Then it was off to Chilliwack hockey which is as much a community event as a hockey game. Being there with Bob and especially with Judy is huge fun and impressive. Mostly because as you arrive and do the circuit of arena with them you are greeted (and in our case, get to meet) most of the city of Chilliwack. Or at least it seems so. We even got to meet the illustrious Nick the Greek who we have heard about for years. He was one day back from Greece and Bob and Judy were totally surprised when he came up and grabbed him from behind. And even though the Bruins ended up losing 2-1 it was a great evening. If you had told me I would be not only attending hockey games but truly enjoying them and even more than that kind of understanding what was going on I would have told you, "You're nuts!" But there I was on Friday night at our fifth hockey game loving every minute of it.
Spending the night at Bob and Judy's is always great fun and an incredibly great place to be a guest. First, you get your own room. And since there is a new bed, with a snazzy new headboard and reading lamps it is even better than ever before. Plus, I didn't even mention the world's largest shower. Seriously. It's Bob big! You could fit not only Bob, but the entire Martini Mates gang in that shower. It's so big I have been known to get lost inside and not able to find my way out.
The next morning after great breakfast omelets and our first ever TimBits Judy and Kathleen were off to craft shows and Bob and I tweeted, posted and wrote e-mails before running off to Cultis Lake to take a picture of the place where their new picture was painted. (Editor's note: Last week Bob gave Judy here Christmas present early, a gorgeous painting by a local artist painted at the aforementioned Cultis Lake). Bob and I ran up there on Saturday morning to find where artist had sat while painting it. We were successful and able to find what we are pretty sure is the exact spot.
Then it was back home for a quick lunch, a relaxing early afternoon before dressing and heading into to downtown Vancouver on a very rainy afternoon. You see we had dinner reservations at the Raincity Grill for a wonderful dinner followed by the quintessential Canadian pre-Christmas show, The Vinyl Cafe Christmas show with Stewart McLean.
More about the show later but first a dinner description is warranted. We got there in time to do the early prix fixe menu. This menu gives you a choice of two first courses (Bob and Judy opted for the caesar salad and we went for the root vegetable soup--they loved theirs and we loved ours), three entrees (Bob, Jim & Kathleen all had the lamb and Judy the salmon) which were melt-in-your mouth and a choice of two desserts. We (Kathleen and I) went for a rhubarb/brown butter cake combo while Judy had the chocolate stuff. Bob got the rhubarb as well but he had order the "surprise me" dessert so he wasn't sure what he was going to get.
After dinner we grabbed a cab (did I forget to mention Bob's brilliant idea of leaving our car at the theater and cabbing back and forth across downtown Vancouver--how smart was that?) back to the theater to see the wonder Stewart McLean and the Vinyl Cafe Christmas show. And it was outstanding. I wish I could describe Stewart and the show adequately but suffice it to say it is about one man telling some marvelous stories about simple things. That and some great music. Stewart and his band (three great musicians) were joined by Jill Barber (imagine a singer doing a great impersonation of Marion Cotillard playing Edith Piaf) and the amazing Matt Andersen, a blues guitarist and vocalist who sang the most amazing version of "O Holy Night" I have ever heard.
Okay, I have been typing this post for more than an hour and my little fingers are tired so you will just have to come back for the "dirty house" story. See you later.
My Gawd .. I had a Brilliant moment... hope it's not like a lightbulb and burning brightly just b4 goin' o u ......
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