SOLD IN SIX HOURS

Well that was crazy.  I sent Amy my realtor an email that suggested that I would be ready to list on July 5th.  I was still a week away from perfection.  Ceiling touched up, gutters and windows done, bedrooms and purple room cleaned and staged, front entrance cleaned up and staged....you know, all those little picky things that make quite a difference.

She phoned me immediately and said there was a family in town for a this weekend only.  They had looked at everything in Aberdeen (not much) and they were all too small.  Would I be open to them seeing the place the next day at one (Friday).  What????  No, the house was NOT ready and this phone convo was around two in the afternoon.

So of course I said yes then tore around the house for the next few hours scrubbing and cleaning and putting stuff away and prettifying.  Its a good thing Alice had done the basement!!!

Amy came over the next day around noon and we signed the listing papers.  And she told me someone else wanted to see it on Saturday and she wanted to do  an open house today...Sunday.  Kerry and Kathy came up yesterday and touched up the ceiling for me, I could not reach!  I had a previous commitment.  I sat outside Save-On selling raffle tickets from 1-5 in 35 degree heat.  But I met a lot of awesome people.  It was kind of fun actually.

Back to Friday.  Around suppertime the out of towners made a really decent offer, except they wanted a July 20 closing date.  Crazy!  So it was moved to Aug. 8 and accepted.  Six hours from list to sell!  That was so fast.  I have a feeling the poor people were over a barrel.  This house is one of the bigger ones up here and they have teenagers.  This place is perfect for teenagers.  Subjects are removed on July 5.  Financing, insurance and inspection.  If they ask for even one thing the answer will be no. Not doing it.

Right now I am trying to not think too much about the hurdles.  One of them being Monte's stuff.  I so need his stuff moved out of here and his storage locker cleaned out.  Its such a nuisance him not having a driver's license.  I wonder if one of his friends would have time to drive a budget truck up and back.  I would pay them five hundred bucks.  I will have to get Monte to look into that.

Also I don't think there is any way I will have a place to move to by then.  Even if I bought a place I am pretty sure I wouldn't get possession by Aug. 8.  Thank goodness for Beakins though.  They will load your stuff into a container and store it over on the reserve for up to six months.  But....I also have Graeme's and Anton's stuff..they will need their stuff before I get that container open.  Maybe if Monte gets his storage locker emptied I can put their stuff in there...don't know how but I am sure I can figure it out.  I need my truck back for a little while!!! 

 Well I am going to pull a Scarlett O'Hara and not think about this now.  I can't start moving or packing until the subjects are removed and thats a week and a camping trip away.  Next week is going to be super busy too.  Kiwanis on Tuesday, meeting at lunch and a work party putting all the grad stuff away Tuesday night. I have to call Samsung to fix both appliances.  I am going to be power looking at townhouses for sale.  Lunch with a friend on Thursday.  Packing for camping and leaving on Fri., my brother is coming on Wed. late, its Monte's birthday on Tuesday, Kevin's on Friday.  June is always such a crazy month.

Well, enough about me.....hahahahaha!  Love y'all! TTYL

OH GOD!! I HAVE STARTED TALKING AND YELLING AT THE TV

I have never ever been one to talk to the tv.  I mean seriously, who does that other than old men watching the news? " JUST DROP A FEKKING BOMB ON THE WHOLE LOT...GET IT OVER WITH!!!!!"

Ah jeez...I noticed lately I have started to make acerbic and heated remarks...to the tv....in a very shouty manner.  And they aren't just aimed at the poor hapless news anchors.  I have started to call reality contestants 'dumb asses'.  I think the line I most direct to the more stupid ones is "WELL WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK WAS GOING TO HAPPEN??!!" in such a manner like I expect them to answer. Who hears?  Who cares?  Who am I directing this towards?  Its like that proverbial tree that falls in the forest...no one is in my kitchen to hear me so really am I saying anything at all?  Do all people, no I change that to women because we know all men already do it, start yelling at their tv's when they live alone?

I find I also talk to my things.  Like pots and pans.  Laying on the floor on my stomach, rooting around in that impossible corner pot cupboard... "Okay you little bastard, why are you hiding in the very back of the most difficult cupboard in the house?  Why can't you just be near the front, you know you are the only pan I ever use.  What the hell is wrong with you?"

Or just the other day I started shouting at my stove.  I mean I already have a problem with both my dishwasher and my fridge.  "Okay WHY NOT???  GO AHEAD...DON'T HEAT UP PROPERLY, JOIN THE OTHER ASININE APPLIANCES IN THIS STUPID HOUSE WHY DON'T YOU?  MIGHT AS WELL NOT COOPERATE TOO, YOU PIECE OF CRAP!!!"

I have given this phenomenon some thought.  Men just don't give a shit who hears them or how annoying they are when they do this.  Maybe thats the key.  I don't care how dumb I sound and actually you do get a bit of release when you yell at your pot or stove or tv.  You women out there should give it a try.  Especially those of you with annoying shouty husbands.  With any luck it will piss them off and you will feel a little better!!! A twofer!

Alice came yesterday.  I asked her if she would clean my basement.  Blair and I got everything in place and emptied out and ready for show but it was still dirty.  Grubby windowsills, fingerprints on the walls, dust everywhere, filthy floors etc.  So down she went and the place is now sparkling and amazing.  She straightened out all the stuff on the shelves and organized games and books and records etc.  She cleaned that awful bathroom that a herd of boys had been using.  The place is beautiful and she has forbidden all of us to set foot down there now!

Tomorrow Anne is coming up.  I think I will get her help with the kitchen cupboards.  I am throwing away everything.  There is stuff in the big pantry cupboard that started four years ago in Langford.

  When I get the cupboards all empty, packed and sorted..Alice is going to clean them too.  She has kind of taken over the getting this place ready and I am quite happy and okay about that.

  I need to buy a can of white ceiling paint and cover the little grey spots that got onto the white paint.  Plus I need to paint over the water stain on the ceiling downstairs.  Alice says to just leave the stairwell and bathrooms.  People paint after they move in anyway.  Well, that would save me some money!  So I think I shall!

Very soon now the place will be listable!!  I am so excited!!  For many many years I have said that I want to be a homeless bag lady with a shopping cart.  It would totally suit me!  Just maybe that will still happen.  A dream come true!

Holy crap!!!  Its only ten after 8 in the morning!  I have been up for hours.  I thought it was noon.  Wow!  I just gained half a day...at least in my head.  Gotta bounce!  TTYL  (still waiting for that doctor call)

NO CHANGE :(

APRIL AND SCHMILY (THATS WHAT I CALL MYLES...HE IS ALWAYS SMILING!)

April and Myles came up for a big kegger party at Craig and Jo's.  And they were here for the weekend!  They got up here late Friday night.  More on that in a minute.

First I want to mention what happened on Thursday.  It was wonderful!!!!

As I have mentioned here on occasion I have been feeling totally overwhelmed by what has to be done in this house to get it sold.  I made the decision that I would not 'sort' stuff but just get the place in show worthy state.  But that means a ton of packing heavy stuff around, rearranging rooms, up and down the stairs etc.

While I was having dinner one night with Leanne, I was lamenting that all the boys that used to hang around were all gone for the summer, thus no one to pay to help.  She offered Blair, her son.  He isn't working right now and could help out!!!  And so I arranged to hire him for Thursday.  And I gotta tell you, that boy was truly amazing!!!!  He knew exactly what to do without being told, made intelligent decisions, and when we sat down for a break he was an amazing conversationalist!!! 

 What an awesome kid.  Leanne should be so so proud of that kid!!!  She obviously has done a phenomenal job as a mother.  And while he was here he got a number of phone calls, places he has applied to for work...all calling and wanting to either hire him or have him come in for an interview!  It won't be long before he has a good job!

Meanwhile, after he left, I felt a thousand pounds lighter!!!  I still am in shock at how much that guy ploughed through.  Soooo impressive!

I just had dinner with Leanne.  It gave me the opportunity to tell her how impressed I am with her son.  Actually both her kids are amazing...clearly awesome parents here.  Kids don't turn out like that without a proper loving upbringing. And I was right...Blair has a job!  A good one at Costco!

So back to April and Myles.  A little interesting note:  I am Helen.  Myles's mom is Helen.  Myles Dad's mother is Helen.  What the hell (en) !!!!????

The kids arrived tired and late Friday night.  On Saturday we loaded all the garbage Blair and I had garnered and filled the back of Myles's truck.  On the way to the dump we stopped at Cora's and Myles bought us a lovely breakfast!  After the very satisfying trip to the dump we went to a crazy store on the north shore called Surplus Herbies.  If it exists, Surplus Herby's sells it.  We spent a good hour in there.  Myles bought gold panning stuff, added to mine, we are going to have fun when we go camping!

On the way home we stopped at Save-on.  Sunday was Spod's birthday.  So we bought stuff to make two of his fave dishes....beef barley soup and apple pie to have for breakfast the next day.  Which I made when we got home.  After dinner the kids went to the party.  Sunday we got up and ate soup and pie for breakfast!  It was delicious!  Bill would have loved it!  The kids had to head home early and were gone by noon.  I loved having them visit...and I miss them when they are gone.

I went down to the Bootles and spent the rest of the day with them.  The girls were up from Vancouver so had a chance to visit with them.  I spent a splendid afternoon rocking a wee one in a rocking chair...not a hardship for me!!  He fell asleep around one oclock and woke up at five.  I rocked him that whole time!  And loved every single second of it.  We then all converged on Craig and Jo's for a wonderful steak dinner and lots of fun and laughter.  Such a good time!

And today I spent cleaning out corners and shelves.  I just can't believe how much useless crap finds its way into my life.  What the hell?  I have to absolutely make sure that my next place has NO STORAGE SPACE!!!!!!  I swear to god stuff propagates the minute you aren't looking.

So now I am going to try to get a picture of myself to post.  It is Monday and I have been very remiss at the whole thing.  I really need a whole month to just concentrate on my health and change my eating habits to much much healthier ones.  I know what I have to do.  I think July might be a good month to give it a go.  I HAVE to get my steps increased.  This lovely life of mine just doesn't lend itself to self improvement!  But really I am thinking about that awesome trip to China next February.  I want to be spry and healthy and energetic for it.  A good goal and very doable given the amount of time between now and then.  Anywhoo time to bounce.  TTYL

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES

Monte saw his doctor today.  And, bless his heart, the doctor totally agrees with us.  Monte is suffering from lithium toxicity from being overdosed for over a year.  The damage is irreversible.  While that is pretty depressing, especially when he isn't even bipolar and didn't need the drug to begin with, at least now he knows.

His doctor not only agreed with this diagnosis, he has written a letter to the hospital dictating that his seizures are real, when he says he can't move, he can't, and they are to give him a shot of adivan (sp?) to stop the seizing and they are NOT to call the police to haul him out.  Bastards.

And...best of all....back when Monte had his initial psychotic break, he worked with a psychiatrist in Port called Dr. Schmit.  He was totally amazing with Monte and they worked so well together.  He no longer works with mental health, he has moved to geriatric psychiatry.  But Monte's GP knows him of course, small town, and he is going to approach Dr. Schmit and appeal to him to take Monte on on an ongoing basis.  This would be miraculous.  The dr said that once they all have their ducks in a row, we can look into living conditions that would be necessary for Monte in the future.  What an amazing relief all this is!!!  I can't even tell you.

On another note, I am so not happy with our government right now.  I just found out today what my income tax amount is and I am PISSED off!!!  Due to capital gains from the sale of the Maui condo my taxes are crazy high.  And I still have to pay capital gains in USA.  I just don't understand how our government gets off taking that kind of money from me when my owning a condo in Maui didn't cost them a freaking dime.  I get it and agree, here, where we use the infrastructure, we should pay.  But my owning offshore doesn't cost them a goddam dime.  I have paid so much money to the Canadian government over the years...all I ask is for the whiners out there, or the ones on the government payrolls,  be sensitive while they complain about how they don't get enough out of that pie.  Its people like me, and we aren't rich, contrary to what a lot of people think, who carry this damned country.  I think rev can should send us a thank you card from Canada when they get our pmt.  LOL!!

I met Kathy at Costco for what was supposed to be a quick visit and ended up sitting there for an hour.  Jojo and Stirling showed up and sat with us a while and then Jo's father in law and his brother showed up....pretty awesome!  I love Kamloops.  That would never happen anywhere else!

Still haven't had a call from my dr. about my results.  I will be glad when that is all over.  Its kind of hanging over my head.  I just don't know how people who have a diagnosis live with that awful fear.  The sick fear is almost as bad as the illness.

Well its late.  I am tired and I still have do a little cleaning.  Alice is coming tomorrow morning and the house has to be clean and ready for her.  (shovel list)  TTYL

SHITTY SHITTY SHITTY DAY

Pardon the language but it was a crap day.  

It started off with such a distressed phone call from Monte around 4:30 am.  He is trying so so hard to cope with the seizures and speech impediments and the inability to move.  A pattern has emerged.  He is fine for a week or two and then BAM! he is hit with seizures etc for a couple of days, maybe three.  He talks to 811 and his dr and both have told him to go to emergency when this happens.  Yesterday he went up by ambulance and they basically told him to either leave on his own accord or they would call the police.  Pat went in and helped him into a wheel chair.  The taxi driver they called helped Pat get him into the taxi and he crawled/dragged himself up to his place.  I do believe we have figured this out though.  More on that later.

While that was going on I went in for my ultra sound.  It just makes me nervous.  I hate them poking around...they might find something.

I then went to both Canadian Tire and Home depot and bought a load of flowers.  My jeep was totally loaded, front and back.  When I got home I started planting...not something I enjoy.  Sorry all you gardeners out there...I don't get it.  My back hurt, it was hot as hell, my hose gave me endless trouble, there is now permanent dirt under my fingernails that will NOT come out.  Whats to like?  And worst of all?  I have a ton of stupid flowers left over that I now have to find a place to plant.  (friggin' shovel list...no pun intended).

Later I went out to a sushi place for a bowl of noodle soup.  And as I was standing by my jeep I freaking near got nailed by a lightening bolt that came out of nowhere, with no warning.  I'm not kidding!  And then I almost had a heart attack! It scared the living daylights out of me! Now my hair is all fuzzy er.

LOOK AT ALL THOSE LEFT OVER PLANTS

While I was in Home Depot my phone rang.  It was Amy, my realtor.  She phoned to tell me that I didn't get that beautiful little house...another offer had come in and they took that one.  So back to square one and old timer townhouses...which is okay with me.  The government won't be getting 20,000 dollars in gst out of me now...the bastards.

Then last night there were phone calls back and forth with Monte and April.  Sometimes I just want to shake him and just tell him to buck up and get over it....which of course is totally unrealistic and unfair.  Then I just feel bad.

April's nurse friend was there with her and talked with Monte too.  And we have come to the conclusion, one we have kind of known all along, that he is suffering the permanent damage a lithium overdose creates.  And after re reading the dosages, and the symptoms etc...there is no doubt about it....thats what it is.  On the one hand its good to be pretty sure...you can get off that hamster wheel of searching for a diagnosis.  On the other hand how depressing is it to know he won't get better.  This means he will probably have to live in a care home.  There is no way he can survive on his own.  And how does one get that accomplished?  Especially with the mental health care in this province?  And what about that fucking psychiatrist that overdosed him?  What about that asshole?

But our next move is to get a definitive diagnosis.  Both his old psychiatrist he saw once up at the hospital has said he was overdosed and so does his gp.  So  Monte now has a new purpose...proving and making that Dr. accountable.  But also now he is trying to deal with the fact he won't get better.  Oh well...you gotta deal with what your dealt and he is pretty good at that by now.

When I got up this morning I opened the front door to take a look at all my flower work from yesterday...maybe when I see all the pretty flowers I would get a happy feeling and understand gardeners around the world.  Nope.

Sorry for the whine.  TTYL

I DID IT!!!!!!

Another busy week.  Slowly, and I mean slowly, I am slogging through all my stuff.  In some ways its easier without Bill but in other ways its not.

He was so strong and could put boxes and stuff where we needed them to go.  I can't.  If I pick up something just over my actual limit, the back of my legs seize up.  I used to be able to whip stuff around no problem.  But....Spoddy being a closet hoarder, I can definitely get rid of stuff now with no problem.  So that part is going well!  My garage is divided in half...stuff for Bootle children and Big Brothers (I have BB on speed dial) and the other half is garbage.

I bought a house!!!  I had set the upper limit at 350,000.  So I have researched hundreds of townhouses for sale.  They are basically all old timers with two or three bedrooms and not much else.  A lot of them don't have personal garages, which up here in this snow is a huge disadvantage.

Anyway, one day I decided to go on realtor.ca and look around.  And I found a new build happening not too far from here.  And they are NOT townhouses but little cute houses...all in a row.  They have three plans...and I really liked plan a, two bedrooms plus den.  Also they have a garage! And best of all...almost no storage.  Nowhere to store ridiculous unnecessary junk!  And the finishes are beautiful!  Best of all they are all under my 350,000 limit!!  Why the heck would I buy an old townhouse when a new little house is the same price.  

Its a bare land strata.  Eighty bucks a month and they pay the sewer and water, all we have to pay is garbage.  And with what Kamloops charges for utilities, this will be a big bonus.  And they keep the grounds up and do the snowploughing etc...

If you feel like it you can take a look.  Google The Landing Kamloops and it pops right up.  Under the heading Homes, there is a drop down menu.  If you click on site plans or something like that, you can see the whole project.  I have put an offer in on #151.  Its still at the plywood stage and will be finished around the end of October.  So I have about a month to get my house in order and up for sale.  I did make the offer subject to the sale of my place.

The houses are 329,000 to 344,000, depending on the plan you pick.  The only add on I am adding on is air conditioning.  Its just cheaper and easier to do that now.  But the killer here is the GST!!  Even with the rebated amount it still adds up to twenty thousand dollars.    Crazy.

Yesterday I cleaned up the bedrooms, made a couple of makeshift beds in the box room, whomped up a load of potato salad, hamburgers, hot dogs with all the trimmings.  Kevin and the two kids arrived at suppertime.  They are here for the weekend.  And he has the truck!!!!  I am going to load the king size memory foam and a bunch of garbage into the back of the truck and take it to the dump.  Maybe even that awful chair I bought at the thrift store.  Time for it to go!

We are also going to take a run up to my new house.  Well I hope it will be mine.  They haven't accepted the offer yet.  I don't see why they won't though.  I offered what they are asking but we threw in a couple of rescind clauses and added on the a/c.  They might not like that part.  I may have to do some compromising.

Well the kids are watching a kid movie and eating cookies.  It isn't even nine in the morning yet.  Hopefully their dad will stay asleep for a while or I will be in trouble!  TTYL

THAT LITTLE CORNER THERE IS WHERE THE TV AND A RECLINER IS GOING

THAT IS THE LIVING ROOM.  THAT WALL IS THE ONLY PLACE THE PIANO CAN GO

PLENTY OF ROOM FOR MY MONSTROUS DINING ROOM TABLE

THAT IS LOOKING DOWN TO THE FRONT DOOR PAST A POWDER ROOM AND GARAGE ENTRANCE AND THE FOYER AND STAIRS UP

MASTER BEDROOM

ENSUITE AND ACROSS FROM THAT IS A HUGE WALK IN CLOSET

LOOKING DOWN TO THE DEN GUEST BEDROOM

DEN...TINY AND GOING TO BE PURPLE!

CRAP!!! WHY ME? WHY NOT THE NEIGHBOURS? (FRIGGING SHOVEL LIST)

My last couple of days have such mixed extreme ones.  Up down up down up down.

My colonoscopy went well...at least what I remember.  I think it hurt this time but damned if I can remember!  And...clean bill of health!!!  Five years before the next one!

Now on Monday I have the ultra sound of my innards...looking for....hmmmm...probably tumours...I don't know.  I also have a blood test to do where they look for markers.  Whatever...I'm not going to worry about it.

Anne stuck with me right from the get go.  They tried to make her leave but she wouldn't!  Not til I was wheeled away...such an amazing friend.  It took about an hour for them to find a vein/artery, which ever they need.  Seriously!  They started at 7:30 and finally got one at 8:30.  They poked me at least seven times (poke holes and bruises I can count).  At one point there were five nurses hovering over me digging away.  Finally they called in an older (about my age) lady, known as the intravenous whisperer and it still took her ten minutes to find one.  Doesn't bother me thank goodness.  I would make a good candidate as a person for newbies to practice on.

The whole thing was quick...lets face it, I don't have much left in there to look at.  I wobbled out to the car with Anne, and jeez!  I was starving.  Seeing as how we were to drive right past a Denny's, I suggested we stop in for a bite.  Oh Lordy, pancakes, toast, hash browns, country fried steak, gravy, two eggs....now I remember that!  Then she took me home and I slept the clock around!

Yesterday I headed out for two things.  One, today I am meeting my realtor at the place I am planning to buy.  More on that, with pics, next post.  And I needed groceries.  At safeway I loaded up, and I will have to go back.  I found out last night that Kevin and co. are coming over for the weekend!!!

When I got home I unloaded the groceries into cupboard and fridge and sat down in my chair and started this post.  Suddenly I heard an almighty crash in the fridge.  Long story short a very heavy jar of chutney (and I don't even like this chutney) fell off a higher up shelf onto a lower one, a glass lower one, and smashed the shelf into a million pieces.  Five minutes later all the stuff that was on the other half of that shelf shattered.  What a freaking mess.  I took a pic.  FB peeps will have seen it but my not FB friends.  After Alice leaves today I will have to clean it.  Dam dam dam. TTYL

ONE THOUSAND!!!!

Last post was my 1000 th post!!!!  Its been a long awesome ride!  When I look back over all those posts I see I have moved three times, had three purple rooms, lost four dogs, gone on 18 cruises, made six road trips, changed vehicles six times,  gained two grandchildren, gained two great nephew/nieces,  lost a husband and made some new awesome friends.  Quite the life I must say!

Monte was in Vancouver last night at a concert.  He was over the moon.  It was his all time fave band.  His hero!  And his cuz Emily took him, Peter and Graeme home to her place after to sleep.  Bless her heart!!!  Saved a hotel expense.

At one thirty in the morning my phone started texting me.  Monte.  Having a really bad time.  Thankfully he doesn't tic and seize anymore but sometimes he feels awful and uncomfortable in his own skin and wants to bolt...anywhere but where he is.  Which of course he can't do.  At home when this happens he listens to music and rocks in time to it.  Its calming.  But he couldn't do that last nite.  He was in pretty rough shape.  And he couldn't talk either...too noisy.  

He finally went down to the lobby of the apartment building where he could phone me.  I stayed on the phone with him until his phone died, about four o'clock and it was getting light outside down there.  It always gets better when it gets light out.  Apparently he went back upstairs, put gasper on and slept.  Til the afternoon!  Poor guy.  I can't imagine what its like to go through crap like that.  He's heading back to Victoria today and onward home tomorrow.

Well today was a run run run day.  The colonoscopy is tomorrow morning, early.  So if any of you have had one of these things, you know what the day before is like.  Gads!!!  A dear friend in the US told me that he thought the day before was worse than the test itself!  My phone is measuring quadruple the number of steps over a normal day count.  Back and forth, back and forth to the john.  Poor Emma, who is staying with me right now, is very confused!  She has a tendency to 'dog' my footsteps!

I want to mention something here.  I want to tell you all what a truly good friend I have in Anne.  I mean she totally steps up to the plate just when I need it most.  Waaaaay more than I do for her.  

I made arrangements for her to take me down to the hospital at  tomorrow morning at the crack of dawn.  Kathy is out of town right now. And I had planned to take my phone with me and call her when I was done.  I am going to admit here I am nervous.  Sick tummy nervous.  (maybe a good thing, I can't eat when I feel like that and I can't eat today anyway...makes that part easier).  I have been told a number of times that what ever they are about to do to me was going to be just fine and nothing.  Only it never has been...not once.  Tumours, cancerous polyps etc... I don't trust it anymore.

Well I think Anne must have picked up on it because she has offered to come in with me and stay right through the whole process.  Man!  I feel so much better now.  Jeez!  I am such a baby and I have one of the best friends a person can have.  She really is one of the most selfless people I know.  Kathy did pretty much the same thing for me the last time.  I am so lucky.

As soon as I recover in a day or two I really must get out to Art Napps and pick up all my petunias and impatiens.  I must get them planted...even though you can still see your breath at night up here.  Stupid weather.  Well all for now.  I must 'run'!  I will post again in a couple of days.  TTYL

SCARY DOCTOR (THE GOOD ONE)

I have been chased by the surgeon who did my operation last year.  While I was away one time a couple of months ago, they sent me an appointment card with an appointment time and date...which I had missed.  I didn't call.  It was too late anyway.  After the operation he had suggested I come in for a six week check up.  Which of course I never got to.  Didn't matter...I was fine.  Then I got a phone call the other day from his office.  She was insistent that I come in.  I did so yesterday.

Long story short he has strongly suggested that I get another colonoscopy, a liver ultra sound and blood work to check for 'markers'.   What the hell?  When I saw him to take out the drains he said another colonoscopy in two years and that the biopsy showed a small amount of cancer which was contained and not a worry.  Jeez!!  So now suddenly he wants to do all the checking a year early.  But when I start getting that sick tummy scared I just remind myself that if there had been something to really worry about a year ago, they would have been having me treated starting then.  I hate this.  Colonoscopy is next Tuesday.  Yay.  (SHOVEL LIST)

I continue to slogg away at the packing and sorting.  I have three boxes in the pack room now. Bit by bit!  Kerry came up to get my loser lawn mower (poor Kerry, he has no idea how bad it is...after mowing it looks like a billy goat made a bad effort) and I forced him to take more stuff from my garage!  Hahaha!!  I had a set of plastic shelves that hadn't even been opened yet.  You can always use shelves right?

I am heading down to Kathy's a bit later.  I have my passport application all filled out and ready.  Its been just a little confusing to say the least.  But I think I have got it now.  I will feel better when its in the mail.

Last night I was down at Craig and Jo's.  She needed a babysitter for the evening.  Ainsley was in bed but definitely awake!  And I have been told that Stirling doesn't sleep, at least not longer than a half hour at a time.  

Well Stirling was awake and kicking.  He is such an engaging little guy.  The minute he sees you he is all smiles and coos and wiggles.  He is four months old now.  He was in his swing for a while, talking and smiling at me.  Then I rocked him to sleep and was able to even put him down without waking him.

  I then went up to a pretty distressed little girl.  She is such a hoot.  She stopped crying as I went into her room and told me she just wasn't sleepy.  So I sat on her bed with her and we visited.  Jeez she is so funny!  Then we sang songs and read books and had a great time!  After a while I left her to go to sleep and went back down to a stirring Stirling.  I picked him up and rocked him and he just slept all the way til they got home.  There is nothing in the world like rocking a warm sleeping little body.

I am now going to start dragging boxes up from the hell hole and eliminating precious stuff that I just don't need to hang onto.  Its going to be hard.  I have a real estate lady who signed me up to this awesome website that lists all the latest townhouses fit to my requirements.  It is updated constantly.  I just called her today and am having her include two bedroom places that have dens or rec rooms.  I don't really need three bedrooms.  It isn't often I need three bedrooms.  I thought maybe I would get a nicer place (theres a lot of shitty crap out there) for either the same money or a little less.  Not so....still crappy and sometimes even more money.  I look at all of them, I want to fall in love with a place as much as I loved that red kitchen one that sold:(

Well I hear that Alice is gone.  I am hiding out in my bedroom.  Lots to do today and must go get started.  TTYL

ARMS AND LEGS GOING A HUNDRED MILES AN HOUR!