Day to Day

Well, the flurry of actiity is done, and life has settled into what will be my routine, I think, and it is okay.  I go to work every day.  People ask why I go into the office every day, when I can work at home, coming in only to sign my final decisions.  Well, really, I prefer going to the office.  I get to talk books and politics - not to mention work - with my colleagues, and go out to lunch.  It continues to rain, so it's not like I want to be outdoors.  And, if it is nice out and I want to duck out for a walk - well, I charge by the hour, I can do that! 

In any event, I do go to the office, but still manage to get some outside socializing in.  This week, I visited Mickey, a friend (and former colleague) and her husband Bill, who have a wonderful cottage and garden in New Westminster, a "suburb" of Vancouver.

Mickey started work at the tribunal on the same day I did some 18 years ago, but retired several years earlier than I did.  We hadn't seen each in a while, and so had some catching up to do.  The sun actually came out for a bit, showing off the garden (Bill's pride and joy) to good effect.

Another colleague, Susan, has decided that her deck is lovely and needed more visitors.  About 8 of us from the office oblidged, and came over on Thursday after work.  Once again, the sun graced us with its presence; however, my camera was forgotten in the wine and general good cheer.  Sorry!

Then, my weekend plans collapsed.  Literally.  I'm sure most of you have heard about the bridge in Washington State, just below Mt. Vernon, which collapsed last week.  Well, that bridge is between me and Seattle, where I was meant to go for the weekend, to have dinner at Nell's, a favourite restaurant, go to the theater on Green Lake, have brunch on Saturday made by friend Arlene, and catch some offerings at the Seattle Film Festival.  Not.  Eveentually, they will have a work-around, but this was Memorial Day weekend in the States, not to mention a music festival weekend.  There was no way I was going to drive 5 - or more, it turned out from the radio broadcasts - hours to do a 2 1/4 hour drive to Seattle.  Arlene and I accepted it as an act of God, and postponed.  Another time, but, really, check UTube for the Skagit River Bridge collapse; it's something else!

So, the weekend, if not the bridge, could be rebuilt.  I dodged the raindrops for several long walks around Steveston...

.....and tried to go to the movies with friend Lesley.  The movie theater was a zoo, however - too many teenagers (my favourite people!) trying to get in out of the rain to see Iron Man or Star Treck or whatever else was at the multiplex (we were trying for The Great Gatsby - I am a big fan of Baz Luhrman) - so we settled for the pub instead....

And so, once again, Monday rolls around and its High Ho, High Ho, Its back to work we go.

What else can I tell you?  Several more books have landed on my (already overloaded) nighttable.  Lawrence Durrell's Alexandria Quartet came back from its semi-permanent loan with a friend.  I read it as I think we all did, when I was 20, and it was what started my longing for Egypt (stoked later by reading Mahfouz's Sugar Street Trilogy).  I am almost afraid to read it again; after all, I am not 20 any more, and, lord knows, Alexandria isn't the same either.  I'll keep you posted.

Also added to the pile are two of Conrad Black's books, his biography of Nixon and Flight of the Eagle (the latter an American saga).  A number of years ago, I read his biography of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and loved it.  Black is very erudite, loves language, and writes (and thinks) in paragraphs.  And for a right wing facist, he was amazingly fair to Roosevelt (his thesis:  Roosevelt saved capitalism for the capitalists - they just didn't know it).  So many books, so little time - and I waste so much of it.

And - hooray - I won at bridge last night.  She's baaack!

It has been suggested that I am missing out on lots of interesting stuff by not following favourites on Twitter.  So, I gave up, and set up a Twitter account.  So far, I am not wowed, but perhaps you, my loyal fans, can suggest some interesting people for me to follow. (and yes, I am on Facebook!)

I am hugely bored with the political scandals in Toronto and Ottawa, so won't talk about them here except to say that they should all be shot for terminal stupidity if not for venality, but I leave you with a quote that had me laughing out loud at the radio (CBCm of course!).  In talking about the players, the commentator said:  Sometimes you need Thanksgiving to get the attention of the turkeys.

Till next week then.

Odds and Sods

For someone who is not supposed to be doing much, it certainly seems like it has been a busy week.  It started with the long-awaited (by some of you1) visit to my doctor.  He gave me a lecture, of course, about not going to the hospital when I was sick with pneumonia.  I had to assure him that a doctor was a phone call away, and would have been at my bedside faster than a a doctor being paged in a Canadian hospital.  In any event, following an ex-ray and an examination, he was reassured that I would actually live.  That being the current prognosis, let's not talk about it any more.  (There is nothing more boring than listening to other people's ailments, unless it is listening to other people's descriptions of their medical treatment.)  Case closed.

I know it probably didn't make much news - if any - outside of Canada, but Tuesday was our provincial election in British Columbia.  It was an exciting one for us, as it directly pitted the Liberals (read small "c" conservatives) against the New Democratic Party (read socialists), and the New Dems went into the election with a 20 point lead.  In a stunning upset, the Liberals pulled off a huge win, returning with a greater majority than it had prevviously, back in office again after 12 years in office.  I usually don't pay all that much attention to Canadian politics, but this one was a nailbiter, and lots of fun to watch.  (And no, I won't tell you who I was rooting for, although most of you can probably guess!)

Wednesday was another bridge night, preceeded by dinner at Cardero's, a trendy joint close to John's, and thus handy for bridge addicts who also need to eat.

For those of you paying attention, the new face (far left) is Jules, a sometimes fourth when Tom can't make it.  This actually works out pretty well, as Jules spends a lot of time in China on business.  (I mention it only because it is such a Vancouver story.) You'll be happy to know that I am - slowly - remembering how to play bridge again!

Thursday, work consisted of our quarterly "interorganizational training" at a local hotel, the interorganizational consisting of a number of organizations working in the workers' compensation field.  I usually find these things excessively boring; this time, though, it was like Old Home Week, seeing people I haven't seen since my (supposed) retirement, and getting lots of complements (always nice).

I have mentioned before, I think, the National Theatre  of London live streaming some of their productions.  (They are doing it in 60 movie theaters around the world, no doubt in a theater nearr you - see www.nationaltheatrelive.com) This is some of the best theater going - I can't recomend it enough.  Anyway, on Thursday night, a few friends gathered for dinner at the local pub and a viewing of the latest offering, a play called This House.  This is a new play by James Graham, and is about th machinations in the Houses of Parliament in London between 1974 and 1979.  (For those of you who have forgotten, this was when Labour was hanging in by its teeth, and Thatcher was the leader of the Tories.)  This was a spectacular piece of political theater.  They will probably do an encore; if you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.  Next up is The Audience on June 13, with Helen Mirren reprising her role as the Queen, and, on September 26, Othello.  Do this!

Still catching up with friends, I had lunch with Eric on Friday (I had texted him on Tuesday to congratulate him on his candidate's win - he was the campaign manager for one of the candidates - running as an independent - who was successful).

Eric is a neighbor, former colleague and friend, and we hadn't seen each other since he visited in Palm Springs ages ago, so we had lots (besides politics) to catch up on.  We ate at our new favorite local joint called Two Chefs and a Table.  It is in an industrial park, a very unlikely place for a restaurant, but it is having great success (perhaps because of the decadent hanburgers and the tater tots fried in duck fat!  And yes, appetite has returned, although I still couldn't finish the hanburger!)

The sun finally came out after work, so I took a walk to the village.  Just in case you think I exaggerate the picturesque nature of the place, all the roads were closed off to traffic because they were filing a movie - again!

Apparently is is some sort of Godzilla movie.  Stay turned for details.

Okay, by this time, even I was worn out, and besides which, it was raining again, so Saturday was a stay-at-home Dottie-Domestic kind of day,you know, books, magazines, knitting by the fireplace, doing the laundry between chapters kind of day.  It was actually lovely.

Today (Sunday, if you've lost track), I was back at it, catching up with yet another colleague/friend at Dim Sum at previously mention Fishrman's Terrace.

(I don't need to explain dim sum, do I?)  Anyway, great fun, great food, and all I could manage for the day.  Having picked up the Sunday New York Times I headed for home. 

Oh, I also picked up some books.  (Yes, real live books, the paper kind; this is a raspberry to all those who have lectured me about putting independent booksellers out of business by having a Kindle!)  I got a hard copy of Jerusalem by Simon Montefiore (previously downloaded);  a book called Suite Franaise by Irene Nemirovsky (I had started another book of hers, The Wine of Solitude last night, and it was so wonderful that I had to get another.  By the way, this is a woman who died young in 1942 in the concentration camps, having been rounded up and sent there by the French); another in the Flashman series (see previous post); two Elizabeth Peters mysteries centered around Egypt and the tombs (and therefore timely); Ian McEwan's newest novel, Sweet Tooth (I am quite fond of McEwen); and, just for fun, a history of the Borgias.  Oh, and I ordered Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet (about, of course) Aleandria and therefore also timely .  

This is the Victoria Day Weekend here in Canada, celebrating Queen Victoria's birthday.  That means tomorrow is a holiday, although I might go in to work if it's raining.  But that is for another week.  

Guess what? It's raining in Vancouver!

Last year, I came back to Vancouver  in May thinking it would be safe, and it rained until July!  To be fair, it has been a glorious week, definitely top-down weather (picture of the convertible to follow - as soon as I get it washed!), warm and sunny with a breeze off the water.  It started to rain yesterday, though, and there is rain in the forecast fo the foreseeable future.

Nonetheless, it has been a good week.  Dinners with friends....

Donna & Jeannie at Kisimos, for Greek food

.....wirh Sue & Kelley too

...and Gerry, at Paesaano's for Italian on Sunday

A few lunches with colleagues, of course, both  Japanese (which I have been craving).  By the way, there is lots of work, so I will be working more or less every day between now and mid-October.  A good thing, too;  need to pump up that travel kitty, since you guys are not doing a good job finding me someone to support me in the style to which I would like to become accustomed!

Of course, I am back to playing bridge as well.  The boys (previously introduced, but just in case - Tom, John and Dennis) and I had a wonderful time, as we always do, but lordy lordy did I play badly!  You'd think that it had been 6 months instead of 6 weeks since I played.  Hopefully, it is like riding a bike (oops - another thing I caan't do, but why let facts get in the way of a good analogy!), and it will all come back to me by next week!

Tom immediately got me back on the theater circuit as well.  There is a small theater company (well, there are more than that, of course) we like to support.  It is called Last Chance Productions.  They are just out or school, are young and enthusiastic, have great voices, do musicals (which both Tom and I love) and are woking on a shoestring, of course.  Anyway, they were doing a Broadway review, different singers every night doing different songs.  They perform at different locations; on Thursdaay, they were at the Jericho Theater, a small theater near Jericho Beach.  Not our favoirte venue, but small and intimate, and, really, perfect for this sort of thing.  We always eat at Enigma when we go to Jericho - it is an old Vancouver favourite with an interesting menu.  Both dinner and theater were wonderful!

Which brings me to the weekend.  Between work and social life, not to mention the weather, I'm, well, tired, and have been quite content to stay close to home these last few days.  I'm feeling much better (and yes, I am checking in with the doctor tomorrow, don't nag!), but without my usual stamina, and very little lung capacity.  (Berating myself for using this as an excuse to take the elevator instead of the stairs at work, I have been trying the stairs.  I make it up all right, but have to pause for a few minutes to catch my breathe before going in, or my colleagues would be taking me to the ER).

So, before I leave you for another week, I have had a request to show you Steveston, and my place.  So, on several walks to the village (a 10 minute walk on a good day, about 20 minutes now)...

Yes, these are spiny crustaceans....

These guys sell at the docks every weekend of thee season...

..and this is Pajo's, the best fish and chips in the world...

You caught me!  I stopped for coffee on the way home...

And now my home!  For those of you who haven't visited (yet....), I live in a bungalow, about 1500 square feet (that's it, above), in a lovely complex of about 43 homes, some bungalows, some two storey, some three.

Behinf the table is a Muphy Bed with your name on it.....

 

I really would love to share Vancouver with you.  I'm not going to say this again...

And finally, as promised, my reading list.  It is not very extensive right now - John gave me three months worth of The Economist to catch up on, so I'm working on those.  I get four newspapers on the weekend - The Vancouver Sun, The National Post (Canafa's right wing rag, but always interesting and well written, The Wall Street Journal (ditto except for the Canada part), and, of course, The Sunday New York Times.  Books on the go?  Only one right now.  While we were in Cairo, Ted got me hooked on the Flashman series. by George MacDonald Fraser. Flashman is a military man, a coward and a cad, and a thoroughly delightful read, as he hits all the British Empire's hot spots, from Afghanistan to China to - well, you get the idea.  Ted only had the first in the series, however. Luckily, I found two more in the Munich airport, and will have to search the others out.  I just downloaded (yes, I have a new Kindle!) several books recommended by Hank, including Jerusalem by Montefiore, a history of that city, and two historical novels by Bernard Cornwell.  So, I'm not likely to run out of reading material any time soon.

Hmm.  I could still catch tonight's edition of that Broadway review....

It's a wrap - for this trip, anyway!

Final thoughts about the trip.  Thanks to Hank's great planning, and Ted's excellent .ground support, it went flawlessly.  (They'e not to be blamed for my poor immune system!)  I was not as emotionally grabbed by Israel as I thought (in spite of my intellctual protestations) I might be.  We did not have a Jewish guide, and that might be at fault, or perhaps it was that, as usual, my brain overrode my heart.  Who knows?  Jordan I found lovely, and would return to explore more at my leisure, and Egypt too.  I would have liked to have made it to Siwa (the oasis where Alexander the Great got his marching orders), seen the Suez Canal, plunged into the markets and the streets of Cairo.  I never for a moment felt physically threatened, and such real (as opposed to consumer travel) people as we did manage to talk to seemed friendly, well disposed to us, with a lovely, wry sense of humour.

Ted has signed on for another year in Cairo, so I suppose it's possible, but not really likely, that I would come back.  There are just too many things on my increasingly expensive bucket list, and there is nothing like a little illness to remind me that there is no time like the present.  I (having already forgotten that excruciating plane trip) am already considering Turkey in October  (an Elder Hostel trip perhaps?) and Viet Nam and Cambodia in Februay with Hank and Ted.  Hmmm.......

Meanwhile, back in San Francisco on Thursday, April 25, I spent the day marshalling my resurces for yet another plane trip on Friday...

(We did go out to eat with friend Pat at our by now traditional Alamo Square Bistro)

Even before the Middle East trip was planned (and somewhat determinative of its dates), friend Peter and I had planned a trip to the Houston Grand Opera.  Neither of us had been, Peter had another "mystery shop" opportunity so I wouldn't go through withdrawal from 5 star hotels - well, it seemed right at the time.  The original plan was to stay at a hotel out of the city center and rent a car .  When I got sick, however, I emailed Peter; I didn't think I could face driving a strange car in a strange city (at the time, I was barely negotiating my way to the bathroom!), so plans were changed mid-stream.  Peter found a hotel in center city - the Four Seasons, as it turns out, not too shabby - no car required.  I thought I could live with that, and by the day, I was sure of it.

So off we toddled (by taxi, of course - there are still limits to my energy, of course, and Peter doesn't like schlepping on BART - Bay Area Rapid Transit for the uninitiated - at the best of times) off to the airport for the 4 hour trip to Houston.  The trip was at it should be, uneventful, and by evening we were tucked in to the hotel's Italian restaurant (and yes, I was eating, although still not with the appetite I used to have - maybe the loss of appetite is permanent?  one can only hope...)

On Saturday, I thought I could manage a museum. so Peter recommended the Menil Collection.  A great recomendation it was too - and one that I would never have come to on my own.  This is the private collection of John and Dominique Menil, which opened to the public in 1987.  Just goes to show to what good oil money can be put!  It is a collection basically of modern art, but the collection makes the connection between ancient and indigenous culture, the classial Mediterranean civilizations, the Byzantine empire, and objects from Africa, the Pacific Islands, and even the Pacific North west.   (The pieces from Egypt were better displayed - and better signed - than those in Cairo.  Mind you, that's a pretty low bar.)  Even the old pieces had a "modern" feel, and you could certainly see the collectors' eye.  It was the best collection of surrealist art I have ever seen in one place - and not a Salvador Dali in sight! - and I had Peter for my own peersonal tour guide!

(Did I mention that the setting was glorious too?))

There is also the Rothko Chapel, with a suite of paintings commissioned just for that structure, as well as the Broen Obelisk, above, honouring Martin Luther King, a separate bulding with aa Don Flavin installation made from neon lights, and yet another separate building housing a Cy Twombly Collection.  All in all, a wonderful find, and worth the trip to Houston in and of itself.

By this time, Peter and I were both ready for  a nap, in preparation for the 4 1/2 hour marathon of an opera to come.  The hotel had a car to take folks to the opera, so again, very civilized. (A good thing too, as a huge - big enough to cause flash flooding in areas - storm, thunder and lightening and all, had arisien while we slept.)

 The Houston Grand Opera has a great reputation - again, no better use for oil money - and although neither Peter nor I liked the "grand" lobby (too much 80's glitz, not enough "grand", the house itself was rather small, and lovely.  Peter had, as always, secured great seats, and the opera, well, what can I say, it was really grand.  Most of you know that I have developed a passion for Wagner, and Tristan and Isolde is glorious, especially with Isolde played with the infamous Ninna Stemma (in her only North American stop this season) and Tristan played by Canada's best export, Ben Heppner, in fine voice.  All in all, one of my top ten opera experiences!

Although it was after 11:30 when we got back to the hotel (the opera started at 6:30!), both Peter and I were wired for sound (so to speak!), and stopped for a drink at the bar before heading off to bed!  (And yes, I am drinking again, albeit only a G & T!)

On Sunday morning, we had a lovely breakfast at the hotel (Darn!  My appetite is back!), decided against going to the Houston Art Gallery (also well regarded, but hey, enough culture for one weekend1) and went for a leisurely walk around the hotel in the downtown area.  I was far more imressed than I expected to be - interesting achitecture, streetscape, and even light rail!

I wouldn't want to live here - the heat and humidity would get me - but I would certainly visit again, should an opera opportunity arise!

Again an uneventful trip home (after the recent 11 1/2 hour marathon, 4 hours seems like a walk in the park), with Hank picking us up at the other end.   On Monday, we finished the trip with another tradition - lunch with friend Andy at Henry Hunan's - Andy's son is getting married this weekend (who would have thought we would all get this old!), we had our trip to talk about, the food (we always order the same things, creatures of habit that we all are) was great - a wonderful close for a great trip.

And it was the end.  On Tuesday, I was again off to the airport for the final leg, home to Vancouver.  Aside from a near miss with the luggage (getting to the airport isn't always helpful - my luggage got on an earlier flight, and I almost missed in the shuffle), I got home just fine.  My car started on the first go, the top was down in a trice (it was a lovely day in Vancouver), and several hours later, I was home, having ordered my New York Times for Sunday hHey, first things first!), gone to the butcher, the greengrocer and the supermarket, collected my mail from my  neighbor, and poured a glass of wine!

And I was back to work on Wednesday - and, truth be told, glad to be there.  It was good to see my colleagues and friends, and to confirm that I have enough work for the summer! Have to pay for all this stuff, don't you know!

Life is now settling back to routine, with dinners, bridge and theater already in the offing.  I am feeling much better, although not 100%, and am looking forward to a great, if reasonably quiet, summer.  Daily (or almost daily) postings will stop - I'd bore you to death, I am sure. However, by popular demand (hits on my blog have topped 5,200 - who would have thunk?) I will continue to let you know what I am reading, seeing and doing.  You guys should keep in touch too - you know where I am, and it would be nice to catch up with you as well.

So, ta ta for now