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!