Tuesday 31 March 2015

Giuseppe Marinoni Road Bike Blues: Tuesday, March 31st!

The meaning of a poem is the outcome of a dialogue between the words on the page and the particular person who happens to be reading it. The interpretation can only be false if the reader does not know the contemporary meaning of the words. -W.H. Auden, poet (1907-1973) 


A man who has never gone to school may steal from a freight car; but if he has a university education, he may steal the whole railroad. -Theodore Roosevelt, Twenty-sixth US president (1858-1919) 

The charismatic Giuseppe Marinoni has been making some of the most desirable bicycle frames in Canada for decades. Although his enterprise has grown over the years, he still seems happiest when welding a handmade frame. (The enduring joy this brings him is particularly impressive when you consider that he’s made 20 or 30 thousand of them in his lifetime.) Since leaving his native Italy, he’s made a home in Montréal and established a fairly routine life centred on his wife, his bicycles and the tomatoes in his garden.

 

A competitive cyclist in his youth, he decides, at age 75, to attempt a World Record for distance cycled in one hour for his age group. Giuseppe’s determination and perseverance lead him back to Italy for his training and, ultimately, his attempt at the record. His perfectionism, combined with a curmudgeonly nature, makes him impatient with first-time director Tony Girardin, adding much humour to this inspiring film. One of the most moving scenes involves Marinoni catching up with his dear friend Jocelyn Lovell, one of Canada’s greatest cyclists during the 60s and 70s, whose storied career was sadly ended by a famous and fateful accident that left him a quadriplegic. This is a film not only for the spandex-and-helmet crowd but for anyone who believes that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp.

Greetings from Nanoose,Thank you all for your support and prayers! All is well, and we look forward to celebrating the new digs for Pat & Corinne at the French Table. Really looking forward to getting back there with you all to see Herve & his gang. (6:30PM next Tuesday, but can amend if needed). Will dig a few vinos out of the cellar.

My only request with my challenge is to let only your close family members know for now. And also, if you have a strong opinion as to how I should deal with it, please know that it is a choice that I have to make myself, after weighing all of my options after mega research, and meetings with specialists in various fields. (so TRY not to tell me what I have to do, even after our usual consumption of wine & Single Malt-Ha Ha!) (I know that you would mean well, but it could do more harm than good at this point) We are getting a huge amount of support here, and no matter what course is taken, the absolute best will be made of it.

Again, I am doing absolutely fantastic, and even quite surprised that is hasn’t affected me as I might have imagined before this actually happened! It’s probably tougher on Francesca for now. Will see you next Sunday after our dinner with Tom & Tuulikki. Cheers, Gregg
  Well said !! Michele 

Hi Grog! Good to chat this morning. Look forward to seeing you both on the weekend. Don't worry, I learned not to bother trying to tell you what to do, years ago, on the doubles court! Cheers, Il Conduttore!
 

UB40 any interest is seeing them at the Commadore??? When? Oct 1st, it's a Thursday. Dad, Mackenzie Retirememt savings plan & Edward Jones I can bring all the hard copies to you.
 
Hi Chloë! I hope to begin working on taxes this weekend so be great if you can bring everything you have over. With respect to UB40, at this point, I'm not sure what our plans will be for October. I think we will be staying in town for VWF, (October 19th to 25th), which we plan to volunteer at again this year. Two days after it is over we fly to India so reasonable to assume we'll simply stay in Vancouver until we leave for overseas. Will probably be in town, with Penny and Mike, around the 21st to 24th of September, so unless we have medical/dental appointments I doubt that we would be back for October 1st. However, concert might be fun. I know that Ruth/Rick might be interested, as well as Matt/Catherine. I'll send along a message to both couples and see what they think. How much are tickets? Cheers, Dad! [Tix are $75 so not cheap but a great small venue. Well, will see after I chat with Sleeping Nana! Cheers, Dad!]

PS: I forgot to mention that I saw Gale Stewart yesterday. She was walking along Seawall, just past Plaza of Nations, heading in the direction of Science World. I didn't realize it was her until I was past her so I didn't say hello. She was staggering, zig-zagging from one side of the pedestrian walkway to another, an empty bottle of Long Table Cucumber Gin in her hand so I didn't have any reason to hope for a drink myself! Tell her I appreciate her choice in hootch, however! 


After a filling brunch of overlefts, (scalloped potatoes and fried zucchini), suited and lubed up to leave at just after 11:00 am and do what has become a fairly regular set of dipsy-doodles around Olympic Village and Seawall to Granville Bridge. Then to Kits Point to have logged 43 km there by the time I made for UBC. Similar set of established dipsy-doodles on campus, to 16th/Imperial and then down Camosun to Marine to hit campus on way back home, via Chancellor.

What a fab day for a ride! Hadn't really expected to go for a 100+ km jaunt but once out I decided it was a shame to waste such an opportunity. Must say that the unrelenting head wind out of the west was pretty fierce at times, 15 kph or thereabouts but I soldiered on and was able to log a reasonably decent AVG under circumstances.  Stats for ride:

https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/734079039#.VRs4CDg8Vow.email

Home to shower and change and shortly after Cora Lee returned from her walk we drove down to Legacy at Olympic Village as I wanted to pick up a couple of bottles of hootch, using my Award points, ($25 credit for every 500 points accumulated.), as I was a tad worried that the scheme might change given the new provincial regs which come into force on April 1st . At any rate I picked up two Knob Creek products, a Straight Rye and a Straight Bourbon, both 50%. 


As we were leaving Harbour Terrace we bumped into neighbour, Kurt, and told him where we were headed so he gave me $60 to pick up a bottle of Ron Antiguo Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva for him. We are both quite fond of the this rum, from Venezuela, 40%. However, price at Legacy was $68 and change so I refused to buy it there. Had seen it at Cambie and 8th so we stopped by that store on way home. Ironically, it was on sale, for $50.85, down from $54. 85 so I saved a little more than $18! Bought a bottle for myself as well. Don't mind paying Legacy prices for any hootch one can't buy at BC Liquor stores but not prepared to pay such outrageous mark-up on product which is readily available!

Home to have a tasty dinner of overlefts and then we watched two episodes of The Knick, squirming in our seats as Clive Owen, Dr Thackeray, struggles with his cocaine addiction! Plot and various sub-plots are all becoming gut-wrenching as passions flare and circumstances spiral out of control for many, if not all, the key individuals at the hospital. Hard to stop watching!


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