My lucky stars are shinin' bright

So, I really, really lucked out with this place I found. It's in a great neighbourhood - very affluent, quiet, safe. But less than 2 minutes by car from here are all the amenities I could hope for! I went out this morning for a coffee and drove around a bit and almost split my face open grinning when I realized what a perfect spot I'd stumbled onto.

I found this place through an ad in the Chronicle Herald online classifieds section. There was very little description in the ad, but the price was right, so I called. When I came to see it in December, I spent about 10 or 15 minutes looking around the suite and talking with the landlady. All I could see of the neighbourhood was that it looked decent enough (it was dark when I got here). Had no idea what else was in the area, or anything else. I guess I was taking a bit of a chance. But the landlady seemed to take to me instantly, and I thought she seemed pretty nice too. I guess I'm the ideal tenant for someone like her. A person very much like herself, mature, professional, single and quiet. She never even asked for references.

So you can imagine my delight as I'm driving around today on a couple of reconnaissance missions. There's Penhorn Mall just around the corner. It has a Walmart (indispensable to me), a Sears, a Sobeys for groceries. There's even a nail place there. Just beyond the mall there are strip malls galore. Timmies, Harveys, Macdonalds, Wendys, among other fast food places (I will do my best to stay away from those). There's a Bank of Montreal, a Penningtons Superstore (!!), a Bulk Barn, a Staples, a CORA'S!!!!, a used book shop...plus oodles and oodles of other places that I'll have to explore over the coming weeks and months.

As my mother said to me when I was a teenager: I could fall in a pile of shit and still come out smelling like a rose. Lucky me. *grin*

Spent a little time and money feathering my nest today. Got myself a computer chair, as the wooden kitchen chair that was here was very uncomfortable. I'm MUCH happier at the computer now. Spending as much time as I do here, I gotta be comfy! Picked up a few other odds and ends too, things to make this place more amenable to me, all stuff I'll either use up while I'm here or can bring home with me at the end of the project. I needed a better office chair anyway - the one I was using in Ottawa was okay, but a cheapo....not as nice-looking or comfy as this one. I have to keep the box though...so I can ship it back at the end of the year. Peeww though...new fabric smell stinks. Wish I had some Febreeze! Guess I'll put that on my list of necessaries. lol