Everybody needs his memories. They keep the wolf of insignificance from
the door. -Saul Bellow, writer, Nobel laureate (1915-2005)
Pat, I've asked Sylvia to forward the pictures to you. Not sure why my computer won't do that. Interested in riding at some stage this week but I'm tutoring mornings as well at the moment. Maybe Friday and I'll certainly have some time next week. I'll be in touch. Ray
I drove by the cycle path on my way to see a patient yesterday in Steveston.
Took these photos with my iPhone. Ray thought you would enjoy them..
I have purchased the folk festival tix for Fri night and Saturday. Let's hope the weather cooperates! Sylvia
Beautiful shots! Summer has arrived! ! Xoxo
Hi Sylvia and Raymond!
Thanks so much for resending the wonderful
snaps. Great shots with your iPhone indeed! As Robo Man knows, even if
I'd had my camera with me, (My "dumb" phone doesn't have a camera as
it's a "flip" one! Phones for Dummies!), Peloton Rule #7, Subsection
iii, The Dreaded Burning Ground, prohibits stopping for any reason! At
any rate, much appreciated as plantings are really quite a sight. (On a
much, much more sombre note, poppies, like ones in Flanders, are
desperately sad reminders of the three fallen Mounties to be buried in
Moncton today.)
Glad you have your Folk Fest tickets. As you say,
do hope weather cooperates, not like this morning! We can chat, closer
to the time, about where we plan to "stake our claim." In all
likelihood, we will be in the same general area as two years ago. We can
also arrange to meet, on both Friday/Saturday, at Main entrance off
4th, before floodgates open and The Birkenstock 500 begins!
Thanks again for gorgeous pictures. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Admiral Barnacle! Trust
you, or at least, the Rum Runner, is barnacle-less. Are you still in
Steveston? If so, I rode past the marina where you had your boat last
time, this past Sunday. At any rate, I have a few questions about futbol
pool so give me a shout when you put down your barnacle scraper!
Cheers, Il Conduttore!
Pics: Power Washing Headgear, (actually from Hastings Park/Belmont Stakes broadcast this past Saturday! Wildflowers along Railway.
Hi again, Barnacle Man! Have attached the "winning" pool selezziones! You can take the entry fee out of my winnings! Thanks and Cheers, Il Conduttore!
Hi Patricio et al, We are looking forward to the Granville Island invasion. You shouldn’t need to bring any beds with you. We have the queen size inflatable for the den for Sarge and Flamin, and a single inflatable for you or Corinne. The other can have the couch which is totally comfortable.
We will expect monk-like silence out of you dear Patrick during your pre-race period of fasting and meditation. Perhaps an evening dram may be permitted as you suggest.
Agreed we will all be happy with dinner chez nous on Saturday night- lots of pasta for the riders and foie gras for the rest of us. Cheers, Peter
Dear Abbot Petrus: If I don't mule our inflatable mattress, I
will certainly bring along my portable "bed of nails", the better to
mortify my unrepentant flesh as I won' have St Coriana, Prioress of The
Avenging Sisters of UnMercy, to scourge my sorry self much before race
day. However, if you could place some horsehair and nettle blankets on
the aforementioned couch I might avail myself of it as I'll need to
conserve all of my vital bodily fluids before undergoing The Test of
Mindlessness!
Thank you again for acceding to my request for
cold pasta while you dine on foie gras, caviar and Champagne. In faith,
mixed with a wee dram, Brother Patricus!
Joan's memory is that there was lots of food at last year's
reception and suggests we still get together after but keep our options
open as to where to go and decide at the time. I don't want to reserve
for 6 at Edible if we aren't going to want much food.
We have a $75 coupon for Dockside which we will be happy to contribute
to a decent bottle of wine for the table if we crossed the hall for a
table there.
I also have a $100 coupon for the KEG given to me by an individual of doubtful integrity which may have no money on it or may be stolen. If we decided to try and use it at the Granville Island location and the latter is the case I may need your help fleeing the scene. I'll bring it along just in case. To be discussed.
Brenda - you are on the guest list. Cheers....Paul makes sense to me. Lynn
Dear Fagin et al: Looking forward to an exciting meal wherever
that might be! Agree about Edibles and Dockside sounds more than fine as
Cora Lee and I usually don't eat with our meals anyway! We can
certainly hide out at The Islay Inn if we have to make a run for it from
the KEG! Never a dull moment with a VWF Board member and his artful
dodgers! See you on Thursday. Will change my Crocs for sneakers! Cheers,
Charley Bates, (Reformed)!
Hello Dick! What
a simply wonderful surprise to hear your voice on the other end of
the line, more than a few weeks ago, now! Do apologize for not
writing sooner but life seems to be speeding up rather than slowing
down as we continue to enjoy retirement! (I took early retirement in
2004. hard to believe that was 10 years ago!)
First, let me say how
saddened both Corinne and I were to learn of Bonnie's death. I know
it is at least seven years ago since she died but please accept our
heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy. Bonnie was a wonderful,
wonderful person and we so enjoyed every minute we spent with her.
Please extend our condolences to the other members of your family,
especially those we had a chance to meet, if only briefly, Jim, your
son, and your adopted daughter. I apologize but I can't recall her
name, ( although I can see her lovely face.
Hard to know where to
start as the years fly by so quickly. We are still driving to
California to wine taste, usually en route to LA where our eldest
daughter, Ayn, lives, and our two grandsons, Pierre and Alexander.
Ayn is doing very well with Hallmark, in charge of programming for
their Family Cable Movie Channel. Alejandro, the youngest, graduated
with an BSc, Honours Biology, from U Cal Northridge, last May, (We
attended, proud grandparents that we are!), and is planning to write
the MCAT this Fall. Pierre played college basketball in Pueblo, as I
think I mentioned on the phone, for a couple of years and lost his
California residency status, as a result, so has had to wait for the
courses he'd like to take, since returning to LA. As of this writing,
he is thinking of Engineering. At the moment he is working for a firm
which provides security to high-end nightclubs around LA so “easy”
cash is flowing in, for the time being! Our concern is that he will
forget about higher education and be seduced by the glitter and glam
of the High Life, so to speak. He is actually a very bright young man
so we both think he will take the longer view. Time will tell.
Chloë, our youngest,
started working with a non-profit, Aunt Leah's, which is concerned
with youth in foster care, a little over a year ago. After living
with us for almost three years, while studying for her diploma in
Fundraising, Event Planning, Marketing, etc., she finally moved out,
into the loft we purchased, back in 1998, hoping she would eventually
buy it from us. (This remains to be seen!) We rented it out while she
was living elsewhere in Canada, (Winnipeg and Nanaimo where she was
the manager of a number of Urban Barn stores. She worked for for
this company for about 10 years, until she decided “to find
herself”. She quit and spent three months in South Africa
volunteering at a day-care centre that worked with HIV-infected
children. After travelling around a bit of SA and parts of Europe she
returned to Vancouver to start her studies.), so we are finally
de-nested, again!
You will probably
recall that I used to jog during the marvellous visits to Paso
Robles. I still recall, with a great deal of fondness, some of the
runs we took together though the vineyards near your home there. At
any rate, I was playing squash in those days. Running was first to go
and then doubles squash. I started to swim quite regularly after that
and then in 2010 I had my right hip replaced. Very successfully, I'm
happy to relate. Since then, cycling has become my preferred form of
exercise. I treated myself to a
carbon fibre, Trek Madonne, in 2012, and ever since have been riding
very regularly and longer distances.
This July, for the first time, I
have entered a Granfondo, (160 km), event, out of Penticton, in the
Okanagan. On July 13th. I intend to drive up a few days
before actual race as I'd like to ride certain parts of course I've
not done before. Know it will make things easier on race day, (Not
really a “race”, for me at least. I'm happy just to reach the
finish line!), if I have an idea what lies ahead. Given the need to
balance getting to know parts of the route I've not yet ridden and
not exhausting myself before actual event, I think I'd like to arrive
in Naramata, about 10 minutes from Penticton, by car, to stay with
close friends, Lynne and Peter, on Tuesday, July 8th. At
this point, Cora Lee will probably come up with friends and
neighbours, Flamin' and Sarge, on the Friday of the race weekend.
This part of our province is the Napa/Sonoma of BC and it really is a
fabulous landscape what with Okanagan Lake and vineyards on
surrounding hillsides.
Before that, friends,
Pat and David Coffaro, (Met him at Meeker when he came in to taste
and we were there as well! Went because of your suggestion. Thanks!),
winery owners in Sonoma, just outside of Healdsburg, are coming to
Vancouver from June 16th to 20th, last two nights with us. They have
a daughter in Seattle and we've finally convinced them to visit
Vancouver!
For her part, Cora
Lee, although retired since February, 2009, might just as well still
be working. She is the President of Friends of VPL, a volunteer
group that fund raises for VPL, and is on a number of United Church
Boards as well. Latest project involves a bistro style restaurant,
Heartwood, that Trinity United, our local church, (Really Corinne's
as I only go to read scripture, or a poem, the odd time, since I have
such a loud voice!), purchased nine months ago when dwindling
congregation could no longer support church itself. Quite an exciting
venture as the place functions as a community café/social justice
hub. Vancouver Presbytery is very supportive, both financially and
politically, as this sort of outreach is quite new for the United
Church of Canada.
Remainder of summer
will be full. We will be driving to Winnipeg, sometime around July
22nd ,for a large Durston family reunion at Falcon Lake,
about 135 km east of city, to celebrate Corinne's parent's 69th
wedding anniversary on the August long weekend. Ayn and Los
Horridos/Lost Burritos, our grandchildren will be flying to Fargo
from LA and then renting a car to drive rest of way. Cheaper to do it
this way, on Allegiant. Chloë will be flying from Vancouver as she
can only be away from work for a week or so.
Back home towards the
end of August and then I will be in another bike event. Close friend
and riding mate, Whirlygig, aka George, has a brother, Carlos the
Jackal, aka Charlie, who is an architect here in town. His office won
five entry tickets to Whistler, (Where 2010 Winter Olympics, skiing,
etc., were held.), Granfondo, (120 km),, Saturday, September 6th,
in the Bike to Work competition this past March/April. A few days ago
he asked me if I wanted to join ride. Nobody else in office is
interested, apparently. He and Giorgio will do ride so I was
delighted to be a part of Team Jackal!
As far as our next
overseas travel plans go we are planning a fairly extended trip to
India in 2015. Have not set actual dates yet but imagine we will
leave towards the end of October. Have to be cognizant of monsoons,
heat, etc. Will probably be away for at least two months, if not
more, as we'd like to try to visit Viet Nam, Cambodia and Laos at the
end of sojourn in India. Will travel with Lynne and Peter for at
least six weeks and Flamin' and Sarge are interested in dovetailing
with us at some point. Preliminary itinerary has been worked out but
still plenty to do. Hope to make more headway over race weekend in
Okanagan as all the interested parties will be under the same roof
for three nights! All we'll have to do afterwards is figure out how
to pay for everything!!!
Well, Dick, trust
this missive finds you well. Would dearly love to visit you in the
not too, too distant future so will look carefully at taking a swing
through Colorado on one of our next trips south. Fondestos from Cora
Lee to you. Cheers, Patrizzio!
I am at GI! Hi Collin! Just back from a ride out to UBC. Stats for ride:
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/518228230#.U5e0ObVEhT8.email
Come on over. Harbour Terrrace, just across from water park. Walk between our building and one which still has some scaffolding, towards Granville Bridge and about halfway up you will see a sign Island Inn. You'll see our patio and just walk down path and knock on glass! Call if you manage to lose your way! Cheers, Patrizzio! Sorry we missed you! Next time. Will be at barbecue.
Hi again, Collin! Sorry we didn't connect. Funny how these things work as I was going to send you a message. Just had word from our California friends and now they have changed their stay, again, so bbq will be on Thursday, June 19th, as originally planned, and NOT on Wednesday, June 18th, shifted, at the time, to accommodate initial change in their visiting plans!
Hope you and Yumi can make the 19th. Let me know as I will be in touch regarding menu. Cora Lee and I will be providing bbq fare and we are asking other gusts for appetizers, salads, dessert, etc. Have to confirm numbers this week and then I'll put out the call. Cheers, Patrizzio! We will be there.
Pat, Wondering how you have found the quality of bike repair at Point Grey Cycles of late?. I'm needing some work on 2 of the bikes soon. Intend to improve my old mountain bike for our trip to Oregon - clip-on pedals new tires etc. I also need to make the black into a smoother ride. Ray
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