The Island Inn Daily Diaries

Hi Sweetheart of Sigma Chi and Riptide!

Happy New Year and trust all goes well. Great to see you both at our Open House!

In case you are interested in some more blow-by-blow details, have included a few entries for the Tequila Diaries, on my blog, The Island Inn Diaries, literally just created this past Saturday. Of course, I've known such templates have existed for quite some time but I decided to give it a try once I'd looked at a friend's blog, address sent is a recent email. Easy as pie and I even figured out how to load pictures from my computer/iPhoto albums! Cora Lee and others have been after me, for quite a while, to start one but probably out of sheer stubborness, dang orneriness, I've always resisted notion, basically because I write, primarily, for myself. However, I certainly understand that this is a way to continue to do just that and share result with those interested enough to look at blog:

http://islandinndiaries.blogspot.com/

Complete, finally edited version, available at better email addresses everywhere, to be released later this Spring!

Busy time here, once back, as you can probably imagine. Only fairly recently did we have time to go through much of our accumulated mail. Having finally done so, I wanted to send along an email to thank you for your Christmas card and wishes. Have just managed to put house back in some semblance of order, (what with unpacking and changes Chloë made while she exercized suzerainty at The Island Inn!), but Cora Lee and I are still embroiled in on-going, sometimes rather nasty, (on her part, alone, particularly with respect to my beloved coconut devil souvenirs!), debates over which souvenirs should/must go where. Again, all a one-way, Cora Lee, "You have no colour/design sense Patrick, so just shut up and put the nail where I tell you, street!

Aside from this trifling domestic discord, all goes well. Had a wonderful meal with Flamin' and Sarge, last Wednesday night, along with Jane and Kjell, our host in Sweden this past August. (He has been in Vancouver, visiting Jane, his long-distance girlfriend, for past two months and will return to Stockholm on April 5th. This being the case, we wanted to see him as much as possible before he leaves. We will see them again tonight at the home of Paul and Joan Whitney. Paul just retired as Chief Librarian for Vancouver Public Library. We all stayed at Kjell's cabin, north of Stockholm, for a few nights.) Cora Lee prepared a wonderful pork vindaloo, Basmati rice and roasted cauliflower. Had some interesting whites with appetizers, English cukes, quartered, dusted with Tajin Clasico, a lime/chile concoction we discovered in Guayabitos, sesame crackers with a gorgeous, semi-soft cheese Flamin' contributed. Started with a 2007, Mareny, Spain, Sauvignon Blanc/Muscat de Alexandria, 12.5%, which was delicious without being sweet as I had thought it might be, having Muscat as part of blend. Next a 2009 Salutem Pluram, Spain, Verdejo/Viura blend, the latter a varietal I'd never even heard of before! Liked both very much and they certainly went exceedingly well with the hors d'oeuvres.

Reds were literal gang-busters, or at least ones from California were: 2007 Perrin & Fils, Côtes du Rhone, (50% Syrah, 50% Grenache), 13%; 2007 Zichichi, Dry Creek Valley, Estate Petite Sirah, 15.1%, (one of three bottles I had Chloë mule home from LA at Christmas!), and a 2008 Zenaida Cellars, Paso Robles, Knucklehead, 100% Petite Sirah, 15.2%, (one of two bottles we bought, while tasting, en route from LA to Berkeley). I much preferred both Petites, finding the CdR delightfully spicy but a tad thin, (not the 14+% we found when in this region when there this past August/September), compared to its Yankee cousins with their amazing, amazing jammy fruit. Finished with a Silverside Farm Blueberry Dessert Wine, NV, Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island, 18% and a couple of snorts of malt, (Bunnahabhaim Daruch Ur, Islay, 46.3% and Stronachoie, Highland, 12 years old, 43%), for the non-faint of heart!

When weather permitted, this past week, I managed two pretty good rides, a 70K and 60K outing, with shorter rides in between. Went to Fort Langley, a Parks Canada National Historic Site, as you probably know, last Friday, with Gianna and Dom Marvcellino, (Jane/Kjell). They live in North Van so they drove to Island Inn and we put our bikes on my rack and then drove over Port Mann Bridge to park not far from a trail which takes one along the Fraser to the site itself, "the exact location where, a century and a half ago, the Hudson's Bay Company established a small post to trade with the First Nations of the West Coast. The enterprise grew, evolved, and influenced history, leading to the creation of the colony of British Columbia." Unfortunately, weather did not cooperate at all as it drizzled steadily entire time. Nonetheless, it wasn't all that unpleasant and as I'd never ridden there before, I was more than pleased to explore that part of the Lower Mainland. Would be a simply wonderful area to picnic in on a nice day. We warmed up/dried off browsing in a wonderful antique/second-hand store, one of the many such establishments in quaint/interesting village which has grown up outside/around Fort itself and then with java and sandwiches at Wendel's Bookstore & Cafė, a cosy spot across the street. Back to car for a total of 32K, soggy but pleased as punch with outing.

Saturday, Flamin' and Cora Lee left for a day of Sisterhood bonding/shopping in Bellingham. Sarge was in Ottawa for weekend. I headed out to the Olympic Village in the afternoon to attend a New Democratic Party Leadership debate centered around environmental/sustainability issues. Was very impressed with all the candidates but think that John Horgan, (he is my pick), and Milke Farnworth are top two runners. Others, (Adrian Dix, Dana Larsen and Nicholas Simons), would certainly be cabinet material and are probably running with that in mind. Dana was the most outspoken candidate and it would be wonderful if he could be elected, both as Leader of NDP and to legislature. Unfortunately, his ideas are probably to progressive/radical to allow former, although not necessarily the latter. He endorses bringing light rail to the Fraser Valley and other major centres and would make the entire BC Transit system fare-free! Furthermore, as former head of BC Marijuana Party, he advocates large scale planting of hemp as a renewable energy source and for other industrial/commercial purposes and as a carbon sink. Makes very good sense to me but I don't think broader electorate will endorse such a a scheme, primarily due to drug aspect. However, legalized use of marijuana is becoming more and more prevalent so who knows! Nevertheless, I am quietly confident, some would say naive or overly optimistic, that the party will be able to defeat the Liberals when the next provincial election is announced. Stay tuned!

For my part, I felt a bit like the woman, in attachment, (PRAISE THE LORD!!! IT"S A MIRACLE IN THE ALCOHOL AISLE!), after an NMRI last Monday evening. Quite an experience! I had had my left knee done back in early 90's and thought nothing of it. This time, as my right shoulder had to be examined, I was literally inserted into the "stomach" of the scanner. For my knee, I was only trundled in as far as my waist so no big deal. Not sure how those patients suffering from claustrophobia would handle the 30-40 minutes inside "the belly of the beast"! The surface of the machine is just inches away from one's face and rest of your body is strapped in place to prevent as much movement as possible. Fortunately, technician gives you a set of earphones and a choice of music to listen to during your ordeal. (Scanner makes a fair bit of noise as it goes about doing whatever it does with its powerful magnets and one can barely hear music at times!) I choose Stan Getz and the Brazilian guitarist João Gilberto to while away my insertion time and tried to focus on the Girl from Ipanema instead of thoughts of being buried alive or having to scratch the itch on my nose, breathing from my diaphram to minimize chest expansion/contraction, as per operator's instructions! In the final analysis, not really all that uncomfortable but I certainly wasn't unhappy to exit the polished metal cave. Much more of an ordeal for any patients suffering from pain of one sort or another as you cannot really, or should not, change position to try to relieve ache or other discomfort.

Nevertheless, I survived and certainly enjoyed the brisk walk home over Burrard Bridge. It had been raining heavily when Cora Lee dropped me off at just before 7:00pm but by 8:30Pm it was clear and crisp. Felt like an eagle as I gazed down upon Granville Island, as I made my way over False Creek, the lights twinkling in the freshly scrubbed nightscape.



Fondestos, Bestestos and Cheers, Patrizio!