5C's Que Pasa

Flooring confusion!

contessa — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:52:48 +0000

Yesterday was beyond exhausting. We went to two flooring stores and ended up overwhelmed. It seems that there is hardwood flooring as well as engineered hardwood and laminate flooring. We were informed that unless we had a special humidifier running through our furnace we could only have laminate flooring as the wood would eventually dry out and warp. With us shutting down the house for six months of the year when we head down to Mexico, it complicates things further. Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions or horror stories to share with us?

We realized that we really can't pick the tile until we decide on the flooring. We are planning carpet for the bedroom only. Thousands of choices out there.

One of the stores had an interior designer available to do a consult. She however did not like some of our choices to date and was very strong about her opinion. She even started to sway us on the colour of the house siding.

We went from her store back to the siding store where they pulled out a large piece of 'mahogany' colored siding which she said we had to use. We carried it out into the sun, back into the shade and looked and looked. We still are happy with our original choice of 'colonial red' which is the sample above the letters KAY. I don't like brown.

We spent 20 minutes in a lighting store but both agreed we were too tired and hungry to deal with it. Besides that is not as much of a pressing decision as the others.

This is my master list, the only way I am getting through these crazy weeks. June so far is only 50% full so there will for certain be downtime then.

We got the dreaded call while at one the the flooring stores yesterday…..the cement team has been delayed until Tuesday. This means that they just might finish an hour or two before we move over to the beach site next weekend. Sigh!!! All the coordination the other day with the irrigation guy and the water box thing, out the window. Plus the forecast is for showers next week, so it is what it is, nothing I can do but deal with it.

Meanwhile the lake is slowly rising. Mid April we had a large beach.

Now the lake is lapping up the third step. Still lots of snow up in the hills to melt...

A normal day…..

contessa — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:07:31 +0000

….Wednesday, Colin did a full day photo shoot and I did our company business stuff at my desk. It was a wonderful break from all the house stuff and for us, relaxing. Still lots to do but a normal routine does wonders for the mind. We are two weeks away from being ‘homeless’ other than the for the RV. I can hardly wait.

I have never seen this before. A truck that comes to your home to clean your BBQ! Amazing!

Other than running out of toilet paper and bread we are doing quite well. I really have to get to a grocery store soon…….

While doing address changes over the past week I came across two interesting finds. Shaw.ca who provide our TV service here, while on the road and in Mexico advised me that for $1.00 less per month I could get 3 more channels of my choice! Why do they wait until I’m giving them an address update to tell me this.

What totally overwhelmed me was Telus, our telephone and internet provider. While in Mexico we keep our phone service active just in case a client might call. Over the past four or five years we have been paying a monthly bill of $91.67 before tax, 12 months per year. When I did the address change, the very young sounding girl on the line offered to give us a bit of a better deal over what we were paying. Starting May 26th our monthly bill will be reduced to $31.11 before tax for 12 months. Starting May 26th, 2013 our monthly bill will increase to $56.11 before tax monthly!!! By my very rough calculations that means that over the next 24 months we will save $ 1153.44 before taxes. That leads me ask…… or at the very least wonder………

Why did we not move sooner….just think of all the money we would have saved!!

So folks the onus is on you to check often with your service provider re changes in service pricing!! They are happy to take the higher amount you likely set up years ago.

Desde un poco locos a mucho más loco

contessa — Wed, 16 May 2012 15:46:28 +0000

We are evolving from a bit crazy to much more crazy. Some people in the housing industry are mas loco! I walked out of a meeting Monday and simply handed Colin the phone from another. I guess this is normal, but I don’t have time for stupid or for being lectured at by someone who has no idea what we want but will only give us the minimal.

At some point I leaned back..quickly and with force...and broke my computer chair. That will teach me, eh!! Still using it without the back as I won't need it in the RV.

Anyway, I have no idea what the heck happened to Tuesday.

The day started out early with the demolition of our existing irrigation so we can get more cement poured. That soon led to the decision to redo the irrigation from scratch at the beach site! We have had 2 great 30C days and now that the irrigation is off I will now have to add daily watering by hand for a few weeks.

The day just went on and on and well into the night. I got up about midnight to go to the bathroom and saw a light moving around outside, it was Colin, putting up the canopy on the gazebo for the new owners.

He not only put the canopy up, he moved about 12 boxes and packed some more stuff! He said he wasn't tired and had lots of energy, but to put up a canopy by flashlight at midnight!!!

How funny.....this just happens to be the Spanish word of the day!!

Another full day….

contessa — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:31:46 +0000

We are still packing in the activities and packing the boxes.

After moving stuff out to our rented shed Colin was able to set up to do some product photography. I'm thinking, how is this going to happen in the RV:( I guess we'll just deal with it at the time.

Then we get 'the call'. Our table and chairs have arrived from Toronto.

Beautiful!! Amazing for an online purchase and bought sight unseen other than poor quality photos.

Back to the house for some more packing and photography, lunch and then finally a walk. I do believe that this is our first family walk since we got home on April 14th. That is changing starting now. It has to!! Time to take control of my time back.

Our existing irrigation at the beach site needs to be moved before the cement can be poured. We started by laying out where the stairs to the new house will be, then how much sidewalk is needed and on and on.

We thought this process could be done quickly, wrong!! It took close to 3 hours of moving three measuring tapes and using pieces of scrap lumber to lay it all out. Even today I am not sure we are making the right decisions. Do I want more flower beds or do I want less yard work? I do have my lovely garden on the Isla in Mexcio!!

...and Gord...it was a "Princesa" cart you were being driven around in, rhymes with Contessa. Thanks for your comment yesterday.

Who knows what today will bring, yesterday was full enough! We certainly don’t lead a dull life.

Happy Mother’s Day

contessa — Sun, 13 May 2012 15:27:21 +0000

Wishing all of you a very special day....

Friends Pat and Gord came by yesterday afternoon and we took the rest of the day off. First we toured them around Holiday Park in the golf cart so they got a feel for this lifestyle then we just sat and enjoyed some wine and appies at the beach site. It felt wonderful to just sit and relax.

Gord whipped us up some salmon burgers....

....I made a salad, Colin & Pat got an impromptu table set up and we had a lovely dinner.

A variety of locals provided the entertainment!! Yes that is snow still on top of the distant mountains.

Chutney and money!

contessa — Sat, 12 May 2012 15:52:05 +0000

What ever do they have in common? They rhyme. I lost the chutney and found some money.

I knew we had carted a jar of chutney down to Mazatlan and back home again but when I went to open it last night for dinner it was not in the pantry. Who took the chutney, finally found it in the one cupboard I hadn’t unpacked in the RV. Wonder how I missed that one? Oh well we will be moving back into the RV for good in two weeks.

As to the money, our financial advisor called Friday to suggest we sell some stock that had been taken over and was up 40%!! Of course we said yes! Over all it seems that year to date the Toronto stock market is down 15% while our investments are year to date up 6%, giving us an overall leg up of 21% above average. Found money!! No, I will not spend it!

We finally signed off on the plans of the new house yesterday, paid a 25% non refundable deposit. A huge relief to have it moving ahead. The selling and the move are becoming more real, exchanged some emails with the new owners of this place, they are very excited.

Finally we are getting some heat. I have been chilled to the bone since we got back from Mexico. Bring on the sun.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The story of a lost camera and a determined Canadian!

contessa — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:48:07 +0000

Do you remember Jessie & Gary from Tres Amigos RV Park on Stone Island? On one of their many beach walks Jessie spotted a camera floating near the beach. I remember them spending hours first drying out the camera, downloading the images and then many trips into Mazatlan to try and find the owner.

Let me have them tell you the rest of the story themselves:

Hi Colin and Contessa.

Gee are we excited or what!!!

After Jessie spotted the digital camera floating in the water on the Isla de la Piedra shoreline, I dried it and removed the memory card. We were able to look at the pictures. 434 photos in all taken by what looked like a young couple on their honeymoon.

While in Mazatlan,we identified the ‘all inclusive’ hotel they were staying at and visited it on two occasions, seeking information about the people in the photos. We asked around to no avail and subsequently, brought the memory card home.

Thinking about it, I contacted the editor of the Mazatlan Messenger Jack Sieber, to see if they could run a story or help us in some way. Jack is also a member of the ‘Blue Church’ in Centro who put us in touch with Patricia from the same congregation. Tish was eager to help us find the rightful owners so I sent her pictures of the people and the room they were staying in, but no luck.

After musing over the pictures once again, looking for that elusive clue, I zoomed in on the blue bracelets given to ‘all inclusive’ guests. Most pictures just showed the punched holes but I found two that were turned in such a way that I was able to read the serial numbers. (One on her and one on him). Tish took the numbers to the hotel and viola… she came away with a telephone number and email address.

Excitement vanished when she emailed only to have it bounce. She phoned with no answer. Persisting, she finally got through and eventually connected with Yeraldin the young woman in the photos.

Yeraldin got a new email address for us to communicate with her. She is somewhat thrilled, no,,, ecstatic. They are from Chihuahua City, Chihuahua. It was her first visit to the ocean beach and she thought her pictures were gone forever. Here are a couple of emails from her.

hola, Mr Gary yo soy la persona dueña de la kamara que encontro en mazatlan, hable con Patricia y me dio su email, para comunicarnos y ver si me podia mandar las fotos.

hi, i hope you speak Espanish, i dont speak english very well im from mexico i visit mazatlan in DECEMBER and i lost mi camara, patricia call me and she say you have this pictures so i hope you can send me the pictures for email. and i hope you understeand mi ugly english.

thanks.

Followed by,

Bueno pues muchas gracias, son unas buenas personas,tomarse la molestia de localizarme……. me da gusto recuperarlas porque fue la primera vez que iba a una playa …… en ese viaje conocimos el mar asi que son un buen recuerdoo muchass graciass

As you can see we are very pleased to bring this to a happy conclusion. We have Yeraldin and Oscar’s home address and plan to send the memory card to them. I have uploaded the pictures to Windows Skydrive and sent her the link. (I will send you the link separately).

Sounds like you are having fun planning the new home.

Cheers, G

Photo of the camera owners, Yeraldin & Oscar!

Here is Yeraldin’s lastest email to Gary……

Hi i cant waith for see my pictures and thanks again i hope the memory card dont lose in the tripp again thank you im so happy this is something inusual please you can keep it all the pictures in you computer just for security bye

Isn’t that a great story. Gary you did a wonderful job following through right to the end. That couple will never forget you and your good deed. Now you have to come back to Mexico to meet them!

Vote results!

contessa — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:10:33 +0000

First of all I am flattered by the hand full of you who emailed about my lack of a blog post yesterday. Yes it is because we are swamped. We have to be out of here in a few weeks with all that that involves but are still finishing up details on the house. Many small glitches that either Colin or myself have to deal with. It is just easier to call the supplier and check on CSA approval etc., do the leg work, make the calls then to rely on someone else. Much quicker in the long run. Today we hope to be able to sign off on the house plan and specs, pay a deposit and move on to things like flooring, lighting, paint colors and be able to pack a box or two. I also will be renting two storage sheds here at Holiday Park so we can cart some stuff out of here.

Colin’s ear ringing is returning, mainly because he hasn’t had time to do the Egoscue Exercises. Proof that this program does work. He is doing them as I type.

66% of the votes were for the Ivy Green while 39% of the votes were for the Colonial Red. Most comments were in relation to blending into nature. I appreciated all your comments and it did make us think about our choice. Despite the majority vote for the Ivy Green we are going with the Colonial Red.

The Colonial Red combined with the Desert Sand trim is lovely and somewhat Mexican. We plan to have a tiny Mexican style courtyard as you walk into our yard. A few years ago we created a Terra Cotta coloured patio at the beach site and we will continue that theme in the courtyard using some existing coloured patio blocks and stamped concrete.

The lake front side of the house will be floor to ceiling windows so we will be a part of nature. The yard itself will be totally private and the only thing someone walking past will see is the house and our cedar hedge.

Things are coming together bit by bit and we know we will love the final result. Yes we live in an RV Resort but this home will be like no other. When we got married we moved into a brand new 1070 sq. ft. condo, from there to a 5600 sq. ft. home, to a brand new 3600 sq. ft. townhouse, to this 968 sq.ft. ( the maximum size allowed ) park home designed by us and soon to our new 968 sq. ft. home on the lake which will look totally different on the inside as it will on the outside. This home plus our home on wheels is all we need, allowing us to work in a great environment and to travel where ever we chose.

The beach site!

Our current home outlined in white with the beach site. We aren't moving far!

Life is good!

Poco loco!!

contessa — Tue, 08 May 2012 02:49:24 +0000

Today was crazy! Our builder woke us up, to say he would be here in 5 minutes. That was the start of 7 meetings, all house related. Only two were planned. A 12 hour day all for the new place. So now I sit with Papa Murphy’s Pizza in the oven and a glass of vino blanco at hand.

I apologize for the lack of a proper post today. Also, as many of you likely noticed, our Captcha security code has been ill for a few days. That is now resolved so please get back to your part of this blog, the comment section.

Some pretty intense discussion at the granite place. The fella was pleased with our choices.

The girls even had some thoughts about colour choices.

My glass is empty and the pizza is listo…..adios till tomorrow!

It was a normal Sunday….

contessa — Mon, 07 May 2012 15:02:47 +0000

…for us!! Colin worked ( photography ) for half the day while I did stuff. The best part was I took some me time and painted my toes for the first time since we left Mazatlan. A sure sign that things are slowing down:)

I guess that Holiday Park decided that Sunday was a good day to pull out the rest of my plants. The big box under the blue tarp will become our new shed....one day.

I thought they were going to save the Blue Spruce but it was trashed. Nice shot of our current home in behind the Bobcat. As you can see we are not moving far at all.

We managed to get everything in the RV put away into various places. Last Wednesday we had the RV carpets and upholstery cleaned and today we have a lady coming in to do a deep clean front to back and top to bottom. I just don’t have time to do it. Once that is done we can slowly move things over to the RV, never ever walk over empty handed!!

We had an unscheduled three hour meeting with our builder late in the afternoon. In these parts Sunday is just another day in the week, Colin worked, the tree removers worked, the builder worked and so did I. It was a very good meeting and we are happy to have the details down on paper. There are tons more details but the important ones have been made.

Celebrating the beginning of our home, thanks Ram for being so patient with us. It is going to be a great home.

It seems that I never run out of ideas to blog about. I have so many stories and incidents and just ‘things’ to share with you, so stay tuned. The siding colour results will be revealed very soon.

Anyone care to join me today?