Saturday 31 January 2015

Islay Inn Open House Blues: Saturday, January 31st!

Lower your voice and strengthen your argument. -Lebanese proverb


Hi Pat, Sorry for the late reply. I do want to ride tomorrow but I have to finish off a couple assignment before I leave for oz. But let's make plans for when you come back. If you swing by Matchstick coffee, where I'll be studying, on fraser and kingsway for a coffee stop on your ride, first cup is on me : ) Victor
Hi Vittorio! Too bad about not connecting for a ride but I understand completely, given the demands of school work and upcoming trip. Thanks for the invitation to Matchstick but I plan to head out to Iona as I want to log a 100+ km ride without touching The Dreaded Burning Ground! However, Ill certainly take a rain check when next we are able to ride.
Will do a few chores to ready place for the Open House later this afternoon and then head out around 11:00 am. Whirlygig and Calamity are coming by this evening for a wee dram. Bit of a visit as won't see them for probably a month or more, given our California junket and their Galiano schedule. Sunday's forecast is for rain so I'll use elliptical for my day's workout. Need the time to pack and make sure place is left appropriately for viewings that will take place while we are down south drinking bottled sunshine! Buona Fortuna with your SLAIS assignments, Vittorino, and have a fabulous time in Oz. Travel safely. Send us a few messages and snaps while away. Fondestos from Mme Coriandre. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: PuSh with Cora Lee and Kaile, our server; Robin and Brenda; Joan and Paulo
 

Hi Maggie and Frank! Happy New Year! Trust you are both well. Haven't been in touch sooner as hadn't set a firm date for California departure. Had more to do with dovetailing stop in Bellingham to collect hootch I have there. Elena, lady in whose garage we store wine, is back and forth to Vancouver, so needed to make sure she would be home when we were through.

At any rate,
just had a message from our "wine warehouse manager" and we will be able to pop by her place to collect some hootch on Monday, February 2nd. Need to be there between 8:00-8:30 am as she is taking train to Vancouver that morning. It leaves at 9:57 am and we offered to drive her to station. Need to leave her place by 9:15 am it would seem.
 

Anyway, this means that we should be knocking on the door of the friends we stay with in Portland sometime around 3:00 pm +/-, traffic, weather and gods willing. Will spend that night with them and Tuesday night in Williams, before heading into Napa/Sonoma on Wednesday to collect more wine. Will probably leave some of it in Berkeley where we will stay for two nights before heading to LA for the weekend with Ayn and Los Horridos. We will be in Palm Desert, where we will spend a week with friends, (Lynne and Peter are couple we will travel with in India this Fall.), from February 10th-17th. This being the case we were wondering if you might like a visit, for a night or two, on the 8th or 9th. Don't worry if not convenient as we have other friends in Phoenix/Mesa but we haven't seen you for sometime so thought it would be fun to catch up. Anyway, let us know what you think and we'll plan accordingly. All the best. Fondestos from Mme Coriandre. Cheers, Patrizzio!

[Flash Forward to first week in March to return of King mattress and storage tubs!]

Did you get Maggie's email below? 

Hello dear friends! We are making very early thoughts og visitering North America coming summer. Will you guys be around Vancouver app July 27 and 10 days ahead? I have three weeks with Boys from july 20. They want to see New York. I want to visit Vancouver!! I think we 'll try a combination.. XO Margareta sending this again in other media: 

Hello dear friends! We are making very early thoughts of visiting North America coming summer. Will you guys (not Ayn, I guess) be around Vancouver app July 27 and 10 days ahead?

I have three weeks vacation with Boys from July 20. They want to see New York (and drive a car across the continent..). I want to visit Vancouver!! I think we 'll try a combination.. I would also like to go to California. But in three weeks it is most probably too hectic..
 

I am now aware, that you are in a process of breaking up from Vancouver, Patrick and Corinne!! Of course we'll visit you wherever you are in BC, and also, I realize, that you cannot make plans that long time ahead with a hoouse on sale- or you can just anticipate that you will be very busy!

Around March 1st I will know for sure when I can go on holidays (final dates depends now on planning on my job) and let me hear from you how your situation about the house a.o. looks from there.
 

Have a nice and good weekend showing your beautiful home ! A big hug from Margareta PS do Patrick still have this email - something in my mind tells my it has been changed a while ago? XO Margareta

Had a grand 100+ km ride to Iona yesterday. Damn fierce head wind on way out and same returning on Marine to UBC. Had hoped to achieve an AVG of 22 km/hr, [Did so for a goodly part of outing.], but in the end Aeolus would have none of it! Next long ride, Golden Gate here I come! Stats for ride:

http://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/687121679#.VM6Ni7juVpo.email 

Spent that evening with Whirlygig and Calamity. They didn't come over until after 9:00 pm as Giorgio didn't catch the ferry from Galiano until 5:30 pm.
Really appreciated their effort to drop by, especially when they brought a tasty drop of Prosecco to boot! Loverly gesture. Grand time from what I can remember! Can honestly say I cannot recall bidding them good night! 

Obviously, not enough porch cleaner!!! I do recall that Kurt, (neighbour who dropped by earlier and stayed for supper!), managed to escape with his Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva which I had hoped he would forget.

Hi Corinne and Patrick, We arrived here yesterday after a drive from Phoenix area, dodging the Super Bowl crowd. Weather had been poor in Phoenix and on our arrival but today is as advertised, pure sunshine. The house is wonderful, exceeding expectations. You'll love it here. We think it's best for you to arrive on the 11th if that is OK for your schedule. That will be one day of overlap with Ann and Gary.

We're just off to Costco to stock up our wine cellar. Hope your travels go well.
Cheers, Peter                                   House looks very attractive. Nice to see the sunny sky. Rainy here. We are leaving here early tomorrow to pick up wine on way. Portland tomorrow night. See you on the 11th. Hugs Corinne


Hello, Patrick: Once again, I am lamentably overdue in replying to your latest.   

Things have been a bit upside-down, inside-out lately, as our building is undergoing a complete repiping project.  Needless to say, much of the major work in my place was scheduled for Mondays --  my day off.   The guys are quite good, though, and while it's intrusive and a  major nuisance, with all sorts of stuff having had to be moved around (and minor inconveniences such as their forgetting to hook the washer and dryer back up and rendering the shower incapable of achieving more than a lukewarm temperature - both now resolved), I can't say that it's been truly awful.  It's also forced an opportunity to de-clutter, which I am badly in need of.  Once that is done, I will be planning some renovations.

Work is a mixed-bag.  I am glad to be there, and have made some satisfying community connections since the start of the New Year.  But there are truly challenging HR things going on in my branch (which is usually not a "problem child" branch.)  Two separate matters  are currently of concern.  One is a major escalation of the story that I started telling Corinne when I dropped by in November.  'Nuff said.

On the brighter side, I am happy to tell you that I am making some progress with my "get-healthy" plan for 2015.  I am going to personal training twice a week, and though expensive, it "TOTALLY!!!" works for me.  I feel I am really getting value as I learn to train using weights properly, as well as core exercises etc.  It's a nice gym, with great amenities (such as towels, shower mats and hair products all provided).  I go for training on Mondays and Fridays.  The idea is that I then train on my own at the Dunbar Community Centre on Wednesdays, which I have done a couple of times (although I have to admit that I missed last week). As I found out, the DCC has a hot tub next to the gym.  Lovely!  It was an unexpected discovery, as they don't have a pool.  There's a sauna too.

As well, I have acquired a "trainer" (of a different sort) for my bike.  So it's now set up in my living room so that  I can essentially use it as an exercise bike -- while watching television, TED Talks, etc.  When I'm in better shape I might venture out onto the road again.  I certainly hope so!

Also, quite excitingly, my mother, brother and I have bookings for a Camino Walk in May.  Mum and I will fly to Madrid, via London and meet Greg there (he is making his own arrangements).  Then we'll take the train to NW Spain to start our walk.  I have to admit, it won't be a very authentic Camino experience, as we will be staying in country inns and hotels and having our luggage taken ahead for us each day!  And we're only doing the final 100K or so.   Afterwards, Mum and I will fly back to U.K. where we'll spend another couple of weeks (some together, some apart) before flying back to Vancouver.  Meanwhile, Greg intends to go to Barcelona and I'm not sure what else . . . .

Wow -- it was a bit of a surprise to hear that you are planning a move to the Okanagan.  That's a huge change!!!   How did your house-hunting trip go?   I'm sure you'll be missed by many here in Vancouver, but I can see the appeal of the move.

When would it be a convenient time to drop by and collect my picture :-)       and other bits and pieces (including, I believe, a cookie sheet and chopping board --  not sure)?  Today (if you read this in time) or tomorrow (around 3 p.m. or after) would work -- or any Monday, around 3 p.m (as I usually have my PT session at 1 p.m.)   Sundays are good too, though February 7 is busy due to Tomkins' family birthdays (there are 5 in February). 

Hope this finds you well, and look forward to hearing from you soon. Janet 


The next gathering of the NRBC will be on 1 March. Venue TBC.



Patrizzio, so it is next week you'll be passing through...unfortunate timing. But yes, do stop in on the 4th as Cindi will be here that day (11 to 4) and can get your wine together for you. She'll probably ask you to pay sales tax on the pick up since you're receiving the wine in California....regrettably, we do have to declare and pay it to our state.

Thanks for the good wishes to Dave's mother. She is a spunky one and her mind is going strong, though her body is failing her a bit. She lives by herself and gets along admirably on her own as long as she is in her home. Unfortunately, she's really not able to do much outside of the house without quite a bit of assistance. Her mind is strong and good, though, so those are all very positives. Usually, the family takes her out for a birthday lunch at her favorite restaurant in San Francisco (Scoma's), but this year she's opted to stay in and have a birthday dinner at her house. Dave's cooking a prime rib dinner with all the trimmings.

If you decide to pass by this way again after the 17th on your way home, please do stop in. In fact, we're having an open house/release party of sorts on February 21st, so if that happens to fit into your schedule, even better!

Hope your open house today was a grand success and you've gotten some serious interest....you probably don't know yet, but here's hoping this week will bring you many good offers. Your place is lovely and with such a wonderful location, so it's only a matter of finding the right people for the right price.

Sounds (and looks) like you had a grand birthday party for Clara! Love Chloe's earring choice....nice! Take care and have a good week! Patrizzia
 

Hi Maggie and Frank! Happy New Year! Trust you are both well. Haven't been in touch sooner as hadn't set a firm date for California departure. At any rate, just had a message from our "wine warehouse manager" and we will be able to pop by her place to collect some hootch on Monday, February 2nd.  This being the case we were wondering if you might like a visit, for a night or two, on the 8th or 9th. Don't worry if not convenient as we have other friends in Phoenix/Mesa but we haven't seen you for sometime so thought it would be fun to catch up. Anyway, let us know what you think and we'll plan accordingly. All the best. Fondestos from Mme Coriandre. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Unfortunately not here between 7th through the 10th. Then, have girlfriend here from Oregon for 2 weeks 3rd week Feb. No room at the Carr Inn sad to say! Traveling to Scottsdale 7th to stay with sister in law, an alcoholic, who has not been well, only 49, 2 rehabs this spring. Trying to be supportive. My brother left her a year and a half ago. Think he has a lady friend. The relationship is amicable and Shawn is also being very supportive of Cindy. Safe travels. Maggie 

No comments:

Post a Comment