Keeping busy, too busy maybe?

Despite the rocky start this week passed by very quickly! I slept for nearly eleven hours the first night and woke up happy to be in my snug little winter home. I had turned the furnace on before I went to bed, and it ran a few times overnight.

I had not turned on the water though, and did that after my breakfast of tea and toast. I don't drink the water from the tap, but had a couple of gallons on hand for cooking/making tea. 

When I went out to the car to head to the grocery store, I discovered my fob wasn't working. I'd left the second fob and another set of keys for the unit at J's place so headed down the street. But first, I ran into P and had a brief chat, and as I carried on T called out to me and I stopped for a visit there. D came out and joined us and I got caught up on the park happenings while I was away, and I shared the trials of my travels. When I mentioned my fob wasn't working, T explained the type of battery I'd need for my fob and offered to give me an extra he had on hand. I took him up on the offer and left the fob with him. 

Off down the street I went to J's where I picked up my extra fob and keys.  Then to the grocery store I went, as I needed fresh fruit and veg, bread, eggs, milk and cheese. The fridge freezer and pantry were still well stocked from November. Though I did forget a couple of things and had to make another quick trip the next day!

I got in a good visit with J in the afternoon. G, her electrician husband had taken care of the electrical issues I'd been happening. The dining room lights were a simple fix, as apparently there is a small switch in the panel that must have been bumped when we had been dealing with another issue. A fuse did need to be replaced as well and one other item that required supplies. In total, the price for those was $6. J told me G would be pleased if I paid for it with a bottle of red wine. Done and done!

I caught up with a few others on my way back to the unit, and of course I got to see everyone at Happy Hour. T also returned my other fob to me then.

Tuesday started off easy, as I had nothing planned until 10 a.m. L stopped by on her way back from the pool, with a load of boxes. I had asked if anyone had some as I wanted to sort through the items in the shed that I'd cleared out of the unit back in October. One of her swimming group had just moved and she offered to pick some up for me.

About 10, I met S at her place and we walked down to L's. It was thrifting day! Tuesday's are generally senior's day, with most shops offering a discount. I took advantage, finding a dress and cardigan, a puzzle, and a decorative item for the exterior of my unit at one store, two pairs of jeans at another, and two pairs of shorts for Eli at the third. We stopped for a light lunch at Goldsboro Bakery - I had a bowl of broccoli cheddar soup - so good - and a Boston creme donut - amazing!

Back at the park, it was time to get in some physical activity to wear off my lunch. The patio and gazebo needed to be swept and the floor washed. It was amazing how much dust had blown into the gazebo. There had been some rain too, which was evident on the patio. The furniture was pulled out and replaced as the floor dried. Meanwhile another couple, D and M were next door cleaning up the lot. The fellow who owned the trailer passed away a couple of years ago, and his family had finally agreed to have the unit removed. It was not habitable, and the removal was arranged while I was away. Apparently, a rat was living under the trailer and found its way into another unit where it ate a bar of soap! An exterminator was here this week to check things out and placed a number of traps. 

Wednesday was a busy, busy day. I started the morning pulling all of the items out of the shed and sorting them for the upcoming garage sale. The boxes came in handy and I was able to retrieve my shopping bags I'd packed things in. After dropping a load off at the clubhouse, I headed home to catch up on my banking and record-keeping. I should have gone to the exercise class but I decided I'd done enough walking with my trips too and from the garbage and recycling bins! 

There was a board meeting that morning as well, which was well attended. When the meeting was opened for questions, things got a bit heated. It's interesting to watch the interactions between various members, though at one point I did feel the need to interject on behalf of the board members. Perhaps I have a different perspective being a new member but I found some issues raised were trivial. Just for fun, the AGM is planned for next week and I've no doubt there will be more complaining at that meeting too. 

In the afternoon, I played Canasta before heading to Walmart to pick up batteries for the second car fob as it had died too. When I went to use in the morning, it wasn't working either! Good thing T had an extra battery for the first one, or I'd have been begging a ride. 

I had only one commitment on Thursday, the coffee hour at 9 a.m. I almost didn't go, as I had slept in until 7 and hadn't managed to even get my bed made that morning. After coffee hour, I spent much of my day dusting the unit, washing floors, cleaning the bathroom, and reorganizing spaces. I caught up on my U.S. banking as well and stopped by the office to confirm my e-mail address with the office manager. In other words, a whole lot of little things that kept me occupied.

The Saskatchewan provincial curling (men's and women's) had started on Tuesday and I spent the evenings (after Happy Hour) watching. In addition I was able to catch parts of the games during breaks between activities. I also managed to finish a book I had started before I left in December. "Lilac Girls" by Martha Hall Kelly is based loosely on the stories of the Rabbits - women who were used as surgical guinea pics by the Nazis at Ravensbruck during WWII. It is, at times, a difficult read, but a read worth making. 

I've been looking for a new knitting/crocheting project but haven't come up with anything I truly want to make. Instead I've turned my attention to the placemats and foam inserts I'll use to make chair pads for the plastic patio chairs. I ripped stitches on Thursday afternoon, and managed to cut the padding to the right shape for one cushion, and a second one on Friday morning. This may take a few days as I need to get some thread to sew the cushions closed. Plus it isn't horribly interesting project and I do have a tendency to procrastinate.

L and I went browsing at a couple more thrift stores on Friday, where I walked away with two t-shirts and a pair of pajamas for $3 at one, and a stapler for $1.50 at the other. She found a couple of things but neither of us spent a lot. Our next stop was Green Tree, a discount grocery type store, and finally Walmart. The last for toilet paper (me) and baking soda (her). 

In the afternoon I met with E, as she will be leaving the park on Wednesday. As our resident expert painter the task for organizing the painting party for the hot tub building is being left to me. E will give me an estimate of the amount and type of paint and primer to purchase - the walls are concrete. We will need to scrape and prime the walls before painting. In the meantime our handyman is busy rebuilding the shower area. The tile has been purchased for the shower walls and floor. It is going to be really nice when complete.

Today four of us are off to go to the garage sales at Country Roads RV park. I am still looking for a small shelving unit that is approximately counter height. I have so little counter space in my kitchen and an extra two feet to fill that space would be so appreciated. Beyond that I truly need nothing unless I find a can of paint I can use for my outdoor table. :p

Next week is shaping up to be quite busy too. For now, my plan for the rest of the weekend is rest and relax. Wish me luck. :)

Have a great week ahead everyone!