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| Julia just before leaving for her grad-prom at the Vancouver Convention Centre; June 8, 2012. |
Hi Pat,
I suppose this find you back at the Island Inn? ["finds you back". Nota bene.]
So sorry this reply has been such a long time coming.
Thing is time has been pretty tight around here ever since I got back home (would you believe it?).
Have a long list of practical stuff to deal with after
my long absence (do I live in Sweden or Canada?). And a long list of
people to see (fortunately).
On top of that a
cvouple of things happened that were not that nice, to say the least. I
had barely arrived in Stockholm when I was informed that my (and Paul's)
dear friend Tristan (the paralysed guy) had been hospitalized with
pneumonia. At the same time I was told by my closest friend at work,
Sara, that she had been diagnosed with cancer.
Tristan died (at his own request little more than a
week after, while Sara had a slightly encouraging prognosis and does not
have to have any more treatment after her surgery.
I
have also been doing quite a lot of work for the Library Association,
and for IFLA, on copyright, and I consider it a blessing to be able to
go on using at least some of the skills and experiences acquired in nearly forty years of forced labour.
Now summer in Sweden is coming up and I will be
receiving a never-ending line of visits, which is also a blessing. E.g.,
Jane is supposed to arrive in eight days for two weeks, and Anna (with
boyfriend) will be here for one. But first of all Terje, the guy who was
in Calgary when I met Jane, is coming to the cabin for next week. He
retired last year from his position as librarian of Sweden's
northernmost university, Luleå, so he, like us, is free as a bird. Last
of all, the Whitneys are coming over first week of August, just before
IFLA in Helsinki.
And in July I go to Canterbury for the first time in my life, visiting Anna and Justin.
I
will also go to IFLA for a few days, and then, 20 August, back to
Vanouver, bringing my childhood friend Christer, who is going into early
retirement in August.
All the best to you and Corinne (I trust her foot is OK now),
Kjell
Hi Kjell!
You do sound busy indeed! Condolences on the death of Tristan. Hard to even imagine such a terribly difficult situation. Jane may have mentioned that Basil Stuart-Stubbs died last week. Not totally unexpected as we knew, primarily from the Whitneys, before we left, how frail he was becoming battling pancreatic cancer, I beleive. Glad, however, that your friend Sara seems to be doing well. On a similarly brighter note, with all your travel plans will have to call you Globetrotter! Hello to Anna from us.
Well, we are finally home! Wonderful, wonderful trip, but it is always wonderful be to be home as well. I must apologize for not writing sooner, myself, but it has been a very busy time ever since we arrived back in Vancouver, as I'm sure you can well imagine. In the end Whirlygig collected us and our mountain of bags! Lucky for Robo Man, as our plane was over an hour early, due to a very strong tail-wind, and he would have had plenty of time, gym and all, before his tutoring appointment later that afternoon! Originally, he had offered limo service with proviso that plane had to be on time or we were high and dry! Pleased that neither of us felt overcome by jet-lag but weather in Tokyo was certainly much warmer!
To bring you up to date with respect to my Mom, she suffered a heart attack, while we were in Darwin, about two weeks before we were to leave for Japan. After talking to Chloe we decided that there was little we could do, by returning, in any event. Given her mental state, even before we left it, is hard to know if she even recognizes us. Once we were satisfied that Chloe would be fine in the event of Mom's death, we decided to continue our trip. At the time, she was resting comfortably and Chloe was able to visit every day while she was on oxygen. Of course, it was a blessing that she was still alive, and relatively well, when we returned last Thursday.
At any rate, we saw Annie almost as soon as we had dumped our bags. She certainly is a tough old bird! That being said, she is spending most of her time in bed now. Staff get her up around noon and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, I went to the Lodge to feed her her lunch. She still has an appetite and I assume this is one of the main reasons she is still around. For my past, I was feeling great. Even went for short rides after visiting with Mom. First one was out to YVR to collect two corkscrews confiscated in Hong Kong, while in Transit! When we checked in at Narita I had to put a few small packages into my knapsack, carry-on, in order to lighten the load in one of our checked bags. I didn't realize that two souvenir wine-openers I'd bought in Australia, almost two months earlier, were in one of the small parcels I took out of the bag to be checked in. Of course, the two openers were confiscated when I went through Security in HK. (Funnily enough, they were not "picked up" in Narita even though I received the most complete "pat-down"/body search I have ever been subjected to since having my hip replaced! Must have taken about ten minutes and I was smiling at Cora Lee while a very pretty young woman ran her hands all over me! Told Madame Butterfly after I was putting on my Crocs and belt that I was hoping that attractive security guard was going to take me into a cubicle for an ever closer examination! Her Majesty was not amused: "You really are a Dirty Old Man, Patrick!", she spat as she stalked off towards Departure Gate!)
At any rate, I was given a receipt for the confiscated items and was told that they would be kept at Cathay Pacific's office in HK for two weeks. I was going to send an email to our friend Daniel there as I thought that he might be able collect them, if he had time and opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, I was not able to connect to the free WiFi before we boarded so thought I'd send him an email once home. In any event, it wasn't a big deal as the openers were not expensive but I did want them, if possible. I was more annoyed with myself for putting them where I did as I could have packed them in the checked-in bags without any trouble at all!
When we were waiting for our luggage at YVR I decided to ask one of the CP staff near baggage carousel what I could do about my openers. Chap was very helpful and took down all the pertinent details and said to call him in a day or so, giving me his name and card. Feeling better, I returned to find most of our bags had appeared! I was a bit worried that the one with the handle I I tried to fix, temporarily, might have suffered even more damage but all was well. Anyway, Friday morning I received a call from Timothy at CP and he informed me that the openers were to arrive that afternoon. We arranged to meet at 4:00pm at CP's International Departures Information Desk. Pleased as Punch I cycled out to the airport after I had spent a few hours with Mom and then a bit more unpacking at home.
Really enjoyed the ride and even took a slightly different return route. Rather than Cypress or Heather, I decided upon Adera, through Shaughnessy and felt I was almost in a green tunnel created by the the wonderful trees that line the mansion filled streets. Out to UBC on Sunday. Didn't really have any jet-lag to speak of and was going to send out a call to the Full Peleton after those couple of leg warmers and we had finally unpacked and settled back in, Mom visited and her condition stable, etc.
Unfortunately, fairly early Sunday evening I started to feel a bit funny after dinner. We had enjoyed a delicious meal with Flamin' and Sarge and were sitting in the living room chatting and Nicole, their daughter, mentioned I looked like I needed to go to bed as my eyes looked glassy. I actually didn't feel tired at all but because I did feel a bit "off" I gave my thanks and made my way upstairs. Cora Lee remained to visit and Chloe was having a bite when I walked in. She is now working until 9:00pm, Summer Hours in effect, when on evening shift. By the time I was at home I was almost shaking with a fever and chills and started to cough. There is quite bit of white fluffy "stuff", Dogwood I think, as you probably know yourself, almost everywhere. Lots of balls of it even in our Parkade and I cycled through streets of it coming and going to UBC. I started coughing when I was near Jericho on way home and simply assumed it was an allergic reaction. Well, it was a horrible night and every bone and muscle in my body ached, my temples felt like they were being squeezed in a vise, a pounding headache splitting my skull. My stomach muscles, in particular, were, like my ribs, very very painful whenever I coughed. The pain, while perhaps not excruciating, was such that I would wince, in anticipation of Taser jolts to come, when I knew I was going to cough.
I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever felt so ill and beside myself before. I kept imagining, hoping, that this was a 24 hour flu bug, caught somewhere between Narita/Hong Kong and Vancouver. I took all sorts of cold/flu medication and Advil, even some "Mexicans", (Pills I came across, almost by accident, when suffering a horrible cough while in Puerta Vallarta back in the 2001 or 2002.), that have provided remarkable relief, in the past, with such a persistent cough. I spent all of Monday in bed, drinking as much Ginger Ale and OJ as I could manage, and moaning after each coughing bout, breathing in shallow gasps as the pain subsided after the wracking fit. (Through the "fog" of it all, I thought of Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, his incredible tale of an ascent of Everest gone terribly wrong, in 1997. I think I might have mentioned it in connection with Wade Davis' Into the Silence. At one point, due to extreme conditions, Krakauer develops a cough and his spasms eventually become so violent that he breaks or cracks at least one, if not more, of his ribs. For my part, I felt so desperately ill and uncomfortable that I really didn't care whether I continued breathing or not. I simply cannot imagine his agony and the circumstances under which he was forced to endure it but it gave me some inkling of what strength certain individuals can muster.)
Little had changed by Tuesday morning, although I was able to think a little more clearly and told Corinne that I thought I probably had pneumonia, given past experiences with this ailment. She was able to squeeze me an appointment, ahead of her, to see our GP and after a quick listen to my chest, etc., she agreed with my self-diagnosis. She sent me for a blood test and X-ray, clutching a prescription for antibiotics in one hand. Am more than pleased to say that the pain from the coughing has abated, as well as headache and high temperature. However, I still feel lethargic. I have a bite to eat and read and sleep for three or four hours and then repeat this process all over.
I had intended to send an email two days ago, once back from seeing the doctor and having started taking medication but I simply didn't have the energy. Same held true for most of yesterday but after a fairly light dinner that evening, I decided I really hard to start trying to function. So this rather long-winded, (Has anything changed?), apology/explanation for not being in touch sooner. I started to compose the message but had to save it as a draft after about half an hour or so as my head and fingers gave out. I took a shower, (Really needed a Japanese onsen for all my aches and pains!), as I usually feel a tad better as a result. Furthermore, I wanted to try to stay up for a bit. Since I've been sleeping most of the day it can be difficult to fall asleep even when I want to do so. Cora Lee and I watched an episode of MI5, (Spooks to you, perhaps.), that Chloe recorded for us while we were away.
Anyway, trust you and Jane are both well and visit goes as planned. How is her Dad? I suggested to Raymondo, in an earlier missive, that he might give me a shout in the next little while as loads to tell and we were both looking forward to catching up with them. I said I should be able to manage holding the phone to my ear, if my truculent nurse could tear herself away from The Young and the Restless to bring it to my bedside! Best wishes to you both from Cora Lee. Cheers, On-the-Mend Conduttore!
PS: At least it's raining so another excuse for not riding! If I can't ride, nobody else should be able to do so either, Mr Mean-Spirited that I am!
PPS: Had to cancel attending VIWF Pre-view later today at GI Hotel where list of confirmed authors for this years line-up is released. Bit of a drag as it is always a great gathering. Always fun to see other volunteers, (Was hoping to bump into Paul.), and the rest of the staff as well. (Not to mention delicious appetizers!) I could probably have managed to drag myself there but know I would have not really enjoyed event, feeling as "wobbly" as I still do. Don't believe I'm infectious, (Not referring to my scintillating personality, Dear Reader!), but dottore doesn't want me visiting Mom, so best I keep a low profile, until all the nasty bugs drown in the RAN-Clarithromycin coursing through my bloodstream!
Pic: One of the stunning Koi in the garden pool at the spa hotel where Toshi and her mother, Tomiko, treated us, the last night with them, before we left for Nagasaki.
Hi Pat, Dirty Old Man,
Jesus, what a poor apology! :-) The way I was delaying MY reply I would have had to refer to my own death. Is it really pneumonia?
I have just had my old friend Terje (Norwegian, TJ for Anglo-Americans)
visiting at the cabin. For the three days he was here it was freezing
cold and rainy, yesterday morning when he left it was 21 and sunny, and
it has stayed that way.
Now, I'm eagerly looking forward to Jane's visit,
beginning Monday morning, which will be an intensive one considering it
is only for two weeks. Given that her dad is constantly shaky, I am
never sure she will be here until I see her at the airport.
Anna will arrive one day later, for one week, but I am
not sure how much I will see of her, since she is going to see friends
in Stockholm, and we will spend most of the time at the cabin. As a
compensation, I will be paying my first visit to Canterbury mid-July.
I hope for your quick recovery. Remember you will have
to be really fit by 20 August. After I finished my morning coffe I will
go for yet another bike ride, the THIRD since I came back to Sweden.
All the best to you and your enchanting wife (and all the rest of the big clan in and around the Island Inn), Kjell
Hi again, Kjell!
Do you have your travel plans/guest visits on an Excel spreadsheet? If it's Tuesday it must be Canterbury! Cora sends her "enchanting" regards. At the moment she is downstairs, having been invited to Clan Sutherland's annual Lobster Fest. They have the creatures flown in from Newfoundland especially for the occasion. I made a large Greek salad for her to take but I didn't join gang, for obvious reasons. In fact, I'm not a fan of lobster: bland and far too, too much work for what one eventually obtains, in my opinion!
Envy you your THIRD RIDE! Certainly wished I could have been out riding myself this afternoon, it was so warm and sunny.
Take care of yourself. Regards to Jane, (when she arrives), from both of us. Cheers, Patrizzio, DOM, Honoris Causa!
Hi again, Kjell!
Do you have your travel plans/guest visits on an Excel spreadsheet? If it's Tuesday it must be Canterbury! Cora sends her "enchanting" regards. At the moment she is downstairs, having been invited to Clan Sutherland's annual Lobster Fest. They have the creatures flown in from Newfoundland especially for the occasion. I made a large Greek salad for her to take but I didn't join gang, for obvious reasons. In fact, I'm not a fan of lobster: bland and far too, too much work for what one eventually obtains, in my opinion!
Envy you your THIRD RIDE! Certainly wished I could have been out riding myself this afternoon, it was so warm and sunny.
Take care of yourself. Regards to Jane, (when she arrives), from both of us. Cheers, Patrizzio, DOM, Honoris Causa!
PASSING OF EMERITUS LIBRARIAN MARILYN DUTTON
It
is with sadness that we share the news that Marilyn Dutton passed away
earlier this week. Marilyn was a Reference Librarian in the Social
Sciences Division at UBC
Library until retiring in 1985. Marilyn was born and raised in Birtle,
Manitoba. In 1943, she joined the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service
(WRENS) and was stationed in Halifax until 1946. In 1962, she earned her
BLS at UBC’s recently opened Library School.
A Memorial Service will be held at Brock House on June 12 from 12.30pm –
3pm.
Hi Patrice,
Well I am sorry to hear about the illness that is awful but better that you
were at home to endure it than some Japanese hotel or other unfamiliar
surrounding. I wouldn't doubt if it was something on the plane that got you
as on the times that I have flown I seem to get sick afterwards about 30% of
the time. My odds have improved somewhat as I have taken to swallowing a
immunity booster pill and wiping the inside of the nasal passages with
Polysporin before embarking. Another weird thing happened on the way down to
Australia where I fell asleep for a while on the second leg from Hong Kong
to Brisbane and when I woke up my lower right front ribs were hurting and
throughout the next 24 hours or so got worse until I was in a great deal of
pain like I had been kicked in the ribs. This stayed around until after I
got home from the trip and only after a few visits to the chiropractor and
then a visit to my regular doctor followed by a chest xray and blood tests
etc did it start to fade . I have now felt good for a week and a half or so.
The not knowing what it is of course is always the worst for me . Another
strange thing was I had some blockage in my right sinus and a case of pink
eye in the right eye which I have experienced before. My self diagnosis put
it down to some kind of infection so I used Polysporin eye drops and
continued with the swiping of the nasal passage with the same for a week and
all symptoms finally went away. all quite strange.
I would love to type more but I have to get going as I'm working this week
way out in Minnakhada park and have to run. Glad to hear you were able to
get home to see your mom. I will get in touch soon .
Take care, Al
Hi Patrice,
Well I am sorry to hear about the illness that is awful but better that you
were at home to endure it than some Japanese hotel or other unfamiliar
surrounding. I wouldn't doubt if it was something on the plane that got you
as on the times that I have flown I seem to get sick afterwards about 30% of
the time. My odds have improved somewhat as I have taken to swallowing a
immunity booster pill and wiping the inside of the nasal passages with
Polysporin before embarking. Another weird thing happened on the way down to
Australia where I fell asleep for a while on the second leg from Hong Kong
to Brisbane and when I woke up my lower right front ribs were hurting and
throughout the next 24 hours or so got worse until I was in a great deal of
pain like I had been kicked in the ribs. This stayed around until after I
got home from the trip and only after a few visits to the chiropractor and
then a visit to my regular doctor followed by a chest xray and blood tests
etc did it start to fade . I have now felt good for a week and a half or so.
The not knowing what it is of course is always the worst for me . Another
strange thing was I had some blockage in my right sinus and a case of pink
eye in the right eye which I have experienced before. My self diagnosis put
it down to some kind of infection so I used Polysporin eye drops and
continued with the swiping of the nasal passage with the same for a week and
all symptoms finally went away. all quite strange.
I would love to type more but I have to get going as I'm working this week
way out in Minnakhada park and have to run. Glad to hear you were able to
get home to see your mom. I will get in touch soon .
Take care, Al
Hi Big Al!
First of all, truly sorry to hear about your various "ailments". I'm sure feeling the way you did must not only have been pretty uncomfortable but also quite worrying. Visions of SARS went through my fevered brain when I was wracked with fever and pain! [Truly, I felt so bloody wretched I knew it was something other than a "simple" or common flu bug.] Certainly glad that you seem fully recovered now. Work seems busy as well so that is probably good from a financial point of view, not so great from a cycling perspective. In that regard, I forgot to mention how much I enjoyed the film of "our route"! What a terrific find. I could hardly believe it when I watched it. The "then" and "now" frames were brilliant. Aside from anything else, a wonderful historical record. (Back in those days Cora Lee had a nifty, new green Peugeot, 10 speed, I think. In the good weather she regularly rode it from 13th/Vine to UBC, to Library School, between 1975/1976. Unfortunately, my lower back couldn't take the low handle bars, (even then), and so I never really started cycling. What a wasted opportunity. One I still regret.) However, I think we should receive some royalties and location shooting fees. The Peleton will never ride again, just sit somewhere knocking back endless lattes, waiting for the next cheque to be delivered!!
Certainly wished I could have been out riding this afternoon. Have finally started to feel like living a bit so wanted to get outside and have a walk and a breathe of fresh air. This being the case, we decided to head up to 5th Ave Cinemas to take in the Intouchables: "The
true story of a wealthy, physically disabled risk taker, the picture of
established French nobility, who lost his wife in an accident and whose
world is turned upside down when he hires a young, good-humored, black
Muslim ex-con as his caretaker. Their bond proves the power and
omniscience that love and friendship can hold over all social and
economic differences."
The cast is wonderful but Omar Sy as the caregiver is more than remarkable. I knew a bit about the situation but was not prepared to be so thoroughly entertained. It is side-splittingly funny and filled, not surprisingly, with anguish. Ironically, stemming not so much from the life, post-accident, of the quadriplegic, (played wonderfully by François Cluzet), but moreso from his live-in nurse's own personal circumstances. There is, to be sure, a hint of the Fairy God Mother about the film but Driss's responses to the world around him are so unabashed, so confident, so politically incorrect, so uproariously direct, so touching that they are healing. A modern fairy tale with a happy ending, but an earned one. I'd see it again it's such a delight. A must as far as I'm concerned.
There was a trailer for Woody Allen's latest, To Rome with Love, and I'm looking forward to it, particularly since Roberto Benigni is in it. I can't get enough of him. At any rate, I looked up a bit about the film and had to include a few snippets from a press conference in Rome having to do with the world premiere:
More significant, Allen quashed rumors that in keeping with his recent European theme, his next film would be set in Copenhagen.
"I don’t know where that came from, but I assure you: I have not spoken to anyone in Copenhagen, I don’t know anyone in Copenhagen, and I have no plans to make a film in Copenhagen," he noted. Instead, he said his next project will be set in San Francisco, with sections shot in his traditional New York stomping grounds. He did not rule out returning to Europe after that.
Asked why he elected to start making Europe-based films after a 30-year career making films that mostly were set in New York, Allen said that large European cities were not that different from the Big Apple.
"The spirit of London or Barcelona or Paris or Rome is very similar to that of New York," Allen said. "There are cosmetic differences, of course, but the spirit is similar, so it’s not so hard to find stories. I would have a hard time finding stories if I was asked to make a film in a rural setting or in the desert. But not in big cities."
Later, he, [Benigni], offered journalists at the briefing a faux scoop: "I will tell you something Mr. Allen confided in me," Benigni joked, lowering his voice. “He said he wants his next film to star me, and he said it will be set partially in Copenhagen and partially in the desert.”
I'm still laughing!!!
Take care of yourself, Big Al. I'll give you a shout over the course of the next few days and perhaps we can even plan a ride when I get the all clear! Cheers, Patrizzio!
Hi Tamara de Lempicka!
Like your latest painting! So does Cora Lee. She was starting to worry about about re-potting on patio, now that we are back. Needed Maggie as a bodyguard against any Evil Greens here on the West Coast!
Hi Teens!
Your pic was fabulous! I can only wonder at being there! You are the second friend to be there this year. When back in Tea Tree Gully and you have time, take a look at Bob Altwein's blog:
http://wordfrombob.blogspot.ca/
Furthermore, while in Darwin we met a wonderful woman, Jenne Roberts, and her daughter, Saveeta, just a year back, after previous eight years in Cambodia. We hope to make the trek in next few years, especially after being bitten by the bug of HK and Japan. I know these two places are worlds apart from Laos, Cambodia and Viet Nam but these last visits make us want to explore more of Asia.
Hi June!
I presume you might be back in England by now. Hope your trip was all you expected and wanted it to be. Wanted to thank you, again, for bringing the malt. As well, thanks for the lovely biscuits. Unfortunately they didn't last very long once I had a taste!
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