It is 5 pm on a cold but sunny Vancouver afternoon and I have just taken the Aquabus across the gleaming waters of False Creek to the Granville Island stop. Two friends and I are about to attend our first Wild Winter Wingding for Wonderful Women at the Sandbar Restaurant.

As an avid admirer of alliteration and assonance, I can't wait to greet the two women who dreamed up the name for this get-together of  "wonderful women from Vancouver's communications, health, research, public relations, media and consulting sectors." Not to mention the chance to meet the  70 other wonderful women that will be there.

The first faces I see as I enter are Linda and Pat.  Pat and I first met a "censored" number of years ago when we were both working at the Children's and Women's Health Centre of British Columbia: she was  in Communications and I was in Laboratory Medicine.

That's where I met a number of the other familiar faces from the past - in  Media, Communications, and Research Foundations. 

Pat  jokes that I taught her everything she  knows about lead poisoning from Iranian kettles.

It's a long story. I might tell it sometime if anyone is curious. But  if you really want to know more you can read the original publication here.

I comment that it is ironic that what I learned from Pat and the other folks in communications was about how to talk to the media.

"Stick to your point" they would emphasize. "Always come back to your point."

Well then I found that it was easier said than done - and now I am "media" and  still incapable of sticking to the point - as you see.

Back to the Wingding- which in case you wondered as I did,  is a real word. It means a  lavish party. I actually looked it up.

This is the third year that Pat and Linda have organized this event.

The genesis of the Wingding came when they realized that at end-of-the-year parties they would encounter old friends and colleagues and say "we must get together soon".

Months would fly by with busy people just not getting around to calling each other.

Hence the inspiration to have a party to catch with old friends, network and make new friends.

So watch out Calgary women - next year there may be a W5 for you.

The Sandbar servers were very attentive and kept the food coming.

The vegetarian spring rolls were delicious, crisp and hot on the outside and tasty  fillings.

The crab cakes were a perfect bite size so you could eat them without dripping bits onto your clothes- always a hazard of finger foods.

Tuna tartare was served in spoon-size portions. Absolutely delicious.

That 5 to 8 time, just after work and with a glass of wine, could get very wild if there is not enough to eat. but Pat and Linda made sure that we would be well fed and indeed he finger foods were plenty. 

For my friend Pat and I, a nice conclusion to the party was that we could stroll down to the quay and hop a ferry back across the water.  We ended up watching The September Issue -  a fascinating insight into the making of an issue of Vogue Magazine - and women's working relationships.