Bayswater Bridge Blues: Tuesday, April 8th!

Good fiction creates empathy. A novel takes you somewhere and asks you to look through the eyes of another person, to live another life. -Barbara Kingsolver, novelist, essayist, and poet (b. 1955)  

A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged, it is the skin of a living thought and may vary greatly in color and content according to the circumstances and the time in which it is used. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., jurist (1841-1935) 

As usual another pleasant but opinionated night. Thank you Patrick.

Hi Moe!

Thanks again for those scrumptious cookies! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

I am glad you like them. 

The only gift is a portion of thyself. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882)

P, now have serious regrets about missing the film and for that matter the HB ride. I did force myself out for a short run around UBC mid afternoon.

Kurt and I went to Taco Fina on Hastings on our way to the ferry. He seemed to be hang over free or put on a good face. I just got him to the ferry with moments to spare just to help raise his blood pressure.
 

I am playing squash today at 12:30 but look forward to a therapy ride tomorrow and for many consecutive days thereafter. And nicely stated to the Unread and to Kermit -- I think that dis-naming may stick. W 


P, surely have to be responsible for this word. [Ambage] I hope you are getting royalties... W
Hi Colin:

If you are watching pictures you should try to see Finding Vivian Maier. It is a stunning, simply remarkable documentary film, showing, at VanCity. Here, the enigmatic, completely unknown photographer replaces the musician of Searching for Sugar Man! I'm still reeling, so powerful are her photographs, so mysterious her life, so complex her personality. The "fantastic" characters and stories in Obabakoak, (a Basque work we just read in our Book Club), are no stranger than this extraordinary woman and I exaggerate not one iota. Anyway, see it if you can. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Dear Dermot:

As this is a reread on my part, the copy that I have and read 42 years ago (am I getting old?) is the Penny William's translation. I was somewhat surprised to see by your note that it was also translated by Sheila Fischman some 29 years after the first translation was published and at the tail end of her translation of Aquin's Hamlet's Twin (1979).

I have found that Sheila is the 'preferred supplier' of English translations of the Quebec writers (Carrier, Blais, Beauchemin, Hébert et al.) and would lean towards reading her translation especially seeing that the publisher of the 2001 translation deemed it significant to have Sheila knock out Penny in Round 2.
 

Who knows? Whatever is available I guess. --Kurt

Dear NRBCers!

A rather reasoned response from an often unreasonable individual, I must admit. Even though the clock's a ticking, as you yourself admit, Palooka Joe, you are not punch drunk just yet! As an addendum to last Sunday's discussion, (to put it politely), everyone should try to see Finding Vivian Maier. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Thanks. In defense of Williams, I understand that Fischman had a distinct reach advantage and an inclination towards rabbit punching in clinches. VPL catalogue appears to have just have Fischman,  which I have put a hold on. ds

Dear Roger Rabbit, (Bye the bye, when did you transform yourself from a frog[I know it isn't easy being green but!], into a March Hare? Surely this isn't so. Say it 'ain't so Kerm!)

At any rate, you seem to have taken the bare-knuckle round to extremes inasmuch as this exchange has become a sparring match with an opponent who doesn't pull his punches unless it's rum punch and then he throws them down with such precision that they result in TKO's every time. Cheers, Pugilist Patrizzio! 

Hi Stanchion Man! Glad you enjoyed the classical music as well as leading the Good Life in Sunshine Valley over the weekend. We had a pretty busy time ourselves. Let me know if you might be up for a ride this coming week. Perhaps we could meet a CSTB or Boundary. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Martini People!

Thanks for the lovely snaps! Marnie certainly looks like Krissy. Probably more of Ant in Tristan. Jolly little fellow! Cora Lee is homesick for Cornwall so I'd double-check scaffolding as she doesn't want you to sell Sydney House! Sounds as if you enjoy painting about as much as I do! Didn't know whether to call you Cocktail People of Cunard Cruise Folk! "Think we should just pop over to Bruges, Daaaaaaaaaaaarling, to check out the Christmas markets for stocking stuffers, dontcha think!  

Busy time here ever since returning from Okanagan and missed moth tasting opportunities! Must away as I have to start preparing our income tax returns. Want to have everything filed before we leave for Mexico. Need to go downstairs as program we use, Inuit TurboTax, hasn't been issued for Macs since about 2004, when I filed first returns that way. We bought program last year and Sarge files their returns on it as well. Enough returns available for both families. Their turn to buy package this year and I use one of their pc laptops. Doesn't hurt that I can pour myself a few snorts form his malt selection either! Fondestos from Cora Lee to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Some of shower.

Hi Maggie! Trust you are well. I see from the addresses in last message that you are in touch with Chris Stetchisin. I assume you were in French together at U of Wpg. We saw her, and her husband at the time, a number of times, back in the 80's when we were more involved with the U of W Alumni Association. Where is she now?

Busy time here ever since returning from Okanagan two weekends ago, to do some wine tasting and attend the 70th birthday of one of Cora Lee's Library School classmates, Lynne Lighthall. We plan to travel with her and Peter, her husband, to India in 2015. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you and Francesco. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Shower snapolas! Hi Kids: First batch! Cheers, Patrizzio! 

Shower pitturas! Hi again, Kidliones! Secondo! Cheers, Trizzio!

Dear Friend, We hope you can join us on April 26 at 11 am for our Annual General Meeting. It will be held in the Alma VanDusen Room at Central Branch, lower level. Our guest speaker is Sandra Singh, Chief Librarian, who will give us an update on Library planning for an expanded Central Library and proposed new services. Refreshments will be served.Attached is the package of information for the meeting. Please bring it along. See you there.

yOU SHOULD HAVE GOT pAT TO DO YOUR ENGAGEMENT PICTURES. w

you should have got  your dad to print wedding invitations! p

Just replying to your first paragraph as know you never send a short email, lol! Christina, as she goes by ever since she discovered that was her name on her birth certificate, lives on Galiano Island. She is fairly recently retired but sits on several boards and remains very active in her community. They had 2 kids, only one married I think, no grandchildren I am pretty sure. Her husband is deceased several years, forget the reason. I believe he was in the music industry. If my memory serves me correctly, they were separated or divorced, but had a good relationship. He may have been an alcoholic, but don't quote me. 

We had this conversation so long ago. I went through high school in Silver Heights with C and then French at UC. She has an older brother Peter. We reacquainted at the 2007 50th Silver Heights High School reunion which served as it's closure and then again at a Wpg band reunion, Electric Jug & Blues, in 2009. There are quite a few of us who all went to S Hts including John T, who also attended UC. John & I dated in first year. He is 3x divorced and living with a former S Hts girlfriend, Margaret Barrett, a recently retired Social Worker, with whom he reconnected at the '09 reunion.

Stunning photography images! Amazing how well preserved they are. I have always been a fan of black & white!

Good thing you bike so much, P. All those calories in beer, wine, etc do tend to put quite a belly on most, as we have noted in AZ! Frank & I keep very active there, as do the majority of our closest friends and try to do almost the same here at home so don't find that drinking affects us too much. We do seem to drink a lot more when we are south however! Everyone talks about coming home to dry out, lol!
 

What fun, a Mexican wedding! Our youngest, Beth/Terry were married for the second time, June 4, 2008, at the Royal de Cameron, an all inclusive resort in Bucerias, Nayarit, about a half hour from Puerto Vallarta. Legally, they had an intimate immediate family only wedding with a JP on Nov 4, 2007, a month before their first child, Kennedy Rhyan Elizabeth, was born on Dec 8. In Nov, 2012, we attended the wedding of their best friends, who met at B/T's wedding as Maid of Honour & Best Man, at the same resort. Nikole & Beth attended the 2 yr Diploma Visual Arts program at Camosun College together. Ryan is a longtime friend of Terry's from Nanaimo. They now have a son, Cashton, born right after Beth/Terry had their 3rd child, Katelyn Emily Alexandra, August 19, now 7 mos. Terry is scheduled for his Vasectomy this Friday. He is 31. We were at that resort for Beth/Terry's wedding for a week and then spent another week at The Mayan Palace in PV with all the family & wedding party courtesy of our RCI time share. We were only at N/R's wedding for 4 days from AZ.

Patrick, I haven't seen the movie yet.  Sounds very intriguing. Thanks for the reminder about it and for the photos. If anyone is interested in more, there is a huge collection of her photos on line at http://www.vivianmaier.com Guy

Hello Guy! Thank you very much for link to website. Do try to see film. If not in next little while, I'm sure it will be back. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Anybody knows how I can have my hands on the next book (Next Episode, hopefully an e-version of it) Thanks. Moe
 

I believe I sent an earlier e-mail stating that it is available, electronically, from Chapters/Indigo. Or perhaps Guy can print off a copy for you? --Kurt Thanks Kurt
 
Hi Patrick, I just read this article. I think you have high emotional intelligence based on the facts provided in the article.

Next week I will be traveling to London for the Easter weekend. On Easter Sunday I am taking off to Italy. Rome!! Probably swing by Florence as well. Amsterdam will be my last pit stop. I trust you are well Patrick. How's everything? Mr Fjord

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/05/are-you-emotionally-intel_n_4371920.html

Hi Mr Fjord!

Thanks for passing along the link to the most interesting Huffington Post article! I've forwarded it to Cora Lee, Chloë and Ayn and I'll let you know what they think when I hear back from The Sisterhood!

Your trip itinerary sounds simply wonderful! Know London the best, (To the extent that I "know" it at all.), of the four cities you mentioned but have had wonderful times in all the others although I certianly wouldn't pretend to really "know" them. When last in Florence, 1997, I was still running for exercise and I couldn't believe how fortunate I was to be able to jog through the almost empty streets at around 6:00 am, past the Uffizi Gallery, over the Ponte Vecchio to the grounds of the Giardino Di Palazzo Serristori, (I think, but I may well be wrong!), to loop back over the Arno to our small hotel only a block or two from Stazione Santa Maria Novella. 

Had to keep pinching myself to remind myself that I wasn't dreaming it was such a magical feeling. Fondestos from Cora Lee to you. If we don't chat before you leave have a wonderful trip. Bon Voyage, Monsieur Fjord!!! Cheers, Patrizzio!  

Hi Giggster!

Just back from dinner and bridge at the Keatings.  Lovely time, food fabulous as it always is as Elaine is such a  wonderful cook. Dusty was high man on the totem pole while I was right at the bottom! I blame it on my partners. Not much has changed since I stopped playing doubles! I won a vary colourful dishcloth so I guess I know where I'll be for next little while!
 

We are off to the IHOP on Broadway/Oak tomorrow at 9:30 am. I probably won't be able to ride until about 12:00-12:30 pm, by the time I'm home, etc., so if you need to head out beforehand, go ahead. We can chat on the morrow as we won't be leaving until 9:15 am.

Funny, but I had to chuckle myself when I saw "ambage!" As well, I was immediately struck by the Kingsolver quotation and can only imagine that some of the NRBCers refuse/are not able to make that leap of faith. Never understood why "the willing suspension of disbelief" is so difficult to entertain. Readers come up with all sorts of excuses but, in the final analysis, I find it is simply often a lack of self-discipline which allows them to rationalize the easy way out when coming to terms with a difficult, demanding text. We can debate this issue, ad infinitum, but I still believe that what the reader says about a given work says more about him/herself than about the text in question. Time to brush my teeth and sink them into Herman Koch's The Dinner. Good night sweet prince.  May hosts of angels sing you to sleep! Cheers, Horatio

Glad you read the interview. Thanks for the note. I tried to get tickets for tomorrow but it's sold out - I'll have to try for the 21st, I suppose. I've been looking forward to it for quite some time. I do love the story and she is such a talent - much more so than one would expect. And the black and white brings back such fond memories for me. Amazing luck he found the negatives and was able to put them together. However, it will be his life's work. Apparently there were 2000 rolls of unprocessed film - 100,000 negatives. That's a lot of film.

Aside from that we are all well. We went to Mexico for a quick rest-cure over spring break, which was very enjoyable, indeed.

Thanks for the notes about the riding. I did a quick 45km ride over to the North Shore and up into the Lower Seymour Conservation Reserve (Demonstration Forest). It's actually a lovely ride, with the notable exception of the 2nd Narrows. Might be a nice day out if the weather co-operates. You could come East and we could ride up and back.
 

Talk soon - you're often on our mind, trying to find a time to meet up - the days all fly by, of course. Easter is almost here! -A. 

Cono Sur 2012 Riesling

Light straw-coloured, it has a lovely perfume of spring flowers, citrus, and white peach with a touch of petrol. Made in a dry style with lots of opulent stone fruit flavours to balance the acidity, it is bright and lively on the palate and chockablock full of flavour with a purely refreshing finish. A delightful tipple and a perfect pairing for sunshine, BBQ chicken or Thai food. 

 
Mandrarossa 2010 Nero D'Avola 

The grapes for the MandraRossa Nero d'Avola are sourced from a variety of vineyards in the North Western corner of Sicily, which are all linked to Settesoli's detailed computer traceability system. This benefits the final complexity of the wine by facilitating the selection of optimal grapes from a variety of altitudes, aspects and soil types. The Mandrarossa Nero D'Avola shows the true potential of Sicilian red wine. It is richly textured with layers of damson, plum and liquorice spice flavours. It is elegant but powerful. It is also excellent with pasta dishes, braised red meats, game and hard spicy cheese.