De-Nesting Diaries: Thursday, May 9th

People change and forget to tell each other. -Lillian Hellman, playwright (1905-1984) 

Pat,

great bridge night, thanks. Fun cards, lively discussion, fine malts. I appreciate you indulging Jake -- he plans to trade the Campy in for a bottle of that Aberlour porch climber. 

I enjoyed meeting Ted and think you should invite him to the NRBC. I can ride this morning but need to be back here before 11:AM. If you are able and willing, I suggest 8:45 at the Hearta Breaka Terraci. W

Hi Giggsta! Grand evening indeed! Glad Jacob Two Two could sit in as well. See you on Il Terrazzo di Patrizzio at 8:45am! Cheers!  

See you there. George, Sorry, not able to join the peleton this morning. Ray

Hello Constant Gardener and Constant One No Trumper!

Sorry you can't join peleton this morning, Kale Man. On a related matter, I picked up £50 yesterday and was hoping I could pop around in next day or so to give it to Sylvia for lattes while in London! If there is anything left over by the time she is in Hartlepool perhaps she could give sixpence to Jim for the deposit on the Montague. That amount should suffice, I'm sure!

On same "errand" ride, I stopped in at Reckless and indeed they do carry the Montague line! I plan to take the two different sizes currently in stock for a spin. If either of you are interested, I could certainly time it with one of our rides and you could take a look and/or have a ride as well. Anyway, let me know and we can set something up. Cheers, Il Foldabbile!

Hello again, Duhlink!

Glad you enjoyed the play. Did you see yourselves on London News? Perhaps you should invite all the Glamour Puss' to France!

I have attached the brochure for Beau Soleil. As I mentioned, I have it for all of September. Cora Lee will only be there for most of the last week as we leave on September 28th for Agen, (about three hours away, by train/car), to begin Canal du Midi barge cruise with Flamin' and Sarge and two other couples. If you decided to come towards the end of the month you would be more than welcome to stay until the 30th if that suits your schedule.

Since we will be staying with you at either end of our trip, I certainly don't expect you to pay for accommodation. What I plan to do is work out a daily rate, based on number of other people who might wish to visit/stay. If there are, for example, four others staying for each week, or more, over the course of the month, cost would run about €80 per person/per week. Added to that is the €50 laundry/cleaning fee per person matter length of stay.

Earlier this afternoon, Dennis Oreilly, chap who stayed at Beau Soleil last September, was over. He showed us some of the lovely pictures taken during their two week stay, the dwelling itself and surrounding countryside, villages, etc. Dennis said immediate region, over all, is not a "tourist" destination so locals, in the main. One of the many attractions, for me at least.

So let me know what you think about when you'd like to come, how long, etc. I expect some people won't commit until much closer to date in question but since place can house up to 10 comfortably, (According to both Dennis and owner, Colin, and not that I particularly want that many people for much of the time.), I'm prepared to take guests on short notice if it seems like it is feasible/agreeable to others involved. I don't see this as a money making venture and would like to make stay as affordable as possible for all those who might contemplate a holiday there. Please feel free to ask other friends of yours if you think you might like to have them join the party, so to speak. Obviously, would need to know, at some point, numbers it only for planning purposes. If possible, I'd like to have much of the booking schedule done before we leave Vancouver on July 10th. Whether this is realistic or not I don't know, at least, as of this writing. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Branko and Ted Keating at bridge last night at our place. (You will probably remember Ted and Elaine from 2005 when we went to Turkey with them and stayed at your place beforehand.) Sarge and Whirlygig/George. Whirlygig is planning to come to Beau Soleil for two weeks. 

Hi there, Sorry we were out when you dropped by today but I wanted to let you know I found the money. I will hand it over to Jim B. when I arrive there on the 20th.  I trust your old coconut has recovered fully, what with all this gadding about you are doing. If you are still having the positional vertigo let me know. Sylvia 

Hi Sylvia!

Glad you found the cash! I was going to leave it under a shoe inside your back porch but decided through the mail slot might be better/wiser. Thanks very much for passing it along to Jim. I
stopped by your place just before 6:00pm.
 
Raymond will know that Whirlygig and I were gadding about this morning. Do a quick jaunt on Seawall to SP and then over LG to ride along Spirit Trail before retracing our steps. Giggster had to be home by 11:00am as he had another squash match at noon. I had put the £50 note in my pocket before I left home, and thought that I'd drop it off on my ride, at some point. After Whirlybird turned onto Stephens I continued on Point Grey Rd, making for UBC. Thought I'd head back towards your place once I'd reached the bottom of the Foreshore Hill but by that time I was feeling fine so decided I'd make for 16th and MD and make my approach that way. Once there I thought I might as well go all the way to Crown and so it went. Ended up with the same basic route that I'd done on Tuesday after Iona and after I'd left the sluggards! 

Must say I felt pretty good until I was coming down 16th towards MD with about 84 K on the clock. I heard a sudden bang and had no idea what caused the noise. Running over a stick or a stone, perhaps? Noticed my bike was a bit wobbly when I made my way along MD to Stadium Rd but, in full denial, I hoped it was the effect of the strong head wind. Decided I'd ride up to Thunderbird Stadium and when I was in the parking lot outside the entrance my chain started to skip rather erratically. At this point I knew something was wrong so had to stop and touch the ground. Was more upset by this as I had 100 K within my grasp but now I could not log it as an "official ride"! (My disappointment was somewhat ameliorated by the fact that had we had to dismount, briefly, at the downtown end of the Burrard Bridge, when bike lane was closed due to work in progress! Dang!) When I looked at the chain it seemed fine, as did spokes but I noticed that the rear brake was locked. Not realy knowing what to do I fiddled with a lever and was able to release jam but then had little iif any rear wheel braking ability.
 

Not at all happy with the prospect of having to ride home under such circumstances, I set off, nevertheless, for the Foreshore Hill. A couple of times, before starting the descent, the chain inexplicably skipped and I had visions of this happening at breakneck speed, wrapping itself, somehow, around one wheel or another, causing me to catapult into oncoming traffic or worse! Bearing this imagined nightmare in mind I took the hill very, very slowly and must say I had no repeat of the puzzling chain action.

I toyed with taking bike to West Point Cycles as I neared Highbury but knew I had to be home to meet Dennis at 3:00pm, (It was close to 2:00pm by then.), and that if problem probably couldn't be fixed in a few minutes I reallay had no way to get home quickly. Decided to trust in the Fates and am happy too say made it safely home. Just as I pulled up to garage chain started skipping again so once I'd dismounted I took another look and lo and behold, I found the culprit! A broken spoke, after all. It must have twisted itself around another one, from time to time and when loose I guess it hit chain and caused skipping.

After Dennis left I loaded bike on rack and took it into WPC. Mentioned locked brake and chap who helped me said that was due to wheel being out of alignment, once spoke snapped. Everything made sense, in hindsight, but I was puzzled and upset beyond belief, let me tell you, at the time! Horrible thoughts of another fall were never far away. I guess I'm still suffering from PTSD. Still some positional vertigo but now when riding. When I mentioned this to Raymond the other day he suggested, "Just keep riding then!" Such a  wonderful support group!

Anyway, thanks again for being a money mule. I hope you don't end up in jail on my account for smuggling more than $10,000, (You did find that amount, did you not?), into England! I hope to see you, at least briefly, before you leave. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio, Scared Spokeless!

Pics: Bridge last night and contractors, this morning, looking for money and malt I buried just off our patio! 

Pat,

Thanks for the ride today - glorious day. Lest I forget -- I will need to pick up Tia at 3PM Wednesday so that may not work for everyone else. I am willing to start early, 10 - 11:ish if others are interested. W

Hi Lads!

Hoping that we can play next week. Whirlygig has some time constraints, ("Lest I forget -- I will need to pick up Tia at 3PM Wednesday so that may not work for everyone else. I am willing to start early, 10 - 11:ish if others are interested.), so I need to know if rest of you can make a late morning start. I think it will be fine if we only play for a few hours anyway, just to get things going. I assume, if we do go ahead, that we will be at Mick's place. Let me know your thoughts and we'll plan accordingly. Cheers, Il Conduttore!  

Hi Giggster!

Thank you for getting me on the road so relatively early! Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio, Scared Spokeless!

Hi Jim!

Thank you for all your effort on my behalf, with respect to the Montagues. Latest here is that I picked up £100 yesterday and was hoping to pop around in next day or so to give it to Sylvia for lattes while in London! If there is anything left over by the time she arrives in Hartlepool perhaps she could give sixpence to you for the deposit on the Montagues. That amount should suffice, I'm sure!

Furthermore,  on the same "errand" ride, (10.33 K, AVG 14.4  KPH over 0:43:05 so hardly worth recording!), I stopped in at Reckless and indeed they do carry the Montague line! I plan to take the two different sizes currently in stock for a spin, either tomorrow or Saturday. Depending on which size I like, (If I like bike period!), perhaps you need only ask for that size to be brought in. I don't mind either way but I'm hoping deposit would be applied to purchase. (You will discover that I only left £50 for Sylvia today but will add another £50 before she leaves as I certainly don't expect you to be out of pocket.)

Very much enjoyed the links you provided. Some stunning photographs. Not easy getting by when sleep deprived but a wonderful excuse for lattes over cycling!  Have you had any thoughts about France? Cheers, Patrizzio!

Conduttore, we have not heard from you for a while so thought to check in. Are you continuing to heal? Or heading south? I hope not the latter unless taken literally.

It must be sad up there, Sarge must be distraught that the Canucks got taken out by the Sharks (I take no pleasure in this despite the fact that they are our locals).  I hope that he has the tools at hand to find solace..

I had the fast lane at Hearst to myself for over half an hour this morning, when a mermaid or two slipped in to keep me company.  I cannot complain.  I went to Giants-Phillies game yesterday at A T & T park in San Francisco with my friends John and Yumi visiting from Gainesville Florida (she teaches Japanese, he's in the wine trade) and we had a rollicking good time.

Came back to Caesar salad, (my fabulous left-over) chicken casserole, brown rice and seasonal asparagus and a zippy bottle of Marimar Estate Acero Chardonnay followed by Scharffenberger dark chocolate and some fine "smooth as silk" Kessler's whiskey.(I helped someone to find stuff about his ancestor, who was domiciled in San Quentin prison, and it turns out he works for Kessler's whiskey. He pointed out that it's always 5 PM somewhere in the world.  Useful insight. Only 7 more Mondays and I join you in the "over the hill" crew.  Cactus

Hi Cactus!

Thanks for your solicitous message. Can't complain and feel I'm well on the road to full recovery!In answer to your questions, another glorious day today and another wonderful ride. Fondestos and Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Bridge last night at our place. Sarge was even grumpier about his poor cards than lacklustre showing by Knuckleheads! We need a resident chef. Special rates for you with half a day off on Sunday!

  

Isaac Brock Alumni Newsletter -May 2013

Hello Everyone, Please find attached the latest Alumni newsletter. The big weekend is just two weeks away!!   Please note that tickets are now available only in person at the school office, Viewer’s Choice Video (680 St. Anne’s Road) or Canad Inn Polo Park (front desk).   Deadline for purchasing tickets is May 20, 2013. We look forward to seeing you there!! Elaine Heinicke

Dear collaborators,

I thought it would be a good idea to start sharing insider experienced (lived ?) information about value wine - this thought came to me last Sunday evening sitting out on our deck in summer-like weather enjoying an excellent glass of wine (see attached).  The vehicle for this sharing is entitled the Value Wine Collaboration (VWC) and I am inviting you to become a founding member (collaborator).

To become a member you will need to agree to eventually share some insights and experiences with a value wine or two in the form of a brief description of the wine and its cost. Collboratively, John

I located a very good value wine here in Victoria that is selling for $17.99.  Sipping it on the back deck on the recent summer-like evenings was a delight.  It will not only be found at the house but some bottles will become part of the small collection on board the good ship Commitment II for our summer cruising.

The wine has a nice Euro character (I included review below for those inclined towards a more oenophilic perspective – note that it almost 2 years old) with a bit of woody flavour coupled with the early California zinfandel tang and some Greeky twist. Value/cost ratio (vcr) on this wine is 92/17.99 = 5.11

Wine of the Week – Milcampos Tempranillo Vinas Viejas 2009

By Wine Manager • Thursday, August 4th, 2011

The Milcampos Tempranillo is sourced from 60 year old vines in the Ribera Del Duero region of Spain. It was aged for 10 months in French and Hungarian oak. Rich, dark and brooding this wine boasts aromas of blackberry and plum that follow through on the palate along with hints of lavender, cinnamon and clove and a backbone of acidity and tannins that keeps this wine lively. Try this with a grilled rib eye or grass-fed burgers from our meat department.

With Robert Parker’s 92 point review this one is surely not to last long.