Chinese New Year Blues: Saturday, February 1st!

The spirit of the dragon and horse 龙马精神 Lóng mǎ jīngshén

Hi Il Conduttore, Cora-lee,

Hope you are both well and HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR to the both of you!

I will keep it short and sweet for now, I've been pretty busy with my first few weeks at our lovely ischool aka library school aka Hogwarts, but would love to talk about it with you perhaps when you're free and when things calm down a bit for me as far as assignments and Chinese New Year festivites.
 

The reason I'm emailing though is because I have some very small Chinese New Year goodies to drop off, so I was hoping perhaps I could come by tomorrow, Sunday evening, at 9p or if that's too late, maybe sometime this coming Monday afternoon just to drop the stuff off for you. Let me know what you're schedule is like, would be nice to see you as well : ) Take care, VL

Hello Vittorio!

Grand to hear from you! Thank you for the New Year's wishes. Happy New Year 恭贺新禧 Gōnghèxīnx to you!
May you realize your ambitions. 大展鴻圖 Dàzhǎnhóngtú!

We gathered that you were probably very, very busy at SLAIS/Hogwarts! Be curious to hear all about your time there so far. How kind of you to have some goodies for us. (Cora Lee used the generous gift certificate for Lemonade you and Patrizio the Younger gave to us for Christmas for a birthday cake for Rosie-The-Riveter's 89th birthday, last Tuesday, and it was fantastic! So thanks again, for that.) 

 Normally, Sunday would be fine but tomorrow, friend Peter, from Naramata, is making a whirlwind trip to Vancouver. He is flying into town for a family memorial that afternoon, in West Vancouver, and is having dinner with us in the evening. However, he has to be back at the airport by 9:00 pm to catch his return flight to Penticton so a visit from you probably wouldn't work, given everyone's timing, as I'll be driving him to YVR.

We don't have any plans for Monday afternoon so perhaps, your schedule allowing, that would certainly be a better time. Again, ordinarily, we would be delighted to invite you for dinner but we need to talk to Peter about our planned trip, to India, in 2015. Together with Lynne, his wife, we are looking at travelling for six weeks or more and need to start nailing down dates, regions to explore, etc. 

Coincidentally, we had a call from Patrizio TY last night! Had a good chat and he seems well. He asked if we'd heard from you and I mentioned what I mentioned above, about you probably being pretty busy with class/assignments. Are you planning/able to attend the next NRBC gathering on the 9th?

Anyway, thanks again. Let me know what you think about delivery! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Best wishes for the Year of the Horse 马年大吉 Mǎ nián dàjí

Proverb:  If you want happiness for a lifetime; help someone else.

Hello Lady Patrizzia and Sir James!

Just received your newsy letter a few days ago. Enjoyed it muchly. Particularly the monstrous blurb on "The World's Greatest Living Artist"! Reading it made me so deliriously happy that I think I'll rush out, buy a ticket to London and then scurry to Camelot Castle to sit at the Master's knee, listening, raptly, to him articulating with all the "gravitas profundity and wisdom of an elder statesman" for three days and then be able to do anything and be happy for the first time in my life!

However, I feel I must admonish, berate, nay excoriate you, Sir James, for withholding this secret from me for so long. You have obviously known about Ted Stourton for many years yet have kept secret the artist who has touched thousands and thousands of people's lives around the world, engraving the abstract-realist movement, "admired by many, [It goes without saying!], as the New Impressionism," on their dull wits and ready pockets so that he can "make a great living doing exactly what it is that he enjoys doing: Fleecing dopes, nincompoops and pretentious Floridians who have too much money and very little sense, if any at all! Cora Lee, for her part, however, insists I buy an "exquisitely beautiful painting" so that she can restructure The Islay Inn around this "one painting's beauty!" I'll call from Heathrow!

We returned from house/cat sitting at The Milionaires, [They are the perfect couple for Ted!], this past Monday. After yesterday's ride, once I'd showered and changed and sent a few messages, I started getting dinner ready for Volunteer Woman. Made a mixed green salad, had to choose a bottle of wine, (2009 Trapiche Broquel, Cabernet Franc, 14%, luscious, viscous, heaps of chocolados and a touch of leather on finish!), set table, turned on the electric fire, etc. The chores were endless and I needed a snort or two of Panama Red to help me focus!

She arrived home at 6:30pm and immediately flew out the patio door to meet Flamin' at Cat's Social House on Granville Island for a drink. Back about an hour later and Sarge came upstairs for a drink as well. We visited, catching up as we'd not seen much of them lately, being away as we were. After they left we ate dinner and then watched a recorded episode of Lewis.
 

Coriandre left for a luncheon meeting around 10:00am this morning and I plan to go for another ride shortly. Might head out to UBC as I've not been that way for some time now. Will go to see 12 Years a Slave tonight or tomorrow at noon, with Chloë as she and her Mom are checking off all the Oscar nominees before Academy Awards. Chloë usually hosts an Oscar party with everyone putting in $5 to a pool. Person who chooses most winners wins pots. Over last few years Sarge has won twice without having seen a single nominated film so he has been banned from quiz! He can still attend bash but just can't vote! Prize money is often around $100, depending on how many people can come.

Anyway, fond regards to you both. Thanks again for letter. Let us know about dates in May. We will be in Mexico, attending Nicole's wedding until about May 10th. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Polly and Mick!

Grand indeed that you are returning to old stompin' grounds! With respect to those wineries around Plymouth, (You'll encounter these before you reach Sutter Creek/Jackson, heading south out of Placerville.), I'd say that the following have proved worthwhile: Dobra Zemlja, TKC and Vino Noceto. Just follow your noses here as I'm sure there will be many, many more than you have time to visit. Have a wonderful time tasting as well as lollygagging around pool, golfing and cycling in Palm Springs and/or Palm Desert! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

P, nice pics of the city and mountains and the terminals. I hope your drug deal in industrial complex went as planned.

I need a therapy session, a full ride to Whistler and back just for the first session, on the role of the step parent. I seem to be failing that test at the moment. Need your sage experience on that...

May be able to do a short ride in the morning tomorrow if the sisterhood sticks to their current plans. And they rarely do...W 
Dear Despondent One!

Don't say I didn't tell you BUT I told you to come to Madroña Manor to log some decent therapeutic rides! Whistler, I spit on Whistler! And anyway you just want to stop at Howe Sound Brewery to drown your sorrows.

Went for a another ride today. Quite brisk out when I left just before 2:00 pm but I soon warmed up. Stats for ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/439070261#.Uu2ketLSAgU.email

I will be up reasonably early tomorrow so if you want to call around 8:00 am or so, when you have a better idea of your riding window, perhaps we can jaunt together. Cheers, Patrizzio, Sage Step-Parent Adviser for Hire For Maltage! 

Pat, Thanks for the offer of the Connelly novel, 'Gods of Guilt'. I already have it on order and it shouldn't take too long but thanks again. Don't seem to be able to shake this cough and cold, so I'm going to take a few more days before I get on the bike again. Some cold days ahead also. Ray

Hi Raymond!

Just a quick note to say I finished Alex yesterday! Couldn't put it down. Clara is now hooked! If Connelly doesn't come through from VPL you are still welcome to our copy. Went to see 12 Years a Slave this evening with Chloë and Cora Lee. Harrowing story indeed.

Sorry to hear that your cough/cold persist. For my part, my cough has eased up and I was able to go for another ride today. Same route as yesterday, SP/PPHL, but a bit brisker out when I left just before 2:00 pm. Soon warmed up on hill to Prospect Point however! Might go for a ride in the morning with Giorgio if he can get away. Supposed to be frosty tomorrow so not sure if this will pan out. Cheers, Patrizzio!