IIDD, Chill November: Sunday, Remebrance Day, November 11th

For me, words are a form of action, capable of influencing change. -Ingrid Bengis, writer and teacher (b. 1944) 

Flanders

The latest: Adrian update and thanks.

Thank you all for your emails, texts and calls last week.

I will tell this with as much brevity as I can: very long story short:

Tuesday in court Tess and Adrian were awarded 50/50 care of the children, which is great, because Tess was going for full custody, with "visitation" for Adrian. Tess "has to" take part in postpartum depression counselling (the only way Adrian would not push for more time with the children).  So, this was good, but then as soon as they left court Tess's social worker showed up and said that because of the "criminal investigation" of Adrian (that he was "abusing Tess") that they has the authority to take the children, even though the court had just awarded him with the first seven day visit. My mom, Adrian, and Adrian's lawyer were like no, you don't, and Adrian and my mom left.

Lieut. Col. John McCrae

Then they got off the ferry and Tess and Jerome (Tess's dad) were right in front of them, and there were RCMP and a HELICOPTER with RCMP waiting at the ferry, (for those of you who don't know, Tess's cousin is married to an RCMP officer, on Quadra, and Tess is living with them.) SO, they got off the ferry, and Adrian went to Tess's vehicle, and she said she was going to the property with the RCMP and a document from the social worker, with the intent of taking the children. Adrian quickly called his lawyer and was told that the social worker was indeed working outside of the law and that they couldn't do that. He told Adrian he had two choices. Call the RCMP from Campbell River and have them come and act on his behalf, which would be difficult because of the Quadra Island RCMP issue, or just "let her" take the children, and then they would file immediately some kind of breach of court order that would A) document her refusal to work with the court order and B) implement this rogue social worker in breach of court order. So Adrian decided to do that, because his biggest concern was that the children were going to be involved in some scene with the RCMP if he "refused" to let them go. SO he called Tess and said to go to property without RCMP and my dad (who was with the Children) would hand them over without fuss. So, that's what happened.

Two days later we got an email from "Quality Control" at the ministry (my mom and Adrian had started a formal complaint of Tess's worker as she was the who wouldn't let Adrian sit in the waiting room with Anu and threatened to call the police, which was completely illegal. She also had VPD come to my mom's house one night at ten pm, and "check on the children's safety". They came and put a flashlight in Anu's face which he was sleeping peacefully. It was all very sad. She was the one who "forced" Adrian to take the kids to the doctor to document their state of health away from their mother (the dr. wrote that they were happy and thriving:) Anyway, long story short this woman, and her entire office, was taken off this case. Had their "wrist slapped" for their conduct with the entire file, going against court orders, etc. and it sounds like she was suspended (language very vague). So Tess has to go through another office now, and none of the stuff she told this woman can be part of court (it was meeting with this woman where all of a sudden Tess was saying that Adrian was "abusive") Just a nightmare...I know Tess is just acting out of fear and desperation, but god, I just can't imagine having to defend myself for something like that.  Lianne wrote a letters stating that they were in relationships for ten years and he never so much as raised his voice. (Liberty, her dad, and Sair did too, thank you so much!  It really helped to have women saying that Adrian is respectful and peaceful.) 

SO. That was our week with all that. It's not going to be an easy one. Already Tess won't let us see them at Christmas (even though she is a non-practising Jew and doesn't celebrate anything at Christmas anyway!) It's going to be a constant battle, I'm afraid...

Adrian is amazing, I don't know how he's doing this. He is constantly trying to show compassion and empathy toward Tess. He just really thinks she is sick. His heart is broken because his "dream" has been taken from him, but he is determined to provide a good life for these boys. We all hope that this is but one little phase of all this, and that in the future we look back and it's something that was for a brief crazy period and then it improved. We all know that the children can be happy and content in two separate homes, it's only if they are constanyly aware of all of this negativity where it will influence them.

 

Anyway, thank you all so much for your support and love and thoughts. I am so lucky to have such amazing friends. Adrian remarked too, that I am a "walking resource" for him and the boys, but it's just because of the community of women I have in my life that I am able to be that for him. (It's this little thing that comes with my "city energy" that Tess said she loathed in me:)))) (Compassionate thoughts, compassionate thoughts!!!!)

Oh my god...what a nightmare 

Thought some of you would find this interesting.

Things have moved fairly quickly since NRBC first discussed the technology...

http://cubify.com/cube/

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-21/the-era-of-retail-3d-printing-begins
 

8^) cheers, Mark

Hi 3D Lads!

I am happy to compete with the emerging printer technology as I have managed to put my first docu-drama on YouTube. Quite easily done, in fact as I probably don't have to tell the techno-nerds. Cheers, Patrizzio!

PS: Have some ideas about a feature length film on kitchen rage and am wondering if either Whirlygig or Robo Man might be willing to consult on script as they are always nattering on about recipes when we ride. Big Al has already signed to do stanchion patrol and FX. Plan on shooting near Plaza of Nations, a location Big Al is all too, too painfully aware of!

PPS: I heard a CBC radio clip, a few days ago now, on another stream near Burnaby Lake with Chum spawning.
PATRICK:

This is my Canadian friend, Thomas's, comments from the cc: that I sent to him from your last missive.

"Oh yeah, you forgot to tell Patrick that Adrian [his son] and I had also done the RSVP ride 4 times. That is funner than STP [Seattle to Portland], only 1000 riders instead of 10 times that. For your edification that stands for "Ride Seattle Vancouver Party". Should have mentioned yesterday that the route takes you up Chuckanut Drive!! That's why it's limited to that number. Also the route up Hwy 9 can be intimidating. The reason I slacked off biking was I got into motorcycles."

Continuing the adventure! Erich 

Rain was forecast for Sunday so I set off just before 10:00am to try to get a ride under my belt before deluge began. Had decided upon an up-an-over LG. Once again, a fierce head wind, ever colder than Friday's chilly blast, as I made my way to SP. Did the Spirit Trail, Harbourside route to Bewicke and then back towards Ambleside. Slight drizzle which had started just before I started climb to bridge deck on way over seemed to deter most dog-walkers in West Van to I only had to dodge an umbrella or two. 

Back over LG and then, once back at the fire engine, I began the Coal Harbour/Canada Place Loop. Could hardly believe the force of the wind as I struggled east towards the Float Plane Terminal. By this time both my hands and feet were solid blocks of ice but I hunkered down and forced myself into the raging hurricadoes, enjoying the more than considerable push of the gale as I made for SP Seawall. Again, inclement weather kept walkers to a minimum and I had the Seawall almost completely to myself.

Since my odometre was still "on the fritz" I had decided, upon seting out, that I would ride for at least three hours and "assume" I had logged just over 61.3K by the time Iwas back at the HBT. Stowed my bike at just after 1:00pm and did a few laundry/kitchen chores while my fingers and toes thawed! Jumped into the shower after the ice cubes had melted and put on several layers as I was off to the Van City Cinema for a 3:00pm showing. Chloë was home for her lunch break and very kindly offered to drop me off downtown but I knew I would be walking home, over the Granville Bridge, after the film was out, and assumed it would be even colder and wetter by then.



More than enjoyed the special Remembrance Day screening of The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp:

Commissioned by the War Office to make a flag-waving morale booster at the height of WWII, Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger instead turned in this heartbreaking elegy for a lost England, which also doubles as a satire on a very British kind of buffoon: a pompous gentleman soldier of the type who has outlived his usefulness in the modern era. During the Boer War, Clive Candy (Roger Livesey) is sent to Berlin to trap a spy. There he befriends a German Officer, Theo (Anton Walbrook), who marries Edith (Deborah Kerr), the girl Candy is in love with. During the First World War, Candy marries a girl who resembles Edith and helps Theo - now a POW - to get repatriated. He comes back in the Second World War as a Brigadier General and once again encounters Theo.

Loosely based on David Low’s comic strip, The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp is arguably the greatest of all films about what it means to be British - which must be why Prime Minister Winston Churchill tried to get the production shut down and refused to grant the finished film an export license to North America.

I didn't know that the film was/is renowned for its Technicolor cinematography but the version screened featured a newly restored DCP edition that certainly does more than full justice to George Perinal’s stunning photography. In addition, two or three other "filmic" devices that I think were quite ahead of their time involved having Kerr play three roles, marking the passage of time with shots of wall mounted hunting trophies and "time-slips", moving from the present, 1942, when the film opens, to the past, 1902, and then back again. Jingoistic propaganda on one level, a heartfelt romance and enduring friendship on another.

Film was almost three hours in length and I didn't leave the theatre until 5:45pm. Glad I had bundled up as it was raining heavily as I made my way over the Granville Bridge. Fortunately, the wind was behind me so walk wasn't unpleasant at all, my brolly keeping me dry and snug. My Croc-clad feet squelched in the odd puddle or rivulet but otherwise I was fine. Home just in time to throw a green salad together to enjoy the pork loin, rice with pine nuts and fresh asparagus Coriandre and Rosie the Riveter served for dinner. All washed down with an extremely palatable Luis Felipe Edwards, Gran Reserva Family Selection Carmenère, 2008, 14%, Colchagua Valley.

You can watch all 160 minutes of of the trials and tribulations of Officer Zeppelin at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82WmdT76Cpc

caveat emptor 8^) cheers, Mark