Carolyn & Michael Caine

When I took Robin to the plane to fly home, I met Carolyn in the terminal. She didn’t recognize me at first, but when I asked if I remembered her from Emily Carr University, she instantly remembered me: “Are you the fellow who wore lots of coloured plants and wrote a marketing book for visual artists?”

We hugged, exchanged info, and are set to have dinner together soon. She moved to Gabriola four years ago.

Then Sheba and I went to Drumbeg and we met Phil and his dog Skallywag. Phil and I have many people in common in our pasts; we both grew up in West Vancouver and are the same age.

I drove home with the top down listening to Gustavo Dudamel absolutely floor an audience who erupted in cheers and whistles at the conclusion of the piece. It brought tears to my eyes.

Then, with the sounds of a bulldozer covering the septic field and a well-driller imitating the apocalypse, I spread the gravel on my driveway. It felt so, so incredibly good to be working on—and in—my yard in the warm Autumn sunshine. 

I would up buying nine cubic yards of gravel (not six). They’re all here and I spread six of them yesterday. It was really tiring; gravel is heavy in the shovel. Bend; shove; lift and heave. Repeat and repeat and repeat until exhausted. I loved it. I’ll do the last three yards today.

Dwight had to work in Nanaimo last night, so we couldn’t have a second dinner together. I was exhausted from shoveling gravel anyway, so I was content to assume the rotting position with the most wonderful (and dirty) dog in the world. 

And no nightmare, thank God!

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Thanks to Dana, I watched an episode of The Graham Norton Showwith guests Sally Field (whom I adore), Chris Pine (who looked ravishingly handsome) and Rami Malek (who is impossibly good in the movie, Bohemian Rhapsody). Half-way through the program, Norton brought out Sir Michael Caine.

I love Michael Caine. He is so witty and wonderful and he was absolutely hilarious. He told a story that had me roaring with laughter for a long, long time: He met John Wayne in his early days in Hollywood. Wayne had seen Alfie, so he introduced himself.

He gave Cain some advice and then added, “And never wear suede shoes.” (Chris Pine was wearing suede shoes, by the way.) Cain asked why, and John Wayne said, “You’ll be at a urinal one day standing beside a stranger who’ll turn to ask if you’re Michael Caine.”