The Naramata Bench Dinner Blues: Tuesday, April 10th!

You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954)

Hi Flamin' and Sarge! Trust you are both well. Sorry I've not been in touch sooner. Do you have room for me or should I contact JT? I'm easy, either way as a genuine freeloader has to be! On another matter, do you have wine at Poplar Grove? If so we can mule it into town. Let me know on both matters and I'll plan accordingly. Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio! Nicole and Marvin are here for the weekend. We can give you the blow up in the living room. True freeloader style. Yes we should have wine at popular grove. Wayne 

Hi again, Sarge! Thanks, much appreciated. Lady Dar will collect hootch today as she is off to another roud of meetings. Dinner, along with Chloë, with Lynne and Peter this evening, in The Naramata. I haven't seen them since Palm Desert, although Lady Dar had lunch with Lynne a few weeks ago. Cheers, Patrizzio!

I think. Nicole is only here Friday night. When do you fly to Europe. Wayne Hi again, Sarge: I fly out on Monday, April 16th, at 11:30 am, so I guess I'll need to be there by at least 8:30 am, or earlier. First leg is to Montreal for an hour and a half layover before on to Paris. Cheers, Patrizzio! That works. I have a meeting at 10 so can take you to the airport. Wayne Hi Harbour Terrace Chauffeur! Terrific but I honestly expected I would take SkyTrain from Olympic Village. Practice for Europe! Can still do that if more convenient. Anyway, thanks, and we can chat once I'm in town. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hello Rain City Four-No-Trumpers! Trust everyone is well. I will be driving to Vancouver, with Chloë, sometime this Thursday afternoon, depending on when she can get away from work. She will be spending time with friends there and in Squamish, over weekend. My flight to Paris is on Monday, just before noon. 

I will be staying with Flamin' and Sarge so hope we can stitch together at least one bridge game, if not more. To this end, this message is to see who might be interested/available, when/where and what time(s). On Friday I plan to buy both Euros and British Pounds so that I have some cash when I first arrive. Although I land in France on April 17th, I'm travelling to Cornwall that same day. Anyway, let me know what you think about bridge and I'll plan accordingly. Thanks and Cheers, Patrizzio/Il Conduttore!

Hi Pat, Off on your big vacation!! You must be excited…or maybe this is just old hat for you now. Unfortunately this weekend, I have Arts Club Plays on Friday and Sunday and then on Saturday I’m headed out to Abbotsford for a Cirque Skating show. So I’m not able to play bridge. However, when you come back this way, I will hopefully be able to play some bridge. I may even host a game again!! Safe Travels Pat. Janet Hello fellow bridge players. I am entered in the Canadian Doubles Championship at the Lawn and tennis club this week....so bridge this weekend will be out for me. Have a great trip to Europe Pat. 
 

Hi Kids! Thanks for speedy reply. Looks like game may not be possible as O'Susana is out of town until Monday and I gather Snozzola is in the Doubles tournament as well.I might try to connect with The Pepperoni Kid at the Doubles myself as he and Bruce McFarlane will be playing. Enjoy your plays and Cirque, Penguin. Buona Fortuna with squash, Fast Eddy. Thanks for best wishes for my coming trip. Perhaps we can stitch something together in July. I'm back in Vancouver on the 10th, but not in Penticton until July 16th as we are attending the Folk Festival, July 13th-15th. Wednesday, 11th, or Thursday, 12th, might work so keep your dance cards free. Cheers, Patrizzio/Il Conduttore!

Patricio Nice that you are getting away from all this rain. Hopefully the w eather will be better in Europe. Is this trip part of the bike tour you and Matt are taking?I am mobile, but limited when I can go out. I still not cleared to drive!!!Here is the best number to get me at. Cheers, BC Hi again, Santiago!

Yes, Matt and I will be on the Vodka Tour in Poland! Before that I'm in Moravia, Czech Republic. Thanks for your number. I'll give you a shout when I'm settled and we'll see about getting together. I might strong-arm Ragin' into being my chauffeur as I won't have a car. Cheers for now, Patrizzio!

Patriçio, Always up for bridge! Any day but Thursday. I am going to watch Snooz get pounded in the over 65 category in the Canadian Doubles tournament! Does Duke have a passport? Branko Hello Snozz Fan! I might try to connect with The Pepperoni Kid at the Doubles myself. Could you find out where he and Bruce will be playing over the weekend? Thanks. Bridge, if it happens, wouldn't be on Thursday, in any event, as we won't be in city early enough. On another matter, Duke has a Nexus Pass! Cheers, Patrizzio of Border Patrol! 

Have a great trip....it sounds just perfect...Am certain you will find an excellent wine when there. Am certain, your an expert on the taste train......wonderful.....
Love, Arv & Sandee Hi Income Tax Specialists! Really appreciated information as it's just in time for filing! Thanks so much for best wishes. I'll be in touch, from time to time. Take care of each other. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Dear Corinne, Chloe and Pat Thank you for your good wishes which we forwarded plus we are very happy grandparents indeed Thank you Pat for your quick answer and more details of your travel plans and eventualities around it. Actually we are just getting ready for a short trip to south Germany to morrow morning to get some seeds and plants for our garden, so I have to come to figures and facts that you can plan the activities in Switzerland. We are all delighted that you spend a few days in Bern, we do not know how many Rothenbühlers we can get but we definitely will try.

 

Coming to your travel plan we tried to get a bit closer to your schedule. We are in fact grand-parenting on May 4th and 5th, May 6th is a reserve day when we would have them longer. Now we know it is only up to May 5th. On these days we are on full duty and even nights are mostly busy. But this does not mean that you could not knock on our door by mid afternoon May 5th, or even I could pick you up at Bern train station (including your bike). Today Eveline spoke with Berlin and there our Friends are flexible so that we will be in Sonnenblick until May 9th. So Pat, nothing can stop you now to come to Bern and we are very happy! Herzlichst, bis bald Eveline und Heinz P. S. Nice pictures from house und garden, we look forward to discuss.

Hello Grandparents-Extraordinaire-On-Call! Glad you enjoyed the snaps. Again, thank you for being so accommodating, especially when you have such busy schedules, whether operating Kinderbetreuung Inc., or travelling across Europe for exotic seeds and plants! Given what you have said, I think I will try to arrive, [bike being ready], at the Bern train station on the 5th or 6th of May. A quick look at Google Maps suggests trains depart every two hours from Valence to Bern, a journey of approximately six hours. If I left at 10:00 am, all going well, I'd arrive around 4:00 pm. Would that suit? Sunday, May 6th, would be fine for me and might give you a slight "decompression" break. In any event, I could decamp from Sonnenblick reasonably early on May 9th so you would have more time to ready yourselves for Babylon Berlin! [Do you know this Netflix series?]

Again, thank you for everything, as well as the offer of a ride from the station. That is most generous, of course, but I'm happy to take public transportation if it is possible to take my bike on the different, local trains/buses. All I would require, in this event, are some reasonably detailed instructions to find you again! Anyway, let me know what you think of what I've suggested and we'll continue to refine the strategy. I'm sorry to be so vague about date I'll leave Chabeuil but until I know more about bike servicing, there is little I can do. I hope I'm being overly conservative but if something can go wrong, it usually does. Must away as we are out for dinner shortly. Fondestos from Lady Dar, watching The Young and The Useless, (my name for the idiotic soap, The Young and the Restless), and Chloë, just home from work. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Chloë! Thanks for the snaps you forwarded but please send along any others for the night. Love, Camera-Less Dad! Camera addiction

Hi Patrice, Just a quick note to say why don't you come stay over at the cabin on Saturday night and we could drive you into town on Sunday. We could pick you up in Hope on Saturday. Let us know what you think. Cheers, Al Hello Sunshine Valley Bed & Breakfast & Chauffeur Service! Thanks very much for the very kind and most generous offer. I might just have to take you up on it but as of this writing I have already set up a number of social engagements in Vancouver and am still planning/hoping to drive into Vancouver with Chloë on Thursday. 

However, as always seems to be the case, all sorts of things are happening, just before I am about to leave. Most critical is our income tax. Talked to our accountant today and we both have to pay a hefty capital gains tax. While we prudently set aside funds for this eventuality, I need to move money from my Tax Free account and I'm not sure just how many business days this will take. Still have extended health insurance to arrange but I'm much more anxious about my two rail passes. I talked to someone at Flight Centre today but my agent had left early for a meeting and will not be back until tomorrow afternoon. Person I chatted with thought the passes came but was unable to tell me for sure. Don't know what I'm going to do if they are not in my hot little hands, one way or another, before I fly on Monday. Would be a nightmare that will cost a huge sum as one can only purchase out of country. Of course I should have ordered them earlier but that is water under the bridge, at this point.

All this to say that until I have resolved these issues I really am at a loss as to when I will actually make my way to Vancouver. Again, thanks for your lovely offer. I think it best for me to give you a call as soon as I know more. Without seeming to be unkind, I think it will be easier, all around, for me at least, to proceed to Vancouver, whenever that may be. If I do take the bus I don't know, as of this writing, if driver would let me off at Sunshine Valley and, from past experience, it stops in Abbotsford, not Hope. So more time and complications, which to be frank, I don't really wish to entertain, given what else I have to do.

Anyway, I'll be in touch, as I mentioned. Thanks again, of course, for thinking of me. Must away as I've assembled much of my travel clothing over the last few days and want a first round of packing them efficiently, (layers in order of presumed use, etc.), and it's literally, now or never. Fondestos from Lady Dar and Chloë. Cheers, Frazzled Patrizzio! Pics: Had a fabulous evening with Lynne and Peter this. Dope that I am I forgot my camera so snaps are one's I was able to "force" Chloë to shoot as my Quite Difficult Official Photographer!

Hello Fighters for Democracy! Thank you for David Harrison's post. Heartening but still a long, long way to go! Onward! Fight!!! Until next our paths cross, take care of each other. I'm back in Penticton on July 16th and then have a full, right shoulder replacement on July 26th so come and help me open wine bottles!  Cheers, Patrizzio!