Some things are Great

Some great things:

1. I enrolled in a four-month pastry course here at the Pacific Culinary Institute. I will get a pastry diploma. Imagine that.
2. When I was in grade eight, two new girls enrolled in our school; Tania was from Australia, and Gillian was from New Zealand. They were both gorgeous. Our “local girls” paled in comparison to their other worldliness. And they both loved our art classes as much as I did.
   
   I became friends with both of them. I followed Tania’s history and even spoke to her a few times over the years, but I never knew what became of Gillian and she never attended our reunions. Never, that is, until yesterday when 30+ members of our West Van Secondary grads of ’65 met for lunch.
   
   I could not stop telling her how I had idolized her. Perhaps that is why she drove me home. She loves plants, we have friends in common and she’s still a dynamic and alluring woman. But … our local girls are her peers now—in fact, they shine. I made lots of dates for lunch.
3. A lovely woman named Jennifer McLeod was also at the lunch. She came with her friend, Beth Chrysler. I think because Jennifer’s (fabulous) mother was out grade six teacher, I felt particularly close to her and I was so excited to see her yesterday I actually kissed her hands.
   
   She asked if I would sit for lunch with her and Beth. I, of course, felt honored to do so and when I sat down for lunch, I felt like the luckiest man in the world. Across from me was Leah: radiant, warm and welcoming. To her right were Gillian and our mutual friend, Wendy.
   
   Across from Wendy: Betsy, my friend BFF John’s former girlfriend. And between Betsy and me was Jennifer; Beth was on my right. I felt like iron pyrite amongst gemstones.
4. I have asthma and bronchiectasis. That second one is a doozy. It’s a killer, so I am monitored with CT scans and pulmonary biopsies and, of course, its protocol to share the results of my regular tests with me. I hate the feedback part. It’s often depressing.
   
   This time, however, there was no deterioration from the previous bi-annual test. That is a first. The advancement of the disease is slowing down thanks to the treatment regimen prescribed by my docs. Woo hoo.

A photo dump to celebrate (click to enlarge):