Sunday 12 January 2014

Beachcomber Blues: Sunday, January 12th

Words are like money; there is nothing so useless, unless when in actual use. -Samuel Butler, writer (1835-1902) 


Sorry to have missed you yesterday. I realize now that I made a tactical error by not checking my emails sooner: maybe you would have visited; dusted our house; vacuumed the floors and done the laundry? Another missed opportunity, I suppose. Whenever you’re in the neighbourhood, drop in.

[Hi Wayne,

we hope you had a good trip home from your Holiday in France. Finally the photos of the houseboatholiday of me are edited, and I can send you these.
This should be done by DVD because it is a large amount of data. Please mail me the postal address to which I should send the DVD. Very best regards to your wife send you Roland and Heike from Germany]


Also, please let me know when I could come over and drop off the ms. Natalia finishes work sometime between 2 and 3 and we could probably make it over there any day by around 3:30 p.m. Best, --KR


 Thanks for the note and pics! Yvr was 1 and 1/2 hours delayed, but Seahawks won, so OK. Just in Toronto heading on time at 9:15AM for Nassau. Will send some pics..Hot tub can be done today or tomorrow...Cheers G&F

Hi Patrice,

Yumm, I am wishing I could have sampled some of the fare you have been enjoying or preparing!. Glad to hear you were able to get out on the bike between deluges.. the weather here has been positively disgusting although the good news is that it is finally starting to snow up in the Sunshine valley as well as the local mountains. We bought a family ski pass for Grouse mountain last year for this season and have not been able to use it to date. I am going to take the kids up today as it has been snowing heavily and the bonus of the pass is that we don't have to go for an entire day to feel that we have gotten our moneys worth, on the contrary we can go for only a few hours and feel good about it.
 

Had a fun time at the wrap party last night although we were a bit disappointed that the much touted celebrity appearance did not wind up happening. Fortunately for Colleen I was able to take her on a tour of the set on Friday and George Clooney was there. She even had a close encounter as George came walking right up to us and looked a little bewildered and said I'm lost with a big smile on his face but then got his bearings I guess and stepped around us towards the exit. The venue was the Commodore ballroom and they had a great variety of food bars including Sushi, poutine and even gourmet mini donuts!. There was also a variety of games set up such as ping pong, foosball and basketball for our entertainment as well as a DJ spinning some tunes for dancing.


Having a lazy day so far but will go start to get ready for skiing. We look
forward to seeing you guys this weekend, although I was hoping to have had a
chance to brush up on my bridge skills!. Unfortunately we may have to pick
up where we left off with the coaching and abuse and I was previously
enduring to further bring me up to speed. Not sure if the boys are going to
come as Jesse's band is playing and he was talking about wanting to attend, we will advise later in the week. pics, Tomorroland wrap party, including : Teahan sisters, Director Brad Bird with Alan Waldron, Photo booth fun. Cheers, Al


 Stats for today's ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/429151854#.UtMc--3-RCE.email

Jean and John arrived around 3:30 pm with Benson and Tess.

Fabulous appetizers of Polish sausage and Le Brie D'Alexis, a double-créme our guests had brought from Victoria. We started with a 2012 Paul Mas Viognier, 13.5%, Jeannie Sue a 2012 Fetzer Shaly Loam Gewürtztraminer, 12.0% as she finds this is the only white which does not cause her to have an allergic reaction. We chatted, sipped and nibbled in front of the fire I'd laid while John unloaded their car and The Sisterhood arranged the pre-dinner delectables.

Followed by a 2010 Luigi Bosca, Malbec, 14% to help cooks prepare dinner and man servant lay the fire. Dinner of unbelievably tender, melt in your mouth sirloin steaks, seared to perfection by John, baked potatoes and roasted vegetables, (red peppers, carrots), with a 2010 Glen Carlou, Klapmuts, South Africa, Grand Classique, (a blend of Cabbage, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cab Franc), 14%, and the 2006 Les Pallières Gigondas Groggage had kindly left. Dinner in front of the gas fireplace with nothing but the flames, candlelight and the glow of our cheeks to light the sumptuosity. 


Dessert was even more decadent with Jeannie Sue's literal work of sculpted art chocolate, rose petal cake, (gluten-free to boot!), which went very nicely with The Macallan Whisky Maker's Edition, 42.8%, in front of the fireplace, watching Downton Abbey. Not a bad way to end a more than lovely time with close friends.  

When I get the Disk I will copy and send it to you. Wayne 

  HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014 ! Warm regards, Rebecca Nicolas




Happy new year to everyone. Feb 9th sounds great. Good to have the Basque musketeer join us. Facebook will also be on the order of discussion at upcoming meeting. Will Lawrence Hill have the great misfortune of joining the NRBC that evening? VL

Pat, thanks again for offering to host the great unread.

Please note: if you have not read the book you are expected to bring a bottle of rare single malt. I will invite Lawrence Hill to join us but it is unlikely unless he happens to be in Vancouver at that time. G


Thanks for the note and pics! Yvr was 1 and 1/2 hours delayed, but Seahawks won, so OK. Just in Toronto heading on time at 9:15AM for Nassau.Will send some pics..Hot tub can be done today or tomorrow...Cheers G&F 


Saturday 11 January 2014

Nanaimo Airport Blues: Saturday, January 11th

Gods are fragile things; they may be killed by a whiff of science or a dose of common sense. -Chapman Cohen, author and lecturer (1868-1954) 



Ray, thanks. Just ordered the Harris from VPL but it might be a while before I see it. Hope we can get a dry ride in before May. Best, G

P, glad you saw a break in the weather lasterday. We did not here. May have to join ya on the Sparksville Riviera, just to escape the weather. W

The next NRBC will be on Sunday, 9th of February. Venue tba.The book is Blood by Lawrence Hill (George). Pat has chosen Umbrella by Will Self to follow Blood. The book after that will be recommended by Jon.

Hi Lads!

Certainly glad that I managed a decent ride yeaterday as today has been very wet, although rain finally let up around 4:30 pm. Gorgeous sky as you can tell from shot I took from deck.

The Millionaires left this morning from Nanaimo and it was simply pelting down all the way there and back. I drove Grogg's car home and was planning to pop in and say hello to Kurt and Natalia but had had no repsonse from him when we left Madroña manor at 8:30 am. As well it was so miserable, with poor visibility at times, I really didn't want to take a chance and have even a minor scrape in town with Grogg's Lexus! Traffic on highway was fairly light so I was just as happy to get back to Parksville.
 

Once there I spent most of the rest of the morning and early afternoon doing laundry, mainly sheets from their bed, (Which we will use.), and from bed downstairs I slept in for last two nights. As well I spent a goodly amount of time putting away all sorts of stuff in their bedroom, (laundry which had been done but needed to be folded), in kitchen, (oodles of jars of jam and biscuits, mainly items from Christmas), and in garage, (recycling tubs and gardening equipment), all so that we would have space to put away our own possessions/foodstuffs over the next few weeks. Even tidied up Grogg's desk, (Mainly just put all the loose sheets of paper, old bills, business cards, manuals of one sort or another in neat piles.), so that I would have room to set up my laptop on an uncluttered surface. Have also downloaded Firefox to his computer as I don't care for Safari or Chrome, for that matter. He has a 27" iMac so the screen takes some getting used to after my 13" MacBook Air. I won't use desktop for everything but it is fun for some things, although I don't particularly like the wireless mouse even though its is akin to the "mouse" pad on a laptop.
 

Coriandre arrived around 2:00 pm as she drove into Parksville first. Not sure if I had mentioned it or not but she came down with a sore throat last Sunday and was felled with a nasty cold by Tuesday. Anyway, although she is feeling better the head cold still persists and she needed some more over-the-counter medication. Once we unloaded the car she curled up on the couch and read Michael Connelly's latest Lincoln Lawyer, Gods of Guilt. She claims it is a good read so I'm looking forward to it after she is finished.

Once I'd unpacked my bags I chopped up a bit of kindling and brought in, (from the garage), a number of small logs and started a fire. Really enjoy having a fireplace to tend as that is one of the things I miss most about living where we do, as opposed to being at Hotel Kits where we had a wood burning stove. Anyway, looking forward to having a fire each day, (certainly in the evening), while we are here.
 

After Cora Lee had had a nap for a couple of hours, we drove into Parksville to buy some wine. Grogg left us a bottle of Gigondas, a 2006 Domaine Les Pallières, 14.5% but I'd like to have it with Jean/John Anderson, up tomorrow, from Victoria, with dinner. As I mentioned, above, when we drove into town around 4:30 pm it had stopped raining although it seemed a bit foggy in town.

Must away as I'm to make a salad for dinner.
While dining we watched War Horse, using the new "TV" table, a gorgeous oak coffee table, the top of which is on a spring-loaded mechanism that allows one to raise it to regular table height. Works splendidly! Cheers, Patrizzio!

PS: Giorgio, have Sisterhood clearance for the NRBC at The Islay Inn on February 9th if the Lads wish to meet there.
 

Pics: Grogg and Lurch outside Nanaimo Airport this morning; sunset this evening.

In the line up for 10:30 ferry. Feeling slightly better. Will go into Parksville for more cold medication and gluten free pasta before coming to Madrona inn.
See you this afternoon. Lv Corinne
 

DROP IN

Hi Nanaimo Nicotine Fiend!

I was planning to pop by but when I'd not heard from you by the time I left for the airport this morning I figured that you might have been elsewhere. I'll give you a shout domani. Cheers, Patrizzio! 


Hi Kids!

Trust you had a comfortable flight to Toronto. I made a salad for dinner and we polished off the chicken that was in the fridge. Very tasty! War Horse happened to be on the History Channel so we watched it, using the new "TV" table. Works splendidly! Had a bottle of 2012 Paul Mas Viognier, 13.5% and we both found it very, very tasty. One of the domaines we visited in Montagnac, about half an hour from where I had rented the house. First heard about winery in one of the  newsletters from Marquis so thought it might be interesting to taste there. Had a simply fabulous time so it was a real treat to come across some of their product here. Enjoy the sun and surf. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Arrivederci; sunset this evening, bedtime for felines!


 

Hi everybody!

I am back in Vancouver –I arrived yesterday after almost a month in the Basque Country–, and I am reading now the third chapter of Blood. Up to now I find the book easy to read, and interesting. Umbrella seems also tempting. Looking forward to meet you the 9th. Cheers P.S.: How long did take you to complete such a large list of unread books? 


Jon , welcome back. Pleased you will join us. In answer to your question, that list is the product of years of diligent procrastination, which is a state achieved through a lifetime of rigorous study and esoteric mental perpetration. GBR  
Hello and Healthy New Year Jon!

Let me echo GBR's welcome back. Trust Basque Country was all and more than you expected.

However, I must qualify Guy's reply inasmuch as "diligent procrastination" means that most NRBC members would rather talk and/or argue about reading a particular book than actually reading it. Lots of time to suggest titles, apparently, no time at all to read more than a few pages, if that, obviously. Perhaps, with your fierce Basque blood and unyielding spirit you might well be able to inspire the Procrastinators to achieve some sort of Praxis. Zorte on!

Friday 10 January 2014

Red Gap/Fairwinds/Craig Bay Blues: Friday, January 10th

And the fox said to the little prince: men have forgotten this truth, but you must not forget it. You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed. -Antoine de Saint-Exupery, author and aviator (1900-1944) 


Stats for today's ride:

 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/427731509#.UtBww1u6dVk.email

Hi Patrick and Corrine

What a lovely surprise to receive your email and attached photos, brings back much laughter and fun. It does seem many moons ago though and now we are into 2014 plans are afoot to set dates to return to Neffies in April. We have not sold our house, but we did not give the agents much time as we withdrew the property after a week, we realised it would be a difficult property to show when we were not present as it is locked and bolted and the bridge to the rear garden removed. However we will give more thought to the future now Christmas is over.
 

Hopefully you and Corrine enjoyed the literary festival you spoke about when we met and all went to plan. You both appear to live such hectic lives. I expect it is cold now in Vancouver, in England we are being rocked by storms and heavy rain, although here in little old Suffolk we have nothing to complain about.

May we send our very best wishes to you both for a happy and healthy 2014, do keep in touch. Kindest regards. Lovely Linda and Sir Terence ! (Jenny and Derick send their best wishes also)

My total is includes all food for Christmas, presents for Ayn and the boys and Maggies charges etc.
Are you off riding today. I will get the 10:30 ferry so should see you around 1:30. If you are going riding please leave key under mat or door open. Love, Corinne

Hi Duhlink!

How are you feeling? I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier. Trust you are starting to feel better.

Had a great sleep last night. What with the cold weather cycling and then the more than copious amounts of very tasty grog which Grogg opened and poured, we did quite well, as I'm sure you can imagine. Lurch's lasagna was more than delicious as was her Ceasare! Plenty of garlic in both so I told her I wouldn't need any chain cleaner for my bike, just have to breathe on gears and they'd be shiny as new if they didn't dissolve first!

I went to bed around 9:30 pm and then woke up around 3:00 am to reach for the drink bottle I had left on the bedside table but couldn't find it. Then I looked over to your side of the bed and you were not there either. Thought you must not have been able to sleep and had gone into living room. Next thing I saw were windows beyond the end of the bed and I was really confused as to where I was! Finally dawned on me that I was downstairs at Madroña Manor! Didn't get up until just befoer 9:00 am so I slept for almost half a day!
 

Up to look at forecast on  AccuWeather.com to find I had a window, between 9:00 am-11:00 am, for riding so I had a small yogurt, a banana and a piece of bread slathered with peanut butter. Was suited up and ready to go just as Lutrch and Grogg were off for their morning walk. I headed to Red Gap as I wanted to do the Fairwinds Loop. Day was quite cloudy and overcast but dry, with little, if any, wind, so it felt so much better than yesterday. Not too, too much traffic so ride was very pleasant.

Felt great to be going over a route that I've come to know fairly well and I was quite pleased with hill climbs. Think my Cornwall/Languedoc days have held me in good stead, along with regular Prospect Hill Loops, so climbs I wasn't really looking forward to here turned out to be quite manageable, overall. I wen to the Petro Can station on the Island Highway first and then did the Fairwinds Loop counter clockwise, returning to the gas station after that and then the FL clockwise. Back to the Petro station one last time and then made for Claudet Road as I wanted to cycle around part of the small finger peninsula it leads to. Didn't realize it was so close to the top of the last hill coming up NW Bay Road and before I knew it I had sailed right by the turnoff. Guess I didn't remember route as well as I thought I had so needed to turn around about a km down road, realizing by then my mistake.
 

Once I was back on Claudet Road everything fell back into place and I really enjoyed seeing the houses there as well as some great snatches of view out over the water. Even encountered my first deer near the corner of Marina Way and Pilot Way, placidly munching grass on someone's front lawn. Animal kept a careful eye on me but didn't bold. Suspect the deer here are quite used to such non-threatening encounters. Anyway, after a quick loop around Reef Road I was ready to head for home. Had wanted to log 70+ km so knew I'd need to spend a fair bit of time dipsy-doodling around Madroña Manor or else head past Beaver Creek Wharf Road towards Craig Bay. So opted for latter and just past the Visitor Centre on Island Hwy E there is a dead end turnaround which I used to turn myself around and make for home.

Sun had actually started to shine around 11:00 am and even saw patches of blue sky. One of the main reasons I decided to extend my ride. Thought I'd better take advantage of dry conditions while they lasted. At any rate I made for Wall Beach Road which eventually connects with Madroña Drive and I pulled into the driveway around 1:00 pm. Pleased as punch with outing:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/427731509#.UtBww1u6dVk.email

Lurch and Grogg were home and Franny had just taken a pizza out of the oven as I walked in the door. She offered me a slice but I wanted to have a shower first. Grabbed a cup of java and went downstairs to clean up and change. Back upstairs to have a bite to eat and then Grogg and Lurch went for another walk. I had anothe cup of java and then started to send messages. When they returned Grogg went to the gym for an hour. Once he was back he wanted to take a hot tub so he showed me a few thinks about jets, chlorine tablets, etc., and by then the weather had taken quite a change for the worse. Wind was whipping whitecaps across the water of the bay, rain was driving down and it was very, very chilly, icily so. Quite a change from the wonderful morning/early afternoon.

 

 After Grogg had showered we took a quick trip to Springford Farm, just a few minutes away, for a dozen eggs. I picked up an order form in case we might want to select some of the items available over the course of our stay. Back home to say hello to The Range Rider when Grogg gave her a call. SHe sounded just ike her former self so it was lovely to have a brief chat with her. Told her we'd give her a shout when you are here. She sends her best wishes to you.

Lurch is busy in the kitchen preparing dinner. She bought a lovely roast of beef from Thrifty's today and is doing Yorkshire pudding as well so looking forward to another feast! Must away as Grogg needs help selecting wine for dinner!!! Much Love, Patrizzio!

PS: Weather looks like I'll be able to go riding tomorrow, probably close to 1:00 pm so if you have not arrived by then I'll leave key under mat at front door. If I'm back from airport in time to take advantage of clear skies, I might go for a jaunt earlier, again depending on changing weather forecast. Anyway, key will be under mat if I'm out.

Pics: Lurch's wonderful appetizer last night: apple slices covered with melted Camembert and roasted garlic, delicioso! Bit of after dinner concert with Lurch doing back-up vocals. Her voice really sounded lovely with some of new songs in Grogg's repertoire.



Hi Big Al!

Just passed your greetings and best wishes along to Lurch and Grog and they say hello and hope to see you at some point in the not too, too distant future. Not precisely sure which saying you are referring to when you mention "coin" but I assume it may well be this one:

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. -Carl Sandburg, poet (1878-1967)
Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello to our Favourite Cape Coral Floridians!

Enjoyed hearing about your visit to the Dali Museum and winter residences of Edison and Ford. Glad to see that you are keeping up with similar cultural outings as one to plantations out of New Orleans. The Audubon reserve sounded magical indeed. 


Not sure if your reference to "excessive drinkers" is a veiled hint about hootch consumption at Islay Inn and its proprietors or not but you should visit Madroña Manor if you want to see professional tipplers!  [Grogg just brought me a glass of 2007 Domaine de Gabelas, St Chinian, 14.5%, a phenomenal blend of Syrah, 59%, Grenache, 40%, Carignan, 1%, with a velvet viscosity and a gang-buster pepper finish! I told him I expected a linen cloth over his arm with next glass. Service here leaves much to be desired! We drove south of Cruzy/ Saint Chinian a number of times, en route to Carcassone. This region certainly bears further investigation!] Fondestos and Cheers to you both, Patrizzio!
 

PS: In case The Sisterhood is barking our orders:

Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you. -Carl Sandburg, poet (1878-1967)


Hi Locomotive Breath! [Not that far from the mark, I suspect, Nicotine Fiend!]

Sorry to hear that your avarice prevents you from wearing your literary heart on your sleeve but I'm still curiouser and curiouser to read your Magnum Opus. I doubt very much that silence could kill you. You are focusing on the wrong agent. Nicotine you incredible Dope! Am to take The Millionaires to the airport in Nanaimo tomorrow morning so I was thinking I might pop by your place on way home to say hello if you will be receiving visitors. Let me know and I'll plan accordingly. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!
 

PS: You need to worry about how your coffin nails habit is hemorrhaging your currency.

happy new year and welcome back .are you ever in vancouver.perhaps a 'virtual' dram would work best.off to hawaii on the 17th ;off to the himalayas onapril 3.take care matt 

Hi Glasgow!

Thanks for the virtual dram suggestion! Wonderful solution!!! As John Anderson said when we talked on New Year's Eve: "Do you actually have a permanent residence?" In spite of camping out in other people's houses, I believe I still have a post office box number! From the sound of it we might be able to squeeze in a non-virtual dram after we return to mainland and before you head to Base Camp, Everest! Cheers, Patrizzio!


Pat/George, You two will need a good book until the monsoon season passes. I recommend 'An Officer and a Spy' by Robert Harris. It takes place in Paris in the 1890's and is well worth the effort. Ray
  
Hi Raymond and Giorgio! 
Thanks for the monsoon suggestion, Ray. I had read a number of reviews about this work so pleased to learn you enjoyed it. Not much time to read at the moment. As I write, the rain is beating down, exceptionally forcefully on the roof and the windows so it is almost like being in a building with a corrugated iron roof! After today's ride, I won't mind at all if I have to stay inside and read. I have done so, on numerous occasions, in the past, in Grogg's massage chair and it is quite a treat, let me say.
 


Lurch bought a lovely roast of beef from Thrifty's today and is doing Yorkshire pudding as well so was looking forward to another feast! Not disappointed in the least but I'm now afraid of the scales in the bathroom! Am to take The Millionaires to the airport in Nanaimo tomorrow morning so I was think I might pop by Kurt's place on way home to say hello. [One of the NRBC members, Ray.] Cheers, Patrizzio

Thursday 9 January 2014

Horseshoe Bay/Departure Bay Blues: Thursday, January 9th

It is a truism that almost any sect, cult, or religion will legislate its creed into law if it acquires the political power to do so. -Robert A. Heinlein, science-fiction author (1907-1988) 


Hi Aleteia:

Congratulations on assuming the Headship! Bravo! Onward!! Fight!!! 


Stats for today's ride: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/427731525#.UtBwkAgbo4A.email

[Simone-Lucie-Ernestine-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, commonly known as Simone de Beauvoir; 9 January 1908 – 14 April 1986), was a French writer, intellectual, existentialist philosopher, political activist, feminist and social theorist. She did not consider herself a philosopher but she had a significant influence on both feminist existentialism and feminist theory. Beauvoir wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography and monographs on philosophy, politics and social issues. She is best known for her novels, including She Came to Stay and The Mandarins, as well as her 1949 treatise The Second Sex, a detailed analysis of women's oppression and a foundational tract of contemporary feminism.]

On the ferry to Departure Bay. Cycled to Horseshoe Bay this morning to catch 12:30 sailing. En route to Parksville to house/cat sit until 27th. Cora Lee will join me on Saturday as she has meetings, meetings, meetings! She might as well still be working!

Not sure if I'll be riding from Nanaimo or not. Looks a little brighter ahead but still pretty grey and misty. My friend, Grogg, is to text me if weather seems suitable for riding from terminal to their place. I know the route quite well so would like to do it unless it is pelting.

Once again, congratulations on new job! Cheers, Patrizzio!


Hello Mainlanders!

Well, I made it to Parksville but not wiithout incident, of sorts. Left the Islay Inn shortly after 10:15 am and thought I was in for a rain free ride, at least according to forecast I had consulted. 


Encountered a light shower when I reached The Plaza of Nations/Edgewater Casino but this ended by the time I was in Stanley Park. Descent on Lions Gate was right into wind so even though the precipitation wasn't too, too heavy, speed accentuated drizzle. Once making for Ambleside I thought my troubles were over as not even a light drizzle. However, no sooner had I congratulated myself, my thermos fell out of the side pocket of my knapsack so I was forced to to touch the Sizzling Ground. (Normally "The Burning Ground" but with the on again off again rain the road surface was now sizzling, Dear Reader!) When I unclipped and turned around, to my dismay, nay utter horror, I saw that my laptop had fallen out as well. Had difficulty dismounting as the zippers to the large pouch, next to my back, which held my computer had unzipped, somehow, and this released the rest of the heavy, overstuffed bag to hook itself over one side of the cross-bar. The other bits and pieces I'd crammed in the same pouch were strewn behind me but I was focused on my MacBook Air, laying on the tarmac!

Two young women, one walking a dog, came upon my things and very kindly gathered them up as I was struggling to dismount and brought them to me as I propped my bike against a nearbye bench. This happened about 11:20 pm so I knew I needed to be on my way as soon as possible if I was to catch the 12:30 pm ferry. Thanking them, I redistributed some of the items to other sections, replaced the computer in the pouch and set off again. (I was almost afraid to try to turn on the laptop in case the fall had done some significant damage. I do have a "hard shell" for it so I was hoping/praying it had been protected.) Anyway, I was not particularly happy with myself but soldiered on, hurling self-recriminations as I made my way towards Dundarave Village.
 

As if things were not bad enough already, light drizzle soon turned into light rain and then that into steady rain. Now I had to worry about some of my electronic hardware getting wet, (I had put my camera, wireless mouse, and the like in Ziploc bags so I was reasonably sure they would be fine but one never knows), in addition to the very real question of what damage my laptop might have sustained. After a few minutes of self-flagellation, I realized I couldn't change anything so concentrated on getting to the ferry on time.

Must say that the remainder of the ride wasn't all that pleasant. I was heading right into the wind and the rain, while not torrential, was reasonably heavy and I was reasonably wet by the time I made it to HB. However, hills climbs didn't seem overly demanding, perhaps because my worried mind kept drifting back to the Open Knapsack Fiasco, in spite of my efforts to banish such non-productive thoughts. 


Made it to the ticket booth at 12:17 pm and only had to fork over $2 for my bike, Me, Myself and I, qualified for the Seniors' rate upon showing our Care Card. While I was fumbling around for it the sympathetic cashier said my Driver's License would suffice so my age established I was handed my ticket and code for the gate used by cyclists. As I made my way towards the walkway, I heard the announcement informing passengers that it was last call for this sailing so I knew I had cut things pretty fine. 


Had to wait until the last vehicle, a huge semi, drove onto ferry and then I had loading platform all to myself. Locked my bike to a guard rail, left my helmet and gloves beside it and made my way upstairs to find a row of seats all to myself. Ferry was relatively empty so there were plenty of seats to be had. Once seated, I took off my my jacket and draped it over my knapsack to dry as best it could. Had brought along some of Clarisse's shortbread cookies so I snacked on those with my hot java and felt very much better after the liquid had warmed my insides and the oatmeal treats had fed my sweet tooth.

Sent a few text messages to let family and friends know I was safely aboard the Queen of Cowichan and then screwed up my courage and took out my laptop. Needed have worried as it came to life without a hitch and I was soon logged in to the BC Ferry network and was able to read messages. 


I had intended to send some as well but coverage seemed to wax and wane so I contented myself with catching up on simply reading some of my online backlog and before I knew it we were almost ready to dock at Departure Bay. Stowed what I had removed from my knapsack and made my way to vehicle deck. Once huge bow doors were opened I could see that weather looked even worse than in Horseshoe Bay. This being the case, I didn't think it would be a good idea to ride to Parksville so I phoned Groggenheimer on my new cellulare, (Cora Lee has alrady admonished me for making too, too many calls and is upset at this month's first bill!), to learn that he was already en route. He himself was quite surprised at the very quick change in the weather and when it took a turn for the worse, he headed out to meet me.
 

Walk from ferry deck to Waiting Area was a wet and cold one as wind was whistling. Grogg was parked next to Drop Off area and so he helped me put my bike into the car, (He'd already put the back seats down to accommodate my charge.), and we were soon on our way home. Lurch was out when we arrived. She was visiting her Mom, Sylvia, in Comox, so I made straight for the shower downstairs. I was a tad chilled from the ride to HB and just sitting in damp clothing for the crossing. Hot water felt glorious and I luxuriated it in until I was glowing.

Lurch arrived while I was changing and she had a quick nap. While she was snoozing Grogg and I selected tonight's wines. Lasagna for dinner. Must away as it is time to be sociable! Fondestos and Cheers , Dad/Patrizzio/Il Conduttore!


Pics: Pre-dinner preparations at Madroña Manor! 

How did this happen?

Too much inferior malt OR not enough high end, high octane hootch!

Hi Patrice,



Ouch! sorry to hear about the mishap and the rotten whether but I suppose it makes getting there and getting warm all the more pleasurable. At least you made the ferry as like you said it sounds like you cut it very close and wouldn’t that have been a super drag not to have made it.. always look at the bright side!,  BTW what was that saying that you told me about the coin? I quite liked it and would like to get the exact wording.


Say hi and bon voyage to Lurch and Grog for us and we hope to catch up with them soon. Cheers, Al
 
Glad you arrived in one piece. Was worried as it was really raining heavily here at around 11:30. Dinner sounds good. Give love to Greg and Fran, Love you Corinne

Dear Thick As A Brick:


Glad to hear of your enthusiasm re: the potential kitty litter box liner. However, it appears that you may have gone overboard suggesting that the NRBC read it as well. 

Too premature at this point as I intend to see it through publication expecting that my comrades at the NRBC would buy a number of copies each as I need the royalties to feed my other vices.

I am still awaiting feedback from a friend out East who was an editor at McClelland & Stewart. The silence is killing me. Your friend, Jethro Aqualung 


[During October 1929, Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir became a couple and Sartre asked her to marry him. One day while they were sitting on a bench outside the Louvre, he said, "Let's sign a two-year lease". Near the end of her life, Beauvoir said, "Marriage was impossible. I had no dowry." So they entered a lifelong relationship. Beauvoir chose never to marry and did not set up a joint household with Sartre. She never had children. This gave her time to earn an advanced academic degree, to join political causes, to travel, to write, to teach and to have lovers (both male and female – the latter often shared)

Sartre and Beauvoir always read each other's work. Debates rage on about the extent to which they influenced each other in their existentialist works, such as Sartre's Being and Nothingness and Beauvoir's She Came to Stay. However, recent studies of Beauvoir's work focus on influences other than Sartre, including Hegel and Leibniz.

Beauvoir was known to have a number of female lovers. The nature of some of these relationships, some of which she began while working as a professor, later led to a biographical controversy. A former student, Bianca Lamblin (originally Bianca Bienenfeld), in her book, Mémoires d'une jeune fille dérangée, wrote that, while she was a student, she had been exploited by her teacher Simone de Beauvoir, who was in her thirties at the time. In 1943, Beauvoir was suspended from her teaching job, due to an accusation that she had, in 1939, seduced her 17-year-old lycee pupil Nathalie Sorokine. Sorokine's parents laid formal charges against Beauvoir for abducting a minor and as a result she had her licence to teach in France permanently revoked. She and Jean-Paul Sartre developed a pattern, which they called the “trio,” in which Beauvoir would seduce her students and then pass them on to Sartre.]

Hi Patricio and Corinne,

Thanks for your e-mail from the rainy Vancouver

Greetings from warm but overcast Cape Coral.  As you gathered, we were indeed affected by the mighty polar vortex.  Three days ago we had a high of 13 degrees.  Undaunted, we used that day to drive north to St. Petersburg to visit the Dali Museum.  The museum houses the largest collection of Dali outside Europe, based on the private collection of a couple named Reynolds and Eleanor Morse. Fortunately, Florida weather returns tomorrow, with sunshine and expected highs around 28C for the next few days. We've also during our stay had a visit to the winter residences of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, which are side by side on the waterfront of the Caloosahatchee River.  We went there after dinner in the last week of December when they had a wonderful Christmas lighting display.  Our outing two days ago was to an Audubon reserve of cypress swamp, where a two mile boardwalk takes you through a swamp with 500 year-old bald cypress trees, with wonderful wildlife including alligators and all sorts of wading, swimming, diving, carrion-eating and other birds. 



We've just said goodbye this morning to Anne and Byron Stewart, your fellow False Creek residents, who have been with us since Dec 30.  Byron and I have had a long time golf rivalry, so we got in 5 rounds while they were here.  I was victorious in our 4-round match play contest, closing out the match on the 15th hole of round 4.  We had a 5th round which I also won.  It was good to get back the cup which we have exchanging for the last 20 years.  We are quite comfortable with Anne and Byron but they are excessive drinkers so it will be good to get back to our more moderate lifestyle.  We were also constrained in visiting with our other Cape Coral family and friends, Lynne's sister Sue and brother-in-law Denis, and friends Karen and John Brennan, while the Stewarts were here.   Sue and Denis, from North Bay, own a house nearby where they spend the winter months.  Karen and John own a manufactured home in a golf retirement community in North Fort Myers, about 30 minutes away.  I've also been golfing with them.  Next week Lynne and I are going with Karen and John to Palm Beach where we're going to overnight in a lovely boutique hotel.
 

I went over the Luxe India website this morning, Corinne.  They certainly look like a first class organization and have posted a lot of positive testimonials.  I'm not sure they're up to our standards, though, as it seems they will take any riffraff - "Luxe India has had the privilege of offering its services to eminent personalities from across the world. Esteemed guests include the rich and famous, corporate honchos, film producers, actors and fashonistas."  Seriously, I think they would be worth talking to.  Do you want to approach them to get tentative suggestions on a tour itinerary and sound them out on what sort of costs we might be looking at?

Have a great time at Madrona Manor - too bad we can't join you. Cheers, Peter


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