What about scheduling a ride? Today, abandoned, all alone, (all my regular riders had one excuse or another!), I decided to head out to UBC. It was a most pleasant morning, tide way out along Spanish Banks and since I left at 7:30am, traffic was light. Usual route out along Marine, into Musqueam, etc., dodging huge semis, (dismantling CO I presume), instead of usual fleet of Lexus/Mercedes, etc., at Shaughnessy and then back along Marine to complete Westbrook Loop/16th and then back to UBC and home. Thought that I'd only have time for 51K as I needed to collect my friend Imre at 11:00am, to take him to various medical appointments, but was pleased to be able to squeeze in 61K by time I was home. Weather looks pretty good for next week so hoping to up my distance over next few days. Anyway, give me a shout whenever you are free and interested in hitting the road! Cheers, Patrizio!
Hi Patrice,
I would love to do that soon and although the next week and a half is busy,
actually who am I kidding the rest of our so called summer is busy!. We are
heading out to Osoyoos for our annual trek to the" lovely" Richter pass" or
as I refer to it "the Rectum pass'' motel where some of our friends have
been going for more than 25 years. They have a ski boat and the motel has a
nice sandy beach and we'll have a game of golf or two. We're back on Monday
next and I have some work on my friend Paul's Precision camera car fleet to
finish up. August 5th we're heading up to Sakinaw lake for the weekend where
another friend (the one I built the Cotton Carrier for) is having a shindig.
We are back for a week and then head to Shuswap lake for 5 days ...phew!.
Anyway I would still love to do a ride with you and will try and fit
something in between work commitments and vacation stuff. over the next
month. Sorry you had to go it alone! I thought of you on Sunday morning as I
went for a ride down to the Fraser river and back ....well rode part way
back but eventually had to call it quits because my tire went flat and had
to call Colleen to come grab me. Kind of pissed of with that situation as I
just sent my bike into the shop to have it tuned up and a new tube put in
the back tire! As usual I tried to get somebody else to do something for me
and they didn't come through. I guess I'll deal with it myself next time.
Keep me posted on your adventures as I enjoy hearing about them.
Here's the rig that I just finished for Andy, I made the prototype which is
essentially the same but he had a company with a cnc, (computer numerical control), machine tool and they removed a bunch of material to lighten it up.
Take care, Al
Pat,
I've told Sylvia that this was my last castle! Castle Howard to be precise and very interesting inside. Some fire damage in 1940 which has been restored with money from the filming of the TV series Brideshead Revisited in 1981 starring Jeremy Irons and Sir John Gielgud. The film at the same location in 2008 was nowhere near as successful. Site spoiled somewhat with the inclusion of gift stores and the like but probably impossible to pay for the upkeep otherwise.
Poor Imre! The medical profession and their associates can be the best and worst. At a time like this some measure of compassion and kindness would be helpful.
Pleased that Christine and Jim are experiencing some decent weather for their final week.Not too good here, unfortunately, but we are enjoying our time in a very nice part of the country. Met up with friends of theirs today and have arranged to visit Harrogate with them on Thursday. Sylvia and Pat will go backstage at the theatre while Brian and I spend our time at his gym.
Haven't heard of Branko in recent correspondence. Busy with his boat I suppose and not able to ride.
Ray
Hi Sylvia and Ray!
Thanks very much for latest round of wonderful pictures. Cora Lee is beside herself with envy, if only because she was devoted, along with Rosie-the-Riveter, her Mother, to Brideshead Revisted! We were too busy playing squash in those days, Ray, to have time for such things! Guess I'm making up for it now with Downtown Abbey and Foyle's War!! Trust you are cycling on picturesque country lanes instead of driving on congested Motorways now!
Still fairly busy here, for us as spare bedroom has been in use, almost ever since The Uppity Californians left! Dom Pedro stayed over last Friday night, after malt tasting, and was back, from Naramata, yesterday. He had a business meeting all day and asked if he could host a bridge gathering at The Island Inn that evening. (Before he and Lynne moved to the Okanagan he played with a number of other chaps most of whom lived in West Vancouver. Sarge and I even played with the same group for a while.) Given that he was tied up for most of the day, I volunteered to do the shopping for food and hootch he wished to provide. Ended up with me deciding upon both so I bought haloumi, goat cheese from Cyprus, at Minerva's deli on Broadway, along with some dolmades, as well as a Greek dessert, baklava-like but with shredded-wheat-like pastry instead of phyllo pastry, at Greek bakery a few doors away.
Cora Lee and Flamin' went to a movie at Fifth Avenue, just after 7:00pm, Sarge was playing ball, so it was to be just The Brotherhood elite for bridge. Whirlygig arrived around 6:30pm, Dom Pedros with a beautiful bouquet for Coriandre, earlier at 6:00pm so we started to play with Cora Lee filling in until Flamin' arrived. As it turned out, Clive of Inja turned up just as first hand was dealt, by Coramandle herself, coinciding with Molly Mop's Mum's dramatic, I-am-the centre-of attention, if not the Universe, then at least Mae Westish, entrance, so goils flounced off and the bidding commenced!
We enjoyed a delicious Santa Ana, Casa de Campo, Argentina, 2010 Torrontes, 13.5%, pleasingly floral yet crisp with a balanced mineral finish, to start, moving to a Graffigna, San Juan, Argentina, 2010 Pinot Grigio, 2010, (a varietal I've not come across from Argentina before), showing terrific fruit and lime peel acidity, overall much more full-bodied than many offerings of this same grape. Whirlygig had brought a dynamite salsa, (see attached recipe), which went poifectly with whites, needed to cool the fiery concoction! When Robertitio arrived, I "rotated out", after four hands, usual procedure if five or more players are present, of an evening, to fry up haloumi, served with sliced, beef-steak BC tomatoes, small pickled peppers and lemon wedges. Sarge arrived about 10:00ish and he played for me as I tidied up and then served the dessert and the obligatory few drams of malt! Great evening indeed and rather fun to catch up with Clive and Robert as we had not seen them in a couple of years.
I was up at 6:60am to drop Jugos Dom Pedro at the Olympic Village Sky Train Station as he was flying back to Penticton at 8:30am. He and Lynne will pop by in a few weeks, (en route to Vancouver Island), to drop off the wine coolers we ordered from 8th Generation when there a few weeks ago. Not sure if they will stay the night or not as they have a busy schedule. Peter thought that they might leave a day earlier than originally planned if they can "squeeze" us in!
Had a good start to the day as that morning, at 7:00am. Whirlygig and I left The Island Inn, intending to circumcycle Stanley Park. However, when we were about a kilometre from riding under Lion's Gate, a police cruiser and two burly officers blocked the way! The seawall had been closed, for some reason. When Whirlygig asked what had happened he received but grunts, in reply, appropriately it seems, from the "pigs"! Thwarted, we decided to ride over bridge instead of under it and did just that, simply circling around, under bridge, once in West Vancouver, [noting, in passing, brand-spanking new bike lane, wonderfully marked and surfaced, at north end of bridge which takes one away from Marine Drive and all its heavy traffic], to retrace our steps, (or should that be "wheels"), home. By time we neared Whirlygig's place, had almost 40K on odometer so decided I'd head out to UBC. Wanted to log 71K as had done 61K day before and needed to up my distances, having become sloth-like during the burdensome, not to say tiresome stay of The Uppity Californians! As ride unfolded I added, without too, too much extra effort, a number of dipsy-doodles on to the regular Marine Drive/Musqueam/16th Avenue Loop/route to clock in at 87K by time I was back at The Island Inn. I would have gone for 100K had not my bladder been bursting ! Plus the fact that I needed to be home around noon to await call from Imre. I had told him I would be pleased to ferry him home from VGH after his appointment there with his haematologist. As it turned out, due to timing, he was able to take advantage of the shuttle service provided by the Free Masons to find his own way back. Chatting with him later, over phone, was pleased to learn that the infection which has so inflamed his face has begun to abate, significantly, and he is feeling, relatively speaking, of course, much, much better.
Cora Lee is working at First United until about 3:30pm and then off to a wine tasting event with Robyn this evening. Maggie and I have been left with a long list of household chores and half a dried crust to see us through! I'll really need tomorrow's meal with Chris and Jim! Ragin' Bull is alive and well and he is hosting a bridge evening this coming Saturday. Hope to persuade him to join Jim, Whirlgig and I tomorrow morning around Stanley Park. Speaking of rides, did you suggest Jim take bikes to Seymour Demonstration Forest and ride from there? Still have to call Mike. Cheers, Patrizio!
Hi Chris and Jim!
Glad to hear that you enjoyed Whistler. Unfortunately, Imre's day wasn't quite as pleasant as your outing. I took him to a number of medical appointments around 11:00am this morning. Firstt o lab and then to VGH. On top of everything else, as you know, he is suffering from a very painful infection which has caused his nose and sinus area to become extremely inflamed. His immune system is so compromised that who knows what he contracted or where he picked up this latest bug. Too add to his frustration and discomfort, (just getting in and out of a vehicle is taxing as his skeleton is literally collapsing upon itself), he was told that he could not obtain the blood test he required, at the lab on Broadway and Arbutus, when he presented himself there. At some point there was a frustrating misunderstanding, (Whether on his part of that of the health care worker at VGH who dealt with him last week is not completely clear to me but he was told today that since he is hard of hearing he probably didn't understand directions! Blame the patient who is consumed with unbelievable pain, suffering terrible agony every moment of the last days of his life.), about where he was to go for his test. He, himself, was quite surprised to learn that he could have his blood drawn at the lab closer to where he lives as the blood work, necessary before each transfusion, apparently, had always been done, in the past, at VGH. When so informed about this change of venue, he asked, a number of times, for confirmation, just to make sure he understood where he was now to go, having been given the bureaucratic run-around quite a few times before! On a slightly more positive note, the infection seems to have been controlled by the antibiotics he has been given over last few days and the swelling on his face has diminished and become less sensitive.
I will probably be collecting him from VGH tomorrow afternoon, after his blood transfusion and I will ask him for Ray's book of footballer cards when I drop him off. I'm more than happy to go to Seymour but it is a very good ride, probably 60K round trip. First over Lion's Gate Bridge which entails a good huff to get to start of bridge, a good climb up from ocean level. Bridge itself is not a particularly difficult grade, going north, slightly more strenuous coming back, however. Then a fair hike through North Vancouver to ride up Lilloet, about three times the distance of the UBC hill. Steep to begin with but levels off after your first lung pops! Once at Seymour Demonstration Forest, another 9K of exceedingly pleasant forest cycling on a wonderful paved surface, with a few small hills thrown in along the way, just for good measure. Mostly downhill on way back until Second Narrows Bridge, a fairly long, steady climb, although I prefer returning via Lion's Gate as it is quieter and has a wider cycling path. Flamin' does this ride so I suspect you would find it nothing but a walk in the park! Seriously, if one takes it slowly, (Ray always pushes the pace on the various grades, believe me!), it is certainly challenging but not exhausting. When do you leave? Weekends are quieter as far as traffic on North Shore so Saturday would be a good day. Anyway, let me know what you think. Cheers, Patrizio!
Hi Whirlygig!
What with Introduction to Lexus Paranoia and Howling 101 we just have about enough course material on the calendar to be accredited as a Junior College. If we can persuade Barnacle Branymir to teach Raging: A basic grammar and Chart Making on the Fly, I think we will qualify for government funding for post-secondary education initiatives. Not quite sure how your Language Lab expletives will work with the Japanese ESl students, however! Cheers, Il Conduttore!
PS: I'll put you down for a salad on Saturday, one sprinkled with expletives, I assume!
Hi Dusty, (He cannot stand the smell of lamb, let alone eat it!):
Perhaps I'll bring along some cat burgers. I trust your don't have an aversion to Minced Maggie. Should be quite a tasty dish, given the expensive food we are forced to buy for her, with a dash or oregano and some hot sauce! You're happy not having to have lamb and we're happy that we don't have a feral cat whining at 5:30am each morning! Only losers will be the local raccoons who have been circling for weeks, hoping for a snatch and run scenario!
There will be eight for bridge, confoimed, not counting Legs. Haven't heard back from her so not sure if she will making an appearance or not. I'd bring a prize for her and I'll be sure to pass it along, or swap it for mine if I like hers better or not even give it to her at all! So many prizes, so little time! In fact, bring surplus prizes if you are really trying to clean out your closets. Why not clutter up someone else's place?
O Susannah's Mediterranean appetizer tray sounds more than wonderful. I'll have to make sure Ragin' has plenty of Ouzo on board. Let me know if you plan to park, following Ragin''s suggestions/instructions, near marina or would prefer to park closer to us and stroll over. Depending on what you'd like to do, we'll make necessary arrangements.
Should be fun, especially watching over-bidders walk the plank! Cheers, Patrizio!
Always fun to read you! Perhaps we can even have a "burial at sea" for the
one who is low score.
For sure I will bring plenty of "prizes" as we don't want anyone to go home
empty-handed.
As always, thanks for the updates. I am now at folder level with all the
maps, emails, instructions, etc.
BTW, no need to bring my trunks I suppose, as I intend to not come in last
re: points. CC
Intrepid Bridge Affectionates,
Please note parking options in the immediate vicinity.
1) Sitka Square - free but usually you have to get a bit lucky.
2) Area in front of the access to the school, just above the "Green" where it says "School Green". Usually some room there if there is not a soccer pick-up game happening on the adjacent field.
3) Worst case - pay parking at the lot by the 3-way stop between School Green and Charleston Rd.
The marina is 100m due North of Sitka Square. Those of you bringing substantial fare, such as cases of wine or barrels of single malt, can drive to the end of Sitka Square, turn right onto Scantlings and follow the street down to the seawall where there is a 20 minute loading zone. Ignore all "Do Not Enter" signs and watch out for kids playing street hockey.
At the Marina, buzz number 81. If I don't hear it, call my cell - I will be around somewhere. Once inside, walk straight down to the building at the center, hang a sharp right, walk down E dock, look for the "Bridge" sign.
Hi Pat
Thanks for your considered judgement on Seymour. I wondered after I read it whether Ray had in mind my taking the bike on the back of the car to the start?
We leave on Sunday so I probably will refrain from committing to a long ride the day before-not least because I would like to return Ray's bike to its pristine condition in addition to Sylvia's car.
Sorry to hear Imre, and hence you, have been put to so much aggravation but pleased that somehow the infection may have eased.
I am trying to pay my fine today and Ray had suggested a local walk to Shaunnesy. I would like to get to Lynn Canyon using public transport and/or Deep Cove before we leave.
We trust you are OK to eat with us on Thursday around 6.30 and are looking forward to seeing you both.
Regards, Jim
Patrizio, caro,
First of all, thank you so much to you and your spouse for a really vitalizing evening. Nothing missing. Good whisky, good food, good company, and finally some good old howling.
We not only made it safely home but all the way to the cabin on the Saturday, and to Whistler the day after, in the company of the tourists from Sweden.
About the malt, I left it intentionally, but if Cora Lee insists I had better not disobey her. I hope there will be plenty of opportunities to meet over the next eight weeks (cabin, biking, pub, concerts, movies, etc.). I'll call you and we'll talk sensibly about it.
Again, thank you, fondestos, and bestestos, Marcello (and Gianna)
FYI - Great Scotch article in the July 24th New York Times Magazine: Charles McGrath, "Spirits of the South Pole".
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/magazine/drinking-ernest-shackletons-whisky.html?pagewanted=all
Cheers...Paul
Hello, again, Malt Drinkers and Unaccredited Observers!
Trust everyone made it home safely! Just a quick note to thank everyone for all the wonderful food and marvelous company. Three "official" tasters, (Dom Marcellino, Big Molly and Whirlygig), left their malts behind. Cora Lee "insists" you claim them when convenient. Perhaps I could arrange for Howling 101: An Introductory Course in Call and Response, when you pop by to repatriate your hootch!
A special thank you to The Sisterhood for the terrific job of pouring and serving, under rather trying and difficult circumstances, as well as to Per for introducing us to one of Sweden's finest malts. I know that a number of you, Dom Marcellino, in particulare, were fussed about not ranking the malts, the blind tasting protocols, and the like. Rest assured, I will call for a Royal Commission to investigate the evening and hope to table the report before the next gathering! One trusts that the findings will inform the manner and order of tasting and suggest an approach which does not rely upon the whimsy, idiosyncrasy and obvious lack of knowledge, (as evidenced by failing grade on identification exam), on the part of the principal organizer!
Once again, thank you all for coming and making the evening as enjoyable as it was. Onward! Fight!! Cheers, Patrizio!
PS: First person to correctly identify distillery in attached photo wins the right to determine which malts will be tasted in next go around!
... and the distillery is, of course, the Tairnchoshlochcharnon production unit number eleven, just outside Glendalochphroaighvulintosh, in the Hebrides. But I suppose you got that answer right away.
/m
P,
Thanks for hosting the bridge last night and for all the great food. I am also grateful to all who generously shared their knowledge of the game with the novice. Fortunately you were too deep into the anaemic maltage to notice my errors in playing the last hand.
Please pass along the attached salsa recipe to those in the group who might want it especially Corinne.
Let me know what you plan to do for riding with Jim tomorrow.
W
This is just one of the missives
My life is mundane in comparison but thought you might find some interest in my sister's travelogue.
Sent from my iPad
My life is mundane in comparison but thought you might find some interest in my sister's travelogue.
Sent from my iPad
Begin forwarded message:
There are so many unique skyscrapers in Shanghai all throughout the city, it makes the Manhattan skyline seem insignificant. I can't even guess how many stories there are in some of them. And as I said before, at night each one of them is lit in multiple-colored lights with changing displays.
Along all the Roads and highways are thousands of flower boxes. With so little rain, it must be employment for many people to keep them watered and trimmed. Everywhere you look they have tried to beautify the city, at least the areas that you see. Can you imagine driving underneath the Gardner Expressway in Toronto and seeing it all bright and freshly painted, in two colours at that! There is so little land left yet they squeeze in green spaces and they are beautifully maintained. Sometimes I could see groundskeepers dressed in loose fitting uniforms and wearing the traditional cone-shaped straw hats, the name of which escapes me at the moment. We saw some residential renovation going on near a very exclusive golf course and the workers seem to arrive with only hand trucks. Keith remarked that they must be very well organized with bringing only the tools they will need for the day's job.
I think I have figured out the driving. First of all, you wouldn't. It is far too dangerous and that is why they have so many drivers for people. Besides, there is no parking! I wrote before that you only worry about what us going on in front of you. If you are only slightly ahead and need to cut someone off to change lanes, you just do that. Usually the other car will give way, bUt on occasion you may get a warning sound from their horn. If someone ahead of you is going too slowly, you lean on the horn. They probably won't move though, as it's your problem, not theirs. So then what you do is lean on the horn to let them know you are going to pass (very closely alongside) and then cut them off. Turning left across multiple lanes is an art, but you just do it. The oncoming traffic will adjust if there is just barely enough time to do so. Bikes, cars and pedestrians are going every which way and turning, u-turning, backing up, dodging, and I never saw one collision! You can imagine all you hear are horns blasting. If the light is green and your lanes are not moving, everyone leans on their horns.
Then there is the issue of safety. We read an interesting editorial in the newspaper about China needing to make safety part of their manufacturing and building processes, following western examples. No one wears seat belts. Children ares in front seats of cars. There are staircases without handrails and steps not indicated. One of their high speed trains crashed into another and derailed it right off a bridge, killing 40 people -- unofficially -- it seems there is some controversy about covering up the crash recovery details in the papers but the unofficial input by users into the Internet seems to collaborate that number.
Speaking of trains, there is a train that runs between the airport and downtown called the Maglev. It travels at almost 500 km/hr and makes the trip in about 7 minutes.
A young girl we spoke with said the students now use something the same as Twitter for protection, to post pictures if a teacher beats a student.
Today the young woman Tai Chi Master was doing Tai Chi Sword at 5:15 a.m. outside in the park. It was wonderful to watch. I would love to find an instructor and take that again. Then at 6a.m. she began the daily lesson with her two male students. All the while there are others exercising and doing Tai Chi in the same area.
We went to an area of the city yesterday that consists of old factories built in 1933 and they have been converted into art galleries. I think the area is called 1933. We were getting very tired at this point so we didn't stay long, but what we saw was incredible. They are really encouraging people to express themselves through art forms. A few years ago many of the pieces wouldn't have beebread allowed, I am quite sure, as they were very political.
We are close to landing in Hong Kong now. I just enjoyed a Dim Sum breakfast on board Dragon Air, which is affiliated with Cathay Pacific. The fruit beforehand was so fresh and juicy. I am really emoting all the different teas, all herbal of course, or green.
Time to sign off as we are descending. It sounds like a nice day, scattered cloud, 32 degrees and light breeze. The climate is a bit more temperate than that of Shanghai, mind you we visited at the worst time of year.
Love, Janice/MomHi again, Cactoosian!
Is this not what you should have in your signature?
Ubi est felium et vinum et malt, Deus ibi est.
According to Maggie and Whirlygig and Madame Coriandre, at least! Cheers, Patrizio!
A MOST FELIX SUGGESTION! WE WILL PUT IT ON PURR AND SEE IF IT PERCOLATES
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