7 No Trump Captain Barnacle Blues: Saturday, December 7th

A man there was, tho' some did count him mad / The more he cast away, the more he had. -John Bunyan, preacher (1628-1688) [Pilgrim's Progress] 

P, happy unbirthday. Clued into this auspicious date late last evening -- coincidentally when I poured a glass of malt to drown my sorrows. Is there anything worse than losing to Osborne at the Lawn? 

[Beverley Wittwer happy birthday old man, where's the party

Patrick James Dunn Missed you this past Friday at the Birthday Bash at the Island Inn!]

Let me know what I can contribute this evening and what time you will cut the cards. YOu could even try calling on your new phone. W

Condolences Giggster!

I should imagine that a bottle, nay a case, of porch climber/chain cleaner, would be needed after losing to The Wizard in his Lair! Not sure that you are welcome here tonight, so besmirched is your name, even to Coriandre!

Thanks very for your birthday wishes. We enjoyed a wonderful meal last night with Clarisse, Coat-Hanger and Chloë. Coriandre did steaks and salmon to poifection, along with roasted spudolinos. Clarisse cheese drenched broccoli and Chloë put together a sizzingly tangy, paint melting garlic/tahini/tofu Caesaré! Rosita came through with a chocolado pudding angel food boithday cake and I was suitably Hip Hip Hoorayed before ceremoniously extinguishing 66 candles, a veritable candelabra, and cutting the first slab!

I am now the proud owner of a Doro PhoneEasy, mobile for Dummies! Cora Lee is worried that I might have a flat or an accidento on way to Horseshoe Bay or Box Canyon Road, per esempio. All well and good but I know, in my heart of hearts, that she would be too, too busy and/or annoyed to receive such a call and interrupt her volunteer schedule to come and rescue me. Guess I'll have to enter Admiral Barnacle's number as my Emergency Contact as he seems to have stabilized. In fact, not only is he better but has seen the error of his self-aggrandizing ways and has returned to Captain Barnacle, fully penitent and sorrowful! He will be playing this evening so we can grill him on his epiphany on the Road to Damascus!" 

Speaking of this evening, Cora Lee, in turning her back on sustainability, is concocting a Moroccan beef tagine with rice, plus a white bean side dish. The Carters are bringing dessert so if you would like to bring a salad that would be fabuloso. We've told people that 6:00 pm is when dealage starts so come a tad sooner for more drown my sorrow tonic! Talk soon, especially since I am now in the 21st Century, in more ways than 66! Cheers, An Older but Not Wiser Nor Kinder, Gentler Il Conduttore!

Hi Pat,

Happy 66^th! Sorry For the belated best wishes but as a good friend of mine often says ‘No excuses but plenty of reasons!’

I have followed your various blogs with great interest especially when you stayed at Beau Soleil; as you probably know we will be spending the whole of September there in 2014 so your comments on the district were most welcome.

Sorry to hear of the demise of poor old Mags – she was a real fighter as I thought she was on the way out when we stopped by earlier this year. She obviously knew that I was a non cat lover because she would always make a bee line for me, perch herself on my lap and dare me to push her off!

We had a great 10 days or so in Bali during October to celebrate Bree’s 40^th; not normally my choice of a holiday destination (humidity kills me!) but it was fabulous to spend time with Mark, Bree and the girls away from Adelaide and the comforts of home.

I’ll be back in Canada from 17^th January until 20^th Feb for my annual skiing fix; just me as Tina’s skiing days are over (she’ll be in Burma for part of the time I’ll be in Canada).

Not sure  whether our paths will cross or not; if they do it will have to be on the way back as I am booked on a mid afternoon flight to Kamloops on the 17^th so won’t get out of the airport. My date for coming off the mountain is quite flexible so if you are around in mid February it would be good to catch up even if just for a couple of hours.

Weather here is most unseasonal for Adelaide at this time of the year; has been quite cold and wet over the last week. Today we have the girls and were hoping to go to Waterworld but thunder storms are forecast so everything is in a holding pattern for an hour or so. Regards to all – have a merry and safe Christmas.

Hola Patrizio … and belated (but very sincere and happy) best wishes for your birthday, you youngster, you. It sounds as though you had all your ducks in a row for a great celebration. Wish we could have been there. We miss your good company. I often comment on how Petey and I are blessed in our friends and you and Cora Lee are right up there on the list. Petey made a boozy cocktail from some pisco sour mix he found in the pantry for a pre-dinner Friday drink. There was no particular reason to so indulge … except that we must have known that it was your birthday. Cheers!! We had one of our favourite Friday-night-in-the-den-in-front-of-the-TV suppers: spicy chicken wings, sourdough bread, and P's infamous caesar salad. The wine choice was our latest casual-meal favourite Borsao granacha. I found, however, that it was not totally compatible with my system after the pisco sour. 

The slightly drugged euphoria induced by the pisco sour, however, was totally in keeping with our choice of entertainment. We've been watching DVDs of the first season of Breaking Bad. Do you know it? about it? It is an amazing series in every respect from the story line and characters to the acting and settings. It's pretty graphic at times but not out of line with the story. It's not everyone's cup of tea but exceptionally well-done and a very interesting Friday-night entertainment. 

Tonight we'll watch the remaining episodes on the discs I borrowed on Friday as I have to return them tomorrow after my bout at the spin class. This is my second-to-last class of the year as we leave for Florida on the 21st. I can hardly wait to get to a warmer clime as it has been fiendishly cold here the last week.

It was -12 when we set out this a.m. for our regular trek to the village for coffee and goodies at Cafe Nevermatters. Thank goodness for down-filled parkas, warm socks, hoods and/or condom-style woollen toques. Cheers for now. Much love to you both. Lynnie XOXO 

Patricio! 

Happy birthday!!! Been meaning to say that all day! But  alas  I sit here at 12:35am on the 7th having a  nip of highland park 15 yr old. And qishinh I could sharebit wit h you. Ok there's some spelling errors but Just wanted to say .' I love you man ' lol talk to you Tuesday. Cheers,  Al