Wine

I don't drink wine unless it's an occasion or we are out with friends.  However, that's all changed since we started quarantining at home.  My doctor told me it was good to have a glass of wine every day.  I am now listening to him!   I'm not buying wine by the bottle but by the case.   

My son-in-law writes for Taste, the BC Liquor Board magazine.  He helps me buy wine he knows I will like and, then he texts me when they put it on sale!

Here he is in the latest magazine!

Cheers!

YOGA FOR WINO'S

Time for a laugh

Song of the day:

One Day More

Quarantine now and later

I'm finding the world is changing.  People are really nice.  When we go for our daily walk, more people speak or wave, at a distance of course.  If we drive, which is not too often, traffic volume is much less and drivers are less frustrated.  No one seems to be in a hurry.  

We are getting more take out dinners to help support the restaurants that are suffering so they can still pay their rent and hopefully reopen to table service.  We enjoy eating out, however, wine is much cheaper at home.  I tip more than before and don't even get table service.  I'm happy they are open and know every penny counts.  I thank them for staying open.  At our favorite sushi restaurant, the waitress said "I really miss you too!"  At The Roadhouse, we are known as Mr. & Mrs. Soup.   They have the most delicious home made soup at lunch.  I think we eat out too much.  

I'm on a first name basis with my wonderful letter carrier, Sue.  She delivers my Shopping Channel packages!  At least my Amazon Prime go to Cheryl's so Sue doesn't have to bring them here.  Today she told Cec, it's just like Christmas there are so many parcels.  Thank heavens for the internet and my Master Card!

I always thank my grocery store cashier when I'm checking out at seniors special shopping time.  I sent my hairdresser an email telling her how much I miss her!  I've also reached out to my nail technician to tell her I'm ready as soon as Justin or Dr. Bonnie gives the okay.  

I'm now on a first name basis with Justin and Dr. Bonnie as we see each other every day and they have become my friends.  Their reassuring words and optimism are keeping me hopeful.  I look forward to their press conferences!

When this is over, hopefully our world will be a better place!

Remember Ann Landers and her twin sister Abby

"DEAR ABBY" ADMITTED SHE WAS AT A LOSS TO ANSWER THE FOLLOWING:

Dear Abby,

A couple of women moved in across the hall from me.  One is a middle-aged gym teacher and the other is a social worker in her mid-twenties.  These two women go everywhere together, and I've never seen a man go into or leave their apartment.  Do you think they could be Lebanese?

Dear Abby,
What can I do about all the Sex, Nudity, Foul Language and Violence on my VCR?

Dear Abby,
I have a man I can't trust.  He cheats so much, I'm not even sure the baby I'm carrying is his.

Dear Abby, 
I am a twenty-three year old liberated woman who has been on the pill for two years.  It's getting expensive and I think my boyfriend should share half the cost, but I don't know him well enough to discuss money with him.

Dear Abby,
I've suspected that my husband has been fooling around, and when confronted with the evidence, he denied everything and said it would never happen again.

Dear Abby,

Our son writes that he is taking Judo.  Why would a boy who was raised in a good Christian home turn against his own? 

Dear Abby,
I joined the Navy to see the world.  I've seen it.  Now how do I get out?

Dear Abby,

My forty-year-old son has been paying a psychiatrist $50.00 an hour every week for two and a half years.   Do you agree with me that he must be crazy?

Dear Abby,
I was married to Bill for three months and I didn't know he drank until one night he came home sober.

Dear Abby,

My mother is mean and short-tempered.   I think she is going through mental pause.

Dear Abby,
You told some woman whose husband had lost all interest in sex to send him to a doctor.  Well, my husband lost all interest in sex and he is a doctor.  Now what do I do?

Sunday

Cheryl told me she was going to Costco this weekend.  I gave her a small list, mostly fruit.  She texted me yesterday at 8:20 AM.  She was in the rain, waiting in a huge line at the Costco in Langley.

Cheryl is working from home and her job has drastically changed.  Dave is working from home also and they are both busy at their jobs.  Cheryl is home schooling Lexie and working at her job not just from 9 to 5 but all hours.  I don't know how they do it!  

She really stocked up and got some nice hanging baskets too!

The next Costco run will be mine in about three weeks.  When I went last time, I really stocked up.  Cheryl said they were letting in first responders and medical people first which is awesome!   She waited in the rain for an hour and twenty minutes to get into the warehouse!  Too bad Costco doesn't open 24 hours a day!  I'll get up at the crack of dawn on seniors day.  

Now that's a great price for gas!

Song for today:
This is one of the nicest songs from The Phoenix Choir, Vancouver, BC.  Enjoy!

The Longest Time

Smell the roses

Every day we have a nice walk.  Because of the "stay close to home", we walk our neighbourhood.  We really enjoy the beach walks at White Rock and Crescent Beach but we haven't done those in two months.  I look forward to walking the beach when this is over. 

The nice thing about our neighbourhood is people see you coming and move to a safe distance.  Everyone says hello and we see many of the same people every day.  We see a man who jogs with his child in a stroller.  There is a mom who takes her kids for bike rides.  We see the same dogs every day and usually see our letter carrier, Sue. 

I would stop and smell the roses but they aren't out yet.  All the spring flowers are in full bloom and there is much colour on our walks.  We seem to notice them more this year, maybe because we are more relaxed and thoroughly enjoy walking.

Richard and I did a longer walk last week.  We walked the rail tracks!

These are the old BC Electric Interurban railway tracks that go from Vancouver to Chilliwack

Richard and I walked the rails from 156 to 152 Street.  The Sullivan Station stop is at 152.  The Fraser Valley Historical Railway Society runs the interurban every spring.  Janice and Jim came with us a few years ago and we did the trip.  Janice's dad worked on the interurban!  This year the start has been postponed until July 4th. 

They are preparing a parking lot at Sullivan Station and they said a couple of years ago you would be able to take the interurban from Sullivan to Cloverdale, return. 

It's run by volunteers who not only run the tram, but restore the cars.  It's an awesome organization.

Dr. Bonnie Henry.....update

The shoes that were designed in her honour, took down the website and sold out very quickly!

The man behind the famous shoes, John Fluevog, says he’s thrilled by the response.

“I feel overwhelmed … we’re just not prepared for the volume,” he says.

“We tried to prepare for it, but it was a larger response, and we could have imagined,” he tells NEWS 1130.

In a release, Fluevog says he received Dr. Bonnie Henry’s “blessing.”

“At times like these, we’re so fortunate to have someone who is calm and comforting but direct, and positive but realistic, informing and educating us day-to-day. We always like to find ways to help and to highlight those who are doing good in our world. To hear about and see that our admiration for Dr. Henry was mutual was just a beautiful cherry on top of an already great idea sundae,” Fluevog says in a release.

The shoe made in Portugal is retailing for $339.

Fluevog says after the factory costs are paid, the rest of the proceeds are going to Food Banks BC.

Janice sent me a link to The Vancouver Sun.  This is an awesome article that appeared in yesterday's newspaper:

Vancouver Sun, Dr. Bonnie Henry

Dr. Bonnie Henry

 

Dr. Bonnie Henry is a Canadian physician who is the Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia. She is a specialist in public health and preventive medicine (also known as community medicine).

Many people in British Columbia stop what they are doing at 3 PM and watch or listen to Dr. Henry. She's been the calm comforting word for our Province during the COVID-19 crisis. I'm hoping she will be a recipient of the Order of Canada!

Wikipedia has a very interesting bio on Dr. Henry:

Henry completed medical school at Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, and went on to complete a masters of public health in San Diego. Henry served as a medical officer for the Royal Canadian Navy while working on her degree at Dalhousie, and was based out of CFB Esquimalt on Vancouver Island, B.C. She was a medical resident at the University of California, San Diego, before returning to Canada to practice community medicine at the University of Toronto.

In the early 2000s, Henry served as part of the World Healthy Organization - UNICEF polio eradication program in Pakistan. She continued to work with the World Health Organization in 2001, moving to Uganda to support their efforts to tackle the Ebola virus disease. Henry helped to establish the Canada Pandemic Plan, which contains recommendations for health-related activities during the spread of a virus.

Henry joined the Toronto Public Health as an associate medical health officer, where she led the communicable disease unit. In this capacity she coordinated the Toronto response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 outbreaks. In 2005 Henry was made Director of Communicable Disease prevention and public health management at the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. She helped Canada to plan and police the 2010 Winter Olympics.

In 2013 Henry was made Executive Director of the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control. She was made Deputy Provincial Health Officer in 2014. She helped to lead British Columbia through a catastrophic wildfire season, which impacted the air quality, as well as advising the Government of Canada on the Influenza A virus subtype N7N9 epidemic.

In 2018, Henry was appointed as the Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia, and is the first woman to hold the role. She chairs the pandemic influenza task group. The group looks to minimize the number of people who become seriously ill during a pandemic, as well as limiting the social disruptions. She called for more efficient electronic systems to understand vaccine uptake, as well as manage Canada's vaccine inventory.

Henry is involved with coordinating and communicating British Columbia's response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in British Columbia. The Globe and Mail described Henry as "a calming voice in a sea of coronavirus madness". Impressed with her proactive management of the pandemic, two Canadian women recorded a video, "Dear Dr. Bonnie", which is a parody of the Hamilton soundtrack "Dear Theodosia".

She is so calming and explains everything very well. People pay attention and listen to her. She's become quite a celebrity. She was featured on a CBC special on COVID-19 and written up in the New York Times! There is a few songs that have been written about her and now she has a shoe designed to honour her!

Created by John Fluevog

All proceeds go to the Food Banks of BC!

This is the article in the New York Times on April 11th:

by Catherine Porter

This week I had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Bonnie Henry. Before corona virus and Covid-19 had entered my vocabulary, I had never heard of British Columbia’s provincial health officer.

Now, it feels like she has become one of the most famous and beloved people in Canada.

She has inspired fan clubs, musical tributes, T-shirts and street art. Musician and lawyer Phil Dwyer wrote a ballad about her that his friends and son helped him record and mix remotely. Two days after it was uploaded to SoundCloud, the song had been listened to 20,000 times.

“We all share this person who comes and talks to us every day. The interesting thing is she is delivering, for the most part, really awful news: more people sick, more people dead, more people going to die. But somehow, the way she does it and the level of empathy she shows, it just seems like she is the right person for us at this time,” Mr. Dwyer, who lives on Vancouver Island, told me. “She is who we needed.”

Dr. Henry is not alone. Public health officials across Canada have become veritable folk heroes. In Quebec, Dr. Horacio Arruda’s animated face has appeared on loaves of bread, coffee cups, coloring books, windows and tattoo designs. After he announced he planned to spend the weekend inside, baking Portuguese tarts, his local fan club hosted two Facebook live session on “how to bake natas.”

In Calgary, clothing designers hooked up with a local artist to make 1,100 T-shirts featuring the face of Dr. Deena Hinshaw,, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, and three other newly famous female health officers. They quickly sold out. “She’s someone we trust, because there is no political layer,” said Emma May, a designer on the project who normally makes women’s business attire. “She has no agenda. Her agenda is science.”

The public health doctor as hero phenomenon is not unique to Canada but it’s certainly pronounced here. It’s a particular contrast to the polarized reception Dr. Anthony Fauci has faced across the border. There, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease has garnered devout fans but also so many public enemies he’s had to beef up his personal security.

I called a few people to get their take on why this was happening.

Josh Greenberg, a professor of communication who focuses on public health at Carleton University in Ottawa, said that Canada’s public health doctors were filling a void created by “preening” celebrities.

“Ordinary people don’t have time for celebrity peacocks when the world is burning,” he said. “There is a void created because there is so much mistrust in politicians, mistrust in traditional institutions like journalism, that we go to these figures who were largely up until now backstage players and we are putting them onstage by making them celebrities,” he said.

Jeremy Frimer is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Winnipeg who studies moral heroes. He told me that whether consciously done or not, the creation of moral heroes during times like these is an “advantageous social strategy.” They lead by example, convincing rule breakers to fall in line.

“They mobilize the masses to do their part,” he told me. “That’s the difference between social distancing and washing our hands and not.”

There is something both intimate and collective about the role they play right now, speaking directly to each of us from the television or livestream.

They are also very relatable. This week, Dr. Henry admitted during her regular update that she had been forced to cut her hair herself.

Dr. Henry told me the surge of adulation has been “scary, embarrassing almost” and “really, really touching.”

“I’m an introvert — it’s not my nature to be the face of things,” she said from her office in Victoria where she’s received flowers, home-baked cookies and cards.

“In doing our jobs as best we can most of the time, you don’t see us, because there aren’t major outbreaks,” she said, adding: “We are doing things like putting in no smoking bylaws.”

She told me that she came by her calm delivery — lauded by many as anxiety reducing — naturally. Her first job as a physician was in the Navy, where she worked on a ship in Esquimalt. “I remember basic training,” she said, “I was criticized because I don’t yell loud enough.”

She has deep experience working in epidemics, from contact tracing ebola patients in Uganda in the early 2000s to helping quarterback Toronto’s response to SARS in 2003. “I’ve been working in outbreaks around world for 30 years,” said Dr. Henry, 54. “I never ever thought we’d be in pandemic like this.”

The day she decided schools would have to close, she said she was in shock.

“It felt like a bad dream, like the movie ‘Contagion.’ It wasn’t real.”

Today's song:

Ballard of Dr Bonnie Henry

Some states opening up?

I don't watch US news very much but was shocked when they are thinking of opening up movie theatres, gyms, bowling alleys, tattoo parlors, and beauty salons!

Our Health Minister tells us to stay home and avoid non-essential travel.  Our Prime Minister tells us every day how we must stay at home but if it's essential we go out, stay two meters apart.

Two countries, two different approaches to flattening the curve.  Who is correct?

If they do lift the "stay at home" order in some of the states, we will find out who is correct.

Now, when I go out, what should I wear?

I hope she punched holes in the shopping bag

Left over from her child's birthday party?

Unknown comic was great in the 80's

That looks like it would hurt

Very creative

Looks like she shops at Bed Bath and Beyond

Looks like he's on his way to Let's Make a Deal

What?

That's scary!

Very creative

I wonder if scared any children?

That's the safest one yet!

Happy Birthday Queen Elizabeth

Today is the Queen's actual birthday.  She celebrates her birthday in June but was actually born on April 21, 1926.

If  you didn't read my earlier blog, here is the post on my visit to Buckingham Palace.  It was my second visit, the first one I paid for, the second came with an invitation!  The link takes you to the month of June, scroll down to June 24.

Royal Garden Party

Abbott and Costello

You have to be old enough to remember Abbott and Costello, and too old to REALLY understand computers, to fully appreciate this.   For those of us who sometimes get flustered by our computers, please read on...

 If Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were alive today, their infamous sketch, 'Who's on First?' might have turned out something like this: 

 COSTELLO CALLS TO BUY A COMPUTER FROM ABBOTT


  ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

 COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer. 

 ABBOTT: Mac?

 COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

 ABBOTT: Your computer?

 COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

 ABBOTT: Mac?

 COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

 ABBOTT: What about Windows? 

 COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

 ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

 COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look at the windows?

 ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

 COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

 ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

 COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What do you have?

 ABBOTT: Office.

 COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

 ABBOTT: I just did.

 COSTELLO: You just did what?

 ABBOTT: Recommend something.

 COSTELLO: You recommended something?

 ABBOTT: Yes.

 COSTELLO: For my office?

 ABBOTT: Yes.

 COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

 ABBOTT: Office.

 COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

 ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

 COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, let's just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need? 

 ABBOTT: Word.

 COSTELLO: What word?

 ABBOTT: Word in Office.

 COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

 ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

 COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

 ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue 'W.'

 COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue 'w' if you don't start with some straight answers.  What about financial bookkeeping?  You have anything I can track my money with?

 ABBOTT: Money.

 COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

 ABBOTT: Money.

 COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

 ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

 COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

 ABBOTT: Money.

 COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

 ABBOTT: Yes, no extra charge.

 COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer?   How much?

 ABBOTT: One copy.

 COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

 ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

 COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

 ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

 (A few days later)

 ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

 COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

 ABBOTT: Click on 'START'....

Happy Sunday

Here's a great dancing video:

This guy can not only sing but he's a great pianist!  It's less than 2 minutes.

Today's song

Travel Agents

This is the job I've always wanted to do.  I really enjoy helping people plan their dream vacations.  I love to see their pictures and hear about their vacations.   I am not complaining about trip cancellations or people looking for their refunds that aren't being processed in a timely manner.  This situation is not easy for anyone.  If you have a travel agent, send him/her a nice message.  It's not been easy for them.  

Today, I cancelled four Baltic cruises.  These friends were excited about their trip, planned it for over a year but a couple of months ago pretty well knew it wouldn't happen.  

Cruise lines are overwhelmed with cancellations and refunds.  Most cruise line employees are working from home and processing cancellations/refunds in the order received.  One cruise line says refunds are taking at least 60 days.  

Travel as we know it will change.  Everyone will have to wear a mask on an aircraft in Canada.  I also hear the middle seat isn't being used on some aircraft.  Both great ideas but how can airlines survive if they can't "cram" passengers in?   Will the buffet's still be allowed on cruise ships?  Will anyone ever book an inside cabin on a cruise ship and how many people will continue to cruise?   Will 48 passenger coach tours continue?  

On April 9th the CDC renewed a no sail order for all cruise ships for at least 100 days.  Canada has closed their ports until July 1st and many other countries have closed their ports.  The cruise lines are not cancelling cruises quickly.  Yesterday, Royal Caribbean, Azamara and Celebrity cruises cancelled all cruises up to June 11th.  Cunard is still taking reservations for Alaska cruises on June 2 and we know Alaska cruises will not sail out of Canada Place until after July 1st and even that date could be extended.  Princess have cancelled all cruise tours to Alaska for the entire summer.  Holland America have cancelled most Alaska sailings, but the Konsingsdam is scheduled to sail out of Vancouver on July 4th doing a seven day return trip. 

We will have to wait and see what will happen in the travel industry.  Travel is a privilege and I'm happy I have been able to enjoy travel throughout the years.  Let's hope the industry comes back soon.  I have lots of plans but I'm not ready to make any reservations.

To set the record straight, I've had people inquire as to where their refunds are and no one has yelled at me.  I don't blame them, I'd be wanting to get my refund too!

Sign of the times

• Half of us are going to come out of this quarantine as amazing cooks. The other half will come out with a drinking problem. 
• I used to spin that toilet paper like I was on Wheel of Fortune. Now I turn it like I'm cracking a safe. 
• I need to practice social-distancing from the refrigerator. 
• PSA: every few days try your jeans on just to make sure they fit. Pajamas will have you believe all is well in the kingdom. 
• Homeschooling is going well. 2 students suspended for fighting and 1 teacher fired for drinking on the job. 
• I don't think anyone expected that when we changed the clocks we'd go from Standard Time to the Twilight Zone 
• This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house, told my dog..... we laughed a lot. 
• So, after this quarantine.....will the producers of My 600 Pound Life just find me or do I find them? 
• Quarantine Day 5: Went to this restaurant called THE KITCHEN. You have to gather all the ingredients and make your own meal. I have no clue how this place is still in business. 
• My body has absorbed so much soap and disinfectant lately that when I pee it cleans the toilet. 
• Day 5 of Homeschooling: One of these little monsters called in a bomb threat. 
• I'm so excited --- it's time to take out the garbage. What should I wear? 
• I hope the weather is good tomorrow for my trip to Puerto Backyarda. I'm getting tired of Los Livingroom. 
• Classified Ad: Single man with toilet paper seeks woman with hand sanitizer for good clean fun. 
• Day 6 of Homeschooling: My child just said "I hope I don't have the same teacher next year".... I'm offended. 
• Better 6 feet apart than 6 feet under

Now for a nice performance: