All of a sudden, things are not so wonderful in Paradise.......

Well, there's good news and bad news.  I guess we had best go in order...

I left you guys on February 9; on February 10, I gassed up the car, threw a few things at a suitcase, and headed for Las Vegas, a place where I haven't been for some 30 years.  Friend Hank was turning  65, and it is his custom to meet his stepfather Ed in Las Vegas for the big ones, since the age of 50 (his stepfather is also turning 65 - don't ask!)  I thought, as I was so close, and I knew where they were having their birthday dinner, I would just surprise them.  And surprise them I did.  It is an easy (boring) four hour drive, but I still had my I-Pod then (see below), and the time flew by listening to the end of Amy Chan's Valley of Amazement.

Ed and Hank, and Ed's wife Dorrie (Hank's mother died many years ago) were staying at the Golden Nugget, so I got a room there as well (at an only-in-Las-Vegas price of $49.00!).  After resting up and freshening up for a few hours, I went across the street to Binion's Steak House, went up to their table and asked if I could join them.  Either Hank is a better actor than I take him for or he really was surprised, and pleased too, I think.  It is a big birthday, after all, and I think he was pleased that I had made the effort to try to make it special!

Binion's Steak House is said to be a Las Vegas classic, around for a million years.  It was indeed a lovely meal, great wine, great food, great service, and a tasteful, free, birthday cake, with no singing waiters!  After dinner, Ed, Dorrie, Hank and I took advantage of the casino's $1.00 margaritas, finding a quiet spot (not easy to do in Vegas!) to keep the conversation going.  After Ed and Dorrie went off to bed, Hank and I kept talking, just talking, reminiscing, catching up.  All in all, a lovely evening. I even won at the slots!  I put in $1.00 and came away with $1.22!  That's me, last of the big time gamblers!

We met up again at Binion's coffee shop for breakfast the next morning, and I was on my way by 11:00 A.M. for the uneventful ride home.

Wednesday started off well.  Colleague Deb spends part of the winter in Phoenix with her already retired husband, and they were passing through Palm Springs.  She had never eaten at Sherman's Deli, so I picked her up from her hotel, which was close by, and we had a quick lunch and catch up, to be continued the next time she is in town, March, I think.

Unfortunately, I had to rush off, as I was meeting friend Robin for bridge.  It was worth the effort too, as we came in first overall at the club!  Then, still rushing, I dashed off to meet Ken for dinner, guess where, at Sherman's, as it was convenient for the next stop, which was seeing Russalka, the Dvorak opera being put on by the Met.  Poor Ken was too tired to see it through, and left after the first act.  I stuck it out, perhaps stupidly (see below), but it so seldom played, and the music is glorious, and this may be Renee Fleming's swan song as the water nymph (so to speak).  I am delighted to have seen it.

And here is where things began to go seriously sideways.  Sidebar, here.  As I have been living basically out of my car, between Mariah's place and my own, my purse was starting to get seriously  heavy.  I took out a small bag with my California ID, my Canadian Driver's Licence, a credit card, a debit card, my cash, my  phone and the camera, and locked my larger purse in the trunk.  The top was up, the car was locked, I was parked right next to the theater in a brightly lit spot.  Well, you know what's coming.  Someone broke into my car and stole the purse.

I only discovered it when I got home, and could not believe it.  I know it is banal to say that one feels violated, but there really is no other word for it.  Both passports were gone, both Canadian and American checkbooks, a variety of credit and debit cards, calendar and address book (I know, I am the last living human that has a paper address book and calendar), I-Pod, and all sorts of information useful to no one but me.  I was surprising calm and organized, made a list of everything I could remember to do (including stopping direct debits from accounts that I knew had to be closed), filed a police report on line, stopped credit and debit cards and froze checking accounts and got friend Leslie to send original documents so I could apply for new passports, etc.

Sleep, however, was out of the question.  I can't say I was depressed; too much to do to be depressed.  I just felt...I don't know, in a fog, maybe.

Thursday, Art and I had planned to go to Phoenix for the bridge sectional.  There really wasn't any reason not to go - I had done all I could do to mitigate the damage, and Art was driving so I wasn't even a menace on the roads.  We decided to go anyway, and had an un-eventful (4 hour, again) trip to Phoenix. arriving in time for dinner and to fall into bed.

(Dinner was at the Waffle House, a funky diner with sweet little old lady waitresses, open 24/7 and serving breakfast all day.  Just what the doctor ordered!)

So play bridge we did, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Art, god bless him, was very patient with me - as you can imagine, my bridge was not terrific.  I always have a good time playing bridge, though, and it did keep my mind off other things, as it always does.  We didn't leave totally without points, had some good (and cheap) meals at the Arizona State Campus where the tournament was held, and made it back safely to Palm Springs on Sunday night.

The week just past did have some good points.  Played lots of bridge, with both Robin and Art, and enjoyed a nice dinner with some new Canadian acquaintances who live in a nearby complex.  However, to complete my "bad things come in threes" cycle, my car broke down and my WiFi went out, just adding to the things that needed to get done!  Argh!

I was supposed to meet friends Craig and Joanne at the Blue Coyote downtown, but had to call to say I was without wheels and needed to be picked up..  Truly, I am not usually so high  maintenance, but I couldn't be helped.  They gladly picked me up, but we went to Trilusa instead, an Italian restaurant closer to home.

 These are people I know from Salt Spring who spend a few months here every winter.  We reconnected a few years ago, and it is good to keep the connection going.

After bridge on Thursday, Art and partner Wally went out to old favourite Billy Reed's for comfort food (you know the stuff, meat load, mac and cheese, fried chicken, etc.) and some good laughs.  Finally, friend Laurel came by on Friday to be my passport guarantor, and help me get the Canadian passport application out....

For which she was rewarded with a lovely lunch at the Encina Golf Club.  Later that afternoon, my WiFi was restored, my car was back from the mechanic, once again whole, and I treated myself to a manicure and pedicure (or "paws and claws" as neighbor Michael puts it!) to make myself feel better.

To top it off, the renos are coming along, and it looks like phase I will be done by this coming Wednesday, just in time for my guests from Vancouver who are coming next Thursday!  I spent Saturday and today putting the kitchen back together, getting the stuff into new cabinets.

I couldn't have done it without a lot of mindless reading (Fay Weldon's Long Live the Kind, a book called Beautiful Fools, about the last days of Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald, Rowland's new book called Shogun's Daughter, and three (yes three) mysteries by Robert Crais.)  Perhaps I would be in less of a fog if I stopped reading and went to bed!).

And, of course, I couldn't have gotten through it all without the support of all those friends, who pick me up and deliver me and take me out to dinner and cheer me up and do everything else needed to help me out.  You know who you are; thank you.

Well, let's end this on a positive note.  In the middle of all of this, I had lots of medical appointments previously scheduled.  No, nothing is wrong, just routine maintenance and testing.  The good news?  Apparently my heart and lungs and circulation and blood pressure and eyes are all pretty good for an old broad.  Apparently, I will be around to annoy you all for a while yet,

Pictures of the renos next time.  And thanks for bearing with my take of woe.

She's going, she's going, she's gone!!!

Well, there were a few more days left in Vancouver when we spoke last, hence, of course, a few more lunches. Yet one last sushi run, this time with colleagues Leslie, Helen and Sherryl.....

.....and one last look at the golf course, on a miraculously sunny (if very cold - you will notice we are eating indoors) day, with colleagues Tim and Daphne..

...and one last dinner and bridge with the boys.

Even time for one last theater night with Tom, this time seeing the United Players at Jericho Beach, preceded, as always by a wonderful dining experience.  We ate at a place called Trattoria, on west 4th; again, a Dine Out Vancouver suggestion, and definitely a place we'll return to.

The play was fabulous; it was called The Pitman Painters (sorry, the playwright escapes me and the program has not come to hand), about a social experiment, if you will, in the 20's in England (apparently based on a true story).  Some miners, most of whom had been sent to the mines at the age of 8, with schooling to match, were given art lessons.  They painted, and were taken to galleries (for the first time, of course), and discussed the meaning of art both to the creators and to the viewers, and how they - and their instructor - changed over the years.  It fit nicely into my recent course (Why is this Art?), and was wonderfully (minimally, of course, given the tiny theater space and their dreadfully reduced budget) staged and acted, with some of our favourites from that company.  It was long, but well worth staying up for.  In any event, it was Friday, my work was - finally - done, and it was a great way to celebrate.

The last weekend in Vancouver was quiet, just getting everything ready for my getaway.

Sidebar, here.  My stress level continues to be high.  I see I have not told you about my "new" car, and the resultant aggravations.  The car is definitely NOT new, being a 2001 PT Cruiser with over 300,000 kilometers on it.  The short version is that it was the car I had just before David died, because he could get in and out of it from his wheelchair.  After David died, a colleague of mine bought it, and said that if I ever wanted it back, it was mine.  Well, he was downsizing his "fleet", and friend Mariah didn't have a car for Palm Springs, I was sentimentally attached to that car, well, you can imagine the rest.  I took it back, and spent the rest of the month I was in Vancouver trying to get the mechanic to get it spruced up (it is actually in remarkably good shape), so that it could pass Air Car, and get licensed and insured ( a friend is primed to drive it down to Palm Springs for us).  Needless to say, in spite of the fact that he had three weeks to do it in, it didn't happen (the mechanic is on Jamaican time, don't you know), so just one more thing over which I have no control.  It too will no doubt be done in the fullness of time, but meanwhile....

Did manage to find time for drinks on Saturday night at Brown's Social House with friend Donna, who I hadn't manage to connect with in the month I had been in Vancouver. We enjoyed catching up, but it was an early evening.

And the getaway on Monday morning was fine, an early start, of course, but no problems with either security or the plane, so an on-time departure and arrival in sunny, warm Palm Springs.  Art, bless him, picked me up from the airport (I was hoping for the Chrysler convertible, but the Lincoln Town Car was fine, thank you very much!)  And we went directly from the airport to - if you guessed bridge, you would be right!  Came in third overall out of 29 tables, in spite of the fact that I was half asleep.  She's back!

After bridge, we went home to rest, and I actually saw the state of the renovations, which would have left me in tears, if I were prone to that sort of thing.  Instead, after a dinner at Manhattan in the Desert (previously described in these pages and as good as always, although I wasn't really in the mood) with Art and partner Wally, during which they let me vent, I spent a sleepless night wondering when these renovations were ever going to be done and whether I was going to bankrupt myself in the process.  I wondered - most horrible of feelings - whether I was being taken advantage of.  I wondered.....

However, as they say, the night is always darkest just before the dawn (or do only long distance sailors only say that?).  When I talked to contractor Tommy on Tuesday morning, he pointed out just how much had been done in my absence, and assured me that any remaining problems would be resolved and work completed by February 25th  I believe him (perhaps, more fool me, but we shall see), and am feeling much brighter.  The sunny outlook helps, of course, as does the fact that friend Mariah has graciously said that I could stay in her place, just five doors down but well away from the construction zone.  So, all is well, as it always seems to be in Palm Springs.

So, after the "come to Jesus" (it is just an expression, and not mine either) talk with Tommy on Tuesday morning, I took the car (which is running perfectly, thank goodness), top down, of course, for a spin out to La Quinta to reconnect with friend Robin.  She has been previously mentioned in these pages - my friend from law school and ever since, most recently known as sometimes bridge partner and personal shopper.  And that is what we did.  After a lunch at - help, I don't remember the name, something Grill on El Paseo (I will provide the name at some point, as I will undoubtedly be back there.  We shared a Cobb salad for $12.95, which was so big that we couldn't finish our respective halves, had a dynamite pink lemonade, and enjoyed it immensely)  - went shopping.  I have decided I need new furniture for my "new" place, and nobody shops for furniture as well as Robin.  I will just say that we were successful - pictures will follow, when the stuff is in place.  In any event, retail therapy worked, as it usually does, Robin had a great time spending my money (I should probably stop shopping with my wealthiest friend!), and a good time was had by all.

By Wednesday morning, I was back to my regular routine at the gym (lord knows, I need it!) and feeling good about it too.  In the afternoon, neighbor Michael and I did - imagine! - more shopping, this time for carpets for the back bedrooms, followed by dinner at my favourite chain restaurant, Red Lobster.

Thursday, I was back to the gym, and bridge in the afternoon with Art.  We didn't do as well this time (although not badly), but the hands and the company were very interesting.  We have decided on a new schedule for bridge which will accommodate both Robin's tennis league and Art and his other partners, so we are back in the groove.

Thursday was February 6, and the anniversary of David's death.  It is amazing to think that it has been gone for 8 years.  As I customarily do on that date, I went out to eat by myself.  Well, not by myself, really; it is a night for communing with my husband, over bourbon (Maker's Mark, neat, ice water on the side) and prime rib (rare).  I have found a new favourite spot for this ritual, a restaurant called Billy Reed's, a place where I have been many times before, although not for this purpose (Davey's Hideaway having closed, I needed a new spot).  It is a great old Palm Springs tradition, and David would have loved it.  I'm not sure that David would be approving of my current spending spree (who am I kidding?  I know he wouldn't!)  However, it was good to check in with him nevertheless, and get my moral - and financial - bearings.

Friday. after gym and errands in the morning, I met friend Ken for lunch at Smokin' Burgers, a new favourite for lunch (as well as Happy Hour and Appys).  It is convenient as well as cheap, and the food is great.  Ken and I caught up, and made arrangements for next week's opera outing, which will be described in due course.  Friend Gerry (otherwise known as either Mr. White rock or, his preference, The Juke Box Man)  came by for a surprise visit in the afternoon, he being here for a brief visit from Vancouver.  (note to friends:  I love it when people drop in, even when my house is a construction zone.  There is always the patio, and while I may not have a stove, I still have a functioning refrigerator!).  He didn't stay long - between the contractor and his helper and the guy measuring for the shutters and the neighbors coming by, there was way too much chaos.  We did manage to arrange for a dinner next week before he goes back to Vancouver.

Friend Laurel and I had arranged for a walk at 4 that afternoon.  Laurel, you will recall, was my neighbor in Salt Spring Island and, by chance, is a near neighbor here in Palm Springs.  We did have a great walk in the beautiful mid-century modern Seven Lakes complex where she lives.  Not brisk, mind you; new puppy Chloe spent some time sniffing.  However, it was exercise enough - I had already spent an hour and a half  in the gym in the morning, after all.  It was a good thing we had a chance to talk, though; we retired to her clubhouse for drinks and entertainment....

and, while lovely, it was way too loud to talk.  We ended up moving to the dining room, where we had a lovely, extremely civilized, dinner.

Saturday night was one of our regular pot lucks at Palm Springs View Estates (pretty fancy name for a mobile home park, don't you think?)..

The observant among you might have noticed that while there are a lot of old (as in previously seen, of course, not as in aged) faces, but some new faces as well.  We have had a fair turnover this year - it is a seniors park, after all - and the new comers are a friendly bunch.  I'm glad for the new blood, the newly decorated places, the new life!

Which brings us up to date.  It is Sunday; Art and I are playing bridge - a Unit game, lots of opportunity for points - so I'm off pretty soon.  More anon.