Choocheranian Gattling Gun Blues: Wednesday, May 28th

Nothing is so firmly believed as what is least known. -Michel de Montaigne, essayist (1533-1592) 

P, Enjoyed the outing yesterday. It set me up for an unlikely come back win last night. Threw away the first two games and sensed the looming defeat but changed our game and ground our way back to win in 5.

Thanks for trying to put together a bridge match. Let me know if you want me to contact Eddy about next week. 

Just waiting for word from K & T about Friday night and will get back at ya. I will have to pass on the ride today. I have a medical appt at 1:30 and must get some stuff organized before then. Hopefully we can get out tomorrow if the weather holds. ​W​

Hi Whirlybird!

Couldn't agree more about lastday's ride. Great that you persevered with squash match and triumphed! Bravo! Please see if Fast Eddy is free next Wednesday as I'll try get Mick and Theodorakis.

Buona Fortuna with dottore. Let me know about Dram when you know.

My car insurance comes due next week and my agent had phoned to remingd me that I needed an AirCare inspection beforehand. Also written in bold face across the bottom of letter sent out by insurance agency. Decided I'd take it in this morning to avoid potential long lines. Stopped at Go Green to have a liquid breakfast with the Breakfast Club before heading down Cambie to Kent. Funny to be driving over a route I usually cycle.

At any rate only had to wait for a few minutes to be waved inside and once I handed technician my car registration he said that I needed a new insurance agent at my Hybrid doesn't require AirCare! Thanked him and set off back home, stopping at Signature for a Talisker Storm, 45.8%, a bottle of Reserva Diplomatico, 40%, one level below Reserva Exclusivo, and some Buffalo Trace White Dog Mash #1, 62.5%, an early Kentucky pioneer, straight from the still, un-aged tipple, a more than poifect porch/chain cleaner, since I'd saved so much money not having to pay for inspection! Isn't this Sisterhood logic?

Anyway, off to ride, probably another up-and-over but not out to HB, shortly. Will be in touch about domani. Cheers, Il Conduttore!
 

Hi Patrick - I have a couple of offers outstanding but so far no takers for the extra ticket(s). Due to unforeseen circumstances I may have as many as 3 not spoken for counting your 1. Any luck at your end? At this stage I'm less concerned about recouping the $ as making sure they are used. I'm in sunny Victoria till Fri aft but will be checking email and I have my cell. Cheers....Paul

Hi Paul!

Still waiting to hear back from Whirlygig. Had a message from him just before yours arrived and he should contact me shortly. (See above for Training Materials for Dram!) Will email or call as soon as I know. Cheers, Patrizzio! 

P, Hope you got out today in spite of the heavy rains... Was there any? Forecast is worse for tomorrow so it will probably be sunny. What the? Sent a note to Fast Eddy. Will let ya know. Does you agent have anything to do with the Air Care designation on your notice. I think maybe ICBC messed up. Would like to know that story.

Thanks for the invite to Dram and the outrageously generous offer to sponsor my ticket. As much as I would love to join you, I will have to pass on the event this year. Too much going on at the moment: prep for this trip and the next, search for housing, passport and visa applications for the Galiano Republic,..Will confer about riding Thursday. W

Only precipitation I experienced lasterday was right at the very end of my ride, just past Cambie Bridge, heading home. I didn't leave until about 1:30 am and headed out to UBC. Once I was back on Kent, via Marine, I decided I wouldn't head to Iona as head wind was fierce, out of southwest, and even worse on that run due to lack of cover, as you well know. Instead I dipsy doodled my way east to Knight Street Bridge and back, on River Road to give me 50 km on the clock by the time I was back on Kent. Then a fairly complete circuit of Fraser Foreshore industrial park to give me  87 km before my favourite Cambie return! With coming dipsy-doodles I knew I would have my 100 km ride in the bag! Cooler weather made for a most pleasant outing although it was pretty warm and sunny at various times. Stats for ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/509116451#.U4aLh4doS6Y.email

Patrick, How are you? That was a hell of a good time and the beer tasting was fantastic as well. We will do our best to attend your barbecue. Where are you located at GI? Thank you for the pictures. Colin

That would be great, let's see what K and Zoe plan - they're going to holiday somewhere while K is in North America.  I'm coming from Europe on 7 October, they may be still away then, but there should be time to go to Parksville, I certainly hope so.

Hello everyone, Thank you all for your kind words. Little Dylan is doing great and growing like crazy. He is already grown out of new born diapers and the feet of nearly all his sleepers.
 
George is adjusting well. He points to Dylan when we ask where his brother is and wants to help feed him his bottles. We couldn't be more proud of our two boys. I think Poppy, our dog, is having the hardest time adjusting. When we brought Dylan home we thought she might pack her own bags and leave. Poor Poppy! She was our only for so long. Now all we need to do is survive the move!
Thanks again for your warm words. Hugs, Steph

Had a great visit with Tony and Elly. They left yesterday for Toronto and I think Tony's liver needed a rest. Wayne

Hi Wayne, good to see you gave Tony a Canadian good time. We have had
a fairly extensive tourist type time over here. We completed our 400 kilometre bike ride from Venice to Porec in Croatia in one piece weather was prefect and the trip good and long. Few drinks along the way but pretty low key. Then Paris to London about 250kilometres all up. The weather typically English most of the way that is rainy andcold but we did OK.  

We are now in the Lakes District heading to Edinburgh and then London and home next week. Has been a good break though we are looking forward to getting home. we are thinking of perhaps your way next year to go kayaking with the Orcas at the top end of Vancouver Island I think and bringing our bikes we will see. Cheers Greg and Claire  

Glad to hear that you had fun and if interested in biking in Canada maybe some of us would join you. Wayne

Hi Patrick - sorry we couldn't taste when you were last in.  That rum looked amazing!  Sometime again soon I hope. Cheers Regards, Charles

Hi Patrick, thanks for the long update and great photos....let's face it, you guys just have way too much fun!!
 
We are really looking forward to starting our trek up north very soon.
Dave and I have started to take a closer look at our itinerary as the
time approaches. That is terrific of you and Corinne to offer to meet us
when we first get to the city to take us around for a quick overview.
We'd love that as I'm sure you are a wonderful "tour guide"! We are
thinking of rearranging our itinerary a bit so that we'd be in Vancouver
only 3 nights instead of 4, staying at your place on our third night
only, instead of two nights. I know this will probably be heartbreaking
for you :), but I assume you could handle this possible change without
much trouble. We feel like, with your kind guidance, spending three
nights in the city will probably be "just enough," and that way we'd get
back on the road and home a little earlier as well.

Here's kind of what I was thinking about our time in Vancouver:
 

Day 1 June 16:Check into our hotel around mid-day
Meet up with you and Corinne for a brief overview of the city
Dave and I would have dinner at one of his "chosen" restaurants that
night (and you are of course welcome to join us if you wish)

Day 2 June 17:Dave and I would spend the day visiting some sites or doing other "touristy" things you and Corinne will have helped us learn about
We would have dinner that night at another one of his chosen spots
 

Day 3 June 18: We could meet up with you and Corinne around mid-day and you could showus all there is to see in and about GI. BBQ and sleepover at your place that night

How does something like that sound? Pat
  
Hi Charles! I know how busy you are so please don't worry about not being available last Saturday. I'll give you a call early next week to see what your schedule looks like and perhaps you can suggest a few dates/times which might be best if you would like a snort of Diplomatico!
 

On another matter, you might recall I mentioned, at infamous G&T Friday last week, a bbq next month, set for Thursday, June 19th, with winery owners Pat and David Coffaro. Corinne and I would be delighted to have you and your wife attend, if interested/available, of course. At any rate, I just had a message from the Coffaros and it turns out that they have had to cut short their stay in Vancouver by one day so this means that the bbq will be on Wednesday, June 18th, as opposed to Thursday, June 19th, as originally planned. I hope you will be able to make this date if you were, indeed, planning to come. Cheers for now, Patrizzio!

Ed, I am away but Pat is trying to put a game together next Wednesday. Let me know if you are interested. G

I am interested...looks good right now. Where are you going for your vacation? Thanks Ed 

Ed, Great. I will copy Pat. I herewith bequeath to you all my good cards. Make good use of them. I am going fishing for five days at Hatheume Lake then driving north to Yukon. Will be back in town briefly from 5th to the 8th of June -- then in the north until close to the end of the month. Best, G

Hi Lads and Elaine, (I'm including you as I know Theodorakis is terrible about checking his email!):

If people are interested, I'm happy to host a table next week, starting around 7:00 pm. If Polly and/or Elaine wish to play that is certainly fine. Let me know and I'll see how many other players we might need. Giorgio is out of town for most of June, unfortunately for the bridge club! Cheers, Patrizzio!