'd originally wanted answer.  I never did find out how to cancel an online application.  But I did find out that Akemi's application for an extension of her visitor visa was approved!  So, she'll be with us for another six months (and, possibly, longer – but more on that in future blog entries).


Over the course of 24 hours, we went from this -


Sad rabbit


To THIS -


Happy (somewhat giddy) rabbit.


Tonight, we celebrated with good friends – and good schnitzel at the Country Style Hungarian…


Three types of schnitzel, sausage, cabbage roll, spaetzle, roasted potatoes, beets, red cabbage, perogies. The only thing missing was Robert Cooper!


I think that, given the choice, Carl would prefer to live here in the restaurant rather than the hotel.


Trevor and his lovely wife, Holly (who I had begun to doubt even existed).


Alex who, between mouthfuls of meat, reflected fondly on such big screen classics as Smokey and the Bandit and Cannonball Run (available on Blu-ray November 8th! Tell your friends.).


A rare photo of Akemi and me.


Sarah, Alex's (much) better half was also in attendance but I didn't snap a pic of her so you'll have to trust me on this one.


Akemi came bearing gifts for the guys.


So, all in all, a MUCH better day.


Akemi's Kato Cha impersonation.


Who?


Kato Chan!



Glad I could clear that up.


Tomorrow, much running around ahead of our big Montreal road trip.  Also, I'll finally (hopefully) resume my trip down memory lane as I reflect back on SG-1′s final season…



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Published on September 14, 2011 20:01

September 13, 2011

September 13, 2011: Snow Monkeys enroute to their undefeated season! Akemi! Jen!


After eking out a two point opening week win, my Snow Monkeys are 1-0 in this young Fantasy Football season.  Despite injuries, poor player performances, and suspect managerial decisions, they got the W – marking the first step in what I predict will be an undefeated season.


Spoke to the immigration lawyer to with regard to Akemi's status and I am less than heartened.  It turns out what we assumed was the right decision – filing a request for a six month visitor visa extension online well in advance of her October 18th deadline – was, in fact, the worst move we could have made, a move that could see her Japan-bound within a month.  Hard to go in to all the whys and wherefores but suffice it to say doing the right thing is not always the "right thing" to do.  Hopefully all is not lost as I try to scramble to put together the necessary supporting material that will see Akemi stick around. Tonight, I scour the blog for photos of us and then, tomorrow, I print up some documents, photocopy others, then go down to the police station to get fingerprinted.


Really.


Dinner tonight with Jen Spence.  Carl, Paul, Akemi and I met up with the former Dr. Lisa Park at Jules Bistro for tuna tartare, a caramelized leek quiche, flat iron steaks, and tarte tatin.  A terrific night.  It was great to see Jen – who pulled a fast one by nabbing and paying the bill before any of us knew what was up.  "It's my thank you to you guys for the last two years,"she said.


"Well, great,"said Paul, suitably guilted.  "Now we're going to have to bring SGU back."


Carl pointed out that he had done his part by not only signing the petition but liking the facebook fan campaign.  I believe he even went so far as poking it too.




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Published on September 13, 2011 19:44

September 12, 2011

September 12, 2011: Steampunk Tara! News of Note!


Our friend Tara Yelland leads the blog in her sassy steampunk attire.  This pic taken, last weekend, at – where else? – a steampunk-themed wedding. Apparently, it was a beautiful ceremony.  Up until they were attacked by a giant mechanized squid.  Happily, Tara was saved by airship pirates and will, thus, be available for a future reader Q&A I have planned for her.


News of note:


You know times are bad when former t.v. stars turn to crime.  Gumby robs store! (Make sure to check out the surveillance video): http://business.financialpost.com/2011/09/08/when-gumby-robs/


From the gang at Cracked.com: The 5 Most Depraved Sex Scenes Implied by 'Harry Potter'


And in medical news….Damn!  Study finds 'SpongeBob' is harmful for kids


Undercover radar cops just blend right into the background.  Don't mind that guy.  He's just an elf: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/crime/orl-radarcopscostumes-pg,0,3103758.photogallery?speed 


I think I'll stick with The Peninsula: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/feature-death-industry-reaps-grim-profit-japan-dies-042244634.html


Man neglects starving dogs.  Starving dogs neglect to inform man he looks mighty delicious: 



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Published on September 12, 2011 20:30

September 11, 2011

September 11, 2011: Our Toronto Farewell Tour Commenceth!

Well, our Toronto Farewell tour officially kicked off tonight.  Not sure when, exactly, we're leaving, but I imagine it's somewhere between next week and December, depending on how quickly several outstanding issues can be addressed and put to bed.  In the meantime, I've lined up a slew of goodbye and see-you-later dinners that, if necessary, will take me to December.


Anyway, tonight we went to dinner with our friend Ryna.  Our destination – well, I'll let you guess.


And, chances are, you guessed correctly…


Ryna is also a transplanted Vancouver native. And a foodie. I'm trying to convince her to move back!


Akemi has been camera-shy of late as she awaits the arrival of the contact lenses she special ordered.


Okay, yes, you guessed it.  We went to Scarpetta…


The sweet and sour onion varietals.


A terrific steak tartare with a hint of truffle.


Akemi, sporting her sexy librarian glasses, prepares to dig in.


Not only is Ryn a foodie, but she also photographs her meals. Sound familiar?


The delectable branzino with eggplant caponata. I've been meaning to try making this fish at home. I have a feeling that my preparation will be nowhere near as delicious.


And, of course, the dish we all came here for: the spaghetti with basil.


I consider my dessert options.


We decided to go with three, but the coconut panna cotta remains the standout.


Akemi and Ryna.


Our Fantasy Football league (R.I.P. Stargate) kicked off its second season this weekend (well, technically, Thursday night) and, despite the many underperformers on the roster, my Snow Monkeys looked poised to pull of a week #1 win over the Surrey Monkey Poachers.  I'm up 10 points heading into the Monday Night double-header where our final two running backs face off: my Knowshon Moreno vs. his BenJarvus Green-Ellis.


TOUCHDOWN!!!


I dumped Manning and started Romo but, in the coming weeks, will keep my eye on my back-up QB, Fitzpatrick, who positively decimated the hapless Chiefs. My big guns – Jahvid Best, Adrian Peterson, Hakeem Nicks, and Roddy White – disappointed but I'm counting on them to bounce back next week when I take on I Can't Believe It's Not Butter and their trash-talking GM Daryl.


Just as I was just about to hit "publish" on today's entry I read the news of Andy Whitfield's passing (R.I.P. Andy Whitfield).  He was a wonderful actor whose breakout role as the titular character in Spartacus: Blood and Sand won him well-deserved praise.  Very sad.



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Published on September 11, 2011 20:12

September 10, 2011

September 10, 2011: Montreal-bound! Dogs! SFSignal's Mind Meld!

Planning a road trip to Montreal next weekend, Akemi and doggies in tow.  Looks like my visit will coincide with the Montreal Comic Con (Montreal Comic Con).  "You excited to meet Stan Lee and Adam West?"my sister texted me.  Yes, would love to meet Adam West and check out the original batmobile (was and still am a fan of the campny 60′s t.v. series), but got the chance to meet Stan Lee years ago in Pasadena.  Brad, Paul and I were there as part of a SyFy/USA event celebrating Psych, the launch of Who Wants To Be A Superhero?, and SG-1′s 200th episode.  We had just had dinner at Robert Picardo's beautiful house and were milling about the open-air function when I spotted my childhood hero: Stan Lee.  He was looking incredibly relaxed, seated, surrounded by a half-dozen of his crew.  He looked to be holding court as the various well-wishers – many of them established actors and directors – stepped up to shake his hand and exchange a few words.  I'm not one to be star struck but this was Stan Lee!  I waited until the queue dispersed and eventually approached him.  I introduced myself and told him I was a long-time fan.  Well, he couldn't have been nicer, smiling hugely, thanking me for stopping by and then, upon learning I was part of the Stargate franchise, lauding the show's success and wishing it many more seasons to come (from Stan's mouth to the network's ear!).  Very cool.


Jelly and Maximus relax after a hard day's lying around.



Last week, I received an email from my old friend, J.P. Frantz of SFSignal, who wanted to know if I had time to take part in an upcoming Mind Meld discussion. Well, as it turns out, due to recent developments (see previous issues, ed.), I have oodles of free time, so I welcomed the opportunity to weigh in and force my opinion on the unwary masses.


The question for this go-round:   If you could, what books or stories would you like to read again for the first time?


My response:


I read a lot (or, frankly, used to be before landing my last gig) and, while I've certainly read many good books, it's not often I've come across a truly great one. But on those rare occasions it does happen, I set these books back on my special shelf, a space reserved for those titles that so surprised, so touched, so thrilled, that I would actually consider revisiting them some time in the future. I don't think anything can equal the experience of reading a great book for the first time, but I've found that recommending the book to a friend and seeing their enthusiastic reaction comes a very close second.


The following are my "most recommended", all of them great books I would love to read again for the first time…



Old Man's War, by John Scalzi: Revitalized my long dormant love of reading – books in general and SF in particular. Smart, humorous, and impossible to put down.
A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin: The greatest ongoing fantasy epic boasts a dizzying roster of colorful characters, twists, turns, and the type of surprises you don't see on t.v. Until recently.
The Blade Itself, by Joe Abercrombie: Deft, dark, and disturbingly visceral, it turns High Fantasy on its ear – then slices it off and stomps on it.
Fast Forward 1, edited by Lou Anders: While Old Man's War reignited my passion for reading, it was this anthology that renewed my love for the short form.
The Dark Beyond the Stars, by Frank M. Robinson: An underappreciated gem that I discovered, interestingly enough, on a list of underappreciated gems. If you're a fan of science fiction, I defy you not to love it.
Camp Concentration, by Thomas M. Disch: A masterpiece by one of SF's greatest minds. Sharp and subversive, it packs an emotional wallop that lingers long after it's been read.
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events Book #1), by Lemony Snicket: I picked up this book on a lark because I found the cover art amusing. Little did I realize I'd become hooked on the work of the most devilishly dark and wickedly clever children's (?) authors since Edward Gorey.
The SFWA European Hall of Fame, edited by James Morrow and Kathryn Morrow: Another overlooked gem, this collection brings together an outstanding selection of European SF and Fantasy. It actually pains me that they didn't do a second volume.
The Speed of Dark, by Elizabeth Moon: One of the most touching books I've had the pleasure to discover. I loved it so much I made it a book of the month club pick on my blog even though I'd already read it.
The Empire of Ice Cream, by Jeffrey Ford: My introduction to the works of the wildly inventive Jeffrey Ford. Ever since, I've picked up everything he's written – and continue to be blown away.

Head on over to SFSignal and check out what others had to say:
http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2011/09/mind-meld-what-books-would-you-like-to-re-read-for-the-first-time/

And, once you have, head back here and give me your list of "stories you like to read again for the first time".

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Published on September 10, 2011 15:03

September 9, 2011

September 9, 2011: Maximus's last radioactive road trip!


Yesterday, our pug Maximus underwent his last radiation treatment targeting the tumor in his mouth.  Unlike humans, dogs can only undergo a set number of treatments.  Any more, I was informed, and they risk damaging the surrounding healthy cells.  Don't know why this same logic doesn't apply to human beings but all this to say Thursday was Max's fifth and final procedure.



He was his usual easy-going self going in, proceeding at a leisurely pace up the stairs, briefly acknowledging the other dogs and cooing owners before settling in for the short wait – parking himself under the seats to presumably make it harder for us to corral him.  Unlike my other dogs who will bolt at the sight of a white coat (I suppose you can include me in that group), Maximus is fairly resigned to the realities of vet/hospital visits.  Aside from some pre-separation anxiety – manifested by uncontrollable trembling – he seems fairly unconcerned going in.



We received some promising news after the first treatment.  Apparently, the tumor had shrunk a little.  On the other hand, one of his lymph nodes was swollen and an aspiration suggested suspicious cellular activity.  In a subsequent treatment, the lymph node shrunk back considerably, suggesting that particular melanoma had responded to the radiation.  Unfortunately, there was no further movement on the tumor which stubbornly refused to shrink any further.



In addition to his radiation treatment, Maximus is receiving an "anti-cancer vaccine" every second week.  Its purpose is to jump start the immune system in the hope it will battle the cancer.  While it's shown promising results, these results have been very limited (to what, if I remember correctly, was a less than 25 % success rate).  According to the radiation oncologist, while the radiation should see immediate results, the anti-cancer vaccine positive influence – if effective – won't manifest itself until months down the line.



Maximus has always been very relaxed – even more so since his diagnosis.  He sleeps a lot more, walks a lot slower, and his appetite isn't what it used to be.  Not sure if this is the result of the disease, the treatment, or the drugs he's taking.  Interestingly, he's at his most energetic immediately following the radiation treatment.  When we return to the small animal hospital to pick him up, he is thrilled to see us – tail wagging, barking, staggering about comically as the anesthesia works through his system.



Also, when he gets back home, he's at his very hungriest, eating anything we put down in front of him.  This is in stark contrast to his typical disposition to meal time.  He's grown incredibly fickle, to the point where we will prepare three or four different things for him in the hopes that one will strike his fancy.  One day, he may want simmered chicken breast, another he may prefer beef.  One morning, dog food will be fine while, that night, he may not want anything but mashed banana with a dollop of yogurt.  Ultimately, as long as he's eating, that's the important thing.  Over the past month, he's been maintaining his svelte 22 pound physique.



I'm noticing that, on the home front, the other dogs are showing Maximus a little more – as crazy as it sounds – kindness: waiting for him to catch up on walks, snuggling up beside him at bedtime.  Jelly seems particularly affected by Maximus's weekly absences, crying when he leaves and then greeting him on his return with an enthusiasm usually reserved for me.  And meal time.



The plan is to bring Maximus back for his anti-cancer vaccine in two weeks.  At that time, they'll do one final measurement of the tumor to see if these treatments have seen any positive results.  And then, it'll be back to Vancouver for some much-needed R&R (and here I refer to both Maximus and me).  I'm hoping the flight back with these guys will go even smoother.  I ended up making two trips to transport all four dogs back in March.  Back then, Maximus was so quiet during the flight that I had to keep poking him to make sure he was alright.  Bubba and Lulu were pretty good as well, saving up their howls for the baggage claim.  Only Jelly was a problem, whimpering through most of the 5 hour flight.  I won't be taking the red-eye this time.







I'm hoping to get them back before there's any movement on the recent Canadian Medical Association call for a ban on pets flying in cabin.  The doctors argue that pets can cause sniffling, sneezing and, in extreme cases, anaphylactic shock in people with severe allergies.  Of course, I'd argue the same could be said for perfume, nuts, and various other potential allergens.  According to the article in the Toronto Star, the doctors "said there would be no problem with transporting pets in a pressurized cargo hold" – which goes to show they may know something about allergies but know nothing about transporting dogs in cargo – especially short-snouted dogs like mine that are more likely to die in those less-than-cozy compartments: Short-snouted dogs most likely to die on planes – Travel – Travel Tips …  Just ran into a guy today who drove up from Houston with his two boston terriers.  He made the mistake of transporting them cargo once.  When he went to pick them up, he discovered the water in their dog bowls had frozen solid during the flight!


So what's the answer?  What sort of compromise can be reached that will leave everyone happy? And make the airlines a lot of money in the process?  How about pet-friendly flights?  Actually charge animals for seats.  I think they'd be pleasantly surprised by how many pet owners would fork over the cash to ensure their furry companions fly comfortably – and safely.



Above – a zen moment for Maximus in the garden outside the animal clinic.



Maximus has also been a lot needier of late, seemingly suffering separation anxiety whenever I leave him in the car.  Akemi snapped the above pic when I popped out to pick up corn from a local farmer's market.  Apparently, he cried until I returned.



Sadly, the radiation treatments yielded no positive results.  After the initial shrinkage, the tumor returned to its original size, suggesting a very aggressive melanoma.  The doctor said the best hope now is that the anti-cancer vaccine works its magic and jump-starts his immune system.  Other than that, she simply advised me to enjoy his company.


For now, Maximus seems in pretty good spirits.  A little tired but generally happy.  He may be a picky eater, but he's still finishing his meals and that's a good sign.


Here's hoping the move back to familiar territory helps!




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Published on September 09, 2011 16:54

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Joseph Mallozzi
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