028 SEMBLENCE OF NORMALCY

After a little more than a week in the new house, things are starting to settle into a sense of normalcy and set routines.  The first routine established from day one was Toby’s 9:00 AM walk.  It’s been added to though as he gets to take more than one walk in a day usually now.  He’s very insistent though.  Yesterday when we got back from hockey and parked on the street he pulled me toward the pathway.  Since I was waiting for the delivery from The Brick, I figured just take him a little way in so he could pee and then head home.  That wasn’t happening, he was very insistent and we ended up doing the full circuit.

TOBY CHILLIN' IN HIS BED

After grabbing my gear out of the truck and heading up the drive, The Brick guys phoned saying they were 10 minutes away.  Just after I got my gear unpacked and laid out for drying, they arrived.  They very efficiently carried the dresser, mirror and two side tables up to the bedroom and set them up.  Then came down and trudged back up the stairs with the dining room table and base and set it up.

DINING ROOM TABLE AND CHAIRS IN PLACE

All of them look great in their respective places.  It’s funny though.  Looking at the dresser and end tables, something didn’t seem right but I couldn’t put my finger on it.  Not until I went up to bed and went to put some clothes in a drawer, then I realized that they had forgotten to reverse the handles.  Handles are put on the inside of drawers for moving and then after they are in place, reversed.  I’ll take care of it later, no big deal.

BEDROOM SET COMPLETE

I made a real push yesterday and got the eight boxes left on the main floor down to two and managed to find some “missing stuff” like the electric wok.  However, in our big cleanup the other day, I may have inadvertently tossed away its power cord.  I had planned on getting a wok for use on the gas stove, so that may happen a little quicker than planned.

It was another intense 12 + hour day, starting with walking with Toby at 6:00 AM then heading to hockey for the last game of the season.  I’m finally starting to get back some lost hockey form.  I have been a little lost since the back injury two and a half seasons ago.  My mobility is better but my feared slap shot has all but disappeared.  Add to the injury the chore of breaking in a second set of new skates and being forced to switch to a one-piece carbon fiber stick and the problems mounted.  Age has certainly factored in as well.

On Saturday Caitlin and Trevor came over to visit and see the new place.  Both pronounced their liking for it.  It was nice to sit and visit and to actually have places for them to sit and visit.  Trevor proclaimed my couch the most comfortable he has sat on.  Discussions eventually came around to eating spots in Maple Ridge.  Trevor knows a bunch from working here.  After Caitlin cut my hair (first haircut in the new house) it was getting late in the day and we were all getting hungry.  After much discussion we decided to head to the Billy Miner Pub just down the road.

I had heard lots of good things over the years about the food at The Billy Miner and I can safely report they are all true.  I had the Billy Miner Burger and I truthfully have to rank it in the top three I have ever eaten.  For desert I had a piece of Red Velvet Cheesecake and my god it was to die for.  So delicious!  After we parted I debated going shopping to pick up some more items for the house, but went home instead.

INSTALLER FROM HANEY SEWING & SOUND

I had groceries delivered from Save-On and had fully planned on cooking dinner on the stove, but the groceries didn’t arrive until well after 6:00 PM and I was way too tired by this time to cook, so breakfast will be the first meal.  I sat down to a pizza dinner and watched the news.

TOBY "WATCHING TV"

When I came down this morning I was determined to cook breakfast and so I set about on my merry path to bacon and eggs.  Being new to these fancy new-fangled devices after having just a hot-plate to cook on for the past 20 years, I fired up the stove, but flat out forgot to turn on the range hood.  The inevitable happened and I set off the smoke detector.  Even that was fancy though and must have sensed I was cooking because it just let out two loud chirps and that was it.  Then again it wasn’t very smoky either.  Turning on the range hood fixed the problem.  Breakfast was great if I do say so myself.

DEMONSTRATION OF ULTRA HD 4K TV

Something I have noticed since moving is several chronic health problems seem to have fixed themselves.  The last 10 years or so I have suddenly been plagued by sinus headaches in the Spring, which I put down to allergies which I never used to have.  I have also suffered with a chronic cough ever since having pneumonia in late 2014, that is gone.  I have also had problems with IBS over the last number of years and that has cleared up as well.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence either.  70-year-old house, living in a cold drafty basement for 20 years and having the problems, into the new place and they are gone for now.