We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of
those we don't like? -Jean Cocteau, author and painter (5 Jul 1889-1963)
Hello US Postal Service! The package in your care is to be delivered to Burns Street, Penticton, BC, Canada, V2A 4X2. Sorry, yet again, to put you through all this trouble, time and expense. Bad enough that you had to deal with me in the flesh and then be burdened with my cross-country, strewn possessions! Anyway, thanks again for being so willingly helpful. Certainly much appreciated. A new wrinkle in the bag of tricks of a wily Freeloader. Travel without possessions and have your put-upon hosts courier/mail whatever is needed, on demand! A new business model indeed!
Thanks for the update. Nancy is currently at the P.O. mailing the package to your home address, complete with zip code. And thanks for the photos too. Perhaps we look better than in real life thanks to your artful staging. Best of luck in the festivities, regards to Melvin and to the little boys who are no longer little boys! ciao! Cactus
Dear all, The miracle repeated itself, and I actually landed on Comox air base at 11.30 pm yesterday, ten minutes ahead of schedule, after spending 23 hours "on the road". I look forward to a lot of good times with you, my dear friends, in the months to come. (But please don't see it as an obligation!) Yours respectfully, Kjell (or Gus, either way)
Hello Retirees! What deliriously wonderful news, Jo-Anne! Hip Hip Hooray and Onward into Retirement, the just reward for the ever hard-working! However, I must needs clarify some of Colin's remarks. Howard did not decide to hire an Albertan! I had to convince him that it would be the biggest mistake of his life it he did not offer Jo-Anne the job! He was a lovely man, a wonderful librarian BUT I think he was intimidated by Ms High Power, Full Tilt Boogie and her approach to what she felt was needed to serve students and faculty. At any rate, the rest is history. Congratulations again
This morning we packed up all our "stuff" and then I went for a haircut, but a block or so away, at Cachorros, the Mexican barber I've been using ever since Ayn moved to her present apartmento. Since I've been patronizing the establishment for about five years, they know me somewhat, as the visiting Canadian. I was the only customer at the time so had a great chat with the son as the father was cutting my hair and trimming my beard. Loads of fun as the son likes his tequila so I told him about the Alacrán, (Scorpion), brand I found in Playa del Carmen a few years ago. Wish I still had some left! [Alacran tequila?? Never heard of it, and we were just in Playa del Carmen in April. Did get 3 nice anejo's,, so if you are ever around...........Hi Colin! As a matter of fact I might just be! I will head home on the Monday, July 10th, following the wedding weekend, as will all the other Manitobans, in from Winnipeg and Falcon, as well as Ottawa. Corinne will stay the night with Chloë, in Vancouver, and then bus back to Penticton next day. I have tickets for the Folk Fest, weekend of the 14th/15th/16th, so won't drive back home until the 17th. Will be a busy time but I'll try to give you a shout, if only to congratulate Jo-Anne! Cheers, Patrizzio! Super!!! Jo-Anne]
Strolled back to Ayn's place and then we started to load the car so that we could drive to Costco, in Oxnard, for most of the groceries and white wine we'd need for the 10 out-of town wedding guests. Waved goodbye to Ayn and Winston as she was collecting four Manitobans at LAX around 11:00 pm, to then drive them to Oxnard and stay the night herself. Found most of what we needed and after stopping to fill up, (20 cents cheaper per galleon than at local outlets!), only took us about twenty minutes to drive to the house Lady Dar had rented.
Once we'd unloaded and placed most of the luggage in the bedrooms we assumed we'd inhabit for the duration I started to get ready to go for a short ride, the better to know the area. Was just about to take off when Patti, and her two daughters, Rachel and Rebekah, arrived. They had flown in to LAX around noon and by the time they rented a car and did a bit of shopping they were on the freeway, making for Oxnard, around 2:00 pm. Everyone was hungry by the time they reached the outskirts of Oxnard so they stopped somewhere to have a bite to eat. After welcoming them, I took off as it was close to 6:30 pm by then and I didn't wish to be on unfamiliar roads after dark.
Only had a vague idea of where I was going to go so started out on the bottom of our block long street, Santa Monica Avenue, to the top of Ocean Drive where I dipsy-doodled around the small parking lot there to see if a bike path would rise up in front of me. No such luck so I continued north on South Victoria Ave, the street we'd driven to get to the rental house. Pleased at the wide, dedicated bike lane so I sped along, bucking about an 18 kph head wind, but happy to be out riding. Long stretches of almost completely straight, flat road so no complaints, even if the scenery wasn't overly inspiring. Marinas with plenty of boats to my left, barren, sere fields to my right. However, once I passed W Channel Islands Blvd housing developments appeared and I knew, from past experience, that I would be able to log a reasonable amount of distance exploring these enclaves.
By the time I passed W 5th St the housing developments finished to be replaced by fertile agricultural land. A bit further along, when I turned right onto Doris Ave I found myself cycling past large fields of cabbage! By this time I had about 8 km on the clock so I decided to continue to explore until I had logged about 12.5 km so that I'd chalk up 26 km when I was back. Did jsut that and had a lovely time dipsy-doodling throgh the wide, well paved roads of the developments I found there. Once I'd seen enough for this outing, I headed back to Doris and when I turned back onto Victoria I had riden clsoe to 14 km.
Another reasonably wide bike lane on this side of the road so I was more than comfortable and sped along, soon back on Ocean Drive, near the tip of Point Hueneme, where our tiny community is located. Needed about 2 km more when I reached Santa Monica so rode back north along Tomahawk Drive for about 1.5 km and then retraced my steps home. Back just before those of The Sisterhood who had gone shopping for a few more needed grocery items so I was urged, by Lady Dar, minding the fort and getting dinner ready, to shower and change. Was about to do just that when the gang returned so I hopped to it and prepared to begin my ablutions. Had a bit of a time with shower as Hot and Cold had been reversed so it took a few minutes to discover this. (I mentioned this to the asembled company, at the dinner table, [fabulous pork medallions, steamed cauliflower with killer taco sauce, boiled spudolinos and a very attractive and tasty mixed green saladin, al courtesy of Lady Dar!], and opined that Dusty had been here before us. Everyone knew what I meant as he had done just the same in the shower at Falcon!
Ontario folk were quite sleepy by 10:00'ish, given when they had started their journey in Ottawa that morning, so they said goodnight after Lady Dar and Chloë had helped to make all the beds. Hope to hit the hay myself in an hour or so as it has been a busy day. Must wait until The Manitobans arrive so must away as I'm in search of toothpicks! Cheers! Map and Stats for ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1837894805#.WV3Fcbr8D9g.email
Pics: My barber with his son; Arriverderci Tinsel Town; Stroll to the beach at Point Hueneme.
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