Burnaby Central Greenway Blues: Saturday, April 12th!

We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)

Hi Jarek and Grazyna!

Just a quick note to thank you so much for the wonderful breakfast this past Wednesday. Food was terrific and we certainly enjoyed visiting with everyone.

At some point, in the not too, too distant future, Corinne and I would like to invite you both to our place for a meal. 

Given your busy schedule, I assume it would probably need to be on a week night. If there is one or more evenings, Monday through Thursday, that are better for you please let me know and we'll try to arrange a get together. Again, thanks so much for your generous hospitality and friendship. Cheers, Patrizzio!

PS: As you probably recall, Clara and Dusty will be returning to Winnipeg this coming Tuesday so they send their best wishes to you.

Yep, still in Vietnam, I'm actually getting a chance to go for a ride very early tomorrow morning with some colleagues of my niece. Will give you my stats afterward. How do you like my wheels! Cheers, Mark

Hi Marcus Aurelius!

Quite impressed, not only with your bike but with your snazzy riding togs! I'll have to get a similar designer cycling helmet!

Sarge wanted to bike to his office, in Surrey, and back, this morning. Arranged things last night. We planned to leave around 9. Were not sure if we would go out via Marine/UBC/River Road/Alex Fraser or Central Greenway/New West/Patullo. Either choice was fine as we'd probably go one way, return other. Unfortunately, just had a call from him and their car was broken into last night and he has to spend rest of morning trying to get side window fixed! What a drag, as you can imagine.
 

Not quite sure where I'll make for now. Giorgio is playing squash, Raymondo's daughter, Jenny, is visiting from England, Big Al is in Sunshine Valley, Admiral Barnacle is in hibernation and you are in Vietnam! What's a poor boy to do? Maybe I'll try for Seymour Demonstration Forest as I've not been there for quite some time. Enjoy your own early morning ride. I assume timing has to do with avoiding intense heat of the day. Cheers, Patrizzio!  Pics: Bridge at Giorgio's with Mick and Fast Eddy, week ago, this past Wednesday.

Came across this piece in the Economist and thought it sounded interesting . Don't know if it's readily available, but if so, I would like to suggest Decoded, by Mai Jia, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, for NRBC consideration. Of course as per by-law 42, section m.a.1.0, any member who is able to provide the membership with access an mp3 version will receive a lifetime exemption from all fines.

"FINALLY, a great Chinese novel. The past 35 years have seen an outpouring of fiction in China, only a small fragment of which has been read overseas. Much of this literature has been pored over and acclaimed for the insight it offers into a country so newly influential. There have been good books, of course—some provocative or sensationalist, many bravely political. There have even been two Nobel prize-winners. Yet almost none of the thousands of translated works has held its own as a novel that book-lovers with no special interest in China will relish.

Dear Vietnam Sojourner!

I'm sure everyone is more than delighted to learn of your latest book suggestion BUT you are being rather presumptuous to think that you might gain immunity from NRBC fine levies. In fact, such hubris is worth a doubling of standard fine so you now owe the NRBC Piglet $10! Please send cheque, money order or equivalent in Vietnamese Dong, post haste, to The islay Inn Malt Cabinet. Happy Sojourning! Cheers, Patrizzio The Tax Man Cometh!

Two new books on the list for the great Unread: Decoded. By Mai Jia (Mark) To follow that: The island of Crimia (Ostrov Krym)', by Vasili Aksenov (Misha)

The book we will discuss at the next gathering, to convene on 25 May, venue TBC, is Hubert Aquin, Next Episode (Kurt). Moe and then Pat are next up to recommend reading for us.

Hi Giggenheimer:

Did Marcus send you snap of bike from Nam? (Have attached just in case not.) Sarge wanted to bike to his office, in Surrey, and back, this morning. Arranged things last night. We planned to leave around 9. Were not sure if we would go out via Heather/River Road/Alex Fraser or Central Greenway/New West/Patullo. Either choice was fine as we'd probably go one way, return other. Unfortunately, had a call from him at around 8:30 am and their car was broken into last night and he had to spend rest of morning trying to get side window fixed! What a drag, as you can imagine.

Was not quite sure where I'd make for given changed situation. You are playing squash, Jenny is visiting from England so Raymondo was out, Big Al is in Sunshine Valley, Admiral Barnacle is in hibernation and Marcus is still in Vietnam! What's a poor boy to do? Thought maybe I'd try for Seymour Demonstration Forest as I've not been there for quite some time. And then Sarge walked in the door!

Body shop can't take car until Monday, due to nature of work required. Some damage to door panel, window frame, etc. Anyway, we will head out shortly, via Greenway. He wants to time run with an idea to determining which is best route for commuting, once back from Mexico. Cheers, Il Conduttore!

P, Sorry to learn of Sarge's B & E. I have suffered that a few times and it is humbling...enjoy your ride. W                                    Hi again, Whirlissimo!

I'll let Mick know we are on! Forgot to attach pic! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Great, thanks for organizing.                           Stats for Sarge ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/478646986#.U0nYY4tAdlE.email 

Stats for post-flat ride to UBC:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/478646979#.U0nYm2Sp6tg.email 

Hello u to gorges , lovely birds Any time after next week. Thx. For lovely words in last e-mail. Cheers J.&G.😀😘 

Hello, Patrick and Corinne:
 
Just a quick check-in . . . wondering how you are, and of course, curious about your evolving plans for India. It's been several months since our post-Christmas visit. It's a cliche, but time really does seem to fly by more quickly the older you get. I will be 56 (!!!!!) on July 1st. Closer to 60 than 50
.
My big news -- which I mentioned to Corinne when we crossed paths briefly at VPL a few weeks ago -- is that I will be transferring to the headship of Dunbar Branch sometime in May. I am very happy about this (I asked for it, when the position opened up as the result of a domino effect). I have acted there twice before and really enjoyed it. And I have deep connections to the community -- Dunbar was my childhood VPL branch, so it is like closing a circle.

I am really looking forward to librarian-ing there, and it should also work well on a personal, practical level. Among other things, I have it in my sights to become a  regular bike commuter (well, semi-regular, anyway. Even that, will be a big step). To that end, I visited the bike store yesterday to get some help adjusting my bike and to acquire panniers to replace a basket that was awkwardly mounted on the back rack. I am optimistic that these steps will help at least a bit with becoming a more confident, comfortable cyclist.
 

Still working on organizing the almost 4000 pictures from my last trip
to India . . . while planning the next one (February-March 2015,
coinciding with the Holi festival).Hope this finds you both well, and hope to hear your news and to see you again soon.Janet

 
In 1932, a rising writer from Mississippi found himself amid the bright lights and dry heat of Tinseltown, at the start of what would become a lengthy dalliance with the screenwriting biz. In the wilds of L.A., Faulkner met movie stars, found a bourbon haunt, chased true love, and tried to stay sane in a place that often seemed very far from home, in a place he described as “the plastic asshole of the world.” 
 

“Abandon hope, all ye who enter here.” The quotation from Dante is what Faulkner considered a fitting road sign for drivers to see as they crossed the border into California. (For Arizona, his thought was “Science Fiction Country.”) It was a telling description of how he viewed his new home away from home. For good reason, it’s often said that when people move to Hollywood, they’re likely to lose their true identity, heritage, and sense of purpose—this is La-La Land, after all. But Faulkner didn’t. He had his pipe and tobacco, and his bourbon, and he could still hunt.

Faulkner sometimes hunted with Hawks, and on one dove hunting trip recounted by the director, Hawks invited along Clark Gable, already a star. Faulkner and Hawks began discussing literature and eventually Gable asked, “Mr. Faulkner, what do you think somebody should read if he wants to read the best modern books? Who would you say are the best living writers?” Faulkner replied, “Thomas Mann, Willa Cather, John Dos Passos, Ernest Hemingway, and myself.” Gable asked, “Oh, do you write, Mr. Faulkner?” Faulkner replied, “Yeah. What do you do, Mr. Gable?” by John Meroney - California - April/May 2014