To celebrate his 48th birthday, Terry wanted to have a few people from work over for a bbq.
The weather prediction was for a beautiful day: 29C and sunny. The day certainly was quite warm and sunny - until about 45 minutes before people were due to arrive when the dark clouds started to roll in over Patricia Ave. As usual, if you want to find Terry's house just follow the black clouds. In the distance the sky was still bright. After some thunder and lightning the rain came down heavy for several minutes and then tapered off, only to start up again a short time later.
Before the rain had started, Terry & I had moved the patio and bar tables into the garage as well as the chair cushions and fabric chairs. By the time guests had arrived, the rain had stopped but it still looked overcast. After awhile the sky did seem to clear and we moved everything back outside. The rain held off for the rest of the evening.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009
JOB
I start a job in the Interlibrary Loan/Document Delivery Office at the University of Regina on June 1st!
Fortunately most of the boxes have been opened and unloaded. The only boxes not unloaded are files or computer related stuff which needs some weeding. At least we can move about our basement now without having to navigate through a maze of stacked boxes.
Terry actually had 3 days off (in a row!) over the long weekend and was able to get a fair bit done in organizing his workshop (formerly known as a garage). Still has some wiring to do in the house to improve the phone line and position phones where we want them.
Fortunately most of the boxes have been opened and unloaded. The only boxes not unloaded are files or computer related stuff which needs some weeding. At least we can move about our basement now without having to navigate through a maze of stacked boxes.
Terry actually had 3 days off (in a row!) over the long weekend and was able to get a fair bit done in organizing his workshop (formerly known as a garage). Still has some wiring to do in the house to improve the phone line and position phones where we want them.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Making headway
It's been a busy couple of weeks since the spa break in Moose Jaw. When we had returned from Moose Jaw, Canada Post had left notice that the 2 parcels I had mailed before I left Kingston had arrived in Regina - so 2 more boxes to be added to the collection for unpacking. Of course those had priority as I knew exactly what was in them - including my "Super Linda" hard hat given to me by my library co-workers to signify my work in library stacks. I had to model it for Terry!
The car (which was picked up in Kingston April 6th) was still enroute to Regina with ETA May 1st! It didn't take Terry's van that long last November!!!
Terry was back to work the following day which left me to return to unpacking boxes. A lot of time was spent checking the labels on the boxes and repositioning to common areas. Eventually sufficient space was unearthed at the entrance way into Liz's basement bedroom so that I positioned several shelving units there to temporarily house souvenir and other collectibles until a more permanent home could be set up. This at least cleared off the dining room table so that we could eat at that table.
Bought curtains for our bedroom as well as the necessary hardware for that room and the other bedrooms and dining room. Already had curtains for the guest room as they had never been installed in Liz's bedroom in Kingston. Terry installed the master bedroom rod and curtains but the others are still pending as it hasn't been a priority.
Continued emptying boxes in Liz's room and the rec room - creating a maze to get to the counter and cupboard area in the rec room. Once I was able to utilize the cupboards, boxes started flying! I quickly discovered that the labels were deceiving. Boxes labelled "puzzles" may have ONE puzzle box in it along with a numerous other items which belong here, there and somewhere in the house. A box labelled "CD" could mean software or DVD or maybe actual cds or a combination of various things.
At one point there was a good size floor area cleared. But it was eventually partially filled again with boxes as Terry climbed up to move boxes stacked to the ceiling to a manageable height for me. Another 'road block' I would encounter during the day would be stacks of boxes labelled "records" - too heavy for me to reposition and we didn't yet have the shelving in place we wanted to store the records on. So I would just move on to another area working around the stack of record boxes (or what I thought was records).
Got the main DVD cupboard into place but when I started to fill it with the movies, I realized there were many still not accounted for. The same with the boxed sets of movie sequels and tv series...seasons 5-8 of Magnum PI but no sign of seasons 1-4! Similar with Married with Children, Star Trek, etc. They should have been taken off the shelves together - why weren't they packed together???? Many of the 'missing' items have been discovered in the "CD" boxes. Terry opened another box last night but has left it for me to empty and organize. [NO I don't catalogue them and assign call numbers, but I do shelve the movies alphabetically and group the tv series together and in season order - otherwise its like trying to find a needle in a haystack.]
The unpacking came to a stand still for a couple of days this week when I got sick. NOT the Swine Flu, but no energy, joints hurt and whenever I got out of bed to try to do anything (even just to eat or check the computer) I started shivering. So I quickly crawled back into bed under the warm blankets. Terry wasn't doing much better - but did drag himself to work each day. He wasn't going to contaminate co-workers as he had brought the bug home with him and generously shared it with me. I think it was a coincidence that the day I came down with the flu was the day the ground was covered in that dreaded white stuff and more in the air (while more was in the air). This was the same day that temperatures in Ontario and Maritimes was in the mid to high 20's!!! :(
Finally felt more normal yesterday - which was good as it was the day my car was to arrive in Regina! It did and everything seems to be fine with it. The truck was still full with the various things I had managed to stash in it (baskets still to be unloaded). But we now have our upright vacuum, freezer baskets and ice packs which had not made it onto the moving van.
Terry had more energy too and made good headway in repositioning and/or emptying some of the heavier boxes. We bought a cubed shelving unit for the records and it was soon filled with only a small portion of our collection. Why is it the good records that get broken? [Elvis, Everly Brothers and Fats Domino so far]. I'll leave the unpacking of the record collection to Terry. But at least one more shelving unit will need to be purchased.
Still haven't come across the wire baskets to fit into the frame which houses a lot of my craft supplies. I guess I'll just have to position the frame somewhere and proceed on in the hopes that the baskets are buried in boxes - somewhere.
The filing cabinet has been positioned so that the drawers are accessible to return the contents to the drawers - when I unearth those boxes!
There had been a leak into the laundry/storage area. Terry had fixed the problem by tighting a faucet but hadn't had a chance to tear up the damaged carpet. The stackable washer/dryer had been pulled out to the front of the area when Terry was checking for the cause of the leak and there hadn't been any since in putting the unit back into place until the carpet was removed. Access to the storage areas on either side was hindered and we were needing to use the space to make room in the more public areas. Terry finally had time this morning and removed the carpet and came out the winner in the battle with the underpadding that had been glued to the cement floor! Access to mega storage finally available!!! Suitcases, coolers and other items nicely stored in an organized fashion.
We finally have a working telephone installed in the rec room area of the basement. After trying to fix the existing wiring, Terry finally ripped it out at that spot and installed one of the new jacks he had purchased. The 'pay phone' has now been installed. Lesson learned: don't bother wasting time trying to repair the other non-working jacks in the house - rip them out and install new.
The car (which was picked up in Kingston April 6th) was still enroute to Regina with ETA May 1st! It didn't take Terry's van that long last November!!!
Terry was back to work the following day which left me to return to unpacking boxes. A lot of time was spent checking the labels on the boxes and repositioning to common areas. Eventually sufficient space was unearthed at the entrance way into Liz's basement bedroom so that I positioned several shelving units there to temporarily house souvenir and other collectibles until a more permanent home could be set up. This at least cleared off the dining room table so that we could eat at that table.
Bought curtains for our bedroom as well as the necessary hardware for that room and the other bedrooms and dining room. Already had curtains for the guest room as they had never been installed in Liz's bedroom in Kingston. Terry installed the master bedroom rod and curtains but the others are still pending as it hasn't been a priority.
Continued emptying boxes in Liz's room and the rec room - creating a maze to get to the counter and cupboard area in the rec room. Once I was able to utilize the cupboards, boxes started flying! I quickly discovered that the labels were deceiving. Boxes labelled "puzzles" may have ONE puzzle box in it along with a numerous other items which belong here, there and somewhere in the house. A box labelled "CD" could mean software or DVD or maybe actual cds or a combination of various things.
At one point there was a good size floor area cleared. But it was eventually partially filled again with boxes as Terry climbed up to move boxes stacked to the ceiling to a manageable height for me. Another 'road block' I would encounter during the day would be stacks of boxes labelled "records" - too heavy for me to reposition and we didn't yet have the shelving in place we wanted to store the records on. So I would just move on to another area working around the stack of record boxes (or what I thought was records).
Got the main DVD cupboard into place but when I started to fill it with the movies, I realized there were many still not accounted for. The same with the boxed sets of movie sequels and tv series...seasons 5-8 of Magnum PI but no sign of seasons 1-4! Similar with Married with Children, Star Trek, etc. They should have been taken off the shelves together - why weren't they packed together???? Many of the 'missing' items have been discovered in the "CD" boxes. Terry opened another box last night but has left it for me to empty and organize. [NO I don't catalogue them and assign call numbers, but I do shelve the movies alphabetically and group the tv series together and in season order - otherwise its like trying to find a needle in a haystack.]
The unpacking came to a stand still for a couple of days this week when I got sick. NOT the Swine Flu, but no energy, joints hurt and whenever I got out of bed to try to do anything (even just to eat or check the computer) I started shivering. So I quickly crawled back into bed under the warm blankets. Terry wasn't doing much better - but did drag himself to work each day. He wasn't going to contaminate co-workers as he had brought the bug home with him and generously shared it with me. I think it was a coincidence that the day I came down with the flu was the day the ground was covered in that dreaded white stuff and more in the air (while more was in the air). This was the same day that temperatures in Ontario and Maritimes was in the mid to high 20's!!! :(
Finally felt more normal yesterday - which was good as it was the day my car was to arrive in Regina! It did and everything seems to be fine with it. The truck was still full with the various things I had managed to stash in it (baskets still to be unloaded). But we now have our upright vacuum, freezer baskets and ice packs which had not made it onto the moving van.
Terry had more energy too and made good headway in repositioning and/or emptying some of the heavier boxes. We bought a cubed shelving unit for the records and it was soon filled with only a small portion of our collection. Why is it the good records that get broken? [Elvis, Everly Brothers and Fats Domino so far]. I'll leave the unpacking of the record collection to Terry. But at least one more shelving unit will need to be purchased.
Still haven't come across the wire baskets to fit into the frame which houses a lot of my craft supplies. I guess I'll just have to position the frame somewhere and proceed on in the hopes that the baskets are buried in boxes - somewhere.
The filing cabinet has been positioned so that the drawers are accessible to return the contents to the drawers - when I unearth those boxes!
There had been a leak into the laundry/storage area. Terry had fixed the problem by tighting a faucet but hadn't had a chance to tear up the damaged carpet. The stackable washer/dryer had been pulled out to the front of the area when Terry was checking for the cause of the leak and there hadn't been any since in putting the unit back into place until the carpet was removed. Access to the storage areas on either side was hindered and we were needing to use the space to make room in the more public areas. Terry finally had time this morning and removed the carpet and came out the winner in the battle with the underpadding that had been glued to the cement floor! Access to mega storage finally available!!! Suitcases, coolers and other items nicely stored in an organized fashion.
We finally have a working telephone installed in the rec room area of the basement. After trying to fix the existing wiring, Terry finally ripped it out at that spot and installed one of the new jacks he had purchased. The 'pay phone' has now been installed. Lesson learned: don't bother wasting time trying to repair the other non-working jacks in the house - rip them out and install new.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Visit to Moose Jaw
To celebrate my arrival in Saskatchewan, Terry took me on a mini-vacation to the Temple Garden Mineral Springs Spa Resort in Moose Jaw. It was fantastic!!!! I'm sure our suite was larger than some of the houses we had looked at in Regina!
The hotel has a huge indoor pool of mineral spring water piped from elsewhere in Mo
ose Jaw. For a non-swimmer, that was my kind of pool - people lounge rather than swim. The water level at one end of the pool was about knee height and very gradually deepened to neck height and there were various jets around the perimeter of the pool as well as mini walls and pillars at various spots throughout the pool. These structures had built in seating, as did the perimeter of the pool. At the deep end, the water was much warmer as there was a narrow passage way connecting the indoor pool to the outdoor pool. It was nice and sunny and the temperature was actually starting to get warm. A few people were actually stretched out sun bathing!
Our suite had a jacuzzi for 2 which filled with mineral water. The 2-night package also included breakfast each morning and full body massages for both of us. Boy did that feel good! My muscles were so tight that the hour was used up with just my feet, legs and back - no time for the neck or arms as Terry was able to get done.
Didn't see alot of Moose Jaw. The hotel is in the downtown area, but it seems that Moose Jaw is a town that still rolls up its street on Sundays. Many of the stores and restaurants were closed when we ventured out on Sunday looking for somewhere to eat lunch. The hotel was serving Sunday brunch and the casino across the street didn't have a restaurant - only pre-packaged sandwiches in the lounge. A couple of restaurants on the main street were also closed on Sunday. We ate at the first place we found open: a chinese buffet...the food wasn't that great, but the price wasn't bad - so I guess you get what you pay for.
With the difficulty we had trying to find a place for lunch, we decided to have Sunday dinner at the hotel's restaurant Harwood's. It was a fantastic meal - we shared appetizers (escargot and stuffed mushrooms) and both had a steak. For dinner Monday night we went to an Italian restaurant, Cordova Bistro, we had seen on the main street but was closed Sunday's. Our meals (Shrimp Alfredo and Peppercorn chicken) were great there too.
Earlier in the day on Monday when we were exploring the shops along Main St, we stopped at Deja Vu Cafe on a side street for a break. They offered dozens of flavours of milkshakes, but I had my traditional chocolate. Terry was more adventurous and ordered a raspberry one, but changed it to black raspberry when the waitress informed him she was out of raspberry. The shakes were great - thick but still able to suck it through a straw.
We went to the casino Sunday and Monday - no great wins but then we didn't gamble a lot either. On Sunday we turned $40 into just over $47 and Monday we turned $25 into 10 cents. The casino was extremelly small - one room and an alcove in addition to the lounge. A lot of different machines from what we have seen before but nothing that got too excited. The casino wasn't very busy and only aware of one person getting excited about a win.
On the 45 minute drive between Regina and Moose Jaw, we found that there were actually some hills! The highway was the usual flat but off at the sides were the occasional small hill! The landscape also looked strange - the usual open flatness broken by a small formation of trees - almost always surrounding a house. When returning to Regina on Tuesday, we were still miles away from Regina, but could see the 'skyscrapers' of the downtown area.
I certainly felt spoiled and pampered after 2 days at a spa. Back now back to reality and getting the house in order.
After we returned to Regina, we went shopping to get groceries and some stuff for the house. When we returned, there was notices in our mail box that my parcels had arrived and were now waiting at a nearby postal office for me to pick up. Great! Just what I need: more boxes!
The hotel has a huge indoor pool of mineral spring water piped from elsewhere in Mo
ose Jaw. For a non-swimmer, that was my kind of pool - people lounge rather than swim. The water level at one end of the pool was about knee height and very gradually deepened to neck height and there were various jets around the perimeter of the pool as well as mini walls and pillars at various spots throughout the pool. These structures had built in seating, as did the perimeter of the pool. At the deep end, the water was much warmer as there was a narrow passage way connecting the indoor pool to the outdoor pool. It was nice and sunny and the temperature was actually starting to get warm. A few people were actually stretched out sun bathing!
Our suite had a jacuzzi for 2 which filled with mineral water. The 2-night package also included breakfast each morning and full body massages for both of us. Boy did that feel good! My muscles were so tight that the hour was used up with just my feet, legs and back - no time for the neck or arms as Terry was able to get done.
Didn't see alot of Moose Jaw. The hotel is in the downtown area, but it seems that Moose Jaw is a town that still rolls up its street on Sundays. Many of the stores and restaurants were closed when we ventured out on Sunday looking for somewhere to eat lunch. The hotel was serving Sunday brunch and the casino across the street didn't have a restaurant - only pre-packaged sandwiches in the lounge. A couple of restaurants on the main street were also closed on Sunday. We ate at the first place we found open: a chinese buffet...the food wasn't that great, but the price wasn't bad - so I guess you get what you pay for.
With the difficulty we had trying to find a place for lunch, we decided to have Sunday dinner at the hotel's restaurant Harwood's. It was a fantastic meal - we shared appetizers (escargot and stuffed mushrooms) and both had a steak. For dinner Monday night we went to an Italian restaurant, Cordova Bistro, we had seen on the main street but was closed Sunday's. Our meals (Shrimp Alfredo and Peppercorn chicken) were great there too.
Earlier in the day on Monday when we were exploring the shops along Main St, we stopped at Deja Vu Cafe on a side street for a break. They offered dozens of flavours of milkshakes, but I had my traditional chocolate. Terry was more adventurous and ordered a raspberry one, but changed it to black raspberry when the waitress informed him she was out of raspberry. The shakes were great - thick but still able to suck it through a straw.
We went to the casino Sunday and Monday - no great wins but then we didn't gamble a lot either. On Sunday we turned $40 into just over $47 and Monday we turned $25 into 10 cents. The casino was extremelly small - one room and an alcove in addition to the lounge. A lot of different machines from what we have seen before but nothing that got too excited. The casino wasn't very busy and only aware of one person getting excited about a win.
On the 45 minute drive between Regina and Moose Jaw, we found that there were actually some hills! The highway was the usual flat but off at the sides were the occasional small hill! The landscape also looked strange - the usual open flatness broken by a small formation of trees - almost always surrounding a house. When returning to Regina on Tuesday, we were still miles away from Regina, but could see the 'skyscrapers' of the downtown area.
I certainly felt spoiled and pampered after 2 days at a spa. Back now back to reality and getting the house in order.
After we returned to Regina, we went shopping to get groceries and some stuff for the house. When we returned, there was notices in our mail box that my parcels had arrived and were now waiting at a nearby postal office for me to pick up. Great! Just what I need: more boxes!
Settling in
Spent Friday reorganizing some things and emptying some boxes while the satellite was installed. Now have tv again! Will take some getting use to with the 2 hours time difference between the show times I'm familiar with and when things air here. Just seems strange to watch 6 o'clock evening news at 4 in the afternoon. Dinner for Friday date night was Sushi and Terry's favourite restaurant in Regina.
Terry & I finally got to see the latest James Bond movie together. It had been released in the theatres last November just after I had visited Terry in Regina and it left the Kingston theatre just as Terry had arrived in Kingston for Christmas. Bought a copy of the dvd when it was released a few weeks ago and waited until I got to Regina so I could watch it with Terry.
Need to get some baskets, etc to organize things in closets and bathroom vanities. Until then things are in various piled or stashed willy nilly out of sight. Was spoiled with numerous drawers in the vanity in Kingston.
Terry spent much of Saturday emptying boxes in the garage and rearranging things. I worked in the house trying to sort out or rearrange some of the things that Terry had emptied from boxes. Cooked my first meal (well, actually it was a re-heat of the left over Chicken Normandy and fried potatoes Terry had cooked Thursday night).
On Saturday evening Terry dug out the mattress & box spring for the guest room and dragged it upstairs. We then switched Liz's chest with the chest that goes with the guestroom bed, as well as moving the matching dresser upstairs. Due to space limitations, the movers were told to put most of the furniture in the basement. A lot of the boxes ended up there as well rather than the specified bedroom. Oh well, it will give me something to do...but I first have to redistribute the stuff that did end up in the bedrooms.
Terry & I finally got to see the latest James Bond movie together. It had been released in the theatres last November just after I had visited Terry in Regina and it left the Kingston theatre just as Terry had arrived in Kingston for Christmas. Bought a copy of the dvd when it was released a few weeks ago and waited until I got to Regina so I could watch it with Terry.
Need to get some baskets, etc to organize things in closets and bathroom vanities. Until then things are in various piled or stashed willy nilly out of sight. Was spoiled with numerous drawers in the vanity in Kingston.
Terry spent much of Saturday emptying boxes in the garage and rearranging things. I worked in the house trying to sort out or rearrange some of the things that Terry had emptied from boxes. Cooked my first meal (well, actually it was a re-heat of the left over Chicken Normandy and fried potatoes Terry had cooked Thursday night).
On Saturday evening Terry dug out the mattress & box spring for the guest room and dragged it upstairs. We then switched Liz's chest with the chest that goes with the guestroom bed, as well as moving the matching dresser upstairs. Due to space limitations, the movers were told to put most of the furniture in the basement. A lot of the boxes ended up there as well rather than the specified bedroom. Oh well, it will give me something to do...but I first have to redistribute the stuff that did end up in the bedrooms.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
I HAVE NOW OFFICIALLY MOVED WEST!
Arrived in Regina this morning. Left bright sunshine in Toronto (I left Kingston before sunrise) to land in the pouring rain in Regina. But at least the plane was able to get through the thick fog and land - unlike Terry's last flight to Regina when he was redirected to Calgary.
Will have LOTS to do getting the house into order. Terry may have emptied a fair number of the moving boxes, but left things on the tables and floors for me to decide where things should be housed.
Will have LOTS to do getting the house into order. Terry may have emptied a fair number of the moving boxes, but left things on the tables and floors for me to decide where things should be housed.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
My car was picked up yesterday morning to be transported to Regina. I was able to stash many of the household items which hadn't got included in the moving van for one reason or another. Remains to be seen whether the car or myself will arrive in Regina first.
Terry positioned the hot tub at the head of the driveway (only flat surface not still snow covered large enough to hold the hot tub) and filled it with water on Saturday. He wasn't able to connect the hose to a hot water laundry tap as he did in Kingston, so he had to use cold water from the lawn service exterior tap. Water temperature: 43F. But by Sunday evening it had got to a warming 70 something and by Monday evening 100F. Not bad: 2 days to go from frigid to probably useable. By this evening it should be at the temperature (104 or 105F) for this time as year because as soon as you take the lid off, the outside temperature quickly cools the water down to 100F or lower. When the snow finally disappears (July???) and we can see what flat level surfaces are available in the back yard (or whether we need to create something), Terry will empty, reposition and refill the hot tub to a more private area closer to the back door.
Terry positioned the hot tub at the head of the driveway (only flat surface not still snow covered large enough to hold the hot tub) and filled it with water on Saturday. He wasn't able to connect the hose to a hot water laundry tap as he did in Kingston, so he had to use cold water from the lawn service exterior tap. Water temperature: 43F. But by Sunday evening it had got to a warming 70 something and by Monday evening 100F. Not bad: 2 days to go from frigid to probably useable. By this evening it should be at the temperature (104 or 105F) for this time as year because as soon as you take the lid off, the outside temperature quickly cools the water down to 100F or lower. When the snow finally disappears (July???) and we can see what flat level surfaces are available in the back yard (or whether we need to create something), Terry will empty, reposition and refill the hot tub to a more private area closer to the back door.
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