De-Nesting Diaries; Tuesday, February 26th

It is impossible to live pleasurably without living prudently, honorably, and justly; or to live prudently, honorably, and justly, without living pleasurably. -Epicurus, philosopher (c. 341-270 BCE) 

Thanks Guy. I did not clue into that holiday. May I suggest 7 April as an alternate date?

Good day for me.--Kurt

April 7 works for myself VL 

Hi everybody, April 7th is find for me, as well. Regards,

Hi All,

Sorry that I could not attend the last NRBC meeting. April 7 is fine with me. Cheers Moe

The 7th day of the cruelest national poetry month (Canada and USA) works for me.  Guy

April 7th works for me. 8^) cheers, Mark

Dearest NRBCers:

February I agree with alternate date,

Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote,
The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licóur
Of which vertú engendred is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes, and the yonge sonne
Hath in the Ram his halfe cours y-ronne,
And smale foweles maken melodye,
That slepen al the nyght with open ye,
So priketh hem Natúre in hir corages,
Thanne longen folk to goon on pilgrimages,
And palmeres for to seken straunge strondes,
To ferne halwes, kowthe in sondry londes;
And specially, from every shires ende
Of Engelond, to Caunterbury they wende,
The hooly blisful martir for to seke,
That hem hath holpen whan that they were seeke.

Furthermore, plenteous thanks to Guy, Re-Reader of a thousand books in the light of the Thousand Autumn Suns of Jacob  de Zoet, and more importantly, reader of current book selection, unlike most of the other despicable NRBC miscreants, slugggards, slackards and malingerers who populate the fetid hall of un-discipline, the dank, foul smelling, dripping rooms of sloth which characterize the crumbling slums and sinister ghettos of their own self-serving, weasel-whining, mental dwelling shacks, patched and poorly stitched together with questionable, nay laughable, excuses and empty, pathetic, mindless rationalization, for, nonetheless, the stirring discussion, bonhomie, free-flowing potables and tasty pistachios!

Cheers, Il Conductore, on behalf of the NRBC truncheon wielding, nightstick skull bashing bulls. The Fines are coming! The Fines are coming! Ye can run but ye caint hide in yer miserable, reeking Dropboxes, ye poltroons, spalpeens, clotpolls, sots and archsots!

Hi Dom Marcello:

Lovely to hear from you! In spite of the fact that you claim that life in Stockholm is "pretty undramatic" you seem to have a rather busy and interesting social life. Glad that your elbow is allowing you to play tennis. Any cycling? Assume weather does not yet permit such outside activity.
Do hope you can see Sugarman. I listened to one of his CD's quite a few times over the course of the cross-country junket. March 18th isn't all that far away so we'll be seeing you soon!



Must say that I've had a number of quite wonderful rides since being back, although not this past week, from last Tuesday to Friday. We returned to Vancouver on the Sunday the 17th after having a most pleasant return leg from LA, (Left Dallas on Monday, February 11th to spend the night in Demming, New Mexico, then into LA for Tuesday and Wednesday nights at Ayn's where we visited with Tina, friend from Adelaide, [Staying there as well, on a blow-up bed, very comfortable as we slept on it in December.], en route to Vancouver to ski at Sun Peaks. Trevor, her husband, has been there since January 18th. They will return to Vancouver on March 5th for two nights before flying home to OZ.), to Berkeley, (Friday, overnight), to Healdsburg, (top of Sonoma), to Redding, (Saturday, overnight), to Portland, (overnight) and then home.


Managed a great ride around Stanley Park next day, Monday, two times in fact. First was up the hill to Prospect Point and then once more around the Seawall. Weather was cool with spotty drizzle but otherwise very enjoyable. Few people about as I didn't set out until 4:00pm and wasn't back until about 6:45pm. Pleased with exercise since I hadn't ridden since leaving LA when I did 101.3 K, day before we left, when The Sisterhood were Power Shopping! Only half that distance this time: 51.3 K over 2:49:42, AVG 18.1 KPH, MAX 42.5 KPH, but grand to be back on home turf after almost two months.

Very busy time here as we are in the process of de-nesting Chloë back to the loft on Wall Street. We had been planning to give the tenant notice of this fact when he gave us notice in late December, after Chloë was back from LA. This has worked out reasonably well as Dusty will be here to help with a number of the things we wish to do before she actually moves furniture: new flooring in upstairs loft, new in house vacuum and some painting. A host of other smaller tasks, as I'm sure you can imagine! On Tuesday, Coriandre and I managed to tear up the carpeting while Dusty removed the old vacuum and replaced it with the new unit we brought back from Winnipeg last August. (Tenant said he would install it, (He is quite handy and had hooked up the new washer and dryer unit we bought for the place a year ago this past January.), when we took it over shortly after we were back from that trip but never did!

On Wednesday my cousin, Dallas, and his wife, Judy, from Manitoba, The Goldilocks People, arrived from Calgary. They had been skiing at Fernie and drove back to Calgary to leave their car at the airport there. We had a most enjoyable visit and managed to see Life of Pi and Django Unchained while they were here. They left very early on Saturday morning, (Up at 5:00am as they had to be at YVR by 6:00am), and then I spent the rest of the morning reading the latest Book Club selection, Suttree by Corma McCarthy, for gathering last night. Met Robo Ray at his palce at 2:20pm that afternoon, (Whirlygig has a sore knee so couldn't join us.), and we rode out to UBC and round campus. By the time we were back at his place I knew I would have about 40 K on the clock when home so I made for Stanley Park to do one circuit of the Seawall to put me at 71.3 K, over 3:55:36, AVG 18.1 KPH, MAX 56.7 KPH when back at the Heartbreak Hotel. After showering, changing and eating a delicous dinner of overlefts from all the meals we'd enjoyed with cousins I read until 1:30am so that I could finish Suttree on the morrow.


Did just that on Sunday morning and then readied the house for  bridge and brunch. I'd invited Whirlygig and Kurt, (He lives in Nanaimo since moving to BC from Ontario a year or so ago and takes the ferry over for the night to be able to visit and take part in the NRBC malt induced free-for-all! He and Giorgio worked in publishing in Toronto in the mid-80'.), as well as Ragin' Bull to dine and bid. We played with three different partners and I managed to come out on top. Finally booted out by Chloë as she was hosting a n Oscar party, at just before 6:00pm. Almost time for me to drive over to Whirlage's place to pick the two miscreants up, (They were drinking beer on the porch when I arrived and continued to knock them back all evening,a t Gyuy's place in East Van, jiust off Victoria and 4th. Lively discussion and then I chauffeured the rowdy bunch back home to be back at the Islay Inn myself by 10:30pm. Cora lee was already reading in bed so I joined her as soon as I brushed and flossed as I was keen to start Field Gray, Philip Kerr's latest Bernie Gunther novel. (Picked it up in New Orleans.)


This morning Chloë and I drove over to the loft. I left beforehand, in my car, to return recyclables to Go Green on Ontario and 7th and then to Coastal Ford on Thorton, just off Terminal Avenue, to take Titanium Green in for an oil change as a reward for performing so well on trip! Chloë picked me up and then we made for Wall Street where we off-loaded the laminate flooring and underlay for the upstairs bedroom area. That done we returned to the Islay Inn and I changed into my cycling togs and left just after 1:00am. Sky had cleared from morning showers and I wanted to take advantage of what was supposed to be a dry day. Very dry but very, very windy. Don't think I've ever ridden into such a fierce wind and I do mean FIERCE! On way to Stanley Park, just past the Aquatic Centre I literally had to shift into lowest gear. (Looked at weather report once home and gather wind as gusting to 50 KPH!), I was still in third but that is what I climb hill to Prospect Point in! Quite a buffeting, let me tell you. 


Bit of relief once I made it to the cover of the trees near English Bay and so I headed for Canada Place befoer making my way up and over Lions Gate. Thought of you when I rode east on the Spirit Trail, past where Jane lives and then on over the pedestrian bridge to Harbourside and then to Berwicke Avenue. Retraced my route to head into West Van and then thought of you both again as I passed the aprtement building where Jane's Dad used to live. Followed  to about 31st and Marine Drive and then turned back. Wind going over Lions gate wasn't too, too bad as it came at a slight angle, not head-on and I was soon zipping down hill from Prospect Point. Had 70 K on the click at the bottom so knew I needed one more circuit of the Seawall, (Closed for scaling from part under Prospect Point so not accessible, Monday-Friday, for next two weeks.), and PP Hill so did that and was home about 5:45pm with 81.3 K on the trusty odometre, over 4:24:00, AVG 18.4 KPH, MAX 51.6 KPH. Quite please with distanc eif not AVG but put it sown to hurricane force winds!

After my shower, I made a salad for dinner and was then summarily banished to the bedroom. The Sisterhood's Book Club was meeting at 7:30pm and I was not to show my grizzled visage until called upon to scullionate the kitchen, clearing up the empty wine bottles and cheese rinds! That done, Cora Lee is working on a presentation for Presbytery tomorrow and when she is satisfied we will watch one of of the many shows Chloë recorded for us since we've been away. Think we'll watch an episode of MI 5 or Elementary. CoraLeeta calls so I must away. Fondestos from her to you Kjell. Cheers, Patrizzio


Pics: Snap of Ariane, (Original connection to Tina and Trevor), Doug and their twin boys, Corben and Damien, at Sun Peaks. North Shore today. Not my snap, however.

You're home! Super! No biking here yet, to much snow, but tennis (arm OK, no more) and gym (mainly running on the treadmill) will have to do. See you soon, Kjell

P,

Thanks for the brief ride in the rain. The WN forecast indicates some better weather tomorrow. Let me know if you wanna try again.

The Purdy Pavilion seems to be a pretty good place and father has responded very well to the stress of the move. Staff seems very human and competent. Don’t tell my estranged sister that I said it but I am feeling relieved. I should take you up there just to see what you think in terms of how it compares to Annie’s last stand. Did you like Guy’s response -- below? Perfect. W

I have March 31 in my calendar as Easter Sunday. I believe I will be tied up having a family dinner that night. Cheers,

No worries, That sort of thing happens in even the best of families.  G

Hi Pat and Corinne,

Good to hear from you, we were beginning to worry that you were miffed with us:(

I understand how busy you have been as Wayne and Dusty explained what had to be done to the Loft to make it into a luxurious pad for Chloe!!! We are both looking forward to spending a few days with you two.

Here are our flight details

Flight  From

AC81971  Kamloops (YKA)
Tue 05-Mar 2013
15:50
 To Vancouver, Vancouver Int'l (YVR)
Tue 05-Mar 2013
16:47 - Terminal M
 0  0hr57  DH3  Tango, G

Then we leave on Friday 8th March at 18:30pm. Regards Tina

Hi Giggster!

I did see you on the bridge! What a coincidence! You should have had Kurt drive to Horsehoe Bay and we could have ridden out there together and towed the machina back. Need a bit of extra wright on the hills to make whole thing worthwhile! Especailly since, as you say, the wind was not really a factor!!!

Enjoyed the afternoon/evening immensely. Hope we can play more next time. Need to pre-plan the April 7th caper to allow that to happen.

To back up a tad, yesterday morning Chloë and I drove over to the loft. I left beforehand, in my car, to return recyclables to Go Green on Ontario and 7th and then to Coastal Ford on Thorton, just off Terminal Avenue, to take Titanium Green in for an oil change as a reward for performing so well on trip! Chloë picked me up and then we made for Wall Street where we off-loaded the laminate flooring and underlay for the upstairs bedroom area. That done we returned to the Islay Inn and I changed into my cycling togs and left just after 1:00am. Sky had cleared from morning showers and I wanted to take advantage of what was supposed to be a dry day. Very dry but very, very windy. Don't think I've ever ridden into such a fierce wind and I do mean FIERCE! On way to Stanley Park, just past the Aquatic Centre I literally had to shift into lowest gear. (Looked at weather report once home and gather wind as gusting to 50 KPH!), I was still in third but that is what I climb hill to Prospect Point in! Quite a buffeting, let me tell you. (Not that you'd know, cocooned in your van, spitting at the wind-hammered cyclistii!

Bit of relief once I made it to the cover of the trees near English Bay and so I headed for Canada Place before making my way up and over Lions Gate. Thought of Kjell when I rode east on the Spirit Trail, past where Jane lives and then on over the pedestrian bridge to Harbourside and then to Berwicke Avenue. Retraced my route to head into West Van and then thought of them again as I passed the apartment building where Jane's Dad used to live. Followed  to about 31st and Marine Drive and then turned back. Wind going over Lions gate wasn't too, too bad as it came at a slight angle, not head-on and I was soon zipping down hill from Prospect Point. Had 70 K on the clock at the bottom so knew I needed one more circuit of the Seawall, (Closed for scaling from part under Prospect Point so not accessible, Monday-Friday, for next two weeks.), and PP Hill so did that and was home about 5:45pm with 81.3 K on the trusty odometre, over 4:24:00, AVG 18.4 KPH, MAX 51.6 KPH. Quite please with distance if not AVG but put it sown to hurricane force winds!


Think I'll go for a swim at the Aquatic Centre if you don't want to go for a ride. Should be able to get in an hour or more before the rain re-starts! I'll call as soon as I've sent this along. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Corinne,

Your best bet is with the NEW Air Transat. They now have individual screens, mood lighting, etc. and are non stop to England.

July 10 lv YVR 2pm, arr LGW(Gatwick) 7:30am(next day) –

Oct 17, lv LGW 6:45am, arr YVR 10:55am (no return flight on Oct 16)

Cost: $530 + $565 taxes = $1,095/person total cost

B.A. is at least a couple hundred higher in cost.

We can look at the Brit Rail passes later. Let us know .Thanks, Charlie

Our apologies. A hacker got onto our account and sent out emails to many people. 

Worse, if you emailed us back to see if it really came from us, he then sent you an email telling you it was fine and to go ahead and go to the site.Then if you went to the site it asked you for your password. 

If you gave it a password, you need to change it!

If I could tell for sure who he emailed, I would send it just to those people - sorry to blast you all if you didn't get it. Sorry L&N