No, no passport yet, but some movement on that score (more about that later), and lots happening to take my mind off my (trivial, first world, I know, I know) problems.
We have decided to have a party at the North End pool every Thursday at happy hour, just to chit/chat with the neighbors.
Aside from being told that we can't have liquor at the pool (who would have thought that in an over-55 park we could be thought to be so dangerous around pools and liquor? Who knew?), we had a great time. Imagine it continuing until June, when it is still too hot at happy hour to be at the pool and the parties will stop, only to reconvene in October.
There is the usual flora and fauna....
On Saturday, April 5, I headed off to the College of the Desert, not because I particularly wanted to buy anything, but because it was as good a place as any for a morning constitutional (to work up to my afternoon pool time, of course)...
(Just what I needed, another hat....)
By the time I left, it was hot hot hot, and the pool felt really good. (And yes floating in the pool without getting my reading material wet is still my only retirement skill. Next year: golf. I promise. Or maybe tennis...)
On Sunday, April 6, it was Opera in the Park. They have been doing it here for 15 years, and is one of those things that you have to get there at 9:30 A.M. for a 1:00 o'clock performance. I did, staked out a nice shady spot, and enjoyed my NY Times, until friends arrived.
They do auditions for the Met in the Coachella Valley, and all those bright young things are happy to sing the top 10 arias (more like the top 30, but who's counting). It was very lively, with a very appreciative audience. and lots of fun.
Friend Laurel came over for drinks on Monday (more oohing and aahing over the renos; I wonder if I will ever get tired of it), and friend (and PS neighbor) Mariah arrived from Seattle on Wednesday (we did our usual breakfast at Sherman's Deli to celebrate. It is getting bad when not only do you always go to the same restaurants, you always eat the same food). Once Mariah got settled in (she is only 5 houses away from me), we headed off to the Purple Room to meet (mutual) friend Soo and son Jake for drinks and catch up.
This is a former Rat Pack hangout, so they say, lovingly restored. Too noisy to hear yourself think, much less catch up, but the small plates are large and tasty and the drinks are
big pours (note, Canadians: I said pour, not measure!!)
Arlene also arrived from Seattle, on Thursday, as a treat for her successful recovery from (the 3rd) hip surgery. Always great to see Arlene, and, delightful surprise: she likes the pool too!!!
As we couldn't hear ourselves on Wednesday, Mariah and Soo and Jake were invited to my place for brunch on Sunday, where the food is also good, and the drinks are also poured and not measured, and there is the added bonus of good conversation.
Marian (standing) and Arlene at kitchen island
....and here's Soo, and, below, son Jake.
(Soo and Jake are from Seattle too, moved here full time last June, and will, no doubt, be making more frequent appearances on these pages.)
(Are you noticing a trend here? Way more entertaining is going on at Nora's B & B. David and I had always loved having people over, but I have gotten out of the habit since he died. I want to get back to it; hopefully, next year, when I am not so distracted with renovations and purse snatchings, there will be even more.)
So, there we were in the pool, Arlene and I, having cleaned up after the amazing brunch (fresh squeezed orange juice - oranges picked that morning - two types of home made quiche (asparagus and ham and mushroom and onions, for the foodies in the group), crispy bacon, rolls and coffee) when who should show up but Andrew and Elaine, colleagues and friends recently arrived from Vancouver. What can I say? These people are the most urbane, sophisticated, intellectual people I know, not to mention nice AND beautiful. (And they are devoted fans of my blog!) And they are the exception; these people are NOT creatures of habit. Oh, they like their old favorites, all right (most of theirs have now become mine), but they are always discovering and sharing new places. This time, it was a place called Workshop Kitchen and Bar, on North Palm Canyon.
It is one of those farm to table places, very trendy, but I actually didn't have to ask for a translation of the menu!!!)Good food, good company, what's not to like?
Monday, April 14 was the first night of Passover, as some of you know. Arlene had suggested a community seder at the local conservative synagogue, Temple Isaiah. Soo and Jake are members, Mariah was interested, so we decided to make a party of it - it is, after all, a happy holiday.
It was definitely a mixed bag. Rabbi Sally (as she is - apparently fondly - known by her congregation) made me crazy. The best description I can give is a California Valley Girl turned 50. Think Joan Rivers with a few fewer (but several) face lifts. She was hugely condescending ("Let's give ourselves a hand" sort of thing), with a voice like - well, like Joan Rivers. Add that to the fact that I find it difficult these days to hear Jews spout about freedom for all given the whole Israeli fiasco, well, it just didn't work for me. On the plus side, this is one of the few Jewish holidays of which I have fond memories from when I was a kid; the food was traditional and fairly good, considering they were servicing over 100 people, and we did out bit to support the synagogue. Result: we were all glad we went (To be fair, I think Soo actually enjoyed it!) , but would probably not go again.
More company - colleague and friend Lois and her husband Alf drove my PT Cruiser from Vancouver, and arrived on Tuesday.
For those of you who don't know the saga of the PT Cruiser, I got it 8 1/2 years ago when David became terminally ill and wheelchair bound. We could manage to get him in the PT Cruiser, and he like nothing better than for me to drive him around in it. Six months later, he died. A year and a half after that, a colleague bought it, with the understanding that if he tired of it, I would buy it back from him (If there any fond memories of David's last six months, it is our trips in that car.). And so it came to pass, and since Mariah didn't have a car for down here, and Lois and Alf were happy to drive it down here, the plan was hatched.
Of course, the best laid plans. Although it was checked by my (now former) mechanic before the trip, the car broke down en route. Lois and Alf, with their usual aplomb, got it running again, and made it down without loss of life or limb or car, so, happy ending.
(Picture of PT Cruiser to follow).
And ending it is. I have gone on way too long. I meant to continue the passport saga, provide some intellectual content by talking about my classes, and even update the "What's on Nora's Night Stand" Reading List. It will have to wait til next time.
Stay with me.......
We have decided to have a party at the North End pool every Thursday at happy hour, just to chit/chat with the neighbors.
Aside from being told that we can't have liquor at the pool (who would have thought that in an over-55 park we could be thought to be so dangerous around pools and liquor? Who knew?), we had a great time. Imagine it continuing until June, when it is still too hot at happy hour to be at the pool and the parties will stop, only to reconvene in October.
There is the usual flora and fauna....
On Saturday, April 5, I headed off to the College of the Desert, not because I particularly wanted to buy anything, but because it was as good a place as any for a morning constitutional (to work up to my afternoon pool time, of course)...
(Just what I needed, another hat....)
By the time I left, it was hot hot hot, and the pool felt really good. (And yes floating in the pool without getting my reading material wet is still my only retirement skill. Next year: golf. I promise. Or maybe tennis...)
On Sunday, April 6, it was Opera in the Park. They have been doing it here for 15 years, and is one of those things that you have to get there at 9:30 A.M. for a 1:00 o'clock performance. I did, staked out a nice shady spot, and enjoyed my NY Times, until friends arrived.
They do auditions for the Met in the Coachella Valley, and all those bright young things are happy to sing the top 10 arias (more like the top 30, but who's counting). It was very lively, with a very appreciative audience. and lots of fun.
Friend Laurel came over for drinks on Monday (more oohing and aahing over the renos; I wonder if I will ever get tired of it), and friend (and PS neighbor) Mariah arrived from Seattle on Wednesday (we did our usual breakfast at Sherman's Deli to celebrate. It is getting bad when not only do you always go to the same restaurants, you always eat the same food). Once Mariah got settled in (she is only 5 houses away from me), we headed off to the Purple Room to meet (mutual) friend Soo and son Jake for drinks and catch up.
This is a former Rat Pack hangout, so they say, lovingly restored. Too noisy to hear yourself think, much less catch up, but the small plates are large and tasty and the drinks are
big pours (note, Canadians: I said pour, not measure!!)
Arlene also arrived from Seattle, on Thursday, as a treat for her successful recovery from (the 3rd) hip surgery. Always great to see Arlene, and, delightful surprise: she likes the pool too!!!
As we couldn't hear ourselves on Wednesday, Mariah and Soo and Jake were invited to my place for brunch on Sunday, where the food is also good, and the drinks are also poured and not measured, and there is the added bonus of good conversation.
Marian (standing) and Arlene at kitchen island
....and here's Soo, and, below, son Jake.
(Soo and Jake are from Seattle too, moved here full time last June, and will, no doubt, be making more frequent appearances on these pages.)
(Are you noticing a trend here? Way more entertaining is going on at Nora's B & B. David and I had always loved having people over, but I have gotten out of the habit since he died. I want to get back to it; hopefully, next year, when I am not so distracted with renovations and purse snatchings, there will be even more.)
So, there we were in the pool, Arlene and I, having cleaned up after the amazing brunch (fresh squeezed orange juice - oranges picked that morning - two types of home made quiche (asparagus and ham and mushroom and onions, for the foodies in the group), crispy bacon, rolls and coffee) when who should show up but Andrew and Elaine, colleagues and friends recently arrived from Vancouver. What can I say? These people are the most urbane, sophisticated, intellectual people I know, not to mention nice AND beautiful. (And they are devoted fans of my blog!) And they are the exception; these people are NOT creatures of habit. Oh, they like their old favorites, all right (most of theirs have now become mine), but they are always discovering and sharing new places. This time, it was a place called Workshop Kitchen and Bar, on North Palm Canyon.
It is one of those farm to table places, very trendy, but I actually didn't have to ask for a translation of the menu!!!)Good food, good company, what's not to like?
Monday, April 14 was the first night of Passover, as some of you know. Arlene had suggested a community seder at the local conservative synagogue, Temple Isaiah. Soo and Jake are members, Mariah was interested, so we decided to make a party of it - it is, after all, a happy holiday.
It was definitely a mixed bag. Rabbi Sally (as she is - apparently fondly - known by her congregation) made me crazy. The best description I can give is a California Valley Girl turned 50. Think Joan Rivers with a few fewer (but several) face lifts. She was hugely condescending ("Let's give ourselves a hand" sort of thing), with a voice like - well, like Joan Rivers. Add that to the fact that I find it difficult these days to hear Jews spout about freedom for all given the whole Israeli fiasco, well, it just didn't work for me. On the plus side, this is one of the few Jewish holidays of which I have fond memories from when I was a kid; the food was traditional and fairly good, considering they were servicing over 100 people, and we did out bit to support the synagogue. Result: we were all glad we went (To be fair, I think Soo actually enjoyed it!) , but would probably not go again.
More company - colleague and friend Lois and her husband Alf drove my PT Cruiser from Vancouver, and arrived on Tuesday.
For those of you who don't know the saga of the PT Cruiser, I got it 8 1/2 years ago when David became terminally ill and wheelchair bound. We could manage to get him in the PT Cruiser, and he like nothing better than for me to drive him around in it. Six months later, he died. A year and a half after that, a colleague bought it, with the understanding that if he tired of it, I would buy it back from him (If there any fond memories of David's last six months, it is our trips in that car.). And so it came to pass, and since Mariah didn't have a car for down here, and Lois and Alf were happy to drive it down here, the plan was hatched.
Of course, the best laid plans. Although it was checked by my (now former) mechanic before the trip, the car broke down en route. Lois and Alf, with their usual aplomb, got it running again, and made it down without loss of life or limb or car, so, happy ending.
(Picture of PT Cruiser to follow).
And ending it is. I have gone on way too long. I meant to continue the passport saga, provide some intellectual content by talking about my classes, and even update the "What's on Nora's Night Stand" Reading List. It will have to wait til next time.
Stay with me.......
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