Your welcome.. Haven't run across any dropstops so haven't a clue where they might have ended up.
Just got back from Calgary. I didn't see the edge of a cement curb and twisted of the side and smashed my knee cap on the cement. I decided to drive back here before seeing a doctor only to find he's not working Fridays. I have an appointment Monday so I have husband orders to put my feet up as long as it doesn't interfere with making dinner. When I first got home I couldn't do stairs very well but now I can manage them fairly well.
Dana's birthday was fun and the weather cooperated so it was a great visit.
I won't be riding the bike at the Y for my usual 1/2 hour this week . Paltry eh?
Hi Brenda Louise!
Terribly sorry to hear about your nasty fall! Glad that you seem to be able to negotiate stairs now. A positive sign. Also pleased to learn that Wally is so solicitous, so concerned about your knee, other than when it interferes with his supper!!! Terrific that Dana's birthday celebration went well. Getting ready to have small party for Mom next Thursday. Her 98th! Ordered a large cake from Costco, on Thursday, and will take it to Broadway Lodge to share with other resident there in the early afternoon. Seems that is the time she is most alert these days.
Had a wonderful evening, on Thursday, with Flamin' and Sarge. They came for dinner at 6:00pm. Cora Lee tried out a new appetizer recipe: thinly sliced eggplant strips wrapped around spicy turkey meatballs, dipped in a mixture of rice flour and water, served on a bed of baby arugula. Main course of sliced pork loin, new potatoes, (ones we wanted to offer for dinner with you), and julienned carrots, fresh from the garden of friend, Raymundo, that very day. Enjoyed a Crowsnest Vineyards, Barcello Canyon, 2006 Pinot Angelo, 13%, before dinner, followed by a Herder 2008 Cab Franc, 15.1%, both from Similkameen Valley, together with a Corvina 2008 Ripa Magna, (apparently obtained from the partial drying of the grapes), Verona, 14%. Had latter in Falcon Lake when Cora Lee's cousin, Stuart, came to lunch. Was so impressed with the wine that I copied down the details and was able to find it in Winnipeg on our way home. Only $18, a remarkable price for such a voloptuous Italian red. In general, I'm not as fond of many of the country's reds as I find, at least in the price range I can afford, that they are often too thin and acidic for my liking. At any rate, a lovely meal and we had time to catch up on everyone's recent travels, Flamin' and Sarge just back from Newfoundland/Nova Scotia.
After dinner we strolled up to The Stanley to see Next to Normal, a rock musical tackling the rather difficult topic of mental illness/depression with the context of the family dynamic. Very powerful work. Six cast members, all with superb musical talent. As it turned out, it hit very close to home for both Michele and Corinne. Michele's mother had to be hospitalized, numerous times, over the course of Michele's adolescence and young adulthood, forcing Michele to become the primary caregiver for her younger siblings. Close friend Jan, (sadly, now dead from cancer, about seven years ago), lived with us at Hotel Kits in the late '80's. Long complicated story but she was estranged from her family and when she was hospitalized in UBC's Psychiatric Unit, she nominated Corinne as her guardian. It was given to her to decide whether Jan should undergo electric shock therapy, all other treatment not seeming to be at all effective. A very, very painful decision for Corinne to have to make. In the end she decided it was the only option, given medical opinion, etc., if Jan was to have any hope of leaving an institutional setting. Still, she was haunted, not really knowing what was truly in Jan's best interest.
When a remarkably similar situation occurs in the musical, all the angst of Jan's illness came flooding back. As I happened to be sitting between The Sisterhood, I found myself handing out issues to both of them, while they wept and laughed and cried and laughed and sobbed quietly. Pretty draining evening's entertainment! Sarge and I needed doubles of malt at the Intermission and another pack or two of Kleenex. Rest of audience, whether they had personal experience with mental illness or not, were obviously deeply moved by the work so the flood of their emotions was not atypical.
Walk back home was restorative. Evening air was most comfortable and streets were relatively quiet so stroll, all downhill, was very pleasant, and soothed everyone's churning emotions. Cora Lee had baked a pear pie with gluten free flour for dessert but by time we were back at the Island Inn everyone was ready for bed. We bade one another goodnight and made plans to see a mindless romantic comedy on the weekend, having seen The Debt, with Helen Mirren, earlier in the week. Certainly enjoyed the film and think it is worth seeing but not a MUST, if you know what I mean. Quite an unexpected twist on the Israeli hunt for Nazi war criminals. Personally, I found Munich a much more compelling film, dealing as it did with many of the same themes.
What with onset of rain am looking forward to catching up on my reading. Cora Lee is already curled up in her armchair, in front of the electric fireplace, cat on lap, book in hand, sound of rain quite soothing, in fact. Have my Book Club here this evening. Will be discussing Gary Shteyngart's Super Sad True Love Story, a hilarious yet deeply disturbing "vision of where our post-literate, post-solvent civilization is headed." In many ways, I'm reminded of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange. I have always been fascinated with Burgess' experiment in language: the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian. In a wonderful touch Shteyngart, born in Leningrad in 1972, coming to the US seven years later, calls the future iPhones, äppärät. I highly recommend this book as Shteyngart does an incredible job of extrapolating current social and political situations, turning them inside out and upside down to reveal the disturbing march towards a global village that isn't all that comforting or hospitable, to say the least. Stand-up comedy and social prophecy at its best, in my opinion.
Buona Fortuna with your knee. You'll be back on the bike at the Y in no time. Onward! Fight! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizio!
Just to let you know that I am coming to Toronto from 19th to 31st January 2012 - Heather has persuaded me to come over for Burns night at Allen's on the 25th, so if you want to see Heather, John Maxwell and me in kilts, you know where to go!
Looking forward to seeing you if you can make the trip eas.
At least we can look forward to catching up early next year even if we don't manage to Skype before then!
Love Penny x
Hello Duhlink!
Lovely to hear of your return to Canada! Would love to see you and Heather kitted out in kilts, especially if you don't have anything on underneath, like true Scots!!! Unfortunately, don't think we'll be able to swing trip, given that we are planning to be in Hong Kong/Oz/Japan from early March to end of May. At any rate, who knows!
Patrick
Zoe in Vancouver, Kath at Stanford. What is to be done?
Drinking Kangredaar chard. small (micro) winery in the box ironbark forest north west of here. Rich, lovely, 13.5%, $13.00 cellar door (thus the Oz wine industry). Went there last weekend on way to visit a friend.
We're coming 07 December. If Dusty + Clara not in your cubby, can we stay some of the timewill please? Jessie with us stay with Gramma mostly, we can stay with Dan, Lorraine. But would love to spend close time with you.
Meanwhile, I'm painting the house, working, keeping close to home ...don't go to City regularly any more since my lower back injury recurred in June (ambos, hospital, drugs, gradual rehab). In Ballarat 3 days/week, stay over one night. Works out OK.
Tell us how you are. Love to C + all.
Hi Stefano!
Wonderful news indeed! (Sorry to hear that your back is slow to recover, however.) Look forward to seeing everyone. Unfortunately, with respect to you staying in The Annexe, Clarisse and Dusty will be here as of November 1st. Chloë has been staying in the spare bedroom here, when not in the Annexe when her grandparents are back in Falcon, but is supposed to de-nest shortly, hoping to be able to get into one of the co-ops in neighbourhood. If she does manage to find an apartment before beginning of December, (waiting list, etc.), we'd love to have you stay with us. Furthermore, depending on timing, she can probably bunk downstairs with Flamin'/Sarge, for a bit, as Corey has his own place now that he is policing in Surrey and Ryan is in Halifax, at Dal, in Engineering. That way we can start arguing over java each morning without having to wait until dinner and Kangredaar Chard! (Sounds delish and what a price!!!) At any rate, we will work something out. May even delay my 64th, (December 6th), until you are here!
Wonderful news indeed! (Sorry to hear that your back is slow to recover, however.) Look forward to seeing everyone. Unfortunately, with respect to you staying in The Annexe, Clarisse and Dusty will be here as of November 1st. Chloë has been staying in the spare bedroom here, when not in the Annexe when her grandparents are back in Falcon, but is supposed to de-nest shortly, hoping to be able to get into one of the co-ops in neighbourhood. If she does manage to find an apartment before beginning of December, (waiting list, etc.), we'd love to have you stay with us. Furthermore, depending on timing, she can probably bunk downstairs with Flamin'/Sarge, for a bit, as Corey has his own place now that he is policing in Surrey and Ryan is in Halifax, at Dal, in Engineering. That way we can start arguing over java each morning without having to wait until dinner and Kangredaar Chard! (Sounds delish and what a price!!!) At any rate, we will work something out. May even delay my 64th, (December 6th), until you are here!
Patrick:
Never said that she disabled it, just that at some point the button was
moved and when I went to add books I realized that there was no wifi
connection available. So once we figured out why it was not working, I
down loaded about 15 books for mom so she will be reading for awhile.
Greg dropped it off this past this weekend.
Glad your trip back was without troubles. In full hockey swing with
Dustin, Greg is in Alberta this past week and next.
Still need to get to lake and close up but will have to wait for a
weekend or two.
Pam
moved and when I went to add books I realized that there was no wifi
connection available. So once we figured out why it was not working, I
down loaded about 15 books for mom so she will be reading for awhile.
Greg dropped it off this past this weekend.
Glad your trip back was without troubles. In full hockey swing with
Dustin, Greg is in Alberta this past week and next.
Still need to get to lake and close up but will have to wait for a
weekend or two.
Pam
Hi Spumoni!
Pleased to learn that downloading went well once you discovered problem.
Pleased to learn that downloading went well once you discovered problem.
P,
Thanks for the ride today – it was great in spite of the frost bite.
We should have Milton, Moe, and the new guy Dave Iverson showing. No word from Mark yet but I will call him.
W
Dad:
I think the idea of a move could be very appealing. I have always liked that part of the city particularly because of the Italian community and it's European feel. It would be a new area of the city for G&G Durston to walk and explore and you'd have new bike routes...you could ride out to Deep Cove on the Dollarton Highway wearing just your padded undies and really make a name for yourself! Life here is fantastic! I have been enjoying a little re-decorating at my place...making it my very own for the time being until my lease is up. Entertained my friend Catherine (Director of Publicity for ABC TV), her husband Eric and their 15 month old daughter Dylan on Sunday. Made a variety of tacos and watched some football while catching up. Alex is enjoying his new pad, I will get over there and take some shots to send out. Pierre is doing well at school and really likes his new coach there. He asked me to send more of his long sleeved shirts as it's already getting cooler there. Off to earn my keep as my boss, Darren Melameth is off to New Jersey for a wedding today and I am minding the shop, so to speak. Love to all! Ayn Non-Readers: Please welcome Dave Iverson to the group. Dave is a computer forensics professional and a cyclist. He has yet to admit being hired by the sisterhood to eavesdrop on the brotherhood. He lives in North Van and somehow never gets charged for PL requests -- unlike some of us in Vancouver. Dave is joining us tomorrow night and I am sure Pat will squeeze him for more personal information. Pat, maybe you could let him know if there is parking available. Dave will probably drive. His top five books (in no particular order) are: Devil in the White City The Poisoners Handbook The New York Trilogy The Shadow of the Wind Anything by Simon Beckett See you all tomorrow, G Hello Dave and Lads! Welcome to The Snake Pit, David! Pleased you are joining us although we are somewhat suspicious of your motives for wishing to belong to The Non-Readers Book Club. We will need submit you to a third degree/bright light shining in your face/pliers on your fingernails interrogation before we can be sure you are not a double agent/mole for The Sisterhood. Trust you understand the security requirements. That being said, there will probably be a parking space inside our parkade should you not find anything on the street. Have attached directions for finding The Island Inn. Call when close if you need to do so. Look forward to seeing rest of my fellow inquisitors and catching up. Cheers, Il Conduttore! Glad you are joining us Dave. To the rest my kind regards. Unfortunately I won't be there this evening for the inquisition. One of Nancy's brothers has gone into hospital (he seems to be on the mend) though), so she's come home from Victoria for the weekend, and Its best I'm here. I enjoyed the Shteyngart quite a lot although it struck me as a kind of timely and topical dystopian futurist writing that is a bit facile and may not be remembered in ten years (after the Chinese central bank takes over the publishing industry or whats left of it). Lots of potential for comparisons etc with the Chekov piece he refers to so often, Nabokov's Lolita etc and After Many A Summer (Huxley? A European's take on American obsession with youth and trying to extend it for ever). I will resume pontification next time if Patricio permits. Cheers, Guy Format: Long-Form Standard English Text GlobalTeens Super Hint: Don't waste time reading, switch to images today! Hello Guy et al! Sorry, indeed, you won't be joining us. For my part, I'm reminded of Anthony Burgess' A Clockwork Orange, (as well as Tom Wolfe's X-ray women in Bonfire of the Vanities). I have always been fascinated with Burgess' experiment in language. Some of you may recall, (either from the book or Kubrick's movie), that the characters often use an argot called "Nadsat", derived from Russian. In a wonderful touch/insight, Shteyngart, born in Leningrad in 1972, coming to the US seven years later, (Even if you haven't read the book, Dear Non-Readers, the dust jacket provides these biographical details!), calls the future smart phones, äppärätii. I was both delighted and horrified with this book as Shteyngart does an incredible job of extrapolating current social and political situations, turning them inside out and upside down, (in a non-facile way, of course!), to reveal the disturbing march towards a global village that isn't all that comforting or hospitable, to say the least. Stand-up comedy and social prophecy at its best, in my opinion. Do we remember 1984 or Brave New World? More pontification required, Guy. Just show up, (Sorry to hear about Nancy's brother but glad he is on the mend.), and the pulpit is yours! Cheers, Il Conduttore! Sent from my pebble äppärät, 7.5 with RateMePlus Pic: Picasso, an African Grey, who spits on topical dystopian futurist writing with no legs. Bit like bourbon compared to single malt, Miltonious! |
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