Tuesday & Wednesday June 8 & 9, 2010

Tuesday

To see the photos that Gordon took of Danica's graduation ceremonies and the aftermath, click here.

It was a low key day for us, both really tired. I had to go out and get some groceries. I'm also looking for a clothes hamper that will look nice in the bedroom since that's the only place I have for it. Sears has an assortment of bamboo hampers (if they have them in stock) but I'll check out some other stores first. The ones Walmart has are plastic or canvas and aren't what I'm looking for. When we had the house I had found a really nice wicker one at Winners so I'm hoping that when I go to Ottawa on Wednesday I might find something. Right now I'm using one of my collapsible net laundry hamper that I used in the RV. Not really very esthetically appealing but okay for hauling laundry down to the laundry room!

Wednesday

I was up and ready to leave for Ottawa this morning shortly after 9 a.m. My first stop was Ikea and it took about an hour to get there. I was disappointed. They didn't have the magazine rack that they used to have that I liked and the cord cover for our bedroom TV looks like a gray vacuum cleaner hose. All I bought there were some steak knives.

From there I went to Bayshore Mall. I was still early to meet Najat for lunch. I worked with Najat at the last place that I worked before I retired, Breconridge. She has been off work as she had an operation on her back but is returning on Monday.

I stopped first at HomeSense and found some laundry hampers but they were all round. I don't want round. I went to Winners but they don't have that sort of thing anymore probably since they own HomeSense and it is just downstairs from them. Guess I'll have to order from Sears. The good news is it says on sears.ca that they are in stock.

Then off to Moxie's for lunch. Najat had invited Sue who I also worked with to come as well so that was a surprise. Moxie's were very accommodating for my food sensitivities and I wound up with a salad with sliced chicken on top. Najat paid the bill as well. Thanks, Najat!

Back to my shopping after lunch. I got some coasters at HomeSense and a meat thermometer as I found out when we went to Nancy's that mine no longer worked.

I was also stopping at Nancy's to pick up some of our stuff that she found when packing up as I hadn't seen Max forever. When I got there, Nancy was home. Today was one of her compressed days so we got to have a chat and I got lots of doggie hugs.

Back on the road, a bit less than an hour to get home as I was coming from Kanata. It's nice driving through the country, very little traffic!

Sunday and Monday June 6 & 7, 2010

Sunday

Well the Oriental spaghetti salad verdict - it was very good!

We had rain all morning and Betty drove from Lindsay to Smiths Falls in the rain. It took 3 1/2 hours! She spent a couple of hours with us and got her first look at our little house.

Luckily it cleared later in the day so she didn't have to drive the rest of the way to Ottawa in the rain.

In fact, the sun came out later in the afternoon and I got to go for a walk and even got in some running. My new ipod nano is great!

Gordon and I went out at sunset and although the sunset wasn't a great one, I took a few photos in golden light.




Monday

I was up at 6 a.m. as we had to get ready to go into Ottawa. After four years, today was the day that our niece, Danica graduated with honours, magna cum laude from Ottawa University with a BSc in Biomedical Science. Here's a photo of her just as she had received her diploma. I'm afraid that my camera didn't do a very good job. Luckily, Gordon has taken quite a few photos.

The Convocation took place at Southam Hall in the National Arts Centre in downtown Ottawa.

After the ceremony we took some photos. We are all so very proud of her!

This photo symbolizes Danica on her way up (on the stairs) - her uncle's idea.

With the Parliament Buildings in the background

With her parents



From there John and Margie, her parents took us out to lunch at Swiss Chalet near their place. They chose this as they knew we can both eat their food.

Back at their house, Danica received a few gifts, then we headed for home after first stopping to return the comforter set that finally came in from Sears.

We got Danica a glass pendant in her favourite colours, black and orange.


After we got home, we both took a nap. I slept like the dead!

Saturday June 5, 2010

I was getting tired of my old template and the templates that blogger provides didn't inspire me so I decided to google it and found several sites that provide templates. This one feels kind of cheery!

This morning I made an oriental spaghetti salad. I got the recipe from one of our free weekly newspapers we get. Since my sister is coming for lunch tomorrow I decided to try to make something different. I was going to make a gluten free white cake from scratch but my baking powder had expired (in 2003). Shows you how much I bake! Instead since I had to go out for baking powder anyway, I bought a GF white cake mix instead.

We also picked up a new mailbox as our old black one was peeling and looked generally unkempt. So now we have a brand, shiny new white one. When we paint the interior doors (red), the mailbox might also get a coat or two of red.

While we were out I picked some wildflowers to dress the place up a bit so I have daisies and lupin. I also saw some Queen Anne's lace just at the top of our street. I might have to go and get some of that later.

I cleaned the whole place but no doubt will have to vacuum that burgundy living room carpet again in the morning. Tonight I'll get the laundry done and out of the way. The place is looking pretty good (upstairs anyway).

Here's the recipe for the Oriental Spaghetti Salad if anyone is interested in trying it.

Spaghetti with the lengths broken in about four pieces (I used a whole package of GF corn spaghetti)

2 carrots, diced

½ cup sweet red or green pepper, diced

½ onion, chopped

1 can tiny corn cobs, drained and cut into bite sized pieces

½ cup peas, fresh or frozen

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces

¼ cup soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetable oil

½ cup mayo

½ tsp prepared mustard

Before you cook the spaghetti, break the strands into three or four pieces. Cook in boiling water just until the spaghetti has lost the starchy taste. Before you drain the spaghetti, read on.

If you are using frozen peas, measure them into the bottom of your colander. Drain the spaghetti by pouring it on top of the peas. The hot water will thaw them and they’ll be ready to use.

Run cold water over spaghetti and peas and drain well.

In a large bowl, combine the spaghetti, peas, chicken, carrots, onion, peppers and corn.

To make the salad dressing, mix the soy sauce, oil, mayo and mustard together. Use a whisk, or stir with a fork until the mixture is smooth.

Pour half the dressing over the salad, and toss to coat the spaghetti and vegetables. Add more dressing if needed. Refrigerate overnight and serve at room temperature.

For some reason Gordon can't eat store bought mayo so I made my own for this recipe. They do sell gluten free mayo so I might try that if the homemade doesn't go over well. My mother always made her own mayo when we were on the farm but hers turned out creamier than mine did. I'll have to research some more recipes.

Friday June 4, 2010

Last evening while the stove was cleaning and it was kind of smokey in here, Gordon went out and bought us some new smoke detectors. There was only one in the house and it was at the other end of the house from the bedroom so he got two.

Yesterday when we bought the comforter set at HomeSense, I said to Gordon, I'll bet the Sears order comes in now. Guess what? I got the email this morning. The Sears order is in. Since I've washed a lot of the items in the set I purchased, I'll be sending the Sears set back. Wouldn't ya know it!

Got lots of things accomplished this morning. Gordon worked his butt off but had fun playing with his new ladder.

This afternoon we went for a drive to the little hamlet of Jasper. We first stopped at Edmonds Lock as it's on the way. I can remember going there when I was a kid. There used to be a government surplus place there to get used office furniture. When my sister started high school we went there to get her a desk. I would have been about 8 or so. I don't remember much about it. It has some interesting buildings.

General Store in Jasper - reminds me of buildings in Texas

Old Community Hall in Jasper




At Edmonds Lock



On to Easton's Corners, another hamlet with more interesting buildings.

Old Carriage Factory building at Easton's Corners

Old wooden bridge at Kilmarnock Lock


Kilmarnock Lock


One thing I found out on our excursion today, this area has LOTS of places to picnic. There are lots of locks on the Rideau River and every one has a picnic area. If you're interested in the history of the Rideau canal, click here.

After that we came back to the city to run some errands and pick up some food for the weekend. My sister from Toronto is coming for lunch on Sunday as our niece's graduation from Ottawa U is early Monday morning. Betty hasn't seen the house yet so we've been trying to get the place spiffed up a bit.

Here's a photo of the bedroom for those of you who have wanted to see it. It looks like the head of the bed is really high but it's really only 4 inches off the floor. I need to look for curtains now.


I found some gluten free hot dog buns at our local grocery store today. So we're having hot dogs tonight and eating outside on our patio set for the first time! It's time it got christened!

Thursday June 3, 2010

For Gordon's latest blog update, click here.

Last night Gordon's son called him and left a message (Gordon was in bed) so Gordon called him back this morning. They have news. They're having twins in November. Our 7th grandchild will be the 7th and 8th! That's the first set of twins on Gordon's side of the family.

I was up most of the night with a sick stomach so stayed in bed most of the morning trying to catch up on the sleep I didn't get. Gordon had a scheduled appointment for a consultation with Dr. Tambay who was the doctor that diagnosed his celiac disease eight years ago.

By noon I felt a little better so we got ready to go in to Ottawa for his appointment. I dropped him off as there's no where to park a one ton truck. I headed to HomeSense which is a store owned by Winners. It sells dishes, bedding, some indoor and outdoor furniture etc. My main objective was to find a comforter set.

The only one I could find was a toile in black and cream so I bought it. I also bought a few towels. Their prices are really good on towels and they are soooo soft.

I was still in the store when Gordon called to say his appointment was over so I headed to the cash and got checked out. Then off to pick him up.

I showed him the comforter and he basically hated it. Since there's another HomeSense at Bayshore Mall, we stopped there and took it back. They had a different selection there and we found a set we both liked so bought it and headed for home. This comforter set also came with sheets which we didn't really need but we got them anyway.

Now I have to call Sears and get the other one canceled.

It's such a relief to be back in Smiths Falls after a trip to Ottawa. There aren't so many small parking lots here so not much problem parking the truck.

We decided we would have soup for dinner tonight so I made some cornbread from a gluten free mix that I bought at Bulk Barn. It's not as light as the mix I get in the U.S. but it will have to do.

I haven't used the oven since we've been here as it's been so warm. It was really dirty so I decided to clean it tonight. I love self cleaning ovens but they sure do smoke a lot and that really bothers my eys and Gordon's lungs.

I'll be taking some photos around the house now that things are pretty much in order. We have to decide on which of Gordon's photos we want to enlarge but for right now we have the pictures and frames that we've picked up at garage sales and flea markets. At least we have things on the walls!

Tuesday & Wednesday June 1 & 2, 2010

Tuesday

Tuesday morning I found a desk on usedottawa.com. That's the last big item to furnish our upstairs. We still have a couple of end tables to find. So in the afternoon we took off for the east end of Ottawa. We arrived without much of a problem. The owner and his wife are moving to Newfoundland so are selling a lot of their stuff. The desk is very big and heavy. Luckily the owner helped Gordon get it into the truck but I couldn't help but wonder how we would get it into the house.

When we arrived back at the house we got the smaller pieces inside but the top part was really heavy so Gordon decided to take it apart. However, he couldn't find out how to do it so I went next door to our neighbour to see if her son-in-law would come over and help us. He was there within 15 min. and all pieces are now in the office. Once Gordon gets the bottom part together we'll have to have him come back to lift the heavy top part onto the base. There's no way I can lift it. I managed to move it about 3 inches or so in the truck and it was all I could do.

Wednesday

This morning I went out to get some shopping done.

When I got back Gordon had a plan to get the top of the desk onto the desk. It took a bit of finagling but we did it!

After that, since I had seen a chair on sale at Staples, we headed in that direction. However, we also needed end tables for the living room. So we made a slight detour to pick up the tables, then on to pick up the chair and a chairmat to put on the carpet under the chair.

While I went outside for some swing time, Gordon put the chair together. My neighbour from across the street came over to chat for a bit. She showed me a public access to the water just two houses down so now Gordon has only a short walk to get to the water. Amazing what you find out from people who have lived her for 40 years.

Gordon is getting quite adept at putting things together. He's been quite cheerful about it but he tells me it's only because he's almost done. We now have all the furniture items for upstairs. FINALLY!

If I could only get my comforter set from Sears, I'd be happy and then I could take some photos!

Monday May 31, 2010

Today while I was doing the laundry I decided to clean up the laundry/furnace room. It looked like it hadn't been cleaned since the house was built. We're talking serious dust bunnies, spider webs and dust. My eyes are still smarting and it's late afternoon.

We've known since shortly after we moved in that our central vac system didn't work very well. Today I decided that we either needed to buy a new vacuum or fix this one. So away we went to the Vacuum Depot. The lady that owns it is very helpful. She had some suggestions one of which was cutting the PVC pipe to see if the pipe was clogged.

When we got home Gordon took the pipe off the canister and suction was good so he started taking the piping apart and we found a MAJOR clog. Once the clog was removed, we now have a central vac system back in working order! I am happy!

While we were out we stopped at Home Depot and got a closet rod to use for hanging up clothing out of the dryer so Gordon got that installed this afternoon.

While out, we took back the gray comforter to the Sears catalogue depot so now the only one I have is the beige and black one and they still can't tell me when it will arrive or if it will arrive. However I just got my new Sears winter catalogue so I'm looking at comforter sets in it.

Things are shaping up!

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!