Return to Lender Blues: Saturday, March 18th!

It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare. -Mark Twain, author and humorist (1835-1910)

Old school friends

Are we still friends!!!Just checking... lol Been up and about, Nigeria and London was fun. Guess I've been out of the radar. How is Lady Dar, and the rest of the wonderful home? Will catch up soon and till then, share some picture memories! Wole 

Self on Emirates

Have you purchased your tickets for the tasting tomorrow? Judi Good Morning, Dame Judith!Pleased to hear that you obviously made it home safely on Thursday night! I thought you might be back, (Yet another time! Albariña returned with Von Bingen's phone when she found hers on the dash of her car and Von Bingen returned to collect hers. Don't know why everyone simply didn't stay overnight. Would have been simpler!), to collect your salad dressing container! We'll bring it tomorrow to malt whisky tasting although we have yet to purchase our tickets. 

Lady Dar, (still abed as is her usual royal wont), did not receive a message or at least cannot find it! Please send it to me. Cheers, Patrizzio! Just sent it Hi again, Dame Judith! Just printed out our tickets. Thanks. See you tomorrow. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Book Clubettes! Thanks to one and all for the wonderful, wonderful contributions to the pot-luck, both extremely tasty dishes, (Special thanks to delivery boy, Kevin, for last minute salad dressing!), and vino! It was a terrific evening, all around, so thanks to everyone for the more than spirited discussion. The Sisterhood is certainly a force to be reckoned with, especially after a snort or two of single malt!

Self with Prof.Falase my cardiologist

It has been decided that the next book, suggested by Luigi, is to be  The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector's Story, by Hyeonseo Lee, "an activist who lives in South Korea, where she is a student. She escaped from North Korea and later guided her family to freedom from the country through China and Laos."

Dame Judith has very kindly offered to host the next gathering, Monday, May 1st, at 6:30 pm. It will be a wine and cheese affair so I, (as Secretary pro tem), need to know who will attend. Dame Judith, with her keen sense of noblesse oblige and extensive aristocratic connections, has also offered to pair the cheese she will select with a number of wines from Noble Ridge. Once I am able to tell her how many will participate, we can decide whether to bring more hootch or contribute money to defray the cost of the outlay. More when I know more or am chastised by Her Judithness!

I have taken the liberty of adding a number of people to the group, based on their expressed interest in joining. We welcome your open minds with open arms!  

Remains of a blasted rock in my home city

Furthermore, Von Bingen has suggested a title for future consideration, The Mistress of Nothing, by Kate Pullinger. ["Lady Duff Gordon is the toast of Victorian London society. But when her debilitating tuberculosis means exile, she and her devoted lady's maid, Sally, set sail for Egypt. It is Sally who describes, with a mixture of wonder and trepidation, the odd menage (marshalled by the resourceful Omar) that travels down the Nile to a new life in Luxor. When Lady Duff Gordon undoes her stays and takes to native dress, throwing herself into weekly salons, language lessons and excursions to the tombs, Sally too adapts to a new world, which affords her heady and heartfelt freedoms never known before."]

For the other members, please come with other books you wish to put forward. [Jake, (He Who Did Not Show), has already put forward Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières], so that we can begin to build up a reading list. Must away as I have to make a quick run to Summerland to return the three copies of February I borrowed on behalf of the club. [Saw Sue Cline, the librarian I'd met when I first borrowed the books, at Book Return Counter but she didn't know if Marian would be attending the Book Club that morning. The group's meeting was to start shortly. Bumped into Olga Polga on the sidewalk outside the library as I was leaving as she was going to the Book Club.] Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Inaugurale!

With friends

Thank you for the card...was so busy yesterday that I was just able to open it now Was very pleased that Kenny gave Trump a lesson in St. Patrick and his connection to immigrants and compassion while they were together!

Hello Extremely Busy Tinsel Towner and Falcon Babe! Glad you enjoyed the card but it was meant for Winston! I spent most of the day playing bridge at a GFA fund-raiser. Lady Dar contributed a fabulous butternut squash soup but was volunteering at PGH and then playing mah jong afterwards so didn't attend event. Had four other members of our bridge group play and they really enjoyed themselves.

Dame Judith, [We are off to a malt dinner/tasting tomorrow, (Her husband, Kevin, is the President of the South Okanagan Whisky Tasting Society.), along with Jugos Dom Pedro.], has very kindly offered to host the next book club gathering. Fondestos, Love and Cheers, Dad/Patrizzio! Pics: Bridge: first table with Josinta; Olga Polga and Naramata Goil; Gang with Michaelo holding slow cooker. 

Okada are public transport bikes

After I returned from Summerland, taking back the books I'd borrowed for the book club, I popped into the Penticton Art Gallery to see Paul, the Curator, about the frame for Bear, the work I'd purchased from the artist, Clayton Gautier, after seeing his work an exhibition ago. The PAG had framed the work so I needed to find out how much I would be charged if I took it framed. Unfortunately, Paul was not in so after a pleasant chat with Jacinta who was on the Reception Desk. Back home I made myself a couple of sandwiches and then suited up for the coming ride. I'd taken a quick look at the weather forecast and it suggested that there were to be showers around 2:00 pm so I figured I'd be finished cycling by then.

Anyway, I left the house around 12:30 pm and it was just starting to spit a few drops. Didn't think much of it as I'd placed my faith in the forecast. Was quickly disabused of this notion as soon as I hit Lakeside since it was raining pretty steadily by then. Undeterred, I kept going to Riverside, dodging large puddles and feeling a trickle of water entering my left boot! My snazzy riding leggings, (Without a word of a lie, a pair of 36 year old Stansfield's Long Johns which belonged to Lady Dar when we used to cross-country ski at Falcon when there for many Christmas holidays!), were pretty well soaked although my legs didn't feel too uncomfortable, which I found rather surprising given the strong wind out of the SSW at 16 kph.

With fiancee and friend

[I see he had a beautiful fiance so I can stop worrying about arranged marriages and dowrys etc!! LolI meant has a beautiful fiance...oh this stupid smartphone. Hi Blame-it-on-the-Smartphone Woman! Play Nana's Young and the Useless card and invite Wole to Alejandro's wedding and tell Wole, "Hi, my name is Phyllis and I understand that your beautiful fiancée is in Nigeria. I guess you must be very lonely!" Cheers, Patrizzio The Yiddish Matchmaker! Oy vey , Already! Talk about a man desperate to marry off his daughters! This is turning into an United Arab Emerites prime time soap! I think it is his friends fiancé. Mom Write a script and make a pitch to Al Jazeera's Family Channel! You write the script I am too busy with my own drama at work. Fine! Duke is busy scribing! Good! Being a Vice President is very tiring and I would rather be Duke's literary agent anyways *clap*!! Life At The Top is Never Easy!]
  
Had entertained a jaunt to Summerland but the thought of all the highway traffic was not overly attractive so I opted for sticking closer to home and decided to gerbalize myself for as long as I could take the inclement weather. After my third Power Street loop, (roughly 37 minutes after I'd started out), I noticed the sky was clearing to the north so I took hope that the rain might actually stop. On my fourth loop it had and the day gradually improved, the sun beginning to shine brightly in a sky that had increasing patches of blue dotting it as the low cloud cover began to dissipate. I even began to dry out an in an effort to raise my AVG I dispelled the chill I had felt beginning to creep towards my core.

Quite amazing how my mood and that of the pedestrians and dog walkers I passed changed once the rain stopped.  Felt even better when on each succeeding loop I was able to raise my AVG a 10th of a kph, or so, until I had pushed it to 21.2 kph as I was finishing the last Power Street loop. Knew I would probably drop back on way up Ellis as wind would be a significant factor on this last leg. To try to mitigate it effect and stay at or above 21 kph I dipsy- doodled off Ellison at Cannery Brewing to take the more sheltered side streets all the way to Pickering Street which intersects with Eckhardt Ave E at the bottom of Haven Hill to put me on Government and I was soon whistling down White to swoop past our back lane as I needed a bit more distance to give me the ride length I wanted when I pulled up outside the garage door. 

Late mother's grave side.

Extremely pleased that I'd not given up as day was simply gorgeous by 4:00 pm. Much of my bike was covered in fine sand so after I'd removed my squishy boots and soggy socks, I filled up a pail and watering can and rinsed it off. Then I gave it a good spray with Eco-friendly detergent and rinsed it thoroughly again. Duke and Etta were rolling around on the warm concrete, enjoying the glorious sunshine. As soon as my bike was relatively dry, I toweled it down and then oiled the chain. After putting it back in the garage I zapped a mug of java and then went out front to sweep up most of the oak leaves that had collected over the winter in front of the patio. Duke and Etta were absolutely delighted to chase any that my broom tossed into the wind and I soon had a large bin filled, ready for the yard waste container. Decent ride, [Except for the rain and detour off Ellis, this was the same ride I'd done on Thursday, although I only managed to log an AVG of 21 kph even though conditions were dry and wind was only 8 kph out of the north!], nagging yard chores completed and frolicking cats, what more could one ask? Map and Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1627658644#.WM3CwOSCZZs.email