#patiosunday

In opposition to the mandate set forth when I first kicked off "the summer of patios," our next #occupypatio will take place on a Saturday! There's good reason for this: Sunday is mother's day. If you've got one (a mother, that is) in Calgary, why not take mom to a patio? Hm? A little #occupymothersday? Sounds good to me.

It's supposed to a gloriously sunny this weekend (as of this writing, projected 20 on Saturday and 24 on Sunday!) so that's as good a reason as any to take full advantage of the patio season. Here are the details:

When: Saturday, May 12, 2012; 2pm start Where: Loco Lou's, 1324-16 Ave NW What: Patio sitting, of course. Bring your sunscreen, it's meant to be on the bright side Why: 1) because it's Saturday, 2) because it's (supposed to be) warm, and 3) because we want to Who: You! And anyone you want to bring.

If we don't manage to land the patio, we'll still hang out and stalk patio-sitters until they decide to move. Then we'll pounce. It'll all work out.

Have you been to Valerie's place before? You have! That's excellent. So you know how to get there! We'll be kicking off #patiosunday at @vlrny's this Sunday, May 6 for a Sunday brunch potluck. Valerie has kindly offered up eggs and hasbrowns and it's up to the rest of us to bring goodies to supplement. Myself, I'm looking into commandeering the BBQ for some grilled veggie goodness.

If you'd like to join us, here's the necessary details:

When: Sunday, May 6, 11am start Where: Valerie's place What: Our first patio Sunday, complete with potluck brunch. Please feel free to bring your fav breakfast/lunch goodies Why: Because life is short, and the summer is even shorter

Calgary -- most of Canada, really -- is pretty well known for our winters: cold, icy, blustery, stay-inside-your-house-and-knit kind of days. We Canucks have gotten used to this fact, which is one reason the much-anticipated return of the all-too-short patio season is looked upon with a longing akin to the sensual.

I never seem to make time to sit on a patio. This is something I regret summer after summer. As the years go by, I find myself often glued to my computer or, when I do go out, seated inside for some reason that can only be classified as mysterious and heartbreaking. This year, I've set out to test drive some of the fabulous patios Calgary has to offer -- the outdoor locales I've always wanted to frequent but seldom, if ever, do.

So that's the purpose of this mini-blog: to set up an at least pseudo-enforced, semi-regular (but subject to weather conditions) rotation of patio sitting in Calgary. I'm hoping for every two or three weeks, on a Sunday, and for a variety of venues: from coffee shops to pubs and lounges to restaurants, this is where you'll find me for the foreseeable summer. So, friends, please feel free to join in and patio while the patio-ing is good!