I haven't said too much about this battle because normally it would just have run its course over a period of time. But now there is a time constraint. This HAS to be done before I no longer own it.
It started when I bought my dishwasher and paid a premium price for a warranty. I paid over six hundred bucks for insurance on all three appliances.
I phoned Geek Squad to get a new glass shelf in the fridge and to get the metal strip that runs down the side of the dishwasher that covers the rubbery seal around the opening, ratcheted down. The appliance guy was in in two days and replaced the glass shelf. But...Geek Squad refused the claim on the dishwasher.
When I first got the dishwasher the bottom rack would always get slightly hooked on that metal strip at the bottom. As time has gone by it has bent out until you can't push the rack in and out. I kind of left it and just didn't use the dishwasher. But now it has to be fixed before the new people take possession.
And you wouldn't believe why they refused the claim. Apparently you CAN'T ratchet that tiny bent piece of tin down, you HAVE TO REPLACE THE WHOLE INNER DRUM!!!!!!! Okay who the hell designed that? Stupidest thing ever.
Anyway after a zillion phone calls to both samsung and geek squad over the last three weeks, I got a call about ten minutes ago. Herb, my fave appliance guy will be here this afternoon to replace the drum!!!! Yay!!!! Why does everything have to be such a stupid struggle?
Well I am about two days away from being finally finished packing. I know that there is always those unexpected things found on moving day. I will be sure to leave a couple of boxes to toss stuff into. Now I am beginning to kind of worry about the other end. The place is small. It is going to be chock o block full of boxes. We won't be able to move!
I have the tv running as I type this. Its on Hoarders. And I just heard a new term...'clutter blindness' Seriously!!! Hahaha!! The next time someone comes over and my house is a giant mess, I am just going to tell them, "I am sorry, I suffer from clutter blindness!" Next just watch. They will be advertising a new drug that helps deal with clutter blindness.
"Do you suffer from
disorganization? Is your house so cluttered you can't walk through it anymore? Do you have trouble finding anything? Is it getting more and more difficult to kill those cockroaches or mice? Are you having trouble finding your dead cats in the mess? Well we have a cure for you!!!! Its called 'Crapbegone'! One Crapbegone a day you will see the horrendous mess in front of you!!! You will find your dead cats. You will be able to step over your crap safely........."
Well I must have taken a Crapbegone in the night. I had a good look in my bathroom this morning and it is sorely in need of some heavy duty work. Sigh. The packing part is easy. Its the cleaning I hate. When I bend over my reflux kicks in, but if I get down on my knees I can't get back up. But I am too scared to call Alice. Such a conundrum! TTYL
Monday, July 31, 2017
Saturday, July 29, 2017
FEELING ODD
It is an odd feeling to have touched every single item in your house within a relatively short space of time. I mean there must be five thousand items in this house and I have handled every one of them. My brain is now mush. Every room is packed but when you look there are still odds and ends and bits and pieces. Now the boxes I am packing are a mixup that defies labelling. I was just thinking about the last box I packed a few minutes ago.
I made a large box. I dragged it into the middle catchall room that is holding packed and labelled boxes. In that closet was a load of hanging clothes. So I folded them over, still on the hanger and dropped them into the box first. On the shelf were tapestries we had bought in Glastonbury...so I put them in next. I dragged the box into my Purple Room and filled it to the top with a big sewing kit, a large pencil box that used to be a Crabtree and Evelyn gift box, a gasper bag full of gasper stuff and a plastic container absolutely full of cables and cords. I tucked towels around the gaps to secure. So how the hell do you label that...and what room would you put all that crap in? And I have at least ten of those type of boxes.
I think the two things that are my biggest hurdles are my lack of strength (I used to be a Hercules) and my lack of sleep. I simply cannot hurl boxes around like I used to. I can't even drag the heavy ones!
And my Monte man has trouble at night, anxiety, bad. He phones me and we talk for about two to three hours until he is better. I have no problem doing this and am quite happy to. But I find that I am having to cat nap through the day. I can't seem to survive on four hours of sleep anymore! After I move it won't matter...napping is a lovely pastime!
And another irritant is hunger. My kitchen is completely packed, except for the coffee pot, grinder, bag of beans and a couple mugs. Thats it. Oh and one frying pan. I have eaten all those reject cans of herring in tomato sauce, packets of noodle soup, stale old crackers, partly empty chips etc... I have been pulling frozen stuff out of the freezer and melting it and eating that. Salmon, pork steaks, veggie burgers, peas, wraps with nothing in them. I need a meal. I could go out but I don't feel like changing out of my pyjamas. Whine!
Well, I best get back at it. I went downstairs, which is pretty much all packed. I checked out the boys bathroom and it was still pretty decent. Then I looked in the cupboard under the vanity. Ach fer geez! It was full to the top with old towels, garbage, shampoos, soaps, wall racks blah blah blah! In a fit of temper I threw it all over the bathroom. So I now must go down with a garbage bag and throw it all out. No one has looked at that shit for two and a half years, so why keep it? TTYL
I made a large box. I dragged it into the middle catchall room that is holding packed and labelled boxes. In that closet was a load of hanging clothes. So I folded them over, still on the hanger and dropped them into the box first. On the shelf were tapestries we had bought in Glastonbury...so I put them in next. I dragged the box into my Purple Room and filled it to the top with a big sewing kit, a large pencil box that used to be a Crabtree and Evelyn gift box, a gasper bag full of gasper stuff and a plastic container absolutely full of cables and cords. I tucked towels around the gaps to secure. So how the hell do you label that...and what room would you put all that crap in? And I have at least ten of those type of boxes.
I think the two things that are my biggest hurdles are my lack of strength (I used to be a Hercules) and my lack of sleep. I simply cannot hurl boxes around like I used to. I can't even drag the heavy ones!
And my Monte man has trouble at night, anxiety, bad. He phones me and we talk for about two to three hours until he is better. I have no problem doing this and am quite happy to. But I find that I am having to cat nap through the day. I can't seem to survive on four hours of sleep anymore! After I move it won't matter...napping is a lovely pastime!
And another irritant is hunger. My kitchen is completely packed, except for the coffee pot, grinder, bag of beans and a couple mugs. Thats it. Oh and one frying pan. I have eaten all those reject cans of herring in tomato sauce, packets of noodle soup, stale old crackers, partly empty chips etc... I have been pulling frozen stuff out of the freezer and melting it and eating that. Salmon, pork steaks, veggie burgers, peas, wraps with nothing in them. I need a meal. I could go out but I don't feel like changing out of my pyjamas. Whine!
Well, I best get back at it. I went downstairs, which is pretty much all packed. I checked out the boys bathroom and it was still pretty decent. Then I looked in the cupboard under the vanity. Ach fer geez! It was full to the top with old towels, garbage, shampoos, soaps, wall racks blah blah blah! In a fit of temper I threw it all over the bathroom. So I now must go down with a garbage bag and throw it all out. No one has looked at that shit for two and a half years, so why keep it? TTYL
Friday, July 28, 2017
I NEED MY MOMMY
I remember when it was time to pack up Monte Creek house, a huge monstrosity full of previous wives stuff, added to by Bill and I. I remember standing in the middle of that humungous house, holding a baby, watching another, and thinking...how the hell is this going to happen in two weeks. Bill was back in Vancouver working and I was to pack and ready the house for new people to live in it.
I had already packed the peripheral stuff into boxes labeled Bamfield or Fifteenth st. I was now facing the last biggest hurdle of all...the dreaded enormous pantry cupboard and the kitchen. I don't know if you have ever heard of Fibber MacGee and Molly, an old radio program. On every episode they would open their closet and stuff would fall out...for a whole minute...all the sound effects etc...so funny. Thats what that pantry was like. Overwhelming.
And then I heard a car drive up. I looked out the sidelights beside the front door and my intrepid awesome mother hopped out of her car and bounced into the house.
"What are you doing?" she asks me as I stood there almost in tears. "Thinking. Planning. Freaking out," I answered. "Why?" she inquires. So I told her that that horrible, overstocked, stuffed, mish mash of a pantry was defeating me.
And before you could say Bob's your uncle, she rolled up her sleeves, got a stool, pulled over boxes and a large garbage container and dug in. And before you knew it that whole pantry was sorted, organized and completely packed. Then she scrubbed it out. I will never forget that. She will never know how much that did for me that day. She maybe wasn't the handiest Oma when it came to helping with the babies, but she could move mountains, my mountains, when I most needed it.
I sure wish my Mom was here now. TTYL
I had already packed the peripheral stuff into boxes labeled Bamfield or Fifteenth st. I was now facing the last biggest hurdle of all...the dreaded enormous pantry cupboard and the kitchen. I don't know if you have ever heard of Fibber MacGee and Molly, an old radio program. On every episode they would open their closet and stuff would fall out...for a whole minute...all the sound effects etc...so funny. Thats what that pantry was like. Overwhelming.
And then I heard a car drive up. I looked out the sidelights beside the front door and my intrepid awesome mother hopped out of her car and bounced into the house.
"What are you doing?" she asks me as I stood there almost in tears. "Thinking. Planning. Freaking out," I answered. "Why?" she inquires. So I told her that that horrible, overstocked, stuffed, mish mash of a pantry was defeating me.
And before you could say Bob's your uncle, she rolled up her sleeves, got a stool, pulled over boxes and a large garbage container and dug in. And before you knew it that whole pantry was sorted, organized and completely packed. Then she scrubbed it out. I will never forget that. She will never know how much that did for me that day. She maybe wasn't the handiest Oma when it came to helping with the babies, but she could move mountains, my mountains, when I most needed it.
I sure wish my Mom was here now. TTYL
Saturday, July 22, 2017
SURPRISING (AND USUSALLY STUPID) THINGS
I simply don't remember finding so many stupid or unexplainable things while packing up a house. I have packed up thirteen houses in my lifetime. Each one had its challenges (read babies or dogs or hoarder husbands).
The biggest surprise in a past move was when we moved from North Van to Langford. Bill made several trips by himself to Langford, taking stuff with him. Stuff that we didn't want the movers doing....large huge mirror, tiffany lamps, breaky stuff. I didn't really pay much attention to him as he already knew where stuff was to go.
My plan was for the movers to put a large majority of the boxes, the ones I could handle and lift, in the garage and as I did each room I would go and get those boxes and unpack. That way the house wouldn't be full of boxes for us to constantly trip over.
On moving day Bill and I hightailed it to Langford. I was so excited as I hadn't seen the house since we had bought it. Well, the excitement didn't last long. Bill had completely filled the garage with every stinking paint can, oil, dirty filthy boxes of a mish mash of past tools and equipment. There must have been two hundred plant pots in there. He had literally emptied our last garage into this one, and the last one was full of useless crap from as far back as when he lived with Kim. I thought he was taking that shit to the dump!
So there went my plan for the boxes and seriously, the whole time I lived there that garage horror kept me awake on many a night. After he died, and when I was packing that house up, I threw almost everything in that garage out. I had a junk guy with a huge truck on speed dial.
So, naturally I kind of thought that this move would be easy peasy...no kids, no dogs, no hoarder husband, and as of a couple days ago, no musician and a million organs and pianos and boy junk. Just me. I am in control. Oh yes! Except....
For some odd reason I have come across twelve drawers, decorative boxes and small containers full of ridiculous junk. I sorted them out. I ended up with two large containers of pencils and pens and tape. Two! And this is a house where you can never find a pen or pencil when you need one. And I found travel size pepto bismals....eight of them! And I filled another plastic container with medications of one sort or another. I found five watches...good ones. All they need are batteries. It seems when the batteries die I just go get another watch. In one box there was one of those honeys shaped like a bear half full. The other half had leaked out into the box, covering felt pens, receipts, pins, bobby pins, hair ponies, a million coins etc.....The whole thing got tossed.
But the one thing I found in all those junk containers that astounded and puzzled me was a condom! A condom!!! Size large. Seriously!! I tell ya folks right here, right now...it sure as hell isn't mine!!!!! There will be none of that ever again in my life...I cannot even imagine where that sucker came from. I don't really want to speculate either.
There's another thing that I am packing, not from junk drawers, but definitely needing 'thought' packing. That would be Mom, Bill and Parker. I was going to put them in the same box but decided against it. You never know, they could start plotting together! So I separated them.
But I did come across three things that I hadn't forgotten about exactly but they surprised me. If I hadn't found them hidden away for their own safety, I would have suddenly remembered them in the middle of a night down the road
and panicked, wondering where they were. I shall post pics below. They brought me to tears...good tears.
Well, gotta go...see what else I will find!!! TTYL
The biggest surprise in a past move was when we moved from North Van to Langford. Bill made several trips by himself to Langford, taking stuff with him. Stuff that we didn't want the movers doing....large huge mirror, tiffany lamps, breaky stuff. I didn't really pay much attention to him as he already knew where stuff was to go.
My plan was for the movers to put a large majority of the boxes, the ones I could handle and lift, in the garage and as I did each room I would go and get those boxes and unpack. That way the house wouldn't be full of boxes for us to constantly trip over.
On moving day Bill and I hightailed it to Langford. I was so excited as I hadn't seen the house since we had bought it. Well, the excitement didn't last long. Bill had completely filled the garage with every stinking paint can, oil, dirty filthy boxes of a mish mash of past tools and equipment. There must have been two hundred plant pots in there. He had literally emptied our last garage into this one, and the last one was full of useless crap from as far back as when he lived with Kim. I thought he was taking that shit to the dump!
So there went my plan for the boxes and seriously, the whole time I lived there that garage horror kept me awake on many a night. After he died, and when I was packing that house up, I threw almost everything in that garage out. I had a junk guy with a huge truck on speed dial.
So, naturally I kind of thought that this move would be easy peasy...no kids, no dogs, no hoarder husband, and as of a couple days ago, no musician and a million organs and pianos and boy junk. Just me. I am in control. Oh yes! Except....
For some odd reason I have come across twelve drawers, decorative boxes and small containers full of ridiculous junk. I sorted them out. I ended up with two large containers of pencils and pens and tape. Two! And this is a house where you can never find a pen or pencil when you need one. And I found travel size pepto bismals....eight of them! And I filled another plastic container with medications of one sort or another. I found five watches...good ones. All they need are batteries. It seems when the batteries die I just go get another watch. In one box there was one of those honeys shaped like a bear half full. The other half had leaked out into the box, covering felt pens, receipts, pins, bobby pins, hair ponies, a million coins etc.....The whole thing got tossed.
But the one thing I found in all those junk containers that astounded and puzzled me was a condom! A condom!!! Size large. Seriously!! I tell ya folks right here, right now...it sure as hell isn't mine!!!!! There will be none of that ever again in my life...I cannot even imagine where that sucker came from. I don't really want to speculate either.
There's another thing that I am packing, not from junk drawers, but definitely needing 'thought' packing. That would be Mom, Bill and Parker. I was going to put them in the same box but decided against it. You never know, they could start plotting together! So I separated them.
But I did come across three things that I hadn't forgotten about exactly but they surprised me. If I hadn't found them hidden away for their own safety, I would have suddenly remembered them in the middle of a night down the road
 |
| APRIL PAINTED THIS FOR ME FOR MY SIXTIETH BIRTHDAY! |
 |
| ARYN PAINTED THIS FOR BILL |
 |
| ARYN PAINTED THIS FOR ME |
Well, gotta go...see what else I will find!!! TTYL
Thursday, July 20, 2017
SLOWLY BUT SURELY
Bit by bit its getting done. There were a lot of boys about this last week. Monte is so lucky to have such amazing friends. And it was really nice for me to have them around. I like everyone of them! And somewhere in there Austin stopped by. We only had a couple of hours but it was so great to catch up with him. We talk on the phone lots but it isn't the same as seeing him. And what was really nice was Kathy and Kerry came up for dinner before he left. He used to see them lots and even mentioned how he missed seeing them now. So it was really good for him to see them for a while.
I am hauling stuff out of the freezers to cook up, mostly to lighten the load on what I need to transfer over to the new place. A few days ago I pulled out a prime rib roast. One should always have a prime rib sitting in their freezer...just in case. Oh and a turkey and a ham and ten salmon and a million chicken parts of some sort, and grey dried up ancient hamburger, and packages of veggie burgers. Yeah. Right. Oh! I forgot...two huge packages of ribs.
So I decided I would randomly pull out something every few days and cook it up and invite Kathy and Kerry up to help eat it. I started with the roast. Dang it was good! Nothing like a hunk of beef so good you could boil it and it would still be tasty. Speaking of which, Bill and I were out at my Auntie Iris's yonks ago. Heather was there and Iris had to go to town so she asked us to start this gorgeous enormous prime rib roast.
So right on time we seasoned the meat and put it in a roaster and stuck it in the oven to roast, fat cap on the topside. About an hour later Auntie I arrived home. She took a look at that amazing piece of cow and hauled it out of the oven, poured a ton of water on it and put a lid on it and stuck it back in the oven! We were horrified! But, I gotta say, it was still delicious, just not roasted.
I also roasted wee spuds, carrots and onions and made a delicious gravy. I was forced to use Better than Bullion as my precious Oxo had finally run out. And the gravy was amazing...not salty like Oxo always made. Okay I am going to quit talking about food now. Makes me hungry and its a boring topic.
Anne came over one day and we started the kitchen. Thank god she is such a loyal good friend. The stuff we found in that big floor to ceiling cupboard was downright shameful. Some of it was actually moved twice...north van, langford, kamloops! For someone who loves to throw crap out it was pretty pitiful what was in that cupboard. The expiry dates were horrendous!
Whilst we were in the middle of this, we heard a loud banging downstairs. Weird. It didn't stop so I finally went down to check it out. It was Monte, in the bedroom downstairs by himself. He had been sleeping and he was in a full blown granddaddy of a seizure. I hollered for Peter who came running. He flew into action immediately. Thank God for Peter. He gave Monte his medicine, which usually works right away, but not this time. After a long time we finally decided to call an ambulance. The seizure just wouldn't stop and Kamloops is a new hospital to try...not Port Alberni. Off he went (I say so easily, you try to get a 350 pound, he has lost a hundred pounds, up a load of stairs) and three hours later he walked out of emergency.
We had his Port Dr. fax an order to emergency, explaining his diagnosis and the treatment he would need. Nope. The nurse told him he wasn't having a seizure and then abandoned him. He never saw a doctor. Thank goodness Peter was there with him and drove him home. Don't get a mental illness people...you get treated like shit. And if you don't have a family or friends like Peter, you will have to self medicate and you know where that leads. We treat our dogs better than this.
Anyway, we got the uhaul truck and Peter single handedly loaded all my stuff into the truck, drove it out to the storage unit, took care of the lock we no longer had a key for, and switched all the crap that was Monte's out for mine...SINGLE HANDEDLY!!! I have started calling him St. Peter....which I am sure he doesn't like but I gotta say...who else in the world does stuff like this for people. I just don't know how to thank him.
And then the next day he and Monte loaded, and that twenty foot truck was full by the time they were done. And Peter was exhausted. Monte not so much. In fact he was up all night...typical of him, and finished loading and packing the few things left to do. They pulled out of the driveway at ten on the dot...and I missed them immediately.
I proceeded to pack my entire closet in my purple room and pack more kitchen cupboards. Alice was here this morning and she cleaned all the cupboards in the kitchen that were empty. Man she is a dynamo!
In fact she overheard that move out date is the seventh of aug. and the people get possession at ten in the morning. That gives me the evening before and til ten the next morning to clean this whole house. So she phoned me after she got home this morning and long story short...I am meeting her at five in the morning on the 8th to clean. And she made it clear that SHE is the boss in this circumstance, and we are going to work TOGETHER, and whatever she says I am to do, I AM TO DO IT!!! I'm scared....
Now I must go and finish the purple room. I packed a suitcase of clothes that will do for the next couple of weeks. Gotta bounce! TTYL
I am hauling stuff out of the freezers to cook up, mostly to lighten the load on what I need to transfer over to the new place. A few days ago I pulled out a prime rib roast. One should always have a prime rib sitting in their freezer...just in case. Oh and a turkey and a ham and ten salmon and a million chicken parts of some sort, and grey dried up ancient hamburger, and packages of veggie burgers. Yeah. Right. Oh! I forgot...two huge packages of ribs.
So I decided I would randomly pull out something every few days and cook it up and invite Kathy and Kerry up to help eat it. I started with the roast. Dang it was good! Nothing like a hunk of beef so good you could boil it and it would still be tasty. Speaking of which, Bill and I were out at my Auntie Iris's yonks ago. Heather was there and Iris had to go to town so she asked us to start this gorgeous enormous prime rib roast.
So right on time we seasoned the meat and put it in a roaster and stuck it in the oven to roast, fat cap on the topside. About an hour later Auntie I arrived home. She took a look at that amazing piece of cow and hauled it out of the oven, poured a ton of water on it and put a lid on it and stuck it back in the oven! We were horrified! But, I gotta say, it was still delicious, just not roasted.
I also roasted wee spuds, carrots and onions and made a delicious gravy. I was forced to use Better than Bullion as my precious Oxo had finally run out. And the gravy was amazing...not salty like Oxo always made. Okay I am going to quit talking about food now. Makes me hungry and its a boring topic.
Anne came over one day and we started the kitchen. Thank god she is such a loyal good friend. The stuff we found in that big floor to ceiling cupboard was downright shameful. Some of it was actually moved twice...north van, langford, kamloops! For someone who loves to throw crap out it was pretty pitiful what was in that cupboard. The expiry dates were horrendous!
Whilst we were in the middle of this, we heard a loud banging downstairs. Weird. It didn't stop so I finally went down to check it out. It was Monte, in the bedroom downstairs by himself. He had been sleeping and he was in a full blown granddaddy of a seizure. I hollered for Peter who came running. He flew into action immediately. Thank God for Peter. He gave Monte his medicine, which usually works right away, but not this time. After a long time we finally decided to call an ambulance. The seizure just wouldn't stop and Kamloops is a new hospital to try...not Port Alberni. Off he went (I say so easily, you try to get a 350 pound, he has lost a hundred pounds, up a load of stairs) and three hours later he walked out of emergency.
We had his Port Dr. fax an order to emergency, explaining his diagnosis and the treatment he would need. Nope. The nurse told him he wasn't having a seizure and then abandoned him. He never saw a doctor. Thank goodness Peter was there with him and drove him home. Don't get a mental illness people...you get treated like shit. And if you don't have a family or friends like Peter, you will have to self medicate and you know where that leads. We treat our dogs better than this.
Anyway, we got the uhaul truck and Peter single handedly loaded all my stuff into the truck, drove it out to the storage unit, took care of the lock we no longer had a key for, and switched all the crap that was Monte's out for mine...SINGLE HANDEDLY!!! I have started calling him St. Peter....which I am sure he doesn't like but I gotta say...who else in the world does stuff like this for people. I just don't know how to thank him.
And then the next day he and Monte loaded, and that twenty foot truck was full by the time they were done. And Peter was exhausted. Monte not so much. In fact he was up all night...typical of him, and finished loading and packing the few things left to do. They pulled out of the driveway at ten on the dot...and I missed them immediately.
I proceeded to pack my entire closet in my purple room and pack more kitchen cupboards. Alice was here this morning and she cleaned all the cupboards in the kitchen that were empty. Man she is a dynamo!
In fact she overheard that move out date is the seventh of aug. and the people get possession at ten in the morning. That gives me the evening before and til ten the next morning to clean this whole house. So she phoned me after she got home this morning and long story short...I am meeting her at five in the morning on the 8th to clean. And she made it clear that SHE is the boss in this circumstance, and we are going to work TOGETHER, and whatever she says I am to do, I AM TO DO IT!!! I'm scared....
Now I must go and finish the purple room. I packed a suitcase of clothes that will do for the next couple of weeks. Gotta bounce! TTYL
Friday, July 14, 2017
SLOW BOAT
Once again I am getting slow at posting. There is just so much going on.
Monte and Peter are still here. They get the truck on Monday. I love having them here. Peter is amazing...he takes care of Monte, he cleans around here, he runs errands and right now he is out doing my shopping. A saint I tell ya! And Monte wrote the most beautiful song yesterday. I love it.
At the risk of repeating myself, its been busy. Cookie dug right in and she worked like a demon!!! We got the whole entire hell hole done!! She slung boxes, crawled on the floor, ran up and down stairs...like a true ex Costco employee!!! Amazing!!! And the next day, at her prompting, we did the same thing to both the garage and the middle bedroom which had a load of unorganized boxes that needed repacking, taping and labelling. She is a miracle worker. And then the last day she was here, she was sitting on the couch all ready to go to Merritt, when she suggested we do the dining room! And before you could say Bob's your uncle! the dining room was packed. And I feel a million times better with those spots done!!!
On Thursday Blair came in the morning and he, another current Costco worker, humped all those boxes from the hell hole up to the garage. That kid is amazing. And then he sat with Peter and me for a while and we had an interesting conversation. He is such a nice kid.
Now I am working on Purple Room. Peter, bless his heart, went out today and bought me boxes. I needed more boxes AND he cleaned out Tank!!! It was a mess. AND he pulled all the out of reach stuff on shelves in the rec room downstairs down for me to pack. He is such a super guy. I am surrounded by amazing lovely people.
I think if they are all awake and around later I will take them out for sushi..if they feel like it. I am going to get back to my Purple Room mess and keep going. TTYL
Monte and Peter are still here. They get the truck on Monday. I love having them here. Peter is amazing...he takes care of Monte, he cleans around here, he runs errands and right now he is out doing my shopping. A saint I tell ya! And Monte wrote the most beautiful song yesterday. I love it.
At the risk of repeating myself, its been busy. Cookie dug right in and she worked like a demon!!! We got the whole entire hell hole done!! She slung boxes, crawled on the floor, ran up and down stairs...like a true ex Costco employee!!! Amazing!!! And the next day, at her prompting, we did the same thing to both the garage and the middle bedroom which had a load of unorganized boxes that needed repacking, taping and labelling. She is a miracle worker. And then the last day she was here, she was sitting on the couch all ready to go to Merritt, when she suggested we do the dining room! And before you could say Bob's your uncle! the dining room was packed. And I feel a million times better with those spots done!!!
On Thursday Blair came in the morning and he, another current Costco worker, humped all those boxes from the hell hole up to the garage. That kid is amazing. And then he sat with Peter and me for a while and we had an interesting conversation. He is such a nice kid.
Now I am working on Purple Room. Peter, bless his heart, went out today and bought me boxes. I needed more boxes AND he cleaned out Tank!!! It was a mess. AND he pulled all the out of reach stuff on shelves in the rec room downstairs down for me to pack. He is such a super guy. I am surrounded by amazing lovely people.
I think if they are all awake and around later I will take them out for sushi..if they feel like it. I am going to get back to my Purple Room mess and keep going. TTYL
Sunday, July 9, 2017
BURNT MARSHMALLOWS
I woke up this morning slowly, hadn't opened my eyes yet, and smelled burning marshmallows. Then I realized it was far too acrid, more like the smell of our house a week or two after it burned down.
So I hopped up and looked around. And Kamloops is under a dense layer of forest fire smoke. You can't see past the end of our little section of houses. Its crazy!! And my eyes are burning...or maybe thats just the power of suggestion. I turned on the news and it seems the interior of BC is on fire! All those poor people with their ranches full of horses and cattle, and their house pets..all evacuated. What a nightmare.
Cookie comes today!!!! Monte is here and I get to go into my new house today!!! So much in one day! Cookie is staying til Tuesday...I cannot wait! She and I have not seen each other in forever! I am making her favourite dinner tonight. I cooked a salmon yesterday and deboned and shredded it. Today I will make salmon patties, the ones she likes...coated with mayo and potato chips. Mmmmm....I will post a picture!
Monte arrived two nights ago. He is looking good. He has lost a hundred pounds and his shirts are hanging off of him! He spent all day yesterday downtown with buddies and at Levi's art installation opening at the art gallery. Then they came back here to do recording and ....I'm not sure. I do believe Levi is still here.
And the house inspector is inspecting my townhouse this morning. I am going to meet him at 11:30. I have asked Kathy and Kerry to come too. I have a feeling I already wrote this in the last post. If so, sorry!
I made a very comprehensive list of all my furniture and exactly where I am going to put it all in the townhouse. Now I need to double check that it will all work out. I am also really looking forward to meeting with Ezzy move tomorrow morning. I always use Bekins. I like them. They are centred out of Kelowna here in the interior. They sent me a quote..the norm...200 bucks an hour for three men...and they estimate 5-7 hours, plus 100 dollars to store for a night or two. She didn't think they could load and unload in one day. All of that is pretty acceptable. But then, she added on 945 bucks for travel time between Kelowna and Kamloops! Are you kidding?
So I called local moving companies and, of course, they are all booked up. Except....Ezzy! And not only do they move you in one day, but they also have giant totes you can use instead of boxes and they haul garbage! Oh yeah...stuff that Bekins!!! Anyway a guy is coming over Sunday morning to take a look at how much stuff I have and give me an estimate. They have good reviews too.
I have also hired Blair again for next Thursday. I look forward to seeing him again! I think I will get his help organizing what will be left in the garage and then have him bring up everything in the cupboards in the hell hole. I am sure that a lot of it does NOT need to move with me and whats left will need repacking.
Well, I will post this later after I see my place again. I can't wait!!!
Well I crawled all over my new place. Its small. Which is what I really like. Its old. Which I really like. And its in a much handier location than this house. I really did like the place a lot. The house inspector pointed out stuff that needs attending right away. He was very thorough so tomorrow I must get going early and make some arrangements and calls.
Cookie is here and we have had a stellar time! I will report more later. Right now I am so tired and we are going to bed...and it isn't even ten yet. She really has reason to be tired though. She worked like a horse today...I will explain more later. TTYL
So I hopped up and looked around. And Kamloops is under a dense layer of forest fire smoke. You can't see past the end of our little section of houses. Its crazy!! And my eyes are burning...or maybe thats just the power of suggestion. I turned on the news and it seems the interior of BC is on fire! All those poor people with their ranches full of horses and cattle, and their house pets..all evacuated. What a nightmare.
Cookie comes today!!!! Monte is here and I get to go into my new house today!!! So much in one day! Cookie is staying til Tuesday...I cannot wait! She and I have not seen each other in forever! I am making her favourite dinner tonight. I cooked a salmon yesterday and deboned and shredded it. Today I will make salmon patties, the ones she likes...coated with mayo and potato chips. Mmmmm....I will post a picture!
Monte arrived two nights ago. He is looking good. He has lost a hundred pounds and his shirts are hanging off of him! He spent all day yesterday downtown with buddies and at Levi's art installation opening at the art gallery. Then they came back here to do recording and ....I'm not sure. I do believe Levi is still here.
And the house inspector is inspecting my townhouse this morning. I am going to meet him at 11:30. I have asked Kathy and Kerry to come too. I have a feeling I already wrote this in the last post. If so, sorry!
I made a very comprehensive list of all my furniture and exactly where I am going to put it all in the townhouse. Now I need to double check that it will all work out. I am also really looking forward to meeting with Ezzy move tomorrow morning. I always use Bekins. I like them. They are centred out of Kelowna here in the interior. They sent me a quote..the norm...200 bucks an hour for three men...and they estimate 5-7 hours, plus 100 dollars to store for a night or two. She didn't think they could load and unload in one day. All of that is pretty acceptable. But then, she added on 945 bucks for travel time between Kelowna and Kamloops! Are you kidding?
So I called local moving companies and, of course, they are all booked up. Except....Ezzy! And not only do they move you in one day, but they also have giant totes you can use instead of boxes and they haul garbage! Oh yeah...stuff that Bekins!!! Anyway a guy is coming over Sunday morning to take a look at how much stuff I have and give me an estimate. They have good reviews too.
I have also hired Blair again for next Thursday. I look forward to seeing him again! I think I will get his help organizing what will be left in the garage and then have him bring up everything in the cupboards in the hell hole. I am sure that a lot of it does NOT need to move with me and whats left will need repacking.
Well, I will post this later after I see my place again. I can't wait!!!
Well I crawled all over my new place. Its small. Which is what I really like. Its old. Which I really like. And its in a much handier location than this house. I really did like the place a lot. The house inspector pointed out stuff that needs attending right away. He was very thorough so tomorrow I must get going early and make some arrangements and calls.
Cookie is here and we have had a stellar time! I will report more later. Right now I am so tired and we are going to bed...and it isn't even ten yet. She really has reason to be tired though. She worked like a horse today...I will explain more later. TTYL
 |
| THEY WERE SO YUMMY! |
Tuesday, July 4, 2017
SIGNED SEALED AND DELIVERED
It has been a loooong time since I posted! And a lot has happened!
I launched out immediately after the house received a viable offer and looked at a load of townhouses, now with being able to offer in mind. I can't remember if I mentioned that I was relieved when that lovely new house offer fell through. In the end I had to admit I just am not a polished marble type. I like old comfy shoe places....and that is what I have bought.
I have bought enough places in my time to know that when the right place shows up, you know it immediately. And that is exactly what happened.
One morning I arranged to see this place after viewing two others. As usual the others looked fantastic on paper, and were even not bad tangibly, but they didn't have that 'homey, this is mine' feel. To live in one of them would have been fine, but somewhat forced.
But when I walked into this one, bam!, I knew immediately that this was the one! I loved it instantly. And its old and somewhat ratty and surely not perfect, but it sure suits me!
Its old, so old that the real estate description is OT...old timer. Built in the seventies, it has had upgrades as most the really old ones have had. There are three levels. Three bedrooms and and big bathroom on the top level. Kitchen, dining, powder room and kitchen nook on the main floor. That nook is six by eight, exactly big enough for me to put a comfy chair, tv and record player!!!!! I am ecstatic about that I have to say! None of the others had that bonus! And the ground level basement has a massive recroom, huge bathroom and laundry/freezer space. Each floor has a balcony or patio. What more could I want? 1600 sq. feet!
Monte has a dear friend with a driver's license. And when I say dear friend that doesn't even begin to describe him. Peter has been a magical person in our lives from the day we met him. He lives in Victoria now and welcomes Monte into his home where he lives with an equally amazing, according to Monte, sister. Monte is a difficult houseguest yet they seem to have endless compassion and patience with him. They are coming up by bus, renting a U-Haul, and driving back to the Island with Monte's stuff. Who does that? Only a hero. And he just wants Chinese dinner as payment. Well I am paying him with real cash, whether he says or not! He is taking time off work to do this.
That is happening on the ninth. So everything is falling into place.
I did pay too much for the place. Its probably worth around 270,000, I offered 285,000 but to get my fast matching with my house sell possession date, I ended up having to pay 291,000. But at least I don't have to store my stuff, I can move right in. And 291,000 is a hell of a lot better than 360,000, which the new house one would have been. Now I just have to wait until tomorrow for the subjects to be removed on the sale of this house. So it could all fall through yet...holding my breath for one more day!
Another event happened since last post. Kathy, Kerry, Jo and family, Emily, Jen & Jeremy (Stan's daughter)and two boys, Stan, April and Myles, Aryn and Bradley, Kevin and Tandy and kids and myself all went camping at Clearwater Lake! Thanks to Aryn coming up with the idea and getting on it and Kathy following up so quickly we all ended up with a tight cluster of campsites close to each other. And did we ever have a hoot!
It was Kevin's birthday so it was extra special. I made him, at his request, potato salad, banana trifle and rice Krispee squares. And we made all that at the campsite. The rice K squares I made over the fire in a one of those tinfoil roasting tins. Worked out perfectly!
We had so much fun. I laughed til I almost puked. There was a lot of sitting around different campsites talking, drinking, eating, drinking, game playing, drinking.......! One of the days we trekked down to the lake and most of them went swimming in that icy cold lake! They floated about on floaties and threw dogs into the lake. So much fun.
On the last evening very late after the kids went to bed, Jeremy and Jen brought out two large unicorn rubber mask heads. Oh My God, I almost died laughing! The masks completely covered your head and the unicorn had such a dead look on its face. We took turns wearing them and honestly there are no words that can describe what took place when those masks came out. I have pics but it just doesn't do it justice. I haven't laughed like that in a very very long time.
Ring toss, beer pong, pass along story telling, what more could one want. And of course a baby!! And that baby doesn't care who is holding him. So we all took our turn holding a five month old warm and fuzzy baby. It just brings the best out of you.
Now the three little boys that were there were another story. Two nine yr olds and a seven, with bikes, and a sick fascination with fire, farting, burping and being as loud as possible. At one point they were at a fire in one of the other camps. A certain parent went to check on them and they were taking unopened cold beer in cans out of the cooler, opening them and pouring them in the fire. Hahaha!!! Cold beer....that got the adult's attention! So funny.
Elise, my 6 yr old granddaughter, mentioned right near the beginning that as she was biking about she saw something she wanted to show me. There just didn't seem to be a right time until the last day. So I asked her if it was very far and she said "No silly!" So off we went. Well off she went, speeding down the camp road, around a corner and out of sight. So I trudged along and eventually came to the main road. She was way down the road. So I trudged along some more and once again she had disappeared. Finally we came to a bridge. She had stopped there to wait for me.
Now on a bike that probably doesn't seem far, but to an old fat sedentary Gma....it was way past my obligatory fifty steps a day! She wanted to go further but I actually didn't have time. We were packing up to go. So I told her that was as far as I could go but I was so happy she had brought me there to that creek. I hauled out my phone and took pictures and talked away to her. When I turned around she was long gone and I was talking to myself. I didn't see her again until we were leaving! So much for the lovely shared walk with my granddaughter I had envisioned! Hahaha!!! I checked my phone step counter and it was almost two kilometres there and back! Now I need to do that every day!
This is getting long. I will post pics on the next post. TTYL
I launched out immediately after the house received a viable offer and looked at a load of townhouses, now with being able to offer in mind. I can't remember if I mentioned that I was relieved when that lovely new house offer fell through. In the end I had to admit I just am not a polished marble type. I like old comfy shoe places....and that is what I have bought.
I have bought enough places in my time to know that when the right place shows up, you know it immediately. And that is exactly what happened.
One morning I arranged to see this place after viewing two others. As usual the others looked fantastic on paper, and were even not bad tangibly, but they didn't have that 'homey, this is mine' feel. To live in one of them would have been fine, but somewhat forced.
But when I walked into this one, bam!, I knew immediately that this was the one! I loved it instantly. And its old and somewhat ratty and surely not perfect, but it sure suits me!
Its old, so old that the real estate description is OT...old timer. Built in the seventies, it has had upgrades as most the really old ones have had. There are three levels. Three bedrooms and and big bathroom on the top level. Kitchen, dining, powder room and kitchen nook on the main floor. That nook is six by eight, exactly big enough for me to put a comfy chair, tv and record player!!!!! I am ecstatic about that I have to say! None of the others had that bonus! And the ground level basement has a massive recroom, huge bathroom and laundry/freezer space. Each floor has a balcony or patio. What more could I want? 1600 sq. feet!
Monte has a dear friend with a driver's license. And when I say dear friend that doesn't even begin to describe him. Peter has been a magical person in our lives from the day we met him. He lives in Victoria now and welcomes Monte into his home where he lives with an equally amazing, according to Monte, sister. Monte is a difficult houseguest yet they seem to have endless compassion and patience with him. They are coming up by bus, renting a U-Haul, and driving back to the Island with Monte's stuff. Who does that? Only a hero. And he just wants Chinese dinner as payment. Well I am paying him with real cash, whether he says or not! He is taking time off work to do this.
That is happening on the ninth. So everything is falling into place.
I did pay too much for the place. Its probably worth around 270,000, I offered 285,000 but to get my fast matching with my house sell possession date, I ended up having to pay 291,000. But at least I don't have to store my stuff, I can move right in. And 291,000 is a hell of a lot better than 360,000, which the new house one would have been. Now I just have to wait until tomorrow for the subjects to be removed on the sale of this house. So it could all fall through yet...holding my breath for one more day!
Another event happened since last post. Kathy, Kerry, Jo and family, Emily, Jen & Jeremy (Stan's daughter)and two boys, Stan, April and Myles, Aryn and Bradley, Kevin and Tandy and kids and myself all went camping at Clearwater Lake! Thanks to Aryn coming up with the idea and getting on it and Kathy following up so quickly we all ended up with a tight cluster of campsites close to each other. And did we ever have a hoot!
It was Kevin's birthday so it was extra special. I made him, at his request, potato salad, banana trifle and rice Krispee squares. And we made all that at the campsite. The rice K squares I made over the fire in a one of those tinfoil roasting tins. Worked out perfectly!
We had so much fun. I laughed til I almost puked. There was a lot of sitting around different campsites talking, drinking, eating, drinking, game playing, drinking.......! One of the days we trekked down to the lake and most of them went swimming in that icy cold lake! They floated about on floaties and threw dogs into the lake. So much fun.
On the last evening very late after the kids went to bed, Jeremy and Jen brought out two large unicorn rubber mask heads. Oh My God, I almost died laughing! The masks completely covered your head and the unicorn had such a dead look on its face. We took turns wearing them and honestly there are no words that can describe what took place when those masks came out. I have pics but it just doesn't do it justice. I haven't laughed like that in a very very long time.
Ring toss, beer pong, pass along story telling, what more could one want. And of course a baby!! And that baby doesn't care who is holding him. So we all took our turn holding a five month old warm and fuzzy baby. It just brings the best out of you.
Now the three little boys that were there were another story. Two nine yr olds and a seven, with bikes, and a sick fascination with fire, farting, burping and being as loud as possible. At one point they were at a fire in one of the other camps. A certain parent went to check on them and they were taking unopened cold beer in cans out of the cooler, opening them and pouring them in the fire. Hahaha!!! Cold beer....that got the adult's attention! So funny.
Elise, my 6 yr old granddaughter, mentioned right near the beginning that as she was biking about she saw something she wanted to show me. There just didn't seem to be a right time until the last day. So I asked her if it was very far and she said "No silly!" So off we went. Well off she went, speeding down the camp road, around a corner and out of sight. So I trudged along and eventually came to the main road. She was way down the road. So I trudged along some more and once again she had disappeared. Finally we came to a bridge. She had stopped there to wait for me.
Now on a bike that probably doesn't seem far, but to an old fat sedentary Gma....it was way past my obligatory fifty steps a day! She wanted to go further but I actually didn't have time. We were packing up to go. So I told her that was as far as I could go but I was so happy she had brought me there to that creek. I hauled out my phone and took pictures and talked away to her. When I turned around she was long gone and I was talking to myself. I didn't see her again until we were leaving! So much for the lovely shared walk with my granddaughter I had envisioned! Hahaha!!! I checked my phone step counter and it was almost two kilometres there and back! Now I need to do that every day!
This is getting long. I will post pics on the next post. TTYL
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