Nora’s Birthday

Tags

Birthday, custom, Dachshund, games, Nora, questions

Our little Nora is 14 years old, despite being an old girl, she does not give any indication of stopping or aging. Nicky will be 14 next next, there is about a week separating their birth dates. Nicky on the other hand is now blind and showing signs of aging.

Nora’s chief quality is that she is stubborn and does things her way, never your way. I really feel like her personal attendant. She is lovely and very loving little dachshund, quite the actress with a modulating voice depending on her mood. She is also quite perceptive like most dogs and a little manipulative to get more food/cookies/gouda cheese/ etc/. It seems it is always about food with Nora. Despite her appetite she is built like a little tank and forges ahead, nothing scares Nora.

Yes she needs a good grooming and we are going to the groomers in 2 weeks.

On another topic, a question about my last post about Will’s Health and Champagne purchase at the Liquor store.

I have wanted to write about this funny habit here on PEI that I have never encountered anywhere else. Per example if you go to the restaurant and order your meal, you say that you want a side of this or that, usually priced between $5 to $9 dollars on top of the dish you ordered. Often the waitperson will say; you know this is extra, you do not mind paying more? I never know what to respond, why would they say this? Do they have a lot of complaints from patrons who did not read the menu or realize it is not free?

Many stores also have this policy, not in the big box stores but in the smaller local stores. Liquor stores are the same, despite the fact that the staff is knowledgeable they will point out that they always have a cheaper option, even if you are not interested. It is almost as if they make the value judgement that you cannot afford it. In bars they will not ask you if you have a brand of Gin or Vodka you like over another brand, you will be served the cheap version unless you specifically request your brand. The same with wines again unless you request something specific, most people are happy with just anything as long as it is not expensive. A 5 oz glass of wine is $10 and a 9oz is $14. which never appears quite right to me. Beer is a different matter, this is a Beer drinking Island and craft beer is preferred, however cheaper American beer will be ordered to start an evening and then graduate to a better beers.

Canada Games installation and ice rink at Founders Hall

Last Friday, good news

Tags

Canada, CANCER, champagne, games, home, PEI, QEH, teepee

Friday was a good news day, could not think of better news really, our life is back to normal now.

Will and I, went to the Cancer Centre for a meeting with the Chief oncologist and the surgeon, there is also a third chief of the Chemo dept with whom we will speak this week.

Basically the news is that Will’s cancer is gone, the examination with the miniature camera they inserted through his nose showed on the screen in living colour, that the tumour had completely disappeared, the CT scan also showed that all was normal and so did the blood work. The news stunned us, we were expecting some good some bad, but not all good positive news. It took us some time to understand that the menace had passed, a long 8 months of dread was finally over. Will has to go back in 3 months for a check-up but that is a routine in such cases. We are so relieved. Now Will has to continue putting on weight and so far he is doing well. Hooray for us!

In other news, the Canada Games have started and the illumination done in the park behind us and in the port area is quite magical. Organizers and athletes are wearing green and white uniforms. Concerts every night in the cruise terminal. There is even a Canada Games flame. It all looks good.

Teepee tent in the park beside our home, a bit of cheating here since a teepee is usually made of

birch bark. It is lighted up at night with multicoloured lights all around in the park, quite beautiful.

A lighthouse, there are many around the site, again a symbol of PEI given our rugged coast line.

The Circle of the flame of the Canada games at Founder’s Hall

So far our Winter has been a YoYo winter, some days hot like a Spring day around 15C and some days sort of cold at 5C or Friday at -8C, very irregular and next to no snow on the ground. So much so that I like many thought we could not hold the games with such unpredictable weather. Yes it is again one of the warmest Winter weather to date and the Winters on PEI have been getting warmer each year.

This photo on Water street shows the entrance to the Port and as you can see we have only very thin ice and it does not cover the entire surface. Don’t try to walk on that, you will sink. In fact this year we have the least sea ice on record, the water is too warm which is not good for sea life.

So to celebrate the good news, we bought some Pol Roger Champagne. Now a little funny story here, I went to the Liquor store and could not see the champagne display so I asked the clerk who informed me there was none to be had. I was very surprised to hear this and the clerk added that no there was none on the Island in any other stores. How could this be? As I said this I turn around and there just behind me is 3 brands of French Champagne, what they do not have at the moment on stock is Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, but that is not a brand I like. So the clerk realizing what she had said then showed me in the other room what was on offer and Pol Roger is an excellent label. I know that 2022 was not a good year for the Champagne region in France, climate change again did a lot of damage.

Looking at the calendar

Tags

Bill Evans, Canada, Food, France, games, Japan, Jazz, Paris, winter

I am looking at the calendar for February and next week it would appear that we will be meeting with the specialists treating Will. This should be a more definitive answer on the curative progress and also if there is a need to do more or not. We are positive, many encouraging signs on many fronts. So just a little more patience.

In other news life proceed a pace, the big event coming to our neighbourhood are the Canada Games which is a big deal for PEI, hundred of athletes, sport competitions, all the hotels are booked and for 2 weeks in late Winter it will feel like a tourist season. There are a lot of open air concerts schedule for the Port of Charlottetown, it can be very cold by the river even on a sunny day. Winter events simply do not happen here so this is quite the novelty. The Federal Government is paying 90% of the bill and PEI is profiting a great deal from this or at least some business people are.

I also received today my voting card in the mail, this is a sure sign that an election is in the air. Premier Denny King believes that he would be able to sail to victory and a big majority if the election is held after the Games in May. How depressing given that he has done so little overall.

What is interesting about our system is that politicians cannot campaign or spend money until the election writ is dropped. The Chief Electoral Officer and everyone who works for him must be strictly neutral in all aspects of their job. Gives a much more civilized outcome. He can also impose stiff penalties on any politician who does not behave or ignores the rules, some have gone to jail for fraud.

We are watching on YouTube a couple, the spouse is Emily a Japanese married to a French fellow and they live in France. They go out walk around and stop in restaurants for coffee, lunch, brunch or dinner or a late snack. Fascinating, the photography and the music a lot of Bill Evans Jazz are beautiful and relaxing. They also give tips on where to go etc. The episodes are very recent, currently we are in the last week of January. I have not been to Paris in years but looking at it now, it makes me nostalgic. His postings are aimed at a Japanese audience he has subtitles in Japanese and he also shows a lot of luxury shops, knowing that it will be of interest to Japanese tourists. It blog is called France, Table & Voyage. It’s fun just to look at and enjoy.