Coming home, work to be done

Over all the trip home from Yuma was probably one of my better travel day(s). Although the Desert Bus wasn't a bus, but a 9 passenger van, there were no lengthy delays, no lost shoes or passport, and there was even an empty seat between me and another woman on the flight from Phoenix to Calgary. And I got about a 90 minute sleep on that first flight. From the time I left the hotel in the morning until I arrived at C's that night, was only 12 hours. That is a short travel day for me, as getting here from anywhere is always a lengthy process.

I spent the weekend unpacking, cuddling the cat, doing a bit of cleaning (my son had vacuumed the basement!), cuddling the cat, watching curling, and cuddling the cat. C and I took Sage, the dog, for a walk too, and she is much better mannered wearing a harness rather than just a collar. Sage does not like other dogs however, and C needs to restrain her. He's looking into obedience classes for this spring. I think it will be good for both of them.

I did some shopping on Tuesday morning. I will be here in the city for a few weeks, with my goal of painting the basement. The bedroom is pink and the main room is a blue that makes it feel very dark. My first stop was Home Depot for paint and supplies, and home again to drop these items off. I had more shopping to do and didn't want to leave the paint in the car, as it was -7C (19F). There followed stops at Value Village, Salvation Army thrift store, Costco and Dollarama. My best deal of the day were two kitchen chairs at S.A. for $20. We've been using fold-up chairs at both houses and I'll leave this with my son. I'll keep looking for other chairs for our house in town. The Costco run was made for my daughter and I purchased everything but the chocolate chips she wanted. At $26.99 for a 2.4 kg/5.3 lb. bag, I thought the price was outrageous - according to my daughter it is not. So I'll have to make a stop before I leave the city - it's on the way out anyway.

BTW, the photo on Wednesday was a vehicle parked at the Salvation Army thrift store. I'm assuming that the individual didn't want to park further ahead as the parking lot has ice on it. In any event, I found it amusing.

On Wednesday, I had a meeting with my financial advisor to discuss moving some funds around. She is expecting in May, but works with a team. Some of the transactions will happen now, but there is one that is pending for October. It will be diarized, but I'll be in touch too, to ensure it happens when I need it too. 

I got started on the basement prep that morning too (after the curling game!). The previous owners clearly liked to hang things on the walls as there were holes even where there were no hangers. I'd decided that painting will start in the small bathroom, so cleared the room out before patching the one wall (not pictured). By the time I finished patching all the holes and a couple of cracks in the main room, it was time for more curling. 

I had an appointment with the optometrist early Thursday morning and walked out of his office a whole lot lighter (in the wallet) than I went in. Progressive lenses are not inexpensive! I had been noticing a difference in my left eye primarily and this was confirmed by the doc. My cataracts, he says, continue not to be an issue. Frankly, I'm not even aware of them, though it seems to me the last time he only mentioned one and now there are two.

I got the bathroom painted on Friday morning with a pint of "oops" paint. You know I have a hard time passing up a bargain, and at $3 for the paint, I thought it would work well with the flooring. There are a few small spots that need touch up, and I'll do that this morning, before putting everything away. 

I did some sanding (and some vacuuming) in the main room as well. Watching curling took up the afternoon before I met friends for dinner. We'd last been together in October, so there was a lot to catch up on. It was a good time, with good food, good friends, and lots of laughter. Back at home, I watched curling - it was late night, hence the late posting of this blog. 

Today, I'll wash walls in the main room before I start painting. This is a large room, with three areas: a hallway/foyer at the base of the stairs, the open living area, and an alcove where I believe they had their television. There isn't a whole lot of furniture, mostly cat stuff and a chair and table that I use for jigsaw puzzles. As a result, I won't be rushing to get it done. The paint is not a oops paint, but a slightly green toned off white. Since the room is the blue that was in the bathroom, this colour should really lighten it up.

More curling today too, a match this afternoon and another this evening, the semi-final and final will air tomorrow. I've been working on my cross stitching while I watch. My bedroom was a former sewing room of one of the previous owners. The overhead florescent lights provide good lighting for this project and my old eyes. And on that note, I'll finish this post...

Have a great week ahead everyone!