St James Community Square Blues: Wednesday, June 25th!

If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear. -George Orwell, writer (1903-1950) 

Please change mom's email. Thanks!  Can we take my Dad off though Lol! Can't take the heat Tinsel Town? Go jump in a lake Poppa! ! You can take your pick! Mutual, I'm sure!!!!

Hi YouTube People! Enjoyed the latest Platinum release! Gives a whole new meaning to "garage band"!

Heard back from Cornwall and Gayle and Derek would like to visit Madroña Manor for a couple of nights. This being the case, weather permitting, I'll probably cycle over on Friday, September 12th, if that works out for you people. Coriandre and G/D will probably come over on Saturday. This date has yet to be decided/confirmed due to various volunteer commitments on Cora Lee's part, need to visit with their daughter, Krissy, son-in-law, Mark, on G's/D's part but I'll be there, one way or another. Let me know what you think and we'll plan accordingly. Looking forward to seeing PR/Palermo People domani. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Greetings, Yes, September is still good, and saved for you! Beth can take over on September 18th from you. Glad your friends will come and enjoy. Hope to see you on July 15th....Cheers, Gregg

 Hi Grogg! Okay for house sitting. We'll be in touch, closer to 15th, to arrange things for that date. Thought that you might like this DUI! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrice, Thanks for dropping by here on Linked-in.
 
Great to hear your entertaining more and more Aussies. I trust they come baring gifts of wine and myrrh! How is the Dunn Gang? My 3 month contract finished yesterday with Optus and I'll find out tomorrow when I start my next one. These days I prefer contracts as they pay more and there is less chance of getting caught up in company politics.
 
Speaking of politics, the leader of my party, Clive Palmer has asked my to run again, this time in New South Wales in our upper house. I've thanked him and said yes. It's a good time to run as the state is in turmoil with corruption, so bring on March 2015. Fingers crossed next time your here I can take you to the parliamentary dinning room for lunch!! 

On the home front, Kevin is doing well with China Airlines (Taiwanese Airline ) here in Sydney. We recently nicked over to Auckland (business class courtesy of Kevin) for the Queens birthday long weekend. On the 3 hour flight I sampled everything on the wine list: Gremillet Brut Champagne 70% Pinot 30 % chardonnay. Dry and delicious. Domaine Moutard Diligent 1st Cru Chablis. Okonomierat A Schmidt Riesling. Wairau River (kiwi) Sav Blanc. I did finally sample the Galvan Family Cellars 2009 Merlot. 

Needless to say, Kevin was disgusted at ability to consume so much and the airline filed for bankruptcy post my appearance in business class!!! Where are your travels taking you next. I look forward to hearing from you.
All the best, Tiptoe :-) 

Hi China Airlines Tippler Extraordinaire! We are currently planning a trip to India in 2015. Many of details and complete itinerary still being hammered out but we imagine we will be gone for about two or three months, (travelling with close friends, Lynne and Peter Lighthall, from Naramata, in the Okanagan), there, leaving October/November. Also "toying" with trying to visit Viet Nam and/or Cambodia/Laos as part of same trip. Other friends, Flamin' and Sarge, are interested in dovetailing for parts of both so have to try and work out those logistics.
 

Driving to Winnipeg around July 21st. Will be having a large Durston family reunion at Falcon to celebrate Corinne's parent's 69th wedding anniversary on the August long weekend! While in Winnipeg we are also planning having a graveside memorial for Mom, probably on Friday, August 1st. It is complicated as Chloë is flying from Vancouver and Ayn/Los Horridos flying up from LA, (to Fargo and then driving a rental vehicle as flights are much, much cheaper this way), and their time constraints dictate this date.  If things work out, I hope that cousins, Sally/Filmer and family, as well as Bill, Dallas and Judy Gray and family will be able to attend. Fondestos from Cora Lee. Cheers, Patrice! 

Greetings, You may like to check out fares to Delhi via Taipei on China Airlines and use them for your internal flights in Asia. Taipei is a sensational city to visit.
Best, Tipsy Tiptoe :-) 

Thanks for the tip, Tipsy Tiptoe! We have a close friend, former boarder, in Taipei, living there, as well as another former boarder who visits city regularly for research purposes, so as you suggest, a wonderful opportunity to finally visit Taiwan. Cheers, Patrice!

"Hi Pat! Great thank you :-) yes Lisa and I catch up every week - they are doing well. Hope all is well with you and the fam!" Been busy here. Lots of riding on my part.

Thanks for all the pictures. Finally it is nice to stick a name to some of the nice people we met. We are off to day to greet my Mother and my sister tomorrow. Lynda my sister will be 70 tomorrow and we are heading to a restaurant on the ocean in San Francisco. Tonight we are celebrating Kate's 29th birthday at her condo and we will spend the night there. I can't bring my Tesla because I don't want to park on the street so I will drive my little Ford Fiesta. We are having salmon and fresh squash form our garden tonight.........enjoy..........Dave                       Hi Birthday Party People! Glad you enjoyed snaps. Sounds as if you won't have time to bottle with all the parties you will be having! Salmon and squash, lucky people!

Perhaps you should buy a British car, David, instead of having a Ford Fiesta. Then you could park on the street and not even have to worry about DUI! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Very interesting, but my wife will not drive...........We will be back tomorrow evening and will be out to Healdsburg to have dinner with friends on Saturday. I will try not to ask for food off plates on the table next to me.........even though I would like to.........Matt will set up the bottling line next week.............the 2013 wines will be fun to try..............enjoy                                           Hi David! Another restaurant "trick", (Can be used at home as well!), you should consider is not ordering at all. In general, people's eyes are larger than their stomachs so one can often graze quite nicely on overlefts without having to stab morsels off near-bye diners' plates. 

Simply order more bread until friends and family realize they cannot possibly eat everything they have ordered and then feast!!! Final flourish, finishing touch, so to speak, after all the donated plates have been licked clean is to declare that you inadvertently left your wallet at home and you are literally home free! However, for maximum return on chutzpah, best to vary above with different friends and family, on different celebratory occasions. You can fool some of the people....etc! Cheers, Patrizzio "Boldly Pushing the Dining Envelope Where Others Fear To Tread" Dunn!

Hi Everyone! Looks like we’ll have the BBQ and Bridge event indoors. Other than that it’s full speed ahead. No need to bring anything as we will have lots of food and munchies (and prizes) for everyone. Just BYOB and your bridge skills. See you at 5pm or thereabouts this coming Sunday. Charlie & Susan PS 7 No Trump!

Looking forward to it. Maybe the weather will hold. Corinne  Once again, I am willing to drive the rowdys!! What time can I pick you up? Janet Around 4:45. If that works for you. Thanks Corinne

Hi All, Sometimes mistakes were meant to be. (That’s my excuse for being an old codger!) We did originally have Saturday and my apologies for confusing you Janet. Thanks for rearranging things at your end. In fact, Sunday may be better weather wise and so we can go ahead with our plans for a PATIO party now. Everything else remains the same. See you on Sunday. Charlie 

Hello Penguin, Gladys Knight & The Pips, et al. Great to have the limo pull up, outside Harbour Terrace at 4:20 pm, Sunday, June 29th, so that we can discuss bidding strategy, en route, and arrive at the PitchDome at 5:00 pm. Give us a shout when in shouting distance and we'll come out to the glare of flash bulbs and walk the red carpet! Thanks for being chauffeur! Much appreciated. I won't re-double your double now!  Looking forward to seeing everyone. Cheers, Patrizzio "Rowdy Man" Dunn!

Sunday will be fine for us I'm sure, so I will be happy to pull up outside the Harbour Terrace at 1620. Oh and go ahead and double my double because you will just fall further and we can all watch and grin :-) I'll call when I pull up! Janet

Hi Chauffeur! Obviously some disagreement about collection time. You decide what is best for you and simply let us know. Thanks. Cheers, Patrizzio "Over-ruled" as Always! 420pm right? 1620 then. C u then.

I would really like to stay with Saturday as I have a regular church service on Sunday at 4:15 which I like to attend. Is that possible? Corinne

We have no problem – either way. No worries – Saturday it is. Janet, are you OK? Charlie Great!! I'll pick up the rowdys at 1620 Saturday. J 

Hi 7 No Trump and Doubling People! Finally! See Antarctic Chauffeur at 1620, Saturday, June 28th, at Harbour Terrace to make our way to The Hinterland for tiddlywinks. Is this correct? I have a regular bike maintenance/malt tippling clinic on Sunday at 4:15 pm which I like to attend. Is this possible? I realize that I am but a lowly Scullion and cannot expect the same latitude granted elevated members of the United Church hierarchy but let me be so bold as to thank everyone, in advance, for your consideration, cooperation and understanding. Cheers, Patrizzio, "Sometimes Wrong But Never in Doubt" Rowdy! 

Oh my goodness - what a little slip of the date can do to encourage a fleet of email communications.  So I'm thinking that the day is Saturday...this coming Saturday...June 28, 2014...and I believe the time has never changed...so 5 pm at the Pitchford castle.  I will be picking up the bridge savvy Corinne...and the Durstan club Pat, on the red carpet at 20 minutes past 4 pm.  I believe that is the final plan and I'm sticking to that. Janet

Enough already! Good to hear from everyone and can't wait to show off my prowess - on SATURDAY! 5pm Especially after Patricio has a few drinks! Charles Goren (for those who don't know who he is -google)

Hello Charles and Penguine! Oy Vey, already! I'm too exhausted to even think about opening with 6 points! Just to let you know, Carlos, I don't eat with my meals anymore! Cheers, Omar! (Omar Sharif, for those who don't know who he is -Google) See you, Chauffeur, with the Yellow Rolls at 4:20 pm, Saturday, 1425 Lamey's Mill Road!
 
Gentlemen, I am not gonna be able to do it for the next meeting. In fact I am writing you to say good bye, or at least 'see you later'. I am flying back home next Thursday, 3rd of July. The Basque Broadcasting Group has launched public examinations to hire 43 journalists and I decided it is a good opportunity for me so I signed up for the competition. Everything has happened unexpectedly and I was forced to made a decision almost from one day to another.
 

It has been an amazing year in Vancouver –I landed here the 4th of July 2014– and the NRBC is without the shadow of a doubt one of the highlights of my Canadian experience. Than you all for accepting me in your group in such a welcoming and warm way. Thanks specially to Patrizzio, who first invited me to join such an honorable club. 

Today I received a notification from Immigration canada informing me that my application for a work&holiday VISA has been approved so you might haven't got ride of me definitely. If the Gods of fortune are not willing to help me obtain one of the positions EITB is offering I shall return to this amazing part of the world. Thank you all. Eskerrik asko, jon

Today I had another good run, after washing and oiling my Trek. Of late, I have been using the UBC Foreshore Hill for climbing training. For a number of years, when I first started riding in earnest, so to speak, this run, (and subsequent, back-to-back ascents/descents), was on of my preferred routes. However, a few years ago, my focus shifted to Stanley Park Prospect Point Loops, up-and-over Lions Gate and beyond, so until about three months ago I really hadn't done any "serious" "repeats". With the return of better weather and pesky tourists the Seawall and Stanley Park corridor along Beach are usually so congested that The Burning Ground looms large and catastrophic. This being the case, Spanish Banks presents a most attractive alternative.

With this in mind I set out for UBC. Given my usual attention, (some, many would say "obsessiveness"!), to distance, I have introduced a loop of Kits Point and then an 11 or 12 series of loop runs along Marine and then back through the large twin parking lots separating Locarno from Spanish Banks, to give me around 25 km on the clock by the time I begin my first ascent of the Foreshore Hill. On my fourth hill ascent I noticed a cyclist, an older gentleman, I recognized immediately as John Conway, a retired Professor of History at UBC. I knew him from ILL interactions but knew him socially through a mutual friend, Jamie Gairdner. Jaimie's father had taught John in Sedbergh, Yorkshire, at a private school, of the same name, and on one of Jaime's visits to Vancouver the three of us had enjoyed a coffee at the then Faculty Club, back in the early '80's.

Of course, John had gone on to do graduate work and ended up at UBC. He retired, (mandatory retirement at 65 was still in force), a number of years before I took early retirement in 2004 and I used to see him pedaling up the Foreshore Hill, the wire basket attached to the handlebars of what looked like only a three-speed bike, filled with heavy library tomes! He would ask me if I'd heard from Jaimie or else I'd pass along news if I'd just visited London, etc. This time I asked him if he was heading for the library and he replied: "Yes. Do you want to take my briefcase for me?" We laughed and I kept going but was more than delighted to see him, (I'd not encountered him in sometime for aforementioned reasons.), still riding his heavy bike, still intellectually engaged, returning research materials.

I waved to him, still slowly pedaling away, on my descent and by the time I was on my fifth ascent I noticed a female runner I have come to know, (We simply wave at each other as we've passed each other for years. I assume she lives somewhere in Kits as I've seen her on Point Grey Road, near the beginning or end of her run, I theorize.), from repeated, brief, superficial contact. She had just passed John and I could see that they had exchanged a few words. I said hello again as I passed him and when I caught up to the jogger I asked her if she knew the older gentleman. She replied that she didn't so I told her he was a retired UBC prof and I thought he was close to 90. She retorted that he was 84 as she had just asked him his age, impressed as I have always been, with his stamina and endurance on the significant hill climb riding such an antediluvian bicycle!

Anyway, I was delighted to have encountered John and learn that he is still in rather fine fettle, (I hope I am able to do what he is doing when, [Not "if", Dear Reader!], I reach 84!), and to have actually had a smattering of  conversation with runner. She is obviously a soul-mate as she is seemingly as obsessive about her runs as I am about my cycling! Who knows, we  might actually get to know each other's names if this continues!!!

On the following descent I noticed that they had both stopped and were having what looked like an extended conversation at the top of the hill, opposite the path which leads to Wreck Beach. We exchanged more waves as I whistled past. 
 

I turned around in the parking lot near the Anchor and then started my sixth ascent. At the end of each climb I ride past the MOA and turn left onto West Mall to loop back to the end of Main Mall where I circle the flagpole there and then retrace my steps. As I was descending the slight hill between Freddy Wood and Sage Bistro I recognized another rider coming uphill. It was a chap, Richard Argue, I had first come to know as a swimmer at UBC's Aquatic Centre.

Like the aforementioned jogger we used to nod to each other, poolside or in the hot tub, but we never really chatted. Then one day I bumped into him at Broadway Lodge where Mom was living, at the time. It was his father, I believe, who had been a resident there and Richard was tidying up some financial details required for tax purposes, subsequent to his death. At any rate, we then introduced ourselves and had lengthier conversations in the locker room as we encountered one another. I had started to cycle more frequently by then and we discovered we both knew Lee Bacchus. After awhile we agreed that we should try to organize some rides together but something, (holidays, busy lives, etc.), always seemed to prevent us from so doing.

We continued to "bump" into each other on rides out to UBC as this route was a regular one for Richard as well but until that Wednesday I hadn't seen him for almost two years, at least. Of course, I was very pleasantly surprised to have run into him and immediately asked how he was. Was a bit taken aback when in reply to how he was doing he replied: "Not very well." Sensing something was amiss I continued that I was sorry to hear that this was the case and I then learned that at the start of 2013 he had suffered a heart attack and that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. (His actual words, in response to my query were: "I had a heart attack and my wife is dying of cancer!) While he has lost some physical functionality in terms of his riding endurance his wife's cancer has progressed to Stage 2 and she had undergone the first chemotherapy session of the latest treatment protocol the day before.  

Bit difficult to know exactly what to say in such circumstances but I expressed my deep regret. I certainly don't pretend to know his mental, emotional or psychological state but do believe that Richard, (He was a medical social worker at UBC Hospital before he took early retirement as well.), has come to terms with these heavy sentences, to the extent that one can. He was on his way home so I rode with him as far as Trimble and Belmont and then headed back to UBC. I hope we are able to ride together, at some point in the future, but right now he said he really never knows when he can go out. His rides are limited to when he knows he can grab an hour or two, based on his wife's appointments, how she is feeling, etc. Without wishing to appear callous this thunderbolt serves to remind us all that nothing is guaranteed, as I and many others, of course, have always maintained. Another very, very good reason for not wanting to touch the Burning Ground: it comes soon enough, of its own, without any help!  

Pleased to have encountered Richard but sobered by his painful situation, I returned to my regimen, thankful that the "challenge" of the remaining climbs was but a trifling one. The fact that I was able to even entertain it, itself but a poignant measure of how simply damned fortunate I was. At any rate, I completed 10 climbs and after the last one I dipsy-meandered through campus to bring up distance count, by the time I was back at the bottom of the Foreshore Hill, to 91+ km. I want to gradually increase distance to 140 km, (in 10 km increments), over next few weeks, on longer rides, as part of my overall, self-imposed, so-called, training program. Nevertheless, pleased with ride, although I would have liked to have broken the 22 km/hr AVG. Stats for ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/528629232#.U6t1_MHz2rM.email