De-Nesting Diaries: Thursday, March 7th

Hate is a dead thing. Who of you would be a tomb? -Kahlil Gibran, poet and artist (1883-1931) 

Schadenfreude:

MEANING:

noun: Pleasure derived from another's misfortune.

ETYMOLOGY:

From German Schadenfreude, from Schaden (damage, harm) + Freude (joy). Earliest documented use: 1852.

Anyone interested in a ride tomorrow? G

A couple made a deal that whoever died first would come back and inform the other if there was sex
after death. Their biggest fear was that there was no after-life at all.

After a long life together, the husband was the first to die. True to his word, he made the first contact:
"Sue..........Sue"

"Is that you, George?"

"Yes, I've come back like we agreed."

"That's wonderful!? What's it like?"

"Well, I get up in the morning, I have sex. I have breakfast and then it's off to the golf course.

I have sex again, bathe in the warm sun and then have sex a couple more times.

Then I have lunch (you'd be proud - lots of greens). Another romp around the golf course then pretty much have sex the rest of the afternoon.

After supper, it's back to golf course again. Then it's more sex until late at night. I catch some much-needed sleep and then the next day it starts all over again."

"Oh, George, are you in Heaven?"

"No, I'm a rabbit in Wagga Wagga!"

Sensational.

How are you Patrice?

We have a new fellow in our office from Vancouver and when I asked him where abouts, he said with some shame that he was from Surrey.| Give me the Goss about that place. Take care, Tiptoe

Hi Tiptoe!

Trust you are well! I do apologize for not sending along a message sooner. As it is and has been, ever since returning, we seem to be busier than ever and have simply not had a moment to catch our collective wits. Primarily has to do with working on the loft so that we can finally de-nest Chloë! Surrrey is equivalent to Paramatta or worse, inhabited by Surroids! Nevertheless, I'm sure your work mate is a great lad.

First week back Dusty worked on new in-house vacuum and Cora Lee and I tore out carpeting in upstairs bedroom loft area, readying it for new flooring.  Day or so later cousins from Kenton, near Brandon, arrived for three nights after skiing in Fernie. Great visit but coming as it did we hardly had time to unpack before next set of visitors, Tina/Trevor, from Adelaide, skiing at Sun Peaks, arrived last Tuesday. They left yesterday. We had seen Tina in LA on way home as she wanted to see Ayn and Los Horridos again. She had visited them last year as well.

Had a lovely day on Thursday with TNT. Took them to Lee Valley, off Marine Drive, in the morning as Tina wanted some garden seeds. I'd never been before so I was happy just to browse the aisles looking at all the wonderful, high-end tools on display. Back home to collect Coriandre and then we walked over to GI to catch the Aquabus to Yaletown. Stopped in at Urban Fare to peruse deli-counter but decided to lunch at the Yaletown Brewery. Very, very tasty fare, (Cora lee had the Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Teens the Tempura Tuna Maki Roll, Trev the Italian Pizza, (Genoa Salami, black olives and basil), and I the BLT Wedge: quartered fresh iceberg lettuce topped with Stoplight tomatoes, red onion, smoked bacon and Roquefort blue cheese reduction), all washed down with Brick and Beam IPA, (lads), Hills Special Wheat, (Teens), and a Backyard, Langley, 2011 Sauvignon Blanc, CL. (Coramandel was not overly impressed with the wine but the beer swillers delighted in their choice of tipple.)

Next stop to a Rogers outlet, just down the street from YBC, so that iPhone Woman could pick up a case for her new device and then to Vancouver Art Gallery where we quite enjoyed Hope at Dawn: Watercolours by Emily Carr and Charles John Collins. Don't believe I have ever seen any watercolours by Carr so it was quite something to see how the two artists used the medium to depict the landscape of BC.

 A most interesting work in progress was James Hart:The Dance Screen. A huge piece, the stunning work is a "major expression of traditional Haida beliefs" and Hart, now a master carver and chief, worked with both Robert Davidson and Bill Reid as a young sculptor. He was on site, with an assistant, and answered questions from people viewing the massive, ambitious carving.

Last was Art Spiegelman C0-MIX A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics and Scraps. Another remarkable exhibition. I, for one, was not really familiar with his work but I assume I may well have seen some of his iconic images at some point. Nevertheless, it was endlessly fascinating to peruse the "more than 400 preparatory drawings, sketches, studies and panels relating to his early underground "comix" from the 1970's, his best known and genre-defying work, Maus, and his more recent illustrations", in particular, his response to 9/11, In the Shadow of No Towers and a number of covers for The New Yorker.

Packed a fair bit of culture into two hours and then we walked back down Hornby to catch the Aqua Bus back to GI, stopping for some fresh pasta at the Market, and then home for a glass of Sandhill Pinot Blanc, courtesy of Chloë and GIB! We visited over the tasty dinner of overlefts and pasta and were joined by Flamin' and Sarge after their early curling match. Up until about 10:30pm when our guests started to yawn. Sarge and I had a dram of Ardbeg, Corryvreckan, 57.1%, to make everything blend together. Had forgotten how much I like it!

Trust, as I mentioned earlier, that all goes well in The Land Down Under. Fondestos from Cora Lee and Chloë. Cheers, Patrice!