Update on New Year and latest happenings - JF

Almost 4 months and all remains blissful here in married people land. While the landscape seems at times ever-changing, it is an always exciting odyssey because I have Victoria at my side. She is the best partner/life-enhancer/life-coach I could ever imagine or want to have. We are currently sitting at LAX waiting for QF8 (1250p) to begin to board for our journey to Sydney for Drs. Joshua and Natalie’s wedding at the University of Sydney’s Great Hall. This is sure to be quite the gala event and not to be missed. It was so cool of them to make the effort to be at our wedding in Maui, we felt we should be “representin’ “ at theirs.

Tor and I closed the year 2004 (surely the best year to date for both of us) by attending a workshop sort of gathering where goal setting strategies were discussed as well as ways to experience a balanced life not leaving out any of the essential ingredients including family, work, spiritual, relaxation and the like. Quite cool. We were encouraged to write down our goals in 6 areas of life (2 for each) giving 12 ideals to strive for throughout the year. We had also been instructed to bring 12 x $0.37 stamps which would then go on 12 SAE’s (self addressed envelopes) which would then be sent to our humble abode at the beginning of each month reminding us of the course we had set on 31 Dec 2004. The analogy was set forth that a small aircraft is off course approximately 95% of the time, BUT because the pilot knows where he started and where he wishes to end up, they end up at the desired destination in spite of spending the vast majority of the time being off course. Quite a cool analogy and applicable to the task of setting and maintaining goals for the new year.

As anyone who has reviewed the blog knows, we seem to have made some progress at the Berkley estate. The dining room pantry is yet to be installed and is scheduled for approximately 17 Jan (when we return from Oz).

We came to LA via Toronto (aka The Great White North) and a friend turned us on to the Four Seasons in downtown which was FABULOUS. We got there a little later than expected Tuesday evening due to forces beyond our control. But they “kept the light on for us” and we had a very splendid time indeed. Because we got in at approximately 0130 Wednesday morning, we ended up lollygagging about the hotel room until about 4pm. Then finally got up and decided we should visit the CN Tower - which is the tallest building (yes - taller even than the Empire State Building, Sears Tower in Chicago and Twin Towers of Kuala Lumpur). I thought that surely, the Auckland SkyTower was higher. Perhaps they are not tuned into Kiwi achievements of late…..

Tor was stressed that we wouldn’t make it to the “top of the world” before darkness came, but secondary to the chill in the air (~ -10C with windy conditions) and the status of my freshly shorn noggin, we felt it prudent to find a souvenir shop and quickly bought a woolly hat and took the very nice, convenient and inexpensive subway from our hotel to the CN Tower. We made it about just before dusk, so it was rather beautiful with the acquisition of several pictures of the city landscape and of Lake Huron of course to the south. [photos to be posted on blog - will probably appear above this posting… - VF] After descending to earth again, we made our way to the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame, which of course, houses one of my favourite restaurants of all time, Movenpick Marche’s “Richland Market” which is a veritable Bazaar of foodstuffs. The vendors/cooks are outfitted in uniforms which appear to be from Paris. It is set up like a sort of unbelievably large and diverse cafeteria where there are stations/counters with all sorts of different foods: grilled steaks and potatoes/grilled veggies, pasta and Rosti counter with all sorts of interesting sauces and toppings, sushi, omelettes, Belgian waffles, crepes, pizzas, Caesar salads, cakes, pastries, coffees, smoothies, fruit juices, and all sorts of yummy, yummy things. It is one of the things I was intent on doing in Toronto. Victoria has now been indoctrinated and appears to be a fan. Quite cool indeed!