De-Nesting Diaries: Sunday, April 21st

I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays. -Henny Youngman, comedian, actor (1906-1998)

 

Hi Pat,

Sorry to hear about you bike accident.  You are the second person I know who had a bike accident in the last few weeks, and ended up in hospital with a concussion. I'll get back to you shortly with the south of France info. Dennis

Hello One and All!

Trust you are safely home, Rosemary. Please pass along snaps to Francesco, Andre. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Goils! Some pics from that evening! Cheers. Patrizzio/Dad!

 

Hi Julia and Ross!

Lovely evening. Wonderful to see you both. I very much enjoyed the Angry Scotch Ale Ross brought along. Had it this afternoon while we were playing bridge at our place. Cora Lee and Chloë were downstairs at a baby shower and a number of the menfolk came upstairs to play cards, drink beer and watch hockey while The Sisterhood showered gifts upon the prospective Mom, Rebecca, partner of Corey, Flamin's/Sarge's son. Baby is due mid-May.  For their part, The Brotherhood was more than angry that you hadn't brought six Angry Scotch Ales, Ross! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Squamish Waldorfians!

Just a quick note to thank you both for the more than wonderful evening! What fantabulous food, wines stellare and cards extraordinaire! Minor criticism: Where was the dessert for breakfast, as promised? Such an oversight means that your Guide Michelin rating will go down a star! Fondestos and Cheers, Cora Lee and Patrizzio!

PS: Dram Come True for VWF, 7:30pm - Friday, May 31st, 2013 at Hycroft Manor - 1489 McRae Ave. Let me know when you know.

Pics: Moon on Saturday evening; Sun Run participants on Georgia when we arrived back in Vancouver. 

Hi Chloë and Sarge! Where's Molly? Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio! 

To Whom It May Concern!

A week ago, this past Saturday, I made arrangements to go for a ride with Sarge. On Friday evening he said he wanted to leave at 9:30am but he came upstairs at about 9:15am to see if I as ready to go. As I hadn't suited up or put on my riding shoes he said he was going to ride over to GI to exchange some tickets at the Arts Club Box Office, near the entrance to the Market itself. As he left, I said, "I'll meet you at the bridge shortly." I meant the small wooden bridge by Cat's Social House as this leads almost directly to where he needed to go on GI. At any rate, I was outside not much more than ten minutes later and made for the bridge, riding a little way east along the Seawall and then back again to pass the bridge, assuming he would come into sight shortly. When he did not do so I made a quick jaunt back to Lamey's Mill Road and around the entrance to GI, opposite the Starbucks on that corner. but could see no sign of him there either. Decided to see if he'd gone back to the parking lot outside our garage but he was not there either. Returned to circle around the area near the wooden bridge and after chatting with a former neighbour, now a current neighbour, herself out for a ride, (Loni lived near us on 12th and MacKenzie and Ayn used to babysit for her. I rode with her past walkway to FCCC telling her that in May Cora Lee and I were flying to LA to attend Alejandro's graduation from U Cal Northridge!), and when back at the wooden bridge with still no Sarge, I decided I'd go tot the Arts Club. When I cycled past the Box Office he wasn't there so I returned, once again to the wooden bridge, without hide nor hair of Sergeant Preston. 

By now I had decided that something had happened and/or we'd missed each other like a French farce, with doors opening and closing and characters just missing bumping into one another. Thought I'd head out to Horseshoe Bay as I wanted to do originally, before Sarge indicated that such a ride was not on for him as he's not ridden since last October. At any rate, it was a gorgeous day, without too much wind so I thoroughly enjoyed ride around Science World.

Much to my surprise, just past David Lam Park, coming from the opposite direction,who should I run into but Sarge! He, in fact,had understood "the bridge" to be the Granville Bridge near the GIB and was waiting there! He finally saw me as I was leaving GI after riding past the Box Office and decided I was doing a short loop of GI. Rather than miss me again, when I didn't show up a few minutes later, he presumed, and rightly so, that I had given up the fruitless search and was heading along Seawall to SP. Thinking like his namesake, Preston of the Yukon, he decided to ride over the Burrard Bridge and cut me off at the pass, so to speak. This, of course, is just what happened and we unraveled the fiasco as we rode around SP.

I wanted to show him Spirit Trail, in North Van, so we rode over LG and along the new, (to him), bike path all the way to Bewicke Ave, having crossed the rail tracks using the new pedestrian/bike overpass, (near the intersection of 1St West and Mackay Road), which leads one to Hrbourside Place and Fell Ave. I feel this a better approach route to the Seymour Demo Forest ride we've often taken rather than riding through East Van and then coming over the Second Narrows to Lilloet. At any rate, after a few minor dipdy doodles we headed back over LG and then retraced our steps around Science World.
 

By the time we were back at Heart Break Terrace I had over 55 K on the clock so I knew I was well on the way to logging at least a 100 K. Waved goodbye to Sarge when he turned into our parkade and made for Spanish Banks.

Since I've done this basic route so many times, I pretty much know all the distances between various points and traced out a mental map of where I needed to go to provide the distance I'd decided upon, the so-called Crown/Camosun/Imperial Drive/Wesbook Village/MD/16th Ave/Tolmie/Blanca/East Mall/Stadium Road/West Mall Loop. However, the wind,for a change. seemed to be in my favour, more often than not, and my legs felt very resilient so when I was close to 90 K and heading north on East Mall I decided I could easily burn up 10-15 K dipsy doodling around campus. Did just that without too, too much trouble and before I knew it, before I could blink an eye, had about 106 K on the trusty odometer by the time I was at the bottom of the Forshore Hill. 

For some reason I believed I would be bucking a strong head wind on this last leg but such was not the case and I literally hurtled along. Much to my delight I knew that I was managing to keep my AVG above 20 KPH and this pushed me even harder, the closer I came to home. By the time I was at Kits Point I knew I needed about two loops to give me the four or so kilometres that would push me over the 120 K threshold.

Happy to relate, Dear Reader, that I was able to make it home with 122 K over 6:00:17, AVG 20.3 KPH, MAX 53.3 KPH. Grand, grand ride, one of the best and longest since returning from hols.  Ironically, I was not to know how my training and fitness would be undone but three short days later. Such is Life! Onward! Fight!! Cheers, Il Conduttore!!!