Sunday, Carolyn was up early and down to church to sing with the various kid's programs while I lounged around reading the LA Times and drinking coffee. Then I made my way down to PCC around 9:30, avoided the piles of donuts and bagels, found Carolyn and made our way to center seats, aisle 6 or 7.
We had a guest pastor, Jack Hughes, who had just finished a youth beach camp and said he was preaching his way back to Burbank. His sermon about dealing with "killing your beloved sin" was right on about how we often like to tip toe to the edge of the canyon that represents our favorite sin; the one to which we keep being attracted. The new practical suggestion he made as far as I was concerned, other than to flee and not get near the temptation, was to memorize scriptures that speak to that flaw so that you can always call on the Word when tempted.
After church, we stopped for a couple of errands and then headed home. I began tackling the garage as we will need the space to store cabinets and appliances before and during the remodel. I tossed miscellaneous junk, straightened up the shelves, built another shelf to store paint, installed a pulley system to hang Carolyn's bike, took a load of clothes/old luggage/crutches/bed spread to Goodwill, used some new product to get the oil stain off the garage floor, started to reorganize my pegboard system, made a designated place for the garden tools/pots/chemicals, and swept, vacuumed and swept.
Monday, I'll have to buy some more pegboard hooks to finish up the process and toss a few more things. Meanwhile, Carolyn planted some new plants, fertilized the lawn, and watered thoroughly. She also made a run to Aaron Bros. to reframe a picture and to an antique store where she found two or three other older pictures for the powder room and our bath. After about six hours, we were totally done. But we were pleased with how much we had accomplished. More to be done, though.
Monday, June 28, 2004
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Dana Point Picnic
Errands, errands, yard work, house work, clean up - oh, the joys of home ownership on a lovely Saturday. We had to finish our chores mid-afternoon as we were going to meet about half of our Bible study group in Dana Point for a picnic/potluck.
Then, just as we had about everything in the car for our journey to DP, the Cox cable guy showed up (I had made the appointment a week prior without checking with my social secretary - that would be Carolyn - a no-no for all you young marrieds), so we delayed about twenty minutes while he fixed my problem with the Hi-Def (loose cables!) and then set up my new Sony so the picture in picture works, I can record one channel while watching another, and a few other perks. I was/am one Happy Camper!!
We left a sunny warm day in Lake Forest (me in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt) to go to the cool and mostly overcast harbor. We found our friends, unloaded and began to talk and snack. Jim and Susan had just returned from an excellent trip to Costa Rica and several of us decided we needed to build ourselves a compound down there with pool, tennis court and about a 40' sailboat. Sounds excellent to me.
We barbecued brats while others did chicken, ribs or hot dogs and then shared in four salads and dessert of a killer chocolate sheet cake and cookies. Carolyn and I couldn't resist the temptation to indulge in one piece of cake and broke our Atkins vow. Well, back to protein and vegetables.
Then after everyone was getting a little cold, most of us went over to the Elliott's where we just talked and had tea or coffee - the men in one room, the women in another. A pleasant evening. Pictures below.
Harbor View
Dennis Hughes
Gloria Hughes
Kathie Elliott
Susan Hawley
Then, just as we had about everything in the car for our journey to DP, the Cox cable guy showed up (I had made the appointment a week prior without checking with my social secretary - that would be Carolyn - a no-no for all you young marrieds), so we delayed about twenty minutes while he fixed my problem with the Hi-Def (loose cables!) and then set up my new Sony so the picture in picture works, I can record one channel while watching another, and a few other perks. I was/am one Happy Camper!!
We left a sunny warm day in Lake Forest (me in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt) to go to the cool and mostly overcast harbor. We found our friends, unloaded and began to talk and snack. Jim and Susan had just returned from an excellent trip to Costa Rica and several of us decided we needed to build ourselves a compound down there with pool, tennis court and about a 40' sailboat. Sounds excellent to me.
We barbecued brats while others did chicken, ribs or hot dogs and then shared in four salads and dessert of a killer chocolate sheet cake and cookies. Carolyn and I couldn't resist the temptation to indulge in one piece of cake and broke our Atkins vow. Well, back to protein and vegetables.
Then after everyone was getting a little cold, most of us went over to the Elliott's where we just talked and had tea or coffee - the men in one room, the women in another. A pleasant evening. Pictures below.
Harbor View
Dennis Hughes
Gloria Hughes
Kathie Elliott
Susan Hawley
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Two Years Ago Today
I woke up this morning thinking about June 22, 2002, and how much activity was going on in our home as Ashley and Carolyn primped for Ash's wedding later that morning. Excitement and a little bit of nostalgia hung in the air as hairdos were done and we all readied ourselves for the BIG DAY.
Even with the passage of time, the day still was one of the more perfect wedding/receptions we'd ever attended. The fun of the bridesmaids prepping and the groomsmen joking downstairs before the ceremony. The honor/pride/transition feelings as I walked Ashley down the aisle to hand her to Bryce. The wonderful message and personal remembrances of the pastor. The prayers of both sets of parents over our kids. The music that greeted us and that ushered us out.
And then the fun and fellowship at Waters for the reception. Seeing all our friends and friends of Ashley and Bryce sharing with us this wonderful day. It was certainly not a June gloom day.
So here two years later, we find Ashley and Bryce in Edinburgh, Scotland working on post-graduate degrees. Working together to support each other emotionally, educationally, financially and, most importantly, spiritually. We are so proud of both of them and glad to claim Bryce as our son-in-law. The only thing that will seem strange is calling them Doctor and Reverend (in a couple of years)!
A toast to a long, healthy, Christ-centered marriage!!
Even with the passage of time, the day still was one of the more perfect wedding/receptions we'd ever attended. The fun of the bridesmaids prepping and the groomsmen joking downstairs before the ceremony. The honor/pride/transition feelings as I walked Ashley down the aisle to hand her to Bryce. The wonderful message and personal remembrances of the pastor. The prayers of both sets of parents over our kids. The music that greeted us and that ushered us out.
And then the fun and fellowship at Waters for the reception. Seeing all our friends and friends of Ashley and Bryce sharing with us this wonderful day. It was certainly not a June gloom day.
So here two years later, we find Ashley and Bryce in Edinburgh, Scotland working on post-graduate degrees. Working together to support each other emotionally, educationally, financially and, most importantly, spiritually. We are so proud of both of them and glad to claim Bryce as our son-in-law. The only thing that will seem strange is calling them Doctor and Reverend (in a couple of years)!
A toast to a long, healthy, Christ-centered marriage!!
Monday, June 21, 2004
Father's Day
I awoke, early even on this Sunday morning, and started the coffee and grabbed the papers to find two gifts in my bed when I returned. The first, a DVD movie, from Ashley that she had sent so it arrived timely. A murder mystery including William Randolph Hearst and some of the more famous individuals of the time. We look forward to watching it. We had had a good talk with Ash and Bryce on Saturday and Ash even left me a voice mail message while we were at the play later in the day.
After taking our time, it was off to church (it had been three weeks since we had lost gone as I really had no desire to attend a Catholic service in French while in Quebec). Great sermon as is typical with intelligent references to Greek origins of words, etc. Then we headed home for a quick lunch before heading off to the Performing Arts Center.
The traveling cast of Oklahoma! was playing and tickets had become available late Friday afternoon. Our seats were third row center with an exceptional amount of leg room. The actors, choreography, props and singing were great. It brought back memories of watching the same play at CVCHS when Ash was at SMCHS and some of her old friends had starring roles. We had a lot of fun.
Back home we met Wanda for a nice dinner of BBQ pork ribs and a medley of vegetables. Wanda even brought chilled champagne. A good time to converse and share pictures from our recent trip.
After taking our time, it was off to church (it had been three weeks since we had lost gone as I really had no desire to attend a Catholic service in French while in Quebec). Great sermon as is typical with intelligent references to Greek origins of words, etc. Then we headed home for a quick lunch before heading off to the Performing Arts Center.
The traveling cast of Oklahoma! was playing and tickets had become available late Friday afternoon. Our seats were third row center with an exceptional amount of leg room. The actors, choreography, props and singing were great. It brought back memories of watching the same play at CVCHS when Ash was at SMCHS and some of her old friends had starring roles. We had a lot of fun.
Back home we met Wanda for a nice dinner of BBQ pork ribs and a medley of vegetables. Wanda even brought chilled champagne. A good time to converse and share pictures from our recent trip.
Saturday Shopping
The day started off lazily with coffee and the paper. With no Atkins breakfast food in the house, Carolyn and I went to Snooty Fox around 10 a.m. for a late breakfast. Omelets with ham and cheese or cheese and salsa and sides of sliced tomatoes and no toast or potatoes.
Then it was off for a full day of on the "Kitchen Remodel Excursion" as we headed up the 405 to the appliance store where we finalized decisions about the dishwasher and cabinet depth refrigerator (know anyone who needs a one year old 25 cu. ft. refrig?). Oh, we decided we needed to redo the powder bath at the same time since the flooring is going to be consistent with the entry and kitchen, so we ordered a new toilet as well.
Then we headed off to Kitchen & Bath Solutions to speak with Kathleen about her proposal for the cabinets on the back wall. It will have lower cabinets and drawers, a countertop, and the upper cabinets will be enclosed in stained glass along with a wine rack in the center. The cost of the glass doors surprised me! We adjusted a few items and then put our payment down on the cabinets. The process has begun!
Next, we headed to Newport Beach and the New York Hardware Co. which houses every kind of knob, pull, door knocker, etc. that you've ever seen including old style glass door knobs. We were checking out pewter furniture style handles and round pulls but it took a looooonnngg time! I think we're close to a decision.
Back up Newport Blvd. to Light Bulbs, Etc. to look (once more) for pendant lights. We reviewed several books and I think I found our final choice. The manager, Melvin, was extremely helpful and eager to show us how down lights with black baffles are less obtrusive than those with white baffles and which light bulbs are best (Chinese are too yellow, Japanese the brightest white). They're giving us a contractor's discount, too.
We finally got home around 6 p.m. and I was exhausted. Men are just not programmed for 8 hour shopping excursions. Carolyn made a great salad for dinner which included artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, avocado, red onion, goat cheese and chicken which we devoured. But we were both too tired to attend an art showing of one of Carolyn's friends up in Orange.
Then it was off for a full day of on the "Kitchen Remodel Excursion" as we headed up the 405 to the appliance store where we finalized decisions about the dishwasher and cabinet depth refrigerator (know anyone who needs a one year old 25 cu. ft. refrig?). Oh, we decided we needed to redo the powder bath at the same time since the flooring is going to be consistent with the entry and kitchen, so we ordered a new toilet as well.
Then we headed off to Kitchen & Bath Solutions to speak with Kathleen about her proposal for the cabinets on the back wall. It will have lower cabinets and drawers, a countertop, and the upper cabinets will be enclosed in stained glass along with a wine rack in the center. The cost of the glass doors surprised me! We adjusted a few items and then put our payment down on the cabinets. The process has begun!
Next, we headed to Newport Beach and the New York Hardware Co. which houses every kind of knob, pull, door knocker, etc. that you've ever seen including old style glass door knobs. We were checking out pewter furniture style handles and round pulls but it took a looooonnngg time! I think we're close to a decision.
Back up Newport Blvd. to Light Bulbs, Etc. to look (once more) for pendant lights. We reviewed several books and I think I found our final choice. The manager, Melvin, was extremely helpful and eager to show us how down lights with black baffles are less obtrusive than those with white baffles and which light bulbs are best (Chinese are too yellow, Japanese the brightest white). They're giving us a contractor's discount, too.
We finally got home around 6 p.m. and I was exhausted. Men are just not programmed for 8 hour shopping excursions. Carolyn made a great salad for dinner which included artichoke hearts, hearts of palm, avocado, red onion, goat cheese and chicken which we devoured. But we were both too tired to attend an art showing of one of Carolyn's friends up in Orange.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Atkins Journey
Well, Carolyn and I after returning home from our recent trip decided it was time to commit to losing some weight. So on Wednesday we began the Atkins diet, with plenty of protein and vegetables, but at least during this initial phase with no fruits, pasta, bread, sweets, alcohol or caffeine. Wednesday afternoon I had a real drop in my level of alertness. It would have been extremely easy to put my head down and take a nap, but I think that is my body adapting to a new regiment with a low level of caffeine.
The challenge will be twofold: to consistently stay on the diet; to begin exercising on a regular basis. Right now I'm drinking more water in a day than I used to drink in weeks! Now, where was the gym I belong to?
The challenge will be twofold: to consistently stay on the diet; to begin exercising on a regular basis. Right now I'm drinking more water in a day than I used to drink in weeks! Now, where was the gym I belong to?
Wednesday, June 16, 2004
Hudson-Oka
After our full day to Quebec City and a lazy day watching a fair amount of the Reagan funeral on Friday, we left the Club on Saturday morning and drove to our hotel, Chateau Vaudreuil, about 25 minutes away from the airport on Lac de Deux Montagnes. A suite hotel that had a great bed and the first plasma TV I've seen in a hotel room. The hotel sits on about 35 acres right on the lake and several weddings/receptions were taking place as we walked the grounds.
We drove a little further to the communities of Hudson-Oka, one of the few English communities in Quebec, and wound our way past stone homes with rambling lawns and gardens. A ferry takes you to the community of Oka which is known for their cheese, but we didn't partake as you could sneeze and miss the town. The ferry was rather unique in that it was towed by a powerboat rather by an onboard engine like the Balboa ferry. The process of bringing the ferry with its ten or so cars and passengers up to the ramp was rather interesting as the powerboat operator had to swing around and nudge the ferry up to the ramp.
Hudson Ferry
We had a fabulous dinner at the hotel. I had a great steak while Carolyn had Salmon. Then we followed up with creme brulee and a chocolate cake so rich I couldn't finish it! Automatically powered window shades by the bedside provided a great dark sleep environment which we totally enjoyed.
God's Gift to Man
Sunday we flew home via Calgary to LAX and arrived at 8:00. We picked up the car and drove home listening to the last quarter of the Lakers as they went down 3-1 to the Pistons. With that exception, a great trip that was relaxing, fun and historical. I even got a chance to learn/practice a fair amount of French.
We drove a little further to the communities of Hudson-Oka, one of the few English communities in Quebec, and wound our way past stone homes with rambling lawns and gardens. A ferry takes you to the community of Oka which is known for their cheese, but we didn't partake as you could sneeze and miss the town. The ferry was rather unique in that it was towed by a powerboat rather by an onboard engine like the Balboa ferry. The process of bringing the ferry with its ten or so cars and passengers up to the ramp was rather interesting as the powerboat operator had to swing around and nudge the ferry up to the ramp.
Hudson Ferry
We had a fabulous dinner at the hotel. I had a great steak while Carolyn had Salmon. Then we followed up with creme brulee and a chocolate cake so rich I couldn't finish it! Automatically powered window shades by the bedside provided a great dark sleep environment which we totally enjoyed.
God's Gift to Man
Sunday we flew home via Calgary to LAX and arrived at 8:00. We picked up the car and drove home listening to the last quarter of the Lakers as they went down 3-1 to the Pistons. With that exception, a great trip that was relaxing, fun and historical. I even got a chance to learn/practice a fair amount of French.
Quebec City
Thursday, June 10, we put some major kilometers on our car as we drove from Mt. Tremblant to old Quebec City, the oldest walled city in North America. Carolyn had read all about the history and wanted to see it, we had just misjudged our geography and didn't realize (before we left) that it would take over four hours to drive from the Club to the City. But after our relaxing day at the spa, we decided it was worth the trip.
Again, the areas outside of the major cities are totally covered in either trees or farm land and we had another beautiful day of blue skies and moderate temps. The last hour or so we drove up the highway that shadows the St. Lawrence river. Small towns/villages every 5 to 10 kms with farms in between. Great river views with acres of crops or pastures for cows or sheep. In California, this view property would be coveted by developers as perfect for upscale home buyers! But here, sheep have the best views.
We found our way through the walls of the old city and parked at the Hotel Frontenac that is perched on the bluffs overlooking the river. We ate our picnic lunch in the adjoing park and watched dozens of school children tumbling down the grass slope that borders a wide Victorian-type promenade in front of the hotel. Later we took the funicular down to the port area and the Musee de Civilization where we tried to avoid rooms full of hyper school children and checked out how the Inuit build igloos and Native Americans built birch canoes. We walked the top of the walls and wandered the narrow streets while checking out shops and artists.
Quebec City gate
Hotel Frontenac
Quebec City Promenade
Quebec City Artists
On the way home we found ourselves stuck in some of Montreal's rush hour and again found a way to circumvent the main highway and took the scenic farm route. We stopped in St. Jerome around 9 for dinner (every city is named after a saint you never heard of) and found the restaurant we had read about had just closed their kitchen for the night. But they directed us to a great Italian restaurant where we ate and drank well, but moderately, as we still had another hour drive back to the Club. Getting home around 11 I was beat and dropped into bed after driving about 800 km and being gone from before 7 am.
Again, the areas outside of the major cities are totally covered in either trees or farm land and we had another beautiful day of blue skies and moderate temps. The last hour or so we drove up the highway that shadows the St. Lawrence river. Small towns/villages every 5 to 10 kms with farms in between. Great river views with acres of crops or pastures for cows or sheep. In California, this view property would be coveted by developers as perfect for upscale home buyers! But here, sheep have the best views.
We found our way through the walls of the old city and parked at the Hotel Frontenac that is perched on the bluffs overlooking the river. We ate our picnic lunch in the adjoing park and watched dozens of school children tumbling down the grass slope that borders a wide Victorian-type promenade in front of the hotel. Later we took the funicular down to the port area and the Musee de Civilization where we tried to avoid rooms full of hyper school children and checked out how the Inuit build igloos and Native Americans built birch canoes. We walked the top of the walls and wandered the narrow streets while checking out shops and artists.
Quebec City gate
Hotel Frontenac
Quebec City Promenade
Quebec City Artists
On the way home we found ourselves stuck in some of Montreal's rush hour and again found a way to circumvent the main highway and took the scenic farm route. We stopped in St. Jerome around 9 for dinner (every city is named after a saint you never heard of) and found the restaurant we had read about had just closed their kitchen for the night. But they directed us to a great Italian restaurant where we ate and drank well, but moderately, as we still had another hour drive back to the Club. Getting home around 11 I was beat and dropped into bed after driving about 800 km and being gone from before 7 am.
Mount Tremblant
Saturday, June 5, we headed out of Montreal to the west about two hours to the Mount Tremblant ski area. Now, for those of you who ski in the Sierras or Rockies, you wouldn't find Mt. Tremblant extremely intimidating as the mountain (the highest in the region) only rises 2,100 feet! Although, some of their runs are pretty long. But, of course, in June there was no snow, just hectares and hectares of maple, birch and pines in the upper elevations.
Club Intrawest has a pretty setting overlooking Lac Tremblant and our one bedroom unit was large, with a good sized kitchen and sitting area, covered porch looking out on the lake, and to Carolyn's delight, a deep bathtub in addition to a two person, two shower head, shower. There was a nice golf course adjacent although I didn't partake and a small pool and several jacuzzis.
Carolyn and I spent the week sleeping late and taking trips into the new village, or the small town of St. Jovite (7 km away), or the national park, or Le Scandinavian Spa.
St. Jovite was the Cook's Corner of Mt. Tremblant with scores of French speaking Harley Davidson riders converging for brunch, lunch or drinks before or after their rides into the national park. We ended up having several meals here over the week as well as buying groceries at the IGA (Carolyn's favorite grocery store - a cross between a Gelson's, Trader Joe's and Henry's. And then there was the required purchases of postcards and a new carved Woodpecker door knocker that will soon be installed on our lake adjacent abode.
The Village of Mt. Tremblant reminded me of the mountain villages of Telluride or Whistler with shops and restaurants lining a sloping public walkway that feeds you up to the bottom of the ski hill. On our last day there, they had the open gondola working that took you from the bottom of the village directly to the top where the quads and ski gondolas waited. The village was also the scene of my ultimate defeat at the hands of Carolyn "Tiger" Hutchins who smoked me on the last two holes of the mini-golf course to win by four! And that was after two incredible holes-in-one (a combination of billiards and divine intervention).
Carolyn in Mt Tremblant
One afternoon we made our way out to the national park to try our hand at kayaking. The park only charged $3.50 CDN for entry and was sparsely populated mid-week. They had canoes and kayaks for rent and we tried the two-person kayak for an hour or so (enough time I assure you). Besides trying to keep the boat going in a straight line we were accompanied by dozens of small black flies that hovered about our hats and heads annoying the heck out of us and occassionaly biting. Their welts are still reminders of our trip. But it was fun to be out on such a large lake with few others around and surrounded by trees, trees, trees. There really are a lot of shades of green!
Our most indulgent day was spent at Le Scandinavian Spa which offered the Nordic approach to relaxation. Choose something hot (steam, sauna or jacuzzi) and bake/sweat for about 7 to 10 minutes, immediately followed by something cold (Nordic falls, cold plunge at 47 degrees, or the river) for a few seconds to slam your pores shut, and then relaxation for another 10 to 15 minutes (lounge or hammock). Then repeat. Sometime during the afternoon we each had an hour Swedish massage with a primarily French speaking masseuse which made it somewhat hard to communicate especially with your face in that little donut-thing on the massage table. But we managed! A day worth repeating closer to home.
Club Intrawest has a pretty setting overlooking Lac Tremblant and our one bedroom unit was large, with a good sized kitchen and sitting area, covered porch looking out on the lake, and to Carolyn's delight, a deep bathtub in addition to a two person, two shower head, shower. There was a nice golf course adjacent although I didn't partake and a small pool and several jacuzzis.
Carolyn and I spent the week sleeping late and taking trips into the new village, or the small town of St. Jovite (7 km away), or the national park, or Le Scandinavian Spa.
St. Jovite was the Cook's Corner of Mt. Tremblant with scores of French speaking Harley Davidson riders converging for brunch, lunch or drinks before or after their rides into the national park. We ended up having several meals here over the week as well as buying groceries at the IGA (Carolyn's favorite grocery store - a cross between a Gelson's, Trader Joe's and Henry's. And then there was the required purchases of postcards and a new carved Woodpecker door knocker that will soon be installed on our lake adjacent abode.
The Village of Mt. Tremblant reminded me of the mountain villages of Telluride or Whistler with shops and restaurants lining a sloping public walkway that feeds you up to the bottom of the ski hill. On our last day there, they had the open gondola working that took you from the bottom of the village directly to the top where the quads and ski gondolas waited. The village was also the scene of my ultimate defeat at the hands of Carolyn "Tiger" Hutchins who smoked me on the last two holes of the mini-golf course to win by four! And that was after two incredible holes-in-one (a combination of billiards and divine intervention).
Carolyn in Mt Tremblant
One afternoon we made our way out to the national park to try our hand at kayaking. The park only charged $3.50 CDN for entry and was sparsely populated mid-week. They had canoes and kayaks for rent and we tried the two-person kayak for an hour or so (enough time I assure you). Besides trying to keep the boat going in a straight line we were accompanied by dozens of small black flies that hovered about our hats and heads annoying the heck out of us and occassionaly biting. Their welts are still reminders of our trip. But it was fun to be out on such a large lake with few others around and surrounded by trees, trees, trees. There really are a lot of shades of green!
Our most indulgent day was spent at Le Scandinavian Spa which offered the Nordic approach to relaxation. Choose something hot (steam, sauna or jacuzzi) and bake/sweat for about 7 to 10 minutes, immediately followed by something cold (Nordic falls, cold plunge at 47 degrees, or the river) for a few seconds to slam your pores shut, and then relaxation for another 10 to 15 minutes (lounge or hammock). Then repeat. Sometime during the afternoon we each had an hour Swedish massage with a primarily French speaking masseuse which made it somewhat hard to communicate especially with your face in that little donut-thing on the massage table. But we managed! A day worth repeating closer to home.
Montreal
Carolyn and I recently traveled to Quebec for a nine day holiday. Leaving on June 3rd at 10:30 pm, we flew the red-eye to Toronto for a two hour layover and then on to Montreal. Arriving around 8 am EDT, we grabbed our Hertz rental and headed into the city. After a few wrong turns as we tried to find our way on one-way, narrow streets with an inadequate map, we found Hotel Bonaparte up a small little lane. Luckily for us, our room was available so we parked the car, dropped off our bags, and headed out to walk the old part of the city.
About two blocks from the St. Lawrence river, we explored cobblestone streets lined with hanging flower baskets, alleys holding art displays, and galleries. Making our way to Cartier Plaza, we had lunch at Jardin Nelson's, an outdoor cafe (one of many), and enjoyed a glass of wine along with crepes that were made more like quesadillas than enchiladas. Mine were filled with gruyere cheese, ham and asparagus.
Montreal's Cartier Plaza
Lunch at Jardin Nelson
Hanging Baskets in Montreal
We passed on taking a horse-drawn carriage around the area and just walked. Stopped in the lobby at the Hotel de Ville which is actually Montreal's City Hall. Grand multi-veined marble floors and wonderful stained glass windows in the City Hall chambers.
Montreal's Cartier Plaza
Dinner was at a small restaurant where I had Buffalo tournedos which were quite good. At many of the small restaurants, the host/hostess stands outside and encourages you to dine with them. Sort of like a pleasant carnival barker.
Saturday morning, we breakfasted at the Hotel Bonaparte and then went over to check out Notre Dame before heading to Mt. Tremblant in the early afternoon. The cathedral was dark with elaborately carved wood, a 7,000 pipe organ, and a statue laden backdrop to the main altar area. Behind the cathedral was a newer chapel used for more intimate weddings, etc. (the main cathedral sits over 3,000) which had a 20 ton bronze modern sculpture which intended to depict the three stages of life: birth; conversion; and, death.
Montreal Notre Dame Chapel
About two blocks from the St. Lawrence river, we explored cobblestone streets lined with hanging flower baskets, alleys holding art displays, and galleries. Making our way to Cartier Plaza, we had lunch at Jardin Nelson's, an outdoor cafe (one of many), and enjoyed a glass of wine along with crepes that were made more like quesadillas than enchiladas. Mine were filled with gruyere cheese, ham and asparagus.
Montreal's Cartier Plaza
Lunch at Jardin Nelson
Hanging Baskets in Montreal
We passed on taking a horse-drawn carriage around the area and just walked. Stopped in the lobby at the Hotel de Ville which is actually Montreal's City Hall. Grand multi-veined marble floors and wonderful stained glass windows in the City Hall chambers.
Montreal's Cartier Plaza
Dinner was at a small restaurant where I had Buffalo tournedos which were quite good. At many of the small restaurants, the host/hostess stands outside and encourages you to dine with them. Sort of like a pleasant carnival barker.
Saturday morning, we breakfasted at the Hotel Bonaparte and then went over to check out Notre Dame before heading to Mt. Tremblant in the early afternoon. The cathedral was dark with elaborately carved wood, a 7,000 pipe organ, and a statue laden backdrop to the main altar area. Behind the cathedral was a newer chapel used for more intimate weddings, etc. (the main cathedral sits over 3,000) which had a 20 ton bronze modern sculpture which intended to depict the three stages of life: birth; conversion; and, death.
Montreal Notre Dame Chapel
Laker Lament
Well, this morning I woke up way too early (4:55 am) after watching the Lakers come apart in Detroit. I don't know if the early wake-up was the result of our recent trip to Montreal, the need to blog or depression at last night's game.
In the first quarter and a half, the Lakers seemed to have some energy and it looked like we might have a close, energetic game. But with Shaq's two early fouls, he sat on the bench and Detroit went on an 8-0 run. They were quicker all around. Faster for the offensive rebound, quicker picks and they made their free throws!
It was pretty ugly when the Lakers are down 25 points in the third quarter! Shaq, Kobe, Karl (who sat injured in street clothes), and Gary must have been contemplating where each one will be next year or where they should spend vacation. The only given is that Kobe will not be spending any "free" time in Colorado. My guess is that only Shaq of the top 5 (including Phil Jackson) will be back. What do you think?
In the first quarter and a half, the Lakers seemed to have some energy and it looked like we might have a close, energetic game. But with Shaq's two early fouls, he sat on the bench and Detroit went on an 8-0 run. They were quicker all around. Faster for the offensive rebound, quicker picks and they made their free throws!
It was pretty ugly when the Lakers are down 25 points in the third quarter! Shaq, Kobe, Karl (who sat injured in street clothes), and Gary must have been contemplating where each one will be next year or where they should spend vacation. The only given is that Kobe will not be spending any "free" time in Colorado. My guess is that only Shaq of the top 5 (including Phil Jackson) will be back. What do you think?
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Welcome
Welcome to my first blog attempt. Encouraged by my daughter to make use of the down time I sometimes (often?) have at work, I'll try to keep a few of you updated on my current activities and thoughts on the political scene, current "crimes of the century", travel opportunities and actual trips, and life on the home front - that would be in our home that is "lake adjacent", not an easy prospect in Southern California. Drop by with your comments and encouragement.
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