Monday, July 28, 2014

Tokens of appreciation

A while back Bob reached out to me. "iPhone 5 Vespa cases,  $10, do you want one? - Bob".

That's Bob.

If I were in a teasing mood, I'd accuse him of trying to even the score.  Although the truth is, the match is already so heavily tilted in Bob's favour, that I have only the faintest hope of catching up.

He sent along evidence of his find.
'I'll be in Vancouver on August 18' I told him. "I'll be out east on August 18" he replied.  Ha! Wouldn't you know.

A couple of days ago Canada Post delivered the case to me in one piece. The box it came in was mashed, but Bob explained that he mashed it. Apparently if you pre-mash the mail for them, Canada Post gives you a discount on the postage.  I suppose they see it as a win-win. Less tedious time-consuming work for them, so they split the savings with the sender.  Quite thoughtful. And delivering it in one piece, now that's a nice touch.

When I'm at work in a meeting, sipping coffee and checking my mail, people will know I'm a Vespa groupie for sure.
But wait, there's more.

I dropped in to Vespa Montreal on my lunch hour to browse and chew the fat with Paul Brunette the sales director.

Paul and all the staff were sporting Vespa Montreal T-shirts, and beaming smiles.  Good things and good vibes are happening there for sure.

I was wrapping up my visit when Paul asked if I had a Vespa Montreal T.   When I answered that I didn't, he promptly offered me one.
I really appreciate these tokens of appreciation.  They may be tokens, but the appreciation I know is very sincere, and it is truly nice to be appreciated. There's not enough of that going around in the world.

I think I'll tear a page from Sonja's book and indulge in a little bilingualism.

PS: Apologies to Paul, I managed to confuse his family name. Sorry Paul!


C'est bien la première fois que j'écris un mot de Français ici, vous l'aurez constaté j'en suis certain.

J'écris en Anglais car c'est la meilleure façon d'atteindre le but que je me suis fixé il y a maintenant quatre ans: de retourner la faveur pour tous les conseils venant d'un peu partout via internet, conseils dont j'ai eu le bénéfice à l'époque que je me proposais, bien témérèrement, de voyager quotidiennement au bouleau en Vespa.

Vespa Montréal, et particulièrement Paul Brunette, ont figure de proue dans la réalisation de ce rêve. Sans les conseils de Paul et sa patience en souffrant très gentillement toutes les questions de néophite que je lui posais jadis dans la boutique Vespa de la rue St-Laurent (depuis disparue), je doute fort que j'aurais pu aboutir où je suis rendu aujourd'hui. Tant d'aventures, tant de nouveaux amis, tant de voyages, tant de bonheur, tous insoupçonnés au point de départ.

J'espère que mes lecteurs français n'ont pas trop de peine à suivre mes exploits, et à profiter de mes conseils.

Un grand merci à vous, et continuons de profiter de ce très bel été et de belles randonnées sur nos jolies bêtes italiennes.

PS: Mes sincères excuses à Paul, j'ai commis l'erreur inexcusable de lui avoir donné un nom de famille autre que le sien.  Il devait s'intérroger sur l'identité de sa sosie.


VStar Lady said...

That Bob, where does he find these things ... and now you are in complete Vespa heaven.

Coop a.k.a. Coopdway said...

Vespa heaven....I can imagine worse places. Those items are more than enough to make we want one of those sculpted Italian machines.

Unknown said...


It's amazing how the Smartphone has changed the world. Imagine in the OLD DAYS, not that long ago.

1 I would notice the iPhone case
2 I would snap a photo
3 when the film was finished I would have it developed
4 bring film in, eventually
5 pick up photos
6 get envelope and mail photo to Beaconsfield
7 wait a week until you mail me back a letter
8 wait for the weekend to visit the store

only to find out that a month later, they are sold out

The post office has a plexiglass slot. If your package can slip through, then it is an envelope. I managed to "slip" it through by forcing it. He said NO. If it doesn't slip through, then it is a package. You weren't worth $15. so I squished the package and threw away the bubble pack inside. That brought the price down to $2.50 or so.

enjoy your Vespa swag.

bob: riding the wet coast

Trobairitz said...

That Bob....he is ever so thoughtful. I think he's a keeper.

RichardM said...

Interesting postal rules. Thank you bob for the explanation...

David Masse said...

It's amazing how much swag has come my way, one way, or the other. All I'm missing is some Vespa pants and I can be branded from head to toe, with change options to boot (oh... no Vespa boots though).

David Masse said...

Ah but Doug, you're an easy sell, what with your stable of bikes and all.

Is there not already a Vespa in there?

David Masse said...

Bob none of this could work in the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, and barely in the 90s.

We'd be pen pals at best, but could not have known the other existed, so not even that.

It's a good thing they have that plexi slot. We the Post Office doesn't have that advanced technology here.

David Masse said...

A keeper indeed.

David Masse said...

The post office is a dying institution.

In a few years there will be only one post office in the nation's capital. They'll have a drop-off window at one end, and a pick-up window at the other, stamps for sale at drop-off, and a cancelling machine at the other end.

Unknown said...


I had a pen pal once, a long time ago. I have no idea how I got this person's mail address. We would buy those thin rice airmail paper and it would take months to get a reply. I often wonder what happened to this person who lived in Kowloon

you know it is very hard to write to someone when you don't know their interests

bob: riding the wet coast
