#228 - Cookies and More Farewells

The ride to the studio was painless this morning. Even the drive to the station seemed easy. Thursdays are often like that, I find.

We both found seats together without too much trouble and there was enough room to write, but I read a writing book about thrillers and suspense novels. I am priming myself to write the spy thriller set in Canada for my mentor assignment. There will some research needed as well about the various agencies, and I plan to get a few books about Canada’s Intelligence Services.

Three to be precise.

This is an area of research that I have never fully delved into, but I can imagine a series of different novels that would use some of this information. One is a series called “The Dirty Snowballs,” in which I have only written a single story in that world. The other is this next assignment. I’d love to do a Canadian “Slow Horses.” Not a direct copy of course, but a spy thriller that has that same feel to it, dripping with the realities of real life and disappointment. The underbelly of the institutions that keep our society running.

Anyway, I have three books about the subject coming with varied focal points. One is a clinical book written by academics, the other a personal report of a man who went through the hiring process and left without a job and a rather interesting story to tell. The third is a tell-all from a former CSIS policy analyst turned covert operator with over a decade’s experience.

I hope the three will give me a good overview of the Canadian intelligence apparatus and some insights as well as buzzwords to make the writing feel more vivid.

Work was good today. All the Toronto painters were in the office today and it was great to have everyone together. Our Art Director brought in Timbits for everyone, and there was leftover cookies and pizza in the kitchen from last night’s party.

 Today was Joseph’s last day with the company, and we took him out to the Bank Note Bar and Grill just down the street from the studio. There was about sixteen of us that attended, and the mood was good and relaxed. I ordered a Cobb salad because they make a good one, and we are having pizza tonight, so I thought I should eat something that wasn’t terrible for me.

I bought Joe his lunch and drinks as a farewell present. We’d been working on the same shows since about 2018 when we both started on Final Space Season 2. I’ve always liked and respected Joe, particularly when he got into things during meetings and wouldn’t let anyone politic him. He never took any bullshit, but was still likeable.

My kinda guy.

Then it was back to work, where we had some good news. We managed to get an entire episode approved and out the door, at least as far as our department was concerned. This is a milestone when you are starting a new series. The first set of approvals takes months to achieve, and we are now there.

I’d just started to feel like I was finding my groove today, this week if I am being honest, when Robyn texted and asked if we could leave. Somehow the time had slipped away, and it was already after five. And I could tell she really wanted to go because she sent me messages on multiple apps, from text messages to Teams and everything else in between.

After a little chuckle, I started packing up my gear.

The weather has cooled the last couple of days and that made the walk to the station pleasant. We got to the station just in time for a train to pull in, an all-stops, and quickly found a seat together. The seats were conducive to writing as well. And since I didn’t write this morning or at lunch, I need to get as much accomplished as possible on this ride home.

I managed to punch out a little over seven hundred words before it was time to stop. I’ll need to do some typing when the others are watching Survivor. I still watch; I just won’t be entirely engaged.

We’ll take a quick trip home to freshen up and grab some drinks, and I need to print out the story I wrote last week for my mentor assignment to give to my friend John, who still says he likes to read my stories. Maybe this one will be the one that makes him change his mind.

The episode of Survivor was a good one. It’s getting very entertaining.

The pizza was from Gino’s, and one was a Shawarma and it was tasty. Jody had a treat spread laid out as well on the coffee table of licorice all sorts, chips and fruit. Later she brought cinnamon rolls and some kind of cream-filled pastry. I overate as usual.

Halfway through the show, the ladies took their walk, and the boys hit the hot tub. The water was perfect at 103°C. It was twenty minutes of rejuvenation.

By the time the show ended and it was time to go home, I was ready for bed. It was a long day.

Back home, we watched an hour of TV and then went to bed.

And that’s about all that happened.

Until tomorrow.