A MEMORABLE DAY

 POST # 439

 

For most Americans, yesterday will probably be remembered for what happened in Washington DC.    There is a new President now in charge.  Of course there are some of us that believe that the evidence of just who is in charge was displayed in a rather brutal way a very long time ago, on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas.  So there is a new "boss" in town, but I for one find it impossible to believe that he is actually running the show.*** See quote at the bottom of the page.

 Even former President Jimmy Carter would agree.

https://theintercept.com/2015/07/30/jimmy-carter-u-s-oligarchy-unlimited-political-bribery/

And this as well. "Yes, we're corrupt." A list of politicians that admit that money controls politics.

https://theintercept.com/2015/07/30/politicians-admitting-obvious-fact-money-affects-vote/ 

For the Thoughtful Wanderer, yesterday however will be remembered for an entirely different reason.  Let me tell the story.

Every day, Mary and I like to take Dora-dog for a walk, and yesterday was no different. We decided to walk around "the loop" which takes us along the main road in the direction of the golf course and the marina.  It was a cool day, so I decided to put on a warm hat prior to our departure.  The outbound journey was routine, with Dora-dog stopping every now and again to sniff something on the ground and occasionally to be entertained by one squirrel or another.  All was well as we rounded the corner to head down the hill to the marina, and then start our return journey home.

At this point I was beginning to overheat, so I decided to remove my hat.  Being right-handed, I removed my hat with that hand.  I had Dora-dog's  leash wrapped around my left wrist at the time.   I wanted to put my hat in my empty left pocket, and in order to facilitate this, I needed to briefly remove the leash from my left hand and transfer it to my right hand.  At the precise moment that I was doing so, a cat ran across the street ahead of us.  And that was all it took.  Dora-dog was off, running down the hill after her intended target.  They both headed  down a side road and we lost sight of them.  Mary went one way, and I went another trying to find her, but without success.  Now what?  Eventually, I decided to walk along the road that I had last seen Dora-dog head down.  I found myself in a parking lot and I walked past a parked car heading back towards Shelter Bay Drive where Mary was standing.  Still no dog.  I turned around to head back towards the parked car, and much to my surprise and relief, there she was.  Dora-dog was standing next to the parked car, with her leash firmly anchored under its rear left tire.  It wasn't too hard to put the picture together once I saw that.  The cat must have run under the car, with Dora-dog in hot pursuit.  Thankfully, that is where her journey came to an abrupt end.

It took me the better part of ten minutes to pull the leash free from under the tire. With that task finally completed, Dora-dog and I headed back home.  Mary had gone home on the other road in the hope of finding Dora-dog.  We all arrived home at the same time.  Mary was pretty upset about the whole affair, and so was I.  The bottom line is that we all made it home safely.  It was just a simple case of bad timing and a stray cat.

So as I mentioned at the start, yesterday was memorable for most Americans because it was inauguration day, but for The Thoughtful Wanderer, it was memorable for the Dora-dog affair.  Thankfully I was taught a new lesson by my favourite bonehead, about making sure that I have a firm grip on her leash at all times.

                               RESTING AFTER  HER BIG ADVENTURE
 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

***If you identify as a conservative and continue to believe that your prime enemies are ordinary leftists, or you identify as a leftist and believe your prime enemies are Republican citizens, you will fall perfectly into the trap set for you. Namely, you will ignore your real enemies, the ones who actually wield power at your expense: ruling class elites, who really do not care about “right v. left” and most definitely do not care about “Republican v. Democrat” — as evidenced by the fact that they fund both parties.                                                          

  Glenn Greenwald

   Pulitzer Prize Journalist

PS: And finally, my January 21st post wouldn't be complete without mentioning Madonna, aka my dear mom.  If she were alive today, she would have just celebrated her 105th birthday.

                                                                                                      

NOT THE DORA-DOG BLOG

 POST # 438

 

It has been brought to my attention that I probably post too many photos of my favourite bonehead on the planet, and I plead guilty as charged.  But with a face as cute as this,  it's difficult not to want to add yet another photo.

Also, in this crazy internet-focused world, where the collective insanity seems to be on the increase, it's great to have her around to play with.  Our daily wrestle with her squeak-toy is a very pleasant way to spend some time.

 

By this time next week, who knows what will be happening in the USA. I suspect that I may want to spend even more time playing with Dora-dog, as the chaos continues to unfold.  For Dora-dog, next week will be the same as this one.  She will be focused on each moment, and her squeak-toy as well.

 

grateful for every breath,

 Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

DAMAGED GOODS

 POST # 437

                      AT THIS MOMENT, ALL IS WELL, BUT NOT FOR LONG

Damaged goods.  That might be a good description for the state of things in 2021 in the United States of America, but that isn't what I am referring to in the title of today's post, the first for 2021.

But before I get to the damaged goods part, let's go back to December 29th, when this latest journey began.  After spending almost two months hunkered down at the Hotel Patricia in Vancouver, it was time to put on my wandering shoes one more time, and take a trip south of the border, in spite of all the drama involved with travelling these days.

To cross the border, your only choice is to fly because the land border is closed to non-essential travellers, like this wandering Canadian for instance.  So once again I found myself out at YVR airport.  My flight was early the next morning which meant that I would have to spend the night on a bench at the airport. For anyone that has been reading this blog for a while knows, spending a night at the airport involves my regular run-in with security.  However, this time I had the upper hand, because once I arrived, the first thing I did was to print off my boarding pass.  With that task completed, I purchased some food, settled myself down in front of my computer, and happily munched away. 

 

 Moments later, Mr. Security showed up, right on schedule, or perhaps ahead of schedule, as they would usually wake me up after I had found a comfortable bench.  "Excuse me sir, are you flying out in the morning?"  "Well as a matter of fact, yes I am."  With my boarding pass presented, he thanked me and went on his way.  I would have no worries about being able to have a nap later on, without the concern of being disturbed.

Morning arrived, and soon I was through security, and US customs.  I wasn't sure what going through customs would be like this time around, however, when the officer asked me why I was travelling to the US, I just told him the truth.  I said that "I wanted to visit a dear friend, and that neither one of us is getting any younger, and with the way things are going these days, I wasn't sure whether or not I would have another opportunity."  All he said was, "have a nice trip."  That certainly was an unexpected, but pleasant response from him. Soon afterwards, I was  on my way, flying south through the grey December sky, arriving just after 8am in Seattle.  From there, a shuttle bus to a bus stop just down the road from where my dear friend Mary lives, and she and Dora-dog were there awaiting my arrival.  It would be an early night for me, as I was bagged after the recent journey.

It's been wonderful to have the opportunity yet again, to spend some precious time with Mary and Dora-dog.   The other day, because the sun was out for a change, we decided to drive to a park that is one of our favourite places to take Dora-dog for a long walk.  And here is where we come to the title of today's post.  The photo at the top of the page was taken just a few moments before we parked the car.  Up to that point, all was well.  Once Dora-dog was out of the car I went to hook up her leash, and when I bent over to accomplish this task, I experienced a pain in my back, like none before, and I have had my share of back pain over the years.  But this was truly different, and much, much worse.  That happened on January 3rd, and I have been "damaged goods" ever since that time.  Thankfully, as of today I am beginning to feel like I am slowly improving, so things are moving in the right direction, although there still is pain in a variety of locations. And at my age, one never really knows what else might be lurking inside. Once again, I have been shown how easy it is to take things for granted, like flexibility, movement, and no pain. 

So my apologies to anyone who hasn't received a rapid response from any emails sent my way.  I have spent most of my time the past few days, lying down and trying to relax.  So far, it seems to be working.  And of course, Mary has gone out of her way to care for her ailing Canadian.  And Dora-dog is always there to put a smile on my face.  All things considered, I really don't have anything to complain about, so perhaps this is as good a place as any to end this post.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

SHOULD I BE WORRIED?

 POST # 436

"Who knows what 2020 will hold in store?"

I wrote those words exactly one year ago today, and I certainly couldn't have anticipated then, just how 2020 would turn out.  At this time last year, I had a full house sitting calendar booked up for the entire year of 2020 and beyond, and then come March my calendar became a blank slate due to Covid.  So much for making plans.

So as the sign above states, "Should I be worried?"  Well, no.  Worry never solved any problem that I am aware of, so I will just continue to live the moments as they present themselves, and try to appreciate the fact that for an old fart, I still am able to enjoy each day.  Things could always be worse.

Who knows what 2021 will hold in store?  I guess we are all about to find out soon enough.  In the meantime, I'll keep posting a blog four times per month, and just try and be an observer of life.  All of the big issues are certainly out of my control, however I can still watch the play unfold as it will do without any assistance on my behalf.

 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

THE BUDGET INN PATRICIA HOTEL Est. 1913 ( A HISTORY)

 POST # 435

On the corner of East Hastings and Dunlevy sits one of Vancouver's hidden treasures, The Patricia Hotel.  The hotel's foundation has resided here in the heart of Strathcona - the city's first neighbourhood - since 1910.  Originally designed as a doctor's office, construction began in 1910, but the owner passed away before completion - as did the intentions for the building.  Shortly thereafter, the building was converted into The Patricia Hotel, which opened in 1913 with a total of 180 rooms and a communal bathroom on each of its five floors.

Much of the hotel's history spawns from its pub which opened in 1914.  Although currently known as Pat's Pub and Brewhouse, it originally opened as The Patricia Cafe.  When alcohol prohibition came into effect in 1917, the hotel like many others in the city converted its bar into a cabaret which featured live music & dancing.  In an attempt to recover lost alcohol sales through a cover charge, The Patricia Cabaret's manager recruited some of the most influential jazz musicians of the time to form the venue's house band.  Most notable of these was Oscar Holden, Ada "Bricktop" Smith and Ferdinand "Jelly Roll" Morton who lived upstairs in The Patricia Hotel while he played in the Cabaret downstairs.

Oscar Holden stayed on at the Patricia Hotel for quite a few years, leading the ten piece orchestra that went on to make the Patricia Cabaret one of the finest cabarets in all of Canada.  Eventually Jelly Roll Morton left the Patricia to tour down the coast before landing back in Vancouver several years later.  Ada "Bricktop" Smith moved on to Harlem, where she helped get Duke Ellington his first major gig, before she landed in Paris and opened her own club, "Chea Bricktop".  John Steinbeck got thrown out of her club, Cole Porter wrote "Miss Otis Regrets" for her, T.S. Elliot wrote a poem about her and F. Scott Fitzgerald has said his biggest claim to fame was that he discovered Bricktop before Cole Porter did.  Before all that though, Bricktop was famous for her voice and was singing at the Patricia.

To this day the Pub's original wood floor and exposed brick walls serve as a reminder of the rich history captured within during those early years as well as in the years since.

Beneath the main floor of The Patricia Hotel exists an expansive basement thick with its own history.  In addition to housing a boxing ring that played host to many big ticket matches right up until the 1950's, the basement's showers and change rooms were used by both soccer and baseball teams who played in Oppenheimer Park as well as by migrant workers who worked night shift in nearby Japantown and Chinatown.

The Patricia Hotel has had only a few owners throughout the course of its expansive lifetime.  The current owner took over in 1984, closing the hotel shortly after for extensive renovations that fitted each room with a private washroom.  As such, many of the hotel's smaller rooms have maintained the historic style of separate vanity and shower facility.  The owner also preserved the historic style in the common areas of the hotel including the high-ceilinged lobby, the lobby's lacquered wood steps and the detail in the wood runners of the upstairs hallways.

 

 

For the history buffs.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

 

 

 

 

 

 

TAKING THINGS FOR GRANTED

POST # 434

 

                                                             RUFUS

The other day I was looking back through my blog posts in search of something in particular.  I never found what I was looking for, however I did come across something that I had written many years ago.  In light of everything that is going on these days, I was again reminded that it is easy to lose sight of what many of us take for granted on a day to day basis.

What I wrote was, "As long as I have food in my belly, and a roof over my head, I really don't have anything to complain about."
 

So here I sit on a cold, grey day, in my warm hotel room, having just finished eating a late breakfast and I am reminded of the words that I wrote years ago.  If I need another reminder of my extreme good fortune, I receive it each day when I walk out the front door of the hotel and head down East Hastings street.  Hundreds upon hundreds of homeless people somehow manage to get through yet another day out there.  Rufus, featured above, no doubt has a more comfortable life than any of the folks living outdoors on East Hastings.

It's so easy to take for granted most of the privileges that we have, and then complain about our own lot in life.  I am as guilty of this as the next person, so it was good to come across my words from years past, so that I can once again re-learn not to take anything for granted. Like for instance, this tree on a sunny day.

 

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer

MY DAILY WALK

 POST # 433

With the aid of my new boots, mentioned in my last post, I decided to add a few photos I have collected during my recent daily walks.  I encountered these characters a few days ago, while walking along Sunset Beach. The 2020 version of the three amigos.  They were helping to put smiles on plenty of faces as they continued their journey along the beach.

In rather stark contrast to the three amigos, there is a lone gentleman tucked in behind the large umbrella.  He is an interesting character to be sure.  This photo was taken only a few minutes walk from where the marina is that I used to live on board my sailboat.  What's interesting to me is that he has been roaming around this same neck of the woods for the better part of fifteen years.  He dresses all in black, and as you can see, everything he owns is also black.  The only thing that has changed in all the years is that he seems to have acquired more stuff.  He appears healthy and robust.  I wonder what his story is?  Maybe one day I will stop, and engage him in a conversation, if he allows me to do that.

There are plenty of other people to see along my daily journey, however it's not only people that catch my eye.  Have a look at this wonderful creation that nature has provided.

There is something quite precious, and maybe a bit awe inspiring to stand at the foot of a large cedar tree, and gaze upwards.  Large cedars like this one are few and far between, and I wonder how this one managed to escape being chopped down so many years ago?  I walk past it every day, and I always stop for a few moments to enjoy being in its presence.  If you want to feel humble try doing this every once in a while. 

There are plenty of different walks to go on, however I seem to have settled into one in particular, which takes me about an hour and twenty minutes.  This walk comes to a conclusion back at the beach where the three amigos were found the other day.  This past week has been sunny, so I have tried to time my walk to get to the beach prior to sunset.  

This photo was taken at 4pm, a couple of days ago, and it was the last I have seen of the sun since that time.  It's hard to believe that the location is a beach in Canada in December.  It could just as easily have been taken on a beach in the tropics.  

 In spite of the cloud and drizzle outside, it's time again to put on my walking boots, and head out the door.  My daily walk is a joyful exercise, no matter what the weather is like.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer