Monday, April 28, 2008

Everythings just ducky


Things are coming on along with the move. In my perfect world, I wanted to be in there by today. But, that isn't going to happen. I still have quite a bit of work to do. Still trying to pedal off my goods on craigslist & still hauling many bags to the thrift shop. We did how ever take some of our precious belongings yesterday. Which is a great feeling to actual take things to the new home. I had a feeling we'd get to the marina at low tide. Sure enough it was. Low tide makes the walking ramp incredibly steep to walk down & equally as difficult to walk up. Plus it was raining. I should look into checking on the tide table before we go next time. I don't want to be scaling that ramp again. But, if I want to get buns of steel - I should only leave the house when the tide is low, so I can work my glutes :)

The picture above was taken by my friends who came for a little visit this weekend. That hanging basket belongs to my neighbour & this ducky has been in it protecting her eggies for awhile now. The daddy hangs out below. It's so cute. I can't wait to see her with her babies swimming around the marina.

I better get back to my real world now.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

If she only knew....

My oldest daughter: I wonder where we can rent movies near our new house?
Me: I don't know. I actually haven't seen any movie stores in our neighbourhood yet.
Oldest daughter: OH! I have!!! I have (super excited) I know where there is a movie store just for you!! It's just around the corner. It's called, "THE ADULT MOVIE STORE". That's funny huh?! I guess only moms & dads can go there. Do you think they have a small kids section?
Me: Oh, I don't know. Probably not. Errr.... I hope not....

If she only knew.
AND
What kind of neighbourhood are we livin' in??
EGAD!

Monday, April 21, 2008

Here & there....

I've been sooooo busy painting the floating home (inside) & when I'm not doing that, I am busy cleaning & attempting to sell our precious items on craigslist. I swear, it's a full time job, just going through emails. It's also amazing to think of all the midnight shopping craigslisters, who email....

craigslister: do you still have the item?
I respond: Yes, I do. Would you like to arrange a time to come see it?

I reply. Then I never hear from them again. What happened to them wanting my stuff?!!! Why no reply? Are they just doing inventory for craiglist? So strange. Other than those fake buyer on craigslist our stuff is slowly disappearing. With every item, I feel a huge weight off my shoulders. I just want it to be gone.

I kind of feel like I am in purgatory. My house is a chaotic mess & the float home is a partially painted mess. Neither feel like home. I wish I could just snap my fingers & the painting would be done. It has been such a task painting that place. There was far more painting to be done than I expected, and it is so much more challenging when you have two little girls crawling all over your freshly painted surfaces. Eager to get a look out the back window to spy on the ducks & swan that they have become friends with at the marina. I never realized how big swans are. They named the swan Stephanie & you can hand feed her. She is so sweet, but she scares me. She is just so HUGE!!

I've accomplished a lot in the last few days, even though I have been sick as a dog. I had a fever & was painting away till the midnight hour Friday night. When we left the marina, the heavens opened up & dumped... I swear snowballs on us. It went from rain - hail - to giant sized snow flakes. It was such a freak of nature. Luckily the snow that accumulated quickly vanished over the weekend. It still does not feel like much of spring here. I can't wait to feel like I no longer need to wear a scarf. I hear it is beautiful on the east coast! Darn them!!!! When is it out turn? It is almost the end APRIL!!!

We did do a drive-by (not the kind with guns) of the girls new school (for next year). It's a nice new school & they are very excited to go there. They are so opposite of me. I hated change when I was younger. Until the end of the school year this year, we will be making the dreaded commute every morning to their school which is 25km away. We can drive there is 35 minutes during a non-trafficy time of day. I have no idea what it will be like in the morning. We have two major bridges we have to get across. I am so nervous. I hate being late for school. Worst case scenario, they will be VERY early for school. Or terribly late... wish me luck.

I've got to get back to the emails of the inventory checkers of craigslist.


Sunday, April 13, 2008

Is it over yet?


Is it safe to come out yet? EGAD! I've had THE worse weekend EVER!

It started Saturday morning. I might add, I was right about the weather & it was beautiful out! The sun was shining, it was our first warm lovely day of spring. I was washing dishes. Day dreaming, when I see a group of people walk by. I just prayed that they didn't look my way, because I was looking horrid, with my just outta bed-head. I thought they were just looking at the property next to us, because it is for sale. I continue on my merry morning cleaning up. Then I see more cars driving into our driveway. I just figure it's for the house next door. A nice day to be looking at new homes, kind of day. I continue cleaning & then someone knocks on the door. I go to answer, and open it a crack (rude I know) because I look so not good to be answering the door. Two little ladies, ask me about the sale. I say, "I have no idea about the sale". They insist there is a sale. I tell them, "there is NO yard sale & thanks for coming by, bye-bye" & shut the door. They go away & I still have no idea what they were talking about. I hop in the shower & as I get out, I hear someone calling my name! I peek out the window & it's my old neighbour who has come by to pick up her bike that is in the carport. I had been storing it for her since she moved awhile ago. Good timing on her part!

I got outside & talk to her & this fellow comes up the driveway & asks when the sale is starting!? I ask him, where he saw the ad... He had seen it in the local community paper, apparently. I tell him, "maybe my neighbours (we are in a duplex) wanted the ad to be published for next week". And there is some kind of mix up. He tells me there are people on the other side of the house waiting for the sale & are knocking on my neighbours windows! At this point I have no idea what the heck is going on & my neighbours are in Whistler for the weekend. He actually said he was by earlier & went through my CARPORT & took some jazz records & wanted to give me $10 for them!!!!??? I just could not understand what the heck was going on. I accept the money - in complete awe.

More people arrive, we begin yelling out to them before they have to walk the long driveway up the side of the house. "NO SALE, WRONG ADDRESS, SORRY" But, they all insist on taking a little looky past us & into my carport. I admit I have some things in there, but they are not for sale. I decide to call my neighbour on her cell & see if they were actually going to do a yard sale next weekend. She has no plans for any kind of sale. We sum it up to an error by the newspaper. I look up the ad online & discover the ad. It is advertised for Sat & Sun 10-5pm!! We basically spent the weekend keeping people from digging in our carport. Scavengers I tell you! Scavengers!! It was so terrible. The refused to believe the signs that I had posted everywhere, explaining the error of the newspaper. They still knocked on our door! I'm calling the paper tomorrow rant...

THEN...

I had to go to work this morning because I am training a new girl. I park just around the corner from the shop at a 2 hour meter. I go out to plug it at 2pm. Some crackhead has broken in & turned everything upside down in the van! They went through everything! Right in the middle of the afternoon! On a busy corner! God! I felt so violated. I had just plugged the meter for another 2 hours too. I get in & drive it to the front of the shop, to clean it up & figure out what was taken. The buggers stole my oldest daughters Nintendo D.S & 4 games. It was hidden under the back seat! But, they at some point opened up the back door & moved the back seat forward so they could look under the seat. Jeez!

They emptied out all the change in the ashtray & stuff. They left nothing unturned. Creeps. It also smelled of urine in the van. It was sick. I cleaned everything inside. I try to continue with my day, not worrying about it. They stole some money that was hidden in the glove box... I know! I know! Don't keep valuables in the car. But, I always thought they kind of passed on cars filled with toys & booster seats. I know they don't care. They just want anything that they can pass off to get money for crack. They were stealing anything outta there for food, because I had food in there too. They didn't even touch it.

So not fair! Stealing a pink little D.S from some little girl. Evil scum. She's pretty upset about it. Because she was the only one that had anything taken from her, that counted as anything. Darn bad guys!

After work, I head to the grocery store to get pick up a few things. I go to grab by re0useable grocery bags.... and the jerks stole them! Can you believe that!?? I guess they needed something to haul away all my pennies in the ashtray! Jerks.

This was not the best weekend.
Fightin' off yard salers
&
Creeps crawling - all in my van.



Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Ahhhh sunshine!

I heard the best news on the radio this morning. Sunshine is coming! This weekend is suppose to be +21!!! EGAD! I'm so excited. I hope it comes true. I need to feel the warmth of the sun.

Yesterday after work we went to go buy a rubbermaid container for each of the girls. The plan is they get to bring one of these on the float home filled with their special toys. The rest that can not fit will be donated to the Salvation Army. I thought it would be very hard for them. But, they are most willing to part with all of it. I was very surprised. I was all "Are you sure you don't want this? You sure you want to give it away?. Hoping they could be swayed.

I'm so terrible! I thought there would be crying, begging & pleading. But, they did great. They packed up their rubber totes & are fine with it. I on the other hand, do not think that I could do what they just did. That is why I only bought two yesterday. I do not think, I could fit all my toys in one small bin. I collect too many vintage toys. I should learn from my children to part with these things. But, I can not help to think - what if I never come across that certain toy again? If I see it in an antique shop down the road - I will think... I should have held on to mine, why? WHY! did I give up my toys??!! But, is the point to just to give it up & not try and replace it down the line of time.

See... I'm no good at this. But, I am trying. Many more closets & rooms to go through.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

1 bedroom = 11 garbage bags full


I finally got started on the process of ridding ourselves of all our "stuff". I'm starting in the back of the house & will work my way forward. I was working away in the girls room yesterday. I did a big cleaning out of clothes probably in October. But, some how we managed to accumulate 11 bags worth of clothing???!!! The bags just started lining up the side of the hall. I can't believe it. Well I kind of do. The girls seem to be growing like weeds. There was clothing that they only wore once or twice, I washed it & it the darn things shrunk & they couldn't fit it anymore. It feels so good to get rid of it all. By the time we are done the whole house, I imagine it will be enough stuff to fill someone's apartment. We have so much stuff to drop off at the Sally Ann. I feel so relieved that so much already has been taken care of. I was really starting to panic about all the work that was ahead of me.

We have made a few visits to the marina to check on the float home & I started taping off the trim, so I can get painting this Friday. I have have to paint every single room before we move in. It's more work, than I thought. Only because there is so much wood trim that needs to be protected. The couple of visits that we have made, have made me so eager to move there NOW. Everyone is so friendly! They make eye contact with you! They make small talk. I love it! Honestly, where we live now - you can try & make eye contact with people, but they totally avoid it. It's so exciting. I can't wait to get the heck out of our old house and live at the marina. The girls are so dying to move. They are counting the sleeps till we move. If I can manage, I hope to get in there a little earlier. We'll see though.

Sewing in my world is going to be on the back burner for a bit. I am leaving my sewing room till the very last moment of packing. I just don't have a clue how I will store my fabric stash. I have soooooo much of it & I honestly don't know if I can part with any of it. We'll see when I get to the point.

I am such a worry wart.




Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The odds of finding...


As you can imagine, I have become obsessed with floating homes. In between machine sewing & handstiching things. I get on the computer to see what I can find on floating homes. The results are in & it's not good! There is seriously no one blogging about life on their float home. Why is that? Why can't I find any?

Well, I did find one.
She just recently purchased her floating home in Portland, and has been blogging about it since March. But, just her. I really thought there would be plenty of informative blogs/sites out there. If you have ever come across a blog of someone living a float, please send on the link! I'm so disappointed.

I've search pages & pages on google looking up "floating homes". I'm starting to think that the odds of finding more blogs is as about as likely as finding an Incredible Hulk in a tree.