IIDD, Feb 1st

In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: they must be fit for it; they must not do too much of it; and they must have a sense of success in it. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (1819-1900)

 Sarah Gamp, a nurse in Charles Dickens's novel Martin Chuzzlewit. llustration: Kyd (Joseph Clayton Clarke)

P,

The words seem particularity apt this week for those of us with the naming disorder. Dickens may have been the first to suffer this malady – or is it genius? W

Hi Whirlissimo!

Wrightson with rides to boot, sounds fab! However, if you continue to rake
in the hardware, sandbagging as seems to be your collective wont, of late,
perhaps you should be taking a U-Haul to Portland! That way we could carry
bikes down and not risk a ticket for and obscured license plate! Any Duty
Free malt make it back?

I am, as you might well know, a tad distressed about the 3.25 miles as
opposed to the 3.33 mark but Big Molly has yet to come up with a waterproof
odometre which can withstand pressure on the pool bottom. Once that is
strapped to my wrist I'll be able to fine tune distance to the exact .33!

Sorry to hear about your mechanical problem. For my part, I just had my
nagging, recurring chain skipping rectified. Turned out that the rear fender
was so attached that it was actually acting as a conduit for all the grit
and such picked up by the wheel and funneled everything onto some part of
the shifting mechanism which then caused that not to operate as it should.
With fender moved there is no build-up and I can now ride up Seymour, upside
down, backwards and in high gear!

Robo Ray probably won't want to leave much before 10:00am, if he is able to
ride at all. We'll have to quiz him about his nefarious past, à propos, "A
fagin crook led a gang of young thieves stealing valuable bikes to order
across Tyneside." His hometown of Harlepool. He was probably the Enforcer!!!

You may well be guilty of faginism but The Sisterhood follows another
character from Dickens, namely Mr Micawber:

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result
happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound
ought and six, result misery."

Forecast suggests showers early tomorrow morning so anytime after 9:00am
should work, depending on the peletonieri! "Not to put too fine a point upon
it,." (Thanks again, Mr Micawber), let me know your thoughts. Cheers, Il
Conduttore! 
P,

I am good to ride later in the morning if that is what works for Ray and
others. If the peloton is AWOL then I can leave as early as you want. Need
to pick up the fagin MT at 3PM.

Provisoso: The MT was home sick for part of today so there is a slim chance
she will stay home and if so I may be anchored as well.  W

Pat/George,

    I'm flexible till 3, so whatever time works for the both of you.

Ray

Hi Guys,

What are your plans for a destination? I have a friend that I want to get
some riding time in with so maybe we can join for all or part of the ride.

In regards to the waterproof odometer, I am looking at a sonar / GPS system
from the US navy and I will advise on cost once I hear back.

Thanks, Al (Big Molly)

 
 Hi Patrice,

Thanks for the birthday wishes!

I have a friend that I haven't see in quite some time who would like to head
out for a ride as well so let me know what your plans are and I'll see if we
can meet up with the peleton.

Kind of busy to write much right now but will catch up when I see you. Cheers, Al

I'd like to join the peloton Wed a.m. if it works - 10:00 (or 10:13) would be preferable to 9:00 in the eyes of both my mutts and me. I'll check in for an email update around 8:00 a.m.
    
8^) cheers, Mark

Hello Lads:

Given the fact that the Burnaboids would like to join the peleton, I suggest
we meet them at Science World, or thereabouts, at 10:30am, local cyclisti
leaving from Harbour Terrace, Heartbreak Parkade at 10:17am. Ragin' Bull
could attach himself, barnacle-like, to the advance guard as it swings past
Spruce Harbour Marina, at 10:20:33am if he so desires! I suggest we do an
up-and-over LG and explore Spirit Trail to the east of LG. If riders want,
we could continue all the way to the Second Narrows and then the Burnaboids
would be closer to home, once over bridge. As everyone knows, I'm always
easy about any route as long as I'm not forced to touch the ground or stop
for latte and pannini!!!

I gather that Robo Ray and Whirlygig are reasonably flexible regarding start
time so if anyone would like a slightly later departure please reply in time
for others to make necessary chronological recalibrations. Other than that,
an indication from each rider that my executive decision suits so that we
know which riders to expect where.

Kjell: Let me know, by phone or email if you'd like to join us and we'll
arrange a rendezvous point.

Look forward to seeing those able to make outing. Cheers, Il Conduttore!

P,

Science World, or thereabouts, at 10:30am. Unless something changes, see you
at Heartbreak Parkade at 10:17.33 am. W

Pat/George,

    10:17 at the Heartbreak it is. Ray

                                       

10:30 at Science World it is. Lions Gate, Spirit Trail, and Iron Workers' sounds like a good route to me. 8^) cheers, Mark

Hi Gents,

My friend Chris and I will join up at least for the around and up and over
and see you at S.W. at 10:30. Cheers, Al

Hi Pat,

I would have liked to join you, but this is the first I hear about it, and now it is much too late. Have a nice ride! Kjell

 

Chloe Alexis Dunn

garlic = good

• • 
    

    Ed Huot garlic = great
    
  • 
    

    Patrick James Dunn You've never had anything great or good until you've tasted garlic wine!

Hello Lads!

I am heartened by the size of the peleton and the unanimous agreement about times/rendezvous points. However, in the spirit of exactness, which Marcus Aurelius ever pursues, I have included an excerpt for all riders to ponder, for your chronological edification, remembering my penchant, (some, I know, would say "obsession"), for .33's on the distance scale. It would seem, however ironically, that I am in the forefront, (on the frontier of the space/time boundary, no less), of measurement and suggest you all re-think your derisory comments on "circling", etc. Cheers, I remain. as ever, Your 'Umble Il Conduttore!

From delanceyplace.com 2/1/12 - the ultimate clock

In today's excerpt - the technology of our daily lives has become so advanced that the need for accuracy in clocks presses hard the most accurate of today's clocks - which are accurate to five parts per 100,000,000,000,000,000 (or five in 1016). Improving this accuracy is absolutely necessary for such things as improved GPS navigation, improved satellite communication, and improved detection of faults in the massive communication networks we now depend on:

"Today those who would build a more accurate clock must advance into the frontiers of physics and engineering in several directions at once. They are cobbling lasers that spit out pulses a quadrillionth of a second long together with chambers that chill atoms to a few millionths of a degree above absolute zero. They are snaring individual ions in tar pits of light and magnetism and manipulating the spin of electrons in their orbits. 

"And thanks to major technical advances, the art of ultraprecise timekeeping is progressing with a speed not seen for 30 years or more. These days a good cesium beam clock, of the kind Symmetricom sells for $50,000, will tick off seconds true to about a microsecond a month, its frequency accurate to five parts in 1013. The primary time standard for the U.S., a cesium fountain clock installed in 1999 by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) at its Boulder, Colo., laboratory, is good to five parts in 1016 (usually written simply as 10-16). That is 1000 times the accuracy of NIST's best clock in 1975. Successful prototypes of new clock designs - devices that extract time from calcium atoms or mercury ions instead of cesium - have recently attained accuracy in the 10-18 range, a 100-fold improvement in a decade. 

"Accuracy may not be quite the right word. The second was defined in 1967 by international fiat to be 'the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the cesium 133 atom.' Leave aside for the moment what that means: the point is that to measure a second, you have to look at cesium. The best clocks now don't - so, strictly speaking, they don't measure seconds. That is one predicament the clock makers face. 

"Further down the road lies a more fundamental limitation: as Albert Einstein theorized and experiment has confirmed, time is not absolute. The rate of any clock slows down when gravity gets stronger or when the clock moves quickly relative to its observer - even a single photon emitted as an electron reorients its magnetic poles or jumps from one orbit to another. By putting ultraprecise clocks on the space station, scientists hope to put relativity theory through its toughest tests yet. But now that clocks have achieved a precision of 10-18 - proportions that correspond to a deviation of less than half a second over the age of the universe - the effects of relativity have started to test the scientists. No technology exists that can synchronize clocks around the world with such exactness.

"So why bother to improve atomic clocks? The duration of the second can already be measured to 14 decimal places, a precision 1,000 times that of any other fundamental unit. ... More stable and portable clock designs could ... be a big boon to navigation, enhancing the accuracy and reliability of the Global Positioning System and of Galileo, a competing system under development in Europe. Better clocks would help NASA track its satellites, enable utilities and communications firms to trace faults in their networks, and enhance geologists' ability to pinpoint earthquakes and nuclear bomb tests. Astronomers could use them to connect telescopes in ways that dramatically sharpen their images. And inexpensive, microchip-size atomic clocks are likely to have myriad uses not yet imagined."

Author: W. Wayt Gibbs
Title: "Ultimate Clocks"
Publisher: Scientific American, Special Edition: A Matter of Time
Date: Spring 2012, Pages: 62-63


January news from Dry Creek


Thanks for the update of recent goings-on in Vancouver. Our accountant
was here today (yes, he makes "house" calls) and told me that he has
been up to Vancouver quite a few times over the past year and fell so in
love with your city that he decided to open up a business up there....a
payroll service. I'm not sure exactly how he's going about running a
payroll service from down here, and apparently he's not sure how it is
all going to work out either. I think he said he also bought a boat and
has it berthed somewhere up there. He's a middle aged sort of guy,
single with no family ties that I know of here in the area. So maybe
he's thinking of relocating. He did say though that the Canadians (you
folks) aren't making it easy for him to establish a business up there.
Something about maybe having to become a Canadian citizen. I find this
all very interesting and will keep you posted if I learn anymore about
his activities up in Vancouver.

Otherwise, the new year is off to its usual slow start. In fact, I just
took a weekend trip up to Seattle to visit Susie and check up on things
up there. All seemed to be in good order and we had some fun times
walking and driving around various neighborhoods in search of the
perfect used but in good condition and inexpensive storage cabinet of
just a certain size to fit into a small space. We weren't successful,
but had fun nonetheless. The weather wasn't bad. In fact, it was even
sunny all day, one day. This weekend coming up we are celebrating Dave's
mother's 90th birthday and believe me, we are all happy to be
celebrating it after the three heart attacks she suffered last fall,
culminating in open heart surgery on January 10th. She is home now and
seems to be doing very well, still with full-time care. But she hopes
once she gets stronger, she'll be able to cut back to just part-time
help and maybe even be on her own again full-time as she was before the
heart attacks. She is one tough lady!

There has actually been a lot of activity in and around the winery
lately, what with racking and blending the 2011 wines a couple of weeks
ago, and now bottling of the 2010 longer-aged wines this week. This
keeps us all on our toes! ~Pat


Hi Pat!

Please tell your accountant to give us a shout when he is next in Vancouver. We'd enjoy meeting him. You are so close when in Seattle why not pop up next time? Hope birthday party goes well.

Busy time here and I am starting to be a tad concerned about how quickly march 5th is approaching. Still have plenty to do in order to be ready to leave but somehow don't seem to be making much headway. Many social engagements it seems. Certainly not complaining but I need to be more disciplined about getting ready to complete such tasks as filing income tax, per esempio!  Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio Chauffeur Etraordinaire!!!


Happy News!!

Hi there ,
 
Well, it's come to be.  We're just delighted to let you know that today, shortly after 5:30 p.m. Lynsey gave birth to a brand new beautiful baby girl, Emily, and pleased to report all is well with Mom, baby and Dad who is just blown away with excitement.  We spoke over the phone within half hour of the birth and even heard Emily give one of her first cries.  What a day!!  We plan on making the trek to N.J. Sunday morning to share in the excitement of the new parents.

 
Roma & Leonard

Hi Roma and Leonard!

What wonderful news indeed! Cora Lee sends along her best wishes to you both as well. Such a delight! Trust Emily and Lynsey are doing well. Enjoy your visit.

Busy time here and I am starting to be a tad concerned about how quickly march 5th is approaching. Still have plenty to do in order to be ready to leave but somehow don't seem to be making much headway. Many social engagements it seems. Certainly not complaining but I need to be more disciplined about getting ready to complete such tasks as filing income tax, per esempio!

On a far happier note, this past Wednesday evening we journeyed to West Van. (Her majesty had taken bus downtown earlier that afternoon, allowing her chauffeur the freedom to ride!) Once I collected her outside VPL we took Georgia to Stanley Park Causeway, (My second time over the Lions Gate that day as I had ridden over with friends, late that morning, en route to Second Narrows to do a loop through North Van and then East Van and then back home.), to Kings Avenue. We were having dinner with Julia and Ross, close friends. Kjell and Jane, mutual friends, were invited so it was a lovely evening. J/R have a small cabin on Sydney Island where there is an over population of deer. Consequently, deer have been culled, under government supervision, for many years. We have enjoyed he venison which Ross has passed along, from time to time. I was secretly hoping that they would serve it for dinner when I learned of the invitation, and I was not disappointed.

It really is a delicious wild meat, at least in our experience, and sustainable to boot! (That would have made Whirlygig, [a rabid, quasi-vegetarian who only eats sustainably harvested fish, per esempio], happy!) They served it with green beans covered with almond slivers together with mashed turnip, so he and Kerry could have enjoyed part of meal. After dinner, repaired to their living room to chat in front of the fire and sip Bowmore. Before dinner, Wade Davis' name came up and Ross lent me One River. Looks fascinating.

"Richard Evans Schultes was arguably this century's foremost botanist. He was the father of ethnobotany, the study of indigenous peoples' knowledge and use of plants. He inadvertently inspired the 1960's drug culture with his scholarly writings on natural hallucinogens. When Japanese troops overran the world's rubber supply in Southeast Asia, Schultes, through his research on wild rubber trees in the Amazon, found himself central to the Allied war effort. Davis, one of Schultes's most devoted students, recounts the stories of his voyages along hundreds of miles of forested rivers, his near-fatal encounters with rapids and disease, his collaboration with Amazon shamans, and his dealings with people from the unsavoury to the sublime -- including a Nazi sympathiser, a heroically faithful native assistant, and the cult figures Timothy Leary and William Burroughs."

Might have to stop swimming, (Logged 3.5miles at the Aquatic Centre on Thursday so am very pleased as my form, such as it is, seems to be coming back, albeit slowly.), and riding so I have more time to read! However, Star Trooper Footness took the bus downtown yesterday so I was able to join Whirlygig and Robo Ray for a ride that morning. Whirlissimo and I rendezvoused with Raymundo at the sub-station on the corner of Maple and King Ed at 9:45am and proceeded, via Cypress, to Marine Drive. Just before we reached this main arterial thoroughfare, I noticed that Ray was lagging behind and we slowed to ask if he was fine. In fact, he wasn't. He felt that he should turn back and we asked if he'd like us to accompany him to make sure he made it safely home. He dismissed the preposterous idea, (Knowing his personality, I knew he would!), and we said goodbye, he to retrace the route back up Cypress, we to make our way to Iona over Arthur Laing.

Crossing the bridge, we remarked to one another how incredible the day was, drinking in the blue, blue sky, cloudless, the sun shining blindingly, its rays noticeably warm on our faces. Ride out to Iona was a delight, most pleasant in spite of the slight headwind. We passed quite a number of people standing beside their parked cars, "plane spotters", as the road to Iona Park runs parallel to one YVR runway, the nasty razor wire atop the recently installed new, higher security fence, glinting maliciously in the bright sunshine.

Once at the small parking which serves Iona Beach Park, Giorgio called Raymond on his cell and confirmed that he had made it back home with incident. He was lolling on his patio enjoying the sun, probably sipping a latte, for all we knew! He mentioned that he thought that he had forgotten to take his heart medication the night before and this oversight had caused an irregular heart rate. Pleased that our comrade-in-arms was in better spirits, we took off for Steveston, battling an even stronger crosswind until we left the airport behind and had crossed over the No. 2 Road Bridge.

Ride into Steveston was uneventful and we chatted amiably, stopping, a few blocks before the marina where Captain Barnacle had the Inside Passage in dry dock last year. I convinced Whirlygig to return via No. 6 Road, as opposed to the shorter Shell Road route, and we were both glad that we had made this choice. Large, deep ditches bracket much of the length of the road and we came across three Blue Herons, two rising from the water at our approach, another watching us carefully as we cycled past. We had seen one, atop a log, in the middle of the small lagoon at Iona but these were much closer. I am always amazed at their remarkable, almost mind boggling wingspan. Quite a stirring sight to see them soar, effortlessly, as we huffed and puffed our way along.

Lots of heavy truck traffic once we passed Blundell Road so we put our heads down and concentrated on making it to Vulcan Way as quickly as possible. Once there, we had to make a slight dipsy-doodle, onto the sidewalk, around a traffic accident involving two semi-trailers. Not quite sure what happened but one tractor trailer, cab only, was squashed against the curb by the the trailer of the other vehicle. The responding Mountie had just pulled up and was asking one of the drivers: "Do you have anyone injured in your cab?", as we trundled past.

Made the base of the CSTB with 59K on the clock and once back on Vancouver side of the Mighty Fraser, Whirlygig made straight for Heather, not even giving me the chance to argue for Cambie! Pleasant ride uphill, glad that Robo Ray wasn't with us, half-wheeling us for the entire ascent! Dropped Giorgio off at 2nd and Macdonald and rode home, via Kits Point for 76.33K on the Deadly Odometre, pleased as punch!

Inside, Her Regalness was watching The Young and the Restless with Maggie upon her lap so I zapped a cup of java and answered a few messages before showering and changing. We were off to The Pitchforks for bridge, along with Rosita and Dusty. Arrived about 6:30pm and after greeting one another started to play. Since there were only six players, Champagne and O Susannah, had decided to play "speed bridge". North/South play against East/West and after one side makes game, North exits to be replaced by a new player, remaining spots shift clockwise. Loads of fun even though the cards were abominable, for everyone!

After first two games, we stopped play to enjoy a lovely dinner of green salad and lasagne. Champagne and Cora Lee shared their portions as she could not eat the wheat pasta and he didn't want any meat! A couple of kids fussing over their food!!! Back to the table for a few more games/rotations and then the distribution of prizes. No matter what your score, (Need I mention, Dear Reader, that I had highest point count, helped muchly by the 6 No Trump bid, with Dusty as partner, made on last hand. In fact, we managed a Grand Slam although we only bid a Small Slam. My mistake. I mistook Dusty's response of 6 Hearts, to my 5 No Trump, as meaning he held one ace, when in fact he had signalled two.), each visiting contestant, (an exercise in de-cluttering for hosts!), received note pads, mouse pads, small stuffed toys, pens, coffee mugs and reusable shopping bags, all promotional materials from the Pitchford's travel business. best of all, the crowning touch, silk flower Leis!

Wonderful fun and games and enjoyed having dinner with Marnie, their daughter, and seeing Scott, their son, (he was out for dinner with friends), just before we left. Even managed to do a bit of travel business in between bridge hands as we ordered our 21 day rail passes for Japan. Had not decided, until fairly recently, what length of time we would purchase. Also put our request for travel insurance in motion. Thanking our gracious hosts we waved goodbye and made for home. Streets were quiet as it was 11:30pm so back at Harbour Terrace quite quickly once we figured out which direction we were supposed to travel! When we left Rosemont, Pitchford's street, I made a wrong turn and then, following Her Majesty's strident commands, we ended up heading into deepest, darkest Burnaby before we realized the error of her/our ways! Fortunately had brought along Garmin Goil as had not been to their place in sometime and was a tad unsure of just how to get there. Had thought I'd be fine on return leg but such was not the case. Nothing wrong with a bit of reconnoitering, day or night, I say! However, my passengers were not overly impressed or amused, I have to report, Dear Reader!

Still, safe and sound, at last, and into bed, after brushing and flossing, to read a couple more chapters of An Impartial Witness, helping Bess Crawford solve her latest murder. Again, Congratulations on the birth of Emily!!! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio Chauffeur Etraordinaire!!!

Snaps: From Grouse Mountain, yesterday, taken by Marvin, Nicole's boyfriend; Kits, earlier today, not far from us, again taken by Marvinator.                         

IIDD, Jan 31st

Hello Goils!

Any daughter that has left the nest qualifies as "The Favourite"!

Quite enjoyed your "traditional" Mata Hari/Femme Fatale haircut. This seductive, come hither pose, hiding behind a partial mask of dark hair, seems to have become your image, of late! You Tinsel Towners are always looking for the distinctive, photogenic signature which announces you and only you to your adoring public!

Great shots of Los Horridos in all their chronological iterations. Yes, it all started at Hotel Kits in the red tub! Has Jasper arrived?

To keep The Sisterhood in the Information Loop, here is a recap of latest Island Inn round of activities:

Been quite busy again, over last week or so. Helped my friend Imre with buying a TV, a week ago Tuesday. He has had some phone trouble so had to stay in his apartment until technician arrived. We chatted on Monday night and he said he would call me as soon as line trouble was resolved. I had looked at prices for a 19" screen, size he said he wanted, (Required that size to fit on a particular shelf.), online at Costco, Best Buy and London Drugs. Turned out that London Drugs had the best deal. At any rate, I phone him every half hour from 10:00am until 1:30pm, the line busy each time. At first I assumed that the problem had not been addressed but finally decided to drive over to his place.

En route I thought that I might as well simply pick up the Toshiba which was on sale for $149.99 as he had mentioned during our conversation that he didn't particularly care about a given make. Stopped at the new store on Vine and Broadway and within 15 minutes I was in and out with set.

When I arrived at Imre's apartment, he was slightly embarrassed as he had been talking on the phone all the time! Longest call had been to his sister, Julia, in Hungary. We've met her a number of times and she is a lovely person. I wasn't at all upset. In fact I was pleased. (Not sure if I have mentioned this or not, in earlier emails, but Imre is suffering from terminal multiple myeloma so it is a very difficult situation for his sisters and brothers, all of them in Hungary.) Nevertheless, I explained that perhaps he might wish to consider a slightly larger screen and he said that both Julia and the Shaw technician had suggested he opt for a 31" screen so he asked if I'd mind returning the 19".

Of course I was more than glad to do that so returned to London Drugs and picked up a 32" Samsung. Back to Imre's and within a few minutes had it set up, (but 8 small screws to attach screen to stand), not on his shelving unit but on another piece of furniture which worked very well. Unfortunately, could not manage to obtain any signal in spite of following instructions for various input plugs. We called Shaw but hat was nothing but an exercise in frustration. Had to wait for ages to finally be connected to a human and then once we were patched through to Technical Support line went dead shorty after I described problem to technician! I had to leave by then so left Imre to call back.

Lugging his old set out to my car was no easy matter as it was both awkward and heavy to carry. In comparison, the 19" flat screen was a as light as a feather and the 32" unit wasn't much more difficult to handle. Anyway, I managed to haul the ungainly television to where my car was parked without any real problems/diffiuclties with fire/elevator doors and more slippery outside steps than I would have wished for . By this time it was raining heavily and there were puddles everywhere so I had to zig-zag to avoid the pools of water flooding the large patio entranceway to the building and my vehicle.

Once the set was safely loaded in the back seat, I stopped at the BC Liquor Store close by to pick up a case of Canta Perdices, 2008 Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain, 14%, $15.99. Had not had it before last Saturday when I took a bottle to Ragin's Birthday party. I bought it on speculation, before Christmas, as I'd not seen it before. Was simply overwhelmed by it and was hoping I'd be able to find
more of it as I couldn't remember where I bought it. As it turned out, once I looked on the BC Liquor site that it was fairly readily available.

Back home I had a bite to eat. Cora Lee was at a church meeting. The new minister, Beth Hayword, a lovely individual, had picked her up to take her to Presbytery, so I was all alone. After my "overlefts" I vacuumed, (Manservant Duties 101!), and just after I'd put hose away, Sarge came by to tell me that we'd need to take my car to curling rink as Flamin' was out with their vehicle. We made our way to VCC and parked on the street and as we walked to the club we bumped into the team that we were to play that evening, Team Jung. They were the first team we played at the start of the season and they beat us! Sarge was not very happy as we had never lost to them before. While they are not overly accomplished curlers, everyone played extremely well and they certainly deserved to beat us.

Nevertheless, Sarge was determined to seek revenge this time out and, in fact, we dominated the entire match. We scored 4 in the first end, then stole 2, 1, and finally 3 in the fourth. Down 10/0 they threw in the towel and shook hands, dispirited but good losers. Since the beginning of the season our team has really coalesced and everyone is curling well. Given each individual's level of skill, Sarge is very adept at asking each player to make shots which he knows, more or less, that they are capable of executing. This has enabled us to exert quite a bit of pressure on our opposition with consistent winning results. Anyway, it was fun, not simply to win but to feel pleased about out team work.

My swimming continues to go well. On Wednesday I was able to do 3.25 miles and did shave off a few minutes for each mile so was pleased to see that my form seems to be improving, even if slowly. Still, this exercise seems to be helping my shoulder so am grateful for that. Doesn't seem to ache quite as much on longer rides, per esempio. Hit the pool again, this afternoon, and was able to log 3.25 miles so am delighted with my progress. Only thing I really need to do is to start my swim earlier in the day. When I was still working at UBC and weather permitted, I'd cycle in to pool for 7:30am, before starting at Library. Need to become more disciplined now so that I can do somewhat the same at the Aquatic Centre. If I arrive there around 7:00am I would be able to log my three miles, (my benchmark for now), before noon and then have more of the day to devote to other activities. I might even be able to entertain stopping for lunch with Ragin' in Steveston!

That evening we were invited to celebrate Robbie Burns' Day with former colleague, Jo-Anne Naslund, and her husband Colin. Since they had actually had a Robbie Burns dinner on Saturday, we were only ones that evening. Rather nice as we could chat over the course of the entire evening, something we wouldn't have been able to do quite as easily if others were present. Traditional dinner consists of leek soup followed by Haggis with Bashed Neeps and Champit Tatties mashed turnip and mashed potatoes. Everything was delicious but I would have enjoyed some hot sauce for haggis as it is quite bland. Cora Lee would have loved some of Clara's ripe tomatoe pickle, for same reason, but we didn't want to offend our hosts!

I had brought along a bottle of the Canta Perdices, 2008 Tempranillo, mentioned above, and this powerful, earthy wine went perfectly with heavy haggis. The flavours are big and meaty, dark berry fruit with a lasting, modulated acidic bite on the finish to balance the fat of the haggis. Everyone seemed to like the wine. Dessert was a scrumptious trifle and we toasted the Bard with a few drams of Lark Distillery's Single Malt, from Tasmania. Friends Tina and Trevor, from Adlaide, brought me a bottle a number of years ago so thought I'd share it with Colin as he is a fan of malt whiskey as well. Was even more pleased with it this time as I hadn't remembered its notes of cedar and oak, with a twist of orange peel and then butterscotch and vanilla on the finish. Jo-Anne and Cora Lee were quite impressed and the tipple helped Her Majesty to effect a "controlled slide" down the back porch steps, on her Royal Bottom, when we left later that evening!

With respect to the Island Inn Rehab Ward, as Manservant to her Liege Ladyship, I still have a heavy number of unpaid chauffeuring commitments to discharge, even though Her Ladyship was able to start weight bearing this past Friday! Unfortunately, for me, she now has use of the Royal Cane with which to beat me soundly about my hunched shoulders/withers! Nevertheless, my imposed obligations are still fairly onerous and she keeps finding ways to order me about with but the flick of a royal finger, the practiced ease of a haughty aristocrat! (Parenthetically, on my sorely begrudged half-day off saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, US version, last Thursday afternoon, with Glasgow, and enjoyed it immensely. Still like the Swedish films but feel that this remake is very, very good. Not something that I had expected, to tell you the truth.)

On the cycling front, Robo Ray and I did our usual Stanley Park jaunt, last Friday, meeting friend, Kjell, on the West Van side of Lions Gate. (He is probably about 6'4" and is quite uncomfortable about riding over LG, fearing, so he says, of being blown over railing!) At any rate, we made our to Travers and Marine Drive and then back to his place, near Tatlow and Marine. Kjell has not been riding much of late so he didn't want to attempt Seymour, as I had first suggested when we rendezvoused. At any rate, after we waved goodbye, Raymundo and I made our back towards LG and discovered a very pleasant, freshly surfaced bike trail which we followed back to the bridge. At some point it skirts the Capilano Reserve of the Squamish First Nation. Not sure how far it goes to the east but will investigate on our next ride in this vicinity. From looking a some cycling maps, think that it might go as far along the north side of Welch Street and West 1st Street from Pemberton Avenue to MacKay Avenue. Eventually, I gather, "The Spirit Trail will be a unique, waterfront-oriented, multi-use and fully accessible greenway that will provide pedestrians, cyclists, inline skaters and people with wheeled mobility aids access across the North Shore, from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove."

For the present, however, it makes a wonderful addition to our North Shore ride and we had logged almost 40km by the time we were headed back over LG. Weather was superb and sun even graced us by peeking out from behind the clouds as we made our way downhill from Prospect Point. At bottom, I asked Robo Ray if he fancied another loop of the Seawall but he declined. he has not been riding much since snow and nasty weather have prevented much sustained cycling and felt his legs were tired. This being the case, I accompanied him to Macdonald and Point Grey and then, waving goodbye, made my way back towards Science World. I wanted to stop at Tru-Value Optical on Ash and Broadway to collect another receipt for new glasses I had purchased last August. (Couldn't seem to find original and needed it to submit a claim to our Pacific Blue Cross plan, along with physio charges I'd amassed last fall before seeing shoulder specialist. Had waited to submit former as our vision allowance didn't kick in until 2012.) Was pleased to pull up to storefront with 75.33km on my trusty odometre!!!

Home by just before 4:00pm so it was a pretty lengthy ride, chronologically speaking, as we left Harbour Terrace at 11:00am. Slow but sure!! Still, I was delighted to have been able to enjoy the wonderful day. The temperature was truly pleasant and I didn't realize until I took off my cycling togs that I hadn't been wearing the vest that I usually put on for extra warmth/wind protection, over my two long-sleeved undershirts. Had fully intended to wear it as forecast indicated that it was to be cool and windy. Not so at all. (As an aside, I had a brief telephone chat with my brother-in-law, George, in Manitoba, yesterday afternoon, and he harangued me, as he is wont to do, about how inexpensive it is to live at Falcon Lake, property values/taxes, etc., compared to Vancouver. I just laughed at him and asked if he could cycle in January, dressed as I had been, without even socks!)

On Saturday we celebrated Clarisse's 87th birthday. I had picked up tenderloin steaks at Costco on Thursday evening and Sarge cut them up on Friday evening so that we could marinate them. Dusty did his famous twice-baked potatoes and Clara her delicious turnip puff. Cora Lee and I prepared twice baked cauliflower and Chloë whipped up a tangy dressing for the Ceasar salad I threw together just before we sat down to eat. Flamin' and sarge brought a host of wonderful cheeses along with melt-in-your-mouth bite-sized quiche. We started with a Clava, Casablanca, 2009 Sauvignon Balnc, 12.5%, and I was delighted as I'd not tasated it before. Once again, had purchased it on spec before Christmas. Lovely colour, pale gold with a bit of green, grapefruit with a bit of grass and spice, reminding me of Rancho Sisquoc's of years gone by. Sutherlands had brought a Black Hills, Oliver, 2008 Chardonnay, 14.1%. A sumptuous, complex wine indeed.­ Apple, pear and lemon citrus on the palate with great acidity and subtle notes of butterscotch on the finish. Only bad thing I can say about the wine is that Dusty liked it so much there was not enough for anyone else!!! ­

Clara started on a bottle of Layer Cake, 2010, Malbec, Mendoza, 14.6%, (I'd bought it earlier that day at Liberty on GI as it is one of her favourites.), and I know why. Spicy nose, with black pepper, powerful cherry and blackberry flavors on the palate, downright jammy with a pleasing, long, long finish. Not sure if you know it or not but "in addition to Malbec, Layer Cake also produce Cabernet, Primitivo, Cotes du Rhone, and Shiraz, all from different regions of the world. Jayson Woodbridge is the force behind Layer Cake. He’s also the owner of Hundred Acre wines, a high-end wine label based in Napa that sells wines starting at about $250 a bottle. Each Layer Cake wine is grown, made, bottled and labeled in its country of origin before being shipped to the US."

By chance, Flamin' and Sarge brought a Layer Cake, 2010 Shiraz, McLaren Vale, 14.1%, an extremely well-balanced wine, just short of a fruit bomb, fresh blueberries, blackberries and cherries, dark and dense, pepper and dark chocolate. This is certainly an inky Shiraz with a long, lingering finish. Decided to put up a local against these two impressive reds and decided upon a La Frenz, Naramata Bench, 2006 Merlot, 13.5%. Not disappointed by any stretch of the imagination as one finds aromas of dark fruits and chocolate on the nose, cassis and coffee on the palate. Again, a very balanced wine with well-structured tannins and a nice lingering, satisfying finish.

Just sat down to eat when Rebecca and Corey joined us for the meal. They had both been working and were planning on stopping by to say hello anyway so we simply set two more places. (Chloë had been working until 8:00pm so she wished her Grandmother all the best beore she dashed off to Maya's birthday party.) All in all, a delightful meal with some quite impressive wines, not to mention the delicious food. For dessert I had ordered a strawberry mousse cake, (Cora Lee could eat everything but the bottom layer.), from the bakery at the Pacific Culinary Institute, just at the entrance to GI, under the bridge, just before the Seawall), so we sang For She's A Jolly Good Fellow before Rosie blew out the candles. Only had three, an 8 and a 5 with an upside down 5 as we didn't have a 2!

Guests left at around 11:00pm as it had been a full evening. I put on the dishwasher and settled Her Majesty in bed before turning in myself, to read a few chapters of Winter in Madrid. Wonderful way to end a truly wonderful day! Fondestos, Love and Cheers, to all my favourite Goils!!! Dad/Patrizzio!



Putting things in perspective

You are on quite a ride ..... turn up the sound. It's not over till it asks if you want to view again.

This clever piece originated in Australia . It is so very well done most folks don't realize how much info he is sharing! Just click on the link below..... Speakers on. Photos by NASA.

Enjoy your journey!

Click here: http://dingo.care2.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf

Hi Big Al:

Quite enjoyed NASA's inter-galatic journey so thought you might want to take a look at the following advantages of group travel back here on Earth!


http://www.youtube.com/v/gBnvGS4u3F0?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/LuVPnW0s3Vo?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

P,

We will plan for you to join us at the next tourney which is likely to be
the Wrightson next fall. That would be a lot of fun. Maybe we could plan
some riding in the area -- apparently Portland is the most bike friendly
city in North America. Charlie's brother in law, just retired last week, was
describing some local rides that sound divine.

The hardware was a little tricky, yes, as it was hanging out of windows and
doors but it was a foil for the real contraband. We were more concerned
about the growler of GF beer I bought for Cobby from the Deschutes Brew pub.
For once they never asked about booze.

3.25 miles on the wing -- wow! That is an unbelievable comeback. Why not
3.33 miles?

I have a broken rear derailleur cable that I will get fixed today --
somehow. My mechanic, Jake the Snake, is a little hard to pin down.

Let's plan a ride tomorrow. It looks like the weather is going to be good.
Let me know what time works for you. My Wednesday is open at the moment but
for a pick up of the MT at 3PM. I guess I could be accused of faginism --
aiding and abetting the MT.  W

Hi Whirlissimo!

Wrightson with rides to boot, sounds fab! However, if you continue to rake in the hardware, sandbagging as seems to be your collective wont, of late, perhaps you should be taking a U-Haul to Portland!  That way we could carry bikes down and not risk a ticket for and obscured license plate! Any Duty Free malt make it back?

I am, as you might well know, a tad distressed about the 3.25 miles as opposed to the 3.33 mark but Big Molly has yet to come up with a waterproof odometre which can withstand pressure on the pool bottom. Once that is strapped to my wrist I'll be able to fine tune distance to the exact .33!

Sorry to hear about your mechanical problem. For my part, I just had my nagging, recurring chain skipping rectified. Turned out that the rear fender was so attached that it was actually acting as a conduit for all the grit and such picked up by the wheel and funneled everything onto some part of the shifting mechanism which then caused that not to operate as it should. With fender moved there is no build-up and I can now ride up Seymour, upside down, backwards and in high gear!

Robo Ray probably won't want to leave much before 10:00am, if he is able to ride at all. We'll have to quiz him about his nefarious past, à propos, "A fagin crook led a gang of young thieves stealing valuable bikes to order across Tyneside." His hometown of Harlepool. He was probably the Enforcer!!!

You may well be guilty of faginism but The Sisterhood follows another character from Dickens, namely Mr Micawber:

"Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen six, result happiness. Annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pound ought and six, result misery."

Forecast suggests showers early tomorrow morning so anytime after 9:00am should work, depending on the peletonieri! "Not to put too fine a point upon it,." (Thanks again, Mr Micawber), let me know your thoughts. Cheers, Il Conduttore!


Hi Champagne!

Speed bridge with just the six of us sounds terrific. However, beware, we had two tables of bridge at the Carter's yesterday evening and I was overall high player, by miles!!!! Watch out!!!

Hi Patrizio!

First of all, got the passport pages so will go forth and execute the Ozzie visa.

As for the bridge, if you are asking in a roundabout way, we can certainly exclude you from winning any prizes because of your fabulous bridge skills.

Now about the wine and food. It will be very difficult for us to recreate all the expensive wines poured and food eaten but will try our best. No snow in sight so should be safe for everyone getting through all the walkways to our place. We'll keep the light on....CC

Hi again, Champagne!

We'll probably give you a call on Thursday to let you know what time to light the candle. Since we'll be travelling in a group we won't have to worry even if it snows!!! Cheers, Il Conduttore!
 

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for your usual brief summary of your day's activities and the attached family pictures.  Everybody but you and Chloe are included.  Poor Corinne didn't seem to be smiling - was it because you were displeasing her, or is her infirmity getting her down?  It must be tough for her to be cooped up.

I'm on a jaunt to Chile, reviewing yet another mega copper project.  We saved the client about $100 million this morning in a brainstorming session so it was reasonably productive.  I'd like to go home now but still have to make a site visit.  It hasn't been figured out yet whether it can be done in one day by a helicopter visit (the site is just over the border in Argentina, west of San Juan) or whether I get stuck with flying into Mendoza and driving forever, stretching the ordeal to 4 days!  Yuk!  I only need about 2 hours to see the site.  Hopefully the former so I can get home to Lynnie sooner.

Lynne and I attended a Robbie Burns dinner with the SOWTS a week ago Sunday night.  It was a great event.  We tasted 9 whiskys, with me as one of the two pourers for the approximately 100 people.  My pouring partner and I were able to pour 1/2 oz shots so successfully that we were able to give everybody a good taste from the 2 bottles of each whisky.  The final four bottles were from Glenfarclas, with a sixth generation of the owner Grant family serving as the tasting master. He had lots of good stories of his adventures as a worldwide whisky salesman.  The 15-year-old cask strength was the best of the Glenfarclases.  Attached are some shots of the Glenfarclas distillery.

All for now, Pedro

Hello Naramata Benchers!

Glad you enjoyed the condensed version of the Island Inn Daily Diaries. I knew that the succinctness would appeal to you and your jet-set, whirlwind life, JDP. Speaking of which, perhaps you should think about travelling with a group on your latest junket:

http://www.youtube.com/v/gBnvGS4u3F0?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/LuVPnW0s3Vo?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

Sent these shorts along to our travel agents. We are playing bridge with them this coming Friday so will ask for a discount on our next flight!!!

Just read the The Sisters Brothers. Do you know about it? "The novel follows the siblings – Eli and Charlie – as they wend their way toward San Francisco through the boomtowns and detritus of the gold rush. They’ve been commissioned by the mysterious Commodore to kill Hermann Warm, a prospector who has wronged him in some undetermined way. They’ve killed for less." Enjoyed it immensely. Am currently reading An Impartial Witness, third in Charles Todd's Bess Crawford Mysteries:

"Tending to the soldiers in the trenches of France during the First World War, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is sent back to England in the early summer of 1917 with a convoy of severely burned men. One of her patients, a young pilot, has clung to a photograph of his wife since his plane went down, and Bess can’t help but notice the photo every time she tends to him. After the patients are transferred to a clinic in Hampshire, Bess is ready for her two-day leave, planning to return to her flat in London to catch up on some much-needed rest. But at the railway station, in a mob of troops leaving for the front, Bess catches a glimpse of a familiar face. Could that be the pilot’s wife? And why is she bidding a very emotional farewell to a soldier who is not her husband?

Back in France, Bess discovers an old newspaper with a drawing of the woman’s face on the front page. Accompanying the drawing is a plea from Scotland Yard looking for information from anyone who has seen her. The woman was murdered-the very day Bess saw her at the terminal. Granted leave to visit Scotland Yard to report what she knows, Bess soon finds herself on the search for a devious and very dangerous killer-a search that will put her own life in jeopardy."

Same time period as latest Downton Abbey, of course. Not quite as hard-boiled as I'd like but enjoy the female protagonist and her nursing perspective. Brilliant literary detective device, I think.

I'm sure that you learned how to pour such niggling amounts of malt at home as Sarge remarked that he barely had a taste of anything you offered! I told him there was a reason for "Light" in your last name!!! "Light all the time," I beleive is how he put it. However, did enjoy the snaps of Glenfarclas. I do like their Cask Strength. Dynamite, so to speak!!!

Buona Fortuna with the chopper ride. Return safely too your art photographer wife. I gather that she will be doing poster for next Naramata wine event now that she is doing with a camera what Group of Seven did with canoes and paintbrushes! "Red Delicous" is already an iconic Okanagan image. Great that we can say, "We knew her when! When she used to collapse into her plate at the dinner table!"

Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio

Good morning Patrick,

Nice to hear from you.

And yes!  The last book I read on the subject of internet card theft was indeed by Misha Glenny.  Would this happen to be the same Misha that is a member of our little group?  I thoroughly enjoyed the book.  Very informative and I highly recommend it.

I have yet to see the Americanized versions of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.  And I probably won't.  I thought the Swedish versions were so well done that I want to keep that memory alive.  i have also been told that the US version has a changed ending.  I don't think I would like that too much.  Plus the Lisabeth Salandar of the Swish versions fit my mental image to a T.  So changing that image for me would be wrong.  But I am glad to hear that you enjoyed the newer version.

I will certainly keep you posted on the VPL event.  In truth I have not paid much attention to it since you registered me for the event.  I will start paying closer attention once the date gets a little closer and I need to start figuring out what to wear, etc.  Hopefully the event does not get cancelled due to low numbers, as the email from the organizing committee says that if numbers are low, the event would not go.  Were there many people at the event when you went to register?

Sounds like you have been keeping busy between biking and looking after Her Majesty.  I wish I could say the same, but alas I have been swimming and trying to run whenever I can.  Trouble is I seem to have come down with a case of the laziess and need to get motivated again.  Perhaps when the weather turns nice I'll be back on the bike and back running more frequently.  At the moment all I seem to be doing is eating, swimming, and trying not to gain weight.  Definitely not a good combination.

Alas Patrick I am looking at my clock and it is registering 8:34am.  High time that I started doing some work around this place to pay for my upkeep!

Oh, before I forget, yes.  I have never been to Australia before.  So by all means, any suggestions you have would be appreciated.

Hope you have a great day,..Dave


Hi Titanium Man, or should it be Treacle Man, given your recent spate of Relative Indolence!

Not the same Misha as in the NRBC. Be terrific if it was as he is a fascinating individual, not that our Misha isn't, of course. Be happy to share any of our experiences/suggestions to do with Australia. Speaking of which, perhaps you should think about travelling with a group on your latest junket:

http://www.youtube.com/v/gBnvGS4u3F0?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

http://www.youtube.com/v/LuVPnW0s3Vo?hl=en&fs=1&autoplay=1

Sent these shorts along to our travel agents. We are playing bridge with them this coming Friday so will ask for a discount on our next flight!!!

Personally, I think the US Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is just as close to original as Swedish film. Some differences of course but nothing that changes, for the worse, either book or original film.

Sorry, but I have no idea about the registration for VPL event. I'd call to inquire. I hope it does go forward as I'm curious to know what you think about experience. I'd certainly attend if I was interested in meeting people. Cheers, Patrizzio!

                              Project Yosemite Website: projectyose.com
Hi Kids!

Not sure if you've seen this but was reminded of your driftwood tree, Donna Florida and Cactus!

Project Yosemite Website: projectyose.com   

Yosemite in HD

From The Big Wild, founded by Mountain Equipment Co-op and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS): This stunning time-lapse video of Yosemite reveals the full wonder of colour and landscapes that belongs to this US national park.

Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Chloë!

Thought that you might enjoy this snap, given your recent visit to the Aquarium! From Big Wild, the MEC online eco-newsletter. Love, Dad!

 Thanks for the report on your latest misadventures, Patrick.  I have some of my own and will share those with Ruth to get her caught up as well.

I am in Taipei, ensconced in a cozy room with toilet/shower in a famous old district of the city known for its night market, a long alley of shops and food stands crowded with shoppers and gawkers every evening of the week, not 30 feet from my front door.  Tonight I went for a stroll and ended up eating a large bowl of rice with meat sauce and a plate of stir-fried spinach (somewhat spoiled by a sickly sweet sauce, in the Taiwanese style - note to self:  no sauce next time, thanks), eaten at a folding table with other shoppers, squatting on a stool just off the main shopping lane -- cost of dinner 60 NT dollars (US$2), then added half an Asian pear, already peeled and sliced, for another 30.  Did stop at the 7-11 next door for a chocolate bar and a Lemon-flavored Smirnoff Vodka Ice (to help me sleep), which I will never make the mistake of doing again - tastes like medicine one would feed to a child.  Not an altogether satisfying meal, but can't beat the price.  Earlier in the day I treated my former student Tyler to a lunch at a Western-style coffee house, with a roasted chicken / red pepper panini and iced coffee, at a more Western cost of 395 each (US$11).  But the ambience was pleasant and the food unexpectedly good.  The student Tyler, a former football player who has lost his lineman girth and now looks lean and muscular, with a pleasant Dunnish face and endearing goatee, has been here now a year and a half, teaching English to small children to make ends meet (he is paid 600 per hour, about US$20, which covers his rent and food, and some modest savings, teaching 20-25 hours per week.  He was meeting me partly to request a letter of recommendation to a Master's degree program at National Chengchi University, where I will also be a visiting scholar in its Institute of Comparative Religions.  He hopes to start that in the fall, and complete it in three years, with thesis (which can be written in English).  The professors there are all Chinese, but PhD's in the US and England, all know Dan Overmyer and I have known all of them (or 3 of them anyway) for a number of years.  In fact, Dan spent a year with them here in the 90s.

I will split my time with a university in southern Taiwan, 2 hours by vitesse train (used to take 4-5 hours), in Ruth's hometown of Tainan -- in fact, the university is her alma mater, and I look out from my window on a pleasant green featuring huge banyan trees over a century old, where Ruth has photos from her college days.  She and the kids visited last time I was there, two years ago, and we have a wonderful photo of Ruth leaning against the massive trunk of one of the trees in a pose she held as a college girl (much more alluring and attractive now, in my opinion).  That university is my formal host, and they are arranging all my working papers and will pay me a reasonably good salary, though the "Chinese way of doing things" does not include letting me know in advance how much I will be paid!  But I am sure it will be "enough" at least to cover my expenses here, including travel back and forth to home (I'll return for one trip the first two weeks of May to help with the Dallas move and to attend Miranda's college graduation).

I'll go down there next week, and spend this week just getting acclimated, getting my visa taken care of, and planning my courses and book project - one reason I did all this is so that I can lead a hermit life and write, write, write, emerging just for the classes I'll be teaching (though I must admit that I plan to spend some weekends exploring - I love the scenery of Taiwan, especially in the mountains).  Today was one of those days, as I spent a good four hours just walking, so that I could get my bearings and see what the neighborhood has to offer.  I walked several miles and got the feel of this part of the city.

Yes, the move to Dallas is daunting, but also exciting.  We made two trips up there over the holidays, one with the kids and the second on our own, and we started a favorites list of condos and townhouses that appeal to us, in a trendy "uptown" part of the city with lots of shops, bars, and restaurants, both walking and dog friendly.  I will be the commuter, and have already arranged my Trinity schedule to teach only Tuesdays through Thursdays, though I will have some meetings on Mondays or Fridays -- so, 3 to 4 days in Dallas every weekend.  Whether I drive or fly remains to be seen - there are advantages and disadvantages to both.  One of Ruth's colleagues makes the drive every week in the reverse direction (her husband wanted to remain in San Antonio as well) -- and does it by getting on the road by 4 AM.  I may try that myself.  We'll see.

But we do look at this as a new adventure, and we are both excited by the cultural opportunities that Dallas has to offer.  There are financial incentives as well, including AT&T buying our house -- a big perk in a down market.  We are certainly ready to downsize, and these three months now that Ruth is home alone, she is feeling the place is too empty for her and our two dogs.  But we will survive the separation, I'm sure, though I do feel guilty for leaving her.  But it was "time" for me to return to Asia for a good period, the last time being in 2003 (with some trips of 2-4 weeks in the interim).

Tomorrow I am going to get started on writing, after meeting another former student for lunch, an ambitious young lad who plans to learn all of Chinese culture in two years.  

Greetings to Corinne and to Dusty and Clara, and thanks for your always entertaining reports. Randy

Hi Jet Set Man and Stay-at-home-Mom!

I guess I had forgotten that you were going on sabbatical to Taiwan, Professor Long Hair. Quite enjoyed your descriptions, the local fare, cityscapes, travel, academic milieu and banyan tree with "I Luv Ruth" carved into its trunk! I envy you your relative freedom from the Yoke of The Sisterhood. Had a bit of a kerfuffle in the Royal Kitchen an hour or so ago. Her Majesty, not being used to food preparation of any kind, managed to burn a serving of microwave popcorn, sending clouds of noxious smoke billowing throughout the place. It's a wonder that the fire detectors weren't set off! Chloë happened to arrive shortly after the "incident" and had to put on one of the WWI gas masks we happen to have for such emergencies! Even Maggie hightailed it for the patio though it was raining and rather chilly. I suppose she abhors the foul smoke more than the wet! Her Regalness sat in her armchair, swathed in capes and blankets while the airing was in progress, pointedly ignoring everyone and everything said. She was definitely not amused, her distemper exacerbated by her inability to have yet formulated the argument which would put the blame for the fiasco squarely on Her Manservant's shoulders!!!

Will be driving Her Majesty in the Royal Carriage to her second physio appointment at 4:00pm this afternoon, near Plaza of Nations, across the street from BC Place. While The Royal Foot is being prodded and pushed, manipulated and iced, I have been instructed to run a few errands. Need to pick up a number of items at Home Depot and/or Canadian Tire, as well as return recyclables to Go Green. I'm allowed to keep the empty bottles of Bombay Sapphire  Gin which Her Dipsomaniacness has been downing at an alarming rate, recently.

Before I forget, how is Dana? I suppose you will insist that he visits you in Taipei/Tainan! All the best with the book. Scribe on! Keep the Lemon-Flavored Smirnoff Vodka Ice Diaries, (sounds like a Tom Wolfe title!), coming. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

It quite a coincidence but I just bought Sisters Brothers and will now be on the lookout for Impartial Witness. Thanks also for the link for Canada Reads.
Did you watch any of the Homeland series? We've enjoyed it although we are always somewhat turned off by the lone wolf motif that the Americans seem to go for. Not too bad in this series though
Southland has returned to the small screen andso we have the PVR set for that too.
It feels like Ring today!!!!

Hi Brenda Louise!

We haven't watched any of the Homeland series, or Southland, for that matter. Don't know anything about them either. Will have to ask Her Majesty and Chloë, my media consultants. Not quite sure what you mean by: "It feels like Ring today!!!!" Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

                                             Here are some of my fellow patients waiting

Patrick,
Thanks for your e-mail, as it rescued me briefly from the tedium of sitting in a clinic in Santiago waiting for low paid, bureaucratic, not giving a shit how long I have to wait medics to give me high altitude medical clearance. This will be the 4th time in the past 18 months.
Yes, have read Sisters Brothers as it's one of our Kobo collection. I hope the boys found peace back at Mom's place. Cheers, Pedro

Hi JDP!

I'm pleased to learn that my missive acted as an analgesic if not an opiate! Snap reminded me of the waiting room when Dusty and I went downtown, about a month ago, to renew our passports! Lynne mentioned that you have both read Sisters Brothers when she came clean about posing as a latter day Margaret Bourke-White! Fondestos and Cheers, Maligned Manservant! 


 Right Back at Y'All at the Island Inn …

Just taking my face off the dinner plate long enough to reply to your latest missive, Patrick, and to set you straight about the iconic "Okanagan Red Delicious

 in Winter".  As much as I would like to claim creatorship (for the massive royalties and all …), I have to come clean and say that, even though the idea was mine, the execution was all down to JDP. In fact, I am notorious for taking bad pictures with the  new-style cameras. Like so many things in my life as a senior--I just don't get it. 

I am right now  finishing a light lunch of toasted bagel and fresh fruit salad and Greek-style yogurt--all of which were on sale at Safeway this week! I needed the boost after an especially good workout at spinning this a.m. The instructor was trying to work off a bit of  a wine hangover and really put us through our paces. I think I'll go out for a bit of a walk later and pick up the mail. (Ah, the joys or rural life.) It is a lovely Okanagan day today with mostly sunshine, above-zero temps, and (unusual for here at this time year) hardly any wind. Maybe I'll even venture into the village and pick up a treat for supper at the cafe. Then, I have some taped TV to watch … and/or a good book or magazine to read. Yes, I have heard of The Sisters Brothers and have even read it. So has Petey. I quite enjoyed it and found the language used quite intriguing given the genre. It sort of reminded me of the language in Guys and Dolls--bad guys and others usually considered "outside" society talking like English profs. I liked it! I don't know the Bess Crawford mysteries, but perhaps now will look into them. Speaking of books and reading, I still have to return your Camilla Lackberg. I enjoyed it enough that I downloaded another title in the series to my Kobo but I have not read it yet. At the moment, I am rereading Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in advance of seeing the movie.  

Time to make my first cappuccino of the day and read the local rag before heading outdoors.

Cheers for now. Take care of each other … especially Lady Corinne. Hope she's getting better and better. Lurkin' Lynnie XOXO

Hi Margaret Bourke-White Come Clean! (And quit trying to compensate with your Fancy Smancy Signature!)

From the description of your indolent life style, I suspect that Her Royal Lower Mainland has nothing on the Upper Bench Upper Crust!

Don't really have time to re-read Tinker but do hope to see film in next few days. Like you, I certainly enjoyed the language of Sisters. Found it quite beguiling and reminded me of the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit. Lady Corinne is, in fact, not getting any better, far worse, I'm sorry to say! Have just submitted the following accident report to the Strata Council:

"Had a bit of a kerfuffle... Her Manservant's shoulders!!!"

Will be driving Her Majesty in the Royal Carriage to her second physio appointment at 4:00pm this afternoon, near Plaza of Nations, across the street from BC Place. While The Royal Foot is being prodded and pushed, manipulated and iced, I have been instructed to run a few errands. Need to pick up a number of items at Home Depot and/or Canadian Tire, as well as return recyclables to Go Green. I'm allowed to keep the empty bottles, (Meagre deposit allows me to buy No Frills peanut butter for the dry crusts which are my daily fare!), of Bombay Sapphire Gin which Her Dipsomaniacness has been downing at an alarming rate, recently.

Fondestos and Cheers, Ever yer 'umble manservant, Dogsbody Dunn!

Hi Patrick,

Trevor is in Sun Peaks where he is skiing and experiencing the life
threatening story of Lloyd's heart attack!

I am still in Adelaide until 11th Feb, where the temp has now gone down to a
pleasant 25C from hovering in the 38C's for the last week.

This is from the "Life of Brian" a Monty Python film made in Britain. Cheers Tina

Hi Teens!

Terribly sorry to hear about Lloyd1 What happened? Not sure what link you were sending but nothing in message. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
 

IIDD, Jan 30th

                                      President & Mrs. Obama/THE INTIMATE FILES

 Nobody has ever measured, not even poets, how much the human heart can hold. -Zelda Fitzgerald, novelist (1900-1948) 

Sam Weller

Illustrator: Kyd (Joseph Clayton Clarke) (1856-1937)

wellerism  

An expression involving a familiar proverb or quotation and its facetious sequel. It usually comprises three parts: statement, speaker, situation. After Sam Weller and his father, characters known for such utterances in Charles Dickens's novel Pickwick Papers. Earliest documented use: 1839.

"We'll have to rehearse that," said the undertaker as the coffin fell out of the car.
"Prevention is better than cure," said the pig when it ran away from the butcher.  "Shall I sit awhile?" says the parasite before becoming a permanent dweller. 

 "So far, so good," said the escapee as he looked at the prison in the distance.
"Beauty is only skin deep," said the woman as she received a Botox injection.

P,

All your buddies at the PCO send fond regards. They wonder why you don’t come back to visit: Gord & Cici, Mike Oliver, Gary J., and many others. Your writings, Bartleby The Scrivener, were being passed around. The Pepperoni kid was found chortling away as he read the piece – only correcting a few of the scores and calls as you might expect. You should tag along next time we go.

A good time was had by all and the finals of the Women’s, Mixed and Men’s Open were unbelievable. Charlie and I ended up in the Consolation Finals of both the Dive 1 and 50’s, winning the former and losing the latter to Ruth C. and Kathy Brown.

Let me know if you are riding this week. I cannot go Tuesday but would like to ride any other days if the weather improves as they are forecasting.

I thought you would make good use of this word, wellerism - below.

Hope all is well with you and the gals and that fierce some guard cat. W

Hi Whirlygig!

Congrats on the doubles showing! Would they let you across the border with all the hardware? Just curious about which scrivening was being read? In fact, I'd really like to come along on to one of the tourneys. Cora Lee would certainly appreciate a chance to shop without sales tax! As well, we could probably fit in some wine tasting!!! Given our coming trip, probably have to wait until next Fall but let's keep it in mind.

With respect to the Island Inn Rehab Ward, as Manservant to her Liege Ladyship, I still have a heavy number of unpaid chauffeuring commitments to discharge, even though Her Ladyship was able to start weight bearing this past Friday! Unfortunately, for me, she now has use of the Royal Cane with which to beat me soundly about my hunched shoulders/withers! Nevertheless, my imposed obligations are still fairly onerous and she keeps finding ways to order me about with but the flick of a royal finger, the practiced ease of a haughty aristocrat! (Parenthetically, on my sorely begrudged half-day off saw The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, US version, on Thursday afternoon, with Glasgow, and enjoyed it immensely. Still like the Swedish films but feel that this remake is very, very good. Not something that I had expected, to tell you the truth.)

My swimming continues to go well. Last Wednesday I was able to do 3.25 miles and did shave off a few minutes for each mile so was pleased to see that my form seems to be improving, even if slowly. Still, this exercise seems to be helping my shoulder so am grateful for that. Doesn't seem to ache quite as much on longer rides, per esempio. Hit the pool again, this afternoon, and was able to log 3.25 miles so am delighted with my progress. Only thing I really need to do is to start my swim earlier in the day. When I was still working at UBC and weather premitted, I'd cycle in to pool for 7:30am, before starting at Library. Need to become more disciplined now so that I can do somewhat the same at the Aquatic Centre. If I arrive there around 7:00am I would be able to log my three miles, (my benchmark for now), before noon and then have more of the day to devote to other activities. I might even be able to entertain stopping for lunch with Ragin' in Steveston!

On that front, Robo Ray and I did our usual Stanley Park jaunt on Friday, meeting Kjell, on the West Van side of Lions Gate. (As you know, he is probably an inch or so taller than you, if that, and is quite uncomfortable about riding over LG, fearing, so he says, of being blown over railing!) At any rate, we made our way to Travers and Marine Drive and then back to his place, near Tatlow and Marine. Kjell has not been riding much of late so he didn't want to attempt Seymour, as I had first suggested when we rendezvoused. At any rate, after we waved goodbye, Raymundo and I made our back towards LG and discovered a very pleasant, freshly surfaced bike trail which we followed back to the bridge. At some point it skirts the Capilano Reserve of the Squamish First Nation. Not sure how far it goes to the east but will investigate on our next ride in this vicinity. From looking a some cycling maps, think that it might go as far along the north side of Welch Street and West 1st Street from Pemberton Avenue to MacKay Avenue. Eventually, I gather, "The Spirit Trail will be a unique, waterfront-oriented, multi-use and fully accessible greenway that will provide pedestrians, cyclists, inline skaters and people with wheeled mobility aids access across the North Shore, from Horseshoe Bay to Deep Cove."

For the present, however, it makes a wonderful addition to our North Shore ride and we had logged almost 40km by the time we were headed back over LG. Weather was superb and sun even graced us by peeking out from behind the clouds as we made our way downhill from Prospect Point. At bottom, I asked Robo Ray if he fancied another loop of the Seawall but he declined. He, as well, has not been riding much since snow and nasty weather have prevented much sustained cycling and felt his legs were tired. This being the case, I accompanied him to Macdonald and Point Grey and then, waving goodbye, made my way back towards Science World. I wanted to stop at Tru-Value Optical on Ash and Broadway to collect another receipt for new glasses I had purchased last August. (Couldn't seem to find original and needed it to submit a claim to our Pacific Blue Cross plan, along with physio charges I'd amassed last fall before seeing shoulder specialist. Had waited to submit former as our vision allowance didn't kick in until 2012.) Was pleased to pull up to storefront with 75.33km on my trusty odometre!!!

Home by just before 4:00pm so it was a pretty lengthy ride, chronologically speaking, as we left Harbour Terrace at 11:00am. Slow but sure!! Still, I was delighted to have been able to enjoy the wonderful day. The temperature was truly pleasant and I didn't realize until I took off my cycling togs that I hadn't been wearing the vest that I usually put on for extra warmth/wind protection, over my two long-sleeved undershirts. Had fully intended to wear it as forecast indicated that it was to be cool and windy. Not so at all. (As an aside, I had a brief telephone chat with my brother-in-law, George, in Manitoba, yesterday afternoon, and he harangued me, as he is wont to do, about how inexpensive it is to live at Falcon Lake, property values/taxes, etc., compared to Vancouver. I just laughed at him and asked if he could cycle in January, dressed as I had been, without even socks!)

After a quick java, (not an accursed latte!), I went over to Broadway Lodge to give Mom her dinner so wasn't back until close to 6:00pm. She is spending much of her time sleeping now so meal times really are the best way to visit with her. Told her that your Dad likes Henkell Trocken and she said: "That's good!" Obviously, she saves her words for what she wants to hear!!!

Forecast looks promising for Wednesday so am wondering if you are still interested/available, as per your last message, for a ride. Not sure which other Riders of the Purple Sage might wish to join the peleton. Notwithstanding, let me know and we'll plan accordingly. We could explore more of Spirit Trail. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrice,

Thanks for the update, I'm pleased you had a pleasant ride the other day and
I would have liked to join in as It would've helped get the mind off of
unpleasant tasks of late. Had a two hour meeting with the lawyer and my
cousin Andrea on Saturday and got a lot of stuff ironed out and gave us some
direction. I'm hopeful it will all sort itself out before too long but I
still have to try and deal with a couple somewhat difficult people as in My
cousins brother Joe as he and Andrea are estranged and have not spoken in a
couple of years now. I will email him and try and smooth things over so we
can get through this without his protestations at Andrea being involved.
Also Oz being a hoarder will need to be pushed to deal with his hoard and
figure out a new place to live in fairly short order as we agreed to give
him three months to find a new place to live.

All that aside I had a fun time at our friends house out in Boundary bay on
Saturday night as they had a combination house warming for their newly
constructed home built on the lot they've owned for 16 years and a birthday
celebration for myself and three other friends whose birthdays are on the
28th and mine on the 29th. Yesterday Colleen surprised me with a stay at the
River rock casino resort, Her and the boys drove me out yesterday and we had
a nice swim in their pool and a couple nice meals last night and this
morning as well as a few drinks at the casino. All in all it was a much
needed break and I feel rejuvenated .

I was thinking again about that project that you wanted to do with your
shelving / book cases etc. .If you are still thinking about doing that I
thought of someone who would be perfect for the job. He's a guy I've known
through film 15 years or so and is a meticulous finishing carpenter but
also well rounded in other aspects of construction and fabrication. It's
unfortunate that Glen thought it was a little out of his realm but I know
Dave would be a good fit so let me know if you'd like to pursue that.

I would like to get out for a ride but not sure about a time and will have a
better idea once I take care of a few things today.

Hi Big Al!

Foist and foremeost, Belated Happy Boithday! For He's A Jolly Good Fellow....Hip Hip Hooray! Glad you and Coleen and Lads celebrated in style! Lives of the Rich and Famous at the River Rock. Will never think of it the same way when we cycle past, en route to Iona!!!

Glad that legal matters seem to be unfolding positively. Buona Fortuna with The Hoarder! Thanks very much for thinking about our shelving and mentioning Dave. I know we are interested but also know it is only realistic, financially speaking, to think about such a project once we are back from our upcoming trip. Perhaps we could arrange to meet Dave over the summer and take things from there. Again, thanks for keeping this in mind.

Understand Collen phoned while I was swimming yesterday afternoon. I gather we will be seeing you on February 18th so looking forward to that. Also heard that Heraldo underwent surgery on one of his hands. He's had quite a spell of operations of late. Perhaps he should buy shares in Vancouver Coastal Health! Hope all went well! Between the two of you, you could both hang out your legal and medical shingles. Too, too bad you didn't live in Dodge in the mid 1800's. You could even pull teeth and use coke for an anaesthetic. (Just read this in The Sisters Brothers. ["The novel follows the siblings – Eli and Charlie – as they wend their way toward San Francisco through the boomtowns and detritus of the gold rush. They’ve been commissioned by the mysterious Commodore to kill Hermann Warm, a prospector who has wronged him in some undetermined way. They’ve killed for less."] No wonder there were so many gun fights!

Forecast looks promising for Wednesday so am wondering if you are interested/available for a ride. Not sure which other Riders of the Purple Sage, other than Whirlygig, might wish to join the peleton. Notwithstanding, let me know and we'll plan accordingly. We could explore more of Spirit Trail if anyone is interested.

Here is a jaunt of another sort:

You are on quite a ride ..... turn up the sound. It's not over till it asks if you want to view again.

This clever piece originated in Australia . It is so very well done most folks don't realize how much info he is sharing! Just click on the link below..... Speakers on. Photos by NASA.

Enjoy your journey!
Click here: http://dingo.care2.com/cards/flash/5409/galaxy.swf

Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Yes I too was presently surprised by the US version of Tattoo. Looking forward to next.
I just ordered the Kobo version of The Tiger. I see it's one of the non-fiction selections for the panel of Canada Reads. Do you know if this discussion is on the radio at all?
I.m just reading Believingthe Lie by George that I'm enjoying and am enthralled with Downton Abbey on Masterpiece Classic. What a great winter!

 


Hi Brenda Louise!

We read The Tiger a few books ago in our Book Club. I found it simply fascinating and most of my sympathies rest with those incredible animals. Not that life isn't harsh and bleak for the humans. Just read this in The Sisters Brothers. Enjoyed it immensely. Am currently reading An Impartial Witness, third in Charles Todd's Bess Crawford Mysteries:

"Tending to the soldiers in the trenches of France during the First World War, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford is sent back to England in the early summer of 1917 with a convoy of severely burned men. One of her patients, a young pilot, has clung to a photograph of his wife since his plane went down, and Bess can’t help but notice the photo every time she tends to him. After the patients are transferred to a clinic in Hampshire, Bess is ready for her two-day leave, planning to return to her flat in London to catch up on some much-needed rest. But at the railway station, in a mob of troops leaving for the front, Bess catches a glimpse of a familiar face. Could that be the pilot’s wife? And why is she bidding a very emotional farewell to a soldier who is not her husband?

Back in France, Bess discovers an old newspaper with a drawing of the woman’s face on the front page. Accompanying the drawing is a plea from Scotland Yard looking for information from anyone who has seen her. The woman was murdered-the very day Bess saw her at the terminal. Granted leave to visit Scotland Yard to report what she knows, Bess soon finds herself on the search for a devious and very dangerous killer-a search that will put her own life in jeopardy."

Same time period as latest Downton Abbey, of course. Not quite as hard-boiled as I'd like but enjoy the female protagonist and her nursing perspective. Brilliant literary detective device, of course.

Pretty sure most of Canada Reads will be covered:

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/2012/watchlisten.html

Forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the group travel shorts! Sent them along to our travel agents. We are playing bridge with them this coming Friday so will ask for a discount on our next flight!!!

Cheers, Patrizzio!