Summer to Winter, without an Intervening Fall

The rains have come early this year.  It has been monsooning since I last wrote - as much rain in one five day period as is usual in the whole month of September.  I don't mind the rain, it is the unceasing grey that makes me tired.  Oh, well.  That is why I go to the desert.....

There has been a little excitement.  I walk for a few hours each evening (it is not power walking, I assure you, but it is something).  I got home one evening to discover my neighbors clustered around my building and the fire alarm screeching...

Friends Ross and Lesley were camping it up, so I knew it couldn't be too serious...

.....sorry about the sideways view of the arriving firemen (my usual technical difficulties), but even at that angle, you can just feel the testosterone..

It was, of course, a false alarm, but at least we know the alarms work...

So, what else has happened?  Friend Jack and I went to the movies to see Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, the latest Quentin Tarantino offering.  I am usually not a big fan, but Jack liked it well enough to see it twice, so I was willing to chance it.  It was actually great.  It is the Manson/Sharon Tate story with a different ending, full of subtle - and not so subtle - references to the Roman Polanski story and other Hollywood tales, and the violence was absolutely suitable.  The cinematography was great, with lots of cameos by actors old and young.  Can you tell I liked it?

Went for a walk and dinner at the White Spot (Canada's Denny's, without the racism) , with friend John...

(yes, it had stopped raining), and another night out with friend Deirdre at Romers, the local pub (and yes, I will try to get back in the habit of taking pictures....

Friend John (another one) visited from Palm Springs with new partner Tom (his former partner, my friend Jim), died last year - of smoking), and although I had met Tom before I left Palm Springs last season, this was a nice chance to get to know him better.  We went to dim sum at my local venue, The Flamingo, and dinner at my all time favourite, The Shanghai River.  In between, John cooked...

.....and Tom and I ate...

The boys wanted to go to Granville Island, and only for them would I do it.  The market displays are beautiful...

(Honestly, I edited these pictures, and rotated them.  What can I say?)  ....but there are just too many people.  Anyway, it was a short visit, but I enjoyed having them.

Jack and his friend Keltie and I went lunch at the Spaghetti Factory (where I hadn't been in decades and now have been twice in a week)...



and then to the National Theater Live performance of The Lehman Trilogy, about the rise and fall of Lehman Brothers (yes, that  Lehman Brothers), a new play by Sam Mendes about the rise and spectacular fall of same.  If you get a chance to see it, do; it is a wonderful play, and, at least if Wikipedia is to be believed, historically accurate.  As far as I'm concerned, Sam Mendes is one of the most talented directors around.

Finally, Jack, his daughter Julia and I went to Bard on the Beach and saw Coriolanus, the first time Bard has done this in its 26 year history.  And a good job they did of it too; I was glad to see that it was sold out, and has been throughout the run.  They had women in the major roles, and it worked very well.  It is truly amazing how relevant Shakespeare is lo these 400 years later.  I mean, what is not relevant about the pitfalls of rule of the rabble?

We had a light dinner after at Rocky Mountain Flatbread...

....and then home, to think it all over.....

A few books to report on, but it will have to wait.  Bed is calling.....  More anon.