"Housesitting for Canada's Literati since 2006"

That's what my friend Ellen said I should put on my business card. I seem to be spending less and less time at home in my minimal apartment and more and more time at my friends' well outfitted condos while they're away in exotic destinations.

Works out well. This week I'm at Lil's in Cabbagetown. Lovely 3 bedroom condo, brand new kitchen. Then in August I'm at Margaret's, also in Toronto ... swimming pool, piano, big house and a car to use while I'm there (which is a huge bonus since I haven't owned a car since I smashed mine up in 2006 (the only accident I've ever had .. nobody was hurt except my car, yet my insurance company decided that my insurance needed to go up to $5000 a year. I think they were surprised when I laughed at them. Really hard. And for a long time)

Je digress ...

So I'm enjoying going to readings, art openings and also working on my own stuff. So much easier when there are no distractions. I do all my best work away from home.

And I've had some really good discoveries ... the Surutha takeout, just around the corner on Parliament Street. Sri Lankan food .. really inexpensive. I just had a mouth searing, flaky, delicious Masala Dosa, which is like a crepe filled with hot curry. Yum. Having been to Sri Lanka, I'm really happy to have found this place.

Now here's a question: When did Toronto panhandlers started suggesting a minimum contribution? This guy came up to me in Kensington Market this morning. Started talking to me, asked me if I could spare anything for lunch. I always keep a pocket of change for this kind of request. And then he asked me "do you have a five? I'd rather have a five". Whoa, man, that's nerve. He was friendly and good natured when I told him with a large note of exasperation in my voice that no, he couldn't have five. Some people's kids, eh? ...

Speaking of nervy, the two cats that live in Lil's house are harassing me for lunch. Nothing more to report of any interest right now anyway. Just a fun time with lots of space for new ideas. And I'm finally getting the self-discipline together to realize some of these big ideas. Feels so good.

Yes, I did come back ..

If the only way you know me is through this blog, you might be thinking I decided to stay in Central America. I did come back. Had an amazing time, which you can hear all about by subscribing to The Green Planet Monitor. I'm working on my last story and sending it to Dave, my producer this week. And the, no more trips until Dave and/or I write another grant for another infusion of travel funds.

BTW,the picture above is taken from a mountaintop in Honduras .. I love Honduras .. I need to go back there again. But for a while, I think I'll hang around home a bit more.

I was thinking today about how my life has changed since I began this blog. It was in June of 2005. Marriage had quickly and unexpectedly self-destructed the previous December. My friends Tim and Simone invited me to come down to Bear River, Nova Scotia to get some perspective by the Bay of Fundy. Then, back home to the arduous task of disassembling 20 years of marriage, selling the house, dividing the stuff, yelling at the gods ...

Then, two years of rootlessness. By choice. Summer in Vancouver, the fall in south Asia, back to Hamilton in 2007, where I have been ever since. With some really great trips to Central America, Africa, Nova Scotia again ...

Five years later, reflecting back .. it's been hard. (though I have to say, if your heart has to break, no better place to mend in than in the Himalayas. Or on the Serengeti. Or even having a drink between planes at Heathrow). And, even though I responded by living life large, it still took a long time to be where I am right now ... happy again, making a living, doing work that I love, with lots of people in my life I love and who love me.

It's all working out ... think I'll get back to doing some more writing here .. I've been mostly concentrating on writing material that brings in money. And that's important but so is the stuff I do for myself. So, hi again ... time to get back into the habit of writing just for me. And you, my friends who visit here to see what I'm up to these days ... (though most of you know because you're all on Facebook .. blogs aren't so essential these days. how times change ...)