So within a week I am going to turn 75. It is my birthday on May 29. My birthday has always been very strange for me – dreaded but not in the usual way. My paternal Uncle Allan Pirie died the day I was born. He was the navigator in a plane that was shot down over Germany. I visited his grave when I was in Europe with Husband Number One. He took a touching picture of me sitting by the grave. Goodness knows where it is – in storage in California I suppose. So my birthday was always laced with sorrow when I was young as it was also a day of mourning to my mother. I talked to her about it once – she scoffed at me, defending herself. But, in all these years the feeling has not gone away and so it is with trepidation I look to Tuesday. But I am resolving it.
At one point I thought I would have a parade and I even started to plan it. Got the radio station to agree to blaring music, asked Holburn Group for a float. I was on it. But I abandoned that idea, maybe my 80th will be parade year. But my life has recently taken some strange turns so perhaps not. Then i had a brilliant idea involving the Il Nido restaurant but then that did not work out. I was going to go there for lunch and invite my blog people to join me. They could pay for their own lunch but we could gather. It was a nice setting but that did not work out.
I considered going to London and eating at my precious Rex Whistler but I do not have the energy to do it right now. Too far to travel and my trip to London in December was a difficult one and I do not have the energy to do it again. Thanks a lot Simon Armstrong, he, the Acquisitions Manager at the Tate Britain, managed to do me in. What an arrogant fool he was/is,
So I scaled down and was considering something at Dunn’s but that has been abandoned as well. I don’t want to rely on people to show up and be all hurt when they do not. On some basic level I do not need people – at least I do not need their rejection of me (especially not on my birthday). So here is my present plan which involves Edmonton, so onto that explanation.
My alma mater, the University of Alberta, is having a memorial service for all U of A graduates who died during 2017. “Wished for” Dad died in July of 2017 so I am going to honor him. We ‘walked” at the same ceremony on May 29,1964. We did not, of course, know one another then and only found this out when the family was making a scrap book for his 80th birthday. He went back to school, I think he had four kids when he took leave of his railroad job and went to to get his University degree. We once sat down and figured out that we took one class together. He was so special and honoring him feels like a great thing to do. There will be several bonuses related to this trip. I get to see some people that I met at the Alumni brunch about three weeks ago. I get a blanket and a book being held for me at the service. Friend Bruce will be visiting Edmonton at the same time. He has been my friend since I was 19, we have not seen one another for about three years although did once have an active email correspondence. I am going to stay at the Fairmont Hotel MacDonald. I have priceless memories of that hotel and do not forget that it is the Canadian site of the fictional Poo-McTwit nuptials. Perhaps I can visit with the wedding planner to get some details straight for the book. I decided to fly back to Vancouver on my birthday – leaving my old home town and flying to my new home, Vancouver. It will be symbolic. So I will wake up in the Hotel Mac, have breakfast in bed, fly back to Vancouver. Then I have an appointment with my Vicky and she will blow dry my hair, Such fun. Rather unorthodox I do admit, but, in case you have not noticed, I am.
Here is some catch up news.
1 I continue to read AJ’s Cobra Clutch, I don’t want to finish it as it is OH so good and funny. I am pencilling it up circling and underlining the riveting dialogue. I will get back to you when I force myself to finish.
2 BIM and I are in correspondence and doing swimmingly which is good because we are oceans apart. He agreed that i could share some of our dialogue on the blog but I do not think so – some things need to be private.
3 My strange relationship with the trainers at the Equinox continues. They went away for a long weekend and posted some wild and crazy times on Instagram. I had written:
Me: What am I going to do with you boys?
E.H. The possibilities are endless!
Me: I cannot wait!
4. I did finish my task at VAG and completed my sitting with the chosen paintings. It was such an uplifting experience. A very strange piece of art is attached. I talked to so many people about it. I think I will try to write a poem to it.
I have a new task master who insists that I be blogging rather than corresponding with him. He did say that my writing was beautiful and “I think I am in love with your writing talent.” It did turn the tide. I was being initially stubborn but did comply which is why you are reading this blog. Bad sign this compliance.
