IIDD, Feb 12th

 
Hi Patrick

Thanks for the photos and the update on your punishing schedule. I trust you will be taking it easier with our mutual friend from WH.

I have just sent a note to him with my views on the week-ends rugby and await his more informed analysis. The "Super Bowl" was live on our TV but the hour put me off watching. I am always amused by the USA when they speak of the "World Series" or "Rim of the World View" which I recall on a visit to LA and region.

Unfortunately the packed snow has put me off riding the trails this week so I have had to make do with some running, exercise bike while doing cross-word and walking. The cross-word takes me much longer than the exercise. I was up on Ilkley Moor of song fame yesterday while Chris was teaching and the ice was lethal - I could have done with crampons. Managed to get down again safely for my Americano and bacon muffin while reading their Times.

Thanks for the casual bridge references. I am hoping to have a play or two hands with Ed our son-in law this weekend who is showing some interest. I am using a website called funbridge2 to challenge myself- I seem to have started going backwards after a promising start. Perhaps they took it easy on me to get me hooked. I can see that Christine is getting annoyed when these voices come from the computer saying " Double", "Pass". 2 No Trumps etc. I think the presentation of the site and the ability to review the hands or replay the game are useful for a beginner like me. I am pleased to at last be putting into play my night school investment in a class all those years ago. Christine says "why should I want to play bridge-you don't want to sew". I fear at times I may have stumbled into "tournaments" and I dread the thought of others seeing my bidding and card play.

As for the hypocritical references to expensive trips I notice that you no longer mention your destinations. So far our only plan is to visit the charming sounding village of Ugthorpe in the North Yorks Moors National Park next week for a surprise 50th anniversary of some good friends who were married at 18. They are our son Richard's godparents and we worked at IBM together for a while and walked the fells together in the 70s. Bryan has had two major health scares with cancer and then DVT but is still working for a small consultancy.

Laura and Ed have just been to the hospital for their routine scan- it seems an ordeal for parents ( and grandparents) to go through the details of the scan despite all the potential benefits. She is now about 19 weeks through the pregnancy.

More rugby internationals this weekend together with Laura/Ed and my mother who seems to be coping Ok with my sister in Barbados. I may try a jog with  Ed who you may remember is recovering from the pre Christmas broken ankle incident.

I can't remember your Australian itinerary. If you are going to Perth I shall give you my, and Ray's, friend Dave Arnold's address as I know he and his wife Judith would love to see you all. Dave was at school with me, played much rugby together and we are each other's best men. Dave played a lot of squash after rugby and has had the usual hip issues from one sport or another. He is a retired orthodontist. Unfortunately we no longer maintain contacts in Sydney and stay in hotels when there.

Good luck with your tax returns and other preparations for the holiday.

Best wishes to you and Corinne Jim and Chris

Hello Bacon Muffin Man!

You should apply for a job with Pig on the Street, a food truck business just started by Krissy and Mark, friends of Chloe. Her parents, Gayle and Derek, will be visiting Vancouver again, in a few weeks. We first me them this past summer and plan to do a house exchange in the summer of 2013, after we eat you and Christine out of bacon muffins and drink all your superb malts!

Gayle and Derek just returned from a Caribbean cruise and had the same "climate shock" as a good friend of ours. Penny, who lives in North London, was over in Toronto for two weeks, to celebrate Robbie Burns Day with a close friend she made while living there in '70's. At any rate, she came home to discover more snow than she's had in Canada!

Sad to say that we won't be visiting Perth this time around. Too, too bad as we really enjoy city and Swan Valley/Margaret River wine regions, of course. We have more close friends there. on previous visits we stayed with Bev and Kevin. Kev is from Adelaide, originally but lived in Canada for sometime. I met him when he played at VRC. Ray knows him as well. Other friends, Yien and Mike Pether, from Bunbury,  south of Perth, were here, with their three children, over Christmas to ski in the Okanagan. Funnily enough. we will see them in Darwin in April as they will be there for a medical conference!

Unfortunately, on the Home Front, have to report that Cora Lee's foot has taken a nasty turn for the worse. She had a physio session last Saturday and her foot started to itch on Sunday evening. By Monday morning it was puffy and covered with an alarming rash. I took her to Mount St joseph's where her surgeon saw her and prescribed some cortisone cream. He didn't think it was infected so that was some relief. Just an allergic reaction to the oil/lotion physio had used, we think! However, to make matters worse she came down with a horrible cold/cough on top of everything else! Consequently I had to sit in for her at bridge, just after noon, that day, with Rosita. Close friend, Mary Vickers, came to collect us for a fund raiser, (Stephen Lewis Foundation, Grandmothers Campaign, which supports community-based organizations working with HIV/AIDS sufferers in 15 African countries), at St Mary's in Kerrisdale. The Royal Chauffeur was to be seconded in Her Majesty's place as Mary Queen of Scotch was unable to find another player of such calibre on such short notice!

Quite pleasant afternoon. Only on other male there so we were literally surrounded by The Sisterhood! Once again, (as per last Friday's evening of bridge with Pitchforks), cards were poor for everyone but it was still a lot of fun. Helen, close friend of Mary's, was fourth. Only hand I really had was a pre-emptive 3 Club bid. I had Ace, King, Queen and five others. Really had more points than a usual three bid and I was so bored with passing all the time I bid 5 Clubs. Clarisse had the Ace and three others! Our hands fit extraordinarily well and I ended up making a Grand Slam, though unbid of course. (Have attached some snaps of desserts which were served at the end of the afternoon. I "stole" a couple of dollops of whipped cream and added it to my black coffee to fashion a quasi-latte!)

Cora Lee felt even worse on Tuesday morning so our GP's receptionist was able to squeeze her in just before 10:00am. Her Royal Majesty is now on steroids and her foot seems to be responding, if slowly. Rash is not as itchy or as raised. Still worrying and uncomfortable, needless to say.

Tuesday evening I curl with Flamin' and Sarge. Sarge was away in Ottawa so Flamin' was Skip and another lad, Luke, played Second. We played Team Sullivan and they were out for blood as we beat them first time around. Stole one in each of 1st and 2nd ends. Third was a fiasco, a veritable catastrophe and they scored 5! Doing well in the 4th when Hamish, (Third), burned my second shot. A bit later on he stopped a rock that was clearly going out of the house and opposition insisted it wasn't so we had to replace it. Fluke shot by their Third buried his rock for shot. Flamin' was trying to outdraw on her last stone but tipped one of their guards and they counted two! Down 7/2 we eked out one in fifth and then stole two in 6th. Had plenty of time for another end and we exerted a fair bit of pressure to have three stones in house, 1st and 3rd, with two of our guards stacked together, securing our position. On Hamish's first rock Flamin'decided to remove our guards to have a chance to play their single in the house. Wouldn't you know it, he missed the guards but chipped out their stone!

Can't remember exactly what happened over next few shots but one of our stones just nudged the 12' at the top of the house, only counter, with just Skips left to throw. Flamin' put her first in the house to have it taken out. Consequently, on Flamin's last shot she had to draw to go for a tie, at the very best, a loss, of course, if other skip outdraws or takes out a counter. Everyone held their breath as final rock came down the ice. I thought it was heavy and we were fine but it decelerated considerably but slow as molasses it kept coming, finally across the T-line, inching its way through the house, almost touching our back counter, to have Hamish sweep it out!

On paper, probably should have won but coming back from 7/2 and not really working together, (Hamish really gets cranky when he is losing! Remind you of anyone on the squash court?), we were more than happy to salvage a tie. Not quite sure what this means to standings as were were in first place. Depends on results for those teams chasing us!

Went for a short ride on Wednesday morning with Whirlygig. Raymondo said it was too wet. (Preferred a cosy gym!) Not really, as it turned out. Giorgio picked me up at 10:00am and we made our way around Seawall to Stanley Park. Seawall was closed just after spot where we normally peel off to go on road. I wanted to do and up-and-over LG but Whirlissimo was whining about soggy shoes and being soaked, (It really was not raining, more a light drizzle, by then, if anything at all. Whiners and whinegers all. Unlike you who cycle the snow deep fells and dales in summer gear!)), so we just made for Prospect Point and back home. I accompanied him to past Kits Pool and then a few dipsy-doodles later, around Kits Point, and I was home with 52.33K on the clock.

That evening we had dinner here with two tables of bridge. Mr Fixit, Wayne Connors, a very close friend of the Sutherlands, is here from St John's to remodel the ensuite bathroom and ski for a week or so, at Whistler. He is a tremendous player and wonderful teacher so it is a pleasure to play with or against him. Whirlygig, Ragin' and Kid Chelene made up rest of players along with Sarge/Clara/Dusty. Cora Lee played a few hands until Ragin' arrived. He is taking Spanish lessons and is quite enjoying them.

Took Clara and Dusty to YVR Friday morning at 6:00am. They were flying to Orlando to meet George and Barb, their son/daughter-in-law, for a Caribbean cruise as well! Interestingly enough, it is on the same vessel, Norwegian Sun, that we, (together with Flamin'/Sarge, Grog/Lurchesca), sailed on when we went around The Horn in 2008.

Chauffeured Her Goutness to dottore later that morning and visited Marquis Wines, nearbye, while she was being poked and prodded. Picked up a Portuguese red, 2009 Portada, Vinho Regional Lisboa, 12%, a blend of Touriga Nacional and Cabernet Sauvignon. Never had it before so looking forward to tasting it.

On Saturday I was hosting our Book Club. We were discussing Conrad's Heart of Darkness and had decided that we would watch Apocalypse Now beforehand, as well as tack on a pot-luck dinner after film and then talk about book. Around 1:30pm I took a quick ride to see Imre. A friend had passed along an almost new cordless phone and I thought he might find it useful, particularly since he could carry it with him around the apartment, to the bathroom, etc. Anyway, we had a brief visit after I had changed phones. Couldn't stay long as gang were arriving at 3:00pm. Not much relative change in his condition but any exertion seems to really tire him out, walking back for nearest bus stop, etc.

Home in time for a quick shower and then Marcus Aurelius, Curly, Titanium Man, together with "female companion", Sarah, (new girlfriend), and Señor Kalashnikov were knocking on patio door for the 3:00pm screening in the Media Room at The Island Inn. Maggie acted as the usher, showing film goers to their seats, a flashlight tied to her tail! DVD included quite a few "takes" that never appeared in version any of us had seen when first released. That made viewing even more interesting, of course. Only aspect of this version that I didn't find as interesting/powerful or dramatic was the ending itself. In the "original", the assassination of Kurtz is juxtaposed with the sacrifice of a water buffaloe, back dropped against an inferno, shots of Kurtz's base exploding, The Doors blasting "This is the End". From Wikipedia, I discovered that there have been, to date, many variations of the end credit sequence. I hadn't known that. At any rate, it certainly was fascinating to re-visit both the film and the novella.

After the film, (almost an hour of additional footage), after Marlon had made his final exit, helped along by Jim Morrison, we broke for supper and enjoyed a veritable feast. Marcus Aurelius brought a wonderful Greek Salad, Mr K a delicious couscous salad, while Guy, for hs part, had said that he would contribute meatballs of lamb or chicken with a curry rub, to be BBQ'd in advance, or in situ at crime scene. As it turned out, he opted for pre-prepared chicken wings, ginger garlic meatballs and ginger beef morsels from a trusted deli counter! Nevertheless, all scrumptioso!!

Kerry and Whirlygig brought some amazing appetizers: Smoked salmon, (Under the guise of a new genetically modified tofu, crossed with the last living False Creek Sturgeon. The product is live
Tofish which must be ceremonially 'harvested' in your kitchen. A bit messy but Maggie can do the mop up!), on crackers with mayonnaise, capers and red onion, plus a selection of olives and dolmades, ingredients, according to Whirlissimo, "grown in sustainable green houses near the North Pole. All would benefit from marinating in single malt whiskey before eating." (I countered with, "My inclination is to pickle the eaters with malt, rather than marinate the olives and dolmades with same.)

Originally, I had planned to offer a combination of turkey/chicken/beef grilled sausages with roasted kartofellage, drizzled with fresh lemon juice to compliment aforementioned Saladin Grec, but realized, once other foodstuffs arrived that there was more than enough to tucker to feed  everyone. Especially since Titanium Man Rice had made Rice Krispy Squares, loaded with marshmallows, and Curly, a large container of Persian Ice-Cream, for dessert. Non-discussion, (We often ramble on about everything other than the book in question. Has nothing to do with amount of malt consumed!), of The Heart of the Matter, (Please, no sticky marshmallow fingers on the library copies!), took place after Her Majesty had done the dishes!

Wonderful evening, film, food and company. Alas, my last Book Club until June as we don't return until end of May. Have to say goodbye for now as we are off to see Tinker, Tailor Soldier Spy at Fifth Avenue shortly. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!


Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Gayle; Penny with Max, her grandson; Bridge on Monday with unbelievable desserts! The Royal Foot!

Ayn P via Joelle Davis

If you were wondering what unconditional love is...

Military Reunions with Man's Best Friend

www.theanimalrescuesite.com

Chloe Alexis Dunn

RIP Whitney, thanks for the memories....watching BodyGuard a million times at D's with the Dunbar 5 and of course Bobbi Kristina and how she be.......

Ayn P

heading up the coast to Santa Barbara or wherever the day takes us...love Sundays

Ojai

  Santa Barbara...Mango margaritas

 

  Tina wants Trevor to know that Coronas are only 3.50 at this bar! We may never leave!! Tina wants you all to know she has NO jet-lag whatsoever!!!  

 

 

Getting down on a Sunday afternoon...and I am off tomorrow!!! Whee!!

I assume Tina is coming to Vancouver for rest and recovery,
Love Mom


Hello "While the cat's away, the mice will play"! People!!!

Quite the snapolas indeed! Did you not mention Officer Hernandez's name when you received your speeding ticket? No DUI charges?

Wonder if you could send along flight and arrival time for tomorrow, Teens. As well, departure time for Wednesday, if that is when you plan to fly to Kamloops. Need to know as would like to ride with lads if chauffeuring duty allows me to do so. Supposed to be another grand day. Enjoy LA! Sorry, keep enjoying LA! Cheers, Patrizzio, "We Don't Need No Stinkin' Traffic Violations" Man!!!!!


Hi there
 
I HAVE HAD NO JETLAG!!!! I bought some"" 1Above drink in Aukland specifically to prevent jet-lag, that with the 5 hour sleep could possibly have done the trick. Woke this morning at 8:10am, took a while to get to sleep but slept right through.
Had a great day with Ayn, she is such a good host. Went to Santa Barbara along the coast. Lunch at a great outdoor mexican restaurant, I was asked up to dance by 2 guys, band "the usual suspects' it was fabulous. At the end I asked if I could speak on the microphone to thank every body for the great time, I got a rousing applause!
Unfortunately on the way home we had to outrun the cops as Ayn was according to him doing 80 in a 65 zone, it was his word!!! not an instrument against ours. he reduced her speed to 75 on the ticket so doing reduced the fine that she will have to pay. She says that it is her contribution to the states coffers as they are broke. She asks for you to forward $5000 dollars in bail money as that is needed to get her out! Tomorrow I am going to Rodeo Drive so I will need access to your bank account as I will be shopping aka Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) Must go as we are watching Oprah in the Jewish Hacidic community in New York. See you, Teens

Pat,

Many thanks for hosting the NRBC -- and other female companions for the screening and the potluck. I am looking forward to your synopsis at http://islandinndiaries.blogspot.com/.

Those loyal members of the NRBC not gallivanting around the globe please proffer some suggestions as to when and where we should next convene. The book is Hero by Korda (moe). Misha’s pick to follow.

The rest of what I have to say is TLTR. W

Hi Lads and female companions!

Foist and foremost, I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful food! I mentioned to Whirlygig, on our ride today, that I felt a tad embarrassed that I had not put out the sausages and potatoe dish I had planned to offer as by the time everything else was on the table it seemed as if there was more than plenty to go around. I trust nobody went hungry as a result. Anyway, many thanks, once again, for all the lovely dishes.

Puzzled, as many of us were, by the ending, I decided to take a look at Wikipedia and this is some of what I discovered:

Endings

At the time of its release, many rumors surrounded the ending of Apocalypse Now. Coppola stated an ending was written in haste in which Willard and Kurtz joined forces and repelled the air strike on the compound; however, Coppola never fully agreed with the two going out in apocalyptic intensity, preferring to end the film in a more encouraging manner.

When Coppola originally organized the ending of the movie, he had two choices. One involved Willard leading Lance by the hand as everyone in Kurtz's base throws down their weapons, and ends with images of Willard's boat pulling away from Kurtz's compound superimposed over the face of a stone idol which then fades into black. Another option showed an air strike being called and the base being blown to bits in a spectacular display, consequently killing everyone left at the base.

The original 1979 70 mm exclusive theatrical release ended with Willard's boat, the stone statue, then fade to black with no credits, save for '"Copyright 1979 Omni Zoetrope"' right after the film ends. This mirrors the lack of any opening titles and supposedly stems from Coppola's original intention to "tour" the film as one would a play: the credits would have appeared on printed programs provided before the screening began.

There have been, to date, many variations of the end credit sequence, beginning with the 35mm general release version, where Coppola elected to show the credits superimposed over shots of Kurtz's base exploding. Rental prints circulated with this ending, and can be found in the hands of a few collectors. Some versions of this had the subtitle "A United Artists release", while others had "An Omni Zoetrope release". The network television version of the credits ended with "...from MGM/UA Entertainment Company" (the film made its network debut shortly after the merger of MGM and UA). One variation of the end credits can be seen on both YouTube and as a supplement on the current Lionsgate Blu-ray.

In any case, when Coppola heard that audiences interpreted this as an air strike called by Willard, Coppola pulled the film from its 35 mm run, and put credits on a black screen. (However, prints with the "air strike" footage continued to circulate to "repertory" theatres well into the 1980s.) In the DVD commentary, Coppola explains that the images of explosions had not been intended to be part of the story; they were intended to be seen as completely separate from the film. He had added them to the credits because he had captured the footage during the demolition of the sets (required by the Philippine government), which was filmed with multiple cameras fitted with different film stocks and lenses to capture the explosions at different speeds.

In the Redux Version, Willard silences the radio as the PBR is pulling away from Kurtz's compound. It is unclear whether Willard then points the boat upstream or downstream. Just before fading to black, Kurtz's last words "the horror" are echoed and there is a brief glimpse of helicopters and napalm that harks back to the beginning of the film.

At any rate, helped to clarify some of confusion, for me at least. Keep forgetting that the editing, for all intents and purposes, determines the film audiences see. Am reminded, in a somewhat similar vein, of John Folwes' revision of The Magus, originally published in 1965, in 1977.

Look forward to following/participating in the NRBC "chatter" when away. Thanks for best wishes. Cheers, Il Conduttore!

Thanks again Patrick from hosting the pot luck of darkness, the literary insights and the Aaran Tokaji Azu, all of which which I surely enjoyed  (though not having been left very solid on the spelling).  

My place would be available for a suitable date in March for the Korda evening, who I see is the son of the British film producer and a prolific writer.  Happy trails Patrick.

 Hi Pat,
Thank you and Corinne for hosting a lovely evening. Have a great travelling.Also thanks to George and his companions, Mark, David and his companion, Guy, and Misha for thier yummies. To all that are interested I attached a epub copy of the book hero which probably is out next assignment.  Cheers Moe

And just to add my name to the chorus, yes.   The evening was fantastic.  Thanks again for hosting Patrick. Cheers, Dave


Hi Titanium Man!

Thanks again for wonderfully, wonderfully tasty Rice Krispy Squares! I still have all my fillings!!! Lovely to meet Sarah and I trust she wasn't overly intimidated. Just a quick note to say I hope things go well at VPL.

Had a grand ride with Whirlygig and Raymondo this afternoon. Just before noon I took Her Majesty to the Pan Pacific where she was attending BC's National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction, (established in 2003), an invitee of VPL. Back home to meet lads and we proceeded to do an up-and-over LG, going as far as Argyle, in West Van, before returning. Quite a strong headwind as we rode towards Stanley Park but, surprisingly, not bad on the bridge deck itself.

Both Giorgio and Raymondo had commitments later in afternoon so  after we waved goodbye, (Ray at Cypress, Whirlissimo at Macdonald), I continued on to UBC and made a foray into campus to given me requisite distance to lob 72.33K on odometre by time I was back at The Heart Break Terrace. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Moe!

Thanks again for wonderful ice-cream! A real treat!!

As well, thanks for forwarding epub copy of Hero. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to open it. Do you have any suggestions? Not a big deal but I would probably take it on my iPad if I can open it. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Whirls!

I've sent a message to Curly asking him for suggestions on how to open file. Buona Fortuna! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Hi Whirlygig!

This is why you probably didn't receive original message:

The mail system

: host mx.svc.telus.net[204.209.205.52] said: 552 5.2.0
ZdPf1i00z2wf3DJ01dPgYH Message is too big (in reply to end of DATA command)

This is what I received after I sent your the file! Cheers, Il Conduttore!

Hi Big Al!

Not sure if Jesse has heard these! Cheers, Patrizzio, President TSA, False
Creek Branch!

A Liverpool girl goes to the welfare office to register for child
benefit.

"How many children?" asks the welfare officer.

"Ten" replies the Liverpool girl,

"Ten?" says the welfare worker.

"What are their names?"

"Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan, Nathan,

Nathan and Nathan"

"Doesn't that get confusing?"

"Naah..." says the Liverpool girl, "It's great because if they are

out playing in the street I just have to shout 'Nathan yer dinner's
ready!'

or 'Nathan go to bed now!' and they all do it.

"What if you want to speak to one individually?" says the curious

welfare worker.

"That's easy," says the Liverpool girl... "I just use their surnames"



A Liverpool girl enters an adult shop and asks for a vibrator.

The man says: "Choose one from our range on the wall." She says

"I'll take that red one."

The man replies: "That's a fire extinguisher."


Q. What do you call a 27 year old Liverpool girl?

A. Granny.



Q. What do you call a Liverpool girl in a white tracksuit?

A. The bride.



Q. What does a Liverpool girl use as protection during sex?

A. A bus shelter.



Q. There are two Liverpool girls in a car without any music - who

is driving?

A. The policeman..



Q. What's the most confusing day in Liverpool ?

A. Father's day


Q. How do people know Jesus wasn't born in Liverpool ?

A. You try finding 3 wise men and a virgin there!

Wow, first the French and now the English...Who's next? Canadians!

Hi Big Al!

I trust Coleen isn't afraid of spiders! Cheers, Patrizzio!