A BIG HONKING THANK YOU

I have some huge thank you's to report in this post.  First I want to mention that the two swampers they hired at this end (totally not Bekin's fault) were inept, stoner, bottom of the gene pool, (as my sister says) neanderthal units (as my mom would say). Lazy dumbasses I say.  I have a dining table, a good sized one, difficult to get through doors I admit.  But when I was showing Kerry the house yesterday morning I noticed it was totally missing.  It had been sitting in the garage.

So we hunted and finally found it on the very bottom tier of the back yard.  They didn't even leave it at the basement sliding door patio.  Which means they did it on purpose, they actually had to pack it down some stairs to leave it there where we wouldn't notice til they were gone….easier than getting it through a door.  Which in fact, in the end wasn't hard at all.  Craig and his friend Ross upended it and brought it in for me.  The stoners were too stupid to see that it could.  Thank you Craig and Ross!  I am definitely going to let Bekin's know…don't hire those asses again.

Yesterday morning, early, for about an hour, I wandered through my poor house, so full of so many boxes.  The storage room, which is big with a wall of really big cupboards, was full to the ceiling and wall to wall.  Actually I was just kind of stunned and overwhelmed.  And sad…sad that I had so much stuff when I felt that I had been so good at eliminating.  I was standing in my purple room, close to tears, when the door bell rang.  It was Kerry…with a cup of coffee for me and asking to see the house (he hadn't seen it before) and with some free hours on his hands to help.  I could have cried.  I showed him the house and then he took charge.

We went to the storage room, he pulled a couple out so we could manoeuvre.  And then for the next six hours he and I emptied the boxes one by one and he, not me, he made a complete organization plan.  He encouraged me to put every single thing we unwrapped in its place.  He organized the cupboards into recognizable, usable genius order, labelling every receptacle as we went.  And let me tell you, he was right down on the floor on more than one occasion, getting containers and boxes into their right spot.  I have never ever experienced anything so perfect in my whole life.  When we were down to the very last box and done, everything was in those cupboards with room to spare.  Unbelievable.

About half way through all that Kathy arrived and when I finally went upstairs she had unpacked a ton of the kitchen stuff and laid it all out on folding tables in the dining room for me to sort and organize into the kitchen cupboards.  I couldn't believe it!!!  Jocelyn arrived with Ainsley and she pitched in too.  As did Monte.  Amazing.

I can't even come up with the words for the gratitude and immense relief I feel.  They are truly the best people ever and if I had even one doubt (which I didn't..not even a smidge) about this being the best place to live…it would have totally disappeared yesterday.  I love them.

Now, about the packing job.  Hilarious!  That was the most funny part and the most annoying and incredible.  We packed close to ten really tall (the biggest) boxes, crammed down and stomped on, full of paper.  We killed a forest for sure with all the paper they used.  And every little thing was tightly wrapped, even napkins, books, etc..and a lot was taped.  Some of the boxes were half full of paper.  I took one box, medium sized, and unwrapped everything in it and then put the stuff back into the same box.  Six plastic cups, an empty soy bottle (costco size) and empty olive oil bottle (costco size) and two other bottles of oil.  That was it.  The stuff didn't even cover the bottom of the box.  Ridiculous.  So now I am not feeling so bad about the amount of boxes there are.  They are all half full!

I was going to say that next time I will be doing my own packing as usual.  But THERE ISN'T GOING TO BE A NEXT TIME!!!  This is going to be my pine box house.  Thats how I am going to exit this place.

I am going to put on a load of dog pics.  A while back I mentioned that even though I don't like dogs (NO I DON'T)  (shovel list) I seem to take a lot of pics of them.  The pics are sitting in my flagged box and I need to empty it so I am putting them on today.  TTYL

THIS WAS IN ANCHORAGE…THIS GUY KEPT STARING AT ME NO MATTER WHERE I WENT

THIS GUY WAS ON A BALCONY UP ONE OF THE NARROW CROOKED STREETS OF LISBON

THIS GUY WAS IN CHINA…A LOT OF DOGS LIKE THIS THERE

THIS GUY WAS IN INDIA OF ALL PLACES…COCHIN

THIS GUY WAS IN SKAGWAY

THESE GUYS WERE IN EPHASUS TURKEY

TURKEY

MUMBAI

SLEEPING IN THE SHADE IN CAMBODIA

GRANDDOG IN NORTH VAN

JEN'S CRAZY DOG IN ALBERTA AT BUCK LAKE

ON THE DANUBE WE STOPPED AT A MONASTERY WITH A BREWERY.  WE SAW THIS OLD OLD OLD DOG TRUNDLING SLOWLY ALONG…AND THEN HE RAN OUT OF STEAM….NEXT PIC

NOW THATS LOVE

NEW YORK CITY…AND HE WAS ALL BY HIMSELF WITH THE DRIVER.  SOMEONE SENDING THEIR DOG HOME IN A TAXI

HONG KONG IN A PARK…WE WERE WAITING  FOR THE MARKET TO OPEN

TOO MUCH

First I want to respond to a comment on the last post.  Its about the Port Alberni place.  I didn't give Pat the five thousand to sell the place.  That money was to come out of the proceeds after the sale.  I feel so bad for him.  He is terribly poor and that money was going to mean so very much to him.  He was pretty despondent the last time I talked to him.

Next, the packers.  As I mentioned I wrote an email to the guy I originally dealt with.  I know that the movers won't unload the truck until I have paid for the move in whole.  So when he arrived yesterday, and I want to add that the movers Bekins hired was a father/son business and they were very very fine people.  The dad, John Sweeney, was the only one that drove up.  They hire swampers here locally.

So I invited him in and we talked for a bit.  I made coffee for us and then he took out the papers and we went over the bill.  As I thought, my load was almost a thousand pounds over the estimate.  But he said that they decided to only charge me the amount of the original estimate (and they didn't have to…it stated on the papers that if the load was heavier or lighter the cost would be adjusted up or down accordingly) and that THEY ONLY CHARGED ME FOR ONE DAY OF PACKING!!!  My final bill was 5700 which was the estimate plus 1600, one day packing.  Exactly what Skip told me.  I was so delighted!  It wasn't so much the money as the avoided battle I was pleased with.

There were only two real negatives with this move. One:  Jamie, the son, tried to get everything into the truck and not have to use the trailer.  In the end they had to use a trailer.  But right up till the end he tried to fit everything in.  And that meant he took every single thing I own apart.  He dismantled my gardening wagon into a hundred pieces, he dismantled every piece of furniture with legs, he has spread my kitchen aid throughout forty boxes, he combined boxes (mine from the garage).  I got the guys to put together what they could but holy hannah….we couldn't find legs and nuts and bolts and pieces and parts.  Not happy about that so much.

Two:  and this is the usual complaint I have..too freaking much stuff.  Even though three times I got rid of stuff in Victoria, I still have so many boxes every room in the house is so full you can't move.  You would never know that I moved from a four hundred foot smaller house to a bigger one. And I know why.  It was because of that stupid ass BAD garage down there.  Never ever again will I allow every box with every thing I own to be put into a garage.  That crap propagates when you aren't looking.  I didn't do that here.  I can still park in my garage.  

Now its about five in the morning and even though my house is now besmirched with 'stuff', it feels so good to be home.  Monte was saying that this house in this town already feels more like home than any house we have lived in since 725 in north van and we moved from there in 2008.  It really does feel homey.  And yesterday when I was in mid panic mode about the amount of boxes crammed into this house, my sister phoned and calmed me down and reminded me that once we start emptying and putting things away the boxes disappear very quickly.  Tis true. I think I just got a little too used to having an echoey empty house. I loved it!

The sunrise out my window is stunning!  And the birds are singing like crazy.  And the river snaking through the town is a bright orange reflection of the sky.  I love it here so much.  Now onward to opening all those 'presents' waiting for me out there.  TTYL

HOME AGAIN HOME AGAIN JIGGITTY JIG

Well its done and done.  We got to the house early and whipped through it with a broom and cloth.  The housekeeper is going back a couple of times to finish it off.  I left the broom and mop there for her. We left around nine oclock and I never even looked back.  A beautiful place in a beautiful setting but in the wrong part of the province.

The trip up was uneventful and easy.  Except for the new hwy 17 east from Tswassen to the freeway.  Its 'easy' but so long and convoluted and you get smucked up with big trucks coming and going from the Port Of Surrey.  Not going that way again.  Its faster to go the old way.

It felt so so good to get home, to my purple room chair and my beautifully cleaned home (by my awesome sister).  In the window waiting for me was a bunch of purple shiny balloons with welcome home on them.  And on  the counter was a plate of home made cookies and two bottles of 'back yard' (winery in Langley) wine!  And in purple room a beautiful big hydrangea in the most beautiful purple waiting for me.  What more could one want!

Today, after having my morning laptop session and answering emails and doing some business, Jo and Ainsley and Kathy came for a few hours.  I was in heaven!  Sitting there, conversing and watching a busy little girl playing…drinking coffee, eating cookies, looking out at my incredible view…life is pretty good I must say.  Its funny, I feel closer to Bill here than in Langford.  This was both Bill's and my territory at the start.  This just feels right.  And I love having Monte with me for now.  He and I get along so well and he enjoys running all those errands (SHOVEL LIST) for me that I hate doing.

One negative note…the Port Alberni deal fell through.  Big surprise there…sorry Port but I have never met such a large number of down and out losers as I found in Port.  I have to get that place out of my life..its a dark pit of bad.  Tomorrow I phone Joe Van Bergan and get it listed.  For the piddling amount I am asking for it it should go reasonably quickly.

But that now means I can't buy my jeep as soon as I had planned.  Oh well.   I have til the fall to worry about it.

The funniest thing happened at the hotel.  I had to sit in the lobby for about twenty minutes to wait for Monte to get there with the key.  A woman, about thirty years old, well dressed and turned out, came dashing into the lobby with a baby of about six months, a little girl, in her arms.  She glanced around, the lobby was empty except for the concierge, spied me and came flying over and desperately asked if I could hold her baby whilst she went to the loo.  I laughed and said of course, I had held many a baby in my time.  "oh thank you thank you " she gushed then as she dashed off she yelled over to the concierge.."don't let her steal my baby!!!"  Hahahaha!!!  so funny and the baby was the sweetest little thing.  Mom was only gone for a few minutes.  It was kind of nice going old school for a few minutes.  We used to do this all the time…takes a village as they say, or at least it used to.

Now I am listening to crazy electronic music as I type this.  Monte is making me a tomato sandwich.  I am tired.  Tomorrow will be busy.  All the stuff is coming on Sunday.  So tomorrow I need to walk around the place and makes notes on where what is going.  I am still kind of downhearted about the amount of stuff thats coming.  I think I will make sure the garbage can is full each week.  One thing I chose not to bring and I kind of feel a little bit sad about is a carved bear from a stump.  We had that bear for years and years.  It was in the garden in the front of the house.  But it was cracked and falling apart and heavy and time to say goodbye..:(

Now to bed.  It's all dark in here, Molly sleeping in her little bed right beside my chair, Monte to bed and I am looking out over the twinkling city.  Like I said Life Is Good!  TTYL

WHEW!!!

TUE:  Well they didn't show up until one.  Jeez!  So they got started and slowly plodded along.  I phoned the head guy earlier and he said "don't worry, it'll get done."  Then I asked how much an hour it was.  Again…don't worry.  So I didn't.  Big mistake!  Finally, at nine that night they were done (except they forgot to pack the main bathroom).  He had the paper work and calmly told me it would be 3,600.00.  HOLY SHIT!  I reacted very strongly and in shock!  He then told me they had worked sixteen hours at 200 bucks an hour.  TWO HUNDRED!!!!!  OMG!!  I had a fit then he got a little nasty….saying he had better get paid.

So this morning I emailed the original guy that gave me the first move estimate.  I can see that his estimate was based on eight hours, not sixteen.  So I asked my original guy for his opinion of the speed of the guys.  We will see.

Last nite as we were getting ready to leave, the newby packer was packing three old rickety pieces of stained glass panels I have, the kind that sit in windows.  It took him over a half hour.  That was one hundred dollars of time.  ONE HUNDRED BUCKS!!!  The glass isn't worth anything!  No common sense.

Wed:  Today we got to the house super early and the movers arrived at 8:30.  Long story short they did an amazing job of the loading.  Tetris to the power of infinity!!  But they still had to get a little trailer for the overflow.  They told me that the average household, not yet sifted through, is about 24,000 pounds.  Then, getting ready for a move, they whittle it down to an average of 12,000.  Monte's load was about 3000 pounds.  And mine ended up to be around 9000 pounds.  Good thing I got rid of so much!

Around three the junk guy showed up, thank God! I was worried there for a bit…he seemed so sketchy on the phone.  He came with a big pickup with huge sides built on the back and he completely filled it to overflowing.  I did the same thing in North Van.  What the hell!!!  How does that much stuff accumulate?  But accumulate it does!

But best of all my house sold!  And it sold for a pretty fair price.  Last night, anticipating that the buyers would want to knock off some of the price to fix the three things the inspector found, I googled approximate prices to fix them.  In the end I figured just under one thousand, if that.  They asked for TEN thousand!!!  We countered with five and they accepted.  So finally the damned place is sold!  I am so relieved and happy!

Now tomorrow morning, super early, Monte and I are going back to the place to clean it out.  Yay…what fun that will be.  Its mainly the floors.  The housekeeper was in today and completely cleaned the kitchen.  The bathrooms are pretty clean too.  So we shall dust off windowsills, sweep up garbage and problem solve the stuff left behind.  Our cars are already packed to the gills!  I think the garbage men will be even more pissed off next week after I fill the thing again and the new home owners will be left little gifts (like the ugly filing cabinet the junk guy forgot to take!)

So to bed with us now.  More excitement tomorrow…heading home!!!!  TTYL

THANK YOU

First of all, I yet again want to thank you so much for the people that have reached out.  I didn't think that was why I posted but maybe it was.  You guys are so supportive and kind.  Honestly, it makes a huge difference.

So I decided to pretend someone was saying what I said last night to me.  What would be my response.  And I hate to say it but I would want, maybe not actually, to say "hey!!!  your problems aren't all that bad.  Think about all those out there with REAL problems."  I think about those poor spouses that actually genuinely can't go on without their missing partner.  I feel so bad for them.  Me? I am tough and a mover onner.  So the glitch is over and I am back in fighting mode.  Let me tell you about today.

The packers were to show up about 8 - 8:30.  My brother, who is very very very experienced with having his house packed for him, told me it takes one day to pack up a house.  I had at least half the house packed.  All the little stuff, every cupboard and drawer I packed.  So what they need to do is the kitchen (half…I packed a bunch of it), lamps, pictures, bedding and towels, my walk in closet which is pretty much packed, two bathrooms and purple room, which is pretty much packed, a downstairs bedroom (not packed) and the garage.

Well, no one showed up.  Finally around ten two old dudes arrive.  The head guy wasn't quite right in the face and this was his sidekick's first day ever packing.  OMG!!!  I would go into the garage to deal with yet more food garbage and such and I would go back into the house every couple of hours…and they would hardly have done anything!  Seriously!  Spod was Spol (speed of light) compared to them.  What the hell!  They worked til six, eight full hours and got the kitchen, pictures and some of the lamps packed.  Shit I could have done that in one hour to two hours.  And they wrapped every single thing, including a couple of books in layers of paper and taped it!!  Its going to take me forever to unpack!  AND  they are using old used boxes…which they have to tape and tape and tape to put them together and make them work.

He said they would be back tomorrow to finish.  But they have another place to pack first!  They are never ever going to have it done by Wed. morning.  I am phoning the dispatch boss tomorrow morning with my concerns.  First thing.

Also, this morning, the home inspector showed up along with the potential buyer's realtor.  He was super nice.  The buyer's had asked me to leave between eleven and twelve so they could have a private tour with the inspector.   So I took off, had lunch and came back at twelve.  They were still there.  So I sat in the car for over and hour!  Grrrr!
That is the LAST accommodation I am giving these people.  They have a three times longer subject removal date, they have been through the house five times, I have had to give them written permission to go to the city for info, I let them in again today…I am done.

And this inspector is way way better than the one I had last year.  He found stuff I didn't even know existed…like a septic tank, a very neglected full, tank with a sump pump that pumps the crap up to the city sewer.  Needs attention.  I didn't even know we had one.  And there are carpenter ants at the back.  And the drain tiles need adjusting.  One good thing.  Last year's inspector said that we had "P" pipe…which is now banned because it breaks down.  We actually lost one potential buyer, a plumber, because of that.  But this inspector saw that all the joints had been switched to copper ones so the pipes are all good!

So now the buyers are freaking out and wanting me to fix things.  I have said no.  They said they want to read the report tomorrow and they will let us know.  Wed. is the subject removal date.  I am going to tell them to come back, get out of their truck, walk four doors down to the brand new house that is still for sale (because its is made of crap according to my realtor) and BUY IT!!

Tonight I was cleaning out the fridge.  I am simply throwing everything into garbage bags.  I don't care if stuff is 'kitchen scraps' or recyclable.  It would take me hours and hours to clean out every single one of the 110 bottles and jars in there.  As I was hauling out one of the bags, a jar broke and busted through the bottom of the bag and spread god only knows what that was, mixed with glass all the way to the door.  Molly immediately started to lick it, grotty little mutt, and cut her tongue.  What a flaming freaking mess that took me forever to clean up.  Right now I honestly think I will be here in Langford forever!!!  Its never going to get done.  Never.

One really good thing happened amongst all this silly angst.  While I was in Vancouver I got a toothache.  I can't remember if I mentioned that or not.  But I am eating ibuprofen which keeps it at bay.  I emailed a sedation dentist in Kamloops and they emailed me back and I have an appointment next Tuesday!!!  I am so happy!  Now I just need to find a doctor I can push around.  LOL!!

Bedtime.  Gotta be up and at it tomorrow.  I have to get both fridges and the freezer clean.  I am going to get the housekeeper to do the stove.  I also have to clean out all the cupboards in the kitchen.   And I do believe the old dudes are going to need help.  Hahaha!  TTYL

HARDER THAN I THOUGHT

I don't like to admit this, but maybe writing it out may help (nothing better than sharing misery I say!)  Tonight is my last night in this house.  I will probably be in a hotel tomorrow night and the one after.

That means this is the last time I sleep in a place where Bill was.  And I don't know why the hell this is so hard.  I can honestly say that this is the toughest time I have had since the funeral.  Maybe this is the final 'getting it' that he is really gone now.  I don't like this feeling.  It really hurts.  I miss him so much.  I can't wait to put this place behind me and start new.  I think I will put his ashes in the car with me and hope I don't get in an accident on the way up.  Maybe I will bring Mom with me too.  I can hash it out with them on the way to Kamloops.  I will post again before leaving.  Sorry for the downer post.   TTYL

In the last couple of weeks I have spent time visiting with three people, people I know well, that do not either own a computer or never ever go on one.  They know what facebook is but never use it.  They use their phones for receiving emails, or, in the case of one…she doesn't ever email.  This is a highly unusual situation.

And this is what I observed.  They definitely are 'out of the general loop'.  When I talk with everybody else I converse with, I assume that any news I am referring to, any interesting tidbits from facebook or just general internet gathered knowledge, they are fully aware of it.  And they are.  When conversing with these three individuals I find I am having to either do a lot of backfill info or just skip that part of the conversation completely.  Its like having a half conversation.

I have noticed a lot of discussion in the general media about the 'damage' screen time or rather too much of it is harming our social interaction with people. Of course, like anything, too much can be harmful, exercise moderation…in everything.  If you are completely consumed with screen time to the exclusion of personal contact…well thats not what I am talking about.  That pretty much creates the same handicap as the other end of that extreme stick…no screen knowledge at all.  I am talking about the majority (my majority) of balanced (my balanced) internet use.  I just know its a whole lot easier to talk to people on the same general page.  Its not very often I run into people that have absolutely no internet savvy at all.  So interesting.

I decided to clean out the garage fridge.  I figured it was full of half bottles of wine, old beer, juice etc.  But…I discovered on the bottom shelf a fairly large red plastic container…not one I remember.  Hmmmmm….I wonder.  I gingerly hauled it out and set it over on the workshop bench and pulled the lid off.  OH MY GOD!!!  There was a good three inch deep layer of fuzzy mold, atop a sloppy gooey unrecognizable mess.  And the smell was so bad that within the ten seconds it took me to come out of shock, ten giant fat lumbering blow flies started circling my head.  

Normally I would slap the lid back on quickly and toss the whole thing into the garbage container.  But nooooooo…we can't do that.  The bio hazard stuff has to be put into the kitchen scrap thing (where those effing flies are coming from) then the red thing has to be washed out and placed into recycling.  Well I did NOT do that!  It got fired into the garbage.  I shant be here for the fall out.

Now its time to go and pack up some more awkward stuff.  It never seems to end.  I am leaving the garage stuff and the garbage sorting for tomorrow.  Today I must finish whatever I will be doing here in the house.  Tomorrow is hair washing day too.  (shovel list  'sigh')  TTYL

ps:  I am putting a picture on here to show what is on my lap as I write this post.  You will see I don't actually hate or shun Molly.

Add caption

STUPID FRIGGING DOG

I think you have to love your dog so much that when they do an a**hole thing you get upset but you don't go crazy with, well for the sake of not using a stronger word…dislike for it.

If anyone knows me they know I am not the most careful, neat and clean person.  Mess happens and sometimes objects become victim to that.

Almost a couple years ago I bought a very expensive, very comfortable lazy boy type rocking chair.  Because I sleep on it, blog on it, watch tv and read books…well basically live the sit down part of my life on it, I covered it with a sheet.  I have been extremely careful to keep the sheet clean and covering the entire chair.  Consequently it is in pristine shape…very unusual for me!  But those sheets are packed now.  All I have is my black cushion and my small quilt.  So…I am being really really careful.

Today I cooked some chicken wings.  The detritus of this meal was sitting on the shelf beside my chair.  When I came back into the room Molly had jumped up on my chair (where she absolutely 100% knows she isn't allowed) and ate a whole whack of uneaten wings off my plate and ON MY CHAIR.  Its totally ruined.  The arm and seat are completely covered in grease stains.  And that, again, is when I discovered I don't love my dog enough to think this is okay.  Stupid ass dog.

  I put her on a rug out in the other room and I am making her stay there.  I don't trust myself around her right now.  And I am NOT feeding her tonite.  I can't wait until my life is dog free…hurry up April!!!  I just don't understand what people get out of annoying pets.  And now I am sure I am going to get a bunch of hate comments or have peta down my throat.  Sorry, I'm just not feeling it.  And since Aryn got her groomed she is extra extra cute…dammit.

I had a super duper dinner with Andrew last night. He is maturing into quite the fine man.  He seemed different…more calm, happier and just older.  We had such a good visit!  I caught up on all the family news and we talked about pretty much everything.  Its sad that I won't see him as often but he does go through Kamloops on occasion and said he would stop in.  I really hope so.

Robert the gardner dropped by yesterday.  I invited him in for coffee and we ended up talking for two or three hours..philophising..he is so interesting and we had a good old back and forth chin wag.  He is going after his doctorate in physiology…and his main paper (?) is about male body dysmorphia.  So interesting.

I have been packing up the awkward little things.  I am not sure what packers do, other than use a ton of paper (from what I hear).  I need to concentrate on the recycling and food garbage.  Yesterday was recycling day.  I put four blue boxes out.  Half of it they wouldn't take…for example four hungry man boxes.  I had flattened them but they popped back into shape…they are so skinny.  They wouldn't  take them because 'they were not flattened'.  They wouldn't take the black beans cans because they weren't washed out enough.  Seriously?  I am so done with Alpine.  The day we leave for Kamloops is garbage day.  They will be picking up the garbage and the next day Alpine will be picking up the containers.  Wait till they see whats going to be in those garbage containers.  For the 125 bucks a month I pay, they can frigging well eat their fines.

I think I had better sign off.  I am supremely cranky right now and I might say even more cranky stuff.  TTYL

ps:  I do actually love my dog and I AM going to put all kinds of bad crap in the garbage.

TRIPPY DIPPY

Wow!!  Its crazy coming back here to Langford.  Doesn't really feel right anymore.  Time to go.

I had a fabulous time in Vancouver.  I had a very successful lunch and business appointment with my notary in North Van.  She's great!  

When we were done I walked up to April's work.  She was on a break upstairs.  And then I went out and met up with Monte and went and checked into the Holiday Inn.  At seven I went over to the Black Bear and met up with Russell and Lorraine and April and Myles.  We had the best visit.  I really love those two.  Russell reminds me so much of Bill…in a really good way.  And I don't think one could find a more kind and fun person that Lorraine.  Dinner was delicious and during that dinner I got a call from my realtor with a really good offer on the house!!!  It could still fall through though so I am not counting my chickens just yet.  When we stood up to go and put on our coats, Lorraine and I had the same identical coat!  Only it looked a heck of a lot better on her than me!!

The next day, Saturday, Monte and I met Clare and Tish for lunch.  How wonderful to see them again.  We spent a lovely couple of hours catching up on our lives and chit chatting about things in general.  Monte leaned on his elbow and slept.  How RUDE!!  I was not happy with him.  Clare and Tish, bless them, were so kind about it.  I just love spending time with those two.

After lunch Monte dropped me off at the hair dressers.  On the way over I grabbed my hair brush and brushed out my hair.  When I do this my hair sticks straight out from head, about three feet out.  So I had him drop me off right at the door and I dashed in.  I could hear the two teen boys waiting in there snickering at me.  Couldn't really blame them.  But…I forgot that I had moved my appointment to two thirty!!!!  What the hell!!!  So I popped over to the fat lady store two doors down and killed an embarrassing hour.

And then….that night April had her birthday party downstairs from my Holiday Inn room at Seymour Arms…a great pub.  A bunch of her friends and Monte's friends, and Austin showed up and we had the best time ever.  I mean it.  I slammed back four double Caesars (but I think they were weak, I didn't feel it much), talked with people I hadn't seen in ages and watched April dance.  That girl can dance, and rap, like nobody's business!!!  We had sooooo much fun..til two in the morning!!!  

The next morning we were up early and off to visit Cookie.  Monte crawled into her basement and went right to sleep.  Cookie and I and her mommy had such a good visit.  After a while two of her sisters and two of her nieces came by.  It was so good to catch up with the 'brown people'  lol!!!!  My family by choice!

And then we hit the five ferry and home.  Monte left pretty much right away for Port Alberni.  It was strange coming into the house here.  It is sooo clean!  I texted my realtor this morning and asked if I could mess it up now!  He said to have atter!!

Tomorrow morning I have the junk man coming and Sheila, the awesome lady who took all my stuff off my hands, to finish up taking things.

Tonight I had dinner over at my cousin Dorothy's place.  She and Dan made the most delicious turkey dinner…exactly what I have been craving since our turkeyless Christmas!!  It was so good!  And enjoyed my visit there so much. 

And on the way home I stopped in at Millstream Market and went around and picked fave food to eat over the next few days.  Thursday night I am meeting Andrew for our last Asian Cuisine dinner together :(  I am so going to miss some people here in Victoria, thats for sure.  TTYL

GETTING IT ALL DONE

Well a very successful day or two so far.  Monte and I had a wonderful trip down.  We checked into this awesome hotel downtown, checked for bed bugs and settled in.  Monte immediately took off to the north shore to meet up with his friends.  

At eight I met Austin outside the Vogue theatre.  It was so good to see him!  The concert was totally amazing.  I always forget how great it is to see your fave bands perform.  And he and I had such a great visit.  He is heading to Korea on May 6.  And it isn't just to teach english, he will be an actual high school literature teacher.  He is so stoked!  And he will be living and teaching right in Gangum Seul right where he wanted to be.  They provide a loft for him too.

Today Aryn picked me up and we went to the TD. Every single time I need to do something regarding Bill's death it feels like we are the first people to ever have dealt with this.  A number of cheques have come in made out to 'the Estate of William Heyman'.  And we can't cash them.  There is no account left with his name on it and we can't open an account in that name without a lawyer.  And getting a lawyer to do probate is completely unnecessary and would cost more than the cheques amount to.  Anyway, we have left it in TD's hands to solve. 

 Then she dropped me off downtown at CWT….which went a whole lot smoother…and got that all sorted out.  I walked around downtown for a while then at six we picked up Austin and met Dorothy, April, Myles, Jess, Aryn, and Bradley at Nick's Spaghetti House on Commercial Dr. and we had the best time!  I love that place, we can be noisy, badly dressed and the food is plentiful and tasty.

I got back here to the hotel room around ten and tried to watch tv.  I have gone so long without tv now that I find I am not all that interested anymore, as long as I have a good book going.  Austin and Monte hooked up with a couple of friends of Monte's and they went clubbing.  It is now 4:44 in the morning.  About half an hour ago Austin and Monte showed up in Monte's room.  We have a connecting room and both the doors are ajar.  They are sleeping on a queen bed in there and I have spent the last half hour listening to them dissect and discuss their evening.  Hilarious!!!  Some things I probably didn't need to hear!  Now all I hear is snoring.  So funny.

Tomorrow, or later today I guess I should say, I have to wake them up and we have to be out of here by 11.  That should be fun.  I have an appointment with my notary for lunch and an appointment for will writing and mortgage etc…  Then after we check in to the Holiday inn over there in North Van I am meeting Russell and Lorraine and April and Myles for dinner at the Black Bear.  I am really looking forward to it.  Russell is Bill's nephew.  He works at the art institute downtown and he and April have made a very strong cousin connection.  And Lorraine is a manager of Additionelle and about the nicest person you will ever meet.  I am so looking forward having some time to visit with her.

Well it sounds like the boys have settled in and gone to sleep for good this time.  It's almost five in the morning and time for me to get some shut eye. I shall report back soon.  TTYL

THIS WAS BILL'S FAVE SALAD…TOMATOES AND ONIONS IN A GENTLE DELICIOUS DRESSING

STARTING ON THE LEFT:  JESS (APRIL'S BFF), DOROTHY (MY SISTER'S MIDDLE DAUGHTER) AUSTIN, MONTE SHOULD BE NEXT BUT HE IS TAKING THE PICTURE, ME, ARYN, BRADLEY, APRIL AND MYLES.

MONTE

ONWARD TO THE NEXT STEP

Today is clean up and pack day.  Kevin is coming back this morning to finish up the painting.  Tandy took the kids home early yesterday in the truck to O.K. Falls.  I was disappointed.  But she said that because Elise had a cold she wanted her home.  I tried to get Kevin to let Fenton stay but he wouldn't.  I have a feeling I might be falling down in the Gma territory.  Its true, I wasn't as focussed on them as I maybe should have been but I am so totally distracted right now with everything.  So It was probably good they went home.  Once I am settled here I will be able to be a more attentive Gma.

The house is looking fantastic.  I love the colours.  Its not been easy but in the end I got exactly what I wanted, maybe its even better than I expected.  There is no way we can finish all the painting right now so when I get back here and settled in I shall hire someone to come and finish.  I am so grateful to my kids for doing all of this for me.

The next two weeks are scary as hell.  I was thinking about this in the night: drive to vancouver,  CWT (settle Bill's transfers etc), TD (open an account for 'the estate of Bill), attend an awesome concert at the Vogue, have lunch and then a will changing appointment with my Notary, dinner with the crew for April's birthday, dinner with Russell and Lorraine and April and Myles, hopefully lunch with Clare and Tish, four hour hair appointment (big time shovel list), an awesome day of visiting with Cookie, back to Langford and meet with junk man for estimate, pack the house (my part), get all the income tax crap organized and off to the accountant (and God only knows where Spod left everything), meet the movers and send them on their way, clean the house, meet the junk guys, drive to Kamloops, meet the movers and unpack.  I think thats all.  

But then I will have a whole month almost to get my house regulated.  I won't have much furniture and I won't be buying any until the house sells.  I kind of like it empty.  It seems a shame to mess it up with couches and tables and such.  I also want to switch out the appliances.

Well I guess I had better hop to it.  I need to get Willy's cage clean and collect his stuff.  Kathy has very generously offered to keep an eye on him for the next two weeks.  I also need to do laundry…it never ever seems to just be done.  I hate laundry.  I need to clean the car out too.  Maybe I will get Monte to do that.  And this morning I am hungry.  Dangit!!!  I don't have anything here.  TTYL

HAM AND EASTER EGGS AND RELLIES

Ahhhhhh….my tummy is full, my heart is full and my life is full.  Such good times.

Kathy's house filled up with rellies and so did mine.  Kevin and Tandy have been painting like crazy and I am so happy with the colour we picked.  They are such careful fast good painters.  I am so lucky.  The grey we picked is perfect.  I did have to return three gallons…the colour match wasn't right.  But they happily fixed it and now its perfect.  Grey Owl it is!!! (thanks to my niece Jen)  The darker grey, I can't remember its name, is thanks to Aryn.

On Kathy's end of it, Kerry's brother Ian and his wonderful wife, two daughters, a son, a spouse or two and a wonderful fifteen month old granddaughter arrived.  On our end there was Dorothy, Jo, Craig, Ainsly, K&T and kids, Monte and myself.  I think we sat sixteen plus two babies down for dinner.  Ham, Scalloped potatoes (ten boxes of Betty Crocker!), asparagus, Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole, beets…and train cake.  Its always so cool to have a bunch of us in a hot kitchen, cooking and chopping and stirring and setting tables and counting heads and stepping over babies, and bonking one of them on the head with a fridge door, and tripping over three dogs looking for floor droppings and all the men standing around the island drinking weird beer and moms breast feeding in other parts of the house and all the noise that goes with it.  Family gatherings are the best!

After dinner we sat around the table and laughed til we cried.  Those Bootles are so freaking funny. We then moved downstairs and played that game with a phone where everyone guesses the word and you tilt the phone up or down for correct or pass.  Soooooo much fun!  It was women against the guys and we were sooo much better than them!  They couldn't even pick a category under ten minutes.!

Kevin and I hit BCAA and changed the truck over to Kevin.  It went very smoothly but took like an hour.  I am so happy the truck is staying in the family…its so Bill.  It would have been hard handing it off to strangers.

Early this morning I hopped in the car and headed down to Kathy's.  Kerry, Kathy and I went out and made like the Easter Bunny.  Easter egg hunting is so much fun.  Hopefully they got them all!  The rest of today was full of grandkids and book reading and relaxing.

Now its late, my head is nodding off and need sleep.  I am getting excited to get back to Langford for a final week.  No bites on the house yet.  But it looks like the Port Alberni sale is going through.  Such a good thing!  TTYL

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NOT THE MOST GRACEFUL POSE, BUT SHE GOT HER EGG!

TWO MORE FOR THE BAG

THE INDOOR HUNT

BROTHERS KERRY AND IAN

THE TRADITIONAL TRAIN CAKE

ACTUALLY 18 PLUS TWO BABIES

FINISHING UP THE MASTERPIECE

REALLY LOVING IT

I love it here…it fits like a glove.  One thing I am having to get used to though is living so closely amongst people again.  Since we moved in North Van in 2008, both there and Victoria, we didn't have people right under or on top of us.  Its a little different here.

I sleep with my bedroom window wide open.  And through the night its pretty quiet but at 6:30 on the nose the lady right below me lets her dog out for about five minutes…and he barks pretty much the whole time.  But its only five minutes, not a whole day like Victoria.  And every morning so far the pigeons start up a cooing fest right on top of the roof above my window.  And you just hear more life happening etc…  I haven't heard this stuff in years but its kind of comforting too, having peeps around.

Well I have a move date…April 22 ready or not.  The house is obviously going to take some time to sell and Port Alberni house has to be empty by May 15th.  They will come in on the 21st of April and pack whats left to pack then pick it all up the next day.  I can't wait!!!

I also booked all our flights to Maui.  Aryn, Myles, April, Monte and Myself for May 21st.  Bill's only request was that we spread his ashes out at the edge of the earth church, the spot that we thought was the most beautiful place on the earth.  So all the kids will stay until June 7th.  Monte and I are coming home on the 29th of June.

  And it looks like Kevin and his family will be going over on the fifteenth of June and coming home September.  They rent her mother's condo in OK falls but they have to vacate it for the summer because her mother rents it out for the big bucks.  Last summer they camped everywhere then came down to Victoria for a while.  This is so exciting for them to spend that whole time over there and its good for the condo.  I prefer having people in it than it stand empty.  The grand kids are simply going to love it!  I think the toughest part for them is going to be the packing.  They never travel anywhere with less than five thousand pounds of stuff!

The guy is still working downstairs.  This is going on his sixth day.  I can't believe it.  In Victoria, Bradley rebuilt that whole bathroom downstairs, including vanity, mirror, light, gyprock on walls and ceiling, painting etc…in two days.  This guy is just replacing three spots of gyprock and a pot light.  Thats it.  And you know the 500 or so bucks for dust barrier?  He aint using any! Do insurance companies just let themselves get hosed?  

I have been making appointments holisbolis over the last couple of days.  Its funny…to make just one appointment it will involve at least three emails or three phone calls!  CWT, TD, notary, hair, BFF, and hopefully Claire and Tish.  The only day I will be able to see them is Sat. and only if I can move my hair appointment.  I am going to phone both today and see if lunch will be possible.  I want to see you Claire and Tish!!! Its been a while..too long.

I washed my hair yesterday (shovel list).  Now I feel like this really is home.  But it wasn't without its difficulties.  I have a lovely bathroom, complete with a large jetted tub.  And supposedly a heated floor, which I absolutely could not find the switch to turn it on.  I finally contacted Della, the lady that stayed here, and she told me where it was.  She said they found it totally by accident.  To get to it you have to get right down on the floor, put your head as low as it can go, look under the very lowest shelf right at the very back and there was the knob.  And when you are a fat broad, getting up from a complete supine position on the floor (or is it prone), just isn't that easy.

The shower stall was built back in the nineties when the majority of the population was thin.  This shower reminded me of the ones on cruise ships…maybe a little larger but not much.  And there is no shelf to put shampoo or anything.  I will get one of those shelf things you hang over the shower head but thats going to make it even smaller.  I shall just have to lose a hundred pounds.  (shovel list…I'll get right on that).

Later, all clean and hair washed, I stepped out onto the bathmat, forgetting that I had turned on the floor, which I have never experienced before, and I immediately thought someone had peed.  Thats the only warm wet floor I have stepped in before.  I was about to holler for Molly when I remembered.  Very pleasant I must say, once I figured it out.

Now, its Thursday morning, and I have a full day ahead of shopping and banking and BCAAing etc. At least I can forge ahead with a clean head of hair.  Monte and I are now being recognized if we go back to places we have been before.  Frik and Frak.  Not a good thing.  I can only imagine what people are thinking….frizzy grey big headed fat

THIS IS THE VIEW I HAVE FROM MY TURLETT

old lady and a 6'8 four hundred pound long haired dude.  We kind of enjoy the shock we see on people's faces!  TTYL