Somehow, as soon as I made the plane reservation, my life has turned from Vancouver to Palm Springs, although I'm not leaving for two and a half weeks. Not as much enthusiasm as in previous years, but I think that has less to do with Palm Springs than it does with my mood
Meanwhile, another week managed to zip by....
And another birthday, this time, Deb, the third of the unholy threesome from law school. As always, we stopped at her place for a drink before dinner, and found her granddaughter, who immediately found me, the only person in the room who was not gaga over her, and climbed on my lap. I thought it had to be immortalized.....
She was pretty cute, though, huh? But then, I only had to deal with her for three minutes!!! Then we were off, a new (for us) restaurant this time, Il Buca (and yes, I know the tense is wrong. I actually forgot to ask what it means, but since the food, the wine, and the service were all fab, I didn't much care by the end of the evening....
...and the continuation of another tradition, dim sum with Richard for our respective birthdays ((it is a little early for his birthday, but he is off to Africa and I am off to Palm Springs, so...) , this time joined by his wife (and my friend) Linda, again at Kirin, downtown (when I say we are creatures of habit......although I understand our very favourite, The Victoria, is opening again next year....)
....followed on Thursday by (yet another) goodbye. Zoltan and Robert, our IT guys, are leaving us, one of those government things - has to go out on tender, yatta, yatta, yatta, so, after 10 years, we had to lose two really great guys, who knew their stuff and were happy to put up with our complete disinterest in technology in spite of having to use it. They were treated pretty shabbily, I think, but anyway, they are being pretty philosophical about it, and it was a great lunch (at Fog & Suds, a local pub, for those keeping track)
This is Robert.....
...and Zoltan (Zoli, but just to me)....
Friend Deb (a different one, although also previously seen on these pages) had an extra ticket for a concert series she goes to in White Rock, I dropped by her place for a bit of dinner (that is the second time she has cooked for me - she may shame me into cooking yet!), and then off to the concert. It was at a Baptist church, which held, I don't know, maybe three hundred people, and there wasn't an empty seat. I knew a surprising number of the audience, some through bridge at Robin's house, some through Thursday bridge at the club, even a few colleagues from work. Vancouver really is a small town that way, you trip over a lot of the same people. It was nice,though, especially as the concert itself, while lovely, made me melancholy.
The pianist was John O'Conor, technically very good, although a bit cold for my taste. Why melancholy? He played some Beethoven Bagatelles, as well as the Pathetique, and Schubert's Sonata in C Minor. all of which my mother used to play....and yes, I remember that I didn't like my mother, but still, she was the one who taught me the piano (such as it was) and to listen to music, and to go to the opera from the time I was six, and a lot of time (30 years, in fact) has passed since she died.) Anyway, the acoustics were lovely, it was a sweet concert, and a little melancholy never hurt anyone.
So, that was Friday. Saturday morning, I was on the ferry to Victoria, for yet more melancholy, this time thinking about David. I, of course, commuted on the ferry for years from Salt Spring Island, and the fog is melancholy-inducing anyway....
....took the bus into town, where friend Deirdre picked me up, and we were off for dim sum....
For someone who has been through the breast cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, losing her hair and her energy and her mind thing for the past six months, she looks pretty good, doesn't she? Still tired, though, so after a bit of a walk in down town Victoria...
...we were back to her house for a nap (I, of course, was thrilled, since I love my naps). Then off to see Lois and Alf in their new house. And no, that is not their house. But if you have to stay somewhere while you are renovating, it is always nice to have a view....
And after a drink and a nibble at the local pub in Sidney, I was on the nine o'clock ferry home. I bitched lot about ferries and buses and the class of people on public transportation, but it was actually a lovely day. (I am getting altogether too grumpy. I am going to have to put a lid on it, or I won't have any friends to play with!)
I still have a few, though. and John, Dennis (yes, the bridge boys) and I went for a hike on Sunday at the UBC Endowment Lands. It was a glorious, Indian Summer day, John did not get over - exuberant in planning the hike, and so a good time was had by all....
,,,,followed, of course, by lunch at the golf club....
...and yes, it was time to go to our respective homes for our respective naps.
Leaving me just enough time to do my Dotty Domestic stuff before the start of another work week (only three more before Palm Springs!).
I was going to tell you about my latest read, but will save that for next time....
Meanwhile, another week managed to zip by....
And another birthday, this time, Deb, the third of the unholy threesome from law school. As always, we stopped at her place for a drink before dinner, and found her granddaughter, who immediately found me, the only person in the room who was not gaga over her, and climbed on my lap. I thought it had to be immortalized.....
She was pretty cute, though, huh? But then, I only had to deal with her for three minutes!!! Then we were off, a new (for us) restaurant this time, Il Buca (and yes, I know the tense is wrong. I actually forgot to ask what it means, but since the food, the wine, and the service were all fab, I didn't much care by the end of the evening....
...and the continuation of another tradition, dim sum with Richard for our respective birthdays ((it is a little early for his birthday, but he is off to Africa and I am off to Palm Springs, so...) , this time joined by his wife (and my friend) Linda, again at Kirin, downtown (when I say we are creatures of habit......although I understand our very favourite, The Victoria, is opening again next year....)
....followed on Thursday by (yet another) goodbye. Zoltan and Robert, our IT guys, are leaving us, one of those government things - has to go out on tender, yatta, yatta, yatta, so, after 10 years, we had to lose two really great guys, who knew their stuff and were happy to put up with our complete disinterest in technology in spite of having to use it. They were treated pretty shabbily, I think, but anyway, they are being pretty philosophical about it, and it was a great lunch (at Fog & Suds, a local pub, for those keeping track)
This is Robert.....
...and Zoltan (Zoli, but just to me)....
Friend Deb (a different one, although also previously seen on these pages) had an extra ticket for a concert series she goes to in White Rock, I dropped by her place for a bit of dinner (that is the second time she has cooked for me - she may shame me into cooking yet!), and then off to the concert. It was at a Baptist church, which held, I don't know, maybe three hundred people, and there wasn't an empty seat. I knew a surprising number of the audience, some through bridge at Robin's house, some through Thursday bridge at the club, even a few colleagues from work. Vancouver really is a small town that way, you trip over a lot of the same people. It was nice,though, especially as the concert itself, while lovely, made me melancholy.
The pianist was John O'Conor, technically very good, although a bit cold for my taste. Why melancholy? He played some Beethoven Bagatelles, as well as the Pathetique, and Schubert's Sonata in C Minor. all of which my mother used to play....and yes, I remember that I didn't like my mother, but still, she was the one who taught me the piano (such as it was) and to listen to music, and to go to the opera from the time I was six, and a lot of time (30 years, in fact) has passed since she died.) Anyway, the acoustics were lovely, it was a sweet concert, and a little melancholy never hurt anyone.
So, that was Friday. Saturday morning, I was on the ferry to Victoria, for yet more melancholy, this time thinking about David. I, of course, commuted on the ferry for years from Salt Spring Island, and the fog is melancholy-inducing anyway....
....took the bus into town, where friend Deirdre picked me up, and we were off for dim sum....
For someone who has been through the breast cancer, chemotherapy, radiation, losing her hair and her energy and her mind thing for the past six months, she looks pretty good, doesn't she? Still tired, though, so after a bit of a walk in down town Victoria...
...we were back to her house for a nap (I, of course, was thrilled, since I love my naps). Then off to see Lois and Alf in their new house. And no, that is not their house. But if you have to stay somewhere while you are renovating, it is always nice to have a view....
And after a drink and a nibble at the local pub in Sidney, I was on the nine o'clock ferry home. I bitched lot about ferries and buses and the class of people on public transportation, but it was actually a lovely day. (I am getting altogether too grumpy. I am going to have to put a lid on it, or I won't have any friends to play with!)
I still have a few, though. and John, Dennis (yes, the bridge boys) and I went for a hike on Sunday at the UBC Endowment Lands. It was a glorious, Indian Summer day, John did not get over - exuberant in planning the hike, and so a good time was had by all....
,,,,followed, of course, by lunch at the golf club....
...and yes, it was time to go to our respective homes for our respective naps.
Leaving me just enough time to do my Dotty Domestic stuff before the start of another work week (only three more before Palm Springs!).
I was going to tell you about my latest read, but will save that for next time....
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