It is the ability to take a joke, not make one, that proves you have a
sense of humor. -Max Eastman, journalist and poet (4 Jan 1883-1969)
Hi Bridge Players! I'm sorry to say that Lady Dar has come down with a nasty cold. She woke up at 3:00 am this morning and felt just miserable. [I think she caught a virus from Spumoni's email!] Obviously, we don't want to expose you so think it best to cancel this evening. At the moment, she is huddled under mountains of blankets, on the couch, in the Rumpus Room, with Duke and Etta as tummy/foot warmers! For my part, I'm enjoying all the fabulous bridge prizes that I get to keep for myself!
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Swami Vivekananda
Photo: Thomas Harrison, 1893
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Patrick, I am sorry to hear that Corinne is sick. There seems to be lots of cold bugs floating around. Lots of people down with it. Kitty cats love it when you are sick. You don't move very much so they get a nice warm heater all day🐱 Have a great day and stay healthy. Pam Poor Lady Dar, I am so sorry. At least I can see she has a very nice companion ( no, I am not talking about you Patrick ). Till next time then, and say hello, and speedy recovery for Corrine Cheers, Mike
Dearest Lynne and HAL, (Computer "Voice" in 2001: A Space Odyssey, in case you are wondering!), aka, Maltos Dom Jugos! Thank you both, so very much, for the simply divine evening, the more than plenteous libations and the feast fabuloso and extraordinaire. It was terrific to see you and spend time together, especially since you are off, shortly, to warmer climes.
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Pundit Ravi Shankar
Photo:
PeterTea
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As we discussed, I'll be waiting for you to collect me on Friday morning, sometime around 5:15 am, is that correct? At any rate, give us a call on Thursday evening to confirm details about airport run, etc.
Furthermore, Malt Man, I received your voice-recognition generated message so I would appreciate knowing a bit more about the software as I'd like to explore this possibility, even though I know that many, [Most! All!], of my correspondents shudder at the thought of even longer messages! If I can use this technology, I will make an empty promise, on a stack of empty wine bottles, that I will provide executive summaries so that recipients won't have to wade through countless reams of long-winded, hyperbolic text! Cheque's in the mail!
Again, thanks so very much for everything but most of all for your enduring friendship! Fondestos from Lady Dar. Travel safely and take care of each other in a Healthy New Year. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hi Kids! This is the message I sent to Lynne and Peter after last night's dinner at their place. Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio!
Tell Mom her haircut looks great!
Hi Patrick, Time on Friday morning at your place will be about 5:55. We need to be at the airport 45 minutes before scheduled departure of 6:00 AM, so will allow 20 minutes from your place to airport, which provides a small cushion for nervous spouse. Thanks again for volunteering for car relocation services. We also enjoyed the evening very much. [Patrick, Fabulous photos, thanks for documenting the evening so well. Cheers, Peter] I don’t know that voice recognition is available for earthbound Apple laptops. I think it is a feature of iPhones and iPads, but not sure. Peter
Hi again, Time Traveler! From voice-recognition software to faster than the speed of light travel in less than a blink of an eye! I assume you meant to say 4:55 am, not 5:55 am!
I have Siri on my Mac Book Air and I think I can use this software to compose messages. However, I believe I need to use Mac Mail and I haven't yet figured out how to set up the various server settings. I might need to have a Skype session with Ragin' Bull, my computer guru. I currently use UBC's Outlook client and will need to import my contacts list into the Mac system as well. Always something! Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio! Correct 4:55 it's just hard to say a time that early. Buenos días, Dom Jugos! Will be shivering on the front porch at 4:55 am! I experienced the same difficulty with Siri who insisted that my name was "T" instead of "P" Dunn! Cheers, Tatrizzio! Gracias, Mr. T. Better to stand inside the door. Cheers, Peter
Hi Airport Bound People! I'll post Etta and Duke outside. Duke could probably drive your car. When I was loading our vehicle, the Thursday we left for LA, I had the trunk open and was back and forth, bringing out bags, etc. When I came out on one trip the emergency flashers were on. At the time, I was rather puzzled but didn't really didn't give it much thought, believing it had something to do with the tailgate being open for a prolonged period. Later on, when I put something in the front seat I noticed tell-tail paw prints on the console between the seats! Earlier, I found him wriggling among the baggage already in the car. When I was inside I presume he must have inadvertently touched the flasher button as part of his ever curious explorations! Just glad the key wasn't in the ignition or else he might have driven away! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Tatrick, Please keep your cats chained up. We don’t want them driving off with the car. Peter Jugos! Duke could give Houdini a lesson in slipping out of chains! You might want to drive your Kubota to our place as I don't think Duke has mastered a stick shift yet. Lynne and I and baggage can ride in bucket! Cheers, Tatrick! Feliz navidad mi amigo! I hope 2017 brings much happiness and yet more great adventures. Colleen had a different kind of email regarding New years in light of some of the people we lost and political goings on etc. Happy new year 2016...don't forget to go fuck yourself! lol thanks for the card ...take care and ttys.
Hola Queridos Amigos! Quite the message to send off 2016! Thank you for the New Year's wishes and pleased to learn that you had a grand celebration at Sunshine Valley, in spite of the "backstory issues"! Thought of you as we sped by on New Year's Day. Had half a mind to stop to say hello but poor Lady Dar was starting to come down with a cold so decided it would be wiser not to expose everyone. As you might imagine, she didn't feel all that chipper.
Terrific that you are going to be working in order to keep the Big Bad Wolf from the door and enable you to keep on with cabin project, among other things.
Really
sounds as if you are well and truly in the grip of a deep-freeze winter not only in Bobcat country but also in town! Not completely sure, as of this writing, but our next trip to Vancouver
probably won't be until early March, weekend of 11th and 12th, to be
specific, as those are the dates for the Rugby 7's, event I attended
last year. Lady Dar is off to Winnipeg at the end
of this month, mainly to see Dusty, who seems to be becoming frailer and
frailer, as well as to celebrate Rosita's 92nd in early February. Sad
to say but at the rate her Dad is losing weight, I trust she doesn't
have to leave earlier!
Again, Healthy New Year to you, Big Al, and Marilyn. Fondestos from Lady Dar to the gang. All the best, Bobcat Man. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Pat, When Sylvia was staying in Harrogate in 2015 with her friend (another physio from North Van), they got together with the Brownlees and found Christine to be in some distress with her back and she was limping quite badly. They weren't sure what was wrong but knew it was something serious. Eventually, the NHS found out she had MS. They don't dwell on it but it sounds as though Christine tires easily. She's a tough person who doesn't seem to complain and just gets on with life the best she can.
Managed to push my car out today with Sylvia at the wheel. There was some sand on the Highbury hill and quite a pile of sand at the junction which I shoveled under the wheels and it didn't take us long to get in motion.
Sylvia is at her painting class at Dunbar tonight and she is off skiing with Jenny and Sean tomorrow at Seymour. She will borrow her friend's car in North Van as we don't have snow tires. I will spend the rest of the evening reading Black Widow by Chris Brookmyre.
We are able to receive some of the BBC programs through our computer onto the big screen. I don't watch much but it was certainly handy for the rugby internationals in the autumn. They retain some of the popular programs for about a month. It sounds as if you and Corinne are comfortable and warm in your home. Ray
Hi BCAA Man! Glad you were able to free your car! However, I'm surprised you didn't get into a fight over the sand you used. Have heard that things managed to get rather nasty at some of the fire-halls where people were lining up for salt! News reports sound like a post-apocalyptic movie: Mad Max Beyond Ice Dome!
Thank you for providing some of the background to Christine's illness. I agree, she always seemed to me, to be very resilient over the course of our visit and never complained about anything during our stay and on various outings. Of course, this was two years before she was eventually diagnosed but perhaps she may well have been experiencing early symptoms.
Just had a message from Sarge and about the VWF fund-raiser, A Dram Come True. it takes place on Friday, March 10th so I'm planning to attend. Since the HSBC Canada Sevens tournament will be at BC Place Stadium that weekend it makes perfect sense to go to that as well. I know Mike, Andrew and Richard are going. I'll ask Ted Keating and Bill Gross if they are interested. Fondestos, to one and all, from Lady Dar. Must away as I've been ordered to lay a fire! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi everyone, As of last night, we have officially launched the tickets for this year’s Dram. Please see below for the official invite that you can share with all of your friends, family and colleagues. Happy holidays, Andrew Forshner
A Dram Come True 2017: Are you guys planning to come in for this event. Hi Sarge! Yes, I'm planning to attend. Should I buy a ticket or go through you? In the past, there was a bit of a competition among Dram Board Members to see who could sell most tickets. I often purchased from Paul Whitney. Just let me know before the 9th.
Furthermore, that weekend, Saturday and Sunday, the 2017 HSBC Canada Sevens tournament will be at BC Place Stadium, so I'm going to that as well. Are you interested? Mike Carter, Ted Keating, Ray Banks and other assorted squash/rugby friends are going so it is loads of fun. Play is simply remarkable, if you've not seen 7's before. Each match is only about 15 minutes, 7 per half, so there is constant action. You have to time going to the bathroom or buying a beer or else you miss a game, I'm not kidding! Of course, some of the initial pairings, based on seedings, are lop-sided so one can usually afford to miss some of these. On Sunday, most matchings have been sorted, based on results of earlier play, so make for very exciting games at every level.
Lady Dar will probably not be coming into town. She is still waiting to hear from Clarisse about when she should fly back to Winnipeg. Rosita might be having some minor tear-duct surgery so Cora Lee would like to be there to help out, and spend time with Dusty, of course. As soon as date for surgery is confirmed, (Rosie sees her specialist on January 18th.), Mme Coriandre will book her flight. Fondestos, to one and all, from Lady Dar. Hello to Flamin'. Let me know what you think and we'll plan accordingly. Cheers, Patrizzio!
Tummler and Corinne, Happy New Year. Hope this finds you well and all is good at the Burns Street gin joint. Thanks for the card which we cannot open a the moment. We are just scrambling to get outa here in the morning. Oaxaca mañna. Have not got our heads around it but will adapt somehow when we land. Please send me your snail mail address and I will forward it to Charlie so he can mail your cheque to you. It was waiting for pick up by your courier service which never showed. Hope we can catch up sometime soon by Skype or across the pond. Fond regards to all, G&J
Hello Oaxaca! Happy New Year! Trust all goes well in Mañana Land. Wind surfing with Margaritas? Must apologize for not being in touch with you, or Carlos The Jackal, when we were in Vancouver at the end of December. Hard to obtain couriers of any quality these days. Nevertheless, as I've said, on many, many occasions, "No excuses, but plenty of reasons!" With respect to malt futures, I haven't yet begun to collect payment but had Ragin' over for dinner, at Heartbreak Terrace with Clan Sutherland, Friday before New Year's Eve, and he will be cheque aggregator for Lower Mainland Juiceheads. Will be in touch, regarding details, early this coming week and will include The Jackal in message so that he doesn't cash cheque and head for warmer climes!
Not to put a damper on your 80 Days, and more, Around the World, as I know you are well aware of the real world beyond the shores of Galiano, but travel safely and take care of each other. In this vein, I regret to inform you that we have decided that we won't be travelling to Europe this Spring. Not for reasons of unease, with respect terror attacks, but rather for our concern about the state of Dusty's deteriorating health.
This, of course, means that I won't be cycling in Hungary or elsewhere, this spring or early summer as all our international travel plans had to be re-thought with Dusty's current health issues. At any rate, we will have to travel, vicariously, through your reports! On the other hand, depending on how things unfold, (Dusty's health and our bank accounts), we are still "toying" with a trip to Europe in early September. Still far too soon to make concrete plans but our friends in both England and France have given us open invitations. Very disappointed, of course, for many reasons, main one being not being able to connect with you two, in exotic locales, but but realize it is right thing to do, given, above all, Dusty's failing health.
So there you have it, travel fiends. Look forward to hearing from you, especially since your dream trip has started. Enjoy each and every moment as you will be amazed at how quickly the time will pass. At the moment, it may well seem that you have aeons stretching ahead but in little more than a blink of an eye you will be back and whining about Visa bills! Fondest of Fondestos from her to you both. Cheers, Querida de queridos amigos, Patrizzio! Pics: Blanket Kittens send their greetings to Orphan Morita!
Thank you for your thoughtful card, Patrick! I am miles away from you all. Currently on Koh Phangan (Island), Thailand with my partner in crime and companion, Murray. We are in the midst of stormy weather here as it is monsoon season. Hoping to leave the island by January 7 and head over to Krabi where we meet with the skipper that Murray sailed with last winter. Heading south to some small islands towards Malaysia. Home late February. A great trip so far! Cheers, Sharon Aka sokanaganprincess
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