WorldWideWaterCooler

Extra Packing

Originally uploaded by peechie.

The wine fridge has finally arrived!

Friendly Kurt at Home Depot said that he left instructions for the fridge to have some “extra packing” so it didn’t arrive damaged again.

I think they went a little overboard.

The fridge, in addition to its normal packaging, was wrapped in bubble wrap, then put in a bigger box and surrounded in air pillows.

Nevertheless, the fridge arrived in pristine condition, has found itself a location in the corner of the dining area, and is currently doing its job as home to a case of Bordeaux and various and sundry other grapey libations.

I won’t go so far as to say it was “worth” the ordeal, but I am glad the fridge is finally here, and I’m far less worried about having many hundreds dollars worth of wine becoming corked before we get to drink them.

It never, ever fails.

You think some day we’d catch him napping, or in the can, or something other than staring out his window.

But no.

We can’t make it halfway across the street before he’s strutting out his door and striding across the grass, bellowing “LEASH YOUR DOG PLEASE!”

We call him “Park Boss” for fun. As in, “who made you park boss? you’re not the boss of me!”

Playgrounds clearly bring out my inner 8-year-old.

Truth is though, I am a little intimidated. What if he really is the park boss?

He’s a man of about 70. Or if he’s not 70, life has dealt him enough blows so he looks a septagenarian. He lives in a little house on the corner of the park. I’m not sure exactly why there is a little house on the park - it looks misplaced. Like the city wanted to buy up the land for greenspace, and he just refused to go. The grandfather’s been grandfathered.

And he clearly considers it his duty to ensure that all dogs who enter the park, which isn’t designated as an off-leash area, remain firmly tethered to their owners. If he does have any jurisdiction to ticket the not-so-law-abiding dog owners of the neighbourhood, he certainly hasn’t exercised it yet, that I’ve seen.

But he still watches.

All the way down the sidewalk, past his window, where I see his shadow flash from the front window, to the side. Then the door opens if Sasha even looks at the expanse of grass and trees and leaves without overt evidence that she’s leashed.

Then it comes.

“LEASH YOUR DOG PLEASE! THIS IS A PLAYGROUND, FOR KIDS NOT DOGS! IT’S FOR THE GOOD OF EVERYONE! YOU CAN LET YOUR DOG RUN FREE ACROSS THE BRIDGE!”

Nevermind that the other side of the footbridge that bisects the park isn’t any more an off-leash area according to the law. But clearly the city laws don’t apply here. This is Park Boss’s turf.

And though I always fancied myself a rebel, I never did have the gumption or tenacity to follow through on that.

So I do as I’m told.

Park Boss saves the day, again.

In true Vancouver fashion, November has ushered itself in with rain which probably won’t depart until sometime in February, when we’ll be blessed with a week or 10 days of bright, crisp sunshine, to be followed by more rain through April.

And not much is better in that kind of weather than curling up with a hot beverage, wrapped in a warm blanket, completely absorbed by a good book.

So I decided to start a book club.

My idea came from looking at Barbara-Jo’s Books to Cooks Eating Between the Leaves book club. Six cold, dark months, six captivating books, six great meals that tie into the story. But because I’m not a professional cook or doing this tied to a commercial enterprise, I’ve made mine a community effort, inviting some friends to participate where we’ll each pick a book and cook a meal for the group that ties into the story.

Of course, being that this was my hairbrained idea, I’m up first.

And this, dear readers, is where I ask for your input.

I’m hoping to make good use of some of the spices and cookbooks that I brought back from the Carribean with me - but I need a book-club-suitable fiction novel or memoir that contains some definite island flair. Any suggestions?

If you don’t have any grand ideas for that, drop me a comment with a creative reading/feeding idea of your own!

And while I wish I could invite each and every one of you into the group, I don’t cook for parties greater than 10. But don’t let that stop you from starting your own Books & Cooks Book Club! Gather some good friends, good books, good food and go to it! Just don’t forget to share what you’re reading and eating!

Perhaps if I wish hard enough, this will go away

Originally uploaded by peechie.

Welcome, all, to day one of NaBloPoMo.

For your reading/viewing pleasure, I’ve dressed my dog in a demeaning Snow-White costume. She hated it appropriately and tried to chew it off as soon as I finished taking pictures.

I felt bad enough that I took today off to console her.

Ok, that’s a bit of a lie - today is supposed to bring Wine Fridge: The Resurrection, and I still can’t get the delivery times Home Depot promised me (and have lost the will and energy to continue fighting for it), so instead of interrupting my day halfway through to wait hours hours for the delivery guy, I decided to work from home instead.

I know, it’s such an exciting life I lead. And just think, only 29 more days of this for you!