A long overdue installment arrives! Apologies to anyone waiting on pins and needles for this- it must have been painful, I'm sure.

And now the first in a short series of homemaking and cooking tips, courtesy of Julia Child. I give you: the perfect hard boiled egg. Put your eggs in a pot so that they are all touching the bottom (so none are crowded up) and cover with an inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and cover. Let sit for seventeen minutes. Go read a magazine. Transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water, and let them cool. Bring the hot water back up to a boil and put the eggs in for about ten seconds, and then back into the ice water. Seems fussy, but the last step seperates the egg from the shell and makes it easy to peel. I made these for Capella last week, and the whole bass section of the opera was jealous.

My other tidbit for the week is the proper use of the phrase "give 'er." I'll start with an example. It's a little lengthy, but worth it.

A few weeks ago in the late afternoon Capella, Jim, Anna, Finn, and I were all in the kitchen puttering around. It was warm out and the windows were open. The neighbor's mother was at her (the neighbor's) house, taking care of her (the neighbor's) kids. (Interesting sidenote for the Canadians reading this: the neighbor used to be on Degrassi. I'm not sure which series. I'll ask Capella when she gets home.) The grandmother was playing guitar and singing to the kids, which was sweet and nice to listen to. She started playing "Free Fallin'," by Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. When she got to the chorus we all got ready for it to kick in, but she kept singing along like before. We were feeling somewhat frustrated, and Jim said, "When you get there, you just gotta give 'er."

Perfect.

For those still a little unsure of using give 'er themselves, I suggest renting the movie FUBAR, available at finer video stores near you. The people behind have also written a book.

And a quick summary of what I've actually been up to in the last two weeks or so. Started school at the Con (OK, the Glenn Gould School of the Royal Conservatory of Music. You see why people call it the Con.) Went to the dress rehearsal for the first part of the Ring cycle. Fabulous. The opera house is brand spankin' new & sounds amazing. Capella got me a free ticket so I was in the fifth balcony (the very top) and I managed not to fall asleep! Just kidding, it was very exciting. I also went to Vancouver for a weekend for our friends Nathan and Naila's wedding. It was beautiful. I was honored they asked me to play at the ceremony as my present to them, and got more nervous than for any concert in the last few years. I stayed at Nathan's parents' house in an older suburb of Vancouver. Their house overlooks an inlet of the Pacific, and I woke up every morning and had a coffee and watched the mists travel down the valley. Didn't get to see Vancouver but I don't feel like I missed much.

Song of the week: Stripper in my Car, by Mike Evan. One of the rare songs that I can't possibley imagine the composition process. Buy this man's record. While you're at it, the Barenaked Ladies have a new album, and Capella plays on one of the tracks. If you buy it, she might get residuals. Not sure.

Time for bed. Tomorrow's a school day.

*Update* the neighbor was on Degrassi Street, Jr. High, High, & a couple more specials. I'm told she played Lucy Fernandez... Also, I saw Mary Walsh of 22 Minutes on Bloor by Yonge last week.