Saturday and Sunday May 30 & 31, 2010

Saturday

I put the RV ad on different internet sites for selling - Lanark, Renfrew, Toronto, Peterborough. Let's hope that helps.

I rested most of the day, didn't feel that well .

In the afternoon went to Carleton Place, a I needed some stuff from Bulk Barn.

Then on to RV, packed up the truck with another load. There's still a couple of loads left to pick up!

Tranquil Acres, our campground where our RV is located was celebrating! Shonagh and Dave have owned the place for 20 yrs so they put on a dinner for everyone at the park. It was excellent, lots of food and they even got Gordon a gluten free pizza. There was a lot of stuff there that we could both eat. I even had baked beans ( I usually don't because of the tomatoes but I fortified myself with Tums first. I also had a small piece of anniversary cake. I felt almost like a normal person!

Beautiful Irises at the campground

Quite a turnout


Sunday

Gordon went out at sunrise-south of Smiths Falls and found some scenic areas. You can see some of his photos by clicking here.

When he came back we got ready and went back to the flea market-didn't buy anything. The stool I saw last week that I wanted was broken.

This afternoon we went to the Vintage Car Show and Craft Market at the Lombardy Fair Grounds. Lots of beautiful old cars and the crafts were pretty good too!

This was my favourite - 1949 Buick convertible - I voted for it!


Lots of old cars

This was my second favourite - a 1955 Thunderbird hardtop - even the interior was cream and turquoise!



I had made arrangements to pick up a filing cabinet near Merrickville that was advertised on Kijiji. It was heavy to get to the truck even with all the drawers out of it. I spent most of the evening filing!

Thursday and Friday May 27 & 28, 2010

Thursday

Not as hot today and lots of cloud; The sherbet didn't agree with me, I felt nauseated for the latter part of the night so took it easy this morning and mostly stayed in bed.

This afternoon we went out, I walked around downtown a bit to see some stores. Gordon went in search of a Smiths Falls baseball cap. He didn't find one but did find a little touristy store called Spotlight on the Rideau with crafts, paintings and photography that sells your photos on commission. He's thinking this is a possible way of promoting his photography in the area.

Some pretty irises in someone's garden along the sidewalk

This is Davidson's Courtyard in downtown Smiths Falls


I didn't feel like cooking so tonight we went to a local downtown restaurant called Gerbo. I called first to be sure they could accommodate our finicky stomachs and spoke to one of the cooks. They were very accommodating. I told the waitress of our problem when we went in and when Gordon ordered minced steak. She came back and told him it had bread crumbs in it. We had great service. The food was ok but not great. But I didn't have to cook it.

Afterward we went to the Country Fair Mall as I had seen some side tables for the living room but we decided they weren't what we wanted. I did get another set of cutlery as we run out quickly with the dishwasher. I don't like to run it unless it's full. So, I need more dishes too! My sister has a set of good dishes that I had given to her for my nephew when we went on the road but they got a ton of stuff for their wedding so she's going to give them back to me. The only problem with them is they aren't good in the microwave as they have a gold line around the outside of the plate. I have put them in the dishwasher before though.

Friday was mostly cloudy with a few sunny periods in the afternoon. It wasn't nearly as warm as it has been but still warm enough.

This morning was the first morning I've gone for my walk in about a month. I've missed it but my shoulder seemed to bother me when I was walking. I cut it a bit short but it was nice to get out.

After that and breakfast, I got my passport form ready to go, gathered up some errands that I had to do in town and after lunch I went first to downtown Smiths Falls to get some photocopies and mail my passport. I had to fax some things and I wanted to do a bit of looking around downtown. I checked out some stores and the two thrift shops. I managed to buy a couple of things there. I got two small Corelle ramekins for heating stuff up at one store and a wooden napkin holder at the other one. Penny is starting to rub off on me. LOL

After that I went to Walmart for some things. I was also looking for some annuals to plant in the bed at the front of the house but I wanted red petunias and they didn't have any. Next stop was Canadian Tire, ditto for them so I went to Gemmell's Nursery and got some. Now they're planted.

While I was out my order came from my Scotia Rewards. I had ordered a Nano ipod for me and am ipod dock. So now I have something else that I need to learn how to use.

Wednesday May 26, 2010

Tuesday

Tuesday was hot, hot, hot! We reached a high of 34C (93F).

In the morning I ran some errands and picked up one of the comforter sets (gray with black flowers) at the Sears catalogue desk. The other one (taupe with black stripe) should arrive on Saturday (in Ottawa). I ordered these way back at the beginning of April and they've been on back order. I think the one I picked up today is too dark. I didn't take it out of the bag as I'm pretty sure that's the one I will be returning and I figured I'd never get it back in the bag. The carpet in the bedroom is beige and white mottled so I think the 'other one' which is taupe, white and black will work better and it's lighter. There isn't much black in it.

In the afternoon I got in some swing time again but it was pretty warm even under our big tree so we turned on the a/c to be sure it's working. It did a good job.

Wednesday

I didn't take a muscle relaxant last night nor tylenol this morning and my shoulder felt good when I got up so I decided to test it and vacuumed the whole place. My shoulder seems to be better. Let's hope it lasts!

I also called Canada Revenue to get tax forms from 1992 to 2003 as proof that I was living in Canada and not the U.S. It's time that we get busy on getting the information to the lawyer now that we've got the move under our belts. There's still lots more to do but we can function on what's been done now.

Today is supposed to be just as hot as yesterday so we turned the air conditioner on this morning which is why I was able to do the vacuuming. Otherwise it would have waited for a cooler, less humid day.

This afternoon I sat out on my swing again. Gordon came out and I said "today's the type of day when I miss ice cream". Of course, I can't eat it since I'm lactose intolerant but I did mention rainbow sherbet. So a while later he went out to get a photo of the day and came back with rainbow sherbet so we each had some. It sure tasted good on such a hot day. Our thermometer clocked 38C (100F) at about 4:30 p.m. That must be a record for this time of year here!

Monday May 24, 2010-The End of Victoria Day Long Weekend

Sunday was a busy day. First thing we went back to the Flea Market. We only bought one more frame but it has a limited edition print in it, don't like the print much though.

When we got back I headed to the Mall as there was some stuff on sale only for the weekend that I wanted. While there I picked up some groceries. Gordon called and said my sister and her husband wanted to come to see us this afternoon so I firmed up times with her and bought groceries so they could stay for dinner. I usually only buy for the two of us so if someone drops in, they don't get fed!

Right after lunch we headed over to the RV to mow the grass. The mower wasn't available so Gordon had bought the weed eater just in case. While there we loaded up the truck with more stuff. It's amazing how much that place holds!

On our return, Gordon started putting the swing together and got it done before he had to start the barbecue to cook the pork chops I had purchased.

John put the timer on our bathroom light so now we don't have to worry about turning the light off, it turns off by itself. His plan is to run another wire from the attic to put in separate switches but he has to bring his HAZMAT gear to do that.

I put together a dinner of pork chops, corn on the cob and rice with peaches, strawberries and blueberries for desert.

Then it was time for Lost. It was an interesting finale. I'm kind of bummed that they died but I guess it was a fitting end. I stayed up to watch a bit of Jimmy Kimmel as he had some of the Lost stars on. I don't do well staying up after midnight so I didn't watch most of it but noticed that Matthew Fox who played Jack was on drugs. His eyes lit up like a Christmas tree!

Today I slept in till after 9 a.m. but have been lethargic all day so didn't do the planned run to the RV. I planted myself on the swing for most of the day. It sure was nice out there under the tree listening to the traffic and the trains. Too bad the motorcycles are so loud going by, that was the only bad part.

Gordon went out for a while and toured the Heritage House Museum which is just down the road from us. He knows that I'm not much interested in history so he went by himself.

It's been warm today with a nice breeze. Gordon said the temperature was 28C (82F) when he was out in the truck.

Saturday May 22, 2010

Friday was a beautiful sunny, warm day so Gordon got busy and put together the patio set. Only the swing left to go! He also went to Canadian Tire and picked up a ladder that was on sale. When he got back I showed him a weedeater on sale at TSC so he went and got that too.

In the afternoon we decided to go and do something fun so we went to the Lilac Capital of Ontario, a hamlet called Franktown which is between Smiths Falls and Carleton Place. Unfortunately due to the early spring, the lilacs were just about done but they have a place called Lilac Lane where the lilacs line the lane. You can walk it or drive it but it's pretty narrow!

Franktown, Lilac Capital of Ontario



Lilac Lane

There's an interesting little church in Franktown called Beckwith Rectory



Since we were nearly at Carleton Place we stopped by the RV and picked up the propane tank. I also cleaned out our clothes closets and got some cleaning products. Getting it cleaned out slowly!

This was Friday night's sunset from our front porch


While there we noticed that the grass around the rig where the riding mower can't reach really needs to be cut. We'll take the weedeater over and get that done very soon.

Today I woke up to cloud and showers however after breakfast and piddling around for a while we began to see some hints of sun so off we went to some garage sales. We got a trouble light, a cooler and a cream & sugar set. Gordon is concerned that the one I have for sugar doesn't have a top on it and he's afraid of ants so for $1.00 I got a whole set. We looked at a few others but didn't see anything.

We dropped the stuff off, had lunch and went out again but no luck till we happened by the local Flea Market. Gordon saw that there were some bikes there so we went in and got two bikes for $20 as well as a bunch of picture frames both small and large. Now we have to pick from Gordon's photos to get enlarged to put in them.

It was warm and a bit humid today and we had a thunderstorm and quite a bit of rain around dinnertime but this week is going to be quite hot and sunny.

Thursday May 20, 2010-Wednesday and Thursday

Yesterday we went on a search for an extension cord for the mower, a dehumidifier, a weed eater and something to cut up some tree limbs. We got the extension cord and the shears to cut up the tree limbs as Gordon had trimmed trees on the weekend and we have to take them to the compost site on Saturday.

Gordon mowed the yard and had just enough power cord to reach the far corners of the yard. He also got the new barbecue put together.

I was doing well with my shoulder till mid afternoon, then I had to break down and take a muscle relaxant. I hate feeling groggy all the time. I'm groggy enough as my natural self!

Today we were staying home to wait for our furniture delivery. They arrived around 9:45 a.m. We thought that the bedroom furniture would have to be assembled but it didn't. Gordon thought he would be putting it together for 2 days! They did set up the bed but we had to take it apart again to raise the head of the bed for my reflux disease. Most things were set up by lunch time except the bedroom as we had to go out and get some bricks to raise the head of the bed.

Gordon putting together the new coffee table


We have one problem with our TV stand/fireplace. To run the fireplace and have heat (which we certainly don't need now) we need 11 amps and the plug is 10 amp and is shared with others so we'll have to have an electrician in to fix that before winter.

After the bedroom got assembled, we started putting our clothes away in the cupboards.

Summer arrived today with a bit of humidity. It was 27C (81F) when we went out to the lumber yard.

I've done well today, I took 2 Tylenol this morning and no muscle relaxants although I think I'll need one to be able to sleep tonight but that's certainly better than the last few days. I think all that moving and carrying boxes wasn't helping.

We're ready to relax a bit now and enjoy our new stuff.

Wednesday May 19, 2010 - Getting You Up to Date

Saturday

More moving; Margie & John brought us new swing from them & Betty & Garth. I’ve always wanted a swing and this one is even better – it’s a hammock swing so the seat lays down into a bed. The ugly wallpaper peeled right off without much of a problem; John took the parts off with putty knife; Margie & I went out to the hardware store and got paint and switches & stuff.

Washer & dryer work fine so will cancel our new set at Leon’s.

We took Margie & John to dinner at Country Diner. It’s not much of a payment for all they’re doing for us!

Went back to Nancy’s to sleep; met Nancy’s sister & husband who were there for dinner; really tired; crashed at 8:30 PM.

Sunday

Up early.

Took 1 load to house then returned to Ottawa; went to Leon’s; they canceled the washer/dryer without a problem; back to Nancy’s for another load; said goodbye’s to Nancy & Max; stayed our first night in the house.

Monday

Up early for the Cogeco guy to come to install internet, TV and phone service. He arrived around 9:30 a.m. Insurance agent came too to take photos of the oil tank and pellet stove.

After the Cogeco guy left we went out to get a new belt for the beater brush on our central vac; also returned a switch we had bought yesterday for our bathroom fan. John was trying to give us either two separate switches or a timed switch since every time you turn on the light the fan comes on too. A bit of a hassle but something we can live with; also went to the town offices to pick up a recycle box and some extra tags for garbage. We’re only allowed two items other than our recyclable stuff.

Tuesday

We started the day by tracking down the vehicle licensing office to get our addresses changed on our driver’s licenses and the truck ownership.

Then errands to run in Ottawa; John came to put the second coat of paint on the bedroom and brought his friend, Pete to help. We had lunch at Wendy’s in Ottawa and then stopped at Nancy’s to pick up some stuff we’d forgotten and stopped at the RV on our way home. Max was glad to see us!

We now have wifi in the house. It took a while for our router to decide it was going to work but now we’re ‘back to normal’.

Tuesday May 18, 2010-See Gordon's update

Since I haven't gotten around to an update, click here to read Gordon's.

Friday May 14, 2010-Phase Four of our Life

Today we began Phase 4 of our life together. In 1990, we got married and Gordon moved to Canada and we lived in my condo on Goth Avenue in the south end of the city. That's Phase 1. Three years later we bought the house on Shadow Court in the west end (Phase 2). In 2004 we sold everything and bought our fifth wheel and hit the road (Phase 3).

So our new to us house in Smiths Falls is Phase 4.

I was up bright and early as we had to be at the lawyer's in Smiths Falls for 9:15 a.m. We made it with lots of time to spare. (What good little Virgos we are.) We turned over our money and signed a ton of papers. The lawyer was excellent at explaining everything.

From there we went to the Roosterant for a late breakfast and then headed to Carleton Place to spend a few hours at the RV. Tranquil Acres opened today so the gate was open and we were able to take the truck in. I got a bunch of stuff packed up and Gordon put it in the truck so we could take the first load to the house. We left the RV shortly after 3 p.m. We were still early as we had been told they wouldn't have the keys till 4 p.m. or so, so we stopped by the library and I got signed up for a library card and picked out a couple of books. I can't be without a book! Then off to the lawyer's office. The keys weren't there yet so we waited and they arrived about 4:50 p.m.

Then it was off to the house where we inspected it and were pretty happy with the way it was left. We moved the stuff in from the truck, nothing very exciting, towels, sheets etc. The previous owners also left the washer and dryer. It wasn't part of the agreement so tomorrow I'm going to try them out and if they work I guess I'll cancel my cute little stackables. It's just too much for us right now to have to move them out of the basement.

It had been cloudy all day but late this afternoon the sun came out. I hope that's a good omen of things to come in our new life.

Here's a photo of us on the front step.

Wednesday May 12, 2010-Let's Sell This RV!

If any of you know someone who would be interested in our RV, please refer them to me!

2004 Titanium 33E38TS (triple slide) fifth wheel for sale

MAKE US AN OFFER! We need to get this unit sold as we have bought a house. No spam please!

The Titanium was manufactured in Ontario and is a great vehicle for traveling as there is only 33 feet on the road but you get 38 feet of living space. The three slides make it very spacious. We lived in it full time for over 5 years. It is a very comfortable unit and has lots of storage space. This is a well built model suitable for full timing if that is something you have looked at for your retirement. The Titanium has a very aerodynamic nose which makes it easier on your mileage.

Asking $33,000-all serious offers will be considered.

The unit has an ideal floor plan. Easy to get to the refrigerator, bathroom and bedroom when stopping without touching the slides.

Features:
U shaped kitchen counters with lots of cupboard space
separate pantry
double sink
queen size bed
sofa bed in living room
free standing dinette
porcelain toilet
washer/dryer ready
bathroom skylight
exterior shower
7000 lb axles
thermo pane windows
head of bed raised for those with reflux disease or breathing problems; (this can be reversed)
day/night shades
oak galley area flooring
fluorescent ceiling lights
15,000 BTU air conditioner upgrade
Fantastik powered roof vent in bedroom
central vac
paddle fan in living room
holding tanks insulated & heated
many more items

Optional purchases:
Shaw Direct receiver for TV
Internet satellite dish and modem
2004 Dodge Ram Laramie 1 ton Diesel for sale that has pulled this fifth wheel all over the U.S. and Canada

The fifth wheel is presently at Tranquil Acres near Carleton Place, Ontario.

To view, please email smerrikin@yahoo.ca or call the campground at 613 257-4757 (by appointment only)

Monday May 10, 2010-Gearing Up for Closing

Hope all the mothers out there had a Happy Mother's Day.

When I woke up on Mother's Day it was 0C (32F)! We were supposed to have some snow flurries overnight and this morning but so far it didn't happen, thank goodness! It was the same temperature this morning, way too cold for this time of year.

I spent most of yesterday afternoon in bed. I'm having a problem with my left shoulder so today I went out and got some stuff to rub on it. Hopefully it will clear up. I have way too much to do to have a shoulder problem or any other problem this week!

We have something going on for most of the rest of the week so this morning I went out and picked up some stuff at stores that we don't have in Smiths Falls.

Only 5 days to closing!

I haven't kept track of what I've been doing since my last post and I can't remember anything interesting so just thought I'd let everyone know all is well!

Thursday May 6, 2010-A Busy Few Days

Since my last blog post, we've been busy.

On Tuesday we had a 45 minute conference call with my immigration lawyer. He went over a couple of different ways that he plans to approach the courts. In the meantime, I have to find as much proof as I can that I never lived in the US and never used my green card to cross the border. Each of us also have to write a statement summarizing our lives since 1992, not an easy task especially with everything else we have to do for the move but I have mine just about done. I also called State Farm and they are sending me a letter stating that I worked for them full time from May 1971 to January 1997 which should help.

On Wednesday we headed to Carleton Place and washed the RV windows, inside and out since I had posted it for sale on Craigslist, Kijiji and usedOttawa.com; we then headed to our storage locker again to put some more stuff in it. Nothing else will fit unless we empty it and start over. We did another drive by the house, dropped in on our insurance agent to finalize the insurance on the house then stopped by the Dodge dealer to look at the Dodge Caliber and the Nissan dealer to look at the Versa.

The cleaning lady now comes on Thursday so although it was cloudy with a threat of rain we headed back to Commissioner's Park to see the tulips again. By the time we got there the sun was shining however the wind had picked up. We got lots of pretty tulip photos as evidenced below.






Then we stopped at the birding area across from Billings Bridge Shopping Mall. There were a few wood ducks there today. Here's a photo of a male and female swimming in the Rideau River.


We then stopped at the Mall as I've wanted to go all winter. I hadn't been there in ages. While there we had breakfast for lunch at the Zellers diner as we had more things to do and didn't want to have to go home for lunch.

From there we stopped at Metro Auto Body and got an estimate for the driver's side damage on the truck. This damage has been there since it was three month's old but we thought if it was repaired we might get a better price. We did indeed get a good price from Metro and he will do a repair on the scratches on the right side for free.

We headed back toward home and stopped at Kanata Collision for another estimate - way, way out of line.

We'll look into getting the work done after we get moved. We just have too much going on right now.

Of our three estimates there is as much as $2000 difference, which is absolutely ridiculous!

In 1975 I took the appraisal course in Blairsville, Pennyslvania. Nothing was done on computer then, all written by hand. I would have no clue how to do it now. But I do know when I'm getting ripped off!

Monday May 3, 2010-Just an Update

Let's see, what's happened since my last blog. Unless I write it down, I can't remember.

I know we bought a few things - a fertilizer spreader, a floor lamp and a couple of picture frames through either the want ads or a garage sale just up the street this past weekend.

I had my routine mammogram on Saturday and met a girl that I used to work with at Nortel there. I hadn't seen her in about eight years.

I haven't been walking every day lately. Things have gotten quite busy so that's one thing that's fallen by the wayside. I go when I can but I seem to be losing weight anyway so I guess this food sensitivity diet is doing something.

Yesterday I got most of the interior of the RV cleaned up so it can be shown. There are still things to do, like empty all the cupboards but that can't be done till we move to the house. I also want to wash windows and clean the oven, hopefully Wednesday or Thursday. We have told the campground owners that they can show it but I haven't listed it online yet.

My fix for the kitchen floor didn't work so we put down rubber matting. I just can't get into sanding the whole floor right now.

After cleaning up the RV we drove to the storage locker and put some things in it from the RV but it's getting full! We did a drive by the house and while in Smiths Falls saw the that RV park is open.

Today I had my spring appointment with the hygenist at my periodontist's office to get my teeth deep cleaned. The periodontist came in to check my teeth and told me I need another gum transplant. I had one in 2003. Not fun! So I'll put that off as long as I can but it will have to be done before the end of the year when my insurance runs out.

I'm sure other things have happened but I sure can't remember anything of significance so that's all for now!

Wednesday April 28, 2010-Mud Lake Trail

This morning, being cleaning day again, we headed out to Mud Lake Trail. This is within the city limits and is close to the Water Treatment Plant.

It was a bit windy and chilly but warmed up nicely with the sun (another day where a 40% chance of rain was predicted). I'm not complaining!

We saw lots of critters today. I had no sooner gotten out of the truck than I spotted a Pileated Woodpecker not far away. He wasn't skittish at all but we had a difficult time photographing him due to the vegetation.

The Ottawa River from the trail

The Pileated Woodpecker closeup


We also heard and then finally saw a Flicker. We also saw a couple of muskrats, quite a few turtles and numerous squirrels, geese and red-wing blackbirds.

Flicker

Muskrat


Turtles

The walk along the trail was pretty especially when we got into the trees. With the new leaves coming out it was so pretty. We didn't walk the whole trail as Gordon wanted to go back to see if we could get more photos of the Pileated Woodpecker. He was still there so we spent quite a bit of time trying to get into a position to see him clearly. My shutter would snap and he would have moved his head into the hole he was creating in the tree but I did manage to get some shots.

Trail through the trees

Pileated Woodpecker in profile

We returned home about half past noon time and relaxed for the rest of the day.

Tuesday April 27, 2010-17 Days to Closing!

I woke up to snow on the ground this morning! We haven't had any snow here since sometime in February. We had snow showers off and on during the day as well but nothing stayed with us, thank goodness.

Today I met my friend, Linda at Tim Horton's. I met her earlier in the Fall for lunch so today we caught up from then. She didn't know that we had bought a house.

I had found my lawyer on Facebook and he friended me so earlier today I had sent him a message asking for an update on my case. He said he had just asked his secretary to contact me to set up a telephone appointment for next week so I'm to call the secretary tomorrow to get a day next week for us to 'plan our strategy'.

Monday April 26, 2010

On Saturday we headed out to check out some garage sales but all we found was junk so we moved on to Commissioners Park to see the tulips. They're out very early this year as the Tulip Festival doesn't start till May7. Here are some photos.

The purple flowers are hyacinths.





When we got back from seeing the tulips, I checked the online classifieds and found us a nice electric lawnmower for a reasonable price so we picked it up, then back to the house to pick up some other stuff we had stored in the garage and headed for our storage unit. We unpacked the stuff and then returned to Ottawa via Merrickville. It's a trendy little town with lots of shops and galleries. We didn't stop at all but just returned home.

On Sunday, I decided I needed a new look so dyed my hair red. I've done this before and I quite like it red. Unfortunately the colour fades quickly compared to my regular colour.


I found some lamps in the classifieds also and we wound up buying two. They're very nice and also were reasonable.

It was supposed to rain on Sunday but we had beautiful sunshine all day. Likewise today but I think our luck has run out. The next two days are supposed to be cold and rainy.

Friday April 23, 2010

It's almost a week since I posted. I really haven't been in the mood.

I've been fighting with my food sensitivities again. I had gone on a gluten free diet and obviously that is not agreeing with me. I've actually felt unwell for the better part of three weeks so I'm now off the gluten free diet.

We've picked up odds and ends for the house through the online classifieds. Gordon got a nice CD storage unit and we picked up two pantry cupboards for storage in the basement. We also got our two gliders for the living room and a futon but those were purchased at a store.

Wednesday we went out while the house cleaner was here and walked the Stony Swamp Trail. It was a nice sunny day so we enjoyed that outing.

Lots of little wildflowers in bloom

Part of Stony Swamp trail


A two-headed goose

A Trillium in bloom

Today we went to a garage sale. I'm looking for lamps and large frames for framing Gordon's photos for our walls but no luck. The ones they had for sale were damaged and they wanted way too much for them. I have a few garage sales lined up for tomorrow. It's getting to be good weather up here for garage sales.

Monday April 19, 2010-A Day Trip to Smiths Falls

We're getting very anxious to move. Today we went to Smiths Falls and dropped some more stuff off at the storage locker. We also bought a futon and a couple of glider chairs with ottoman.

While there we had a picnic by the river but it was pretty chilly sitting at the picnic table. It was still nice to see the trees starting to leaf. We drove by the house just to be sure it was still there.

We went to a couple of dealerships to look at cars. We really like the Honda Fit. It's a nice size and Hondas are reliable. The hatchback really appeals to us after having a truck in case we need to pick things up and bring them home as we probably will over the next while, but right now we're just looking. We want a dealer that is in Smiths Falls so we don't have to go elsewhere for service. We've driven to Smiths Falls for a couple of years now to have the truck serviced and don't want to do the opposite when we get another vehicle.

Yesterday I slept a lot and read a bit, nothing exciting there!

Saturday April 17, 2010-Counting Down

On Thursday our salesman at Leon's called to tell us that the dark wood bedroom set was on sale. There was only one left and they were holding it for us. So away we went to Leon's to decide if we wanted the dark set or the light set. Both are pictured below.

I have always liked the dark set better. The cabinets are roomier and there are two extra small drawers in the headboard. It also looks more impressive. Gordon thought with only a small window in the small bedroom that it was too dark.

So, we canceled the order on the light set and went with the dark set.

Other than that, not much has been happening. We're having a couple of chilly, rainy days but it's supposed to warm up next week.

I did make a gluten-free shepherd's pie without potatoes (I can't eat potatoes) today using gluten free corn noodles (they look just like egg noodles). It turned out pretty good. Both Gordon and Nancy liked it.

Right now I'm trying to find something for us to sleep on in the new house. We'll be there five or six days until our furniture arrives. We can always come back to Ottawa but at least two nights we'll have to spend there due to the phone guy coming and the furniture arriving. I've been looking at used stuff but so far haven't found much. We might have to buy a couple of air mattresses to tide us over!

I'm finding that since I quit posting my blog daily, I'm finding it difficult to separate one day from the other!

Wednesday April 14, 2010-A Month to Closing!

Today is a month from our closing date for the house!

Today was an absolutely gorgeous sunny day. I had a nice walk in the sunshine.

Since it was also the day the housecleaner comes we headed out to our favourite trail, Jack Pine Trail. It was a little muddy but certainly not bad. We only had to skirt the trail a couple of times. They are also building boardwalks where there weren't any before.

A new part of the boardwalk

These two mallard ducks seemed very tame. They're enjoying some sunflower seeds that I sprinkled on the boardwalk.

Two male killdeer were chasing a female. Wonder why?

This little red squirrel is enjoying the sunflower seeds I put on the tree stump for him.


There are a lot of downed trees in the bush. We were wondering if a windstorm went through.



We saw lots of little critters and heard a lot more but still no deer, but we did see killdeer!

We got back in time for lunch and after lunch I took off to Carlingwood Mall to look around. I only bought a couple of things at Bulk Barn.

I found this on my Immigration lawyer's site. This is the plight of someone else who has had problems with U.S. Immigration. To read it, click here.

Judy & Emma asked why we need 4 phones? The answer is we probably don't however this is how we set them up. One set for kitchen/dining room, one for our bedroom, one for the office and one downstairs. With these phones you only need one jack and the other sets are just plugged in to electric and you can retrieve messages from the answering machine from any of them.

I've been getting some anonymous comments lately. I won't post anonymous comments unless I know who sent them so I've changed my settings so that anonymous comments aren't accepted any longer.

Monday April 12, 2010-Progressing Slowly

Not much to say the last few days.

On Saturday we bought a used hedge trimmer for $25. Other than that, it was slow until today when I bought a set of four Panasonic phones. They were on sale at The Source (Radio Shack).

We've been having some chilly nights around 0C (32F) but the days are warming up quite nicely. I've been going for my morning walks as usual.

Yesterday I went to Home Depot and picked out the paint colours for the bedroom. We're going with a terracota colour on the bed wall and a light taupe on the other walls with high gloss
white trim and doors. At least that's the plan as of now. The 'bed in a bag' that I ordered from the Sears catalogue won't arrive until after our closing date so I had to wing it for the bedroom colour.

I won't know till we get in the house whether anything else needs to be painted right away or not. It didn't look too bad but you never know what lurks behind someone's furniture1

I'm trying to find a futon for us to sleep on until the furniture arrives the Thursday after our closing. After, we'll use it in the basement. I didn't realize that futons had increased in price so much since we purchased the one we had in the house probably 15 years ago or so. So I've been looking at used ones online but it's something you have to be careful buying used. Luckily the covers do come off for washing.

Gordon is having fun with his new ipod and in fact, wrote a blog about it. To read it click here.

That's about the extent of the last three days. Stay tuned.....

Friday April 9, 2010-A Productive Day

Even though it was cold and cloudy and I had no energy, I forced myself to go out for my walk and had a good time.

I had gotten a flyer yesterday that said that The Brick had sofas on 50% off so we headed over there to look. As usual, I wasn't able to find anything the right size there. We also stopped at Lazy Boy and Mobilia with no luck.

The main reason for going to that area however was to stop by my sister's and pick up the stuff that I had ordered with my Visa points.

I had ordered a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. I've never owned one and thought I'd like to have one so here it is. Boy is it heavy!



I also ordered the 11 piece set of Jamie Oliver cookware. It has the copper ring around the bottom. I'm going to enjoy using it! Here's the set that I took from the Visa Rewards site.

I also got a 32G Ipod Touch. I had Gordon really faked out as I had gotten it for him but didn't let him know that until we got home. So he has a new toy to play with.

My sister also gave me back my Lone Star king sized quilt that my mother had made for me for a Christmas gift one year. I'll take a photo of it and post it another time.

When we left my sister's house we went to Sofa World as I had seen a couch that I liked there a few weeks ago. This time we got a much better sales lady. She found us a couch we both liked that is only 75 inches long so it will fit easily on the wall that we want to put it on. We picked out the sofa fabric and the pillow fabric and it will be ready in 8 to 10 weeks.


Here's the couch

And this is the upholstery material

And the pillow we chose as it will go well with the burgundy carpet that's in the house already.

I'd say that constitutes a really productive day!

Wednesday April 7, 2010-Update

Things are pretty quiet around here. I've been doing some packing for Nancy, checking out used furniture, looking around at furniture and accessories.

Today Gordon had a dental appointment so I checked out Pier 1 and Bouclair. Bouclair used to be mostly a fabric store but now it's more of an accessory store - pillows, place mats, small furniture etc.

On the weekend I ordered a 32G ipod for me as well as a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and a new set of pots and pans. I thought it would take 4-6 weeks to arrive but I got an email from my sister and it came today! We'll be making a trip over there soon to pick that up. Gordon is interested in playing with 'my' ipod LOL. I told him when I get enough points again, I'll order him one too.

We had quite a thunderstorm last night and some rain but we did have a few sunny periods today. It's supposed to get colder for a few days but then warming up again by mid next week although we're not going to be seeing the temperatures we saw on the weekend for the foreseeable future.

Monday April 5, 2010-Catching Up

Not much has happened since Friday except eating!

Saturday and Sunday I didn't go anywhere. I just wasn't feeling up to par. Sunday night we had another turkey dinner here at the house. The good thing about that is that I got all the dark meat to myself! LOL

Last night Nancy and I made up some boxes that a neighbour delivered to us over the past couple of weeks and packed up some of her office.

We had a very nice weekend. It was hot instead of warm at 27C (81F).

It has cooled off today and is only 16C (61F) but I'll take it! About all I did today was go out and pick up some groceries.