The movers have come and gone. The cleaning lady was in and left everything sparkly. The minor break down I suffered yesterday morning as I realized that I might not get it all done before 5pm is over. But...I did. Thanks to my mom for helping out in the morning.

And thanks to a coffee/chat from a friend in the afternoon and a quick visit with the cats. :) Yep, went to visit them. They have adjusted nicely to life at the kennel...maybe too  nicely. LOL. The lovely Sarah says she scoops the litter twice a day, at home they are lucky to get it done every third day. She gives them fresh water 3x a day where I fill up their jug a couple times a week. They don't suffer under my care, but they are being a little bit spoiled at the kennel...with the treat, etc. Guess I shouldn't begrudge them their stay at the kitty hotel where they are....they will be experiencing the trauma of the plane in 11 days...that should be enough to make them happy to see me again.

As generally happens when packing and getting ready for a big move I didn't get to see everyone. But in Oprah's words to all my friends on PEI (and family who I could as friends) "I won't say goodbye. I'll just say, until we meet again." Cause you know I'll be back again.


I start the cross Canada adventure on Friday morning. I'll see you on the road!

The cats got off safely on Friday and after supper out with my mom I returned home to a very empty, very quiet apartment. I have thus far resisted the urge to go and visit them....in the end it is probably easiest on them if I don't visit. I'm sure they are happy in their kitty suite and are enjoying the new sights and sounds of life in the country. I'm pretty sure the sound of dogs was very scary when they arrived at the kennel--there are no dogs in the apartment building and the last time they would have heard dogs was when they were at the Humane Society.

And I have lots left to do before I leave...the second coat of primer has gone on and I am hopeful that I will be able to get away with one coat of paint. I still need to take the wallpaper down and am hoping that will go quickly on Tuesday morning when the cleaners are here. When I tell people that they all seem a bit unsure of the 'ease' with which I speak. I figure since it has only been up for a limited amount of time and it is 'new' wallpaper that it should come down easily. We will see.

The boxes are littering all living space at the moment and it is a maze to wander through when moving from room to room. I have yet to finish a room....and I'm feeling the unfinishedness of it all. (I know that isn't a word.) I was hoping to finish the kitchen yesterday but quickly realized that I should put some paint on the walls or that would never get dried in time--and unsure of how many coats it would take I started. So the kitchen didn't get finished. Ah, the fun of it all. At the moment I am watching my usual Sunday morning Coronation Street and just kind of relaxing. My stomach is growling and I will need to feed it soon or suffer the consequences. My goal for this morning is to finish the bathroom--then one room will be done. I am having lunch/brunch with my friends at 11:30am and then need to head to my Grandmothers to clean up the spot in the garage where my belongings will be stored. Then back to the apartment to get it ready for the movers who will arrive on Monday, mid-morning to do the heavy lifting. As long as the stuff for storage is packed by the time I fall into my bed tonight then it will all be good...and actually even if that doesn't get done no biggie as I can move a few boxes on my own--the movers are really there for the big heavy things that I do not want to carry down two flights of stairs and then up one flight. I'm sure if I don't get it all done in time I can manage a few boxes on my own...and if I got off the computer and started packing I'm sure I could get it done faster.

But I won't for a few more minutes. I want a few more minutes of peace and relaxation...and maybe another cup of tea...what I really want is a diet pepsi...but no one delivers. LOL

The giant kennel is sitting in the living room waiting for 5pm. That is when I will attempt to lock the two of them inside it and ship them off to Mermaid for a couple weeks. I set the kennel up the day I bought it so they would get used to it and maybe occasionally sleep in it...this has worked a bit. I put the door on it earlier today and their 'bed' and since then they haven't gone near it. The cats know...they always know.

Met with my landlord yesterday regarding the sublet I have lined up for my place...she was more than a little bit *itchy about it. The line she was giving me was along the lines of we don't normally allow sublets. I merely pointed out that as per my lease (and the laws of PEI) I can sublet it. She isn't available now until Tuesday to meet with the prospective tenants--right....whatever. I'm trying to help out a young couple who are just starting out themselves and yes, in turn it helps me. Win win I would think. Anyway...

Awaiting patiently, or as patiently as I can get for my relocation cheque to arrive. It is a biggie. And I desperately need it soon. I am starting to run low on funds as I am in that wonderful spot of having put out a damage deposit on an apartment and am still waiting for the damage deposit for this one to come back...plus I need to pay the kennel fees up front, the movers must be paid in cash on Monday, the cleaning lady in cash on Tuesday, rent on Wednesday, etc, etc. The shopping trip in Moncton the other week also left a small dent in my bank account. It's all good. The money was scheduled to arrive today but due to a glitch it didn't leave until yesterday via courier so we are now expecting it to arrive on Monday. I hope it arrives in the morning when I am still here with the movers otherwise I likely won't see it until Tuesday and I suspect my bank is going to put a hold of some sort on it and I could really use that cash before I leave on Friday.

The packing is almost finished. It's odds and sods at this point and there is a lot of empty boxes sitting in the living room. I haven't used the drawers in the dressers yet so there is still lots of space for 'stuff' and I suspect I can still cram more things into the front of the truck should I really want to....once I get it cleaned. Must remember to add that to the list of things to do.

November 15, 2010

"No time this am for an update. Waiting for the fix it man to arrive as apparently my pipes are leaking into the apartment below. The girls are in the closet until after he leaves. They love to run and jump and play with anything that moves and I have a feeling he might not appreciate their help"

So back in November it was a big crisis in my apartment...according to one of the maintenance folks my bathroom sink was leaking into the apartment below me...well, not on my level it isn't so it must be between the floors. The guy came in and said it needed to be fixed right away. And then he never came back....until last week.

On Friday he showed up again saying he needed to fix the sink. I said why don't you come on June 1--the day after I move out. "nope, it needs to be done sooner than that." Which is why he is here again today--Wednesday and once again the girls are in the closet--wondering no doubt what they did wrong.

The packing is going well. I need to get a few things moved out of the apartment to really make a dent. There are piles all over the place and once a few of the piles disappear the chaos will disappear. My goal for today is to get the kitchen cupboards finished.

Movers--booked
Cleaners--booked
First class tickets for cats--booked (not really, they are going cargo--but same idea)
Kennel--booked
Am I ready? You bet I am....or, I will be.

The kids are off to Paws by the Beach a kennel in Mermaid. The owner seems fantastic and the girls will get their own bedroom to hang out in. I decided to move them to the kennel on Friday so I can finish the packing, have the movers in and get a bit of painting done before the move. Somehow their furry little feet and an open can of paint is spelling disaster to me.

I was in the bedroom this morning packing a few things into my travel suitcase that will sit in the front of the truck with me. The suitcase has old clothes in it that will be tossed out at the end of each day of wearing. You know the stuff, the socks with the toe missing, the undies with the elastic that stretches just a bit too much, those kinds of items. The suitcase will get lighter as the trip goes on and I still get clean clothes to wear each morning. Yeah! Anyway, I was sorting clothes and looked over to find Tundra sitting in the suitcase..I know cats can't speak and I'm certainly not able to read their minds but she seemed to be saying 'take me with you this time'. I feel bad sending them off to the kennel a full week before I go but I think it is for the best in the long run.

I am leaving here on June 3 and hope to arrive in Edmonton by June 8 or 9. I will spend that night in Edmonton and do some grocery shopping the next day and arrive in Fort McMurray by early afternoon on the 10th. I have the weekend to unpack and start work on Monday, June 13th. The cats will arrive around noon on Sunday the 12th. The wonderful owner of Paws by the Beach said she was willing to drive them to the airport on my behalf....YEAH!! The flight leaves at 6am, which means they need to check in at 5am. Bless this women for her kindness.

This is leaving me LOTS of time to drive across the country. I did it before in the same amount of time but with the Uhaul so I know I will have an easier time of it without the Uhaul and will likely be able to drive longer each day, but I am hoping to stop and do a bit of visiting along the way. The no Uhaul already makes my load feel lighter. So...if you live along the trans Canada highway between Charlottetown and Fort McMurray...get ready!

The girls and I never seem to be on the same schedule. They wanted me to get up at 6am, since I don't need to get up for work I wanted to sleep in a bit. At 7:30ish I got out of bed. It's 8:30am and they've been napping for the past 1/2 hour or so. They are soooo cute.

Here's a couple pics of them from the past few days helping with the packing...

Suffering from fur mom guilt for not bringing the cats back anything from my overseas travels (like they would care) I decided to buy the cats a few new toys. I bought tiny balls with bells in them--bad idea. They love them and want to play with them at night. I would prefer to sleep and not listen to the tinkling of the bells at 11pm.


Knowing Tundra's love of the red feather boa purchased at Christmas I decided it was time for a new boa...this one with very colourful feathers. She likes it and it goes so well with her fur.

Not be be left behind the cats decide to pack themselves the other afternoon as I started to do some sorting of items in the living room.

The mid-way mess. Preferring  to work in the living room where there is more space--though that statement is debatable at this point in the project--I have many piles of my stuff--I swear it is somewhat organized.

Tundra gets tired and needs to take frequent naps.

The living room looks worse today then it did a couple of days ago but the piles are growing which means I have more stuff sorted. I am proud of myself as I am getting more items in the to toss or give away pile. Proving that no matter how many times I move I still have more stuff than I need/use. And I am still packing away a few items that I want to keep--for sometime in the future.

I am taking 'stuff' with me but in limited quantities. Books--yes, one box. Dishes--yes, enough to serve 4 people a proper meal. (My dining area consists of 2 bar stools against a counter top, plus I could seat two people on the love seat and that would be the end of my seating...so 4 seems about right). Art work--10 pieces. I have them almost all selected already and believe me choosing only 10 is proving to be VERY difficult. I'm up to 8 already so the last two will prove very difficult.

Now...I guess I better go do some packing!

So much to think about and do when moving. I'm a pro of sorts but this move has me a bit mystified. I was going to take all my stuff with me but the more I look at apartments in Fort McMurray the more I think that is not a good idea. The unfurnished units are for the most part in the bad parts of town and I would prefer to live in the 'safe' parts. The downtown core isn't a good place to live apparently, the cheaper apartments tend to have more than 1 or 2 people living in them in an effort to save $ and the over-crowding is evident, plus they are noisier.

The more I look and talk to people the more I realize I want to live in a certain part of town. If I live 'across the bridge' I could have up to an hour commute in the evenings to get home. I'm not so keen on that.Living in the part of town that is my top choice means my options are a bit more limited...but that can sometimes be ok and help in the decision making process.

At this moment I am leaning towards putting my 'stuff' into storage and making a decision later. A number of people are suggesting I just sell it and start over but I think that will be a decision for down the road. Having to try and find a home over the internet is tricky. I had some time on Friday when I was in Fort McMurray to look at apartments but it was limited and I only saw the inside of one unit....I wasn't impressed. In the long run for about the same amount of money I can have a new furnished unit vs the old, scuzzy apartment that won't fit my furniture. I think....at this moment....and I reserve the right to change my mind 5 minutes from now....that the best idea is to take a furnished unit. Move most of my belongings into storage and once I am on the ground and a bit settled make the decision. The money to help with the move will still be there 6 months from now and really it is hard to tell from a picture on the internet if your 'stuff' will fit into the bedroom you are viewing.

So...yep, decision made.


Well...for the moment.

Lots of lunch plans, supper plans, tea/coffee dates being made. I am already starting to regret giving two weeks notice at the movie theatre...as no doubt the shifts are going to start to get in the way of socializing! I wanted something to keep me grounded over the next couple of weeks while I get ready to leave and I have enjoyed my time at the theatre. If I have all the time in the world the packing will take forever, if I know that I only have certain days/times to pack it will get done. If you told me I had to have it all ready for tomorrow--I  could do it. If you tell me I have two weeks to pack--I could do it....and I'd start a couple days before.

I'm back in PEI. This is Sunday and I was able to sleep in until 11:30am...which is really only 8:30am Alberta time. Last week was a whirlwind of activity.

Sunday I flew from PEI to Fort McMurray. I left in the evening and arrived around 11:30pm in good spirits. Considering it was 2:30am PEI time my good mood was a bit surprising. I had a great sleep and went to an interview at 11:30am on Monday. Spent until 3pm being interviewed and meeting staff. Everyone was wonderful and they seem like a great group of people. Flew to Calgary Monday evening.

Tuesday I had the pleasure of visiting with friends all day. My 9:30am coffee chat lasted until almost 12noon and if I hadn't already booked lunch plans for 12 I'm sure the chat would have lasted longer. It was one of those chats where you cover a variety of topics and just enjoy the conversation and where it takes you. Thanks K. The lunch was also wonderful...catching up with a former GV'er and chatting about India then and now. She 'gets me' and my career choices/decisions so it was nice to chat with someone about that as well. I headed back downtown after lunch and wandered for a bit...then I did something that still surprises me a bit...I got a battery for my watch. This may not seem like an extraordinary event but I haven't worn a watch since January 2005 so for me it was quite out of the ordinary. The afternoon ended with meeting up with another pal from Edmonton who gave me a lift to the airport--which is a HUGE thing considering the distance and he even hung out with me until my shuttle to Banff left. Thank J--hope to see you again soon. Then I boarded the shuttle to Banff and met up with my friend Kim who quickly shuttled me off to supper with 8 of her friends.

There was lots of laughter coming from our table and again the conversation flowed so well covering a number of topics. The only time we could be silenced was when the next course came out and we took the first few bites. I crashed shortly after supper and it was an early night for us.

Wednesday we hiked up Turtle Mountain. It was really nice and the views of Banff are terrific. I highly recommend it. It isn't a really difficult hike but it is a lot of vertical movement. In the afternoon we wandered around Banff proper and made a couple of purchases...a box of chocolates for my kitten sitter and some of my favorite tea. Then a trip to the local Cold Stone Creamery at the local Tim Hortons...OMG...it was SOOOO good. I must go again...soon. I had the cake batter ice cream with brownie, pecans and caramel in it...WOW. I was in love with each mouthful. It's an expensive treat but worth the price of admission. The evening ended with a trip to the hot springs..my first...finally! It was a great Banff day.

Thursday Kim and headed to Calgary where we did a wee bit of shopping and then off to a movie in the afternoon. Then the long road back to the airport. I hopped a flight back up to Fort McMurray. Another interview Friday morning and by noon I was free. I rented a car and spent the rest of the day driving around Fort McMurray looking for apartments. I viewed one and wasn't overly impressed with what I saw. The view was nice but it was on the small side and old. There are two types of places in Fort McMurray...old and new...this was old. Old means cheaper....so guess I will be looking at the new.

Yep, you probably read that right. I'm looking for an apartment in Fort McMurray! On Wednesday morning I received a verbal offer from the company I met with on Monday and I verbally accepted. When I arrived back from the interview Friday morning I had the actual offer in my in box. I am happy to accept it. I'll pass out the details later in the week...once they have the actual documents signed and sent in....but for now, yes, I have a new job in Fort McMurray and I will likely be starting on June 6. Whoo hooo!!!

It's 1:30pm on Sunday afternoon here in PEI...I work at the movie theatre in 45 minutes and should really get my act in gear.