Long Ago Forgotten

Despite all the chaos in my home at the moment, I must say that I have found a lot of things that were once lost and long ago forgotten amongst this packing process. One of the best finds was a designer wallet buried way in the back of my nightstand that I had totally forgotten I even purchased once upon a time. My son's been finding all kinds of old toys and objects that have once again found their charm and intrigue. So I am just about to go read some books to my little man (who's not so little anymore) and get him off to sleep. Then I will begin my unwinding in front of the tube with a couple of double stuffed Oreos tonight I think.

Summer Lunch

I made a really tasty sandwich for lunch today. It was inspired from a recent episode of Giada's Italian Kitchen. Start with a black olive infused focaccia sliced in half. I love focaccia...to me it's the perfect bread. Spread on a nice creamy goat cheese or chevre. Slice some peaches thinly and place onto the cheese. Sprinkle a little cracked pepper and drizzle with honey. Top with the other half slice of focaccia and place in a sandwich press. After about 2 minutes the bread is crispy, the cheese is warm and gooey and it tastes divine! Accompanying it, I made a salad with Parma prosciutto, sliced peaches, mango dressing and shaved Parmesan. It was tasty but not as good as the recipe I have (somewhere) for a Peach and Prosciutto salad. Now that peaches are in season, I have to make this. It's a lunch I could eat anytime and haven't had the pleasure since last summer.

Dateline NBC

I'm finally stealing a moment to relax and watch some TV. Dateline NBC is on with its feature story about catching Internet predators. I've seen these programs before but once again, I am just amazed and disgusted at how many men want to hook up with young underage girls. There must be a lot of perverts and pedophiles out there. These guys are drawn to the girls via Internet like bees to honey. Watching these guys get 'caught' by Chris Hansen and then listening to their lame denials is flabbergasting. I am sickened to think that predators like this could and are roaming everywhere. Our children just aren't safe and it's very scary. Sometimes I wish I could just put my son in a glass bubble and keep him protected from all the disgusting garbage that exists in our insane world.

Waiting on the Post

So another weekend has come and gone. I have to say it was beautiful weather and I didn't accomplish very much. Being that we've had so little sun and warm temperatures, I couldn't bear to be stuck in the basement packing up. Back to the drawing board today.

I am so frustrated with Canada Post. I just found out that there is only one person in all of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area - 5 million people+) who assigns postal codes to new properties and we just happen to be waiting on him and when he decides to get the information back to the postal office. I was just told it could take a day or months. Trying to arrange for basic services is now going to be a colossal issue unless I basically create my own postal code based on the address next door. I asked the post office what we're supposed to do and he couldn't give me an answer. So my wait continues. Fortunately I am very good at persistence and using the phone. We'll see what the next few days brings. It's one more 'classic' example of how the Canadian socialistic government fails to deliver.

Long Walk

Today was such a beautiful day....sunny, breezy and warm. I took my son and our dogs to the nearby conservation park and we went for a long walk and bike ride. I really had more of a purpose to this than just the exercise. I need to tire my dogs. They've been so anxious lately, especially Caesar (waking me now 3 nights in a row!). So I figured I'd be able to get some serious packing done if these guys were at least not following me around constantly.

At the park, we saw wild raspberries growing, along with many bushes of red currants. There were so many different butterflies and birds chirping. It was quiet and beautiful. We were hoping to see a muskrat at the Humber River, but once again it wasn't meant to be. Maybe next time he'll appear.

The Case of the Unknown Address

The latest conundrum in this delightful move is that nobody seems to know what the correct address is...hmm...hard to believe but true. Since it is in the countryside township, we don't know exactly what town this property belongs to or its appropriate zip code. The realtor doesn't know, the post office doesn't know, the lawyer doesn't know. I have someone working on this problem or challenge should I say to remain positive. But waiting for a response from some guy in downtown Toronto at Canada Post could take an indefinite amount of time. Something I am short on these days. From what I understand, a planner actually had to be summoned from the main downtown Post, go to the property, file an applicable zip code and then report it back to us. This is the part we still don't have any answers upon, so it shall be interesting to see the results.

Still Packing

With approximately 3 1/2 weeks left until the move, the packing continues...but I'm sure nobody is too interested in that. Although I must admit I am finding some things that have been long lost and forgotten about. I am about to start building my next pile of "stuff" for junk removal. I'll call back the 1-800-got Junk? guys because they were really efficient and helpful. It's scary when you start actually dreaming about how excited you are to see a virtually empty basement!

Yesterday we took a drive up to the new house. It was great to see the dirt being levelled off now, the septic system in ground, the air conditioner in place and the boulders starting to be placed in their spots. It's coming along nicely. I sure hope the weather improves around here because every time we go to that house it is cloudy, windy and cool. I keep thinking we'll be able to go there in shorts and be comfortable walking around but it hasn't happened yet. When will the heat ever arrive?

Fish

This morning started with the aquarium services guys arriving an hour before they were due. Luckily I was just dressed when the door rang. And after 2 hours, our 95 gallon salt water tank (complete with beautiful fish) was disassembled and packed up in a van. The room where the tank sat is quiet now...no hum of filters. My son and husband were quite upset at them leaving. I must admit I do miss our plump puffer fish. He was my favorite. It was fun to feed him dried shrimp by hand. And occasionally he'd take a gulp of water and spit it out at us. Being the largest guy in the tank, it was peaceful watching him lumber around, completely blowing up like a sphere once in a while. Our fresh water tank was also taken down and removed. We had a placostamus fish in there that was around 8 years old and a good 10 inches long. This is one hobby that we can't maintain where we are moving since we can't get help to look after it if we're away. And who wants to remain housebound to fish?

The rest of the day was taken care of with packing, phone calls, a long bike ride with my son and take-out Chinese. And now I will wind down my day, read to my son and put him to bed...and then if I'm lucky, watch a program of my choosing.

Packing Up

I'm really tired tonight. My neck is aching. I really hate moving. This packing up and living in chaos is getting to me. I have to get going on packing up all the things we will keep but aren't in need of using. We've gotten some quotes on moving and have now got things booked. So I need to get my plans in action or I'll be panicking last minute. I'm determined to not have that happen.

Just to break up the monotony, I took my son to the NASCAR store today so he could play some games and have a little fun...guess I'm feeling guilty about not spending all day placating him on summer holidays. And I went back to my "weight club" for a long overdue weigh in. Guess I'll be needing to crack down on my intake once again. Well, that's all I can think about right now so I'll check in tomorrow!

Banana Muffins

Last night was another interrupted sleep complements of Caesar, my little Westie. He decided around 3:30am that he needed to go outside and do his thing. I put him back in his bed and returned to bed only to have my son then needing me. So I brought him back to bed with us and then Caesar started whining once more. Being that I went through a similarly difficult night with doggie last week, I then decided to go downstairs and just bring him back to bed too. When all was finally quiet I couldn't get back to sleep...isn't that always the way?

This morning my son was up bright and early and consequently, I was too. So I went to the kitchen and made some banana muffins from scratch. They came out great and filled the house with a delicious aroma. My son just loves these...so does my father-in-law and anyone who likes banana muffins.

Junk Be Gone

Today the junk was finally removed. I must say the purging feels extremely cathartic. I got a call this morning about the time I was expecting the truck, only to find out that they were having truck troubles and would be delayed. The same old story...things never seeming to go as planned or scheduled. But at 2pm the large cube truck rolled into the driveway and the throwing out process begin. What seemed like a never-ending pile just days ago is now but a memory. I actually have clear space in my basement for the first time in years. There is still more to dispose of, but that will have to wait for another day.

Project Basement

It's been really busy lately as I've been concentrating on "Project Basement." The pile of things to go is growing rapidly as M-day quickly approaches. Being that it's such a hot and sunny day I really don't feel much like being couped up in my dark basement, but it is nice and cool down there. I just love this feeling of purging so many things. It's quite cathartic! I'm doing the work in bits and pieces. Last night my husband destroyed a large old fish tank that was transferred to this house almost 6 years ago. After a half an hour of trying to slice the silicone in order to disassemble the glass parts without success, he decided to take a sledge hammer and brute force to it. That finally did the trick. The tank was so large and awkward we thought there's no way 2 guys would be able to lift and move it out. Now it will be removed in pieces, but it will be gone! Good riddance! No excuses to keep these large, weird items.

We visited the new house this morning and were able to get inside, measure for dimensions and see the new travertine flooring downstairs. It looks fantastic. The deck has now been completed. Next week we were told the septic will go in and all the mountains of soil will be leveled off. And of course, my son had to climb one of those mountains this morning and then end up in the one and only mud puddle at its base. Luckily it was only his shoes that were covered in mud this time (as one pair of pants has already been ruined).

Friends Forever

I awoke rather late this morning, a rarity in my usual routine. I knew my son was awake when I felt his small monster truck driving recklessly over my arms in an effort to wake me. After I asked him to give me a few more minutes of sleep, I heard him go downstairs and then the theme song to Clifford the Big Red Dog. All was well in my home. When I finally brewed, the phone rang its long double ring (my cue for long distance calls). I wondered which credit card company was now trying to solicit me so early in the day. But to my surprise it was my lifelong friend Jill whom I haven't spoken to in a while. What a super way to start my day. Jill and I have known each other for most of our lives and our families have been friends forever. She's the type of person who always makes you feel good just for being you...a real rarity in life. The older I get the more I realize just what a blessing it is to have a real friend - someone who you can share the silly and the serious with, someone who accepts you warts and all and not pass judgement. This I know I have in her and although we don't get to see each other much, we'll always be able to pick up like we just left off and for that I am grateful.

Nice Long Hike

Today after running errands in the morning, I took my son to Bindertwine Park - a beautiful conservation area on the Humber River in nearby Kleinburg. There is a great path for biking or walking, so we packed his bicycle in the car and took the dogs for a workout. It's so nice and peaceful listening to the sounds of the birds chirping. You can actually hear the wind rushing through the leaves in the trees. We took along some fish pellets and fed the local fish in the river (whatever kind they were). My son really enjoyed watching that. The dogs were exhausted and thirsty after a nice long hike in the woods so much so that Caesar (my little Westie) dribbled all over my arms while driving home. Ah, the joys of dogs. Upon coming home, my offspring still had the desire to play although he was ready to fall asleep on the couch. Lately the kids in the neighborhood have been hiding or away so he's constantly looking for play companionship. But I think all the late hours from our trip are catching up with him. In a few minutes it'll be time to rake him in and get him to bed. Tomorrow I will start packing some light items and arrange for a junk pick up from my cavernous 'dark hole' of a basement.

No Place Like Home

Getting back home to Toronto was a long process waiting in traffic. We had a really nice stay over in London once we finally beat that border traffic waiting situation. We'd left London early in the morning thinking that we'd make some good time. Well, that was wishing thinking. By the time we hit Cambridge (45 mins. into the drive) the traffic came to a complete standstill. Turning on the radio, we discovered that a truck had rolled over and the 3 lanes were now closing down to 1. There were a lot of hums and haws in the car but after 1 hour we finally got moving along. A pickup truck had swerved into the back of an extension camper and half of the contents of the camper were strewn along the 401 highway. A real mess. We then drove up to pick up our pooches from their stay at the "spa." It was great to see them again all cute and clipped for summer! Then back to the car and drive more to get home. All told the complete drive took us 4 hours - double the normal time! We were all so sick of being in the car by that time. But it is great to be back home. There really is no place like home.