Tuesday 12 May 2015

Modern Nails Big Toe Blues: Tuesday, May 12th!

Neither genius, fame, nor love show the greatness of the soul. Only kindness can do that. -Jean Baptiste Henri Lacordaire, preacher, journalist, and activist (1802-1861) 


The Top 100 Crime Novels of All Time is a list published in book form in 1990 by the British-based Crime Writers' Association. Five years later, the Mystery Writers of America published a similar list entitled The Top 100 Mystery Novels of All Time. Many titles can be found in both lists.

Patrick James Dunn Thanks for the post. Your Mother has been looking for those reading glasses for weeks! She refuses to wear them around her neck but I think the time has come, a perfect wedding anniversary or birthday gift, doncha' think! Ayn P She needs those glasses to see how little you've packed this week!!Patrick James Dunn Ironically, she inadvertently packed three of her other pairs and now can't find the packing tape so she's been watching the Young and The Restless for days now. Any packing, of late, has been substantial and is all my doing! Ayn P She is a genius! Patrick James Dunn At this very moment she has been on the phone for over an hour and I've packed 15 boxes! Patrick James Dunn Evil Genius, if anything!

[Hi Here is my daughter-in-law Ann, soon to give birth to a sister for Leo, at the helm of CODA on a Mother's Day Cruise. I can't be sure about being available on Victoria Day at this stage but if so I'll be sweet smelling via Clive's Wright's Coal-Tar Soap.
All Best David]
It seems that info got deleted before being written down, as a result, we have only a very fuzzy idea as the exactly (date & time) when your farewell bash will occur. Could you please enlighten us. Many thanks, -Colin Hi Patrick Think I am losing it! What was the date and time of your farewell bash again?? Don't want to miss it. Thanks Jo-Anne
 

Dear Byron Gordon and I met for grand times in Sausalito in February, fifty years after we'd first met on the rugby field in Melbourne. Over oysters, crabs, halibut and white wine we talked of ensuring we met annually for the next decade - in Brisbane & Vancouver. God smiles at such plans.
Gordon looked at 69 as though he'd make 100. I at 75 looked as though I'd be very lucky to make 80.
Now Gordon is hoping hard to make 70th birthday next month. Yet one sort of death surrounded by family & friends palliatively has reflective/farewell benefits. Another is the sudden heart attack death as my brother at 82.


Mostly we can neither choose the date nor the way. And we should happily play each evening of Bridge with our Bridgers chums as though it's our last. All Best
David
 

Dear Patrick Thanks heaps for the photos and update on your terrific weekend. Something neat about black and white. Who was that long haired pot smoking hippy in the pinkish tinged photo? What a lovely photo of Corinne and baby Chloe!

Now with respect to Naked on Roller Skates--for me now never be a worry!! Damn --still can't walk properly or without pain. Going to physio at St. Pauls but the restoration of muscles in my calves and quads is slow slow slow--despite my very best efforts. Will get my bike out over the long weekend as I think it will be possible to start riding again. Pool exercises are fine and I love relaxing in the hot tub but maybe some steady biking will strengthen the muscles more quickly.

Tip loved seeing you and Corinne. This is such a terrible time for her--nice to reconnect with others and that group Chloe and others have been so encouraging and supportive of Pat--it helps him a great deal. The best news was that Pat was able to come home for five hours as a Mother's Day treat for he and Tip. Tip was so happy to have him at home even if it was only for the afternoon. I keep praying that Pat will go into remission. If there ever was a time to pray it is now. Take care and lots of love Jo-Anne


Hi Jo-Anne and Colin! Please find the party information below. However, first of all, let me say how sorry I am to learn that your significant injury still persists and is causing you so much pain. While I'm not comparing what happened to me, after I my tumble in Palm Desert, at least I could look forward to my very, very tender ribs going away in a few weeks. Almost cannot imagine the extended, significant discomfort and ambulatory difficulty you've had to deal with, lo these many, many months! Do hope that gradual return to cycling may help with your full recovery.Onward! Fight!

With respect to Tip/Pat, thank you for news about Mother's Day visit. I'll be sure to let both Chloë and Corinne know, of course. As you say, an unimaginably difficult time for her and family.

Glad you enjoyed the "historical photos", even if one of them was at my expense! On the packing front, seem to be making pretty decent progress.
I had to drop my bike off at West Point Cycles, for a tune-up, yesterday. Knowing this I had planned to ask for a number of large bike boxes to use to pack our large, flat-screen TV's, as well as for pictures, and was able to score two, all that I could fit into my vehicle. Worked out well as this way we'll be able to take these items up to Naramata on Thursday, to leave with Lynne and Peter. Also intend to take as much of my malt collection as I can, the better to secure it against the depradations of the unruly hordes we expect at Farewell Bash!

Even better is the fact that Peter will be away in Cuba, on business, so he won't be at home when I unload hootch "muleage" into his double garage. Will hide stash under and behind the boxes of books we have already stored there to keep it safe until we manage to repatriate it!

Must away as I have a number of "secret" errands, [Guess I should be a Secret Agent, given all the cloak-and-dagger missions I'm undertaking, or else the protagonist of my current book, Joseph Kanon's latest, Leaving Berlin,
"set in 1949, at the height of the Airlift. Main character is a youngish German Jew, Alex Meier, a successful novelist newly returned to the city after years in America, where he fled to escape the Nazis. Alex and his fellow German Communist intellectuals (including a wonderfully tartly characterised “Bert” Brecht) are feathers in the cap of the Russian authorities in charge of East Berlin. But Alex is, reluctantly, a spy: his Communist sympathies have made him persona non grata in the US, and the CIA want him to dish some dirt before he’s allowed back to see his family."], I need to run. It is our 39th wedding anniversary on Thursday and I want to give Cora Lee a gift, at dinner with Lynne, that evening, when staying overnight in Naramata. Take care of yourself and Buona Fortuna with rehab. Fondestos from Lady Mary, off, as I scribe, having her toes and nails painted, to you both. Cheers, Patrizzio!


Patrick and Corinne - if only we could visit on May 23rd how wonderful that would be! And I love the part about the neighbors calling the cops - didn't that almost happen last time when we were there - hilarious! Anyway, hope you guys have a grand going away bash and of course we wish you all the best in your new abode. Can't wait to see pix of everything. Take care. Our best, Pat and Dave 

We have completed your work order (051215075055724) at West Point Cycles - West 10th Ave. Please stop by at your earliest convenience. Good afternoon Patrick, Your bike is now complete and ready for pick up:

Replaced worn front and rear brakes pads and adjusted brakes. Checked chain ring hitting front derailleur. Found excessive play in bottom bracket allowing crank to move into derailleur. Replaced both worn bottom bracket bearings. Adjusted headset to remedy play. Checked rear derailleur not holding tension on chain. Found derailleur seized. Has been previously revived. Replaced rear derailleur. Adjusted rear shifting. Wiped down bike. Lubed and wiped down chain. Test ridden. Performing well. Thanks Allan
 

Hi Allan! Thanks for message. Much appreciate all the work, done so quickly to boot. Will be in later this afternoon to collect my bike. Thanks again. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Hi Patrick, Unhappy news but thought you would like to know as Les was a friend and we enjoyed many squash games together. He had been lowly for a while with a heart problem but the kidney failure came out of the blue. Hope you are all well and getting used to your new surroundings - not a surprise that it's a wine area!! Best wishes, Richard


Dearest friends, I am sorry to send a ‘group’ email and not be able to contact
each of you personally. My family and I are stricken by the sudden passing of
Les on Friday May 8th, 2015. He was taken to emergency at the Lions
Gate Hospital on Sunday May 3rd, was admitted, and went through numerous tests. He was diagnosed with kidney failure. Unfortunately, because of his low platelet count, dialysis was not an option. He suffered minimal pain, and we are relieved his passing was not prolonged. He passed away in peace, surrounded by family.

We want to thank each and every one of you for touching Les’s life, and getting to know him over the years, whether through business, squash, sequence, bridge, crib, etc. As his family, we are short on words to express the emptiness we feel within. But like Les, and for Les, we will continue our lives and make him proud. We have been so blessed as a family and continue to be touched by our God’s presence.

We are offering our home to you on Wednesday May 13 between 3 pm and 5 pm. There will not be a memorial service per Les’s wishes, but we will be gathering to express our love and memories for him on this date. Friends
and family will be gathered on Lauralynn Drive, North Vancouver for light
refreshments and music. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Our family will be travelling to Tofino to spend a day with memories of Les in one of God’s most peaceful and restorative settings. Leaving Les in God’s peaceful haven, we wish you well. Verdyne, Ryan & Eunjin & Yuna, Kevin & Sierra
 
To Jamieson Consultants clients: We ask you to pick up all previous years of business/personal files on Wednesday. If you are unable to attend on Wednesday, please contact Verdyne and we will make arrangements to return
your files before May 31, 2015. After this date, files will be shredded. 


Hi Ricardo! I was deeply saddened, as you can well imagine, to learn that Les had died. As I need not tell you, Les was an incredible individual on so many fronts. Feel quite badly that I was not able to attend the wake, in part due to just receiving the very sad news. Corinne has been away for most of the day at a number of meetings across the city and I had much packing to do to ready what we will be taking up to Naramata.

If I interpret your message correctly, you believe we are already in Penticton. Not so, we leave on May 29th. However, since we had been invited
to spend most of Victoria Day weekend with friends, Ruth and Rick, from Squamish, at their family cabin on Little Shushwap, we decided to drop off another carload with friends, Lynne and Peter, in Naramata. Also intend to take as much of my malt collection as I can, the better to secure it against the depradations of the unruly hordes we expect at our Farewell Bash! Would be delighted if you and Julie might be able to come for a hello and a goodbye and, more importantly, a few drams!

At any rate, thank you for thinking of me and letting me know about Les's untimely death. Please pass along my sincere condolences and heartfelt sorrow to his family when you next have occasion to see them. I trust you are well and that we'll have a chance for a visit on the 23rd. If not then, anytime you plan to be in the Okanagan, you are more than welcome. Polly and Mick will be visiting in mid-June, shortly after we have "settled" in to our new home. At least we hope we have unpacked some of the boxes by then! Cheers, Il Conduttore!



 

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