It has become an annual tradition. Tom, Dennis and John (collectively affectionately referred to as The Bridge Boys) and I play kitchen bridge every two weeks or so in Vancouver. And once a year, they come to Palm Springs for three days of non-stop bridge.
Well, that is not exactly accurate. We do stop to eat. A lot. Tom loves to cook, and I've got a great kitchen for it. And every year, I try to introduce them to my new favourite local restaurant. This year, it was Sammy G's...
For those of you who don't remember, this is Tom (we first connected in law school, and have been playing bridge - and going to the theater - ever since) ...
....John (we can't remember whether we started playing in the 80's or the 90's). Anyway, it was a long time ago), now a neighbor as well as a friend and sometimes bridge partner...
....and finally, Dennis, who is determined to make a good bridge player of me yet. And if anyone can do it, he can...
The meal at Sammy G's was wonderful, as always (the calamari appetizer is to die for, and I am very fond of the veal picatta (sp?). We had different meals, but by all accounts they were all terrific, as was the service.
The boys left on Wednesday, and I decompressed by sitting on the patio with a drink and my friend....
Note the brilliant sunshine (eat your heart out, Vancouver)....
Further note the meally worms on the ground. If I don't get them out quickly enough, I get one of his croaks, saying "come on, now...."
This was actually Ricky. Parents Ozzie and Harriet were by earlier, by I didn't get the camera out quickly enough.
Thursday, I went to my first class of the winter semester (because of the company, I missed the first session of two others, but will catch up next week). This one is called "The Austrian Woman, taught by neighbor Vinnie, previously described.
Here he is...
He has written a book by the same name, which (I am sure you clever folks have already figured it out) is about Marie Antoinette. He is incredible knowledgeable, not to mention personable and engaging. It is going to be tremendously enjoyable. (I, of course, got an autographed copy of the book.)
I will fill you in on the other classes next week.
Decided to get started on my "must see" list of movies as well - lots to catch up to before the Oscars in March - and started with Call Me By Your Name. the gay coming-of-age movie that has received a bunch of nominations and has generated lots of good buzz. Once again, I am an outlier. Oh, the movie was pretty, all right - what is not to like about seeing the Italian countryside in summer in slow motion - but (pace Hank, who loved them) coming of age stories to me - gay or otherwise - are only of interest to the people coming of age. To me, it was entirely sweet, entirely predictable, and completely boring. Thoughts, anyone?
Friday, I was back to my regular bridge schedule, a private (relatively - there are seven of us) lesson in the morning and playing with friend Robin in the afternoon. Most of you have read about her previously, but I know at least some of you - I am talking to you, Rick - like to see her pretty face, so....
Not fair, is it? She was drop-dead gorgeous in law school (where she did not get an opening hand for our entire first year), she is still drop-dead gorgeous, and, to make matters worse, she is smart and nice as well. I am lucky to have her for a friend - and a bridge partner.
Saturday is my regular game with Alex - and we came in first in our section, giving us both bragging rights an a few master points. Yay, team! Not so lucky in the afternoon, though, losing one Scrabble game to Marvin and tying the next. We enjoy our game afternoons, though, and it is wonderful to have added Geoff and Marvin to my growing list of friends in Palm Springs.
And just to end the day, Gerry (also known as The Juke Box Man) came to my place for dinner. To recap, I met him originally at mutual friend Julie's wedding in - 2006? We reconnected through a dating web site, not that we really ever dated, and have since become fast, if infrequently seen, friends. Our lives cross both in Vancouver, and here in the desert.
Not a bad little dinner, either, if I do say so myself. I have been cooking a lot more these days, and find that I am enjoying it immensely. Let's see if I can keep it up in my much-smaller kitchen in Vancouver. In any event, it had been way too long, and it was great to catch up.
Finally, today was the annual meeting of our bridge organization; in addition to business, lunch was served and, of course, bridge was played. A played with a new partner for the first time. The results were, predictably, awful, but it was quite festive, and a good time was had by all.
What else can I tell you? I finally finished the book on the Romanov's The Afterward was probably the most interesting part of the book, the basic these of which was that the Romanovs may be gone, but the autocratic rule is still here. As for the Romanovs, they were as sexually active and morally deficient group as ever ruled an empire.
Next up, The Austrian Woman. I have read more than one book on Marie Antoinette, but I am taking the class, after all; I owe it to Vinnie to read it.
Word of the day? Churlish. I use it a lot, as in "my life is so benign, it would be churlish of me to complain". I don't know, I just like the sound of it
I am amazingly content. Whatever else is going on in the world, my life IS pretty benign., It would, indeed, be churlish of me to complain, and I feel no need to do so.
Well, that is not exactly accurate. We do stop to eat. A lot. Tom loves to cook, and I've got a great kitchen for it. And every year, I try to introduce them to my new favourite local restaurant. This year, it was Sammy G's...
For those of you who don't remember, this is Tom (we first connected in law school, and have been playing bridge - and going to the theater - ever since) ...
....John (we can't remember whether we started playing in the 80's or the 90's). Anyway, it was a long time ago), now a neighbor as well as a friend and sometimes bridge partner...
....and finally, Dennis, who is determined to make a good bridge player of me yet. And if anyone can do it, he can...
The meal at Sammy G's was wonderful, as always (the calamari appetizer is to die for, and I am very fond of the veal picatta (sp?). We had different meals, but by all accounts they were all terrific, as was the service.
The boys left on Wednesday, and I decompressed by sitting on the patio with a drink and my friend....
Note the brilliant sunshine (eat your heart out, Vancouver)....
Further note the meally worms on the ground. If I don't get them out quickly enough, I get one of his croaks, saying "come on, now...."
This was actually Ricky. Parents Ozzie and Harriet were by earlier, by I didn't get the camera out quickly enough.
Thursday, I went to my first class of the winter semester (because of the company, I missed the first session of two others, but will catch up next week). This one is called "The Austrian Woman, taught by neighbor Vinnie, previously described.
Here he is...
He has written a book by the same name, which (I am sure you clever folks have already figured it out) is about Marie Antoinette. He is incredible knowledgeable, not to mention personable and engaging. It is going to be tremendously enjoyable. (I, of course, got an autographed copy of the book.)
I will fill you in on the other classes next week.
Decided to get started on my "must see" list of movies as well - lots to catch up to before the Oscars in March - and started with Call Me By Your Name. the gay coming-of-age movie that has received a bunch of nominations and has generated lots of good buzz. Once again, I am an outlier. Oh, the movie was pretty, all right - what is not to like about seeing the Italian countryside in summer in slow motion - but (pace Hank, who loved them) coming of age stories to me - gay or otherwise - are only of interest to the people coming of age. To me, it was entirely sweet, entirely predictable, and completely boring. Thoughts, anyone?
Friday, I was back to my regular bridge schedule, a private (relatively - there are seven of us) lesson in the morning and playing with friend Robin in the afternoon. Most of you have read about her previously, but I know at least some of you - I am talking to you, Rick - like to see her pretty face, so....
Not fair, is it? She was drop-dead gorgeous in law school (where she did not get an opening hand for our entire first year), she is still drop-dead gorgeous, and, to make matters worse, she is smart and nice as well. I am lucky to have her for a friend - and a bridge partner.
Saturday is my regular game with Alex - and we came in first in our section, giving us both bragging rights an a few master points. Yay, team! Not so lucky in the afternoon, though, losing one Scrabble game to Marvin and tying the next. We enjoy our game afternoons, though, and it is wonderful to have added Geoff and Marvin to my growing list of friends in Palm Springs.
And just to end the day, Gerry (also known as The Juke Box Man) came to my place for dinner. To recap, I met him originally at mutual friend Julie's wedding in - 2006? We reconnected through a dating web site, not that we really ever dated, and have since become fast, if infrequently seen, friends. Our lives cross both in Vancouver, and here in the desert.
Not a bad little dinner, either, if I do say so myself. I have been cooking a lot more these days, and find that I am enjoying it immensely. Let's see if I can keep it up in my much-smaller kitchen in Vancouver. In any event, it had been way too long, and it was great to catch up.
Finally, today was the annual meeting of our bridge organization; in addition to business, lunch was served and, of course, bridge was played. A played with a new partner for the first time. The results were, predictably, awful, but it was quite festive, and a good time was had by all.
What else can I tell you? I finally finished the book on the Romanov's The Afterward was probably the most interesting part of the book, the basic these of which was that the Romanovs may be gone, but the autocratic rule is still here. As for the Romanovs, they were as sexually active and morally deficient group as ever ruled an empire.
Next up, The Austrian Woman. I have read more than one book on Marie Antoinette, but I am taking the class, after all; I owe it to Vinnie to read it.
Word of the day? Churlish. I use it a lot, as in "my life is so benign, it would be churlish of me to complain". I don't know, I just like the sound of it
I am amazingly content. Whatever else is going on in the world, my life IS pretty benign., It would, indeed, be churlish of me to complain, and I feel no need to do so.
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