A not-so quick update

Things are looking much better in the back yard now!  

First the before:

After the repairs:

Looking much better already, right?  The contractor (not a Sask Energy employee as I initially thought) recommended that we end the sidewalk at the end of the house, then fill in the rest of the area with more base and crusher dust.  As a result they had to pour a small patch of concrete at the meter.

I suspect eventually the patch will lighten and won't be as noticeable, but regardless it makes more sense now.

While I was running errands yesterday I stopped in at both Home Depot and Rona to see what my alternatives for the pathway might be.  I discovered, very quickly that the round concrete blocks I had thought I would use were far too heavy for me to lift (and that was important because I'd be doing that work myself), and fairly expensive.  I found at Home Depot there were plastic alternatives but Rona didn't carry them.  That was a bit disappointing as I still have a gift card (from the paint debacle earlier this year) but I'm sure I'll find something to spend that on later. Back to Home Depot I picked up 36 square Stomp Stones. These are made from recycled tires and were quite inexpensive.  Best of all the placement is very easy.  Simply place the stone on the ground and literally stomp on it!

The almost finished project:

I say almost finished because I wasn't happy with how crooked the path was so went out later with a yardstick and lined them up a little better.  I had used the ruler to measure the space between each block but that didn't keep them straight.

I haven't made up my mind if I will change out the last nine blocks to the same pattern as the rest.  I had placed them in three because the path widens at that spot but I'm still not certain about the placement.  I'll leave it be for awhile and either I'll decide it needs to be changed or I'll just get used to it!

In the backyard there was this unsightly spot, before:

After all the rain we had recently the crusher dust had settled down several inches.  I picked up a few bags of black soil and filled it in before spreading and raking in some grass seed.  It will take awhile to fill in with grass but that's okay, it still looks better than it did.  As you can see there is still a patch by the end of the path that is full of crusher dust the grass didn't grow well there anyway.

The after:

I did have to pay for the removal of the rest of the sidewalk (and the blocks), but Sask Energy picked up the cost of the rest of the work that was done.  This made sense, in that they didn't need to remove all of the sidewalk to move the line thus it would have been my responsibility anyway.  But finding someone to do the work was proving difficult as every landscaper I contacted was busy until September.  That Sask Energy did the right thing and sent out one of their contractors was a pleasant surprise.

Happy Fourth of July to my readers in the United States!  Have a great day everyone.

One step forward, two steps back

These days I'm often reminded of Robert Burns' "The best laid schemes of o'mice an' men/Gang aft a-gley".  Or in more current lingo, the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.  The plans I've made over the past number of years are tantalizingly close but oh so far away.  

Obviously the house hasn't sold yet.  All of my plans are predicate on that happening.  On Thursday my hopes were high.  Actually, let me back up a bit.  On Monday there was a showing, and while that was happening, I had a call from my agent with two more requests for showings on Tuesday; one at 3 p.m. and one at 3:45 p.m.  Of course, I agreed to both.

So on Tuesday the cats and I went for a drive, and about the time I thought the second showing would be done, I drove past the house.  The agent and his clients were still there so I parked down the block until they left.  Later my agent contacted me to say that group hadn't been able to get into the house.  The prior agent had locked both the deadbolts and the door knobs/handles.  They still wanted to see the house and asked for a showing on Thursdays.

I've never used anything but the deadbolt and wasn't even provided with the keys by the previous owner.  So, now there is tape covering those locks to ensure it never happens again.

In any event, the showing on Thursday seemed to go well.  This time, I only parked down the block and read a book.  They arrived shortly before 3 p.m. and were in the house/yard for at least 35 minutes.  I even drove by at one point because I thought I'd missed them leaving.  I sent an e-mail to my agent to let him know that I'd like feedback and to confirm that I'm prepared to look at any offers that come in.

Then today happened.  Today was the day that the gas line move was scheduled.  The workers from Sask Energy started arriving about 8 or 8:30 this morning and continued to do so throughout the morning.  At one point I think there eight guys out there, each for a different purpose.  One guy was the paper work dude or at least he wandered around with a clipboard and kept checking a list of some sort and making notes.  There was one guy breaking up the sidewalk and couple with wheelbarrows moving out the concrete, and one handling the water hose.  There was a Hydrovac truck out front blocking the driveway, and later another truck showed up with some other piece of equipment.  It was full house, that's for sure. 


(I didn't feel I could take many photos as the process unfolded, because I'm sure the guys wouldn't have appreciated being in the shots.  So I waited until they all were standing around having coffee to grab a couple shots.) 

This is the hole they dug to get to the original gas line.  It's the yellow line to the bottom left.  The other line is the one Sask Tel dug in a week or so ago for the InfiNet.  What Sask Energy was doing was diverting the line to the right and then running it about a foot out from the sun room, which puts the new line where the side walk runs.  I was told that it isn't a problem to re-pour the sidewalk.  

When they finished up just after noon, I went outside to take a look and talk to the guy who seemed to be in charge.  I asked when they would be repairing the side walk and replacing the sod they'd removed in the back.  I was told they would not, he said they'd put down crusher dust and it wouldn't settle (really?) and that was all they obligated to do.  Not happy with that I went out and took some additional photos and called into their head office.

It turns out their office is closed between noon and 1 p.m. so I left a message.  The individual who called me back was the same guy I spoke with this morning so after a few minutes of listening to his nonsense (a safety issue, not required to do anything more, blah, blah, blah), I asked to be called back by someone higher up on the food chain.  

A
About 3 p.m. I had a call from another person who gave me basically the same spiel.  I explained to him that the lawn was trashed, the sod that was removed where the hole was dug was not replaced (as SaskTel did last week), and the cut line was poorly done and had I know they weren't going to replace the pavement I would have insisted it all be removed.  He asked me to send photos, which I did.  He later replied saying:
- yes the grass is trampled, I would expect with a little time and some water it will bounce back.
- please understand, Sasktel needs a lot less space to do their work then we do. Yes, maybe they could have put the sod back on top.
- they certainly could have cut the cement straighter. I've sent the picture to our Construction Dept and asked them to comment back to me.




I'm so angry....perhaps the lawn that was merely disturbed will but how on earth is grass that isn't there is going to come back AND there was no offer to replace the sod that was removed.  I'm waiting to see what the response will be regarding the cut line.  Depending on that response I will likely contact the provincial ministry in charge of Sask Energy by e-mail and post something to their Facebook page.  Sometimes a bit of noise, squeaky wheel and all that, might get some attention.  In the meantime I've contacted the landscaper that did the work out front for me to get a quote regarding the costs associated with replacing the sidewalk and the sod.  It's a small job so he may not be interested in doing it but I'll deal with that later.




Around dinner time my agent got back to me with feedback from the Thursday showing.  It was mixed, they've seen 5 houses so far and liked mine the best, but wanted to see more before making a decision.  On the negative side, they could smell the cats and noted the carpet in the basement and bedroom needs replacing.  I agree with them, the carpet needs replacing, and is likely the source of some of the cat odor, so I'm not replacing it since the cats will be living here until we sell.  I responded to my agent advising that I am prepared to get a quote as to the cost of replacing the carpet with a similar quality product but I won't cover the cost of installation.  It is an offer I'd make to any potential buyer, to provide a check for that amount upon completion of the sale so that they can decide whether to put in carpet or some other flooring.  I won't cover the cost of installation because I won't get the benefit and it may be they can find someone to do the work for less.  I think that's a fair offer.

In the meantime I've decided to get the rugs professionally cleaned as I suspect my carpet cleaner isn't up the task.  Plus I'll buy some Kilz paint that blocks and seals odors and paint the drywall in the area where the cat litter boxes live.  More work for me but if it means getting a sale or not, I'm more than willing to do it.  

And so the saga continues!  Tomorrow I'm taking a break from all of this and going to see Rocketman at the theater with friends.  Now that's a plan I can go along with.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Wrap up

Saturday started late, hooray, it was nearly 8:15 a.m. when the cats and I finally made our way out of the bedroom. I'm not sure why they let me sleep that late but I was certainly grateful.  After they were fed and I'd made a pot of coffee, I puttered around the house picking things up and putting some of them away.  Do you have things in your home that don't have a place?  I do, lately most of them are items I brought home from work, but there are things that belong to my daughter (mail and odds and ends I picked up for her), and other items that stymie me. 

One is my camera bag which normally would be in my closet, but I wanted it handy as Eli and his mom came for a three night visit on Saturday.  It was sitting on the table, but I cleared the table to start the decorating (it's a slow process!)  I've covered the pictures that were hanging there with wrapping paper (will add ribbon later), and hung the new advent calendar I found at Michaels for 50% off last week.  I like this one....no candies or little toys, it's merely a calendar.  I suspect it will sit on December 4 until I return from my trip; it's likely C won't change it.  I do have a Merry Christmas banner that I may put up as well.  At some point, I'll change out the tablecloth for a more Christmas'y one.

So the camera bag will stay on the island where it was moved, until I finish packing on Tuesday.  The flowers that are in the photo were also moved to the island because someone little likes to climb.  Guess who?  Two hints, it is not Saku or Sasha.  Also on the island are a beach scene (complete with sand), a book for D, a bag of little people for Eli, nail polish to match the color I had put on Friday (in case i break a nail on vacation) and....well, you get the picture.  I never seem to be able to put everything away, there is always a bit of clutter.

D and Eli arrived just around lunchtime.  I had already eaten, Eli had a small bowl of chili, and my daughter made a taco wrap.  When lunch was done it was off to the stores for a bit of shopping. First up was Walmart for milk, a Christmas outfit for Eli...he'll be meeting Santa on Monday), and a few other odds and ends.  From there we stopped at Co-op for the gift card I'd forgotten the day before, and then we headed over to Save-on Foods for a few more groceries.  By this point, Eli was done with shopping so back to G'ma's house we went.  

Eli had a nap in the car on the way to Regina, so spent the rest of the afternoon running up and down the stairs to visit Uncle C, occasionally stopping to watch hockey on the television, and distributing his toys throughout the house.  Since he had no nap, dinner was an early and simple meal of pancakes and breakfast sausage.  Not long after the dishes were cleared up, it was time for his bath.

This kid is a little water baby!  He loves the bath and his mom says he really enjoyed swimming when they went to the pool a week or so ago.  Once the bath was over, his mom lathered him with lotion (the poor kid suffers from eczema in the winter), and got him ready for bed.  She had been up at 4 a.m. so the two of them were tucked in bed, watching Paw Patrol, by 6:30 p.m. Thankfully, Eli has gotten much better at sleeping, and I only heard him once in the night. D said he had turned sideways and she tried moving him...he was having none of it.

I slept on the couch in the living room; it's quite comfortable however Saku decided about 4 a.m. that it was time to play.  I listened to him run and scratch at the base of the couch for nearly an hour.  I kept trying to convince him to jump up but a cuddle was not what he wanted.  We were all up by shortly after 6 a.m.  Well, except for my son C who can sleep through anything.  

Sunday morning was spent mostly relaxing and enjoying watching Eli zip around the house.  He may not have a lot of words, but he certainly can convey his wants and needs to his mom.  He has mastered up (which can mean up or down), peash (for please), and all done.  He loves to climb, onto my bed, the couch, or the cat tree.  Paw Patrol is still his favorite television program...I've been PVR'ing them and have 70 episodes...we're covered.  For the uninitiated, it is the story of several pups who are called into action by their human friend Ryder in every episode to save someone or something.  Chase (the police officer) and Marshall (firefighter) are two of Eli's faves.  I even enjoy watching an episode or two and the music isn't annoying either!

I made up a pot of soup for he and I to enjoy, a macaroni/hamburger with diced tomato and mixed vegetables.  Because I put so much into it, the soup is more of a stew and he can manage it on his own.  Best of all, he loves it (as do I).  Dinner was also a simple affair, with grilled chicken breast, mashed potatoes, peas, and homemade buns. No bath for Eli last night due to his eczema, but I did get a few photos of him getting ready for bed. 

This was the last one and I think he'd had enough of the flashy box (sounds familiar doesn't it).  He asked nicely for the camera, peash, so I let him play with it for a bit.  He quickly figured out how to make the flash go off and that became a bit of a game. To get it away from him, I handed him something else and he didn't fuss.  He can, however, through a bit of a fit when he wants something and we don't understand what it is.  I'm afraid the typical two year old is well on his way.  

Monday (today) is another busy day.  D has two doctor's appointments, so Eli will be hanging out with G'ma. I don't expect I'll get much done, but I'm sure we'll get some cuddles in and a few more episodes of Paw Patrol. 

I did wake up to an annoyance.  When I opened the dishwasher to grab the cat dishes, I discovered the floor of the machine was full of water...it hadn't drained properly.  After it was emptied, I tried running another short cycle, thinking it might clear itself.  Nope. I even tried Google...only to discover that I was only willing to try one of the three options for clearing a blockage.  One is to check the filter, two and three have one removing the toe kick plate, pulling off a hose and blowing through it, and testing a valve bracket (assuming there is one of the latter).  I'll leave that to the experts.  We bailed most of the water out, used paper towel to soak up the rest, then I took out the filter ...ewwww gross....and took out a screw holding a little plastic piece above the drainage hole (I'm sure that's not the technical term).  More water was then cleared from there.  My goal was merely to get rid of as much water as possible as I won't be able to get a plumber in until I return from my trip.  I cleaned up the parts I'd removed and put everything back in the machine for the time being.  Sigh...there is always something.

Later today we'll be celebrating my daughter's 37th birthday.  That means no more cooking, hooray for Skip the Dishes!  We'll be ordering in from a local restaurant.  Eli gave mommy a picture frame for her birthday, with the words "I love mom" on it.  I'm sure D has a photo she can add to it, and if not, I'm sure Christmas will provide lots of opportunity to get a good photo.  Speaking of which, we are taking Eli to visit Santa and/or the Grinch this afternoon at a nearby mall.  I'm told the Grinch is especially good with small children so if he happens to be there, we'll get to test that theory.

Tomorrow, I'll finish packing and wash the kitchen and living floors after D and Eli leave for Melville.  A 21 month old child is a walking, talking, disaster in action.  It doesn't help that G'ma doesn't own a highchair or booster seat and his mother didn't bring his along. In any event, I've got my work cut out for me tomorrow.  AND then with an early night, I'm off to New Orleans!  I'm soooo excited.  As a result, I won't be posting for a couple of weeks but you can be assured that I'll be sharing photos and experiences when I return.  

Have a wonderful couple of weeks!  

Things that annoy me

The damned hawk or falcon is back in my neighbourhood killing the songbirds.  I found a wing (no picture, I promise) with bone attached as I was cleaning up my yard this week.  My brother assumes it is a merlin rather than a kestral and I tend to go with his expertise...he was a conservation officer for many years.  It's frustrating as I can do nothing about it, and I so miss the sound of the birds early in the morning.  I guess it is the way of nature, but it makes me sad and angry at the same time.

This morning I woke early, around 4 a.m. to the sound of a downpour of rain.  We've been missing the storms the last week or so, with the rain falling outside the city.  I was on the phone with my brother yesterday morning, as he watched a thunderstorm to the north of his location (about 40 kms. outside the city), while I sat in the sun on my front patio.  While I've been wishing for rain, I've been watering my containers pretty much every day.  Now the outside tap has developed a leak.  My son and I both tried to turn it off with the inside shut off but by this morning, it was running steadily.  I'll call the plumber tomorrow and have them come and repair it.  Sigh...with a house there is always something that needs fixing.  

Speaking of necessary repairs, check out what the rotten kitten Sheldon has done.  I can't truly be angry with him as he is simply being a kitten but darn it all!

The sunroom has these curtains on all three sides, which I generally close when the sun gets too much.  It doesn't help keep the room cool but simply a bit darker.  Apparently Sheldon wanted to see beyond the curtain - perhaps there were birds that needed watching.  In any event, he's managed to snag several of the curtains, though this one has taken the brunt of it.  I really didn't/don't want to have to replace them but I suspect any repair job I do would be too noticeable.  The problem is finding curtains that are a similar length.  I haven't measured but I'd say I need 96-108" in length, checking on-line I'm looking at $70-100 per panel, ouch!  I'll likely wait until next spring to change them out.  By then I'll have the house up for sale, and Sheldon should have outgrown his kittenish antics. Fingers crossed!

On a totally different note, has anyone been out shopping lately?  I was at Walmart on Friday evening and did a double take when I saw all the school supplies are out on the shelves (and aisle ways).  We haven't even reached the end of July! Of course, once school does start the Halloween decorations and candy will be out, and before that is over, the Christmas paraphernalia will be out in full force.  Rush the seasons, much?  

You would think I'd be happy to see seasons changing, since it is bringing my retirement that much closer.  But I'm not quite there yet.  Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to not having to get up to got to work, it's just that I feel so far out from being able to make the transition.  Almost every area of my house is in disarray, filled with stuff.  My own bedroom has my sewing table, containers of fabric and patterns cluttering the space (not that I've done any sewing since D and Eli arrived).  My stash of yarn for knitting and crocheting is partly stored in the living room ottomans and the rest is in storage in the basement.  At one time this all had a place in the room Eli now inhabits.  His room, along with the living room, sun room, and back deck hold the voluminous mounds of toys, books, riding toys, and furniture that, apparently, every small child must possess.  

Then there is my daughter's bedroom...shudder.  I keep the door shut because I cannot stand to see the piles of clothing, books, personal care items, craft supplies, etc. etc. etc.  AND that's just one room.  The basement area has boxes of kitchen and household items, her freezer and other furniture, the garage is full of items for sale and consignment that she promises will be gone soon.  I've heard that before.  

However, we are making small progress in that regard.  D and Eli have been spending some time in Melville, a small town just 90 minutes from Regina.  Her friend A lives there with her three children (another due in November).  Her youngest child is 3 months younger than Eli, and the two women have become close friends.  A has convinced D that with the cost of living it makes sense to move there.  Unfortunately there isn't much available for rent, so with some trepidation, I've agreed to look at providing the down payment for a small house.  Because of her financial situation (which is about as messy as her bedroom), I'll be the titled owner.  

To that end, I visited a mortgage broker on Friday to explore the possibility and determine what I could afford.  As I expected the extent of the funding available far exceeds my comfort level.  I did some calculations and confirmed that if D had absolutely no funding I would still be able to manage the costs within my retirement budget.  But of course, the expectation is that she will cover the costs of the mortgage, insurance, utilities and property taxes.  She's currently receiving funding that will provide more than sufficient funds, and is in discussions with her employer to work from home when she returns to work in the future.  There are also employment opportunities in the community as well as in Yorkton which is about 20-30 minute drive.  So unless all goes to hell in a hand basket, she and Eli will be in their own home within the next 2-3 months.  And should this fail, I guess I'll have a place to live when I retire....not necessarily where I want to be.

D and A visited six properties this past weekend, of the 17 that were within her price range.  Almost every one of the properties has been listed for sale for at least 180 days.  Apparently there was a large project being built nearby with construction over several years.  These houses were purchased by the workers, and now the job is done, the properties are up for sale.  However, like many small towns, the community is home primarily to seniors who have moved off the farm, and young families seeking lower costs, so while there is a fair amount of inventory, demand is low.  It is a buyer's market, and the cost of property is probably 25-30% of what similar houses would cost here in the city.  

D, Eli, and I are planning to go to Melville on Thursday to visit the short listed properties.  I assume we'll make an offer on one of the properties before we leave, with conditions of financing, appraisal, and inspection before any deal is done.  Wish me luck!

Well, on that note, I'll sign off for this week.  Have a great week everyone!

Cleanliness makes way for fun!

 Another week is rapidly drawing to a close.  More than once, I've asked this question, why do weekends fly by but weeks can seem so long?  Other than the fact the number of days in a week are longer than the weekend....  

I think part of my problem is that I start the weekend with such high hopes  I'm going to accomplish so much around the house...and then I don't.  Oh, I manage to keep the dust bunnies under control and the sticky spots cleaned up but I'm not a good housekeeper and I'm well aware of my tendencies to procrastinate.

My garage is an absolute disaster...it holds a winter's year's worth of accumulation.  (I won't enlarge this photo...it's cringe-worthy!)

What you cannot see is there is lots of storage in the garage, to the left are metal shelves about 8 inches deep and to the right against the opposite wall are large wooden shelves that are a good 18 inches deep.  The previous owner obviously built them and the boxes are various shapes and hold a ton of stuff.

Over the winter I tend to walk into the garage where it's cold and toss whatever I've got to store in the garage onto the pile that hides the workbench.  At least the tires are neatly stacked (behind the strollers).  Oh yeah, I forgot to phone the tire shop this weekend to set up an appointment to change over the tires.

I do have a plan for this pile....I really, really do.  I'm planning to take a week off in May to clear out the garage, and more of the house.  My daughter wants to have a garage sale, so we'll do that for a couple of days and whatever doesn't go will go to the community living group or to the dump.  I don't care, I just want it gone.  That includes the bags of recycling; I've been waiting for one of the neighbourhood kids to show up on a bottle drive - they always do.

*******
So while my spring cleaning and organizing falls behind, I have been productive in other ways.  

Recently I purchased a brand new dresser for my bedroom.  That's exciting because it's been nearly 20 years since I bought the armoire I've been using.  That piece was on sale at Sears Clearance and one of the doors were cracked in the move from the truck to the house (my b/f at the time and I dropped it).  The drawers no longer slide well and the one door was off kilter and never quite closed properly.

So now I have this.  It feels like a grown up piece of furniture...which is kind of sad when you think I'm 58.  

The reason I bought it was because I had purchased the second television a couple of weeks before.  My esthetician had purchased it for her own bedroom but hadn't measured it properly so it did not fit.  With my daughter living her, at least part time, it made sense to have a second set so we could each watch what we like.  AND I could escape to the privacy of my own bedroom.  

Back to the dresser...I had a table set up with the television but was worried it wouldn't hold up or that the cats might knock it over.  I did a tour of our local furniture stores (what a pain) and found this at Ashley Furniture.  The store is currently under renovation so everything was on sale.  I paid 75% of the normal price and got the store financing for year without interest.  I'm always happy to use someone else's money so will leave my savings in the bank and pay it off over the year.


********
While we're on the topic of spending money....I've booked two cruises, one for the fall of 2017 and one for next February.  (See, I told you I was productive).  
I found the September cruise as I was reading a thread on Cruise Critic for solo cruisers.  Princess was offering inside rooms with no single supplement on a New England/Canada cruise out of New York.  That is a rarity for Princess, it's a itinerary I've wanted to do for some time, and the price was definitely right so I jumped at it. 

Since then I've joined a Facebook group of solos who will be on the cruise.  There are about 30 members, some who have travelled together previously and the rest of us who have joined as a result of being invited by the group organizer through the Cruise Critic thread.  It seems like Jeanne is quite the organizer, she's already arranged to a meeting place for Sail-away, set up planning sheets so we can compare excursions, and will use her cabin door to post times for meeting for dinner and other events.  I think she's done this once or twice before!

Our itinerary has us visiting Newport, Rhode Island, Boston, Mass., Bar Harbor, Maine, St. John, N.B. and Halifax, N.S. before returning to New York.  I've never been to any of the U.S. ports but have been doing lots of research.  Still lots of time to decide what I will do during the visits.  

I was able to book a hotel near the airport using Airmiles; as a result I'll pay just $55C for a hotel in New York!  I had American Express points too, so used those "rewards" to book my flight for only $277C return.  It's really going to be a fairly inexpensive trip. 

The second cruise I booked may not be quite as inexpensive.  I booked it last week, after much dithering.  A year ago, I did the Norwegian Escape Eastern Caribbean cruise in a solo cabin and met a wonderful group of women.  Four of them went on the same cruise this year, but I didn't because we were waiting for Eli.  After they returned from their cruise this year, two of them immediately booked the Norwegian Epic Western Caribbean for the same time next year and sent an invite for others to join them.  The pricing was reasonable, and the itinerary was good, plus it provides an opportunity to hang out with great folks again. 

Unfortunately the cost of airfare is currently through the roof getting to Orlando.  I think it is because it is close to the President's weekend in the States and families may be heading for Disneyland/world  Prices may reduce a little closer - generally about five months out in my experience.  I sure hope so!  If I go a few days prior, the cost is somewhat less so I may consider that option and spend a few days in the Port Canaveral area.

I did find a great hotel in Cocoa Beach which is close to Port Canaveral and offers a transportation package to and from the airport and the port at a decent price.  What I might save in airfare I'd probably spend on the hotel but, on the other hand, I'll get to visit the Kennedy Space Museum and other attractions in the area.  Did you know that "I Dream of Jeannie" was filmed in the Cocoa Beach area?  (I didn't....a friend told me).

So while the house and garage may be in disarray, my vacation plans are proceeding nicely.  Maybe sometime I'll get it all together....

Have a great week everyone!