This morning I ran smack into an unavoidable reality of the TIFF experience - line ups! The press screening of 'I'm Not There,' Todd Haynes' Bob Dylan flick, was so crowded that the line went out the door...out of the cinema...down the stairs...out the building...and down the street. It was actually pretty funny. I know the theatre seats more than 500 and when the volunteers (yay TIFF volunteers!) came around to check my press pass, I asked, "What number am I?" 169. Sigh of relief. I was in.

It was a fantastic and whimsical film and Cate Blanchett, the buzz performance of this film, earns all her cred in an amazing performance. She is so riveting as Bob Dylan that you never want her to leave the screen and when she does (i.e. when Richard Gere steps in) you're just waiting for her to come back.

And then...I saw him. Exiting the screening, 50% of my TIFF Sighting Wish List was standing right there and Ebert-watch came to fruition, standing on Bloor Street in the midday sun. I tapped his minder and shyly asked if I could have a word with Mr. Ebert. "Are you press?" she asked. I said "yes" but that it wasn't a "press" thing, I just really wanted to say hi. She then tapped him on the shoulder. Understand that we were all standing about one step away from each other so it was a bizarre shoulder-tapping triangle, but I just couldn't bring myself to touch the man as if he was just another shoulder to casually tap - NO! This is Roger Ebert!

He turned to me and thrust his hand out at me, smiling warmly. Then he even bowed his head. "Hi Mr. Ebert! I just wanted to tell you that...," I said, and it all came out in a jumbled rush: "Well, have you seen 'Hollywood Chinese?'" He nodded; "Ok, I was just so happy to finally see the moment I had read all about, you know, you at Sundance," he smiled and nodded; "So um, thank you," he was still smiling; "And enjoy the festival." I said the last part like a self-appointed Toronto tourism agent. I was just that thrilled.

I remember seeing a TV interview with Ebert and he was talking about how important it was to not be afraid of going out in public even though his looks have changed considerably because of his battle with cancer; He's very brave and he obviously has a real warmth for people and loves life. He didn't actually say a word to me during the entire exchange (he isn't able to speak right now) but his smile spoke volumes.

I walked on a cloud over to the Roots store on Bloor, which has set up celebrity interview areas in their store. I've never bothered going in before but you had to walk all the way through the store to get to the lounge. I caught myself checking out items and thinking, "Hey! Roots is genius!"

Behind a black curtain, Michael Douglas and Evan Rachel Wood were doing interviews for 'King of California.' Evan was working her prim sexy look and is quite thoughtful in conversation. She also looked damn good considering that she and the cast of 'Across the Universe' partied until 4:30 in the morning at the Park Hyatt (oh, to be 20!) - she deserves a little drinky-poo since she's in, count 'em, four films at TIFF this year. Plus she's only legal to drink this side of the border.

I rounded out the afternoon with a couple more screenings, including the stunning Brian de Palma film 'Redacted.' I call it stunning because after it was done I was frozen in my seat. I literally couldn't move. This film, about the rape and murder of a 15-year-old Iraqi girl by American soldiers, got a 10-minute standing ovation at the Venice film festival a couple of weeks ago - it was very heavy and I had to go for a long walk afterwards.

The TIFF bag I've been carrying around all week (filled with my heavy TIFF programme and press releases) has become littered with a disgusting amount of debris, i.e., a peach pit (breakfast from a few days ago) wrapped in a sandwich wrapper from several days before that. During some rare downtime today, I suddenly realized that I was carrying around what amounted to a bag of garbage.

Riding home on my bike, I was caught in a torrential downpour that was absolutely crazy! The sky crackled with intense lightning and ear-splitting thunder out of nowhere and I became fully soaked in less than a minute flat. The rain came down in sheets and the wind practically blew me over.

Only a block from home, I had to pull over and wait under a shelter. I watched the rain pound the street that was suddenly deserted; lit by the streetlights, it looked like a movie set. I decided not to go to the 'King of California' party and nix doing a late-night screening. The rain tipped me into deciding to stay home, a strange place I haven't seen much of since TIFF began.