This is a test... It is only a test.

Well, seem to be out of the music titles (for now at least). Now we'll venture into the nominally sensical (yeah, may be inventing new words too).

Back in HK - arrived last night. Uneventful trip - just long as always. At least managed to finagle an exit row window seat between Vancouver and Tokyo/Narita. JAL has great service, but not a huge amount of leg room. So, I smile sweetly at check-in, and otherwise book a seat near somewhere I can stand for part of the flight. Saw the coolest (where was my brain - should have pulled out my camera), double circular rainbow below the plane not long after we took off - in the middle, the shadow of the plane.

For a change, was not sucked into my normal travel vortex - a thought which occurred to me before I met up with Christie (who so accommodatingly once again met me and my lack of sleep adled brain to guide me here). As it turns out, Christie (very obligingly) got caught in the vortex instead (what a gal!). She tried to pick me up twice. To add to the problem, the flight number is always the same for the flight I was coming in on. That, and I think Christie is aware of my propensity not to assume I will be met (although, I did know she was coming to meet me, and the only people to ever suffer from the aforementioned problem were my parents - and they created the problem for themselves!). Anyway, we'll blame the international date line - I had told Christie that I was coming here from April 10-27, which, I am. However, that meant I was out of Vancouver from those dates - left 3pm on the 10th, arrived 10pm on the 11th. You can understand the confusion... Kinda like the fact that I will arrive home before I left on the way back - at least the airport to airport part.

Anyway, am here. Am (so far) in one piece - have travelled with only flat shoes for this trip (don't think anyone would let me walk out of the house in anything else here). So, I flew back here (for the second subsequent time) one year to the day since I returned to work post-surgery. All in all, think is pretty good.

So, right now sitting co-opting time on Ian's laptop. Christie & Ian have headed out for a walk, Noah is plugged into headphones playing computer games. Windows are open, fresh light breeze, view of the hillside behind, and listening to cicadas in the background. Seem to be managing the world of apple (the subtle differences can be a killer when you're used to the other). Got logged into here - a memory test, can you remember what goes in which box when you're looking at the info in chinese characters. Obviously, yes.

Oh, yeah, and listening to my new Sony travel speakers - they're awesome, but I'm having trouble pasting in the link (will add it later, if I can overcome my technological challenges).

Everyone is back. Time to be sociable and get ready to go for brunch.

Theatre and life...

Above are BC & Spud.

Went to see "Rigoletto" on the weekend... Was a fabulous show! The set was new and intriguing, the singing was superb. This is what attracted me to Vancouver Opera in the first place.

Here are links to the reviews

• http://www.straight.com/article-205091/vancouver-operas-rigoletto-hits-all-right-notes
• http://www.vancouversun.com/Entertainment/Star%20quality%20pair%20shine%20Rigoletto/1369203/story.html
• http://www.reviewvancouver.org/op_rigoletto09.htm

Also saw "Toronto Mississippi" earlier last week. Probably the show we have enjoyed most this season. Went to Century House for dinner beforehand - food was yummy, and good value. You can find a clips here and links here.

• http://www.vancouverplayhouse.com/current-season/2008/toronto-mississippi.php
• http://www.centuryhouse.ca/main/

Upcoming events and highlights:

Gallery openings on Thursday & Saturday:

• http://www.elliottlouis.com/dynamic/exhibit_artist.asp?ExhibitID=362
• http://cristallgallery.com/CURRENT_EXHIBITION

Next plays are:

• http://www.artsclub.com/plays/20082009/onstage/homechild.htm
• http://www.artsclub.com/plays/20082009/onstage/real-thing.htm - want to see this one
• http://www.seeseven.bc.ca/0809/shows/johnnygrant.php - just trying to figure out the dates on this

End of the month is on to concerts - Judy Collins w/ the VSO, and Beyonce (just for a bit of the usual variety!).

Time to stroll on home - might get to catch the sunset!

The Tide Is High...

Trying to get back to this blog, but...

A couple weeks ago went to see Ian Tyson, and at one point he ended up with this in the middle of a song (up there on the surreal concert moments - with the 'surfer reggae' the night before at Maxi Priest, and the 'spiritual song' by one of the band members at Billy Joel - "Highway to Hell" - yeah, sure, AC/DC, just what you expect at a Billy Joel concert!

Hail to the Chief...

Figured I should finish the prior story... Spud has been neutered (again), BC is slowly getting over his grudge (has now been almost three weeks!). I think they will eventually be friends (assuming Spud doesn't get squished in a horrible accident under my feet!).

We have now traded the snow for fog. But fog is not rain, and most importantly, is not snow! Snow is nice to visit (skiing), but people who do not shovel their sidewalks should be summarily shot - especially multi-unit & commercial building owners FOR WHOM IT IS A BYLAW!

Today, I, as with a substantial chunk of the rest of the world, am delighted that the US finally has a new President. It is inauguration day. Listened to the speech when I arrived at work (gotta love the Internet! - live simulcast).

War... What is it good for...

Absolutely nothing! However, is a pretty accurate description of what is going on at home right now.

For anyone who doesn't know Vancouver, we generally have weather pretty similar to Seattle Washington, USA or Heidelberg Germany (since I know some of the people reading this relate to those places). As a rule, this does NOT include snow! If it snows, usually it sticks around for a day or two. Long enough to look pretty and to grind virtually everything to a halt. We like to look at snow from a distance, we like to be able to visit it - with three ski hills within the GVRD (Cypress, Grouse, Seymour), and Whistler approximately 125km away. Here are a couple links to the weather of late (thankfully, the snow has mostly melted in the recent deluge of rain - Vancouver proper is now doing okay, the outlying areas are still suffering).

http://www.emarketing101.ca/blog/item/vancouver-in-the-snow-december-24-2008/

http://vancouverbcphoto.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=5

Anyway, back to the story... As it turns out, Spud (the 6month old, neutred, male cat from the SPCA) was operated on a vet in need of remedial math skills... My regular vet suspects that, since we were able to determine from his tattoo that was a mobile vet unit who did the work, perhaps there was a student involved. Anyway, long and short of it - Spud still had one testicle. Allison helped me get him to the vet to confirm this (and have a check-up), and we scheduled surgery. And then, it snowed. And snowed. And snowed... Well, actually, it started snowing December 13, 2008, then looked like things were smoothing out, then - not so much. Spud arrived December 7, we went to the vet December 20, surgery was scheduled for December 29 - roads were virtually impassable - RESCHEDULE!

January 1 (welcome to 2009!) I am puttering about when all hell breaks loose. Hissing, growling, screeching... I find two "cats as blowfish" (both with all hair on end). I think the testosterone has kicked in for Spud, and he has taken this opportunity to assert himself in some way (until now, they've been getting along - Spud has been BC's shadow)... Anyway, BC (who is 9.5 years old) apparently wasn't thrilled. In the ensuing scrap, BC has fared far the worse (kitten claws are sharp!). He has a cut on his lip. Clean it with a bit of peroxide, try to keep the cats apart for a while. BC is peeved and holding a grudge - if Spud comes near, growl, hiss. Spud, is a dopey teenager "mreow?" - he just wants to play and be friends.