February 28, 2011: Back to square one…

Okay, I'm about to lose it.  After days of exhaustive online research, I finally found: a) a suitable doggy daycare in Toronto and b) a couple of potential neighborhoods within reasonable driving distance of the studio.  Progress!  Until today when I realized that I was looking at the wrong studio.  To be more precise, the wrong Cinespace Studio. Apparently, there are a half dozen of them scattered about the Toronto area.  And so, the perfect doggy daycare and ideal neighborhoods are no longer perfect or ideal and I had to recommence my research on both fronts today.

Also, the closer we get to that mid-March departure date, the more anxious I grow with regard to flying the dogs cross-country.  I have two friends who'd be willing to make the trip with us (meaning we would each carry a dog) but have been unable to get anyone from Air Canada on the phone to get a clear understanding of the airline's in-cabin pet policies.  Furthermore, my friends want to fly as late as possible, preferably Sunday, which would make my turnaround all but impossible given that I have to be in the office on Monday morning.

I did look into doing my best John Madden imitation and (following the advice of one of my readers) chartering a luxury bus for the trip, but the cost would be 2/3 that of chartering a private jet that could get me there in 6 hours rather than 6 days.

Paul, my writing partner, phoned me today and he's feeling equally frustrated by the pending movie.  Misery loves company.  We discussed the possibility of splitting the cost of a private jet and flying both of our families over in early April – meaning I would spend two weeks in an apartment, figuring out the landscape, finding a place and a car, before flying west to pick up the dogs, hopping on a Hawker 700, and heading right back.

Meanwhile, time ticks down on getting things done here in Vancouver: taxes, paperwork, payments, mail, drycleaning, general cleaning, and goodbye dinners.  Tomorrow night, it's sushi with Ivon Bartok and Mike Dopud.  Wednesday night, it's burgers with Jodi and Steve.

Miscellaneous pics -

Dried fish treats for dogs. According to the guy at the pet shop, they're human-grade and Japanese people enjoy eating them. This is something I can confirm.

Stargate SG-1 match box. No idea where I got this.

Lulu snoozing, spooning her stuffed raccoon.

Akemi managed to salvage Lulu's toy caterpillar by sewing up what was left of it. It now resembles a stuffed turd.

Bubba and Lulu test the durability of yet another toy.

Akemi's scalloped baked potatoes. Oishikatta!

Scripts are out and in network hands.

We await the verdict…