Like all weak men he laid an exaggerated stress on not changing one's mind. -William Somerset Maugham, writer (25 Jan 1874-1965)
Patriçio, I watched a very interesting movie last night - “The Girl on the Train”. Oddly enough, it got mixed reviews, and scored not so good on “Rotton Tomatoes" … but I found it riveting. A really well done psychological thriller. Very well acted. I will say no more! I had to buy it off the iTunes store, but still cheaper than going downtown. Bus fare, admission, $20 popcorn …
Maybe you would like to come over for a movie night while in town, or, I could "lend" it to you as I have software that will strip out the (you don’t want to know). Or, I guess it will be on Netflix at one point. Put it on your list. Catch up when you get here. The Arbutus Line is now paved all the way to 75th … maybe a ride? I have a spare “retro” bike - not up to your standards but hey … No confirmations on potential bridge victims yet ... cheers//bjp
Hi Ragin'! Glad you enjoyed The Girl on the Train. So did I. We saw it a couple of months ago, now, I think. Ordinarily I'd be delighted to have a movie night but every night of the visit is already booked. Perhaps a ride, during the day, on Thursday or Friday. Would be keen to see The Arbutus Line. I might be able to borrow Sarge's bike but thanks for offer of a "retro"! Fondestos and Cheers, Ragin', Il Conduttore/Patrizzio! Up far earlier than I wanted. Talk about "monkey business"! To whit, Etta and Duke were annoyed with me this morning, as was I with Duke, anyway. They started "agitating" to go out at 6:00 am. I really didn't want to get up then so I made as if I was going to let them out, walking through the house to the Rumpus Room which leads to the garage where there is a cat door. They, of course, dashed ahead, making for the exit, so to speak. Once they were in the Rumpus Room I closed the door between it and the hallway! There is also a cat door into the garage where we have their litter boxes so I knew they had "options". Went back to bed and slept until 7:30 am and I received some very nasty looks until I opened the outside cat door!
Hello Spiller Road Hosts! Thank you both for last night's gathering and fabulous, fabulous junk food!! Bridge prizes weren't all that great, however! Nevertheless, loads of fun. Thanks, as well, of course, Olga Polga, for chauffering me. Much appreciated.
As I might have mentioned, Lady Dar won't be back until Wednesday, March 1st so I would like to know about bridge that week. Do you both wish to play on Tuesday and Wednesday? Rolly Polly curls on Tuesday evenings so she is out on that night. Pamela is available either night. I assume Josinta wants Wednesday. Let me know what you think and I'll try to juggle the cards! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Yes great bridge night - hope you were okay with the wine and whisky!! Generally we'd only want to play once a week. Perhaps have Tues one week and Wed the next if that would suit people!! We're available either night. bye Gill and Phil
Hi Patrizzio, Yes, that night was an enjoyable evening. Thank you so much for making the arrangements. Chin up buddy and don't get too lonely until your lovely wife gets back home and try to stay out of trouble. Yes, bridge on Wed. evening really works and thank you for inviting me to dine with you two lovely people. I'll be at your place around 5pm. See you then, hugs, Olly
Hi Olga Polga! Hope your legs are feeling better. Did you go snowshoeing today? I went for a wonderful ride today. Look forward to dinner and bridge on Wednesday. No time to be lonely with the cats to keep in line. Fondestos and Cheers, Rolly Polly! Patrizzio!
Hi OF'ies, For Monday the plan is to do Fire Mountain from OK Falls (start from
McClean Creek Road). So meet at 9:00AM at HH in Penticton. Summerlanders can meet at 8:40AM at the IGA and drive to HH in Penticton to meet at 9:00AM.
Hope to see you there! Tony & Aart
Set off just before 1:00 pm as there was quite a bit of frost this morning. However, the sun was beginning to melt it when I first started to scribe, around 8:10 am. The Marriage Mobile was parked on Burns and and I could see the windshield glinting as the rays shooed the ice away. Yesterday, I picked up my road bike from shop where I had taken it for a tune-up, a few days ago, and today I planned to go for my first ride of the new year in the early afternoon, when, presumably, any frost should have been long gone. Had enough to worry about with winter grit on the road surfaces without having to be on the look-out for black ice!
Day was simply gorgeous and sunshine almost made me delirious. However, there was a coolish north wind, at about 10 kph, so for the first 5 km or so, whenever I rode into it, my face felt pretty raw and chilled. That being said, the slight discomfort soon abated and the rest of my layered and well insulated self was toasty, and quite comfortably so. Had my "lobsters" on, over the thin pair of gloves I usually wear with my snowshoeing mitts. Glad I had done this as there is almost nothing worse than having frozen hands.
Hadn't really decided where I'd ride but once I was at the Penticton Tennis Club I figured I'd start with the tried and true Lakeshore/Riverside route regulare, in good part, because it was flat, but also I thought that these main streets would probably be relatively grit free. Turned out to be the case so I decided I'd stay with this "gerbil" treadmill. Felt so terrifically good to be back on the road again, [Last rides were in Tinsel Town over Christmas.], that it didn't really matter where I was so long as I was outside.
Not overly much traffic so that was a benefit as at times there were patches of fine sand and some loose pea gravel so I could swing out farther into the road to avoid this loose, and potentially hazardous, grit. After my "sandpaper" spill, last September, I was very careful indeed. That being said, almost the entire route was really very clean so I couldn't complain.
By the time I'd reached the small mall at the end of Riverside I'd decided I'd run the loop off Lakeshore, down Power to Westminster Ave and back to Riverside to begin chalking up the distance I wanted. So did just that, repeating it three or for times so that when I was back at PTC I had 17 km on the clock. Here I toyed with climbing Vancouver Ave and making for Middle Bench, for a couple of loop there but decided I stay with the flatlanders for today, so headed for Lakeshore again to stat the whole process over.
Guess I had warmed to the ride, psychologically, (Physically, I was as comfortable as I could ever want to be. Pleased that stationary cycling and deep-water walking have kept me in reasonable shape but I know I need to put in longer distances, coupled with hill work.), by then as last two thirds of the ride seemed almost effortless. I took to standing for the relatively short distances I had to fight the head wind and enjoyed that immensely. While I certainly appreciate the stationary bike, the arms on the particular model I'm using make it virtually impossible to stand in the pedals so I miss that ability to change position. Before I knew, I was close to logging the distance I wanted when back at PTC so I made a short loop around Burnaby Ave and made for home.
Wind was at my back as I headed along Ellis so that was an added bonus. I wasn't going to worry about my AVG but I was pleased to see that I managed to hold it at 18.7 kph. For the early part of the ride I was snailing along at 17.6 kph, being a tad cautious until I scoped the road conditions. Anyway, back at Burns by about 3:45 pm to let Etta and Duke out. Once I'd stowed my Trek I put on my Crocs to chop a bit of kindling while the kittens rolled around on the still warm pavement of the driveway. They really love to be outside with us. They'll frolic and wrestle, check in, inspect the dwindling wood pile, climb the neighbour's fence and then race off, to the front of the house, or elsewhere, never tired of exploring. Cheers! Map and Stats for ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1588587918#.WK-CfxD1TNE.emai
Once I'd split what I needed, I brought it, and a basket of firewood, inside before making dinner preparations. Put a number of small broccoli heads in a saucepan and added some chicken broth. Let it simmer while I made a mixed green salad. Wanted to give Etta and Duke a bit of a treat so I topped it with a small can of tuna, pouring of the juice for them, into small bowls. Didn't last long, let me tell you. Lady Dar has done this before so they knew right away what was in store!
Then a quick shower to return and enjoy my fare. Kittens are sleeping in the Rumpus Room while I continue to scribe and listen to jazz on CBC One's Tonic, with Tim Tamashiro. I really like him as host. I rarely watch TV. Yes, Netflix while riding the stationary cycle, but otherwise, not when I'm alone. Of course, I do enjoy the various series we record but I am happy to wait until Lady Dar returns to catch up. In fact, I leave the radio, beside the bed, on all night. Cannot do it when Lady Dar is home as it keeps her awake. I just drift in and out of sleep and have wonderful, technicolour dreams, many based on fragments of what I'm hearing. Furthermore, I can do all sorts of things while listening, (housework, meal preparation, even reading if it is music of some sort), but like to focus completely on what's on the screen if watching.
Anyway, what a day and then what an evening. Might even have to have a snort of malt just to remind myself how very, very good life is! Yes indeedy! However, I really don't need a reason, of any kind, for more malt! Reason enough, in and of itself, Dear Reader! Plan to read more chapters of February, my selection for our first book club meeting on March 16th, after sending a few more messages. Will have a pot-luck dinner here. There will be seven of us, including Lady Dar and myself. One of the women is Senka Tennant, owner, (along with her husband, Roberto), and wine-maker at Terravista, above Naramata Road. Wonderful couple, fabulous wine!
Hi Mr Fjord! Terrific to chat today. Thanks for calling. I trust you will meet all your current trials and tribulations head-on and come out light years ahead! Onward!! Fight!!! As I mentioned, was just about to step out the door for my ride when you called. Once we'd said goodbye, the second time, after being cut-off, I set off. Must away, Patrizzio The Younger, as I need to stoke the fire.Fondestos and Cheers, my dear friend, Patrizzio!
Well that is quite the entrepreneurial venture. How perfect for Corinne and her talents! I am very much impressed! Do they work together on each event?
Those pets of yours are precocious to say the least. What fun!
Today, our babysitting day, was full of fun as well. After reading stories and playing trains we drove to our place for a snack of grapes, bananas and poppy seed loaf. Then went for a drive towards Chase to allow his master to get his nap in. Then it was lunch and a session of painting and nursery rhymes on the iPad, followed by a group session of blowing bubbles in the sunshine. Papa just took him to the park while I make dinner. We are definitely reverting to childhood.
Hello Grand-parenting Folk! You both must be a wonderful help to Dana but I'm sure you love/enjoy every minute! Kian is a heart-throb already. Good luck high school gals!
While it is quite a venture, this coming season will see her first weddings so she'll have a much better idea of endeavour at the end of October. While she certainly hopes she'll cover expenses and, hopefully, a bit more, she really isn't doing it for the money. Probably a natural extension of her past work with St James United, in Vancouver, and now her involvement with Oasis here, plus her managerial experience/public speaking with VPL. I applaud it and am certainly pleased for her as well. With respect to Judith, she is, in fact, "the competition" but, if anything, they are nothing but friendly rivals. I'm sure they'd both delighted to work together should the occasion arise.
Once we'd said goodbye, I went riding. Fondestos and Cheers, Brenda Louise, to you and Papa Wally! Patrizzio! Pics: Pumpkin Cats. We mix a couple of small spoonfuls in with their breakfast crunchies. They really like it. Just took the following shots. Duke chases "soccer" balls, (small, crumpled pieces of paper), all over the house. Inevitably, some end up under the couch or beneath the TV cabinet. Only fairly recently has he had any difficulty squeezing through the gap to retrieve an out of bounds ball. I'm worried that he will not be able to get out, at some point, and then we'll have to bring in a fork-lift to rescue him! He made it out tonight!
Earlier this evening I went into Lady Dar's walk-in closet to find something and both Duke and Etta are there immediately, trying to climb the shelves, claws deep in the hanging clothes! [[An air-tight excuse, for Lady Dar, to spend, spend, spend on SALE items!]I usually close the door to keep them out and to keep the bedroom a tad warmer as there is a hatch door to crawl space at the end of the closet and I think there is a small draft from it. At any rate, Duke was still inside, hiding somewhere, and I shut him in, for a couple of hours. I assumed he was in the Rumpus Room or the garage in the small bed they both like to use, from time to time. I'd finished dinner and Miss Etta came to sit on the chair beside me to be adored. She followed me into the bathroom when I went to find some dental floss and was waiting outside the closet, when I was finished removing something from under my bridge. Then I heard the scrabbling from inside the closet and realized The Prisoner of Zenda was inside! Never a dull moment!
Wow, isn't Corinne fortunate to have both her parents living. That's rare!! It appears by your comments that her Mom is quite well. And double wow!! You have a grandchild old enough to get married. And you mentioned he is your youngest grandchild. You must have had your kids soon after marriage. We married at 23 & 26, but waited until I was almost 29 & Frank, 31, before our first was born. Frank says he wanted to have his fun at the beginning of our marriage. In hindsight, I would have preferred to be in your shoes & have our kids earlier. Our 3 daughters, 41, 38 & 35, waited as well. The oldest grandchild is 12 1/2. The grandkids are 12, 9, 8, 7 on March 31, 5, 4 on March 3 & 3. I pray we'll see all their graduations. How long have Corinne's parents been married? We are coming up for 47 years on July 4, 50 in 2020. Frank says we'll probably make it!!👍��👏��💜 How about you? Ride safely! Cheers!�� Maggie🥂
Hi Happily Married Folk! Corinne's parents celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary this past June! Like you, I was almost 29 when we were married, in May, 1976. Ayn, was four when we met, the only child of Lady Dar's first marriage. We usually celebrate two anniversaries each year, Halloween, 1972, when we first met at the pub in Champs Motor Inn on Osborne! Fondestos and Cheers, Maggie. Patrizzio!
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