Thanks for your email. Glad that your little fingers have fully
thawed out! I do sympathise actually. I fondly remember all those
winters living in Ottawa and Montreal waiting for buses in minus 20 and
the utter pain of fingers and toes thawing out once
on the warm bus!
I saw the original BBC House of Cards in the 1990's but have not
seen the adaptation with Kevin Spacey. I know the original series was
terrific so would be interested to see this version. Justified hasn't
been aired on British terrestrial tv but I suspect
will be here at some point. Will watch out for it. Gayle and I have
started watching the third series of Game of Thrones which has just been
released on DVD here. Mark tells me the fourth series is airing over
there soon.
Hope your planned cycle trip to Seattle works out for next year. I
was in the same position vis a vis the London to Paris cycle I was
planning for this summer. I left it too late to start raising the 2k in
funds. It also conflicted with our planned trip
to Italy this summer. The longest non stop cycle race in the world
started out from London on Saturday. A total of 18,000 miles! I think it
runs every couple of years. In 2012 there were 9 riders and 3 completed
the 18,000 miles (roughly 104 days). This year
there are only 5 riders taking part. Have attached a picture of the
start. I have to say, perhaps unkindly, that one of the riders looks
decidedly portly! I wander if he will make the 18,000 miles!
 |
| One can get too excited about Springs arrival! |
We had a wonderful time in Rock. We arrived at the hotel just after
lunch and was very impressed with our room, which overlooked the sea. I
said to Gayle that the nicest hotels are those where you don't feel you
are actually in a hotel and this was one.
Felt as though you were in someone's elegant home! The good lady spent
the afternoon in the spa being pampered with massage, manicure,
pedicure, and facial! For my part I just had a very therapeutic massage
then went to the cosy lounge by the fire and read
for the rest of the afternoon. In the evening we went to the bar for a
cocktail then to Natan Outlaws for a quite delicious meal (copy of menu
attached). Gayle was chuffed she managed to have her picture taken with
Nathan Outlaw! We overdid the wine a bit
since I was feeling the worst for wear the next morning! That didn't
stop me having their full English breakfast which the hotel called
Cornish breakfast since it included hogs pudding!
 |
| Enjoying coffee in the lounge after dinner |
I think Spring is finally arriving. We have had some quite warm
weather which has brought out a lot of Spring flowers already. Although
today it has turned quite cool and rainy. It looks as though Vancouver
has started to get some spring weather as well.
I agree with you that the north shore mountains look stunning in the
winter particularly when the sun is out. They always appear higher in
the winter for some reason. Must be an
optical allusion. We are off to Southampton tomorrow to help Marnie and Ant pack for
there move which is scheduled for this coming Friday. Plan on arriving
about 3pm so we can take the dog over to the Forest for a walk before
Marnie and Ant gets home from work. It's pancake
day tomorrow so Gayle will make blueberry pancakes with maple syrup,
sausages and bacon for dinner. Very healthy!!
We ere supposed to go to the Pandora for lunch with the sisters to
celebrate Gayle's birthday but Marg is scheduled to go for her MRI today
to check to see if her bladder is now clear of growths so we have
postponed it until we return from Southampton
next week.
My brother, Mike, (Toronto) informs me that his son Brent, who
lives in Virginia, is making plans to up sticks and relocate to
Vancouver. Brent's wife died tragically a couple of years ago when she
had a fatal asthma attack. Brent has lived in Vancouver
before when he was in his twenties. He had a place around China town! Have a good week! Bye for now, Derek
P, We should be able to get that $50. back from Sarge in fines and levies for non member non reading and poor security protocol -- not to mention malt tipplage and general blather. Does not look promising for a ride this morning. What think you? W
 |
| With the Chef. He's a big guy! |
Think it is time to play our trump card, Cudgel Banks, to have him make Sarge an offer he can't refuse. Once we have the rogue cop back in our pocket, so to speak, fleecing rest of non-readers and extorting business ventures, (Green Lettuce Caper could be a trial run in the protection racket!), should pave the way for unbridled success. I think we could also arrange to launder money through Go Green as we'll be going through malt like crazy once the collection money starts poring in. Big Al The Enforcer would be the perfect bag man so I think we have just about all the bases covered.
Now, if we can only find a way to influence the Rain Gods we would be laughing. I think I'll wait until around 1:00 pm when there appears to be a "precipitation" gap but given the fact that forecast suggested a few hours without rain starting at 9:00 am, things do not look promising, as you say. Anyway, I'll be here, peering out the window every five minutes, ready to go. What is your schedule like? Cheers, Il Pioggia Maestro!
 |
| Start of the 18,000 mile global bike race. Front 5 are the competitors |
Does not look good for me today for a ride. You should jump on your steed the moment you see the sky open. I am lunching and may even have lattes with the sisterhood returning until 2 - 2:30. Hope you find a dry spell wide enough to ride the requisite distance, W
Gallivant or Galavant:
MEANING:
verb intr.: To roam about in search of pleasure.
ETYMOLOGY:
Perhaps alteration of gallant, from Old French galer (to rejoice). Earliest documented use: 1823.
The Force may well be with us as far as the NRBC goes but I see you have been rather easily seduced by the Sirens of Sisterhood. Lattes indeed! What next, shopping sprees? This is a very, very slippery slope you are treading and I caution you to resist but I gather the die is already cast. I trust the nefarious spell isn't strong enough to leave you permanently marooned and palely loitering on The Dark Side. Salutant vos in circuitu equitare nos!
The naturalist and author Terry Tempest Williams once said:
This is my living faith, an active faith, a
faith of verbs: to question, explore, experiment, experience, walk,
run, dance, play, eat, love, learn, dare, taste, touch, smell, listen,
argue, speak, write, read, draw, provoke, emote,
scream, sin, repent, cry, kneel, pray, bow, rise, stand, look, laugh,
cajole, create, confront, confound, walk back, walk forward, circle,
hide, and seek. To seek: to embrace the questions, be wary of answers.
Hi Big Al!
Was thinking of you last night as we were at Chloë's Oscar party. At any rate, everyone who had not seen desk before was very, very impressed. Must say it does look fabulous. Chloë is still looking for an appropriate chair but there is no real rush.
I was hoping/planning to go riding around 9:00 am this morning but forecast let me down. It looks like it might be dry for a couple of hours in the early afternoon so I hope to go out, if only briefly, dodging any impending drops! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hello Live-Tank People!
We certainly enjoyed the Oscars ourselves. Glad you seem comfortable with recharging possibilities. (Also chargers at Granville Island, near Edible Bistro, a stone's throw from us!) As well, you will have noted, I've included The Sisterhood in this message as I think it best for Pat and Corinne to chat about what might be of interest over course of the stay, with respect to sightseeing and shopping, museums, art galleries, Seawall walks, Grouse Mountain Gondola, etc. Once you've tied down arrangements with Marquis we can set evening for bbq and as soon as you make your reservations at L'Hermitage this will determine your stay here. As I mentioned earlier, you are welcome for as long as you would like. Cheers, Patrizzio!
I called up customs and
confirmed that I can only bring over 4 bottles of wine without paying
more duty, even if I wanted a distributor to try the wine. It would cost
me about 90% of the stated value. I will have a bottle or two to bring
to your BBQ so I don't know if that will be enough for Marquis to
evaluate. Like I said before, he could come by our winery if he wanted
to taste more of the wine that could be available to export to him.
Hi David! Welcome to Canada Customs! As I mentioned, you could probably "squeeze" six bottles without having to pay duty.
At any rate, while we certainly would appreciate any of your wine at the bbq, please don't let that be an overriding concern. I would still wait to have some discussion with John before we set any firm dates. If you feel a tasting at Marquis is not worth the bother, at this time, that is fine as well. I guess the more important question is your itinerary when in Vancouver. Obviously, we'd like your stay in our city to be as enjoyable and as pleasant as possible so you need to let us know how you might like to spend your time when at the hotel, going out to the restaurants you mention, etc. With that sorted out we can dovetail your stay with us and bbq, with or without John/David, if so inclined.
Of course, a visit to your winery, by John, would be an ideal way for him to become acquainted with a full range of your wonderful wine but even a limited sampling, (whether at the store or bbq), can't hurt, at least from my point of view. When I originally suggested the possibility of a tasting I wasn't sure if such a "business" venture would allow you to bring in more wine, duty free. Since it doesn't I guess it's really up to you in terms of how you wish to proceed. While I enjoy Marquis and the service they provide I really don't have any vested interest, as such, in seeing the tasting go ahead, other than the fact that I believe the incredible value/quality your wines offer deserves to be broadcast, far and wide.
I guess what I'm saying, when all is said and done, is that I don't want this to turn into something that becomes something other than an enjoyable opportunity. Full stop. Let me know how I can help or proceed. I'm happy to call David or John and invite them to a gathering here if you think that might work best. No big deal. Cheers, Patrizzio
Hello Pampered Spa/Five Star Michelin Guide People!
Looks like you had more than a grand time in Rock. Bravo! Thanks for all the lovely snaps. Quite fascinating to learn of 18,000 mile race. Would love to see your portly friend at the end of the race. Perhaps he knows something. Going to need plenty of stored fat to go the distance! Maybe we should organize a Gran Vino ride when you are here in September, all the proceeds to go to food and wine, for the four of us. We could tell potential sponsors that it is for a worthwhile non-profit, (Suspect you and Gayle are operating a non-profit, like us!), Friends of Parents with Children Who Won't Leave the Financial Nest, (a working title!), and we could feast for weeks!
Hope all goes well with packing in Southampton and that results with Marg's MRI provide her with a clean bill of healh. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
PS: On a very disturbing note, we are currently watching events unfolding in the Ukraine. Pretty frightening, I must say. To a certain extent one is reminded of Hitler's invasion of Poland. Rather a rude awakening. Our particular generation has been so fortunate in not really having been directly affected by global conflict such as social/political upheaval our own parents/grandparents had to undergo.
Hi Pat, Looks like fun and again I'm jealous of all the fine gourmet food and drink that you are constantly partaking in!!. Glad the desk got a good
reception as well . It was kind of a dismal day for sure and just as well to look
after a bunch of errands etc. Hopefully it will perk up soon and I / we can get out again. Take care for now, Cheers, Al
Hi Big Al!
Just came back from what has become a standard route, Stanley Park/Prospect Hill Loopage. According to AccuWeather there was going to be a precipitation-free window between 1:00 pm -3:00 pm so I decided I'd try to take advantage of it. Left about 1:15 pm and it turned out to be a great outing. Bit of very light mizzle, (mist/drizzle) on Seawall to SP but for the better part of the ride it was really quite pleasant. Hard to get used to how warm it is, relatively speaking. My fingers were really toasty so a far, far cry from icicle city last week! Very quiet everywhere with few dog walkers, joggers or cyclists so poor forecast worked to my advantage in that respect as well. Ride stats: 51.25 km over 2:39'40, AVG 19.2 km/h
Must away as Coriandre is in another "moving furniture phase"! Have to take the doors off the spare bedroom and our bedroom entrances to allow us to move a large TV cupboard. Last week she bought an electric fireplace for Heartwood restaurant but staff/management didn't want it so Coriandre has decided to use it in "her study"! In fact, should look quite attractive when all is said and done. Dusty is busy putting together a mantlepiece, (out of some extra shelving we had for unit in living room), as I scribe.
Keep in touch and we'll arrange another outing as soon as Rain Gods allow. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Raymond! Hope things have settled down a bit for Arthur's family and friends. Always a difficult situation no matter what. All the best, Patrizzio!
Now you made me hungry! That really was a fantastic meal. Pic 828 is definitely a keeper. Talk soon, Todd.
Was thinking of you last night as we were at Chloë's Oscar party. At any rate, everyone who had not seen desk before was very, very impressed. Must say it does look fabulous. Chloë is still looking for an appropriate chair but there is no real rush.
I was hoping/planning to go riding around 9:00 am this morning but forecast let me down. It looks like it might be dry for a couple of hours in the early afternoon so I hope to go out, if only briefly, dodging any impending drops! Cheers, Patrizzio!
We certainly enjoyed the Oscars ourselves. Glad you seem comfortable with recharging possibilities. (Also chargers at Granville Island, near Edible Bistro, a stone's throw from us!) As well, you will have noted, I've included The Sisterhood in this message as I think it best for Pat and Corinne to chat about what might be of interest over course of the stay, with respect to sightseeing and shopping, museums, art galleries, Seawall walks, Grouse Mountain Gondola, etc. Once you've tied down arrangements with Marquis we can set evening for bbq and as soon as you make your reservations at L'Hermitage this will determine your stay here. As I mentioned earlier, you are welcome for as long as you would like. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi David! Welcome to Canada Customs! As I mentioned, you could probably "squeeze" six bottles without having to pay duty.
Hello Pampered Spa/Five Star Michelin Guide People!
Looks like you had more than a grand time in Rock. Bravo! Thanks for all the lovely snaps. Quite fascinating to learn of 18,000 mile race. Would love to see your portly friend at the end of the race. Perhaps he knows something. Going to need plenty of stored fat to go the distance! Maybe we should organize a Gran Vino ride when you are here in September, all the proceeds to go to food and wine, for the four of us. We could tell potential sponsors that it is for a worthwhile non-profit, (Suspect you and Gayle are operating a non-profit, like us!), Friends of Parents with Children Who Won't Leave the Financial Nest, (a working title!), and we could feast for weeks!
Hope all goes well with packing in Southampton and that results with Marg's MRI provide her with a clean bill of healh. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!
PS: On a very disturbing note, we are currently watching events unfolding in the Ukraine. Pretty frightening, I must say. To a certain extent one is reminded of Hitler's invasion of Poland. Rather a rude awakening. Our particular generation has been so fortunate in not really having been directly affected by global conflict such as social/political upheaval our own parents/grandparents had to undergo.
Hi Pat, Looks like fun and again I'm jealous of all the fine gourmet food and drink that you are constantly partaking in!!. Glad the desk got a good
reception as well . It was kind of a dismal day for sure and just as well to look
after a bunch of errands etc. Hopefully it will perk up soon and I / we can get out again. Take care for now, Cheers, Al
Just came back from what has become a standard route, Stanley Park/Prospect Hill Loopage. According to AccuWeather there was going to be a precipitation-free window between 1:00 pm -3:00 pm so I decided I'd try to take advantage of it. Left about 1:15 pm and it turned out to be a great outing. Bit of very light mizzle, (mist/drizzle) on Seawall to SP but for the better part of the ride it was really quite pleasant. Hard to get used to how warm it is, relatively speaking. My fingers were really toasty so a far, far cry from icicle city last week! Very quiet everywhere with few dog walkers, joggers or cyclists so poor forecast worked to my advantage in that respect as well. Ride stats: 51.25 km over 2:39'40, AVG 19.2 km/h
Keep in touch and we'll arrange another outing as soon as Rain Gods allow. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Raymond! Hope things have settled down a bit for Arthur's family and friends. Always a difficult situation no matter what. All the best, Patrizzio!
Now you made me hungry! That really was a fantastic meal. Pic 828 is definitely a keeper. Talk soon, Todd.
Hey Pat, here is our reception outline. Please take a look and let me know what you think. It's best to email me at nicole's email address if you want to email back.
Hi Marvinator!
Hope you are feeling better. We missed you last night!
Have only had a quick scan of outline but first few things that comes to mind are:
1) A complete list of the wedding party, with realtionships.
2) Complete list of any guests you wish to have mentioned, (relationship and from where), and when, during course of evening they are to be recognized.
3) Any protocol you wish to have observed, (Clinking of glasses/No clinking of glasses), for example.
Must away as Coriandre is in another "moving furniture phase"! Have to take the doors off the spare bedroom and our bedroom entrances to allow us to move a large TV cupboard. Last week she bought an electric fireplace for Heartwood, (Restaurant her church is involved with.), but staff/management didn't want it so Coriandre has decided to use it in "her study"! In fact, should look quite attractive when all is finished. Dusty is busy putting together a mantlepiece, (out of some extra shelving we had for unit in living room), as I scribe. Cheers, Patrizzio
1) wedding party list:
Noelle Kendell (Maid of Honor) have been best friends since grade 8
Nicole Leuthardt (Bridesmaid) Met at delegation training for new job
Shannon Sutherland (Bridesmaid) Cousin
Melanie Novelli (Bridesmaid) Cousin
Mark Speed (Best Man) First friend Marvin had when he moved to Canada
Stephanie Larson (Groomswomen) Best friend of Marvin
Ryan and Corey (obviously you know)
As for Protocols... we are going to have Maracas on the table to be a way for people to get us to kiss instead of clinking glasses. What else is there usually? Suggestions??
Glad you enjoyed pictures! Hope you didn't pay your Dad back!
Thanks for wedding party list. We can work on order when we arrange to have a sit down and walk through things, face-to-face.
My reason for bringing up guests is that typically certain individuals are thanked for their presence for a variety of reasons: age, distance travelled, special relationship, etc. I don't feel I need to be the one to recognize such people but I wanted to clarify when and who might do so. To be quite frank, I am a tad concerned that Linda might become even more unpredictable if she isn't spotlighted early in the evening, given how she seems to behave in all sorts of social/family situations. Of course, I will be offering general welcoming remarks, outlining course of evening, etc. Just want to make sure of everything you might have in mind, well in advance.
Hi pat, Thanks so much for your advice ... since I have never done this whole
wedding thing or haven't been to many weddings its greatly appreciated :)
I believe we should be around on Sunday as we usually drop into my
parents for dinner so that would be great. we will drop up then and see
how things are and if its appropriate to chat about the wedding. We can
make another time if not but would also love to see Ayn. So see you
then.
her.. maybe my mom will have an idea as well so I will ask her to come
up with us. Thanks again. See you Sunday!!
Hi again, Nicolina!
Sunday will be great! Coriandre just mentioned that Chloë has invited many of her friends who know Ayn to come by for a drink/visit so there will be plenty of people here anyway. We can go into Cora Lee's "Study" if things are too crazy or noisy in living room. Involving both your Mom, as you mention, and, I suggest, Cora Lee, as she is probably more of an "expert" in many wedding reception matters than I, seems like a good idea. Just helps to hear what people think, especially if they bring up matters not voiced before. Anyway, even this discussion should be fun and it will be as it isn't happening at the last minute.
Hi Avery Fans!
Last night at Chloë's loft. Loads of fun and even in-house entertainment during commercial breaks! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Thanks for the pictures , cute baby , must look look rebecca side of the family
Hi Snow Bound Nova Scotians! Guess you are really looking forward to Mexico after the battering you have taken this winter! Cheers, Patrizzio! Tinsel town tix: We fly direct into Fargo!!!
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