1. Had a really pleasant dinner on Friday night at Taki’s Taverna on Davie with a colleague who was in town to take in a Writers Festival event. We had to rush a bit, sitting down about 5:45 and having to get her to the AquaBus by 7:15, but we enjoyed the food and the company. Then we headed back to the apartment with a rented disc of Heroes, our latest shared guilty pleasure (we’ve watched our way through two seasons of Lost already, and we’ve been watching Season 5 of The Sopranos when Paul’s on the island).
2. I had a great run on Saturday morning while it was still misty, drizzling a bit occasionally, but not yet pouring. Perhaps my physiotherapist would have preferred I hadn’t run so far, but I couldn’t resist — once I got onto Point Grey Road, I really wanted to make it to Jericho Beach. It’s almost more beautiful there on a grey day than in full sunshine . . . almost. I think the run there and back is probably close to fifteen kilometres; at least, it took me about ninety minutes so it felt like a decent workout. I really appreciated the bacon and eggs Paul made as soon as I got home (he’d been out for a run, showered and shopped!).
3. We met Megan and Rob for coffee at Artigiano’s on Hornby — we think it’s the best coffee in Vancouver.
4. And we had crêpes with them on Sunday morning — the number 5 as usual, cheese and apples with sausages on buckwheat crêpes — so reasonable, so good. No wonder they’re always busy!
5. Met an old friend and her fairly-new guy for drinks and snacks at Bacchus before heading over to see Molly Johnson sing, backed up by her jazz band — keyboardist, bassist, and drummer. She’s every bit as engaging, funny, and energetic as this photo suggests, and what a voice! The only downside to the concert, held in Christ Church Cathedral, a beautiful space with great acoustics (but limited visibility from many seats) was that the seats were not very comfortable, especially after putting in the thirty minutes extra required by the general seating (that is, even arriving thirty minutes early, we were already in compromised seating; those arriving later were even less fortunate, some having posts in their line of vision). Rather than doing two sets split by an intermission, she chose to do one long set, just over an hour and a quarter. After a day of running and walking, my muscles were really starting to seize up, and were not too happy to have to cramp into sitting position for so long. Even Paul, who rarely complains about any physical discomfort, said he was at the limits of his tolerance, and relieved that the audience accepted Johnson’s one post-ovation song without demanding more.
Check out Johnson’s website to hear some of her songs — she covers Prince’s Tangerine, Springsteen’s Streets of Philadelphia, but also composes. We liked Messin’ Around, which she co-wrote with Craig Ross, and Rain, co-written with Steve MacKinnon (whose mom she pointed out in the audience).
6. Did a bit of shopping — with the colder, wetter weather settling in, I need a few long-sleeved longer tops. Found a jade-aqua-ish jersey tunic, scoop-necked, great pockets that I really like for wearing over jeans. The young saleswoman thought I’d look great in it with the boots I was wearing and tights, but conceded that I might feel the look’s a bit young for me. At home with leggings instead of tights, for sure, but I don’t think I’d wear it out — it’s pretty short. Paul approved, though!
7. Cast on last week for Mim’s Serpentine Mitts and I’m ready to figure out the gussets and start the cabling. I vaguely remember making mitts when the kids were small, so I think I’ve done gussets before, but it will be a learning curve. It’s nice to have a small portable project again. (This photo’s obviously from Mimknits — my fingernails never look like that!)
8. Did a ton of marking (well, 30+ papers anyway) and even a bit of reading. I hope to tell you about some of my reading soon, but I suspect marking’s going to take up most of my time for the next several weeks.
So there’s another weekend, gone too fast, and it’s time to get organized for Monday morning.
Love those gauntlets. Mitts. Fingerless gloves. Whatever!
Your weekend sounds amazing. Mine is online at Flickr, a nice miniature train trip with the husband, brood, mom and dad, and a good friend. Since that lovely shirtsleeves day, it’s turned jacket/coat/boots weather here. Brrrr.
it was a good weekend, Dana, so different from weekends when my kids were still at home — and I have four, nine years from oldest to youngest, so these weekends with just my husband are a long-awaited pleasure. We had the kids when we were quite young, the first when we were married less than two years, so this time to ourselves is a novelty we’re still revelling in.
And not that I didn’t do plenty of intellectual, artistic, traveling weekends when I was in my 20s and early 30s…I just get amazed that life is such an either or proposition. I think my intellectual and artistic leanings are condensed under the pressure of my daily life, now, and seem to pop out online, or in odd sayings. And I never have time to edit, so if I say things poorly, please understand!