Three weeks is too long

Okay, I couldn't resist just one more Steveston picture.....

This is probably not a good time to bring you up to date - I am  so, so tired - but I didn't want to let another week go by, and looking at the calendar for next week - well, this is the only clear hour or two.

And why am I so tired, you might ask?  Too much going out on school nights, and weekends too.  Nothing new, really, just too muh of it, bridge and dinners and working and then more bridge - two tournaments in the last three weeks (and yes, I made some points (Actually came in first in my flight today).  And, on top of it all, I am leaving for the desert (by way of  Seattle, San Francisco, Ashland, Oregon, San Francisco, and then Palm Springs, so all the logistics need to be attendd to.

So, lucky you, the camera has been absent most of the time.  I did drag it out for my assistant Joyce's retirement.

I know it is the right thing for her to do, and I know we will still see each other (we're having dim  sum  as soon as next Sunday),  but I will miss her smiling face and great attitude hugely!  Yet another reason to get out of Dodge.  (That, and the fact that it has started to rain!)

The bridge weekend at Harrison Hot Springs and JoAnne's 50th birthday dinner at Boneta went unrecorded.  (As for the latter, it is probably just as well - although 11 of my favourite colleagues were there, the restaurant was noisy, the service was awful, the price was too high and the portions too small - altogether not a nice experience, although JoAnne is one of my favorite people.

I am tired.  Mariah tells me that I love all this bustling around, and I guess I do, but perhaps I have overdone it a tad.  As noted, this will be a busy week as well, but I really will tyr to connect again brfore I head off on my travels.
 

Walking - a Montage

I have been doing a lot of walking.  The weather has been glorious, it clears my head, and I sleep better.  (Sometimes it doesn't work.  As we speak, it is 3:30 A.M., and I have yet to fall asleep.  This is about the time I throw in the towel, find something to do, and go to the office at 6.  Hence, the early blog post!)

The above are all from Steveston, although lately, I have been mixing it up a bit, walking on Kits Beach, Jericho Beach, and Tugboat Landing as well.

Below are two pictures from London Farms, where I sometimes stop for tea (or a potty break, whichever is required!)

The next couple of pictures are from Finn's Sleough, which was once a thriving houseboat community on the south arm of the Fraser River.  There are still a few aging hippies living out there, always good for a sit down and a chat...

....and these are from Tugboat Landing, a little further east on the Fraser...

Okay, you caaught me, this is not walking.  I stopped for a drink at the Burger Bar.  As you can see, it is right on the walkway, I had already been walking for 2 hours, still had a half an hour to go before I was back at my car, and I deserved it!

The next bunch are from Kits (Kitsilano, if you are looking at the map) Beach....

...and, full circle, back to Steveston.  (Can you spot the rainbow in the last two pictures?)

Okay, that's enough.  I swear, I will never take a picture when I am walking again!

I did squeeze in a few other things besides walking.  I have mentioned Bard on the Beach several times in recent days.  Well, in addition to Shakespeare, they support the University of British Columbia Opera, and have Opera on the Beach every year.  This year, it was a kind of "best of Verdi, with areas and ensembles from Traviat, Trovatore, Rigoletto, and Falstaff.

The singers are young and enthusiastic, sometimes (rarely, but it does happen) you feel like you are seeing the birth of a star, and it in any event, it is always great fun!

Thursday was the usual bridge at the club with Robin.  It was just one of those days when everything went wrong, total miscommunication, overbidding, and some really bad luck.  It wasn't just me, either, Robin did her share.  It was one of those days when I walked away saying "God, I hate this game!"  I don't, though, and no matter what happeens, Robin and I are pretty good at not beating each other up.  (We sure beat ourselves up, though!)  But we picked ourselves up, whent back to Robin's place, grabbed a glass of wine (me) and a glass of water (Robin), and made it into a learning experience.  I felt so..adult!

I was staying ib White Rock because friend Debbie was joining us for our annual birthday dinner.  We went to law school together, as I am sure I have mentiobed, and we do this every year.  We decided to go to Little India in White Rock for dinner, and yes, that is where Robin and Arlene and I went last weekend.  What can I say, it was good enough to go two weeks in a row.

...and no, I will not tell you how long ago law school was.

Friend Geoff, who also toggles between Palm Springs and Vancouver, just got back to Vancouver, so he and his friend Tom met me for lunch on Friday at the Blue Canoe (And ditto about doing things two weeks in a row).  It was good to see them both, but it does mean that my thoughts are heading south.  However, there is a lot going on between now and then....

And Friday ended with a complet emotional melt down.  I'll explain.  I am in the midst of a performance evaluation at work, and got the evaluation for my comments on Friday aternoon.  It was all in all a stellar review.  And I burst into tears, because David's dead, and no one else cares.  I thought I was done with all that, but I guess not.  Oh, I pulled myself together quickly enough, but it was a little shocking, so spontaneous and unexpected and .....

So, a quick conclusion to the week.  Saturday I was back at Bard to see Hamlet with colleague Trish.  It was the third time I had seen it, and honest-to-god, it just keeps getting better and better.  And, yes, I was actually moved to tears.

And - was it only this morning? - it was back to dim sum with the usual cast of characters plus one...

We actually tried a new place, though, South China Seafood, and although it was not overall as good as Fisherman's Terrace, it does have the carts, excellent egg tarts, and .....it was cheap.

And lest you think I am totally a one trick pony, I am still reading.  I don't remember where I left you on the book list.  I think I told you about Montefiore's biography of Jeerusalem, and Far From the Tree, about parents of kids who are different - gay to straight parents, deaf to hearing parents (or, I suppose, hearing to deaf parents), autistic children.  I am amazed at how fascinated I am by this book.  And I'm still reading Conrad Black's biography of Richard Nixon.  (and will be for some time  - it is a doorstop at 1100 pages!).  Finally, for fun, I picked up another elizabeth Peters mystery.  I think that I mentioned these before.  I love them because of the Egyptian/archeological setting.  I've been there!)

So now, once again, you are up to date!  Next weekend, Robin and I are heading for a weekend of bridge - classes and playing and a few good meals, so at least there will be a new venu for pictures!