5C's Que Pasa

For 2 days now, no trades, which means no mess but also no work on completing the house.  We have decided that it is in my best interest ( as in staying sane ) to move into the new place for at least a few weeks, ASAP.  Tomorrow we plan to do a big push in getting the house completed.  No one listens to me anymore.  They should because I am the one who pays the bills!!

Colin is back to 16 hour days and literally pulling his hair out.

Self portrait!! Crazy guy.

Many thanks for all the emails, comments and one very special phone call of support from the other end of Canada!  You are all helping me get through this.  I really had no idea it would be so difficult, perhaps if I was feeling better it would be easier.  Many many thanks to Pat for making the soup and to Gord for delivering it, Colin enjoyed it at 10PM last night.

This is our view on the one side of the RV, yes we are right up against cedar trees.

Sitting on the sofa in the upper photo shows you the other side of the coach view. Not very inspiring. I feel rather closed in and unless it is sunny outside it is dark in here. However this site is just down the street from the beach house and the rent is reasonable.

The only open view is out the front window but even then there are trees right up to the RV on both sides. At least the girls get to enjoy the sun in the mornings for a few hours. In the new place they will always have patches of sunshine somewhere.

Tags: 319, CJPS, friends, Funny, health

The past few days have not been pleasant.

I am done with the trades treating my home like a garbage bin!!

You will no longer be admitted willy nilly.  Appointments are a must, no more just showing up and having the run of the place!!  Monday the flooring idiot came back to repair his previous damage and left without informing us he had by accident made a hole in the floor with a tool.  Colin called his boss to the house pronto and something will be done but when!!  I was too angry to even take a photo. From now on all trades must be supervised fully.  We need to have someone in from last Friday to redo all he had done while we dealt with another trade!!  I don't have anymore time to waste in my life.  Colin is into his busy period of photography and has not one extra minute.  His guitar sits on a chair collecting dust.

No one came to purge! Really how many beverage glasses does one need? The ones on the counter are for my hutch but need to be washed......BUT I couldn't do that because the 'plumber' after hooking up the sink never turned on the hot water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Did I say I was done!

Sometime over the weekend while Colin was working I took the girls over to the house to do some unpacking. I wanted to start with my good dishes so I opened box after box.....

...marked fragile and rosewood console!!! Box after box after box!

I filled every surface with stuff but no dishes. Where did all this stuff come from and where is it going to?

Finally Colin came home and I asked him to help me find my dishes! There was only one pile left, supposedly marked, office and desk stuff!!! What did he find but my 2 missing fragile boxes underneath everything!!!! What a tricky way to get me to unpack!!

I spent part of yesterday making each person a final to do list, a completion list and emailed it to them asking them to make an appointment.  When we got back from a painful medical treatment for me today there was a note on the RV door….”sorry we missed you”!!!  Actually I am not sorry I missed them.  Back to bedrest for the rest of today and evening.  Colin is working and I am whining~ in more ways that one!

We can't even think about Mexico and departure dates until we get the house completed.  Wait till I tell you about the gas inspector's report!!  I need more vino first.

Tags: 319, construction, medical, repairs, Wine

Colin worked for hours yesterday in the new place, our cleaning lady could only stay for 2 hours but that was 2 hours less for Colin to do.  When I finally went over I was amazed at the changes.  He moved the rosewood bookcase to a different wall and it looks fabulous.  I had intended to suggest it to him but he beat me to it.  We do often think along the same lines.  He had even put down a template  of where our new fireplace will go.  Hope to get it delivered next week. We had to rearrange where his desk will go. Things don't always work out in real life as they do on paper.

One thing led to another, we thought to start in the bedroom but that led to placing area carpets ( because they were stored in the bedroom ) on the floor which look pretty good.  We will likely keep them there. Still lots of open area to see the flooring we put in.  Then it took 90 minutes of discussion to sort out the front hall area and closet.  Got that resolved.  He had to go pick something up at Home Depot and in that time I unloaded the five wardrobe boxes which opened up the area.  I found another 4 kitchen boxes.  How many mugs, cups, water glasses, juice glasses and wine glasses does one need?  Six shelves full???  Pat, you had better come purge.

I was thinking how much space we had until I remembered the loaded RV!  When we come back from Mexico in April that will be the true test of our space and most importantly closet space.  I see more purging in my future.

The girls love cuddling up on the new bed. I am relieved that they seem happy in the house. Yesterday Carmeh recognized a piece of furniture that she use to have a toy hidden in by us. She kept trying to get her toy out, of course the toy is in a box somewhere but I am impressed at how smart she is.

Today will be devoted to more unpacking and sorting things out.  Colin has one photo shoot and a date with me in the house……to work!!  We have two trades people coming, big sigh, but maybe I'll get lucky and they won't show up.  It is Sunday after all.  I know one of them wants money so he will probably turn up!

Tags: 319, The girls

…that is how my Friday (yesterday ) started!  It was the house builder wanting to meet onsite in 20 minutes to go over deficiencies.  Yawn!!  Okay I will get dressed and meet you there.

Knock, knock, at the RV door, 2 minutes later!!  What the ???  It  was the add a room builder, we are here for our scheduled 8 AM meeting re deficiencies!!  News to me!  Be right over.

Colin had worked till 1AM that morning and had left at 6:30AM for a photo shoot and was hoping for an hour off before the next shoot but instead we went over to the house.  Chaos!!  Five workers and us!  Hundreds of unpacked boxes and very little space.  Why today, why all at once??  As we went over details with the bosses, the workers did their thing.  Unfortunately as we were occupied with the lists we were unable to supervise the work and late yesterday we saw that much would need to be redone.  I mean who puts in a doorstop with the door half closed???  Duh!

After 30 minutes Colin had to leave, he was doing aerial photography. Thanks for the photo Robert. So there I remained at the house, no coffee, no pain meds, no food, just stress and noise.

Then it happened.  CRASH!!!

One of my four Murray Feiss wall sconces came crashing to the ground compliments of one of the workers. It is no longer being made but after a few hours online I found a source for ordering in a new shade. Six weeks delivery time. No further comments on the emotions that ran thru the house at the moment of the crash. I leave that to your imagination!

By the time Colin got back from flying all the workers were gone and we could go thru the house and make some decisions.  It was perfectly clean and ready for the move last Tuesday and now it is a shambles and looks like a dirty storage room.  Fortunately our seldom used cleaning lady is able to come in on Saturday to help Colin clean.  Meanwhile Randy, our blind guy showed up to install another 4 window coverings.  We only have 3 left and hopefully that order will be in on Monday.  Window covering installation makes a huge mess of bits & pieces on the floor. The 3 that are left are in a small separate area so we will be able to contain the mess.

So you think that would be enough for one day.  For most people certainly, but not for us!  Just as Colin was leaving to do yet 2 more photo shoots we had a gas leak.  Panic!!  Being 3:30PM we could not get a hold of anyone!  Colin shut off the source of incoming gas and left to go to work, the blind guy kept installing and I finally got ahold of the house builder who came and checked things out.  In the end all was well.

Finally about 5:30PM I was able to close up the house, pour myself a glass of wine and go over to our block party, well underway since 4PM. At least I got to go and say hello ( spoke some French with one and Spanish with another ~ great mental stimulation ) for about an hour.  No photos as I have no idea where my camera is right now.  Back home to feed the girls. Colin arrived like a hero with take out salmon teryaki and lots of veggies.  I was starving.  I think I was in bed by 9PM, perhaps sooner.

Now that was a day I don't care to repeat.  Oh for the simple life of Mexico.

Tags: 319, CJPS, construction, repairs, Wine

The night before the move we were totally done in.  About 5 PM Colin went under the house to vacuum and discovered a huge mess, the trades had been using that area as a garbage dump.  Enough said but it took 4 hours to clean up and 2 truck loads to the garbage.

I literally could not move another inch so just sat there and tried to relax. Got back to the RV about 9PM for another late dinner. Sadly we had run out of wine so we only fumes that night.

Caeli had had enough and put herself to bed.

Moving morning came fast and the movers were late, giving yet more time to tweak things at the house.  Friends Pat & Gord were a huge help and support.  We started at 9:30AM and went till 8PM, it is certainly getting dark earlier.

The plan was to move our furniture that was still in our old place into the new one. The movers were quick to tell us that our furniture was awkward and heavy!! Lots of tall Ikea bedroom armoires and heavy rosewood furniture.

Next they emptied out the 2 storage sheds we were renting here at Holiday Park. Lots of small pieces we had thrown in there making it a difficult transfer from truck and back to the house. Finally they used some boxes they had in their truck to hurry things along.

The girls did their best to guard the front door, they did handle the move well and seem to realize this will be home. Of course we did have some dings and dents in the wall and door frames, to be expected but repairable.

Part 3 of the move was moving all the boxes from under our old house, which was full, and carting them across the road. This shows about 20% of the boxes. The movers would not go under the house so Colin & Gord had to crawl under and push the boxes out. Some were for inside, dishes, books, clothes, etc. but many were for under the new house. It seemed overwhelming even to the movers. We asked if they would stay another hour and help Colin put the stuff under the new house, move the sauna and rebuild it and carry the wardrobe boxes inside.

They were a huge help and were well paid and tipped appropriately.  I finally had to leave about 6 PM, Colin stayed till dark and everything was put inside….somewhere, somehow!  Sadly we were still on fumes wine wise!  I just went to bed, no dinner, nothing!  Earlier, about 2PM we had a visit from the gas inspector who wanted us to show home around, etc.  I told him it was moving day and we did not have time but to please do it himself, he was nosey and poking everywhere.  I told him if he wanted to move the dryer to see in behind he would have to do it himself and if he created any damage he would have to repair himself!  Finally he left and said we had passed!! About 3PM we had our woodman come to finish the beams.  Another trade wanted to come in but I drew the line.

Yesterday I worked a bit in the kitchen then we got some great news.  The sink was in!!!  Adriatic Granite came and put it in and did their finishing touches.  Colin says it looks awesome.  Mr. Woodman was there till dark last night.  I did not go back to the house after noonish but stayed on bed rest in the RV with wine!!!  Things are looking great, lots of work ahead but no pressures or deadlines other than a few more trades.  Once they finish up I will be so relieved.  I have many more photos but this is enough for now.  We survived and are moving ahead.  Colin's busy season has started and he is doing a 12 hour photo shoot today.  I might just take it easy.  If I have any energy I might unpack a box or two.

Tags: 319, The girls, Wine