Rain Drives The Deep Water Walking Blues: Thursday, March 1st!

We should not be simply fighting evil in the name of good, but struggling against the certainties of people who claim always to know where good and evil are to be found. -Tzvetan Todorov, philosopher (b. 1 Mar 1939) 

Hello Two Table People, Falcon Lake  and Lower Mainland Folk! Thanks to one and all for the wonderful, fun-filled evening, a reunion extraordinaire! Dummy Jack Rabbit was overall winner, I believe! Thanks to Judy Blue for her table, sorely missed as she wasn't able to join us. Thank you for the fabulous, fabulous Orofino, Naramata Goil, and terribly delicious, home-baked Macadamia cookies! Lovely to see everyone after almost two months, with exception of Jack Rabbit and Filipo, who kept tradition alive in Oak Creek. Thanks, as well, to Chloë, for supplying the exceptional bridge prizes, (From close friend, beer-rep Brian, and his seemingly limitless beer promo items, toques, sun-glasses and mugs.), worth thousands on eBay!
 

Jack Rabbit has offered to host next week, (Wednesday seems to be Summerlanders preferred day of the week.), as she is taking care of Nala, Kelsey's adorable pooch. Please let me know if you can play on Wednesday and we'll plan accordingly. Thanks again. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hi friends, A huge thank you to both Corrine and Patrizzio for hosting our lovely 'back together' Bridge evening last night. Thank you Chloe for the great prizes; we haven't had them for awhile. It was good to see you again Chloe! The wine and cookies were a big hit with us; thank you Pam! Judy, we missed you. Hoping to see you next week.
For the month of March, TUESDAY works best for me as hopefully we'll be skiing on Wednesdays, but need be I could Wednesdays. Hugs to all, Olly Hello all, Great reunion last night, distracted, Fun play, super hosts, thank you.
Wednesday next week works for me! Jos
 

Hi Judy Blue! Trust your card evening went well. As you probably know, by now, we had a grand time. Should we keep the table, for now, or pop it back, at your convenience! Thanks again. Lady Dar will be out shortly, (dental appointment & errands), and she could drop it off. I'll be out later, myself, so could drive by later, if that suits. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Duke providing computer security! Watching TV with Chloë while we played bridge! I am in no rush for table back presently. Count me in for bridge on Wednesday. Can I car pool with you? Happy you enjoyed the bridge reunion. My games nite was fun too! Judy 

Good Afternoon Bridge Folk! In spite of Rolly Polly's predilection for Tuesday, she will play on Wednesday. This being the case, we'll have seven so we can play Dummy again, if needs be. Perhaps Spumoni will be able to play and then we'd have a full complimento. Nevertheless, we are confirmed for Spiller Road at 6:30 pm, next Wednesday, March 7th. Judy Blue you can car-pool with us as well as The Summerlandians, should that work for them. One car from Burns Street, leaving at 6:10 pm. All Aboard! Hip Hip Hooray!! Happy Weekend to one and all. Cheers, Patrizzio! Hip hip hurray. 6.10pm Wednesday March 7th. Olly do you think you can be the designated driver to Burnstreet this time? Jos             Hi Michele and Wayne! Apparently you are still not well, Flamin'! Terribly sorry to hear that this is so. I gather this means you will not be going to the Lennie Gallant concert. That's a shame but do hope you are or will be on the mend soon. Thank you for the thoughtful, kind words about Ted. We await the notice of a celebration of Ted's life as we plan to attend. Will let you know when we know. Take care of yourself Solarium Goil as I need you for upcoming renno! Funnily enough Home Show is on at Trade & Convention Centre this weekend so we plan to go. Also having an Oscar Party so perhaps Sarge would like to fly up if he is not going to drink special wines at Nanoose Bay! Prize money will pay for flight! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Guys. Welcome back!. glad you made it safe and sound and unfrozen. i imagine you were hoping winter would be well on its way out and the flowers pushing up by the time you got back home. Well not to be obviously and more snow to come by the sounds of it..blech!. You should have stopped by the sunshine valley on the way through as we were there shoveling away and really could have used a hand and wound up putting my back out. One trip to the chiropractor and it is still tender but better. ironically I was trying among other things to extricate my bobcat to use for snow removal which had run out of gas a few weeks before only to have wave after wave of snow avalanches coming off the roof landing on it!. I have pretty much given up now and have thrown in the shovel and will let mother nature run its course into the spring thaw and revisit it when the snow has naturally receded.

We did have a reprieve with our trip to Mexico and had a wonderful time. So nice to be able to reconnect with each other away from the stresses of everyday life and bask in warmth and sun for a change. I imagine you heard that January was one of the wettest on record and had us questioning the sanity of residing in the great wet coast once again over other more hospitable climates. This is where I pause and you say .." Well why don't you move up here you silly buggers!". When life changes and we have less reasons we need to be here it will definitely be considered i am sure. In the short term would love to get up for a visit very soon and have a visit to the junk yard where we can gather some fodder for your home funktional art project needs.
 

I have actually said to Colleen that the best thing for me would be to have free and easy access to a junkyard to do the kind of art work you sent the pictures of. I must say that pick up truck is definitely a beautiful rolling work of art and could even be half buried in your front yard with the box used as a plantation!. Makes me think of the guy down in Kitsilano who had the 59 Cadillac rear end sticking out at an angle from his front yard like it had landed there from some high orbit re entry. I don't know what his neighbours thought though as probably a high percentage of people don't appreciate this kind of Art when they see it. 

I have been sick the last few days and I suspect it was probably some Mexican bug that took some time to incubate. I am on the mend now and feel pretty good this morning although a sinus pressure still lingers. I went in to check on some vehicles being readied for Predator re shoots and I will start there on Monday for a short run. I think I sent you some footage of the previous stunt work we did last year which apparently they have scrapped and thus the re shoots. Hard to imagine the many weeks and months of preparation and money spent just flushed away but that's show biz. I also have some security gates I am designing / building for the cousin of an old friend I have known since grade 4, as well as doing the install off the seesaw at 51st and Main.
 

I must get to work on some other stuff now. Be safe on those icy, sandy roads Patrice and I hope you are feeling better Corriandre!. Love to both of you and we'll talk soon! xo Al

pics. : Some of the Sunshine Valley the last trip up and I have so many great pictures and some bad ones of our trip that I thought I would send a drop box link so you could go through and have a look at your leisure. We started in Cancun then to Merida, Chichen itza, then through small towns back to Tulum and then Playa Del Carmen. Some of the pictures are of our night out at our favourite restaurant Alux in Playa del Carmen. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/dm66pi04k2uc87v/AAAKxGCOikSfQLDRDXySnmwxa?dl=0

Hello again Cenote People! Thank you both for your newsy messages, snapolas and link to Dropbox. I certainly enjoyed following your exciting trip, pictorially, but must admit I've not yet had time to see video clips. Sorry to hear that you put out your back and were also under the weather, Big Molly. Trust bug has been defeated by now, [Flamin' came down with a fairly severe stomach upset/flu morning we left Vancouver and it kept her home from work for most of the week, so perhaps you contracted something here.], and your back trouble is over. Almost nothing worse. 

Am impressed with your Memoir Writing course, Marilyn, and I'd like to sub-contract you for my correspondence. Fabulous, fabulous training in a co-op wine-tasting program and remuneration is very top-drawer. You'll be able to acquire your own Cenote and fill it with vintage wine in dry years! Pleased you liked functional art/junkyard project, Welder Man. You need to put all your ducks in order, in the Lower Mainland, and git on up to The Okanagan. Life is too, too short to spend it fighting traffic and property taxes! Let us know when you put your house up for sale. You can live with us until you find place in Penticton. No rent as plenty of projects for Mr Malingerer, aka Stanchion Man, while we edit VOLUME I of my Memoirs, Marilyn. {By the way, you look like the veritable bombshell you are and have always been, amidst the stalagmites/stalactites!} Cheers, Patrizzio! 

British battleship HMS Dreadnought, 1906

Photo: US Navy/Wikimedia

Hi Al and Coleen, have the two of you given any thought as to the time of year you would like to do the trip to Vietnam and Cambodia and how long you can travel? Just thinking about next year. Still chilly here! but love to see you anytime, Hugs Corinne and Fondestos from Patrizzio, cycling with my "lobsters" in order to keep my fingers from falling off, in the cold of the icy gusts and sleet and snow!