Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, I know, shocking.  Another post already.  But it is Thanksgiving (at least for the American lot), and a time for reflection.  Later this afternoon, I will be joinging 13 friends for a feast at the Four Seasons Resort and Golf Club (pictures to follow).  For now, though, I am sitting on my patio, reflecting on past, present and future.

Past.  I have had a good one, I have been very lucky in life, with work, love and friends, and although I still think about David every day, I still feel lucky to have had him for as long as I did, and he is with me in spirit still.

Present?  Well, for those of you who haven't been here, or don't remember the previous pictures, here it is:


(yes, this is a real Wurlitzer Juke Box.  Come see!!)






.
So, having worked out this morning (yes, this morning.  This is America; the gym was open on Thanksgiving)


(friend Howard - and many others - were there too)



I am back at home, drinking coffee, and reflecting....

...and this is what Thanksgiving in the desert looks like.....



(yes, this is the view from my patio...)

Future?  Hopefully, more of the same.  Work (I love it, and it and it pays for my other, expensive, habits), continued good health,  travel, concerts (rock and opera both), bridge, and time with friends.

And I hope that you are remembering the things that you are thankful for, and that you have many more of them in the coming year. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Welcome to the Promised Land!

Ah, but one needs to suffer more rain before getting to the promised land!

And more work, too!  Actually, it seemed like more fun than work.  I had done the training last year so that I could teach the administrative law courses that I first took as a student lo these many years ago.  When I was finally given the opportunity to teach, I jumped at it.  Those of you who knew me from the old banking days know that I taught, briefly, at the banking school in North Carolina, and loved it.  David liked to tell the story of passing by my classroom, looking in through the peephole in the door, and seeing me sitting on a desk in the front of the room, swinging my legs, and having everyone in stitches.  Nothing quite so risque here, but everyone seemed engaged, and it was really exhilirating!  Maybe I missed my calling.  No, not teaching children, but maybe history in college?

Anyway, as a reward, Gerry (otherwise known as The Juke Box Man) took me for a lovely Japanese dinner in White Rock.



It was a really pretty plate - too bad I didn't think to take a picture until I had almost demolished it!  One of those places you sometimes find in strip malls, nicely decorated little places with good food and a cheap price!  It is one of the things I love about Vancouver!

And for all my bitchin' about the rain, we did have a lovely fall in Vancouver.





I waited too late to take those pictures too - the trees were much redder a week ago - but you get the idea!

Friend Arlene came up from Seattle for the weekend.  We hadn't seen each other for a while, and talked and talked - and walked and ate too, of course - and on Monday morning, she dropped me off in Bellingham on her way home.  And, finally, off to Palm Springs!  The plane was three hours late, but otherwise uneventful, and neighbor Michael, god bless him, was there to pick me up at the airport.  (The wonders of being able to track planes on the computer!)

The deal was airport pickup in exchange for dinner, and I kept up my end of the bargain as well!



Michael's such a creature of habit!  Bagels and lox at Manhattan at the Desert it was!  (Not that I was complaining, altough matzoh ball soup is my habit of choice!)  Michael had put the heat on (it is the desert, folks; it may be 80 during the day, but it gets chilly at night!), and it was good to be home.  As neighbor Vinnie (and no, I didn't make that up, and yes, he is from New York) said to me the next morning, "Welcome back to the promised land!"

It doesn't take too long to get used to the new surroundings....


(that's my house, to the right of the flagpole!)




.....and the neighbors....




(Yes, Marilyn!  Isn't she great!)

Oh, and not to mention a completely different set of activities.....

From the sublime (listening to Jazz at Melvyn's on Sunday nights)







....to the ridiculous (playing bingo with the trailer trash, as we fondly call ourselves!)



...and being served a cake in the shape of a turkey at bridge!

Welcome home!  It doesn't take too long to settle back into a routine; the gym in the morning, bridge several afternoons a week, the occasional lunch or dinner with friends (Laurel, friend from Salt Spring days, is here, and invited me to lunch at the Seven Lakes club, and Art and Wally took me to the Twin Palms, both to be recommended, but then you foodies know I am not too fussy!), and afternoons at the pool.

Life is good!

Monday, November 5, 2012

The World Does Turn Faster as You Get Older!!!!

I swear, it is true!  I often feel that the days are very long, and then - whoosh - two weeks have gone by since I've written!  Not too much to report, but nevertheless, the time flew by!

When last we spoke, I was heading into the office on a wet and rainy Sunday.  I did that, but the day was saved by appies at a neighbor's when I got home.  We were sending off a neighbor, one who actually sold her house in this stalled market, but wine and appies and good conversation turned it into a happy occasion!



....Karen, our hostess....



...oops, I didn't mean to say that!

As you can see, my neighbors are just the way I like them, too old to have small children!

On Monday night (yes, I know, I know, who goes out on a Monday night, but it was the only night that all three of us were free - we have been trying to do this for months!), Robin, Debbie and I went out for our annual birthday dinner!  My birthday is in July, Debbie's is in September, and Robin is in October, so somewhere in there, we go out and treat each other to dinner, and have been doing it for many, many years.  This year, as last, we went to The French Table, a wonderful restaurant which manages to serve French food without the attitude (it is amazing how much better it seems to taste without the attitude!).

Debbie, Robin and Nora...

We have known each other since we started law school, and we graduated law school 35 years ago - you do the math!  Debbie is still the one with the common sense, Robin is still drop dead gorgeous, and Nora - well, Nora is still Nora - people don't change all that much, do they?

And the week continues with still more food, lunch on Tuesday with former colleague and friend Mickey.  We do that from time to time, to catch up with our now-separate lives and the gossip from the office.  Always fun, but we were too busy talking (and eating Vietnamese food at our favourite dive) for pictures!

Wednesday, current colleagues who live in Victoria stayed over at my house (we had a meeting the following morning and the early morning ferry doesn't get in on time - I played hookey to play bridge, but that is another story).  We decided to get Chinese delivered - all the better for drinking wine and not driving, don't ya know - and once again, a lot of talking going on.

Lois, elegant in black as always...

Deidre, still the flower child after all these years...

And yes, bridge on Thursday.  No points this time, but our playing is getting better and better, I think, and I still love it.  As far as I'm concerned, an hour at the bridge table is a happy hour, cocktails or no!

And Friday night, I finally caught up with friend Donna, who dragged me to see Argo (okay, repeat after me, friends are meant to drag you kicking and screaming to places you wouldn't otherwise go).  I am sure you have all heard of the movie; it is about the Iran hostage taking in the 70's, and the rescue of the 6 Americans who had hidden out in the Canadian embassy.  Again, this is not a movie I would ordinarily see, but I have to say it was very well done.  I doubt highly that it is historically accurate, but the spirit of it surely is!  Thumbs up!

Donna and I debriefed over drinks at the nearby brew pub, our usual haunt.


(that passes for Nora being pensive)

And Saturday and Sunday I played bridge.  Robin and I were supposed to play this tournament together, but she has already decamped for the desert, to the bridge club fixed me up with another partner.  We got our conventions and signals straight, and actually played really well together.  The competition was stiff, and so only a few (albeit silver) points came our way, but it was better than nothing, and (see above) I had a great time.  Gordon, my partner, is 84 years old, and still plays a damn fine game of bridge.  It does give one hope!

And poof, another week goes by!

Last week was more or less all work, with the usual kitchen bridge on Wednesday night (which enabled me to, thankfully, totally avoid Halloween, a holiday I thoroughly loathe, probably because there are too many children!)

 But on Thursday, another cultural bit of business (haven't had any culture for a while, really, I have to keep reminding myself that I still do more than most).  The National Theater of London filmed their production of Timon of Athens live in HD, and it was showing in movie theaters on Thursday night.  Friend Heather, her husband Jack and I try to see these as often as we can, and this one was especially gripping.  It is a pretty depressing story in any event, and the staging made it particularly stark.  In short, rich man - Timon - spends all of his worldly goods on his friends, bailing them out of jail and debt, showering them with presents.  When his money is gone, however, they leave him in the lurch, and....well, I won't spoil it for you.  It is one of the ways that you know that Shakespeare is timeless and universal.  Done in modern dress and setting, and it looks like something that could have happened in New York to the masters of the universe in 2008.

Again, if you ever get a chance to see it (check out National Theater Live on the internet for their schedule), or any of the other ones they do, do it.  It is what theater should be about, it is what I live for - and it is what, some would say, has spoiled me for real life!

Another rainy, wet, windy, cold weekend, when being at work did not seem like a bad option.  Work was interrupted on Sunday morning by dim sum with colleagues.  I adore dim sum, as most of you know, but it is one of the few meals that can't be eaten alone (that and all you can eat sushi!).  So, I didn't!




Our little neighbor, above, was very curious about me.  No wonder - I was the only "round eye" in the place, and trust me, it was full!  Just so you know, it is called Fisherman's Terrace, and is my current favourite place for dim sum.  You too can try it - you need but visit!

But in the spring, because in one little week from today, I am heading for Palm Springs.  I will catch you up (as they say here) when I get there.

Meanwhile, be safe!