Well, let's try this again, shall we?
I'd typed up a big long blog entry in my email program last night and this morning. My internet wasn't hooked up yet, so I decided to start writing in a different program and then paste it in here later. I decided to compose in my email program. I don't know why. For some reason, Mail won't save drafts lately, so I was thinking "I hope my computer doesn't crash or anything." So what happens? I had to go out this morning to buy a mouse (my old one disappeared into a random box during the move) and when I was installing it, I bumped the power cable, the computer shut down, and when I got it back up again, my blog was gone.
Blah! Now I have to type the whole thing again. Oh well. It'll keep me busy till the cable guy gets finished and I have Internet again.
So...here goes.
The big day was yesterday...moving day. I woke up on my own at 5:45...didn't even need the two wake-up calls I'd arranged from Tonia and Mum. Sat down and started doing my regular morning routine of reading and replying to overnight emails, but quickly realized that time was running short. I'd been told the movers could be here as early as 8am. So up I get and start running around throwing anything that isn't tied down into a box.
By 9 I realized I wouldn't have any more time to sit at the computer, so I went to pack it up to bring with me on the plane. Lo and behold, it won't fit into either of the two carry-on bags I was certain would be big enough. So...quickly formulated plan B, which was to pack it into a box with some pillows I hadn't yet put into a box for storage. This also gave me the opportunity to pack a few more things to bring with me...spring outerwear, shoes, odds and ends that would come in handy. So it all worked out well in the end.
The movers didn't actually get there till almost 10, but they really hustled and it seemed like they'd be done in an hour. But it was almost two hours, just like they'd said it would be. They were quick and efficient and all I had to do was stay out of their way. I loved it. The cleaners arrived before the movers were finished. The movers had been late, the cleaners were early, so some overlap there, which created a bit of crowding, but it all worked out okay. Those two gals hustled just as much as the movers did. Really impressive, actually. I sure wouldn't want to do their job.
Jack arrived around 11:30 or so, just as the guy came to pick up my car. In one of those really surprising coincidences, it turned out he was picking up TWO cars from the same building. Weird eh? Jack and I watched from the living room window as he backed my car up onto the truck - one of those big rigs you see carting new cars around. Mine was the first one on, so got the distinction of sitting right over the cab of the truck. It was terrifying for me to watch...he's going backwards on two narrow ramps, up in the air, in a strange car (MY car!) and inching closer and closer to the edge. With one final gut-churning, can't-believe-my-eyes-lurch, the car seems about to plunge off the ramp to the ground, but stops just at the ledge. I almost peed myself.
So, the apartment was empty, the cleaners are doing their thing. All that was left was to take a few things down to the dumpsters and be off. We had to stop at Rogers to drop off my cable convertor and the modem, and buy a very much needed bottle of ginger ale as I was about to faint from dehydration, and then it was off to Mum's for the afternoon.
Tried to sleep but couldn't. It was nice to lie down for a while and rest though. My body was aching all over, especially my feet and ankles. I'd been on my feet for three or four hours...not a nice thing to do to them when you're as heavy as I am. Mum had given me a Tylenol 3, but I'm not sure if it help. I'm happy to say my back survived the ordeal quite nicely though. It's not even achey today...though my right foot still hurts quite a bit.
So Mum and I just spent some time together till Jack came back from an appointment to take me to the airport. Saying goodbye to Mum was tearful, as expected, but we both survived it. Mum...tell Jack he has to take the BEST care of you while I'm gone.
The wind had kicked up since I'd left my apartment, and it had started to snow. Almost looked like a storm was brewing. I started to worry about my flight. And indeed, it left almost an hour late. By the time I got off the plane, collected my box and organized the car rental, it was already past the time I'd told Pam, my new landlady, that I'd be arriving at her place.
On the plane, I'd read the driving instructions from the airport to the new place two or three times, trying to memorize them so I wouldn't have to try and read them while driving. I did pretty good for the first half of the journey, but then I missed an exit without even realizing it and wound up in downtown Dartmouth. It wasn't a disaster...at least I knew how to get most of the way to my new place from downtown. At least I thought I did. LOL. Took another wrong turn when Portland St did a weird jog at an intersection. Got that sorted out, and thought I was all set, but then a few clicks later I missed another turn and had to double back. Finally though, at around 10:15, I arrived at my new, temporary, home.
I make it sound easy, don't I...even with the bad navigating? Well, that was nothing. Picture this. I'm in a rented car that feels VERY different from my own. I don't know where to find the light switches and wiper switches etc. in the dar. It's dark outside. There's wet snow coming down like crazy. The roads are wet and seem to be nothing but a sea of reflections. There's NO LIGHTS on the highway I have to take from the airport. So all I can see in my headlights is snow and reflections and taillights. Oh, and guess what...there's FOG too! What IS this place???!! Wet snow and fog at the same time?? lol. Good grief!
But I managed to get here without running off the road or hitting anything or looking too terribly stupid.
Chatted with Pam (my new landlady) for a bit about the amenities etc. after I arrived. She had bought me some muffins (coincidence, as Mum sent a few muffins with me too!) and some orange juice and milk. Bless her heart. The orange juice was an absolute godsend. Even though I'd had lots of liquids during the day, and even a bottle of actual water on the plane, I was still feeling dehydrated, and orange juice always makes me feel better when I'm that thirsty. So a couple of glasses of OJ and one of mum's muffins and then I puttered around for a while, realized I'd have to set up my computer for the cable guy in the morning, so I did that. Then I climbed into my skybed.
What's the skybed, you ask? The previous tenant here called it her treehouse. By now you should be getting an inkling. This is a very small suite, so whoever renovated it was very clever...they put the bed up off the floor. It's suspended by beams that come out of the walls, and a heavy post, and it's reached by a funny little stair case. At the top, you have to turn around, sit on the bed and then shimmy your way up to where you'll sleep. Very cool...and very comfortable actually. It's just a couple of foamys on the wooden platform. I've always found that kind of bed very comfy.
I confess I was a little worried about this bed before I arrived. Having only had a brief look at it when I saw the place back in December, I kept having these visions of the thing collapsing under my weight and sending my down into the kitchen, which is directly below the bed. It's quite sturdy though...so no worries. A little awkward getting in and out of, and it'll be a pain in the ass when I have to get up to pee in the night, but I think I'll enjoy it anyway.
So, all my belongings arrived this morning, and I'm half unpacked so far. The cable guy came in and fixed me up with digital cable and DVR (digital video recorder). Unfortunately in Nova Scotia they don't have the "on demand" service yet, but they do have the movie channels and the music and Pay Per View, plus all the automatic recording features, which is what I really wanted. So, I'm good. Went out this evening to get a few things. There's a mall very close by (Penhorn Mall) with a Walmart, Sobeys (groceries) and Sears. They have a nail place too, so I'm going to go there soon.
So, that's it! Tomorrow is my first day at work (big whoop...one day and then it's the weekend. LOL). I'm really looking forward to it. I've decided I'm going to eschew the bus and drive my car to the ferry terminal. Parking at the Woodside ferry terminal is apparently free. That'll be much more convenient for me, as that way I can make stops on my way home for groceries and such. Which will be almost every evening, as there's VERY little room to store groceries here. One small low shelving unit and that's about it. Plus the bar-sized fridge.
So, all in all, I think I'll be very comfortable here. Pam is very nice and is the type to leave me alone unless I need her, which is perfect. I'll give her the same courtesy. It's a very nice neighbourhood - not rich, but obviously affluent. Big homes. I'm a tiny bit worried about the heat in the summer, as there's no a/c here and Pam doesn't want me opening the window up wide. So, I guess I'll be relying on the ceiling fan and oscillating fans.
Anyway...that's all for now. I'll try and post some pictures soon - camera needs batteries. In the meantime...stay well everyone!
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