Queen of the Universe goes Foof

Sylvie and I made an odd pair last night. We're both worried about finding work. I was anxious and gloomy. She was effervescent with enthusiasm about her new girlfriend, Sarah.

We met downtown and walked to the Cornerstone, where she had hot chocolate and I had iced tea.

In an effort to cheer myself up, I tried to imagine new superheroes and the noises they would make. Kazam. Ga-zing. Thwap.

I said, "If I were Queen of the Universe, I would go Foof and turn vicious attack dogs into toy poodles."

"In your diamond tiara," Sylvie giggled.

Then I remembered seeing a Queen Victoria in the Toronto Pride parade several years ago. She had a full beard. It was scary. I think I won't go there.

We left the coffee shop and walked to Sylvie's place. There I immersed myself in her piano for a little while. It brought back memories of playing to escape from the world. But I don't have my own piano anymore. I found several of my favourites pieces in Sylvie's music collection: a Chopin ballade, a Brahms intermezzo and a Schubert impromptu.

Then she pulled out the music for the Pie Jesu from Fauré's Requiem. It is small and tender. I started singing and playing the accompaniment, but gradually let her take over the voice. Sylvie has been taking lessons.

We see each other at least three times a week. I have heard her play piano many times. We sing in the choir together once a week. But I have never heard Sylvie sing before. Her voice is beautiful.

I went home in a good mood.

Gandalf the Gay

What a grueling trip. Pouring rain and two traffic jams dragged the usual two-and-a-half hour drive to Lindsay into four-and-a-half. I picked the girls up at a quarter to six and we went for dinner at McDonald's.

The trip home went much better, though the last few miles were in fog. By the time we got home I had consumed two-thirds of a roll of Rolaids.

But we had some interesting conversations in the car.

It started with Marian, who is 11, relating some silliness from The Council of Elrond, a website devoted to lampooning The Lord of the Rings movies.

"There was a rumour going around that Gollum was being a matchmaker," she said. "He was trying to hook up the Balrog and Gandalf. But it ended in a fight in the Mines of Moria and they both died."

"Can you imagine being married to the Balrog?" I asked reflectively. "For that matter, can you imagine being married to Gandalf?"

"Did you know Ian McKellan is gay?"

Ummm, yes. First time in a long time she has initiated a discussion about that.

"Yes," I said.

"There's another rumour that [director] Peter Jackson is going to kill off Elrond for being so mean."

"That would cause a fan uprising. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't kill a major character."

"He killed off Haldir."

"Haldir isn't a major character," I said.

"Yeah, but he's hot."

Somewhere in the ensuing preteen babble, Marian used the word homophobic. The context was too incomprehensible and complicated to reproduce here. But these girls attend a Baptist private school, so I'm glad to hear homophobia is part of Marian's vocabulary.

Then she asked if we could listen to her Avril Lavigne CD on the player. No problem.

"But I reserve the right to take it out after two songs," I said.

I didn't. We listened to the whole thing. It wasn't bad at all. If Madonna is good enough for Marian, then Avril Lavigne is good enough for me.

After that was over, I put in Ray of Light.

"Madonna!" said Marian.

Brenna, who is 9, said, "I thought Madonna was an ancient singer like Beethoven."

( more pics of the 3 of us horsing around )